“Ronnie. She’s ready to deliver, but it appears Wiggles doesn’t want to leave the comfort of her belly.”

“Not that I have personal experience, but I’ve seen many babies born. They come when they’re eager to enter this world. And our bodies sense when the time is right. Well, let’s get fucking started. I don’t have all day. What’s this hunch you have?”

I explain what happened at the bog—the magnetic pull and the tugging inside.

“When I examined the area with the intention around Ronnie’s baby, the fog became covered in flashy silver discharges. Right after, I found her glove on the ground.”

“Interesting. Obviously, your intuition directed you to it. But here’s the thing. When this happened before, you weren’t searching for anything, right?”

“No. Ronnie and I were hiking. An aura appeared, and the magnetism dragged me to the bog.”

The hedge witch twists a corner of her mouth. “Did you cross paths with anyone? Like Courtney Erickson?”

“Not Courtney. The new Celtic Studies instructor, Ashley Lewis. She said she was hiking, but it had to be a short one because an undergrad was watching her son.”

“Hmph. In the fucking rain?” She scratches her head. “Silver flashes, you say. I’ll have to mull this over. Did you bring my amethyst geode and Seamus’s clear crystal with you?”

“Yeah. They’re in my backpack.”

I remove the crystals and place them on the floor among her scattered ones. I kneel on a pillow and hold one in each hand. “Here’s my hunch. The strength of my intuition increases with the degree of my intention, but I think the level of caring I have regarding the person involved increases the intensity, accuracy, and direction of it. I haven’t practiced my theory with these two crystals yet. I wanted you to watch me and provide input.”

Agnes bends down to kneel on a pillow. “Ugh. My fucking knees. I’m ready to observe.”

“Here goes nothing,” I say, signaling an intention with the deepest affection I can muster.

A white energy rises from each of them, connecting in the center, and whizzes back and forth toward the ceiling like a ping-pong ball.

“Fuck me,” Agnes says, her gaze following the energy’s route.

I grow dizzy but fight back the urge to fall, balancing my equilibrium.

“Is this what happened when Seamus triggered you during the training with him?”

“Yes,” I say, struggling to keep my body from swaying. “But it was more intense. I can control this.”

I suck my witch’s energy back into my hands, and the white beam fades. “What’s your opinion?”

“What do I think? If the level of affection increases the intensity of your intention, I’d say Seamus Duffy is fucking mad in love with you.”

“Oh, fuck,” I reply, laying the crystals on the floor.

“Who were you focusing on just now with the stones? If it was Archie, you’re in fucking big trouble.”

I chuckle. “No. I was concentrating on the affection I have toward Tyler.”

“Ha! That’s why you could control it. When Seamus triggered the crystal interaction, you were experiencing his love toward you. It’s why you couldn’t contain it, I would say. But then again, what do I fucking know about a cat sith witch’s intuition?”

“If that was step two in the training, what would three involve?”

Agnes’s eyes pop out. “I wouldn’t wanna fucking find out. Would you?”

My phone interrupts with a rendition of Don’t Stop Believin’. “It’s Derek.”

“Hi, is something wrong?”

He chuckles. “Yeah. We’re having a baby.”

“What? She’s in labor now? Why aren’t you on the way to the hospital?”

“She’s double checking her bag. Hold on, Gwyn. Babe, you’ve checked your bag at least a hundred times. Let’s go! Gwyn is on her way to meet us. I’m right, I hope, because she really wants you there for support.” He lowers his voice. “She’s not saying it outright, but I think she’s scared. I heard her mumble in her sleep about Wiggles being in trouble.”

My witchy innards tighten. “Make sure she has the bloodstone crystals. Meet you at the hospital. Everything will turn out fine, Derek. I promise.”

“Thanks, Gwyn. I hope so.” His name disappears from my phone screen.

“This will have to wait. I’m off to the hospital!” I shout, jumping up and down.

“Fuck, yeah. You go on. I’ll send a text to Leslie and Trinity.” My mentor puts the crystals in my backpack and passes it to me.

“Thanks. I’ll catch ya later. Bye!”

I slip on my sneakers and jacket and run out the door. On the way to the hospital, I call Archie from the car.

“Give Ronnie and Derek my best.” A notification sounds on his phone. “Received a text from Trinity.”

“I did, too, but I can’t have the car read it to me while I’m talking to you.”

“She asks you to stay in touch. I’ll come to the hospital as soon as I finish a quick lunch. I’ll be in the waiting room if you need a break.”

“OK. I’d like that. Because…”

“What’s wrong, Gwyn?”

“Derek said Ronnie spoke in her sleep about something happening to Wiggles. My witch’s intuition is tugging at me. I’m worried, Archie.”

“I’ll be there if you need my help.”

“Thank you, honey.”

After several hours, Wiggles refuses to give up the womb, and Ronnie is exhausted. Beads of sweat dampen her face while her crimson curls cling to her skin for dear life. The time on my cell reads 11:24 p.m. Dr. Powell, a middle-aged woman with short gray hair, comes into the birthing room and examines her belly again.

“Ronnie, we’ve tried to get this baby to turn, but your little one doesn’t want to budge. We have to consider a C-section.”

“No fucking way!” she screams through labor pains. “I’m gonna do this naturally.”

“It’s too risky, Ronnie.” She addresses Derek. “You need to talk with your partner.”