ã€ŠWhisper of Secrets - Book 1 of The Whispers Sagaã€‹


 Witchrite Aura Circle & Codex Illustrations

    The Witchrite Aura Circle:

    The Witchrite Aura Codex:If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Hopefully this gives you a better understanding for my visual peeps out there! Not every aura is explained in Book 1 but you will come into contact with a lot of these names in it and over time you will hear them more and more. As said in my note above the update chapter here, for more explanations feel free to head to my website to see more.

 Prologue

    ''Well, well, well. What have we here? An opportunity of sorts; how divine.''

    Intense magic rang through the air, beckoning my attention. Raw and purposeful, it echoed out into the shadows. I lurked through the darkness to locate its source deep within the forest and discovered a quaint little cottage nestled in a clearing among oversized pines.

    ''Mmm, this cottage¡­ it rings with such power. Absolutely delightful.''

    Winding in and out of darkness, I crept my way inside. There were countless places to hide amidst all the chests and cupboards. Choosing a spot high on a shelf, secure from sight, I wriggled into the shadows of two tomes and watched.

    ¡°Hurry! We need not waste any time preparing. The binding must happen tonight. If they find that she is gone, it will be an all-out war.¡±

    I studied the source of the magic as the elderly woman prepared her ritual at the head of a grand oak table covered in carvings and runes. Disheveled silver hair hung low on her back and tattered wool clothes clung limp over her feeble frame.

    ''You are the one responsible for this immense presence of power? How could such a meager woman hold such ancient and powerful magic?''

    Other dark sisters scurried about the cabin around her, their breaths as hurried as their feet. Each with a clear purpose as they gathered supplies. The melody of clinking bottles and rustling papers serenaded my senses.

    My attention dropped to something else. The promise of magic had lured my affections, but the young maiden lying in a corner now claimed them. Her pale naked body lay beneath a sheepskin blanket, with her flaming curls strewn about her.

    What piqued my interest more was what she held within. Something I surprised myself by missing at first glance. Scarce shallow breaths hid her true power as she lay there unconscious on a bed of feathers and straw. She was more than I could have wished for.

    An anomaly.

    A weapon that would withstand me and the forces I wield.

    ''And you, my dear child, are exactly what I need.''

    The beldame distributed her ingredients, discarding what didn¡¯t belong on the floor, paying it no more mind. An eagerness danced in the magic that seeped from her, a bead of sweat dripping from her nose as she readied her focus to enact her spell.

    ¡°This will suffice. We must move her now. You gather her ankles. You grab hold of her arms. One, two¡­¡±

    Violent pounding halted her words, shaking the floor beneath her feet. The room fell silent, and I sank deeper into the shadows.

    ¡°We¡¯ve come for the girl, witch. You, better than anyone, know you cannot break the sacred vow! We demand her release at once.¡±

    I held my place, perking my ears to listen more closely.

    A whisper escaped from the one holding the girls¡¯ feet. ¡°How did they locate us so fast, ma¡¯am?¡±

    The old woman¡¯s weathered face twisted. ¡°It¡¯s impossible! I have concealed and protected this cottage for over a hundred years. It has been spellbound so no one could discover it, and it would have remained hidden from their sight.¡±

    ''Hidden? Ha! I found you with ease. Nothing can hide from the shadows. They are ever present and ever aware. Foolish mortal.''

    ¡°It matters not how they found us. Complete the binding now! Hurry, take your places.¡±

    With one heft, the two women hoisted the maiden onto the oak slab, the sheepskin falling to the floor. They aligned her body with the markings and runes carved in its center. Positioning her head in front of the old woman, they made quick work of securing her limbs with hemp and vine.

    ¡°Together now - avelum navori tortuum - avelum navori tortuum - ¡­¡±

    The old woman called into the air, the others joining her with each repetition. Shifting in the shadows, the words filled me, pulling me closer to my prize. As the ancient magic circulated through the room, the witch made her sacrifice, slicing open a rat to fill the wooden bowl in front of her. The scent of blood flooded the space, flowing into the shadows.

    ''Oh, that¡¯s good. Blood magic to call the darkness. To call me. Yes, this sweet, delectable tang in the air will give way to what¡¯s to come. Blood is such sweet nectar.''

    The crimson fluid rippled around each of her fingers. Speaking ancient words, she reached over the maiden¡¯s head and painted a rune between her breasts with her thumb, then marked the same symbol on her own chest.

    Sparks erupted from the blood rune on the maiden, and a shimmering emerald glow formed in the air above her body. Magic was taking hold. Faint winds soared through the room, rustling the damsel''s hair and igniting the glow into blazing flames.

    ''Finally, show me the way, Shade. Usher in my darkest plan. Once I see which of my brethren you have called forth, I will seize control.''

    The incantation''s dark magic blanketed me, and I poised for my assault. The timing had to be perfect, so I prowled with anticipation.

    Pounding at the door grew louder before a resounding boom echoed through the room. The wooden door jolted off its frame and crashed into the wall. A burly man rushed in, drawing a sword from his side as he peered around the cottage. Two men followed, flanking him on either side.

    ¡°What is this game you play, old shrew? Where is she?¡± he commanded, a sword pointed at her chest. ¡°Mariette Cypher, this decoy of yours will not stand. Now, if you bring us to her quickly and quietly, we will allow you to live.¡±

    ''How dare they interrupt this summoning? But what is this? They can¡¯t see? Ah, clever, clever Shade. You concealed my precious offering from their sight. How thoughtful of you.''

    I moved from shadow to shadow as I listened to the other women sing their song to the darkness.

    ¡°I will not. She is an abomination and I will not allow that part of her to live on." The woman anchored on her heels, bracing for the inevitable attack that was to come. "She will have nothing to do with your kind. Once I am finished here, there will be no claiming her as your own.¡±

    Her eyes filled with hatred as she took a brazen step towards them. ¡°Your son may have fooled my daughter, but I am not so readily deceived. This creature cannot remain whole simply because my Sebene was impulsive with her decisions. Her mistake now taints my coven with an unnatural presence!¡±

    ¡°How dare you sully my son''s name with your venomous declarations, witch? She is my granddaughter, and it is her rightful duty to fulfill her obligations to my clan. If you fail to surrender her, we will have little choice but to take her by force!¡± His eyes flared with an amber glow as he snarled at her, countering her objections.

    ¡°So be it, but your power is worthless here, Torcal.¡± She bowed. ¡°You cannot turn. The entire cottage and surrounding woods are spelled with ancient charms to render beings like you impotent. No one can refuse that in this sacred space I hold rule.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°We shall see to that wench.¡± Torcal lowered his body into a combative stance.

    He stampeded forward with unnatural quickness. The crone shrieked to her coven as she dodged his blade.

    ¡°Press on, dear sisters; you must complete the binding!¡±

    The other women closed the circle and continued their invocation. The flaming runes above the maiden flickered and dimmed. Their light faded, and the wind halted. I growled from the shadows as the spell waned to near nothingness.

    ''No, this cannot happen. I must interfere now or else my opportunity will be lost. A more perfect vessel may never exist again.''

    Before I could decide on my next move, one of the women shouted.

    ¡°The spell won¡¯t hold! Without Mariette, there¡¯s not enough power to maintain it. We must siphon her to finish the binding!¡± The maid started a secondary chant of her own. ¡°Aurei delesru mahika nu.¡±

    The flame flared, its burning light danced in the faint wind once more. The sisters gripped their hands tighter, fighting to maintain the siphon and buy more time.

    Mariette studied Torcal, contemplating her next move. Drawing her dagger, she anchored in for a swift slit at his chest, but as she plunged it towards him, the hilt of his blade struck her side. The connection surged through her body, stumbling her for a moment¡¯s pause. Torcal took the opportunity to call out to his comrades.

    ¡°I can deal with Mariette. You two find my granddaughter and get her back safely! Go!¡±

    ¡°Not so fast, Torcal!¡± Mariette hissed, holding her ribs. Recovering her stance, she waved her hands to each side, gripping her fists together. With a snap of her fingertips toward the ground, wind burst from her, slamming into him. A sly grin flashed across her face as she lowered the veil of her magic.

    He shielded his face from the wind and then glanced past Mariette to his men. They were halted, frozen in place. The sound of chanting filled the room. Voices rose to his ears, and the rest of the cottage shimmered into view. The maiden was visible now, lying on the table, surrounded by the other witches.

    ¡°What manner of magic is this, Mariette? Those words. You are not¡­.¡± Torcal growled.

    "Oh, but I am! I was left with no choice the moment my daughter''s womb bore that monstrosity. This will cleanse her and make her whole, as nature intended. She must be bound!¡± she called over her shoulder. ¡°Finish the binding. Call the demon! Hold fast, sisters!¡±

    Mariette snapped her fingers, and darkness shot across the floor to each of the three men, wriggling up their legs like snakes slithering in for the kill. Once the darkness took hold of them, she snapped once more, and they vanished.

    ''You stupid old hag. Where did you run off to? I should interfere now, but then I''ll miss my chance to intercept the summons. I must locate them at once.''

    I focused my senses deep within the shadows, my vision dancing through the darkness of the forest as quickly as it could. A crow perched on a branch caught my eye.

    ''Ah, there you are. You will do nicely.''

    I split my vision between the crow¡¯s view in the forest and my own in the shadows of the cottage. Peering through one eye, I continued to watch over the witches and their summoning.

    Torcal and his men toppled to the ground as they exited Mariette¡¯s spell and took in their new surroundings. They glanced at each other in confusion. Mariette chuckled from behind, and they whipped around to meet her, brandishing their swords to fend off any potential attacks.

    ¡°What did you do, witch? Take us back at once. You do not understand what you¡¯re messing with if you bind her; the sacrifice you''re making.¡±

    He moved to take a step toward her, but the shadows remaining at his feet kept him in place.

    ¡°I know what I am keeping from you, what I am sacrificing. I¡¯m also aware of what you will take from me if I do not bind her. Your kind will use her magic to tear this world apart. I cannot allow that.¡±

    A burst of air surrounded them, and the soldiers trembled in place. The vibrations of the magic pulsed through the trees, heaving them to and fro.

    ¡°Yes, my sisters! Finish the spell. It¡¯s almost complete. The demon approaches! I can sense the magic siphon through me. Bind her!¡± She held her magic tight around them as she waited for the ritual to finish. ¡°You cannot reach her, Torcal. It¡¯s too late.¡±

    The crow above cawed as I surveyed from within. My attention waned as another presence scurried about behind me, and I turned to meet it. It bobbed its head back and forth, looking in all directions as it slinked through the darkness.

    ¡°Leave here at once. This one is for me," I hissed.

    The demon stilled, lowered its beady eyes, and recoiled in the shadows beneath it.

    ¡°Why yes, your grace. Forgive me, Great Earle. I did not sense your presence. I merely responded to the summons calling out into the shadows. Forgive me, my lord.¡±

    As it retreated into the darkness, a shimmer caught my eye.

    ''Ah, what is this? The thread of her magic siphon. Curious. The Shade will surely sense the demon¡¯s absence; now is my only chance to seize hold of what is mine before she notices me interfering.''

    I reached out with a single shadowy finger and plucked at the magical thread.

    Mariette¡¯s laughter stuttered. The vibration of my touch charged through her connection, alerting her to my presence. Her eyes flared and she faltered in place.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening? No, this cannot be. The siphon¡­ that demon... is wrong.¡±

    Torcal saw her distraction, the shadows at his feet retreating, and shot toward her in an instant. As the words left her lips, his blade met her throat. He stood behind her, his blade against his forearm. A single drop of blood cascaded down his elbow, dropping to the ground, and he glanced at it with a sigh.

    ¡°I said we would have her and did not wish for it to be this way, but I was the one left with no choice this time.¡±

    Torcal twirled his blade around to his side. With a swift flick of his wrist, blood splattered on the ground as Mariette fell to her knees. The forest grew silent as he approached her and knelt to meet her gaze. The horror in her eyes made him shudder.

    Magic stormed throughout the cottage. The thread swelled, and I knew I had little time before it would shatter. I leapt from the shadows onto the table beside the maiden. Trailing a finger along her blood markings, I took a deep breath in as I sniffed her body. The fragrance of her unbridled power was hypnotic.

    ''Yes, this vessel is sheer perfection. She will help me usher in a new age. Now to be rid of these witches so no one can stand against me. As soon as the old crone is dead, I will use the surge of power to enact my plans.''

    I released my hold on the crow and waited for the thread to break, for the backfire of magic to come so I could release my chaos.

    ***

    Blood trickled from the corners of Mariette¡¯s mouth. ¡°You know not what you''ve done. You fool. You have damned us all.¡±

    Life faded from her eyes, and her body fell at my feet. A gust of wind burst through the trees, carrying screams that broke the silence. I surveyed the forest and caught sight of the cottage in the distance. My stomach churned as I glanced at my men, then shot toward the sounds. My muscles screamed as I pushed them past their limits, hoping I would reach her in time.

    I flew through the doorway and came face to face with pure destruction. The screams deafened my ears, and the taste of iron filled the air. Several of the sisters lay dead on the floor, blood dripping from every orifice. Others were missing eyes or hands.

    Pure chaos.

    I pushed past them and approached the table, sinking to my knees in defeat at the sight. The large oak slab had split, scorch marks kissing the floor around it. My granddaughter was gone.

    ¡°WHERE IS SHE?¡± The words bellowed out from somewhere deep within.

    No one acknowledged my plea, so I turned to the nearest witch and seized her by the shoulders. I shook her violently and brought her face to meet mine. Burned streaks of blood ran down her cheeks, empty sockets where her eyes should be. I jostled her once more.

    ¡°What did you do with her? WHERE IS MY GRANDDAUGHTER?¡±

    I shoved the woman toward the table and collapsed. My gaze fell to the scorch marks beneath my palms, and tears flooded my eyes. My roar shook the entire cottage. The dark sister sobbed and whimpered. I heard her faint words and crawled to her. Cradling her head in my hands, I leaned in, listening.

    ¡°The spell. The connection. It¡¯s broken. The spell. The demon. Without Mariette¡­ c-c-couldn¡¯t stop him. He took her. The demon - wrong - he - he -¡± she stuttered as she tried to get the words out through gritted teeth.

    Her voice was full of pain and rage. ¡°An explosion. The darkness. His shadow. The screams. The blood. This is all your fault!¡±

    I held her in my arms as she wept, scanning the carnage all around, and watched as my men tended to those who still clung to life. The gasp rang through my ears as the maid in my arms drew her last breath.

    ¡°What have I done?¡±

 CH 1 - An Ode to Social Awkwardness - Savi

    "HEY! WE¡¯VE GOT A JUMPER OVER HERE!¡±

    The male voice bellowed through the storm and chaos of blaring horns and flashing lights. A whimper escaped my throat to protest the burning in my eyes from his flashlight. I held my hands to my face to guard against it. My head ached as I stood close to the ledge, cold, naked, and confused.

    "Ma''am, I''m here. Take my hand."

    I hobbled forward, trying to catch myself as I faced the gathering crowd. People stopped all around to examine the spectacle. Red and blue lights flashed, bouncing off the heavy raindrops pouring from the sky. My mind refused to focus on anything other than the sound of his voice.

    "I don''t - wha - what¡¯s going on?¡±

    "I''m right here. I¡¯ve got you. One more step. What¡¯s your name, ma¡¯am?¡± he asked, trying his best to guide me toward him, toward safety.

    His voice softened, and the gentleness in his touch coaxed me from the edge. A horn shrieked through the momentary stillness, jarring me backward in fear. I held my head as the bombardment of lights and noise and mayhem filled me again.

    ¡°I - I - don¡¯t - what happened? Please, sav-¡±

    Confusion and havoc enveloped me and I collapsed, falling into him. The warmth radiating from him beckoned me closer. It consumed me, soothing my last waking moments before darkness closed in.

    ¡°Savi?¡­ Savi?¡­ Savi?¡­ I¡¯m right here. Come back to me. Savi?¡±

    "Hmm? Oh. Sorry. I''m here.¡± Reality slammed me back to the present, and I turned towards Theo.

    "Where did you go just now? You went there, didn¡¯t you? Back to that night?¡±

    His face was stern but understanding as he waited for my reply. I turned toward the window beside me to hide my frustration. Frustration at the fact I relived this exact moment time and time again. A constant reminder of the vast amount of information I didn¡¯t know about myself.

    "Yeah. Sorry.¡±

    A small tinge of pain shot from the side of my neck, and I realized I had nearly rubbed it raw. Rain cascaded down the glass as if the sky felt my torment and wept for me. The concrete of the parking lot below darkened, echoing the heaviness in my chest.

    "We''ve been through this countless times. Don¡¯t apologize. It¡¯s a natural part of the process. Reliving moments of our past trauma. It¡¯s how we stay connected to it, work through it.¡±

    I flashed him a bitter side-eyed glance and let my malcontent scurry to the surface. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m aware of that? It¡¯s been two years, Theo. TWO YEARS! And I¡¯m still no closer to figuring any of this out! It¡¯s all I want; to remember who I am, where I come from.¡±

    I knocked my head against the window and curled my hands around my arms. ¡°I just want to find where I belong. Is it too much to ask?¡±

    A tear rolled down my cheek as I studied my own reflection staring back at me. Wiping it away, I slunk toward the plump cream sofa in the middle of the room and plopped down.

    "I understand, you¡¯re still lost. That¡¯s what these sessions are for. To work through the silence and try to recover some of your memory. The process works, if you work it, but it¡¯s not a quick fix.¡± I scowled at him and opened my mouth to speak, but he continued on. ¡°And before you say anything, I understand. Two years is a long time, but it¡¯s progress.¡±

    "I''m just so stuck, Theo. Like I¡¯ll never figure this puzzle out. It¡¯s maddening.¡± I scanned him, waiting for him to say or do something that would fix everything. He was my therapist after all. It was his job to make everything better.

    "I realize that, but trust me. I¡¯ll keep saying it till you listen. You may not be where you want to be yet, but look how far you¡¯ve come. You have a job you love, a fantastic apartment, and made friends. So, we don¡¯t yet understand where you came from or how you ended up on the bridge one night, but those things don¡¯t define who you are.¡±

    He closed his notebook and shifted to the edge of the chair opposite me. ¡°Do you understand how lucky you are? Honestly. Most people never get to do what you''re doing. Getting to decide who they truly want to be. You aren¡¯t the same person from before. You are the person you decide to be now, in this moment. That holds so much more weight than you can fathom.¡±

    It struck a chord deep down. What he said held truth. I was lucky; he was right, but it still didn¡¯t change the fact I was alone and not a single person had come looking for me.

    No one.

    ''Am I so miserable to be around that nobody wants me?¡¯

    It''s a thought that comes up in every session. One I labored to avoid, but it comes nonetheless.

    He eyed me as I sat in silence, sulking at the floor, and waited for me to respond. When I didn¡¯t, he started again. ¡°Are you still engaging in your hobbies like I suggested? Still working on your art therapy?¡±

    The thought of my little studio and supplies waiting at home snapped me back to the conversation. Art could do that for me. From the moment I first picked up a brush, it worked. It kept me grounded in reality and out of my own head. ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded.

    "That''s good. And how about your dreams? Are you still having the same dreams?¡± he prodded some more.

    Theo was a master at squeezing in the hard topics among the exciting ones. I wiggled further into the sofa, hoping it would swallow me up so this conversation would end.

    "Yes, they¡¯re still happening. Every single night. Like clockwork. Lately, they¡¯re more like a memory than a dream. It''s hard to explain. New times of day, and new people too. They all know me, but they never call me by name or speak to me; they just go about their business alongside me.¡±

    I drifted to my last dream where I swept the floor of a small cottage. Outside, trees lined my view. A lush and thick forest filled with birds choiring together. Wind carried their song through the open window, and the sweet aroma of pines danced across my nose.

    It all seemed so real. Like I was there, living it. And like every morning, I would wake to the same bed, more alone than ever.

    "Yoohoo, Savi. Come back to me¡­ again.¡± He tapped his pen on the side of his notebook. I jumped as he pointed to his neck. ¡°You¡¯re doing it again. I realize it''s a nervous habit - rubbing your scar - but if you¡¯re not careful, with this much worry, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll accidentally hurt yourself.¡±

    The odd U-shaped scar plastered on the side of my neck was another constant frustration. It''s one of two scars I''d never remembered getting. I always tried to keep both of them hidden. The one on my chest was easily hidden with clothes, but the one on my neck was trickier.

    "Sorry. I¡¯m working on it as well." I eyed the floor, willing it to open and swallow me up, since the couch was failing to do the job.

    "You''re doing great, Savi.¡± He flipped his notebook open. "Now, when you have these dreams, are you still recording them in your journal?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "Every morning, as always. I filled another one last week, so I bought a new one." I played with my braid instead of rubbing my scar to try and distract my mind from the sorrow creeping up. Tears stood at the ready, waiting for the right moment when I let my guard down.

    "Another one? Wow, that¡¯s your twenty-fifth journal. You¡¯re filling them faster lately. Is there any reason I should be concerned?¡± He pulled his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose as he posed the question. ¡°We¡¯re getting close to the anniversary of last year, so be sure to tell me if there¡¯s anything beginning again. There¡¯s not, is there? Any voices?¡±

    "You mean, besides the one harping about it right this moment?¡±

    A snarky grin slid across my face, but I withheld eye contact. Last year was the last thing I wanted to discuss. How I teetered on the edge of madness, or how I spent the past year trying to understand it all. Giant holes of missing information still remained.

    "Stop deflecting; you know what I mean. Last year was a lot, and it took some time for things to settle. It''s not uncommon for patients to regress. Especially around traumatic anniversaries, so I''m trying to do my due diligence.¡±

    I sighed hard at the lecture. ¡°I know, I know. No voices yet. Do you think I have anything to worry about? Last year got crazy, don¡¯t get me wrong, but I¡¯m still telling you, it didn¡¯t feel like me. We¡¯ve spent all year going over it and what the doctors said, but I still...¡±

    Warmth spread across my face, and my heartbeat rang in my ears. I fixated on the table between us and paused. The tears were readying their departure, gathering on my lash line, but not daring to defy my wishes and fall.

