Page 94 of Impractical Magic

Luna made a face. “You do a starling, if you want one so much.”

“Well, maybe I will.” Scarlett pulled herself up to a kneeling position and closed her eyes. She focused her mind on the complex markings on one of nature’s smartest and yet most unwanted birds. She visualized the iridescent sheen of the starling’s feathers and the sharpness of its clever eyes. She felt energy flowing through her as she summoned the bird’s essence. A faint popping sound made her eyes open.

A starling appeared on the ground in front of her. It stared up at Scarlett curiously, then turned its attention to the enchanted cage. It hopped closer, eyeing the tasty treats within. With a quick flick of its beak, the bird snatched one up and gulped it down. Satisfied, it ate another. And a third.

“Hey!” Scarlett said happily. “Luna, look! We’re in business! Now we just need our own little murmuration.”

But Luna looked despondent. “We can’t do it. The only way to get rid of one pest is to create ten thousand more? No way.”

The starling squawked angrily at Luna and fluttered up to perch on Scarlett’s shoulder.

“Sorry, birdie,” Luna sighed. “I shouldn’t judge you for being a starling—it’s not your fault.”

“How about this,” Scarlett offered. “We conjure the starlings, then send them through a portal when the job is done.”

“To where, though? To become someone else’s problem? That’s not right. When you conjure something, you’re responsible for it. And look at the mess I’ve already made right here.” She gestured at the adoring crowd of creatures she’d created. “I’m responsible for these goofballs now. A lot of them I can just let loose in the woods, but it’s going to take me hours to find a good home for a quetzal. No, I’m sorry, Scar—we can’t bring a bunch of starlings to Oak Haven without a clear plan to dispose of them.”

At the word dispose, the starling let out a loud, disapproving squawk. With an affronted flap of its wings, it took off for the dense foliage of the nearby trees, continuing to tweet its complaints as it flew away.

Scarlett gave a little nod. “You just got read to filth by a bird, Lulu.”

Her sister sighed. “Occupational hazard.”

“Well.” Scarlett stood up, brushing bits of grass off her jeans. “I don’t know why my solution can’t possibly be the right solution—is it just because it came from me, the family embarrassment?”

“Oh, don’t take it like that. I just want to solve our current problem without creating a new one.”

“But why are starlings any different from these other beasts you’ve conjured? Oh wait, I know. Because you made them, right? Luna the expert instead of Scarlett the screw-up.”

Luna’s eyes went wide. “No, of course not! Starlings truly are devastating for ecosystems that can’t defend themselves, Scarlett. They tear through foliage, spread diseases like salmonella, drive out other birds . . . Starling droppings are highly acidic, Scar, I’m not even kidding. Look, I’m not trying to be difficult, I swear. I just don’t want to introduce something that I can’t—”

“You know what? Never mind. Fine. Hate starlings if you want. Best of luck with your pangolins. I should get back to the inn.” Scarlett scanned the clearing, looking for an exit. “How do I portal back?”

“Wait.” Luna stood to face her sister. “Scarlett . . . I promise, I’m not saying no to starlings because they were your idea. I’d have the same concern with any predator that’s considered invasive. Before we settle on an animal that could destroy the entire grove, I want to keep looking, make sure we’ve considered all possible options.”

“All possible options . . . except mine.”

“But that’s not what I—” Luna stopped, chewed her lip for a moment, then started again. “I’m sorry. Please, Scarlett . . . We’ve been apart so long. I don’t want to argue.”

Scarlett’s expression softened—the sadness in her sister’s voice melted her frustration. “Me neither. And I understand, you’re just trying to do the right thing.”

It struck Scarlett that, given how badly she had messed up with magic, she really had no right to criticize her sister. If Luna wanted to be cautious, she was probably right. “After all, you’ve been traveling the world practicing magic for ten years, while I’ve been sitting at a desk and fixing broken URLs on websites.” She smiled. “So I guess it’s possible that maybe you know a little bit more about it than me.”

Luna flung her arms around her sister, squeezing her tight. “We’ll figure it out. And who knows, maybe we can find a way that starlings could work. I shouldn’t reject your ideas so quickly.”

“It’s all good. So can you hook me up with a portal home?”

“Ah yes, this is a good one. You run as fast as you can, directly at the trunk of the tree. And just as you’re about to crash into it? Portal opens.”

Scarlett turned to stare down the stout, gnarled tree trunk. “I’m supposed to run, full speed, directly at this tree.”

“Yep. It’s a faith-based portal. So, no hesitation. If you hesitate, it won’t open.”

“What happens then?”

Her sister grinned. “Then I expect you end up with quite a headache. So don’t hesitate. You need a running start—go stand about ten feet that way.”

Scarlett did as instructed, but somehow the distance made the tree look even more intimidating and ouch-inducing than before. Nevertheless, she knelt like a runner at the starting blocks. “Okay, here I go! One . . . two . . .” She paused. “You know, these portals are pretty great, aren’t they? I know we need to fix magic, but it’ll be a shame when they’re gone.”