An uncomfortable silence followed as Erasmus, Bowen, and Ronan seated themselves on one side of the guttering fire and surveyed the girls—Ronan with pride and humor, Bowen with frank amazement, and Erasmus with a grimace.
Penny, Zoe, Katie, and Ellen stood facing them with varying expressions of exasperation, waiting for an explanation.
“Well?” Penny asked, and the others stepped away from her as flames erupted from her hands and began to snake up her arms. She shook them out distractedly.
“Does she do that a lot?” Erasmus asked, his irritation giving grudging way to curiosity.
“Sometimes,” Katie said, taking another step away from her. “But only when she’s angry.”
“Well, I needed to know if you were any good. I’m not going to teach you if you don’t have any talent.”
“Teach us?” Penn
