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enough energy to make a warding spell work, so I don't question him when he says he can pull it off.
    Evis and I hose each other down outside while Carrick surveys the boundaries for the spell, the brisk forty degree morning making me more uncomfortable than it does either of them. I run dripping into the house, aiming straight for the bathroom and a hot shower, even if it has to be a quick one. My skin itches where slummoth goo dried on it in the time it took us to get home, and I scrub at it with a loofah. Once clean, I bundle myself in a pair of jeans and a heavy grey sweater and meet Carrick outside. He's dressed in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, and even I have to admit he looks hot.
    Go figure that I see these men naked all the time, and it's putting clothes on one of them that makes me think he looks sexy.  
    He gives me an amused look, as if he knows what I'm thinking. Thankfully, he doesn't poke me about it.
    "I don't have the ingredients I need," he says instead. "But there's a magic shop in Lexington that should have them all."
    "How do you know that?" I ask.
    "Used the internet on your phone while you were in the shower."
    "My data overage is going to be huge." It's a stupid enough complaint in light of everything that Carrick even cracks a smile. Witches have figured out green fuel, advanced security systems, sustainable farming — yet somehow they haven't figured out nationwide wifi yet.  
    I reckon you can't have everything.
    "Want me to go with you?"  
    Carrick shakes his head. "Most people don't know who I am yet. You're easy to spot. You should dye your hair."
    My nose wrinkles at the word dye . "Wouldn't help," I say.  
    Jax is up on the cabin roof, tightroping across the ridgepole. I look up at him, and he waves.
    I've got an idea. "While you're in Lexington, mind picking something up for me?"
    The morning passes quietly except for the light thumps of Jax's feet on the roof while I'm trying to nap. I wake up ravenous and eat an entire frozen pizza while Evis lies on the sofa reading.
    Carrick returns around three, carrying two large bags. One's from the magic shop, and I can smell the twelve types of herbs from the kitchen. The other smells of cardboard and plastic and metal, and I smile.  
    "Jax!" I bellow. He's around somewhere, even if I haven't heard him thumping about in a while.
    He appears after a beat, coming through the back door. "What?"
    "I got you something. Might help with the boredom." I motion at the second bag.
    He opens it, Evis coming up behind him to peek over his shoulder.  
    "It's for all of us, but I figure you're the most antsy right now."
    Jax pulls an Xbox One from the bag and turns it over in his hands. Evis rummages through the bag, removing the extra controllers and the stack of games I had Carrick get. It's a mix of shooters and RPGs, and if nothing else, it should keep the deer in the area from going extinct.
    Jax looks dubious, but he and Evis take the pile of tech over to the television and painstakingly lay it out in front, opening the box as if it might bite them.
    I turn to Carrick. "What exactly does this spell do?"
    He motions to me, and I follow to the kitchen. "It's not as good as a full witch could do, but it should help. There are three rings, like a target. The first is an aversion spell. It should turn back most people from bothering us unless they're invited."
    "So you're saying the pizza delivery guy can still come."
    Carrick raises an eyebrow at me.
    "Priorities," I say.
    He ignores me. "The second is an early warning signal. It should sound like a large bell, and it will let us know if someone passed the first circle's edge into the second. The final one is a revulsion spell. If they get past the aversion as far as the inner circle, they'll be struck with revulsion and frustration and a sense of total futility. It should at least give them pause enough for us to find out who they are and what to do with them."
    What to do with them.  
    Carrick