    "Hey, it¡¯s okay. I believe you.¡± Theo grabbed a tissue and handed it to me. ¡°I realize this can be hard, but it has to happen, judge¡¯s orders, and I¡¯ve never pressured you. I let you come out as you felt comfortable.¡±

    He shut his notebook and sat up tall. ¡°I tell you what. You promise me if anything weird starts to happen, you''ll call me. And I promise you I won''t bring it up again until you¡¯re ready to work through it some more. Deal?¡±

    "You mean weirder than usual, right? I¡¯m always weird.¡± I wiped my nose and tried to calm myself. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to be all emotional on you. It¡¯s been a long morning already.¡±

    "No worries. Therapy is hard. I¡¯m here for you if there¡¯s anything you ever need.¡± He glanced at the clock on the wall behind me. ¡°Well, that¡¯s about it for today. Bring your notebook with you next week, and we''ll go through it as you¡¯re ready. Mmkay?¡±

    Finally, the torture was over, but this morning would haunt my waking thoughts for the rest of the day. I sniffled as I lifted my shoulder bag over my head and across my body. Theo headed to the door, and I nodded to him as he handed me my umbrella off the rack.

    "Perfect. Try to have a splendid rest of your day and stay dry in this weather. See you next week, Savi.¡±

    I donned the best smile I could muster through the pain I felt deep in my heart. ¡°Will do, doc,¡± I assured him and headed to the front desk.

    Theo''s office, tucked away in the back of a government building, reflected its budget at every turn. The decades-old waiting room chairs and the tread-worn carpets held a certain aroma to them. One I found an odd comfort in over the years. Comfort in the hope of finding answers here. But it felt right to be here, even on the hard days.

    The receptionist at the desk was taking a call when I walked over. He waved his hands in grand gestures while he spoke, his blonde hair bobbing above his ears enthusiastically. A smile highlighted his kind blue eyes as they met mine.

    Feigning a pleasant morning, I mirrored his polite expression and waited.

    "Yes, Mrs. Peters. I understand, Mrs. Peters. That''s such a wild story, Mrs. Peters.¡± He mouthed ¡®HELP ME¡¯ as he listened to the voice drone on.

    Jakobi was always kind to me, always making polite conversation, but today I was in no mood for it. I stood in less of a mood now with the current of emotions swelling through my mind. A headache threatened to run rampant from the stress of it all.

    "Okay, you¡¯re all set, Mrs. Peters. Next Thursday at three p.m. with Dr. Barnes. Bye now.¡± He set the phone down and his eyes widened. ¡°Whew, that poor woman can talk. How are you today, Savi? I saw you sneak past me on your way in. Everything alright?¡±

    "Yeah, sorry. You were helping another patient and I didn''t want to disturb you. I signed myself in and Theo was already opening the door for our session, so I went in. How are you?" I tried hard to maintain the pleasantries, but I wanted nothing more than to leave.

    "I''m good. I watched the latest episode of the show I told you about last week. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time!¡±

    Ah, here it was. The extra conversation I dreaded. Most days it didn¡¯t bother me how Jakobi was so friendly. Sometimes I got the impression he had a crush on me. He was always courteous to other patients, but he went a step beyond with me, bordering flirtatious. I hoped now would not be one of those times.

    Without saying a word, I gave a half-grin so he continued on. ¡°Well, you should give it a shot and watch the first few episodes. It can take a minute to pull you in, but once you do, you¡¯ll be hooked. I mean, if you like that sort of thing.¡± Panic settled in him at the one-sided conversation, and he changed the topic. "So, what day would you like to see Dr. Barnes next week? Thursday sound okay?¡±

    A tinge of guilt sparked in me for not conversing further. "What time does he have available Thursday? I have to work, but I''m off at four.¡±

    "It shows five is available if you can make it. Unless you have plans for dinner or something that might get in the way?¡± His eyes darted to the computer, and a flutter of instant regret washed over his face. Another tinge jolted in my stomach.

    ''Any other day, but not today.''

    "Five works for me. No dinner plans.¡± I shifted my weight to my other hip, eager to run away from this. ¡°Besides, you know nobody else cares for my dining habits quite like you,¡± I teased, trying to ease the awkwardness of his flirtation and soothe my guilt over the coldness I¡¯d just shown him.

    ''Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.''

    It wasn¡¯t as if I didn¡¯t find Jakobi attractive; I did. The lightness of his shaggy blonde hair and the coolness of his icy blue eyes were the perfect contrast to his tan skin. It all wrapped up into an incredibly well-favored package. It¡¯s more the fact I¡¯d never been in a relationship before and was skeptical of starting my romantic journey with a guy I met at my therapist''s office.

    Jakobi''s eyes widened and he put his hands up in the air. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean to - I was just saying, if you were busy I¡¯ll check Friday for the appointment.¡±

    "I''m screwing with you, dude.¡± I let out a small chuckle to assure him everything is okay, so he would relax. ¡°I¡¯m just having a little fun after such an intense session. Five on Thursday is fine, but man, you should have seen your face!¡± Another giggle escaped. ¡°Like a deer in headlights.¡±

    "Ha, yeah," Jakobi humored back, still cautious of the situation. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to pry, but since you mentioned it, you don¡¯t have dinner plans?¡± He grinned up at me, his head tilted to the side. He was so adorable when he gawked at me like that.

    ''This is therapy, Savi, not a dating service. Pull yourself together.''

    "Nah, only my usual self-loathing over a quick bite alone and then back to the daily grind of life.¡± I stood firm in my thought process; this was therapy. I tried to give him a convincing smile, but judging by the reaction on his face, mine defied my wishes.

    ''Genius, now I¡¯ve made a weird conversation even weirder. What the hell is wrong with me?''

    "I''m kidding...again. Well, somewhat.¡± An excessive amount of thoughts about how terrible I was at small talk sacked my brain. Red flags of each wrong thing popped up, back to back. I rubbed the side of my neck, thinking of a way to sway things back on track. ¡°I¡¯ll probably just be working on some of the paintings I have going on. That¡¯s what I mean.¡±

    ''Perfect save? If he believes me.''

    Jakobi threw a slow, unconvincing nod and grabbed an appointment card. ¡°Well, that sounds like a fun-filled evening. I hope you enjoy your art time.¡± He jotted down the information for the next visit and handed it to me. ¡°See you next Thursday.¡± A brief glimpse of defeat swept across his face, and my gut did a full rotating flip.

    ''How can I feel so bad over something so silly?''

    "Yeah, thanks. I¡¯ll be seeing you too, Thursday.¡± I snatched the card from his hand and turned toward the door. My umbrella knocked against the desk, and sheer embarrassment took over.

    ''Gods, I¡¯m such a mess. Run along now before I crash and burn any harder.''

    As I reached the doors, I heard him mumble something to himself. I dared myself to turn and look. Out of pure curiosity, I did. He had pulled out a notebook and was holding it close to his face as he scribbled.

    ''See, I must not be the only one who¡¯s keeping a journal. Perhaps he sees Theo too, which gives me more reason to keep my distance. As the wise doctor always says, you have to love yourself before you can love another.''

    I shoved the thoughts away and stepped outside. During my embarrassing talk with Jakobi, the rain had subsided so I glanced to the sky and the clouds rolling overhead. The smell of rain soothed my nerves, calming me from the chaos of the morning. I picked out a few shapes in the clouds before pulling out my phone.

    Taking it off silent, I checked the time, and my emails. Nothing.

    No calls, no texts, and no emails.

    ''Deep breath. Someone out there has to be looking for me.''

    A few deep breaths of focus passed before I dialed a number.

    ¡°Hey Savi! OMG you need to get here as soon as possible! You¡¯re gonna freak out over some of this new stuff we got in this latest shipment!¡± said a chipper voice on the other end of the line.

    "Wow, Rach, how much coffee have you had today? Take it down a notch¡­ or twelve; it''s way too early for this amount of hyper."

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ one¡­ five. I lost count, but shut up and get here! I promise you won¡¯t believe this stuff! I mean, I don¡¯t understand, it¡¯s all dusty and gross, but I know how you are, and the minute they unloaded, I knew you''d be floored.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡±

    I laughed, imagining Rachel so hyped up on coffee, and made my way to the bus stop at the end of the parking lot. More deep, slow breaths as I walked, preparing for the bombardment of chatter that was to come.

 CH 2 - Familiar Smells of Old - Savi

    Showing up on a bridge with zero memory, completely naked and covered in blood, left a lot of questions. Not only from me, but from everyone. Those first few weeks were a blur of police stations and hospital rooms, evaluations, and borderline interrogations.

    After countless court sessions, the powers that be determined I needed to meet certain criteria before I could get a full identity. No identity meant no papers, which meant no license, which also meant lots and lots of bus rides to get around.

    Thankfully, I lived in a town with an adequate bus system, so it rarely became a problem. But the ride today was over quicker than I would have liked it to be. After the chaos of therapy and my disastrous display of social awkwardness, I had looked forward to the stillness of the bus ride. I had hoped to silence the storm in my head with time in my sketchbook as the routine sounds of the bus ride lulled me to peace.

    The stop near the antique store where I worked was a block away, offering one last chance to find calm before Rachel''s coffee-induced rambling. My eyes shot to the sky once more, chasing shapes as I watched them roll overhead. It was something I did anytime I was outside - out of instinct - like I had done it my whole life but couldn''t remember why.

    Thunder roared in the distance, and the faint electricity still clinging to the air made the hair on my arms dance. Another storm loomed behind the last, so I picked up my pace and dashed to the store.

    An immediate wash of relief melted over me as I entered the automatic sliding doors of the shop. One of my favorite parts of this job was this moment. Walking in each day to this smell. As if it were a familiar, warm embrace of old, pulling me in tight and not letting go. It gave me a sense of calmness, of belonging.

    ¡°SAVIIIIIII!!!!!¡± Rachel plowed around a corner to greet me, but there was a sudden stop in her stride. ¡°Oh God, you look like shit!¡±

    ¡°Nice to see you too, bestie."

    Given the events of the morning, she was likely right. Not that my usual face didn¡¯t betray me on a regular basis. It did. I possessed what Rachel called "a face you could read like a book." Although I tried hard to hide my thoughts and feelings, my face always gave me away.

    ¡°Was it Dr. Hotness or the dreams that¡¯s to blame for all.... this?¡± she asked, pointing to her own face and gesturing around. ¡°If it''s the dreams, you¡¯re on your own, but if it''s Dr. Hotness, I would be more than happy to deal with him.¡±

    Without giving me time to respond, she grabbed my hand and led me to the back. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter right now, ¡®cause I know what will cheer you up and bring back some life to that face of yours. But seriously, you couldn''t be bothered to put on a little foundation?¡±

    Any other day I would meet her halfway on the teasing, going blow for blow, but not today. I didn¡¯t care what I looked like, nor if my face matched my mood. Rachel and I were total opposites when it came to the way we presented ourselves.

    She was a super bubbly girly girl, always fussing over her appearance. While I was more of a moody introverted tomboy, opting for jeans and T-shirts whenever possible. But when it came to our friendship, we were drawn to each other from the moment we¡¯d met.

    ¡°Close your eyes.¡± Rachel stood by the two massive swinging doors leading to the warehouse.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Don¡¯t make me hurt you.¡±

    She pushed the door backward, opening one side. "Ta-da!"

    A huge bundle of antiques filled the warehouse floor. My heart raced as I saw the pile of new possibilities and eagerly sifted through them.

    ¡°Oh my gods, Rach, look at this mirror! It¡¯d be perfect for my studio! And this trinket box; I could use it for my watercolor tubes!¡±

    My excitement soared as I explored each item, the day¡¯s hard moments melting away amidst the old furniture and forgotten treasures.

    ¡°In typical you fashion, of course you notice the shiny things first. And whoa, whoa, whoa, you do remember you live with two other people, right? And your studio already takes up half the dining room. I¡¯m cutting you off from any more large pieces before our apartment looks like it could make an episode of Hoarders."

    I ignored her attempts to dissuade me from taking the mirror home and set it to the side. Rachel always poked fun at the way I loved the antique store, with its odd and old curiosities. There was always room for more old treasures in my book.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    "I wish I could make you this excited about a guy, then we¡¯d be talking... like say... Dr. Hotness."

    "Ew, he¡¯s my therapist. You might have the hots for him, and literally every guy you meet, but we can¡¯t all be whores, ya know.¡± I had to match some blows today, mood or not, or else she¡¯d never give up on her attempts to sway me to the dating pool.

    ¡°How dare you? I am not a whore; you take that back!¡± Rachel gasped and gripped her chest dramatically as she fell back into an old armchair.

    ¡°Rach, you go through men like they¡¯re Skittles."

    ¡°So, I like to taste the rainbow; is that so bad? Besides, we can¡¯t all be tight-asses like you. Some of us like to enjoy our time here on this big blue ball.¡± She sighed long and hard, examining her nails, trying not to make eye contact.

    I stopped inspecting the antique brush I held and glanced at Rachel. "Hey, this tight ass is plenty happy in my studio, painting, thank you very much! Besides, I don¡¯t like Skittles. And with the noises coming from your room, half the time I wonder if you¡¯re really having much fun in there anyway. Do you have to bring them all back to our place?¡±

    "Oh, you can¡¯t tell me you wouldn¡¯t saddle up and ride the bull named Theo if given the chance! No woman in her right mind would say no to that man. Those deep green eyes. The long mahogany hair, cut perfectly to highlight his jawline when he tucks it behind his ears. And can''t forget his amazing ass," Rachel growled as her eyes widened. ¡°Or what about the other guy? What¡¯s his name, the receptionist?¡±

    "Jakobi," I noted, feigning interest in continuing this conversation. I picked up a small teapot and opened the lid.

    "Yes, Jakobi, he obviously has the hots for you from what you¡¯ve said. Make a move and show the poor guy a good time. Working in a therapy office, he clearly needs it, and so do you.¡±

    ¡°It would be too awkward. He¡¯s nice and all, and I never said I didn¡¯t agree with you. Dr. Barnes is attractive, but again, he¡¯s my therapist! There are rules against that¡ªnot that you follow rules, like, ever. Gods, why did we have to bump into him at the restaurant? All this could have been avoided if you¡¯d never met him.

    "Ohhhhh, so you do like him? Oh, shit, girl, get yourself some!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± I groaned as I squeezed myself beside her on the armchair. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a deal. The next time I find a guy interesting, I¡¯ll give it a shot for you. Okay? I¡¯ll even let you give me a makeover. Deal?¡±

    I declared the offer, knowing full well that Rachel would take the bait. Deep down, I wanted to date; I was just oblivious to how or where to begin.

    ¡°Full makeover, heels, and hair?¡±

    ¡°Full makeover.¡±

    ¡®Jackpot. Savi one, Rachel zero.¡¯

    Her squeal echoed through the warehouse and the rant about men was finally over, or so I hoped.

    ¡°What the hell is all this racket over here? Rachel, how many times do I have to tell you to stop being so¡­ you¡­ and tone it down a notch or ten?¡± said a low, raspy voice behind a wall of stacked chairs. The tiniest old woman walked out carrying a clipboard.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I said! Hey, Sue! Come see this mirror; wouldn¡¯t it be perfect in my studio?¡± I gave Rachel a mocking smirk, half-tempted to stick my tongue out in spite.

    Sue wandered over to check it more closely. ¡°That is a mighty fine mirror, in excellent shape too; it will fetch quite a fair price.¡± Sue cocked her head to gaze at me. ¡°Out front.¡±

    Rachel burst into laughter. "Oh, Savi, she got you good. Thanks for looking out, Sue.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing it for you, toots; I¡¯m doing it for my bottom line. Savi takes all the best pieces for herself to the point she¡¯s almost paying to work here. And after her employee discount, I barely make half of what I could posting it up front.¡±

    "Wait, we get an employee discount?¡± Rachel asked.

    ¡°You would know if you ever tried to buy anything, but you always call it old hunks of junk," Sue snapped back. ¡°For someone who is so high up in today¡¯s fashion, you have no sense of real style.¡±

    This made me chuckle and Rachel groan. Another one of my favorite parts of working here is Sue and Rachel¡¯s interactions. They treat seeing who can get the other riled up the most like a sport.

    Sue was the closest thing to a mother figure in my life, always watching out for me and trying to help in any way, big or small. It was her motherly instinct toward me that landed me this job in the first place.

    ¡°Take the few items you found to your locker and we¡¯ll talk about them after your shift. Then you two get back to work, please. There needs to be someone out there tending the front desk, and the shop needs a thorough dusting.¡± Sue turned to her office. ¡°I¡¯ll be back here going through our new inventory if you need me, but first I need to grab my measuring tape.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t part of the charm of antiques the dust? Doesn¡¯t that come with the territory?¡± Rachel posed, giving her best effort to avoid manual labor.

    ¡°Remind me again why you work here?¡± Sue turned to Rachel. ¡°Or better yet, remind me again why I put up with you working here?¡±

    ¡°¡¯Cause you love me, and we¡¯re a package deal.¡± I gave Rachel a sideways hug around her shoulders.

    ¡°Then get your pup in order, or it¡¯s on your head, not hers.¡±

    ¡°Pup? One, I¡¯m older than Savi." I nudged her in the side with my elbow. "Well, probably older, and two, if I¡¯m a pup, then I would be at least akin to a tiny one you carry in your shoulder bag. Like a Yorkie or a teacup poodle or something; so, I would never get dirty or hurt."

    ¡°Go out there and dust before I put a shock collar on you for all that yapping," Sue called as she walked away, throwing a hand over her head to wave us off.

    ¡°Yikes, let¡¯s go," I said, giggling, and pulled Rachel by the arm. We headed to the double doors. "Ah, one sec, almost forgot.¡± I broke contact and turned to my pile of stuff. "I''d better hide these like she said, or she¡¯ll never let me snag them.¡±

    "Ugh, you and your trinkets! Hurry, though; I¡¯m not dusting all this junk by myself; I just got my nails done.¡±

 CH 3 - Best Roommates Ever - Savi

    One long wall divided the antique shop in half. The front was the showroom, with a full upstairs level Sue used as an apartment. The back section was the warehouse, where our lockers sat between the loading dock and Sue''s office.

    I fumbled to set my treasures on the ground to open my locker door and realized Rachel was right; I did have a problem with hoarding things. One glance inside my cubby gave me a second vote on the matter.

    ''Where am I going to put all this stuff?''

    A plethora of shiny trinkets and baubles cluttered every inch of space. Spotting a worthy place for the trinket box I had to have, I moved a few smaller items away to make room.

    ''Perfect!''

    A small glass dish with a gold rim was next.

    ''This will be ideal for holding oil pastels and should fit right¡­about¡­ here.''

    I placed it behind an old picture frame with a photo of an elderly couple and two sisters standing together. I liked to think my parents were the couple, and the two women were me and Rachel. A tinge of pain reared up through the back of my mind at the thought of family and what having one felt like.

    ''Damn this day.''

    I shook the thoughts away for another time and gave my locker a second once-over. Seeing everything all tucked in, cozying up together, filled my heart with joy.

    ''Okay, off to work I go.''

    The faint sound of shattering glass froze me in place. A loud groan from Rachel echoed through the warehouse. Sue stared at me from the new inventory, and the expression on her face told me what she wanted to say.

    ¡°I know, I know, I¡¯ll handle it. Just remember how much you love me.¡± I bolted before she could argue or retort.

    ¡°How the hell did this happen?¡± I asked, surveying the broken lamp by Rachel¡¯s feet.

    ¡°I was doing what Sue told me and getting my dust on when some dude startled me.¡±

    ¡°What dude?¡±

    ¡°The super hot guy with a cute butt. He went over in that direction." She pointed toward a different aisle. "Today might be the day... makeover time."

    "Oh, please, grab the broom and clean up your mess while I tend to the customer. You¡¯re a little too high-strung right now for dusting, so I will take over once I¡¯m finished. Go stand at the register and look pretty when you''re done.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t I always?¡± she asked as she curtsied with her duster in one hand.

    My short stature was getting the better of me while trying to locate said customer, but I managed to catch a sliver of dark hair peeking over a tall armoire and made my way to him.

    "Hello, sir, can I help you?¡± I approached the man standing between two end tables.

    He stood tall and wide, taking up most of the aisle. His coarse black hair, which curled slightly on his head, complemented his darker skin. A fitted burgundy button-down shirt stretched taut across his thick, broad shoulders. Rachel wasn''t lying; he did have a cute butt underneath his tan dress slacks.

    He cleared his throat as he turned. ¡°Ah, yes, sorry if I startled your colleague there; I didn¡¯t mean to give her a fright.¡± His hazel eyes darted to the end of the aisle.

    ¡°Ha! Give Rachel a fright? I can assure you, she¡¯s okay. She just gets in her own world sometimes when she has to do manual labor. She hates it, so she¡¯s too busy plotting our demise to notice things around her.¡±

    ''Why the hell did my own brain let those words come out of my mouth to a complete stranger?''

    ¡°I¡¯m Savi, by the way. Is there anything in particular you¡¯re looking for today?¡±

    ¡°I was on the hunt for a matching pair of end tables, but there doesn¡¯t seem to be a set here at your establishment. Such a shame. I must be on my way and search elsewhere. Good day to you, Ms. Savi.¡± The man turned on the heels of his brown leather loafers and hurried out of the store.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Rachel scoffed from the desk as I walked toward her, looking dumbfounded.

    ¡°What do you mean, what did I say? He said we didn¡¯t have what he wanted and scampered off. He was actually quite rude about it, if you ask me. His accent made it hard for me to tell whether I was being insulted; I feel insulted, Rach."

    ¡°You always manage to make it awkward. I don¡¯t blame him. We need to practice your small talk.¡± Rachel leaned her elbows on the counter. ¡°Oh well, at least you got to ogle the eye candy while it lasted. And yes, that South African accent, oh my God! I love being this close to the city; all the rich boys from all over the world travel here for work.¡±

    ¡°He was looking for two end tables; I doubt he is visiting. He probably lives somewhere in the city, and judging by that giant watch on his wrist, I would bet on the nicer side.¡±

    ¡°Then who knows, maybe fate will have you two meet again one day." She winked at me and twirled the end of her long chestnut hair.

    The front door alarm dinged, and we both turned to find another man making his way to the counter. He was wearing a Rolling Stones T-shirt with some faded jeans and thick combat boots. His messy blonde hair fell limp over his forehead, squished and sweaty from the motorcycle helmet he carried.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "Hey, Coop!¡± I waved at him, turning to face Rachel as he stepped beside me and plopped a sack on the counter.

    ¡°Whaddup ladies? Hello, Savi, and hello, sewer gremlin," Cooper teased as he shot her a daring grin.

    Cooper and Rachel acted as if they hated each other in public, but at home, they were thick as thieves. He was the last one to join the ¡®house of chaos¡¯ (as we liked to call it), but I had known him longer than Rachel.

