“Give us a couple of minutes, Dr. Powell?” he asks.

Ronnie’s obstetrician leaves the room while the nurse stands by.

“Nurse, could you give us some privacy?” I ask, concern contorting my face.

She leaves and I whisper to Derek. “Do you trust me?”

He presses his lips together and nods.

I glare at Ronnie. “I’m gonna take care of this. No arguing. Understood?”

She squeezes my hand. “What are you gonna do?”

“What are best friends for if they can’t break a few rules? Right?”

I lay my hands on her baby bump and summon my power with an incantation. An amber glow radiates when I touch her skin. I focus my intention on Wiggles, tickling the little one’s butt. I sense movement, and the body shifts inside her belly with a pop!

The amber glow fades in my hands as Dr. Powell and the nurse rush back into the room. The doctor glares at her.

“I hope you have made a wise decision,” she says.

Ronnie glances at me. “I think I’m OK now, doc.”

Dr. Powell examines her belly again, and her eyes widen. “I’ll be damned. The mule has decided to turn. Ready to have a baby?”

“Hell, yes,” Ronnie and Derek say in unison.

Derek clasps her hand and kisses her cheek. “You got this, babe.”

After a few hard pushes and a few grunts and “fucks,” Wiggles makes her debut with a head full of strawberry blond hair. After Derek cuts the umbilical cord, Dr. Powell and the nurse check out Ms. Wiggles and clean her up, placing her in Ronnie’s arms.

“She has blond hair with a red tint like my mom,” she says, kissing the top of her newborn’s head. “We’re gonna call her Luna.”

“I’m so happy for you both. I’ll go tell Archie and let you have some time with her.”

On the way to the door, Ronnie calls to me. “Gwyn? Thank you.”

I grin. “What are friends for?”

As I walk to the waiting room, I’m overwhelmed with relief, but a tugging pulls at my insides. We all couldn’t be happier. Is my intuition failing me again?

When I enter the waiting room, Archie is chatting with Tyler and Zoe. The rest of the Bearsden Coven fills the available chairs. Trinity rushes to me.

“Well, don’t zip your lips. What’s the tea, Gwyn?”

“It’s a healthy baby girl! Ms. Wiggles!” I shout. “But they’re calling her Luna.”

Our coven leader grins. “A fine celestial name.”

A nearby nurse admonishes us. “Keep it down, please. There are others in the waiting room.”

Zoe laughs. “We’re all here for the same mom. We’re her family.”

The nurse grimaces as the entire coven hoots and hollers, hugging each other. But my smile fades as I clutch my abdomen. Archie takes me aside.

“Is there something wrong with Ronnie or the baby?” he whispers.

“They’re fine. Luna was butt first, but I used magic to shift her head toward the birth canal.”

His brow crinkles. “Then why the constipated look?”

I glance back at the door to the obstetrics ward. “I don’t know.”

Chapter twenty-threeA Protector’s Promise

Sunday morning, I practice repeatedly with Agnes and Seamus’s crystals in Leslie’s magic room, focusing on Ronnie and her newborn, Luna. Each time, the white magic snakes through the air like a boomerang. Mr. Yeats stands by, ready to catch me in case I become dizzy from the overpowering energy. Until my intuition kicks in again, I won’t know if this work has increased its strength. It’s all I can do for now. I set the crystals on the wooden table.

Mr. Yeats collects herbs from the shelf. “A protection pouch is a given. If there is a nefarious witch still out there, a spell prepared specifically for such a person will surely shield Ms. Baldwin’s baby.”

“That’s my hope. Somehow, the bog figures into all of this, but I don’t know how yet. Witches do enjoy the woods. She could live near there under a masking spell, like Skye suggested. I appreciate your assistance in preparing the pouch.” I collect a few herb jars and place them on the table.

Mr. Yeats grinds the mugwort. “You have more ingredients than I remember. What are you putting in this one?”

“Black salt, cinnamon, rosemary, peppermint, lavender, mugwort, juniper berries, red sandalwood, clear quartz, and black tourmaline chips.” I chuckle as I open a jar. “Everything but the kitchen sink.”

He straightens his back. “Why in all the Otherworld would you put a sink in the pouch? Clearly, it’s too big for the small sack.”

I laugh, spilling the black salt. “Oops. It’s a phrase.”

He scowls at me. “Look at the mess you made. Don’t worry, I’ll clean up the salt. You have important deeds to complete today.”

“Yes, I do. Thank you, Mr. Yeats.”

“You’re most welcome, Ms. Crowther.”

We finish creating the protection pouch and I stuff it in my purse. After a quick lunch, I drive to Derek and Ronnie’s house, taxing the speedometer of my Prius. I don’t have time to stop before my shift, but the safety of my best friend’s baby comes first. When I arrive, Derek is waiting for me at the door.

“What is this all about, Gwyn?” he asks.

What the fuck do I say? I can’t tell him the truth. He would worry. And I could still be completely wrong about everything. “I want to leave a blessing in the room. Something special for Luna to help her sleep.”

“Sure. She would appreciate you taking the time. You go ahead to the nursery while I’m eating lunch. Would you like something?”

“No, thank you. I ate before I left the house because I have to get to Mystic Sage.”

“If you change your mind, let me know.”

Derek walks into the kitchen, and I dart to the nursery. I remove the protection pouch from my purse and place it on the diaper changing table. When I summon my power, the amber glow seeps from my fingers. I recite the words, “Elements of fire, water, earth, and air, protect sweet Luna with your care. Keep her safe within your arms and protect her from the witch’s harm.” I go to the window and tuck the pouch under the pull-down shade valance.