Free The Wand & the Sea by Claire M. Caterer

Samhain’s nearly past and I’m dryin’ out. Gots to be gettin’ back to the sea, I do.”
    â€œNerys, please,” said Holly. “Do you know anything I could use that wouldn’t kill the guards? Maybe just put them to sleep?”
    The sea hag rocked herself off her stool, puddling the floor. She jabbed a fat finger at Holly. “You. Alone.” She jerked her head toward the door.
    Holly followed her outside, under the dripping trees. The moon was nearly full, but hidden mostly behind the clouds again. Off to the other side of the cottage, Holly could hear the Dvergar’s noisy snores. Nerys sat down with a squish on one of the tree stumps and invited Holly to join her, as if it were her house.
    â€œAbout time you and I had a little girl talk, dearie,” she said. “These others—the magician, the lads, even the Dvergar—not real magicfolk like the two of us, eh?” She nudged Holly with one slimy elbow. “Here now. I gots a giftie for ye.”
    She reached into the folds of her foul dress and pulled out a remarkably dry circlet made of small purple flowers. “It’s the heather, like yer own wand contains.”
    Holly glanced down at her scabbard, surprised.
    â€œYe can’t hide it, dearie. The water herb calls out louder’n a willow whale, innit?”
    â€œThis is very nice, Nerys.” Holly didn’t want to offend the sea hag, but she was more interested in spells than accessories just at the moment.
    â€œIt grants ye power over the water element,” Nerys said. “Ye’ve not got much time ter be learnin’ new spells, and this charm will give yer magic a boost. Put it on now, an’ I’ll show ye the spell I’ve in mind. It calls the water. See here.” Nerys closed her eyes and mouthed a few words. A cluster of raindrops trembled on the yellow leaves of a nearby pin oak. They pulled together like quicksilver, flew through the air, and poured in a stream over Nerys’s head.
    â€œIt casts a waterfall,” Nerys said as the water sluiced off her. “It’ll hold those it touches in a trance, if it’s done right.”
    She snuffled, then blew a snail out of one nostril and tossed it in her mouth. “Ye’ll need to practice it. The sea hag don’t need to speak a spell aloud, but Adept magic’s different. Commit the words to yer mind: tubhair eas . Try it on me. I’m dry as a stone.”
    Holly pointed the wand at the trees and thought of the heather, and the words tubhair eas . Then she uttered them.
    The wand bucked in her hands, and a shower of rainwater shook off the branches. It didn’t gather in a nice stream as it had for Nerys, who frowned at her. “The heather. Put it round yer neck.” She pointed at the circlet of flowers, which Holly still held in one hand.
    â€œDon’t, Lady Holly.” Jade crept out of the cottage doorway into the moonlight.
    â€œAnd who asked you, then?” Nerys jerked her head around and snarled. A cloud of steam rose off her shoulders. “I was meant to speak with the Adept alone . She’s born of fire, innit? She holds the Salamander.”
    Nerys gave Holly a slimy grin and laughed to cover her anger. “Fire Adepts do have their problems with water magic, Lady. Fire and water—they don’t mix. I’m jus’ tryin’ ter help. Ye can’t call the water otherwise, without practicin’ the craft day and night. I was made to think ye didn’t have all day and night.”
    â€œAnd I say the Adept will not be donning your charm.” Jade leaped onto the tree stump, sniffed at the heather circlet in Holly’s hand, then pointed at her belt loop. “Attach it there.”
    Nerys fixed Jade with her bulbous eyes and Holly backed away. Whatever help the sea hag was giving, Holly would follow Jade’s advice first. She tied the heather flowers to her belt loop, raised her wand,