    He turned closer to me. "Whoa, you look like shit.¡±

    She burst into laughter. ¡°That¡¯s what I said too!¡±

    ¡°What the hell, guys? Come on.¡±

    ¡°Brought ya something, Savi.¡±

    It only took a split second before the aroma from the bag slammed into my nostrils at lightning speed.

    "Oh my gods! Pizza!¡± I squealed with delight.

    ¡°Yup, fresh from Fellini¡¯s. I got a pie and couldn¡¯t finish it, and since I was riding by, I would see if you wanted it. I noticed you forgot your lunch in the fridge this morning.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was so pissed but I was late, and didn¡¯t sleep well. And I had therapy this morning, so my brain was riding the struggle bus to get ready today. All of which explains the ¡®looking of the shit today¡¯ as you two so graciously pointed out. Thanks for that boost of confidence, by the way. But you brought me pizza so all is forgiven, bestest roommate ever!¡±

    I dove headfirst into the bag and pulled out the to-go carton from Fellini¡¯s. It was the best pizza joint around the city, hands down. I hadn¡¯t realized how hungry I was until I was already halfway through the first slice.

    Rachel eyed me with both disgust at my statement and jealousy as I devoured the pizza slice in seconds. ¡°Ahem, excuuuuse me¡­ one, I am THE BESTEST ROOMMATE EVER,¡± she said, doing air quotes.¡± And two, where the hell is my lunch, dude?¡±

    ¡°What? No dicks around here for you to munch on today, Rach?"

    ¡°I haven¡¯t had the pleasure of being around a good dick today, not even in this very moment.¡±

    I almost choked on a bite of my second slice. ¡°You two, I swear to the gods.¡±

    ¡°He started it," whipped Rachel.

    "And she would love to end it.¡± Cooper retorted as he mimed a girl getting erotically showered in the face, tongue out and all.

    ¡°Fucking hell, we¡¯re at work, guys! Come on! Chill, Coop, so inappropriate, funny, but inappropriate.¡± I laughed as I wiped grease and sauce from my mouth.

    Fellini¡¯s is not healthy food by any means. I chose to ignore my growing food belly and enjoyed my pizza anytime I wanted. Counting calories sucks.

    ¡°Heyyy Sue!¡± Rachel straightened, hoping Sue hadn''t overheard us.

    Sue walked around the corner. ¡°We have a break room, Savi; might I suggest you use it from time to time? Hey, Cooper, how are you, sunshine?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already done," I said as I scarfed down my last bite. "As much as you love me, you¡¯ve never once called me Sunshine. I¡¯m hurt, Sue.¡±

    ¡°Have you seen your face today?¡± she grinned, telling me she had heard every word.

    ''Figures she would join them in the teasing.''

    "What the heck?" I threw my arms in the air in protest of their shenanigans.

    ¡°Ohhhhhhh damn," Rachel and Cooper said in near-perfect unison.

    ''Those two bastards.''

    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. You guys forget, security cameras catch everything. Also, sunshine, this is my place of business, cool it with the sexual gestures, mmkay?¡± Sue said as she walked behind Rachel and pulled out a logbook from under the counter. ¡°I just got off the phone with a new job applicant, so be careful, Rachel. One more break and you might be replaced.¡±

    ¡°You lose me; you lose Savi too!¡± Rachel yelled to Sue as she walked away.

    ¡°Speak for yourself. After today, with both of y¡¯all saying I look like shit, I¡¯m beginning to question finding new friends.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too awkward for that, so you¡¯re stuck with us," Cooper interjected, trying to cut any perceived tension. ¡±But speaking of new friends, you know that chick I met at the bar I was telling y¡¯all about?¡±

    ¡°How could we forget? You groaned on about her incessantly the other day. What was her name again¡­ Asterisks?" Rachel sneered.

    "Haha, very funny; her name is Aster. Don¡¯t be a jealous twat, lovey.¡±

    "Language, sunshine!" Sue shouted as she walked by us again to check a tag on a dining table near the front door.

    "Sorry, Sue," Cooper apologized. "Her name is Aster, my most beautiful friend, Rachel,¡± he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it, dear.¡± Sue smiled as she headed toward the back again.

    Cooper peered back at Rachel and grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Anywho, so, yeah, Aster. We were chilling out the other day and she told me about her grandma and how she had to meet her to do some witchy stuff, and it got me thinking. You know how you¡¯re always having those recurring dreams, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what about them?" I asked, wandering to the drink machine by the register.

    ¡°Witchy stuff?¡± Rachel asked. ¡°How can you trust someone who claims to be a real witch? Isn¡¯t that just a bunch of nonsense? Red flag number one, Coop.¡±

    Cooper ignored her and went right back to talking to me. ¡°Well, I told her about them."

    Spewing the first sip from my mouth in disbelief, I yelled, ¡±You what?! Oh great, we¡¯re gonna meet this girl and you¡¯re gonna have to be all like, ''Welcome to our home, here¡¯s my two roommates, hoebag, and crazy pants.'' Why would you do that? Don¡¯t you want her to like us?¡±

    Rachel shot me an irritated glance, but didn¡¯t take the bait.

    ¡°Relax. I explained to her what¡¯s been going on and she said there''s stuff she can do to help out if you¡¯d be willing to meet. I for one think you should totally meet up with her. I would love to experience the two of you in the same room holding hands and whispering in the candlelight.¡±

    "Oh gross, Coop," Rachel said, and threw a gum wrapper at him. "And you call me a hoebag?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m joking. But, in all seriousness, it couldn¡¯t hurt, right? Just meet up and see if they can help you figure stuff out. Might help you get a full night¡¯s sleep, for all our sakes. Nonsense or not.¡±

    I reared back and punched him hard on the shoulder.

    ¡±Hey, I didn¡¯t mean ¡®cause of your looks. I mean, when you can¡¯t sleep, you work in your studio, which means I can¡¯t sleep. You were out there the other night painting and making all kinds of racket. I came out to tell you to cool it, but you were so into your work you didn¡¯t hear me, so I gave up and went back to sleep. Well, I tried to, anyway."

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t hear you. I don¡¯t remember painting late this week, though; are you sure it was this week?¡±

    ¡°Yup, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    I looked down at the counter in deep thought, confused. There were times when I would stay up late in the studio working on a new piece, but I couldn''t recall doing it recently. Especially this last week.

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, alright? I ended up getting enough before work, so it¡¯s all gravy. Don¡¯t sweat it," Cooper assured me, noticing the worry come over my face.

    ¡°So, this friend of yours, when did she want to meet up?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s got a thing this weekend, but I¡¯m sure I could arrange to drive you out there since I¡¯m off. Maybe afterwards we could check out the bar in the city. You game?"

    ¡°No papers, no ID ¨C remember, genius?¡±

    ¡°You let me handle that, smarty pants, or was it crazy pants?¡± he teased. "Okay, I will see you guys tonight and we will go over the details. Chin up, buttercup, we¡¯ll figure out those dreams so I - I mean, you - can sleep.¡±

    I reared back to whop him again, but he turned and ran, throwing a peace sign behind him.

    ¡°What do you say? Up for some possible adventure?¡± I asked, glancing at Rachel.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ witchy shit? Do you even believe in all that? After what happened last year around this time, should we go poking the bear? I know I¡¯ve given you crap all day about looking rough, but I really am worried about you, hun.¡± Her voice took on a calmer, more genuine tone.

    I paused for a second at the mention of last year''s disaster. The complete and utter mess I had made still haunted me.

    ¡°I dunno what I believe in, honestly, but if it could help, I¡¯m game to try anything. Last year won¡¯t happen again, I promise.¡± I tried to assure her, but a slight bit of hesitation caught in my voice.

    ''It can¡¯t happen again. I won¡¯t let it.''

 CH 4 - A Man and His Cat - Aster

    An eerie breeze tickled my lungs. The air around the old, dilapidated house boasted a significantly lower temperature than that of its surroundings: a peculiar pocket of cold for an otherwise sweltering night.

    Moonlight bathed my skin, casting shadows over the debris from recent renovations. It was the perfect fall night, giving me a sense of calm, despite the fact that I was breaching several of my coven''s rules.

    ''Come on, Zoe, where the hell are you? I''m on a time crunch.''

    The sound of twigs breaking echoed from the woods behind me while I shot Cooper a text letting him know things were running behind. Whipping my head to locate the culprit of my shattered silence, I focused on the tree line and crammed my phone into my satchel.

    Foggy shadows seeped between two pines, and a woman emerged from the darkness. Each step drew the smoke into her as she rushed toward me.

    ¡°It¡¯s about time, Zoe. I told you to be here an hour ago. And why are you coming from the woods?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, don¡¯t get your panties in a bunch, Aster," Zoe grumbled, brushing leaves from her short brown hair. ¡°I got caught up with Luca. He needed to feed before I left, which is why I ended up having to fly, which is also why I¡¯m coming from the woods. There, happy mom?¡±

    ¡°Mom? Pfft, you¡¯re older than me, and the coven hates when you shift in the open. You know that, right?¡±

    Zoe patted me on the head. "Well, it¡¯ll be our little secret then, won¡¯t it? Besides, this whole thing is against the coven¡¯s rules. What¡¯s a little extra anarchy?¡± She turned to the building and inspected the two-story house. Her eyes narrowed. ¡°So what¡¯s the deal here, anyway? Your text was ultra vague.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sorry about that. It was a last-minute job. I could probably do it myself, but in case things go crazy, it''s nice to have some backup. And I thought you could use some extra cash to help with Luca. How¡¯s he doing, by the way?¡±

    ¡°Eh, he could be better. I think he¡¯s finally coming to terms with the change, although I¡¯m almost out of blood bags. So you¡¯re right. I could use the coin.¡± Zoe shivered and shook her head. ¡°Enough of that. Let¡¯s get the party started so I can go back and warm up. I didn¡¯t have time to change before I left, and it¡¯s freezing. Why the hell is it so cold here? I was burning up earlier.¡±

    She extended her long, bare legs out in front of me and tugged on the bottom of her gym shorts. I peered at the second story and pointed to our target. ¡°That is the party. And the reason it¡¯s so cold around this place.¡±

    Zoe¡¯s eyes followed my finger to the ghost staring out of the top-floor window. Its hollow eyes connected with us, and the windows rattled before it melted back into the shadows.

    ¡°You¡¯re killing me, Smalls. Oh, this is going to be fun. It''s been a while since I¡¯ve been to a ghosty eviction. What¡¯s the story?¡±

    ¡°The house belongs to Mr. Brooks. His dad went mad after his wife and cat died, committed suicide, and now he haunts the place. The property fell into disarray, and now Mr. Brooks wants to renovate and sell. But dear old dad isn''t having it."

    ¡°I get the wife, but why the cat?¡± Zoe kicked the dirt and rubbed her legs together for warmth.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting there.¡± I peeked into a lower basement window. "Apparently, the old man cared more about his cat¡¯s death than his wife''s.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you clever bitch! Now I get it.¡± Zoe huffed and pinched the bridge of her nose, a flick of irritation settling in her brows. ¡°Do you have a picture of the cat or at least a description?¡±

    ¡°Sorry. I knew you wouldn¡¯t come if I told you beforehand, and you¡¯re the strongest Familiar I know. I need you.¡±

    ¡°Here ya go,¡± I said, handing her a photo. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let you go in blind. I¡¯m kind of a b-word, yes, but not a total b-word. Only b-word-adjacent.¡± I tucked my hands under my chin and batted my lashes in an attempt to look innocent.

    ¡°The moon be damned, Aster. You and your pious goody girl I don''t cuss persona. Repeating the word won''t kill you, but after tonight, I might.¡± Zoe inspected the photo. ¡°A Maine Coon! Seriously?¡± She threw her head back and groaned. ¡°I¡¯ll be coughing up hairballs for days. Bitch-adjacent, my ass.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    After looking around the street and neighboring houses, she studied the photo in the moonlight for a long moment. With her hands stretched to her sides and her eyes dancing with magic, she glared at me. "Oh, you owe me so big, chica.¡±

    Swirls of black smoke rose from the ground around her, creeping up each of her legs. The shadowy mist engulfed her body, and she whispered a single word. The darkness melded with her body, disappearing from sight. Once it dissipated, a hulking cat sat perched on its hind legs, grooming its paw.

    "Aww, who¡¯s a cute, fluffy kitty?¡± I teased.

    Zoe¡¯s voice filled my head, and she let out a long hiss. ¡®Don¡¯t make me claw your eyes out.¡¯

    ¡°Okay, okay. Retract the claws. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Blinding light showered us as we moved toward the front walkway. A car pulled into the driveway, and the headlights clicked off as the engine came to a halt. The silhouette of a heavyset figure wiggled around before the driver¡¯s door swung open.

    ¡°Is it done? I hadn¡¯t heard from you, so I figured something went wrong.¡± The man glanced at Zoe while he fired off his questions but stopped mid-sentence. ¡°Oh my word, how did you find a cat that looks identical to Mr. Mittens?¡± He bent down to inspect her further. ¡°He even has the same colored collar. Well, I¡¯ll be. Where did you find him?¡±

    ¡°You mentioned Mr. Mittens was the love of your father¡¯s life, so I thought it might help. I found this one at the shelter and thought he would work perfectly. Right, Mr. Mittens?¡±

    Zoe hissed at the man and her voice filled my head. ¡®I¡¯m so gonna kick your ass when we¡¯re done.¡¯

    ¡°This one¡¯s not very friendly, is it? Not unlike Mr. Mittens. He was pops¡¯ cat through and through. Wouldn''t let anyone close enough to touch him.¡± Lost in deep thought at the memories, he stared at Zoe but after a moment, he snapped out of it and stood. ¡°Do you need me to show you inside? Or should I go? I¡¯m unfamiliar with how this works or if it even will. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m grateful for the help but after seeing the remnants of my father and his rage, I still struggle with making sense of how this can be real.¡±

    "Yes, please show me the way.¡± I gestured to the house. "I understand what you mean, sir. The supernatural is only ever considered in nightmares and what-ifs. Coming face to face with it brings things into perspective. We¡¯ll have everything handled in no time. I promise. But remember the bargain. None of this is real to the outside world, understood?¡±

    The realization that everything happening was in fact as real as he and I swept across his face as he nodded. He hobbled up the front steps, his right leg stiff from some unseen injury, and Zoe trotted along behind. The bell on her collar jingled as she jumped each step.

    "Oh, you poor thing. There are stray nails and debris everywhere. I wouldn¡¯t want you to hurt your little paw. Here, let me help you.¡± He picked Zoe up and plopped her head and front paws over his shoulder.

    ¡®Not a word, Aster. Not a single word; so help me.¡¯

    ¡°Seems like Mr. Mittens appreciates your kindness. What a good little kitty.¡± I tickled under her chin, and she purred for a moment before her eyes turned wrathful. She snapped her neck back and bit hard on my finger.

    Mr. Brooks dropped her, and she slinked to the door and pawed at it. ¡°Good grief, this cat, are you sure that¡¯s not Mr. Mittens himself? Same attitude. If I hadn¡¯t been the one to bury him, I¡¯d believe it.¡±

    Figuring it was a rhetorical question, I continued up the last two steps without answering. A wash of death slammed into my nostrils as he opened the door. Shivers shot down my spine.

    ¡®I''d better be getting paid a shitload for this, Aster.¡¯

    ¡°Right this way, Aster. Be mindful of the cords for the tools here.¡± Mr. Brooks walked toward the center of the room, sliding things out of his way with his foot.

    "What¡¯s your father¡¯s name, so I''m better equipped to communicate with him?¡± I asked as I tiptoed over cords and screws scattered about the floor.

    The whole room smelled of death, and I wondered if Zoe could smell it too, possibly stronger in her cat form. It didn¡¯t appear to bother her as she stood by the man¡¯s foot, grooming her paws, licking off the dust that covered each one.

    ¡°Atticus Theodore Brooks.¡±

    I glanced around the room, taking in all the smells, familiarizing myself with the layout. ¡°In your message, you mentioned he committed suicide. Where did this take place?¡±

    Sorrow washed over his face, and he cleared his throat before speaking again. "Uh-hum. he uh... hung himself down in the basement.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can handle it from here. Point me in the direction of the basement, and you can wait in the car if you¡¯d like.¡± I squeezed his arm, trying to offer what little comfort I could to a complete stranger.

    He cleared his throat again, an attempt to stifle away tears, and shrugged a shoulder toward a door. ¡°Yeah, the uh, the basement is right over there, through that door. Uhm, if it¡¯s okay, I¡¯d like to stay in the house unless you need me out. It¡¯s just, I¡¯d like to be here when his presence or whatever it is moves on.¡±

    ¡°That would be fine. I¡¯m so sorry for your loss.¡±

    ¡®It would be better if he weren''t here at all, in my opinion.¡¯

    I glanced at the man who was making his way to a nearby stool. ¡°I must warn you, though, you may hear things. He may act out, especially if he¡¯s angry. No matter what happens, stay here.¡±

    Mr. Brooks studied me curiously but nodded his head in agreement. The handle to the basement door felt cold as ice in my palm, and I breathed a heavy breath before pulling it open. Air thick with anger and decay threatened to knock me back, but I gathered my strength and took a step down into its maw.

 CH 5 - Atticus Theodore Brooks - Aster

    Moonlight flowed through the narrow basement windows, creating illuminated rectangles across the floor. Prickling pins ran down my spine, giving way to a visible shudder that ransacked its way through me. I turned my head to force myself to ignore it, then stepped to the center of the basement room. There was a ceiling fan, half-pulled from its place, with a tiny sliver of rope still dangling from one of the blades.

    Zoe nudged against my ankle, purring. I snickered as I knew she couldn¡¯t help it but would give her so much grief over it later. Shifting was extremely useful, but Familiars always took on the instinctual traits of the animal they turned into, if only to a slight degree.

    ¡°Zoe, knock it off. We¡¯ve got a job to do. Be ready.¡±

    A deep growl crept from her throat. ¡®This is why I prefer dogs.¡¯

    Thankfully, they had already ripped up the carpets, so I had concrete to work with. I studied the room''s layout before I walked to the staircase, set my bag down, and pulled out a black candle and chalk.

    I loosened the piece of rope and placed it on the floor. Then I drew an enormous pentagram around it with the chalk. Leaving the black candle beside it, I stepped outside the star.

    ¡°Come here, Zoe.¡± I clicked my tongue to grab her attention, and she scurried over.

    ¡®Ready when you are.¡¯

    I gripped a pentacle necklace that hung close to my chest and closed my eyes, whispering beneath my breath. "Skalum neivro deabri."

    A faint wind filled the room, and the walls creaked. As I repeated the chant, the boards of the steps popped and shook. Deep grumbles came up from below, and a flash of light burst from the fan.

    ¡°Atticus. I call forth to the soul of Atticus Brooks," I said as I stared at an ethereal sliver of blue light hovering under the fan.

    ¡°You are not welcome here. Get out of my sight.¡± A dark voice warned.

    ¡°Atticus, I¡¯ve come to help. Your son has brought me here to assist you.¡± I stood my ground through the unbearable cold that wrapped around me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want your help. I don¡¯t need your help. GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!¡±

    A ghostly image of Atticus burst from the glowing slit. It lunged towards me but slammed into an invisible barrier. The pentagram on the floor glowed a bright white, filling the room with light. Atticus peered at the prison that held him in place and roared. He pounded his fists on the barricade in a rage and thrust an arm toward me once more.

    Drywall nails soared through the air toward my head, but they stopped short of my body and fell to the floor. One by one, they clinked as they collided with the cold concrete.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to do better than that, Atticus.¡± I glanced down at the nails, then back at him, the corner of my lip twitching upward.

    This enraged him further, and he slammed into the barrier again. ¡°You little bitch. I¡¯ll bring you over to this side and let the demons play with your soul. You don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re messing with.¡±

    ¡®Uhm, demons? Aster, there shouldn¡¯t be any demons here.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m messing with an angry brute who lost his loved ones. A beast who couldn¡¯t cope with the emotions and saw no other way out than suicide. The demons are here for you, Atticus, not me.¡±

    I glanced down at Zoe cowering behind my leg. ¡°I have someone else who¡¯s here for you as well.¡± A small step to the side revealed her.

    The ghost¡¯s face softened to a normal human shape, and he floated lower toward the ground. ¡°It can¡¯t be. It can¡¯t be him. Tom buried him. LIES!¡±

    He grabbed for Zoe, but his hands met the barrier, illuminating it once more. Atticus growled, and a piece of wood flew from the ground and slammed into the wall behind him.

    ¡°Your anger keeps you here. You must let it go, Atticus.¡± Zoe jumped into my arms and meowed. ¡°Look closer. Mr. Mittens is here. He wants you to be happy and to move on in peace.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Mittens is dead, you stupid, stupid child. He was buried the same day I took my life. Your tricks mean nothing to me.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Frantic to escape, he raved and thrashed, testing the barrier at multiple spots in quick succession, but it held firm.

    Multiple voices groaned and wailed from within the light. ¡°Atticus, listen to me. If what you say is true, Mr. Mittens would be waiting for you to be at peace. So would your wife, and so would your son. They want you to end your suffering.¡±

    ¡°You will suffer as I have. Your fate has been sealed, Aster.¡± His visage entered and exited the blue sliver, and his eyes fixated on Zoe. ¡°And you, witch, your Luca is doomed, and you will suffer a fate far greater than his."

    Zoe leapt from my arms. ¡®What the hell, Aster? What¡¯s going on? How does he know our names and know what I am? About Luca?¡¯

    A loud bang shot through the house, and the floorboards above our heads rattled. The fan cracked and fell from the ceiling, piercing the blue light, then crashed into the middle of the pentagram. A colossal gush of wind whooshed as the barrier exploded outward.

    Ominous laughter seeped from the sliver of light before it stitched itself closed and vanished. Zoe and I watched each other, waiting, both listening to the noises from upstairs.

    ¡°Move! Move! Move!¡± Shouts, screams, and loud footsteps pounded on the floor above.

    ¡°Who are you and what are you doing in my house?¡± Mr. Brooks asked the intruders.

    ¡°Get down! On your knees! Hands on your head! I said get down! NOW!¡±

    More footsteps trotted through, filling the upstairs room. A quick, odd shuffling across the floorboards told me Mr. Brooks was moving. A loud thud racked the center of the floor above us.

    ¡°SHOW ME YOUR HANDS! WHAT MAGIC WERE YOU WORKING?¡± a man shouted.

    ¡°I¡ªI¡ªdon¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Please. I don¡¯t understand.¡± Mr Brooks cried.

