Page 67 of The Magical Tea Shop

Holly would grow impatient at her being away or annoyed at selling her product—or worse, hide it—and Rebecca might get bored helping, so she figured she should head back. She carefully wound the string in, taking care not to damage Malory’s dramatic kite. Once it was in control she found her friend, who took it back with a frown.

“You’re better with it than I am.”

“Well, we flew kites when I was a kid. It was windy then, too. I loved it. The wind calls to me. I’m right at home on a blustery day.”

Malory shivered, even though the day wasn’t cold. “I guess I’ll get used to it. I’m more of an indoor girl.” She rose to go stash her kite in her car, and Ivy headed back toward the magic show. It was in the height of it now with oohs and ahs at the grand finale. A kind of flash explosion hit in which all the items from earlier appeared and disappeared again, including her mom.

Wind was whipping strongly when she spotted a small figure off in the distance. Was that Ronnie’s little brother? And what was he dragging behind him? It seemed to be wrapped about his legs. Ivy headed in that direction, trying to see what he was up to. He paused and appeared to throw something in the air. Ivy’s ponytail whipped into her face, and she shoved it aside. It was a kite. But not the small racer he’d had earlier when Jaxon was helping him. This was the larger box kite of Ronnie’s that really caught the breeze.

As she watched, it rose and looped and swung higher as the little boy let out the string, jumping up and down, running into the big open field away from the magic show and in the opposite direction from the roped-off safety zone.

Ivy dashed after him. He was headed toward the cliffs, air currents pulling him closer to the edge. Wind blasted her face as she shoved her now loose hair back to see.

She was too far away. Suddenly, Montgomery came bounding toward the boy, leash dragging.

Where was Jaxon?

Ivy ran faster. She called out, but she didn’t know the boy’s name. It was too late to enlist other help. She needed to catch him. The colorful box kite flew high, perilously swinging the boy up off the ground a few inches.

Ivy’s legs pumped faster. She stumbled on the uneven ground, twisting her foot, but ignored the pain. The boy was struggling in the gale, forced closer and closer to the cliff edge. She yelled, but her voice flew off into the air. She screamed at the boy, but the wind was tumbling him toward the cliff, the kite dragging him to the edge.

Sound carried from the show with the repeated explosive popping of the finale, crowd cheering enthusiastically, marveling at her parents’ creativity.

Montgomery was dashing in and out around the boy’s feet, trying to hold him back, but they were both nearing the edge. Ivy was so close, if she could just reach him. With an extra burst of energy she leaped up, the wind giving her a boost toward the boy. She grabbed him up and swung him back from the cliff edge. She took the kite in hand, winding the string quickly. She’d done it. Dog and boy were safe. “Are you all right?”

Eyes wide, his little body trembling, he nodded.

“Here, I’ll bring the kite back. This wind’s too high to be near the cliff with a kite. You go on back to your folks, ok? Take Montgomery.” She handed the leash to the boy and Montgomery, good dog that he was, pulled the boy to safety. Ivy watched as they made it back to the crowd. Relieved, she stepped away from the cliff, but a draft caught the kite and she stumbled.

Her feet slipped as the earth slid out from under her. She fell, trying to reel the kite back in, but the wind was working against her, tugging the kite closer to the ocean. Ivy was on her hands and knees now. Afraid to stand in the strong gusts while holding a kite, she began to crawl, inching from the edge.

The ground shifted, gave way, and she released the kite. It took off in a wide swirling arc, heading over the sea and up to the clouds. Ivy sunk her fingers into the earth, but she was skidding over the edge. Surely there was a ledge she could grasp hold of, but her hands fumbled. As she dropped into free fall, she grabbed for a root protruding from the cliff, and held on.

Her feet dangled.

She scrambled, trying to find anything to grip onto. With her right hand, she grappled at the rock face and sunk her fingers into a crevice. Her feet caught on the side of the cliff, and she plastered herself like a bug on a wall.

Had anyone seen her go over the edge?

Anyone at all?

*

Jaxon cursed hisdog. Montgomery had gotten loose from him again. Fortunately, his dog was so low to the ground that he wouldn’t be swept off in these crazy gusts, Jaxon hoped. He came around the rise and spotted Montgomery leading a boy across the wide-open field. Was that Ronnie’s little brother?

The boy halted, jumping and pointing back toward the cliff. “Jaxon, help,” he called. His little voice flew on the air, but Jaxon just heard him. “She fell!”

Fell? Who?Jaxon ran toward the drop-off. The crowd began to sense a commotion. Nell and her friends from the Roadies were heading their way. Ronnie grabbed his little brother’s hand just as their parents came running up.

He was pointing and explaining something, but Jaxon wasn’t waiting for details. He ran toward the edge. If someone fell off a cliff—if anyone fell, he couldn’t be right here where it happened—again.

His mind blanked. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t stare down at a person, bleeding, broken, dead. His mind screamed to let the authorities handle it. But his heart pounded, urging him to run faster. Drawn closer to the edge, images of his worst failure flowed through his mind. He couldn’t bring himselfnotto see,notto look,notto know.

He heard a small cry and a curse, and forced himself to peer over the edge. His stomach dropped to his toes. Terror froze him, but he shoved it back and sprang into action.

Ivy, his lovely, beloved Ivy, clung to the side of the cliff, her wide eyes fearful.

Jaxon dropped to the ground and lay down. He stretched over the edge. “Take my hands.”

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