Page 20 of The Mechanics of Broomstick Racing

“Hey, not to brag, but I made a lot of money racing. I spent a lot on stupid stuff, but I saved a lot, too.” Zephyr added gently, recalling what it felt like to be treated as a charity case just because she was from a small town, “New gear won’t set me back, but if you really want to, you can help me rip off the wallpaper in my bedroom. It’s ugly. And yellow.”

Levina nodded eagerly. Zephyr envied the enthusiasm. She hated housework. But maybe as a Finnegan, manual labor was fun for Levina.

“Okay.” Zephyr clapped her hands together. “The visibility is terrible, the wind is unpredictable, and it looks like it’s going to rain. Conditions are perfect.”

Levina scoffed, “Perfect for what?”

“For finding your weaknesses. Can’t fix you until we break you. You should know that. Your family is full of tinkers.”

“I don’t think they’d agree.”

“That’s because they love you. But I don’t.” Zephyr grinned, and she knew it was anything but sweet. Or reassuring. “Now let’s fly.”

Chapter 11

“Levina claims you tried to murder her,” Karah announced as Zephyr arrived at the Post the next morning.

“She’s exaggerating. Mostly. I was only teaching her to fall.” Zephyr placed her hands on her hips, doing her best to look young and full of life. In reality, she was wrecked. It had taken a violent attack from Dale to get her out of bed that morning. And the heat of her shower had done nothing to soothe her sore muscles.

Neil owed her a massage.

“To fall? Isn’t that the opposite of what she should be doing?” Karah asked.

Zephyr disagreed, “Your girl’s a decent racer, but she’s too focused on the racing part.”

“Uh, okay.”

“I was the same way. But for things to go right, you need to know what to do when things go wrong. And when she fell that day, when I saved her? She was falling completely wrong.”

“If this is making the sport safer for her, and you don’t break her, I’m all for it,” Karah replied. She stepped around the counter and squeezed Zephyr’s forearm. The air witch tried not to wince. “Thank you for doing this. Also, Levina only complains when she feels comfortable with someone. Take it as a compliment.”

“I’m flattered,” Zephyr returned. “The good news is Levina’s trouble seems like a lack of confidence, rather than a lack of skill. The bad news, she’s the only one that can get herself over that.”

Karah sighed. “How did she take the news?”

“Gods, I didn’t tell her that. Don’t you tell her, either!” If Levina ever suspected she had the “yips,” she might give up entirely. “Look, it’s probably a mental block…” The timing of Levina’s struggles aligned with her father’s sudden absence, so Zephyr assumed the two were related. “…that’s tripping her up. I’ll work with her until the festival’s race, but after that, I really think she should take a break from flying. For a few weeks. Just to clear her head.”

“She’s never going to agree to that.”

Zephyr held back from saying anything more. Levina’s struggles were too close to her own, and it was getting under her skin. After practicing with Levina, though her body protested, Zephyr had flown upwards, straight as an arrow, until she shook too badly to continue. It was more height than she’d risked since her fall, but it had left her trembling once she made it back to solid ground. She really wasn’t the right witch to help Levina. She understood the girl, but how could she help another when her own issues kept her grounded?

Tawny burst into the Post, her short brown hair still in disarray. Zephyr smirked. “Looks like someone had a long night.”

“I shifted and flew here because I was running late,” Tawny insisted. “It’s nothing.”

“Ooh. Something emotional must have happened with Lyle,” Zephyr whispered to Karah after Tawny vanished behind the breakroom door. “If it were only physical, she wouldn’t spare us the details.”

“I can hardly look that man in the face after what she told us,” Karah agreed.

“I can. Didn’t know the little guy had it in him. I’m sort of proud.”

IT WAS DISSAPOINTING to see the object her life had once centered on now fit inside a single cardboard box.

Zephyr hugged the box to her chest, crinkling the edges of the cardboard. This was a mistake. Also, she doubted what she wanted was even possible. She should turn around. Now.

The bell at the top of the door dinged, distracting her from her fretting. Zephyr blinked at her new surroundings. Her feet had ignored her brain’s worrying and pushed her forward.

Levina occupied the Finnegans’ register. She lazily leaned on the counter, tapping her fingers until Zephyr tried to back out and accidentally rang the bell a second time. Levina popped upright, appearing nervous until she recognized her coach.