    ¡°Someone here was using magic. It led us to this location. Now, tell us, was it you?¡±

    ¡®Fucking Templar! Aster, what the fuck does he mean our magic led them here? How is that possible?¡¯

    I held a finger to my lips to silence Zoe in my head and strained my ears to hear every sound coming from above.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know; I didn¡¯t think it was real. You have to believe me. I¡¯m a simple man who needs help. I stumbled upon a forum online and told them about my problem. A few days later, a random woman called, telling me to expect someone to come do the job. I swear that¡¯s all I know.¡±

    Another loud thud was followed by a scream from Mr. Brooks. Then another.

    ¡°I WILL ONLY ASK ONE MORE TIME, WHAT WERE YOU DOING HERE?¡±

    A whimpering Mr. Brooks replied, ¡°The girl. A girl showed up. Basement.¡±

    ¡°Secure the building. Search the basement.¡±

    The sound of shuffling footsteps and the wailing cries of Mr. Brooks echoed through the house. The basement door flung open, and I scurried to a nearby closet in the darkest corner across the room.

    "Run, Zoe!¡± I whispered to her as I shot inside, but she was already gone. I slammed the slatted door shut and placed a hand against it. ¡°Lokia.¡±

    A shimmer slid over the door, and I peered through the small opening between two slats. The basement steps creaked as someone descended the stairs.

    A man dressed in head-to-toe tactical gear stepped into the room. He held his gun high against his shoulder, pointing it in every direction as he searched. The soldier stopped at the markings on the floor. He set his gun down and moved the remnants of the ceiling fan out of the way. The rope caught his attention, and he picked it up, rotating it in his hand to inspect it.

    A tiny scraping sound startled him. He grabbed his gun and locked onto the closet before I could even blink. Placing the rope in a flap on his vest, he gripped his gun with both hands and approached the door. I backed further into the shadows behind me.

    It shook for a second, then stopped. Sweat ran down my brow and I willed my breathing to calm as much as it could. I could have sworn he had locked eyes with mine as he peeked through the slats. His blue eyes seemed to pierce through my soul.

    ¡°All clear down here, soldier?¡± another man called down to the one in the basement.

    The soldier exhaled and turned his head to the side. The metal Templar logo on his helmet glistened in the moonlight. ¡°Yeah, all clear.¡±

    ¡°Good. We''ve gotta wrap this up and head back. The boss wants to interrogate the man at headquarters.¡±

    The sound of his footsteps walking away eased my nerves, if only a little. If one soldier were able to break through my magic, I would at least stand a chance at an escape. But if two Templars found me¡­ I shook the thought from my mind and wondered if Zoe had made it out safely.

    The Templar glanced at the closet for a moment before turning toward the steps. As he approached them, he halted, and I saw it the exact moment he did. My bag.

    ''Crap. No. No. NO. No. Keep going.''

    He kicked the bag with one foot, and as he leaned forward, a booming voice shot through the floor. ¡°EVERYBODY OUT! NOW! LET¡¯S MOVE!¡±

    He stood and eyed the room one last time before making his way back up. I followed his footsteps across the floor to the door. Then it slammed shut.

    A giant gasp left my body, and I touched my hand to the door. Another shimmer fluttered across its surface, and I knocked it open. A panic attack tried to take hold in my chest but the sound of car doors slamming kept me grounded in the reality of what had just happened.

    On my tiptoes, I was barely tall enough to see what was happening outside. My eyes caught a glimpse of the bloodied Mr. Brooks being loaded into the back of a giant black SUV by two larger men.

    They slammed the door behind him, banged on the window, and the vehicle screeched out of sight. Four other SUVs followed, and all was still as if nothing had happened.

    My phone''s chime blared through the basement, and I jumped from the window.

    ''Hopefully, it¡¯s Zoe telling me she¡¯s okay. Thank the stars this didn¡¯t go off while they were here.''

    I swiped the lock screen and opened my messages. It was a text from Cooper, letting me know he was on the way to my place and would hang out in the hall waiting for me.

    ''Crap. This is a mess. Oh Zoe, I hope you¡¯re okay. I don¡¯t know what to do, but I have to get out of here fast.''

 CH 6 - Chance Encounters - Savi

    ¡°Savi, you ready to go? We''ve gotta move!¡± Cooper called from the hallway.

    Rachel was preparing for her own night out with a plethora of makeup and hair products blanketing the bathroom counter. Since she was a pro at navigating the bar and club scenes, I agreed to let her help me get ready. While she wrangled my hair into some sort of updo, she spouted her best tips on bar etiquette.

    ¡°Be right out; I¡¯m trying not to look like a mini Rachel in here," I called back.

    "Hey, you said I could help you get ready,¡± she said, popping me on the arm with her brush.

    "Yeah, help me with a little makeup, not bedazzle me. You''re approaching makeover territory. I can only imagine what you''ll put me through when I actually agree to a date.¡±

    Frustration knitted into her brow, and she tugged harder on my scalp.

    ¡°Okay, not gonna lie. Though it''s a complete pain in the ass, I¡¯m low-key jealous of your hair. I wish I could pull off a sea of flaming red curls. Mine¡¯s so thin it won¡¯t hold a curl without a full bottle of hairspray and a prayer.¡±

    She stepped back as she pinned another section in place. ¡°You should wear your hair up more often. It shows off those gorgeous eyes.¡±

    ¡°Uhm, no thanks. They draw too much attention as it is, and I don¡¯t like it. Why can''t they be normal?¡±

    The comment on wearing my hair up flicked my mind to my scars. The hideous marks were a constant reminder of a past I knew nothing about. Hope that tonight might change that spread through my mind.

    ¡°Besides, leaving it down hides my scar. You know how much I hate it.¡±

    Silence fell between us. Rachel appeared lost in thought, searching for a way to cheer me up and boost my confidence, no doubt.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? I would die for eyes like yours. One blue and one green. That is killer. And too much attention? Never in a million years would that be a bad thing. You bat those full lashes of yours at any guy, and he¡¯d crumble. I promise.¡±

    Once she saw a slight curl to my lips, she got back to work on my makeup, satisfied with her performance.

    ¡°Think about it; you can make up some kick-ass story about how you got your scar and be mysterious and enchanting with those eyes of yours.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but knowing me, I''d either forget my initial lie and get caught or sound like a lunatic. Far from mysterious. And what enchantment? It¡¯s more of a dull blue; not like the icy blue eyes everyone fawns over. Nothing spectacular, but dull, lil'' ol'' me. I lack the ability to be enchanting or mysterious.¡±

    In one fluid motion, she tossed the eyeshadow palette to the counter and grabbed me, pulling me up off the toilet.

    ¡°You take it back right now, Savi. You¡¯re a knockout. I mean, look at you.¡±

    Rachel turned me to the mirror. I spotted a faint seriousness hidden beneath her expression before it evolved into a grin as she peered over my shoulder.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got curves for days with those tits and this ass! Damn girl, do you understand the damage I could do if I looked like you? And to hell with icy blue eyes; you¡¯re not a White Walker. That stormy blue-grey is plenty mysterious, trust me.¡±

    It would be pointless to argue with her, especially about my appearance. She oozed confidence and always tried her best to help me find some in myself, but I never could.

    ¡°You do plenty of damage already," I teased. ¡°Besides, tonight is about answers, so I don¡¯t care what I look like."

    Rachel ruffled through a bag and pulled out some lipstick. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you¡¯re going through with this. I don¡¯t believe in witchcraft and all the hocus pocus nonsense, but given how much you¡¯ve gone through, I don¡¯t blame you for trying.¡± She sighed and applied the sheer rose color to my lips. ¡°Perfect! All done.¡±

    ¡°Oh Rachel, I love it. Thank you for helping me do this; it¡¯s way too hot right now to wear it down.¡±

    It came as no surprise that she worked a miracle with my hair. She was always changing hers, cutting and coloring it in unique ways. At one point, she tried to convince me to dye mine black to go with my soul. But I corrected her, stating that, according to her, gingers had no soul to begin with.

    ¡°And to think you were just gonna throw all this in a bun,¡± Rachel scoffed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this look much better? Like you care what people think? Who knows, you might seem open and approachable tonight!¡±

    ¡°Ha, doubt it, and I¡¯m there for business, not pleasure.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Cooper shouted for the fifth time.

    He scowled as we exited the bathroom, holding up a motorcycle helmet and pointing to my head. "Oh, you can''t be serious. How the hell are you going to wear a helmet with that hair?¡±

    Rachel grabbed her keys from the bowl beside the door and chucked them at Cooper. ¡°Here, take my car; Luke¡¯s picking me up tonight, so I won¡¯t need it.¡±

    ¡°I thought the guy you were going out with tonight was Alex?¡± I asked.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Eh, Luke, Alex, same difference. Go have fun! But Savi, if you feel anything weird or uncomfortable, tell Coop to get you the hell out. And Coop, I¡¯m aware it¡¯s your girlfriend, but I¡¯m trusting you to put Savi first and what she says goes, understood?¡±

    She eyeballed Cooper with a demanding gaze, and he saluted on the way out the door.

    ¡°Aster texted and said to go to the bar first because her thing is running behind. You ready for that?¡±

    ¡°Still no ID, dufus.¡± I sighed, not stopping to turn around as we walked down the stairs from the apartment.

    "Oh, that reminds me. Here ya go, toots.¡±

    Cooper pulled a fake ID out of his wallet and handed it to me. I glanced down at the freshly minted card and almost knocked him down the stairs.

    ¡°Martha Stewart! Seriously? Who¡¯s going to believe my name is Martha Stewart? And where the hell did you get this photo of me?¡±

    ¡°A, I¡¯m shocked you know who that is. B, my guy was short on time. But it¡¯ll work, I promise. And C, I have my mysterious ways of getting the things I need, and I needed a photo of you.¡±

    "Okay, whatever you say, Snoop."

    ***

    One thing I still hadn''t gotten used to was the varied temperatures of fall. One night would be cool and perfect, and the next you were back in the heat of summer, wishing for winter. Cooper and Rachel liked to call this kind of weather the South''s false fall.

    I, for one, preferred the cold. Of all the things I didn''t remember about my past self, I could guarantee I had always hated summer. No doubt about it. And tonight was no exception as I longed for something cool to drink.

    Much to my surprise, the ID worked without so much as a second glance at my name. So I nestled into a small booth perched in a back corner and took in the atmosphere of the bar. Dozens of strangers throwing back shots, drinking their pain, their sorrows, and their pleasures were a sight to behold.

    Everyone looked so normal, so unbothered by their day-to-day lives. You''d never guess their troubles. Even the ones burying their worries were out here, living life, not holed up in self-pity. I could stand to learn a thing or two.

    Loud music that made no sense to me blared through the crowded space. Cooper had introduced me to older music, like Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and CCR. The classics, as he called them, and I preferred them over whatever this noise was.

    My eyes fell to Cooper, and I watched him as he conversed with the bartender. The way he angled his head, listening to the man talk, reminded me of how attentive he¡¯d been when we''d first met. He held the same attention when he''d listened to the doctors and caseworkers talk about me.

    The fact that he worked with the halfway house on a regular basis was the only reason I¡¯d come as far as I had since those days. I owed so much to him.

    One of the reasons he had chosen this bar in particular was to try to get a gig here. He worked a few nights a week at one closer to the edge of the city where we lived, but he was always willing to branch out.

    Cooper might appear to be nothing more than a lazy stoner on the outside, but he was one of the hardest-working people I knew. Despite working three jobs, he never turned down odd ones for extra money.

    Watching Cooper talk with the bartender was like watching a magician; he had such a way with people that often fascinated me. No awkwardness. No hesitation. A simple social wizard who could strike up a conversation with damn near anyone under any circumstances.

    The shortness of theirs, however, proved it wasn''t working out the way he intended. A sullenness spread across his face as he sauntered to the booth with two glasses in tow.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t talk your way into the job?¡±

    ¡°Nah, they''re all booked up. City bars usually are. They have their regular bartenders and don¡¯t like to hire newbies they don¡¯t know or that no one can vouch for. I knew it was a long shot, but a shot worth taking if it had worked out. Tips in the city are killer. Here, have a drink.¡±

    He slid one of the small glasses over.

    ¡°What is it? You know I don¡¯t drink.¡±

    I tilted it to inspect its contents. A quaint bit of amber liquid coated the bottom.

    ¡°Just drink it, you need to relax. Trust me, I¡¯ve got you tonight. I promised Rach I would look after you and I¡¯d already promised myself that well before she asked, so don¡¯t worry and throw it back.¡± He held his glass in the air. "Cheers, Martha!¡±

    Shooting him a face for calling me Martha, I held my glass up. "Cheers, asshole!" We clinked our glasses and then I downed the contents before coughing violently. ¡°What the fuck was that?¡±

    I gripped the sides of the table and glanced over my shoulder to the floor as the burn remained, warming its way down through my body.

    ¡°Life.¡± He slammed his hand down on the table and threw his own drink back.

    As I regained my composure, a burly man walked by our table and a flicker of light glinted off his watch, catching my eye. My eyes shot up.

    ¡°What the hell, I swear Rachel has ESP or something. I swear to the gods if I find out she has anything to do with this, I¡¯ll kill her.¡±

    Trying to make myself smaller in the booth, I cozied up to the darkness of the wall beside me.

    ¡°Who?¡± Cooper asked, scanning the crowd.

    ¡°The guy who just sat at the bar. He came into the antique shop looking for end tables and acted kind of rude. I introduced myself, and he didn¡¯t give me his name; just rushed out like he couldn''t stand to be near me or something.¡±

    ¡°That guy?¡± Cooper asked as he gestured toward the bar.

    ¡°Yes, now stop; don¡¯t draw attention," I pleaded.

    I hated confrontation, absolutely loathed it, so I wanted to act like I didn¡¯t know who he was and move on with our night. Cooper, of course, had other plans.

    ¡°Okay, relax. But seriously, nobody disrespects a woman of mine and gets away with it.¡±

    He stood from the booth, tugged on his shirt, and gave me a wink.

    ¡°What are you doing¡ªno, Coop, stop it, come back here right now!¡±

    I tried to get him to listen without making too much noise. Never have I wanted to die and melt into a booth more than at that very moment.

    ¡°Hey man, what¡¯s up with you? You let a lady introduce herself and didn¡¯t give her the kindness of returning the gesture?¡± Cooper asked as he reached the bar.

    The man turned, studied Cooper, then glanced past him to see me. I scurried to hide myself with my arms, pretending to look at the wall beside me. Peeking through the crook of my elbow, I tried to hear what they were saying.

    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±

    He turned away from Cooper and took another sip of his drink, ignoring me completely.

    ¡°You heard me; why didn¡¯t you introduce yourself to my friend the other day at the antique store?¡± Cooper pressed again.

    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, son. I don¡¯t have the slightest clue what you¡¯re talking about. I wasn¡¯t in an antique store the other day, so you''d best be on your way,¡± the man warned, not looking at Cooper again.

    ¡°Are you kidding¡ª" Cooper stopped speaking as the man tilted his head towards him and stared. "S-so-sorry, man, sorry to bother you, I guess I was mistaken. Have a wonderful rest of your night, and enjoy your drink.¡±

    ¡°Are you fucking insane? That guy is huge!¡± I muttered as he took his seat across from me. His uneasiness struck me, and I shifted my tone. ¡°What is it? What happened? You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Cooper said as his eyes darted to the man then back to the table. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. ¡°I guess we can go ahead and head to Aster''s. Let me shoot her a quick text. We can wait in the hall if she¡¯s not done yet, but hopefully she is. You ready for this?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Ready as I¡¯ll ever be. Are you going to tell me what happened now¡ªother than the asshole denying that the whole thing ever happened?¡±

    ¡°Just thought I saw something, but it was nothing. Sorry to embarrass you. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Cooper grabbed me by the hand and rushed out the door. Whatever spooked him had done a good job.

 CH 7 - Dreamweaving - Savi

    Whatever had spooked Cooper at the bar was long gone now as he belted out songs at the top of his lungs. His tone and demeanor were completely different during the short car ride to Aster''s. The idea of being able to pry the information out of him later continued to play over in the back of my mind.

    For now, I let him perform alongside Lynyrd Skynyrd and enjoyed the sun''s last hues peeking over the buildings we passed. Pulling into an older apartment complex on the northern border of the city, a wave of cold washed over me.

    ¡°I will say this, Rachel¡¯s AC works well; holy crap, it¡¯s chilly in here," I said, rubbing my arms, trying to comfort my prickling skin.

    ¡°What are you talking about? It''s boiling hot tonight, dude! I¡¯ve got a major case of swamp ass forming over here,¡± Cooper replied.

    ¡°Swap ass¡­ really? Sexy, Coop¡­ real sexy,¡± I said, glancing at the building. ¡°So this is the place?¡±

    The concrete building towered next to the vacant parking lot, with only a handful of cars scattered about.

    Opening the front doors, Cooper pulled out his phone and opened his text messages. ¡°Yeah, apartment 32A, fourth floor.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve never been here before? I thought you guys had been seeing each other for a while."

    A somewhat musky smell of old, wet carpet bombarded my nostrils. Sure enough, the carpet below my feet looked as if it had seen better days, possibly better decades.

    The faint smell of fresh paint tickled my senses, and a peek at the bright walls echoed as much. It appeared as if workers were repairing some cracks in a few places in the entry foyer.

    ¡°Nah, we always meet up at different places. I¡¯m not like Rachel; I keep it respectable and let her come to me when the time is right.¡±

    Cooper pretended to fluff a fake collar on his shirt, ever the bad boy. He winked as he caught my stare.

    Rolling my eyes, I walked to the nearby elevator.

    ¡°Fucking hell!¡± A giant Out of Order sign hung plastered on the doors. ¡°I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t let Rachel talk me into wearing heels tonight," I mumbled to myself as I turned to find the stairs.

    ¡°You in heels? I¡¯d pay millions to see you try to walk in heels,¡± Cooper laughed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Romeo, stairs are over there.¡± I pointed to behind the elevator.

    Sandals or not, I had not expected to do cardio tonight and loathed the thought of climbing my way up.

    We hiked our way to the fourth floor and opened the door. The bead of sweat trickling down my back made me rethink my previous thoughts on my pizza intake. Dr. Barnes was always telling me I would benefit from more exercise. Maybe he was right.

    A burst of air pulled on the door to shut it as we walked through, making me jerk it closed.

    ¡°What the hell was that about?¡± asked Cooper.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it must have been the pressure from the stairwell causing it to close faster than normal. That kind of hurt,¡± I replied as I held my wrist, rubbing the slight ache.

    Cooper headed down the hall in front of me, and I gathered myself to steady my racing heartbeat.

    ''Damn, those stairs were brutal. Maybe I should lose a few pounds. Pull yourself together, Savi. You don''t want to be huffing and puffing when you meet Aster for the first time.''

    ¡°32A - this is the one,¡± Cooper said as we reached the first door on the left.

    I realized then it wasn¡¯t the slight workout of coming up the stairs that had my heart pounding. It was more the anticipation of what was to come. At least that¡¯s what I would continue to tell myself. The what-ifs and what might happen flooded my mind.

    Cooper¡¯s knock brought me back to the clear reality that we were here. Answers might be waiting right behind that very door.

    No movement came from inside, and my heart dropped a bit before Cooper reminded me that she might not have gotten home yet. A secondary swell of relief, followed by more waves of anticipation and eagerness, crashed through me.

    I was trying so hard not to get my hopes up about tonight; trying not to think of what I could find. The potential in all the unknown weighed heavily on my mind.

    Cooper leaned against the wall beside Aster¡¯s door and slid to the ground. His leather belt caught between his back and the wall, creating a loud, flatulent sound that echoed through the hall. He froze and stared at me for a moment before we both erupted in laughter.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± came a small voice, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

    Cooper must not have noticed Aster approaching behind me while we were laughing, and he shot up to meet her. She breathed heavily, and all guilt of my own weight faded away. I wasn''t alone in struggling with those stairs, and she was half my size.

    ¡°Whoa, where did you come from, my adorable little ninja?¡± Cooper questioned as he wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed the top of her head.

    Aster¡¯s long black hair cascaded over his forearm, and her brown eyes peeked at me over his shoulder. She was standing on the tips of her Converse sneakers to meet his hug.

    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late, guys. Things got a little crazy for me tonight, and I completely lost track of time. Have y¡¯all been here long?¡±

    Cooper tucked his arm over her shoulder and walked her toward me. ¡°Naw babe. We¡¯ve only been here a minute. You¡¯re good. Aster, this is Savi. Savi, Aster.¡±

    Aster¡¯s eyes were soft and kind as she smiled at me and slipped out of Cooper''s embrace. She had a similar laid-back style to his, with her bright yellow shirt that said "Care Bears" across the chest.

    Faded denim shorts, which had once been pants in a past life, were cut right below the pockets. It left tattered strings dangling onto her golden legs. The glint of a tiny silver ankle bracelet peeked out from the tongue of her shoe as she stepped close to me and extended her hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s so lovely to meet you, Savi. Cooper''s told me loads about you. It''s like I already know you!¡±

    I took her hand and shook, but words failed to enter my brain. Well, not exactly. Some words entered rather quickly. But I doubted Coop would have wanted me to respond with ''yeah, well, he hasn''t told me anything about you.''

    I feigned a smile, hiding back my thoughts, and lowered my head a little in greeting.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too, Aster. I hope you didn¡¯t have too much craziness tonight, or at least I hope it wasn¡¯t bad craziness.¡±

    ¡®Why was I so awkward? Why couldn''t I just make polite conversation?¡¯

    I made a mental note to ask Theo in our next session.

    "Oh, not at all. Just regular crazy. Shall we?¡± She reached for the door and unlocked it. Though I didn¡¯t catch sight of a key, it clicked open nonetheless.

    Aster called back to us as she hung her shoulder bag on a hook on the wall. "Sorry, it¡¯s a bit of a mess. I was hoping to clean things up before you guys got here, but I ran out of time.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Hey, babe, no worries. You didn¡¯t have to clean at all. We understand a messy house better than anyone. Although I dare say I¡¯m the cleanest of our lot.¡±

    Cooper walked in and wrapped his arms around her waist. He turned to me and winked, knowing full well he was full of shit.

