Free Samhain (Matilda Kavanagh Book 2) by Shauna Granger Page A

would enjoy that would promise me safe passage through the encampment so I could find the elusive Tollis.
    “Okay,” I said, clearing my throat and dropping my bag to hang at my side.
    Nothing in my bag would work, not for what they wanted. I wiggled my fingers, trying to think of something, when a spark of power ignited at my fingertips. I heard a gasp from the closest pups and turned toward them. Their eyes were wide, staring at my fingers. A slow smile curled over my lips. I held up my hands and snapped my fingers. Flashes of bright light sparked in the air.
    “Oh,” the gasp went through the gathered children, and I knew what to do.
    I clapped my hands. A small boom of power exploded from the impact, and a puff of smoke rose into the air. The smoke transformed into a fluttering butterfly before dissipating. The girls cheered, but the boys looked as if they had sucked on something sour.
    “Right,” I said, “how about this?” I threw another flash of power into the air and watched as the smoke transformed into a bird, flapping its wings and trying to get away. I made a finger gun and fired a bolt of blue electric light through the belly of the bird. It turned, dove to the ground, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
    The boys cheered and hollered with approval.
    “Okay? Good? Can I go now?”
    The assembled children laughed and cheered until I couldn’t understand anything they were saying. The two pups that had been sniffing at my feet were in front of me, quiet and clear-eyed.
    “Can you take me to Tollis?” I asked.
    The boy reached for my hand, and I gave it to him. Together they turned and led me through the children, the boy tugging me as he followed the girl. The rest of the children seemed to part before her like water, and none of the other children tried to stop or harass me further.
    I caught the eyes of a few of the adults who’d hid in the shadows of their vehicles. There was still a lot of distrust in their eyes, but there was something else, a caution of fear. They had seen the tricks but knew what else those bolts of power could do. But I had the children on my side, and that gave me a sense of security as we passed the eyes that tracked my movements.
    The boy’s hand was tight around mine, his fingers blessedly dry and clean. He and the girl walked with a purpose but were eerily silent. I had to quicken my pace to keep up with them if I didn’t want to be dragged along. The boy was small, probably eight or nine, but he was surprisingly strong. We passed through parts of camp that were quiet and almost dark, and I wondered if everyone in that area was asleep for the day. After a few more yards, we broke through a line of tents and found a clearing filled with lively music and a group of people singing songs, playing games, and feasting.
    The little girl leading us stopped, and the boy pulling me stopped beside her. He pulled his hand out of mine and pointed into the clearing. Across the way, I saw a group of men on the ground, playing a dicing game. When the one with the dice threw the dice, half the men whooped in a cheer while the other half groaned as if in pain.
    “He’s over there?” I asked, and the boy nodded.
    The two pups stepped backward, slowly moving behind me until they were between two tents, almost hidden in the shadows.
    “Thanks,” I said with a small wave.
    The girl looked at me with her bright amber eyes for a moment, and I thought I saw a hint of fear cross her face. Before I could say anything, she turned and ran, the boy following quickly.
    “Well that makes me feel safe and secure,” I muttered. Tugging at hem of my jacket, I straightened up, tucked my hair behind my ears, and turned back to the clearing.
     

 
    Chapter 6
    Though my mood had shifted to something cautious and a little anxious, nothing had changed in the clearing. The song one group was singing was lively and happy, the dicing game continued with cheers and groans coming in waves, and the smell of