    ¡°I know, but I needed to cleanse the space before the reading. Come on in, Savi. Have a seat anywhere you¡¯d like. Would you like a drink? I¡¯ve got water, or I could make a cup of tea if you¡¯d prefer.¡±

    ¡°Savi¡¯s fine, babe, relax. No need to be nervous.¡±

    Cooper lifted her up and kissed her, then set her back down and headed into the living room.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it''s just that this will be my first official reading on my own and I¡¯m quite excited, but also slightly nervous.¡± Aster followed him, but stopped, gesturing for me to go ahead of her.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never done this before?¡± I asked curiously. ¡°I thought all witches were into tarot and voodoo and all that. No offense, I¡¯m not exactly sure what you call it. I can only go by what I¡¯ve seen in my limited amount of movie experience.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay." She replied, giggling. ¡°This is slightly different; it¡¯s called Dreamweaving. I can read your tarot if you¡¯d like, but Coop said you keep having weird repeating dreams. So I thought I could help you try to figure them out if you were willing to. It¡¯s up to you, though. I''m open to whatever you need.¡±

    "Well, they aren¡¯t so much repeating as they are the same kind of dream. It¡¯s strange and hard to describe.¡±

    The vulnerability I felt must have shown all over my face, judging by the look she gave me in return.

    ''This damned face of mine will one day be the death of me; I swear.''

    ¡°Do your best and take your time, no worries. The more I know, the more I''m able to help,¡± Aster said as she made her way to the coffee table and sat on a pillow beside it.

    I took a seat on the sofa by Cooper. ¡°Well, when I¡¯m sleeping, I keep having the same dream, but it''s not the same. It¡¯s me, but in different clothing, and I¡¯m always doing things with people I don¡¯t know or recognize.¡±

    ¡°What kinds of things?¡± Aster interrupted.

    I rubbed the scar on my neck as I recalled as many details as I could. The familiar ripple in the skin grounded me to my body while I relished deeply in past dreams.

    "Everyday mundane things like sweeping a cottage floor and milking a cow. If you would call those everyday mundane things.¡±

    I chuckled as I said it, knowing how strange it must have sounded. Explaining this was harder than I had realized.

    ¡°But I can tell it¡¯s a different time. Everyone around me knows me, but nobody ever says my name. They talk to me, and I talk back, like we are now. Everyday conversation. But it''s like this every night. I go to sleep and I dream of these same people, the same places, the same things, but always a different time. Like it¡¯s clear it''s not a repeat day, if that makes sense?¡±

    I stopped and studied Aster for some sort of signal she understood, and I wasn''t completely talking crazy. Her face remained neutral for a second before she answered my inner questions. My face must have betrayed me again.

    ¡°You¡¯re not crazy. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll figure this out," Aster reassured me. ¡°When you say a different time, what do you mean? How do you know?¡±

    ¡°Well, I''m basing it on the fact it''s a small cottage with a tiny farm. And the way everyone''s dressed in plain, weathered clothes. I''m only guessing, though. It reminds me of something out of Braveheart or something similar," I said as I glanced over at Cooper.

    ¡°One of the movies I''ve had the privilege of introducing her to," Cooper added as he beamed at Aster, his cheeks high, making his eyes glisten. He leaned in to me and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already told her a little about your memory and the way we met. Nothing deep, just the basics.¡±

    "Oh, gee, thanks.¡± I glared at him for having done so without talking to me first, but I gave up when I thought about what I was doing here.

    ''I wouldn¡¯t be here if he hadn''t talked to her, and I''m closer than ever to real answers, so how mad can I be?''

    ¡°I totally get it. What you¡¯re going through can be traumatic. That¡¯s why I offered to help. To see if the dreams are some kind of trauma response that could be blocking you from remembering anything.¡±

    It sounded an awful lot like something Theo would say. I mentally braced myself for the rest of what might come.

    ¡°Now you sound like my therapist," I snickered. ¡°He''s said exactly the same thing many times before."

    ¡°It could be true. You never know.¡±

    Aster gave me a smile. An actual, genuine smile. I believed in that moment she was truly trying to help. Hocus pocus or not, she definitely thought she could, so the hell with it. I wanted to jump in full throttle now, no more wading through the kiddie pool. Let¡¯s do this.

    "So, what do we do? Do I lie down or drink a potion?¡± I asked, genuinely unclear about what I needed to do.

    I shifted on the sofa, waiting for her to direct me.

    Aster giggled. ¡°All you need to do is lie down. I''m going to channel your dreams into my own consciousness and see what you see. I¡¯ll put you in a dreamlike state, but you''ll be able to wake at any moment by squeezing Coop¡¯s hand. Just lie here with your head on his lap.¡±

    She grabbed a pillow and set it on his lap as I turned to lie down. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back while I get the supplies I need.¡±

    I glanced at Cooper before my head reached his lap. ¡°This is weird. Are you okay with this?¡±

    ¡°No problemo here, toots. You heard her; you can squeeze my hand anytime and I''ll wake you up. You sure you wanna do this, Savi?¡± he asked as he took my hand in his and fixed the pillow on his leg.

    The anticipation was building monuments in my mind. My desire for answers overruled my hesitation, and I plopped my head hard on the pillow, giving him a determined look.

    ¡°This was your idea, don¡¯t tell me you''re backing out now.¡± I glared at him.

    I hoped he wouldn''t back out now, especially since I was ready and prepared to do what was necessary.

    ¡°No way, anything to help you!"

    ¡°Okay, got it, you guys ready?" Aster glanced at us as she walked into the room, carrying various items. "First, I''m going to spell you to sleep. Your body will be awake but your mind will be asleep, but they will still remain tethered. Understood?¡± Aster explained as she ground some herbs in a massive mortar and pestle and quartered an orange.

    ¡°Understood,¡± I confirmed, although I was unsure of what she meant, in all honesty.

    It all sounded a bit odd and unusual in my head.

    ¡®She¡¯s going to tether my waking body to my sleeping mind? Maybe this is more than what-ifs. Maybe I¡¯ll find answers if this works. If it¡¯s real.¡¯

    Something told me it might very well be, given how her tone shifted as she worked.

    I watched as Aster added the herbs and a slice of the orange to a glass. She mulled them together, and Cooper chuckled. He was never one who could stand the awkward silence for long.

    This awkwardness was definitely felt by everyone involved. My head was in his lap in front of his girlfriend, while she, a stranger to me, made a magic concoction of gods knew what.

    ¡°Are you making her a cocktail or putting her to sleep?¡± Cooper laughed. ¡°I guess they could be one and the same with the right dosage.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m making a tea for her to sip, but it has an awful, bitter taste. So I''m adding orange to help it go down easier. Trust me, you wouldn¡¯t want it without the orange," Aster explained as she continued to mull the fruit and herbs.

    Setting the glass on the coffee table, Aster stood and headed to the kitchen. After a moment, she returned with a hot kettle in hand and poured the steaming liquid over the mixture in the glass. She used a small ceramic plate with a symbol carved into its center to cover it and capture the steam.

    "Oops, I forgot something important. One sec."

    Aster dipped back into the kitchen, emerging with a tiny purple candle and a bowl full of water. Setting the bowl on top of the carved plate, Aster lowered herself to her knees and pulled the candle close to her chest.

    She closed her eyes and positioned the candle in the bowl''s center, above the sigil. As she whispered under her breath, it sprang to life.

    Cooper twitched, shifting his feet as I turned to meet his gaze. We both stared at each other in silent question about what we had witnessed. He gulped hard, and our eyes returned to watch Aster work her craft.

    As the flame danced atop the sigil, Aster placed both hands on either side of the glass, palms down, and recited more unintelligible words under her breath. After a few moments of chanting, she blew out the candle.

    Chanting once more, the rising smoke seemed to dance in rhythm with her whispered words. Although the words themselves remained unclear, the cadence of the chant soothed me.

    Cooper and I continued to watch as Aster lifted the bowl and set it aside. She hovered the candle over the plate, tilting it slightly to allow a drop of wax to fall on the symbol. Before it could cool, she pressed her thumb on it and rubbed the wax into the carving with a clockwise motion.

    Aster lifted the plate off the glass, and wisps of white steam rose from within, twirling and dancing through the air. She closed her eyes and murmured a single word audible to both of us.

    "Aborisum."

    Setting the plate on the table, Aster ran her finger along the rim of the glass in a counterclockwise motion. After making three complete turns around it, she picked it up and moved toward the couch.

    ¡°Okay, it''s ready! Tilt up and drink only a sip.¡±

    The tea was warm gliding down my throat, and the notes of the citrus danced along my taste buds. The sweetness gave way, and an utter foulness sank in only seconds later, making me gag.

    "Oh, that tastes awful.¡±

    She laughed as I made a face at the rather horrendous taste in my mouth. I laid my head back on the pillow, smacking my mouth, trying to rid it of the offense it had just endured.

    ¡°Orange you glad I added the orange to help some?" Aster giggled at her pun.

    ¡°This girl might just be the one,¡± whispered Cooper, looking proud of his girlfriend.

    My stomach churned with nausea, which had nothing to do with the drink.

    Aster took a sip of the concoction and placed the glass back in its original position. She moved to the sofa and placed one hand on my forehead and the other on my chest.

    I had yet to feel anything other than disgust from the liquid. But now, with her hands placed on me, unease settled in quickly, and I locked eyes with her.

    ¡°Are you ready? This will go fast once I begin.¡±.

    I nodded under her hand and glanced at Cooper with a hint of worry in my eyes. He saw it there too, and his own worry matched mine. Trying his best to reassure me, he forced softness into his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, remember, squeeze my hand," Cooper said, gripping my hand tighter in his.

    ¡°Aborisum. Degrunai. Vivarlus. Aborisum. Degrunai. Vivarlus," Aster repeated, and on the third repeat, my body went limp.

 Ch 8 - The Last Seer - Aster

    ¡°Yuh uh huh uhh.¡± I gasped for air; my eyes sprang open in shock.

    ¡°What the fuck is going on? Are you okay, Aster?¡± Cooper asked me as he jumped from the sudden sound, Savi''s head still cradled in his lap.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened. I was in Savi¡¯s dream, then I got ripped from it without my consent. Did she squeeze your hand? Did she wake herself up?¡±

    I studied Savi, still fast asleep. Pain radiated through my chest as if molten lava flowed through my heart.

    She burst up, gasping for air in the same violent manner as I had. Gripping her chest tightly with one hand, she attempted to steady her breathing.

    ¡°This is bad; this is really, really bad,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°What do you mean you were in her dream? You guys drank the thing, chanted the words, then both went white as ghosts. Savi went limp and you were sitting there like a statue, barely breathing. A minute later you were gasping for air like you were being suffocated! That¡¯s a pretty fast dream!¡± exclaimed Cooper. ¡°I need some explanation here; that was scary as hell."

    I shot him a questioning glance. ¡°What? We were so far deep into her dream, at least thirty minutes or more.¡± She was still pale, her breathing labored, so I patted her on the shoulder and rubbed the middle of her back. ¡°Breathe, Savi. The first time can be the weirdest, but this was weird even for me.¡±

    Savi focused her gaze on her legs stretched out on the sofa and breathed a few deep, slow breaths. ¡°I¡¯m okay. What happened?¡±

    ¡°I should''ve never agreed to this; this is some trippy, witchy shit. Maybe Rachel was right; this is too much," Cooper said, running his hands through his hair in distress.

    ¡°Calm down, please, you¡¯re not helping. Time works differently than normal in dreamweaving. Hours in there are moments out here. But you¡¯re right, you should go; this was a bad idea.¡± I stared at Cooper with pain in my eyes as another jolt of heat lumbered through my chest. ¡°I need you to go NOW.¡±

    ¡°Now? What happened to Savi? Look at her; she¡¯s white as a ghost. What did you do?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything; it¡ªshe woke up. I need you to leave.¡± I picked up the bowl of water and paused, my mind reeling with what had happened, trying to make sense of it.

    ¡°It, what do you mean, it? And why are you rushing? What happened, Aster?¡± Cooper demanded.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I''m just exhausted from working with the coven earlier; I should have known better. I was already tired before we started, but I never imagined..."

    I froze, recalling what happened in the dream. Something had ripped my tether to Savi¡¯s body. Something dark, something evil.

    ¡°Never imagined what? Hello, Aster? What the fuck you guys?¡± Cooper sounded more panicked now.

    I snapped back to the conversation. ¡°Never imagined I could''ve been this exhausted. What I did earlier was simple enough and hadn¡¯t required much of me. I was so focused on helping, I didn¡¯t realize I was so spent. I¡¯m not just a witch battery with unlimited power. I apologize. Savi¡¯s fine, I¡¯m fine, everything is fine. We can try again another time if you¡¯re up for it, and I promise then I will be well rested. I¡¯m sorry, guys. I¡¯ll call you later, Cooper.¡±

    "But¡­ okay. Fine. Whatever you say, babe, as long as you guys are okay, that''s what matters most. But I¡¯m not sure this will happen again without some further explanation."

    Cooper threw his hands up as he walked toward the couch to help Savi up.

    ¡°That¡¯s up for me to decide,¡± Savi said, looking up at him as she stood, a line forming in her brow.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Cooper gave her a once-over, trying to hide his frustration as he comforted his friend.

    "Yeah, just a little tired. I might''ve been as tired as Aster. I was up late, worried about how this was gonna go. I¡¯m sorry, Aster, it¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    I stood by the door with it gaping open, frozen again, staring at the floor. The feeling of uneasiness still lingered in my mind.

    ''That darkness. That hatred. That sorrow.''

    Breaking free from my trance as they approached, I struggled to process what they''d just said to me. "Yeah, yeah, it''s nothing, Savi, don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t help more today. I¡¯ll be in touch. Bye, guys, drive safe.¡±

    I hurried them out the door, practically closing it on Cooper¡¯s heel as the last words left my lips. Ragged breaths rattled in my chest as I waited for them to leave, watching through the peephole in my door. Once the doorway to the stairs slammed shut, panic set in.

    Every emotion exploded within me as I paced back and forth, thinking about her dream. I''d never dreamweaved before, so I wasn''t sure what would happen, but I knew whatever that was, it was wrong.

    Pangs of a distant pain crackled through my chest. Unsure of what I expected to find, I lifted my shirt to check my sternum. There was nothing there, despite the intense heat radiating outward. As I placed a finger on my skin, a shock washed over me, and I went cold.

    ¡®I have to call the coven to explain what happened. I¡¯m sure someone felt the pull of magic.¡¯

    I lowered my shirt and darted into the living room. Thoughts raced through my mind about how to explain the situation as I collected the spell items and arranged them in their proper places. Cleaning up the place would buy me more time to think of the words to use.

    The truth was necessary if I wanted any sort of answer; lying would only lead to more trouble. Using magic in the open already meant punishment, but the seriousness of what happened left no choice. They needed to know. Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I picked up my phone and dialed the number.

    ¡°Mija, I expected your call ten minutes ago,¡± said a raspy voice on the other end of the line.

    ¡°Lo siento, abuela. ?Te despert¨¦?"

    ¡°You did not wake me; what you did woke me. Explain yourself.¡±

    My grandmother was one of the Elders in the coven. Not an Elder for her age, but held a seat due to the strength of her powers. She had raised me after my parents'' death and taught me in all the ways of our bloodline¡¯s magic.

    I had permission to perform most spells as I was adept from such a young age, but dreamweaving was something that needed approval beforehand. I knew better than to do it alone and without the consent of the council.

    ¡°I messed up, abuela. I really messed up.¡±

    ¡°Come now, the coven is waiting. The other Elders have gathered and are ready. We will hear your story. Every detail.¡±

    Click.

    ¡®Rats! Yup, I''m in trouble.¡¯

    ***

    Each step toward the elevator felt like a death knell to my hopes and dreams of someday securing my own Elder seat. Approaching the ''Out of Order'' sign, I glanced to either side before waving a hand at the entrance.

    "Averital."

    The doors disappeared before me, and I stepped onto a small metal landing where the shaft should be. I repeated the spell, waving my hand once more, and the door reappeared, closing me inside.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Satisfied all was normal, I turned to descend the thin spiral staircase. The clank of my shoes on each step sent my stomach into a spin.

    ''What are they going to do when I tell them everything? Are they going to punish me? How will they do it?''

    The questions swirled through my mind. One foot in front of the other, I made my way down several flights, stopping at every metal landing. The deeper I went, the more I hesitated to go further.

    ¡®They won''t appreciate me taking so long. Might as well get this over.¡¯

    I picked up my pace and exited at the basement level through a wooden door that appeared as I stepped close to the base of the staircase. The coldness of the maintenance room did nothing to help my already quivering limbs.

    There was a blank section of wall in the back spelled to give way with the same word as the elevator. It opened with my single whisper, and I followed the low light of the long hallway leading to my coven''s Great Room.

    The hall spilled out to an enormous round room. Candle-filled lanterns littered its perimeter, casting a dim light over the few pieces of furniture that adorned the large space. A grand circular table carved from oak filled its center. Ornate carvings of magic past were etched along its sides, and six Elders occupied their seats around it.

    ¡®Thankfully it¡¯s only six Elders and not all twelve that I need to answer to. Maybe my punishment will be more subtle.¡¯

    ¡°Have a seat, child,¡± said a voice, low and feeble yet laden with power.

    A chair materialized before me as I took a few steps further into the room. I did as she ordered and sat.

    Another voice from the back of the room spoke. ¡°We have all sensed the pull of power tonight, which is why we have gathered here now. We demand answers, and you will tell us all that you know, little one.¡±

    In the low light, I could barely make out the woman who walked from the shadows, but I knew exactly who she was. She was small, her pale skin balanced by the black streaks that ran through her white hair. The current leader of our coven, High Elder Mora Flores, was not only older but vastly stronger than all the rest.

    ¡°Let me begin by stating that I truly apologize for my actions. There was a woman in need, and I thought I had the skills to help her. I had pity for her situation, and once I''ve explained myself and all that happened, you too will want to meet her. There is something that happened tonight that I cannot explain, but I''ll try my best, dear Elders.¡±

    My eyes peeked at my grandmother. It hurt my heart to see her angry with me.

    "Proceed. Explain yourself," Mora commanded.

    ¡°This girl has no memories of who she is and lives each day not knowing what she holds inside. She''s been having a recurring dream, so I offered to help. I know it''s against the rules, and I should''ve asked first. I¡¯m sorry, but what I found goes beyond that now."

    I paused, searching for the correct words to express what I had experienced.

    "When I entered her dream, it was more like a memory. I observed her daily life and interactions, clearly set in the past. An overwhelming feeling struck me, and a malevolent presence took over. It disrupted the dreamweaving, and threatening voices urged me to stop. Something broke my connection to her, causing intense pain in my chest, head, and soul, as if it sought to control me. There''s something hidden within her, and I think she might be one of us. You must believe me.¡±

    Once I''d explained everything I had witnessed, I waited.

    No response.

    A few of the Elders glanced at each other and whispered before one of them spoke.

    ¡°You dare defy our rules? Waking us from our own dreams and trying to spin this tale, child?¡± spoke the first woman.

    ¡°I believe her. I too sensed something sinister when I awoke. Test her before you judge her. I beg that of you,¡± my grandmother asked, her eyes soft as she glanced at me.

    ¡°You have done well in both raising and training her, Sister Elena, but this is a defiance I will not stand for,¡± said another Elder at the table.

    "I agree Aster¡¯s actions were wrong, but they came from a good place. She was trying to help someone in need, as we always strive to do. I agree with Sister Elena; we should test her to see if her vision shows tonight, as she claims,¡± said Elder Luciana, my grandmother¡¯s best friend.

    ¡°Vote now,¡± stated another woman.

    Flames began to rise from the table in front of each of the six women who had gathered. In an Elder vote, summoning an azure flame meant yes, and summoning a crimson flame meant no. Currently, two blue and two red flames danced atop the round oak slab. After a moment, another blue flame rose.

    "Please," I begged from my chest, waiting on the edge of my chair.

    My soul felt like it was going to rip from my body. Anxiety thundered through me over how long it took for the last vote to be cast. Another blue flame rose, and I relaxed slightly, but this was only the beginning.

    ¡°It is decided. We shall test her. Come, child,¡± stated High Elder Mora, motioning me toward her.

    My heart raced as I approached the High Elder, and a small footstool appeared before me. I took a deep breath before removing my shirt and climbing onto the table. This was a test of the soul and would reveal the truth to the Elders. There were horror stories about the harsh punishments for liars.

    My body spread to match the lines of the massive pentagram burned into the wood. My head pointed north at Mora, with each of my limbs aligning with the other four points. The High Elder rose from her chair and slipped away to an antique cabinet. I glanced as she spoke under her breath, the doors opening at her words.

    Mora moved to my head, and I caught sight of her Scryer''s stone amulet that she had retrieved. The hazy white gemstone nestled into an intricately woven bronze setting. A lump formed in my throat as she placed it over my sternum. As it touched my body, the torches along the room lessened. Mora motioned to the others, and they stood in unison.

    ¡°Complete the circle, and we shall begin.¡±

    Each Elder stretched their hands to join another. When the last pair intertwined, the scryer¡¯s stone faintly glowed. Completing the circle had opened its gateway, and it was now ready to accept the spell, one only Mora could cast. High Elder Mora was the last Seer bloodline in our coven, and therefore the only one who could use the amulet.

    Her presence grew as she lifted her arms into the air, forcing the rest to follow suit. When all hands were raised, her voice dripped with magic as she began her spell. Scryer¡¯s stones had three locks upon it and would require her to use the spell three times to gain access.

    ¡°Nayim olgeth rayuul. Grant me the sight which I seek; show me the past as thy seer once more. Reveal the truth hidden within. This I ask of thee.¡±

    The air thickened, becoming palpable and much colder. Its coolness settled into my bones, which warred with the heat rising in my chest. The stone''s glow increased to a brighter white light that flooded the table around me. Its first lock was now open.

    ¡°Nayim olgeth rayuul," Mora spoke once more. ¡°Release the past sight of this soul before me. Wisdom granted, sight be seen.¡±

    The stone¡¯s light narrowed into a beam straight above itself, no longer diffused around the table like a soft lantern''s glow. It was brighter now, and it pained my eyes to look at it. The second lock was now open.

    ¡°Nayim olgeth rayuul. Unseen eye of three shall see. Bare the visions. Truth I seek.¡±

    As soon as Mora unlocked the third seal, the beam fractured into multiple streams, each one targeting the Elders'' faces. It struck their foreheads, and with it, a blue eye materialized in their skin, permitting the light to seep into its pupil.

    Their natural eyes turned white, and their gazes lifted toward the ceiling, the beams remaining steady. My own vision turned as the light enveloped my entire body, causing me to glow from within.

    We were all connected to the Scryer¡¯s stone, now fully unsealed. The visions I had witnessed would soon unfold for everyone to see, projected like a movie reel bathed in a soft, warm haze. It began with the scene of me placing my hands on Savi¡¯s head and chest, followed by the dreamweaving¡¯s initiation.

    They watched Savi perform her daily chores, gazing out from a small cottage window at a family in the distance. The warmth and joy she felt flowed within us. Then, without warning, everything shifted. Black shadows surged in from all sides, quickly engulfing the vision just as they had overwhelmed me.

    Snap!

    The noise was deafening; then silence fell, leaving only darkness.

    They felt the overwhelming emotions I had earlier¡ªpain, sorrow, and fear. Then came low whispers in the dark, indecipherable yet still overwhelming. As the suffocating presence grew, the spell abruptly vanished. Light beams shot to the gem, and everyone woke up, gasping for air, just as Savi and I had.

    Tears streamed down my face as I lay motionless on the table. A small trail of blood trickled from my sternum, and it soaked into the amulet. A deafening crack echoed through the room, followed by a faint whisper.

    "Yessssssssssss, feed me, I hunger."

    High Elder Mora jerked the amulet off, and the whisper ceased, retreating to nothingness as if it had never been. She inspected the gemstone above my head. It had cracked on the back, and the glass had pierced my skin.

    Helping me to an upright position and handing me my shirt, she held me as I wept. I glanced up at her, and I saw nothing but fear reflected back at me. Mora scanned the room, and her initial shock gave way to concern.

    ¡°What we have witnessed here is truth. Aster tells the truth of her visions, but those visions have been corrupted by a dark and ancient power. Dark magic we do not dare to toil with. This maiden, Savi, claims she is mortal?¡± High Elder Mora gazed down at me.

    I froze, staring at her, not completely understanding the question. I went to speak, but it was like I hadn''t drunk in days. My throat was dry, and all I could muster was a small nod.

    Mora addressed everyone once more. ¡°We¡¯ve all sensed the magic within her this night. She must be brought before us so we can understand her power. She has immense power, whether she knows it or not. I need to assess and research in the scrolls. Bring her to us as soon as possible, and your rule-breaking will be forgiven. Go now, Aster. The rest stay with me as we consult the ancient texts for guidance.¡±

    She waved a hand of dismissal at the room. Whispers circulated from every direction as I gathered the strength to slide on my top and leave the table. Even as I climbed the stairs, I could still feel the Elders'' eyes on my back and hear their judgments.

    I made it to the fourth floor, and once all the illusion spells were back in place, I ran to my door and rushed inside, locking it behind me.

    Grabbing my phone, I opened it to Cooper¡¯s name and let out a heavy breath. It was the first time all night my lungs felt they had formed a full breath. Anger and confusion knocked into me, and I returned my phone to my pocket. I turned my back to the door and slid to the floor, sobbing.

 CH 9 - Secret Spot - Savi

    Neither of us said a word as we headed to Cooper''s car. Stepping out of the building, a wave of cold slammed into me. It sent shivers down my spine, and I stopped.

    "Hey, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure everything was fine. Aster wouldn¡¯t do anything too risky, I promise. You¡¯re shaking; here, let¡¯s get you in the car.¡± Cooper ushered me over and opened the door.

    "There''s something watching us.¡± I stared at the building through the windshield as uneasiness swelled in my stomach. ¡°We should go.¡±

    "You don¡¯t have to tell me twice. Tonight made my top ten weirdest moments list.¡± Cooper chuckled as he closed his door and started the engine. ¡°Let¡¯s erase this whole mess out of our heads and I have just the spot! What do ya say?¡±

    "Oh captain, my captain,¡± I nodded with a slight grin.

    Cooper stared at me in disbelief as the corner of his mouth twitched into a prideful smile. ¡°Holy shit! You actually watched another movie I suggested! It¡¯s about damn time! What did you think? So much better than the shit Rach watches, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    "Interesting, but half of the references to authors and old poets were over my head. I had to browse Wikipedia for over half of the movie to understand what they said. But it was very entertaining.¡±

    "Ha, yeah. I didn''t consider that, so probably not the best suggestion, but I''m glad you listened and gave it a shot. Next time, tell me and I¡¯ll watch it with you and explain anything you need. I still can¡¯t believe you watched it, though. I feel like a proud papa watching his baby take her first steps.¡±

    Cooper wiped a fake tear from his cheek and pouted his bottom lip, trying to hide a sly grin.

    "Oh, please, you¡¯d be more like the creepy uncle staring from the corner.¡± I punched him on the arm. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t watched some of your suggestions before. It was you who got me to watch the weird movie about the haunted house. I still can¡¯t fathom the idea of a house being a machine and a prison for ghosts.¡±

    "Yeah, that one¡¯s a classic!¡± he said as he drove.

    "Where are we going, anyway?"

    "Don''t you worry about it. A little place I go to sometimes when I need to decompress and think. It¡¯s the best place for it, especially at night.¡±

    I tried to guess the location in my head, but nothing rang a bell. Cooper had never mentioned his "spot" before, so the events of the night must have rattled him more than he let on. They had scared me shitless, and I felt them, so I can only imagine what seeing it would have been like.

    Putting the thoughts behind me, I sank further into my seat and tried to enjoy the ride. The unease was still hard to shake, but I trusted him.

    I must have dozed off for a short while because the next thing I knew was being nudged awake by Cooper, who was squatting by my open door.

    ¡°Wake up, sleepyhead. We¡¯re here.¡±

    The air had cooled since we had left Aster''s, and it caught my senses first. As I breathed it all in, I scanned my surroundings. My face scrunched into a puzzled grin.

    ¡°This is your thinking place? A playground..." My eyes darted from Cooper to the seesaw, then to the swing set and back again.

    ¡°Have you ever heard the expression ''don''t judge a book by its cover'' or the one ''there''s more to it than meets the eye''? Just wait. Come with me.¡± Cooper smiled and grabbed my hand, leading me down the pathway to the children¡¯s play area. We stopped at a merry-go-round. "Lie down," he said, pointing to the section in front of us.

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Please lie down. Trust me. On your back."

    ¡°And you disagree with me on how you wouldn¡¯t be the creepy uncle?¡± I scoffed.

    Our eyes remained locked as I lay down in the small triangular section per his instructions.

    "Okay, I¡¯m here; what am I supposed to be doing¡­¡± my voice trailed off as I glanced up. "Whoa, oh my gods! Coop, this is amazing.¡±

    ¡°Right? There are no words. This is one of the few places far enough from city lights to see something like this, especially on a clear night.¡±

    I stared at the bright sky full of stars and light. You could see the Milky Way in all its glory, and it appeared to be moving, or rather, I was moving. I dropped my gaze to Cooper, who was spinning the merry-go-round ever so slowly, watching me.

    ¡°It¡¯s awesome, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked.

    I nodded. ¡°I can see why this is your thinking spot. Everything stands still here; it¡¯s so quiet and serene.¡±

    Cooper slowed the merry-go-round before lying in the section across from me, his head touching mine. He kept it spinning with one foot nudging the ground every few moments.

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t tell anyone. It¡¯s my secret spot. I come here when things get chaotic to remember the bigger picture¡ªthat I¡¯m only a small part of this vast world and there¡¯s beauty all around me.¡±

    ¡°Careful, Coop, people might think you¡¯re actually human and somewhat charming.¡±

    ¡°I mean it, Savi, not a soul.¡±

    ¡°Why did you bring me here, then?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, after what happened tonight and the look on your face, I felt like you could use it. And with the way things have been going lately, I''m worried about you. You don¡¯t even realize how much what happened last year affected us all, especially Rach. She¡¯s super worried about you too.¡± Coop stopped our spinning and took a deep breath.

    I tried to hide the falter in my voice as the memories of last year flooded back. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about; I¡¯m fine.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    "Savi, you were in a coma for four weeks. That¡¯s not something we want to repeat. So you would tell me if you felt like you were getting bad again, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± He leaned on his shoulder to stare down at my face to show how serious he was.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what led to it. The doctors call it a mental breakdown, but I didn¡¯t see it coming. How can you break when you¡¯re unaware it¡¯s happening? It wasn¡¯t easy for me either. When I first woke up, I felt as I had the night of the bridge.¡±

    Cooper shifted to his back as he listened, and we started to spin slowly again.

    ¡°Then my body just slipped into a coma for no apparent reason, and it terrified me. I still don¡¯t fully understand what happened. I heard your voice in the coma, Rachel¡¯s too, but also other things I can¡¯t explain. I don¡¯t care what the doctors speculate; I¡¯m not schizophrenic. I¡¯ve researched it enough to understand it doesn¡¯t fit. I feel it deep down¡ªit¡¯s not right.¡± I paused, willing the tears to regress back into my eyes. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve never heard voices outside of what happened. It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    ¡°I know, I bet it was scary for you. We didn¡¯t know what to do, or how to react. We saw your change over the weeks leading up to it. You pulled away and spent way more time alone after every therapy session. We assumed it was part of your recovery process.¡±

    ¡°Change? What do you mean?¡± I asked, trying to get more information. This was the first time we had spoken so openly about what had happened.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Savi, you just weren¡¯t your usual self. You were more agitated, forgetful, and kind of depressed-acting. Schiz or not, whatever it was, it was far from normal. Like I said, I assumed it was therapy and had something to do with the night I found you. I know I¡¯ll never forget that night.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll never forget it either. Trust me, that¡¯s not something you forget.¡± I chuckled, trying to hold back my real feelings about it. "You''re the one who gave me my name anyway, so how could you forget?"

    ¡°I know. I still swear on my life you said ''Savi'', not ''save me'', when you fell into me and I''m sticking to it. By the way, have you thought more about your permanent name once you get your papers soon? You¡¯ve only got five weeks left!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll likely keep it Savi Morgan. It¡¯s grown on me, and the Morgan Street bridge will always have a special, albeit awkward, place in my heart. I¡¯m content with this decision. I still want to know who I am, where I¡¯m from, and how I ended up on the bridge, but it feels like I¡¯m getting nowhere. Dr. Barnes keeps saying it¡¯s time to move on and accept this as my new normal, and that I might never find those answers. Maybe he¡¯s right.¡±

    I sighed as I sat up and crossed my legs. ¡°I guess I¡¯m not worth searching for, and since no one is looking, maybe I should give up too.¡± I choked back tears and stared at the ground.

    "Oh, Savi, never. You listen to me right here, right now. You are worth more than you could ever know. You are so kind and beautiful and full of such life. You amaze me every day.¡± Cooper sat up and touched my face to make me look at him. "I¡¯m so lucky to have you in my life and I don¡¯t even want to think of what it would be like had we not met. You¡¯re amazing, Savi, someone truly extraordinary. Anyone who doesn¡¯t believe that is a damned fool if you ask me, and you¡¯re better off without them.¡±

    I stared into his eyes. For the first time, I felt as though I saw the true Cooper. Not the goofball weirdo he¡¯s always acting like, but the loving, caring, thoughtful Cooper. For a moment, I was drawn to him. Attracted to him in a way I couldn¡¯t explain. He must have felt something too and cleared his throat as he pulled away. He shifted onto his back and peered at the night sky.

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not every day someone gets to meet a naked woman covered in blood, with no memories on a dark and stormy night. It kinda sticks with you and makes you curious, ya know?¡±

    Cooper snickered, trying to laugh off the situation. I''m sure he could sense the emotions swelling inside me from the unsteady breaths I muffled.

    I''m certain he felt the same after letting his true self show. ¡°It¡¯s getting pretty late here; we should head back," I said.

    ¡°Yeah, I''m starving! I don¡¯t know about you, but I''ve worked up quite an appetite. We¡¯ve got some frozen pizzas at home. How about we head back, ponder how Rachel¡¯s date is going, and veg out with some pizza and a movie?¡±

    Cooper jumped up, dusted off his jeans, and held out his hand to help me up.

    ¡°Sounds like a plan to me. You know I¡¯ll never turn down some pizza.¡±

    We rode in silence, with only quick glances in each other''s direction the whole way home.

    Bumps and moans greeted us as we entered our apartment. This confirmed that Rachel was still on her date and that she had also brought him home.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡± Cooper threw his hands in the air, listening to the sounds of pure pleasure echoing down the hall. ¡°I thought she was going out tonight?"

    ¡°I guess they decided to stay in,¡± I whispered, gesturing to the remnants of dinner and drinks on the kitchen table and to the candles lit by the fireplace.

    ¡°Wonder how long they¡¯ve been at it? What do you figure the ol'' chap has left - two, five minutes? Maybe 10?¡± Cooper joked as he pulled out the frozen pizzas.

    "Please, not every guy is a minute man like you, and who knows? With our luck, it will be all night,¡± I snorted.

    ¡°Hey hey hey, two things, one - who told you my secret? And second - ouch, you¡¯ve hurt my feelings.¡± He pouted and pulled a theatrical hand to his chest. ¡° Wellps, it doesn''t look like a movie is possible, given how loud Romeo''s making Juliet in there. What do you say we eat out on the balcony? Why don¡¯t you go ahead and head out, I¡¯ll bring it when it''s ready.¡±

    ¡°I will do no such thing. I know you; the moment I walk out there, you¡¯re gonna go mess with them. Aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Le gasp! How dare you assume I was going to do exactly what I was planning to do? I declare!¡± Cooper threw another theatrical hand to his forehead and fell onto the counter.

    ¡°Shhhh! I mean it! Don''t do it; we¡¯ll never hear the end of it. And knowing Rachel, she¡¯ll make the poor guy keep going out of spite!¡±

    "Okay, okay, okay, pizza-making only. Man, you take the fun out of everything.¡±

    Cooper groaned as he took the pizzas out of their boxes and set them on stones for the oven. He was trying his best to make as little noise as possible.

    "Didn''t you just tell me how amazing I was, and how lucky you were to have me in your life?¡±

    ¡°I knew I never should have said that. Give you an inch and you¡¯ll take a mile. Dammit. I''ve created a monster.¡±

    ¡°Not yet, but close. Hurry out with those as soon as they¡¯re ready! I call dibs on the stuffed crust! And NO MESSING WITH RACH," I hissed back as I headed out the patio door.

    Cooper wrestled with the oven door and muttered to me before I shut the door. "For the record, ten minutes, not one, so booyah.¡± He chuckled, thinking he was so clever and funny. I shut the door behind me and giggled to myself.

    It was peaceful on the balcony. Cooper was right; you couldn¡¯t hear a peep out there. I glanced at the sky and thought about tonight''s events. Wishing I could still see the same beautiful sky I could at the park, I sighed and pulled out my sketchbook from my bag. I sat at the outdoor table and pulled out my travel watercolor set and my water brushes and began painting.

    I didn¡¯t even notice Cooper come outside until he plopped a plate of pizza down next to my sketchbook, making me jump.

    "I''m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. I said your name to help with the door, but you didn''t answer, so I managed¡­ thanks, by the way."

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear¡ªI mean, what? I''m sorry. I must have gotten so lost in this painting."

    ¡°It¡¯s the Milky Way! That''s gorgeous! I knew you¡¯d like the view there. May I?¡± Cooper asked, reaching for my sketchbook.

    ¡°Yeah, sure, go ahead. But no pizza fingers, please.¡±

    "You mean don¡¯t make it any dirtier than it already is, gotcha.¡± Cooper studied all the marks and scuffs along the cover and spine and laughed.

    ¡°What? I can''t help it if it gets dirty out in the world, and besides, it''s the beauty on the inside that matters, right?¡± I laughed as I reached for a huge slice of pizza.

    ¡°Given you take this thing everywhere, I¡¯d say it¡¯s bound to get a little banged up; I agree with you there.¡± He flipped through the pages. ¡°Wow, Savi, these are amazing! Where is this place?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s the place I see in my dreams.¡± I sighed and stared off into the darkness below us.

    Cooper shut the book and set it beside me. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡±

    ¡°No - it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s been a long day; how about some tunage? That always helps!¡±

    ¡°I know just the playlist.¡±

    He pulled his phone from his pocket and turned on Pandora Radio. We sat in silence, both eating our pizza as the early guitar riffs of a Nirvana song filled the air.

 Ch 10 - Whisper to Surrender - Savi

    ¡°What in the world is all this racket out here?¡± Rachel questioned as she emerged from her room, rubbed her eyes, and yawned.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sweet cheeks, is the sound of me cleaning too much for you? Maybe you would rather I be louder, or prefer it to sound like this?¡± I banged the kitchen chair on the floor in a rhythmic pattern and mimicked Rachel''s moans from the night before.

    ¡°Okay, I get it, I was a little loud. You know me when I drink, I get a little... extra.¡± She grumbled at me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to make me feel any worse than I already do.¡±

    ¡°Mornin¡¯ sluts,¡± Cooper interrupted.

    Rachel startled and rubbed her temples again. ¡°Jesus, you scared me.¡±

    ¡°I heard moaning, so I came running.¡± Cooper laughed as he walked past Rachel. He grabbed an apple from the counter, tossed it up, caught it, and took a bite. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever had the pleasure of hearing you moan, Savi; that was¡­¡± he wiped a fake tear from his eye, "the most beautiful sound I¡¯ve ever heard.¡±

    ¡°The first and only time you¡¯ll ever hear that from me, so don¡¯t say another word about it. I was just reminding the one and only slut here what she made us suffer through last night.¡± I side-eyed Rachel.

    ¡°Suffer? Who was suffering? It was music to my ears," Cooper snorted.

    ¡°Okay, again, I get it. I''m the neighborhood slut, but can we please lower the volume? My head is pounding.¡± Rachel shuffled into the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the cabinet.

    ¡°That¡¯s not all that was pounding¡­¡±

    ¡°COOPER!¡± we both said in unison.

    ¡°Alright, alright, I''m done for now. I gotta head to work anyway. Catch you two later tonight, yeah? Don''t have too much fun without me!¡± he called back from the front door.

    ¡°Have you noticed how he always has work when it¡¯s apartment cleaning day? It¡¯s like he picks up the extra shifts solely to avoid helping?" Rachel scoffed.

    ¡°Well, he does have three jobs, so it makes sense he would be busy. Besides, he can¡¯t keep his room clean¡ªhis idea of tidy is piling everything up and walking around it for weeks. And with your hangover, would you want to hear me yell at him? By the way, are you going to be okay to clean?"

    Rachel buried her head in her arms on the counter and groaned. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right about Cooper. I can¡¯t handle babysitting him like a toddler. And yes, I¡¯ll be fine¡ª¡± She straightened up, stopped herself from vomiting, and rubbed her head again.

    ¡°How about you go draw a bath and I¡¯ll bring you something for your stomach here in a minute? I''ve got this.¡±

    "No, I couldn¡¯t do that to you. Let me take some medicine, grab a quick shower, and I¡¯ll be right as rain. Leave this stuff, and I¡¯ll be out in a few. But no more loud noises. M¡¯kay?"

    ¡°Can do."

    While Rachel showered, I tackled the mess in my studio area. It had become chaotic over the past few weeks as I had been painting like crazy. Though the dining area was small, it was ideal for my needs. My easel, taboret, and an old hutch I repurposed as a storage cabinet took up one half. And we had scooted our dining table up against the bar so we still had a place to eat. It was perfect.

    My hand slid over the brushes and oil paints on my taboret. The blue and green tubes mirrored the colors on the large canvas atop my easel. Lush turquoise shades blended across the surface with occasional pops of red. This was my first abstract piece.

    Normally, I was very representational with my work, but this canvas seemed to call to me, guiding each brushstroke. I had let myself get lost in it. Time had slipped away, but I couldn¡¯t recall making these marks from any nights before.

    ¡®Was this the piece I was working on that had kept Cooper up?¡¯

    Usually, I was fully aware of everything I created because, like every artist, I was my own worst critic. But for some reason, this piece was all too hazy.

    ''What if I am repeating last year all over again? What if they are right to worry?¡¯

    Sorrow filled me at the thought of another traumatic episode. A faint whisper filled my mind as it began to run wild with anxious thoughts, followed by echoes of more whispers I couldn¡¯t quite understand. One rang through the chaos.

    ¡°Surrender.¡±

    I made it out plainly; heard it so loud as if someone was standing next to me. All the whispers stopped as soon as it registered. I grabbed the piece and stomped to the storage hutch. Shoving it in the back behind all the blank canvases, I slammed the door shut and breathed deeply.

    "Whoa, what did the cabinet do to you?¡± Rachel asked from behind me.

    I turned to see Rachel towel-drying her hair.

    ¡°That was quick; I didn¡¯t expect you out so soon. Uh, the cabinet? Oh, it¡¯s nothing¡ªjust frustrated with a piece I was working on. You know how it is. Out of sight, out of mind now," I replied, trying to shift my focus back to reality and away from what had just happened.

    ¡°Ooookayyyy¡­.¡± hummed Rachel. "No, I don¡¯t know; I''m not an artist, silly, and I was in the shower for a while. What do you mean that was fast?¡±

    ¡°What? Hmmm, oh, never mind. It¡¯s nothing. Feeling better?¡±

    ¡°Ehh, about as much as I can be. Sorry for all the racket last night. Tom was going to take me out, but then we decided to have a pre-drink at home. And one thing led to another. I didn¡¯t think to warn y''all, and besides, I thought you guys would be out much later with Cooper¡¯s new fling. I had every intention of it being done before y''all got back. Sorry about that.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Alex, you mean Alex, right? Or was it Luke? But now it¡¯s Tom, I suppose.¡± I shot her a teasing grin. Wasn''t the first time she''d hooked up with someone and gotten their name wrong, and definitely wouldn''t be the last.

    ¡°Oh God, I really am the neighborhood slut, aren¡¯t I?" Rachel fell onto the couch and put the towel over her face.

    ¡°Oh, no, hun. You simply like to have a variety and haven¡¯t quite found the right Skittle flavor yet. Granted, you¡¯ve tried eight flavors and there are only five in a bag, so possibly it''s a bad analogy. You¡¯ll find your flavor¡­. yours could be some variety of chocolate.¡± I stifled a giggle and sat next to her.

    ¡°You are shit at helping me feel better, you know that, right?" Rachel threw her towel at me and sat up. "Okay, enough of my faults and regrets, let''s talk about you now. How did last night go? How were things with, what¡¯s her name again, Asshole?¡±

    ¡°Aster!¡± I corrected and laughed. "You''re the asshole.¡±

    "What? I have to be the jerk here because she''s the first girl Cooper''s mentioned by name. I need to give him a hard time. You do too, so spill everything. What was she like? How did Cooper act with her? And how was the witchy stuff? I still think it¡¯s nonsense, but tell me everything. Also, what does she look like? Is she prettier than me? How was the bar? Did your ID work? Did you meet any hot guys, or did you just come home with Cooper?"

    I stared at her, blinking slowly. ¡°Oh my gods, do you have any more questions, you nosy ass? If you''d stopped talking long enough to take a breath, I could begin to answer some of them. Damn, I always thought it was the coffee that made you the way you were, but clearly, it¡¯s all you. And prettier than you, what kind of question is that?¡± I looked at her puzzlingly.

    Rachel glared back at me and blushed.

    ¡°Oh my gods, you like Cooper!"

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I liked Coo-¡± Rachel started to argue, but I interrupted her.

    ¡°Holy cow, I can¡¯t believe I never noticed before¡­ all the teasing, all the jokes; you like him.¡±

    My head slammed into the couch after a pillow collided with it at full force, knocking me back.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± Rachel asked, holding the pillow.

    "Did you really just hit me with a pillow?¡±

    ¡°It was all I had near me and all I could think to get you to shut up. I do not like Cooper; I''m simply a very curious person. That''s all. And that will be the end of it, understood?¡±

    "Uh-huh¡­" I glared. "Well, Miss Curious, last night was¡­ kind of strange.¡±

    ¡°Strange, what do you mean by strange? Is she hideous?¡±

    ¡°Oh my gods¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, I''ll shush. Go on.¡± She pulled her feet up onto the sofa beneath her and gave me her full attention.

    "Aster was lovely, but, like, okay, how do I even begin to explain this to you? I''m still not quite sure I understand it all myself, and I was there.¡± I glanced at Rachel, who had the most confused expression plastered across her face.

    ¡°Start from the beginning. I''m listening.¡±

    "Okay, well, to answer one of your many questions, yes, the ID worked fine. And you won''t believe who we ran into at the bar!¡±

    She inched closer, eager not to miss a single drop of gossip.

    ¡°Remember Mr. Rudeness with the accent from the shop earlier this week?¡±

    ¡°Uhm, how could I forget that ass? I mean, yes, yes, I do remember the gentleman from the shop.¡± Rachel giggled and sat up straighter.

    "Well, he was there at the bar, and Cooper confronted him after I told him how rude he was to me."

    ¡°Cooper confronted that tower of a human¡­ what the hell was he thinking? He could eat him for breakfast.¡± Rachel started but noticed my expression of frustration. ¡°Sorry, continue. I¡¯ll shut up.¡±

    "Yeah, he went to the bar to confront him and came back looking like a ghost. I heard everything¡ªthe jerk denied ever meeting me. Can you believe that? Nothing happened to explain Cooper¡¯s drastic change, though. It was so strange. Also, I had my first shot of something, though I''m still not sure what it was."

    ¡°HOLY SHIT! And what the fuck, Coop knew I wanted to be there the first time you had a drink. I¡¯m gonna kill that asshat. But that will happen later; continue¡­.¡±

    "Well, we left the bar and headed to Aster''s, and she was so lovely. She appears to be a good match for Cooper; I mean, sorry, I mean they get along well and she''s exactly his type. Errr, sorry, Rach."

    ¡°What? There¡¯s nothing to be sorry for; I already told you I don''t like him. Go on.¡± Her face remained expressionless as she inspected her nails. I wasn''t the only one good at deflecting.

    ¡°Anywho, we get there and she¡¯s like, ¡®I can help with this dream thing,¡¯ and I''m like, ''Ehh, worth a try.'' So she does this weird ritual and makes me drink an awful concoction and we¡¯re in this dream state when I¡¯m jolted awake, barely able to breathe. Aster was struggling too. Cooper was panicking, and Aster tried to stay calm but was obviously shaken. She couldn¡¯t explain anything and rushed us out.¡±

    "What the fuck? I''m going to kill the asshat for sure; he could have gotten you killed or worse messing with witchy shit. I don¡¯t know if it''s real or not, but regardless, you could have gotten hurt. You couldn¡¯t breathe?¡± Rachel jumped up and paced back and forth, yelling about all the things she would do to Cooper when he got home.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Rach, calm down. I¡¯m here, alive and well. Well, alive anyway; I¡¯m totally freaked out by what happened, but hey, I volunteered. It was worth a shot to discover any new info I could about my dreams and what they might mean.¡±

    "You don¡¯t get it." Rachel sat back down and took my hand. "Last year nearly destroyed me. You¡¯re my best friend, and we still don¡¯t understand what happened. So messing with witchcraft, which we know even less about, is just asking for more trouble. I thought it was nonsense, but if something so drastic happened from a drink, stay away from it forever, got it? I¡¯d be lost without you, and I¡¯d seriously kill Cooper if anything happened to you on his watch."

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯m fine. I''m sure Cooper would never let anything happen to me. He was as worried as I was afterward. It didn¡¯t help me in any way work out my dreams, but hey, at the very least now we can say for certain witchy shit is legit, right? Who knew?¡± I tried to soothe Rachel''s anxiety and worry.

    ¡°This is not something to joke about. I don''t like it one bit. I want you to promise me you will leave it alone now. I know you want answers. We want them for you and are willing to do anything to help, but putting yourself at risk is not worth it. Whether witchy shit is legit or not, if it puts your safety in question, you had better say no.¡±

    The sound of my phone beeping startled us out of our discussion. We both glanced at each other, then laughed at our jumpiness.

    ¡°Who the hell is texting me? I never get texts unless it''s you or Coop, and you both have specific alerts.¡±

    I walked around the sofa to my studio and grabbed my phone from my bag to check.

    ¡°It¡¯s Aster. She''s apologizing for last night and wants to make it up to me over coffee or lunch and explain everything.¡± I read the message as I walked back to the sofa.

    ¡°Make what up to you, exactly? Almost killing you? This chick is bad news bears if you ask me. Savi, I¡¯m serious, whether witchcraft is real or not, please don¡¯t get involved. Promise me if you do meet up with her, you won¡¯t let her convince you to do anything else, okay? Promise?¡±

    I stared into the pleading eyes of my best friend and sighed. ¡°Okay, I promise. Coffee sounds nice, but that¡¯s it. I won¡¯t let anything else happen. See, watch, I¡¯ll let you see the text.¡± I shifted my weight and wiggled closer to Rachel so she could see my phone screen as I typed. ¡°Sounds great, how about coffee on Tuesday? I can meet you at Booker¡¯s Beans on Highland, say about 10 a.m.?"

    ¡°Okay, only coffee, Sav, or I swear to God I will kill you myself. There won¡¯t be any need for witchy shit to hurt you. I¡¯ll have Coop help me hide the body too. I¡¯m sure the big oaf knows a good place.¡± Rachel pushed against my arm with her elbow and laughed.

    My phone lit up as a response message popped through. ¡°That is perfect, see you Tuesday!¡± I read the text aloud again before tucking it in my back pocket. "Okay, that¡¯s settled, no more threatening to unalive me now, mmkay? Wellps, let''s get this place cleaned up, shall we?¡±

    Rachel''s face squirmed at her displeasure with cleaning. ¡°Ugh, if we must. But you will be the only one handling that mess of a studio.¡±

    ¡°What? I just cleaned it!¡± I peeked over my shoulder into the dining room behind us to see what Rachel was talking about. ¡°See, it¡¯s clean¡­ish."

    She threw another pillow at me before heading toward the kitchen.

 CH 11 - High Elders Secrets - Aster

    Pressing my finger over my phone''s side button to turn it off, I slid it into my front pocket and headed toward my grandmother. I had walked out of earshot for some privacy, unsure of whether I would call Savi or text. My shaking hands and dry throat made the decision for me.

    I knew what I had to do¡ªfor my coven and my grandmother. They needed me to gain Savi¡¯s trust for a reading. Unsure if she¡¯d agree, I was on high alert, brainstorming ways to convince her.

    Meeting her for coffee wasn''t the coven¡¯s ideal approach, but it was a start, and I desperately needed coffee. I hadn¡¯t slept at all before they summoned me to the basement for an update and to help search historical records. Tear filled hours had left me drained and sluggish.

    The mood in the room had changed drastically. It was no longer quiet and ominous but bustling with lively conversation. A cacophony of crunching old papers and the cracking of ancient texts being opened for the first time in decades rang through the air.

    A few Elders stood close together, poring over an old scroll and discussing it as they read. Another Elder flipped through a large tome, her brow furrowed as she murmured to herself. I approached the grand oak table where my grandmother examined an ancient coven logbook.

    ¡°Ok, abuela, it''s done. Savi has agreed to coffee. I know it isn¡¯t what the coven wants, but hopefully coffee will help set us on the right foot.¡± I could see the disappointment on my grandmother¡¯s face. I touched her arm as I sat in the chair beside her. ¡°Which in turn will help lead to convincing her to come meet you guys so you may test her. I promise, abuela, I won¡¯t mess this up. I will get her here. I swear to it.¡± I tightened my grip on her arm and smiled. She turned back to her tome, continued looking it over, and sighed.

    ¡°We shall see," she stated matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Are you still angry with me over last night? The Elders are forgiving me of my crimes; why can¡¯t you? Please don¡¯t be angry with me.¡± I leaned in and laid my forehead on her shoulder. ¡°I was only doing what I thought was right, to help someone in need.¡± I held back a tear and loosed a lengthy breath.

    My grandmother sat her book on the table and placed her left palm on top of my hands. ¡°Mija, I love your big heart, I truly do, but I fear one day you will show your abilities to the wrong people and it will spell trouble for us all.¡± She moved her palm to my cheek and tilted my head to her. ¡°You are the last of our bloodline and our magic will pass through you. I need you safe and healthy. All is forgiven, mi amor.¡± She kissed me on the nose and returned to her book. ¡°We have lots of texts to search through, so if you¡¯re looking for someone in need of help, grab a book and get to reading.¡± Chuckling at her own wittiness, she pointed to a sizable pile of tomes and scrolls in the center of the table.

    I let out a small sigh of relief and relaxed my shoulders as I giggled at my grandmother¡¯s teasing.

    ¡°S¨ª, abuela, I¡¯d be happy to help. But what is everyone looking for?¡± I leaned over the table, stretching my arm to its limit, then sat down with a book in my hands. I inspected the cover, rotating it and blowing away the dust. ¡°How do you know we¡¯ll find answers in ancient texts?¡± I asked, waving the dust away from my face and trying not to cough.

    ¡°Our coven has kept records since its founding centuries ago. Our ancestors pass down not only their magic but their wisdom from around the world as our bloodlines merged over time.¡± My grandmother flipped through her tome. ¡°They can guide and show us if we listen. Reading is a way to listen to them through these pages and scrolls. Even trinkets can hold magic that we can unlock with the right words. Their knowledge is all around us.¡± She paused, glanced around the room, and resumed her reading.

    ¡°Okay, look for literally¡­ anything¡­ got it," I said sarcastically as I opened the book and flipped through the worn pages. A page filled with names caught my attention. As I read through the peculiar names, it piqued my interest further. I turned back a few pages to the beginning to find out what it was for. ¡®Invocatio Daemones¡¯ read a script font heading a few pages earlier. Underneath the words was a paragraph written in a language I didn''t recognize.

    I could tell the heading had been Latin, but this other language was unique. It was also written in a very different handwriting from all the names on the pages after. I glanced over to my grandmother to ask what the language was, but she was engaged in another conversation. I kept flipping through the pages and waited for her to finish.

    The further I went through the list, I noticed how some had red lines through them with a regular name written beside it, also crossed out in red.

    ¡®Curious.¡¯

    Marking the page with a spare piece of paper, I turned to another section of the book and scanned the writing. As I did, a voice called out in the room.

    "High Elder Mora, I think I found something!¡±

    The room went silent as everyone turned to see Elder Luciana on all fours beside the table. Beneath her was an outstretched scroll. High Elder Mora stood from her chair, deposited her own tome back on the table, and began shuffling everything out of the way.

    ¡°Come, come, you must bring it up for all to see. Make room, everyone, make room.¡± She waved her hands for all to help make a place for the scroll.

    Elder Luciana carefully folded the scroll over itself and lifted it off the ground. She placed the ancient paper on the table and unrolled it to display the writings she had found. High Elder Mora adjusted her glasses as she leaned to view the document. A few other Elders nearest her were also reading the text when they gasped in unison.

    High Elder Mora said nothing, peering over her glasses at Elder Luciana and then at the other women who had read the scroll with her. She removed her glasses, furrowed her brows, and stared at the scroll. The others fell silent, watching and waiting for her to speak, while the Elders who had not yet seen the scroll stood anxiously.

    ¡°Could this be possible? Could it be the same power as before?¡± A small voice broke the silence of the room. I watched as the Elders all turned to the woman standing beside Mora, and as they all looked to Mora for her answer.

    She set her glasses on the table, and I watched as she gathered her thoughts to give the correct response. She took a deep breath and paused before she spoke.

    ¡°We can''t jump to conclusions without more information. While this text mentions a powerful daemon, it doesn¡¯t name it. However, I agree that the presence felt in Aster¡¯s vision from the girl does seem similar to what¡¯s described here.¡± She paused, glancing around at the Elders as they whispered among themselves.

    She raised her hands to quiet the room and regain their attention. ¡°This text recounts a failed summoning with a most unpleasant outcome. While nothing like this has happened here yet, we must proceed with caution if this is a similar situation. As for the girl, whatever presence there is would not have appeared to an ordinary mortal. I believe that a strange magic surrounds her, and she must come before us at once. Aster, where are we with that?¡± She glanced at me for a response.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    I stiffened in my chair, and as I started to speak, another woman across the table spoke instead.

    ¡°Would we have anything to fear as Shades have summoned and made pacts with demons for centuries? Why would this be any different?¡± questioned one of the others.

    High Elder Mora took her seat and crossed her hands in front of her on the table. She turned to the Elder and said, ¡°There are various reasons this could be different. When a Shade bargains into a pact with a demon, they are aware they are doing so as they are actively summoning it for a purpose. If what Aster has spoken is true and the girl has no memories, we cannot be clear on whether she knows or not.¡±

    She leaned in, adjusting her position on her chair to sit higher and continued. ¡°Secondly, in most cases, the demon only agrees to the pact if it is for mutual gain. So in this case, because we do not know the demon¡¯s identity, or in fact if the presence is a demon at all, we cannot know the circumstances surrounding it.¡±

    She scanned the room, ensuring everyone grasped the situation to avoid further confusion or questions. ¡°Finally, we can be certain that whatever this presence is¡ªdemon or not¡ªit has the power to disrupt Aster¡¯s dreamweaving. Also, it left behind enough residual power to break our scryer¡¯s spell. This leads me to conclude that we must tread carefully until we understand the full details about the girl and what she possesses. So again, Aster, where are we with bringing the girl in?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t expected the attention to come back to me so soon, and it took a second for me to clear my throat and answer. ¡°I meet with her on Tuesday, and I''ll do everything in my power to get her here as soon as possible afterward.¡± I hoped it would satisfy the High Elder for the time being.

    Disappointment crossed Mora¡¯s face. ¡°I hope you can convince her to meet with us soon. As mentioned, doing so will absolve you of your unauthorized practice. Meanwhile, we will search for more references to this scroll to gather information about what happened long ago.¡± She rose from her chair, adjusting her dress. ¡°The rest of you continue your search; I need to speak with Aster privately.¡± She scanned the room for any further questions from the Elders. When no one spoke, she looked at me and motioned to follow as she walked toward a cupboard against the wall.

    I rose and joined her out of earshot of everyone else. "Yes, High Elder?¡±

    "Aster, I wanted to speak with you privately. As you know, our coven has a unique history and traditions diverging from others''. We''re among the last covens with such a long lineage, and I want us to endure. This girl is unpredictable and could disrupt our order. It''s crucial you gain her trust so we can understand her. Your grandmother has served us well these last decades; soon you''ll join us as an Elder if this is resolved swiftly."

    Mora turned from the cabinet, her eyes full of intensity as they settled on mine. "I''ve watched your training closely over the years. Your skills are almost flawless, but you need more dedication to your path. You''re capable and equipped to handle this situation with poise and care. You know what it''s like to be without parents; use it to earn her trust. Family bonds are powerful, especially when someone longs for one. Do you understand?" She held my hands as she spoke.

    I glanced down at my hands and then back up to meet Mora¡¯s fiery gaze and nodded. "Yes, ma¡¯am. I understand. I will not let you down, High Elder. It would be my honor to join you with a seat at the table.¡± I smiled at her, but my stomach knotted over itself inside. The guilt of my transgressions weighed heavily on me in that moment. I needed to clear my conscience. I needed to explain what else had been going on last night.

    Mora noticed my unease as I was getting the courage to speak. ¡°What is it, child? You¡¯ve gone pale. What is the matter?¡±

    ¡°I - I - I have something to tell you. More happened last night, and I haven¡¯t been honest with you, High Elder. Please forgive me," I stammered.

    ¡°What on earth could you mean? Did you see more than you told us? You couldn''t have; it would have shown in your scrying. What else are you referencing?" Her eyes blazed with a knowing look. ¡°What other magic did you practice, Aster?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not about the magic, but something¡­ else. Yes, I did practice magic, but again it was only to help someone in need. Someone in true need. I promise. But then everything went to chaos with the spirit, and then the Templar showed up and¡­ and¡­ and¡ª"

    ¡°Everyone leave us. Now!" Her tone was cold, colder than I had ever witnessed. A stark difference from the motherly love she had shown only moments earlier.

    The elders halted their research, and everyone scurried out of the room, whispering to each other as they walked down the long hall. A silence befell the chamber now as High Elder Mora kept hold of my hands and guided me to the table, gesturing for me to sit. I obeyed the silent command, and my gut wrenched at the verbal lashing I knew would be coming.

    "Begin, child. Explain. Leave no details amiss.¡±

    I wrung my hands in my lap, thinking of where and how to start. ¡°I know using magic in front of people is forbidden, but there was a man in desperate need of our help. See, his elderly father had committed suicide in his home, and his spirit was stuck wreaking havoc on everyone who entered. I decided, after reading his plea for help on a forum online, that I would contact him anonymously and offer assistance.¡± I paused, watching for any sign of fire in her blood which would likely spill out, but nothing. Nothing but stillness as she listened to my every word.

    ¡°Well, while trying to help him cross over, he called my name and said demons were waiting for me. I don¡¯t know how to describe the feeling, but I knew he was telling the truth. I could feel another presence there I had never felt before. Something sinister. But before I could make anything of it, a group of Templar soldiers stormed the house.¡±

    ¡°This was before you met the girl, Savi, yes?¡±

    I found the question to be quite odd, but I continued on. ¡°Yes, High Elder Mora, before Savi. But the Templar? I had no idea how they found out about what was going on. I overheard one of them say they tracked magic use to the house. How is that possible for them to do?¡± I studied her expression for answers, but it gave none. She stared at the table before us, deep in thought.

    After a moment, she spoke. ¡°Have you told anyone else of this encounter?¡±

    ¡°No. No, I haven¡¯t told anyone.¡± I lied, and it killed me, but I knew the alternative. Zoe was on bad terms with the coven already with all the chaos surrounding Luca, and I could not bring her into this. I hadn¡¯t been able to get ahold of her yet to see if she was okay. I didn¡¯t seen her dragged away like Mr. Brooks, so I knew she had to be safe¡ªprobably hiding somewhere, hoping the coven didn¡¯t know.

    High Elder Mora gripped my hand from my lap and brought it to the table. ¡°Thank you, child, for your honesty. I will look into this information you have given me as far as the Templar¡¯s use of magical tracking, but for now let¡¯s keep this between us. The most important thing right now is Savi. Above all else, we need her.¡±

    ¡®What? No yelling, no screaming, no punishment? I had broken not one but two sacred vows of our coven and had attracted the attention of one of our greatest enemies, and nothing?¡¯

    My stomach twisted as I peered into her solemn stare.

    ¡®What is she not telling me? What is it about Savi that makes everything I just told her okay? I don¡¯t understand this.¡¯

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. I understand. I¡¯ll do everything in my power to bring her here as promised.¡± I nodded, trying to hide my concern, but I couldn¡¯t let it stop screaming from the inside as I asked, ¡°Should I worry about the Templar? For my safety?¡± My words chosen carefully.

    ¡°Leave it to me, little one. You have given me much to process and much to tend to, but do not fret. You will have no further consequences.¡± She paused again, and after another long breath, she squeezed my hands for a moment and smiled. She leaned in closer and gave me a long hug, then whispered in my ear, ¡°The coven will once again be thirteen strong; I can feel it. The universe is making right the wrong of losing your mother so young.¡±

    She squeezed one last hard squeeze before releasing me and fiddled with a tome sitting next to her on the table. ¡°That is all, dear child. Go now and rest; you have had such a long night and we still have much to prepare for.¡± Mora took the dusty tome from beside her, tucked it beneath her arm, and stood.

    I shivered as I walked away, feeling the pit in my stomach grow larger. I wanted to shout, demand to know what she was hiding. Encounters with the Templar were significant, so why was this brushed aside? Nothing added up. Despite the anxiety, I headed for the exit to avoid saying or doing something rash. Leaving was the only way to shake the sense that something terrible was looming.

    I returned to my apartment, careful to close the magical doorways behind me, and slammed my door shut. My mind raced, replaying every word the High Elder had said. It was madness¡ªsenseless madness. The idea of Mora withholding more from me turned my stomach. I rushed to the bathroom and retched into the toilet.

    Shaking, I leaned over the bathroom counter and glanced into the mirror. When my eyes met my reflection, memories of my connection with Savi in her dream flooded back. A bolt of lightning cracked outside my bathroom window, followed by thunder, mirroring the rupture in my vision. Dread washed over me, and I turned away, heading for bed. Collapsing on top, I fell asleep instantly, as if I hadn''t rested in weeks.

 CH 12 - Mentally Killing a Barista - Savi

    The bus ride to Booker¡¯s Beans wasn¡¯t as terrible as I thought it would be on a Tuesday morning. It provided ample time for me to immerse myself in my sketchbook and gather my thoughts for the day ahead. Anxiety had kept me tossing and turning all night. By around three a.m., unable to bear it any longer, I sought solace in my studio.

    I had retrieved the oversized painting, which I couldn''t recall creating, and sat with it, perplexed. The more I had examined it, the less it resembled my usual crafted style. My own brushstrokes were deliberate and distinct, but these were chaotic and random. After hours of contemplation, I had stored it back in the hutch and attempted to rest, though sleep remained elusive. So the thought of a comforting cup of coffee was especially appealing this morning.

    The bus dropped me off two blocks away, allowing me to enjoy the pleasant sixty-degree weather with overcast skies. As I strolled, I admired the familiar shapes and characters in the clouds, tracing sunbeams breaking through them to the ground. Cooper often teased that my artist''s perspective colored my view of the world. I smiled at the memory as I neared the entrance to Booker''s Beans.

    I entered the turntable doors of the old diner-turned-coffee shop and noticed Aster already seated in a back booth. She must have noticed me walking up because her eyes were already on me, and she waved in the air to make sure I saw her too.

    "Wow, this is an amazing day out today, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked.

    Aster nodded, finishing a sip of her coffee. ¡°Mmm, sorry I took the liberty of grabbing my coffee. I desparetely needed it, so I apologize I didn¡¯t wait for you. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± She sat her cup on the saucer and smiled.

    ¡°Oh no, not at all. Trust me, I understand. I had a horrendous time sleeping last night.¡± I stared at the giant cup, and my eyes went wide. ¡°That is one big ass cup of coffee¡­ is it a bowl or a mug?¡± I giggled as I inspected it more.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s for sure a bowl they''re passing off as a mug. You¡¯ve never been here before? It¡¯s one of my favorite places, so I was happy when you mentioned it.¡± Aster turned the mug around on the saucer. "And this is more like a plate than a saucer.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve never been in here, but I pass it on my way to my therapist¡¯s office every week, and it always catches my eye. I like the architecture of the building but I never make time to stop in, so this was the perfect excuse!¡±

    "Yeah, it¡¯s crazy they turned it into a coffee dive. Personally, I would¡¯ve kept it a diner. Nothing can beat diner food. Nothing," Aster said.

    "Oh, I bet. I¡¯ve never been to a diner either, at least not one I can recall.¡± I gestured humorously towards my head. ¡°You know, memory problems and all. But hey, maybe someday. Coop mentioned there''s an old diner up north he wants to show me.¡± I paused as I noticed Aster shifting in her seat, focusing on her coffee. ¡°I mean, as a hangout with him and Rachel. I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t mind if you joined us too. It would be a lot of fun!¡±

    ''Nice recovery, Savi. You dolt.''

    I peeked at the coffee menu on the table. ¡°I didn''t realize they had so much more than coffee here. Tea, cakes, cookies, pastries. Sweet, lots of desserts! Just my style. By the way, your coffee looks delicious; what is it? I need to give it a try.¡±

    ¡°I have no clue. I walked in, and the guy in front had one, and it looked so tasty, so I said I wanted whatever he was having. The waitress called it some sort of ''Mocha Frothzilla'' thing for the holiday coming up," Aster replied, looking at the cup again.

    ¡°Ah yes, Halloween! I bet that¡¯s your favorite time of year, isn¡¯t it?¡± I eyed Aster as she sipped her coffee and stared. She laughed as she put her mug back down. ¡°Oh sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to be rude or anything. I assumed with all the¡­ " I leaned in and whispered, "witch stuff it would be your favorite time. I hope I haven''t offended you.¡± I swore under my breath, trying to make myself smaller in the booth.

    ¡°No, not at all. You¡¯d be correct. The weeks leading up to Samhain are my favorite time, but not only because of the witch stuff.¡± She whispered that part back to me as well. ¡°I love it more for all the various changes. The weather, the leaves, the harvest. And yes¡­ the other stuff too, like the thinning of the veil.¡±

    I laughed and set the display menu back against the window of our booth. "Whew, good. Well, in that case, I¡¯m going to go order my drink and possibly a small snack. Would you like a pastry or anything while I''m up there?¡± I turned back to Aster as I slid out, waiting for her response.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m okay with just the coffee. Thank you, though," Aster assured me.

    "No problem. Be right back.¡± I turned toward the counter to place my order.

    ''Gods, could I be any more hopeless? Come on, Savi.. you can do this. You can have a conversation with someone new and not tell your entire life story or bring up things you¡¯re planning to do with their boyfriend.''If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    I stomped up to the front, trying to shake the nerves free from my body. The young lady behind the counter popped a giant bubble of her gum and smacked her lips together as she stared at me. She waited a moment to have her gum back in her mouth before she spoke. "Yeah, and what would you like to get today?¡± she asked, her nasally¡ªalmost raspy voice grinding against my ear drums.

    The sound sent shivers down my spine as the vocal fry got on my nerves quicker than anything. I smiled and turned my head back to the booth. ¡°You see the girl over there in the back booth? I¡¯ll have whatever she¡¯s having, which is what some guy in front of her earlier was having. Whatever it is.¡± I turned back to the lady to see if she understood anything I had said. The woman deadpan stared at me before huffing the loudest huff I had ever heard.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Mocha Monster Frapzilla," she said between smacks of her gum.

    I stared back at her in bewilderment, and for a split second, I could have sworn I felt my left eye twitch. Visions of me reaching across the counter, popping her second bubble, then smacking her upside the head with one of the giant saucers danced in my head, giving me the biggest internal giggle. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take one of those, please."

    I managed to eke out a smile, not out of politeness but at the thought of this woman¡¯s reaction to me whacking away at her. The noises she made in my vision brought joy to my heart.

    ¡®Oof, man, I really do need therapy, huh?¡¯

    I paid for my drink while trying to ignore the sound this woman made as she said, ¡°That¡¯s eleven dollars and ninety-two cents.¡± Her voice sounded as if it belonged in one of Coop¡¯s favorite horror movies, crawling out of a bathtub in some old Japanese house.

    The young lady turned to make my giant-sized coffee, and I delighted in even more fun visions of ways to smack her vocal cords back to their proper tone.

    ¡®They can¡¯t say all young folk are created equal because we most certainly are not.¡¯

    I decided it was best to stop thinking of ways to unalive the barista in front of her and glanced around the place some more. The walls were mint green with pops of brown. A bulletin board littered with about a million flyers hung on the opposite side of the diner to my booth. I made a mental note to take a peek at them if I had the time. I needed to enjoy my coffee and make sure I caught the bus on schedule to get to work later. A bell dinging on the counter beside me pulled my attention back to the barista.

    "Uh, hello, I said here¡¯s your coffee, ma¡¯am.¡± Emphasis on the ma¡¯am. One last throat punch image for the road couldn¡¯t hurt. I smiled as I took the gigantic coffee and headed back to Aster.

    Aster gave me a puzzling stare as I placed my coffee on the table, being careful not to spill it, and slid into the booth. ¡°What¡¯s with the devious grin?¡± she asked, stirring her coffee.

    I considered sharing the absurdity of my thoughts but opted against it, not wanting to risk scaring Aster away so early in her relationship with Coop. He''d kill me if she dumped him because of something I did or said. ¡°Oh, it was nothing,¡± I said. ¡°I just can''t stand the vocal fry some people do. It gets on my nerves.¡± I chuckled, observing Aster¡¯s reaction to gauge whether she thought I was a complete psycho or not. My shoulders eased when I saw her smile and laugh along.

    "Yeah. I hate that too. It''s irritating," Aster agreed.

    We both sat in silence for a moment, sipping our coffees almost in unison. I caught myself rubbing the scar on my neck and dropped my hand to my lap.

    ''Stupid Theo, making me self-conscious about it now.''

    ¡°Yum, this is divine! I¡¯m glad I chose it, well, I mean I¡¯m glad you chose it¡­ which I guess in fact means I¡¯m glad the first guy chose it or none of us would have chosen it.¡± I peeked across the table at Aster, who was trying her best to hide her reaction to my awkwardness. Aster laughed as she sipped. ¡°Gods, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m all over the place today. Whew, I need this coffee to help me think straight.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I get it, nerves are quite the annoying problem. Aren¡¯t they? And by the way, what¡¯s with the "Gods" reference? You¡¯re the only other person besides Coop who I¡¯ve ever heard say it like that, plural; what¡¯s up with it if you don¡¯t mind my asking?"

    "Actually, I first heard it from him. I asked him the same question soon after we met. He talked about his philosophies on religion and how the world works, blending old and new gods from mythology. He shared stories of ancient beings like Cthulhu and Lovecraftian lore, which intrigued me so much they stuck with me. ''Gods'' refers to them collectively, not one entity in particular. He introduced me to a lot in those early days."

    Smiling at the memories Cooper and I shared, I glanced out the window before turning back to Aster then realized yet again I had made awkward comments about her boyfriend. ¡°Sorry again. Coop''s a great guy. You''re lucky to have him. And just to clarify, nothing has ever happened between us, in case you ever wondered. Not saying that you were, just saying, in case you ever did.¡± I bit my lip and stared down at my coffee to stop myself from saying more.

    Aster giggled again and placed her hand on mine beside my mug. ¡°It¡¯s ok Savi, I¡¯m aware of y¡¯alls history. It was my first question I asked when he told me he lived with two female roommates and he explained the same thing. It¡¯s all good. And I understand the nerves, I wasn¡¯t meaning to judge a moment ago. Things can be a bit awkward, especially after the other night. I¡¯m still very sorry about that by the way.¡±

    The emotion on her face was genuine; she was sorry about what had happened and though I had forgiven her for it, I still had a lot of questions. I waved a hand in front of me as I took a gulp of coffee.

    "Ah, it''s alright. No need to apologize. Life throws curveballs sometimes, right? Don''t worry about it." I took another big sip to collect my thoughts, memories of it flooding back, making me swallow hard and stifle a cough. "But about that night, could you tell me what happened? It felt strange afterward, and I haven''t been able to shake the feeling." I hoped Aster could shed some light on it.

    Aster''s eyes widened as she sipped her coffee, nodding as if I''d jogged her memory. "Actually, that''s partly why I wanted to meet today. I wanted to apologize for everything and talk about it a bit, if you''re okay with that." She shifted in her seat, signaling that the conversation was about to become more serious.

    "Yeah, that¡¯s fine,¡± I agreed.

 CH 13 - Promises Made and Promises Broken - Savi

    Aster leaned onto the table and I could see her shoulders tense before she started speaking.

    "I wanted to help, and I hope you understand that. Secondly, I''ll be honest with you. I don''t know what caused our connection to break, but it was powerful. I can tell you that much." She glanced around the diner to ensure we could discuss what lay ahead without anyone else hearing. "Please don''t get upset, but I consulted the Elders in my coven about it. Not everyone, only them." Aster paused, watching me for approval before continuing.

    I sat straighter in the booth and leaned my elbows on the table, crossing my arms behind my mug. ¡°I¡¯m not mad; what did they say about it? What do they think it was?¡±

    "Well, that¡¯s what I wanted to talk about the most. See, the night we did that, the pull of magic when our connection broke was so strong it woke all the Elders in the building. When I called my grandmother after you guys left, she summoned me to the basement, which I knew meant I was in big trouble. I thought they knew about the other thing I had done right before you guys showed up too.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by what you did before we showed up? Coop said you had a coven meeting; were you not with the Elders before?¡± I questioned, trying to follow Aster¡¯s story so I could understand and try to figure out what happened. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know how coven stuff works, so I assumed you would be with them at a meeting.¡±

    ¡°Well, not exactly. It was a freelance opportunity. A small gig I found on the dark web, but then it went bat crap sideways and that¡¯s why I was running late.¡± She eyed me for a moment before continuing on. ¡°Not a true coven thing because we¡¯re not supposed to use our magical abilities in front of everyday people.¡±

    ¡°Magical abilities?¡± I questioned, taking another sip of my coffee. I knew I had seen some things I couldn¡¯t explain that night, and this confirmed my suspicions about whether they were real.

    "Let me clarify a bit before I proceed." She paused to sip her coffee, then resumed. "Our coven consists of thirteen bloodlines, or families. The Elders lead their bloodlines, but each family includes many other witches and warlocks. Since we rarely have a voice in decisions, some of us gather occasionally to practice our magic."

    She paused to check if I was following along, and I nodded, prompting her to continue. "Alright, each bloodline possesses a unique type of power. Some of us, the lower-ranked members of the coven, gather and offer our services to those in genuine need. It''s against one of our most sacred rules, and the coven would have a toad if they found out. But we all agree¡ªwhat''s the point of having powers if we can''t use them for real help in our communities?"

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why you said you were spent that night. You had used too much of your power? Are they not infinite?¡± I asked, as the information was a lot to process all at once.

    ''Different powers? Different bloodlines? What was I getting myself into?''

    ¡°Yes!" Aster explained more excitedly. ¡°See, we¡¯re not supposed to do it, so I thought they knew I had done something else along with whatever the power was that exploded from our connection. I had to channel a lot of my power after everything backfired, so I used a lot of my battery, let¡¯s say. The job was much more than I had imagined. But it was only about you and the huge burst of energy they felt.¡±

    ¡°At least you got away with the other thing; that¡¯s good, right?¡± I giggled as I took another sip of my coffee. ¡°But I need to apologize for getting you in trouble. I never meant to cause any problems. Surely they understood and you didn¡¯t receive too much backlash?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. No, they understood by the end of it. I went to them and they made me explain everything that happened and at first they didn¡¯t believe my story about you. So to prove it, they scryed me.¡±

    ¡°They what you?¡± I interrupted again with concern smeared across my face.

    Aster tilted her head and laughed. ¡°I keep realizing you don¡¯t understand half of this, so I¡¯ll sum it all up a little better. A scryer spell is a spell they can use to ¡°see¡± what happened. Think of it as being able to step into my memory and replay it as if you were there.¡±

    I almost jumped out of my seat in disbelief. ¡°Y¡¯all can do that?¡±

    "Well, some can do it; it depends on their bloodline, but I won''t delve into that yet. The different bloodlines and our Auras are a complex topic. That''s why I only attempted to dreamweave with you, not scry, since it always occurs in your dreams." She paused, realizing she was digressing. "Anyway, back to what happened. They scryed me and witnessed what I did in the dream weaving, but like with us, the connection was severed. Trust me, that''s not supposed to happen. The residual power left from our connection was significant. It''s so much that the High Elder wants to meet with you."

    Choking on my coffee as those last words registered, I grabbed a napkin to cough into. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Why do they want to see me?¡± I asked while stifling more coughs. I lifted my mug for another sip to calm my throat while listening to more of what Aster had to say.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve arrived at exactly what I wanted to talk about most. There¡¯s no easy way to say it, so I¡¯ll come out and say it. My High Elder believes you are magic, Savi."

    Not taking my eyes off Aster, I tried to set my mug down but missed the center of the saucer. It flipped over the edge, spilling the brown liquid onto the table. I broke eye contact as I tried to correct the mug¡¯s placement and keep more from spilling. Aster bolted from the booth then returned carrying some napkins.

    "Here, let me; I¡¯ve got it.¡± Aster wiped up the small bit of coffee and placed the wet napkins into a pile on her own saucer. "See, no harm done.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. Clumsy me, coming in hot once again. You startled me. I thought I heard you say I was magic.¡± I laughed and glanced back at Aster. Her face was not laughing. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re serious? That wasn¡¯t a joke?¡± I shut up and waited for more of an explanation.

    ¡°Nope. No joke. I said there''s no easy way to say it. Yes, she believes you possess magic. Well, magic of some kind. We¡¯re not sure, but that¡¯s why they want to see you. To find out.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    An overwhelming urge to run hit me as I remembered my promise to Rachel. ¡®No witch shit.'' I reached for my shoulder bag to slide out of the booth. ¡°I should go; I can¡¯t be here. I can¡¯t do this. I¡¯m sorry.¡± As I scooted to the edge of my seat, Aster reached across the table and grabbed my arm gently but firmly to stop me for a second.

    ¡°Please, just hear me out. That¡¯s all I ask."

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have to go.¡± I pulled myself from Aster¡¯s reach and stood.

    As I turned to walk away, Aster whispered, ¡°My parents died when I was little. I know what it¡¯s like to not have them.¡±

    I stopped dead in my tracks and stared at the revolving exit door, analyzing what Aster had said. After a long pause of uncertainty over whether I should leave or not, she spoke again.

    ¡°We can help you, Savi. We can help you find out who you are, I know it. I can feel it in my bones. Please listen," she begged quietly to not draw attention to us.

    The tightness in my chest brought moisture to the corners of my eyes. The thought that Aster could be telling the truth in being able to help me kept me frozen in my tracks.

    ¡°Savi, please. There¡¯s a part of you that knows I¡¯m right. You feel it too. I know you do.¡± Aster continued whispering to me. I willed my body to turn around to face her. Her face softened as she saw my tears. "Aw, see? We can help take the pain away. You don¡¯t have to feel so alone. We can help you find the answers you¡¯re looking for.¡±

    I wiped a rogue tear that slid down my cheek. Aster was right. I did want to know myself more than anything. I wanted to find answers of any kind to help me understand my past. Help me find my family if they existed. I knew they had to. I knew I had to come from somewhere.

    Everything in me was screaming to keep going, run away, to keep my promise, but I couldn¡¯t do it. If Aster could promise answers, I had to give it a shot. I took a deep breath in and walked back to the booth and sat down.

    Placing my hands against the edges of the table, I closed my eyes. "Okay." Another deep breath filled my lungs before I opened them to stare at Aster. ¡°If you say you can help, I¡¯m willing to at least listen and see what your coven can do, but I want to do it soon and without Cooper knowing. Understood?¡± The entire mood of our conversation had changed.

    Aster stared back at me. ¡°Agreed. I promise I won¡¯t say anything to Coop. You¡¯re making the right choice. I promise we will get whatever answers we can.¡± She took my hand and squeezed. ¡°I won¡¯t let anything bad happen, I promise. They¡¯re much stronger than I am; nothing like what happened Saturday will happen with them. Okay?¡±

    I nodded back, accepting Aster''s hold on my hands and squeezed back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your parents," I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m at peace with it now, but I know what it¡¯s been like for you not having yours. We¡¯ll fix that. The coven can see you right now if you¡¯re not busy.¡± Aster smiled at me. It was one of understanding and warmth. I realized we had much more in common than I had previously thought, and it brought me strange comfort.

    ¡°Umm, I''m supposed to work this afternoon, but I guess I can call in sick. I¡¯m sure Sue won¡¯t mind me missing one day.¡± I fidgeted with my bag and pulled out my phone. "Oh, that reminds me, I took the bus here; did you drive? I have no way of getting anywhere other than the bus.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, I have my car. It¡¯s in the parking garage across the street, so I can take you with me. That¡¯s not a problem at all.¡±

    "Okay, perfect. Let me go call Sue, and then we can head out."

    "Yeah, go for it. I¡¯ll wait right outside.¡±

    I found the neon ¡®Restroom¡¯ sign beside where the bulletin board hung. I lifted my phone to unlock it, and the first thing I saw glaring at me on the screen was a text from Rachel. My heart sank in my chest as I clicked it and read.

    ¡®Hey Savi, I know I was hard on you about all the stuff the other day, but I promise I¡¯m only trying to look out for you. You¡¯re the best thing in my life and I don¡¯t know what I would do if something happened to you. I¡¯m sorry for giving you shit, so I hope you enjoy your coffee! Love you! - Rach¡¯

    ¡°Fuck.¡± I mumbled to myself. My heart felt like it was going to fall out of my ass, but I knew I had to try to find answers, so I clicked my phone off and kept walking to the bathroom. I threw the swinging door open with much more force than I had anticipated, and it slammed into the wall. The thud echoed, but nothing else, so I assumed nobody was in there.

    I dropped my bag on the counter beside the sink and glanced at the mirror. My own expression made me want to cry. I could see the anxiety written all over it as much as I could feel it deep inside. Frustration surged through me, so I turned away from my reflection and pulled my phone out. I scrolled through my contacts until I found the one labeled ¡°Suebug¡± and clicked call.

    After three rings which felt like an eternity, Sue¡¯s cheerful voice answered on the other end.

    ¡°Savi! Hey buttercup, what¡¯cha need?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Hey Sue, oh nothing. Hey, something came up with my papers and they called me saying they needed me to come in to go over some stuff that didn¡¯t get signed correctly. They only had an appointment this afternoon. I know I''m supposed to work, but do you mind if¡ª"

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s no problem at all. You¡¯ve been waiting on this for two years; your papers are way more important than this old junk. Don¡¯t you worry your pretty little head. We¡¯ve got you covered.¡±

    ¡®We?¡¯

    I nearly fell over when it hit me. I had forgotten that Rachel worked today too. ¡°Are you sure? I would hate to put you and Rach out.¡± I wanted to die as the words left my mouth.

    ¡°No problem at all. I¡¯ll let Rachel know she¡¯s gotta do extra work and have fun watching her go white as a ghost. Oh, this is going to be fun. I¡¯ll see you, Savi; don¡¯t you worry about anything but getting those papers you need. Alright?¡±

    I wanted to vomit more than anything right now. The fact I¡¯m lying to Sue and now that lie is going to get Rachel involved even more than I wanted. And breaking my promise to my best friend, it was all too much. I forced the lump in my throat down as I answered. ¡°I look forward to hearing all about it.¡± I tried to force a laugh, but it came out sounding more like a hiccup.

    "Hey, be careful with that! You break it, you buy it, my friend. Look, I gotta run; there¡¯s an idiot in here unable to read a simple ''handle with care'' sign. I¡¯ll see you later, hun; best of luck.¡±

    The phone call ended, and I was alone now, trying to hold my shit together. I stuffed my phone in my pocket and leaned over the sink. An anxiety attack threatened to consume me, so I turned on the water and watched it swirl in the bottom. I cupped my hand and splashed some of it on my face and peeked back at my reflection.

    ¡®You have to do this, Savi. Get your shit together and everything will work out in the end. You¡¯ll see. It will all be okay.''

    I pursed my lips in determination and turned off the faucet with a quick flick of my wrist. I grabbed my bag and headed back out the door. As I left the bathroom, a bright neon green flyer pinned to the bulletin board on the wall caught my eye. I paused to inspect it.

    Battle of the Bands - Old School Rock Night

    Halloween Night

    7 p.m.

    Davey¡¯s Bar & Grill

    I read the headline and scanned the details before yanking it off the wall and stuffing it into my bag for later. The sound of tapping on glass grabbed my attention, and I turned to see Aster peeking in from the window. I waved back to her and headed to the exit. The smell of fresh air hit me hard as I stepped out of the diner, and my entire body relaxed.

    ¡®I¡¯m doing the right thing.¡¯

    ¡°You ready?¡± Aster asked.

    ¡°Ready as I¡¯ll ever be!¡± I nodded.

    ¡°Alrighty then, right this way. My car¡¯s in this garage here.¡± Aster pointed across the street then to a red light beside us. ¡°We have to cross over here.¡±

    As we crossed, the knot in my stomach loosened and a feeling of butterflies began to take over. My heart skipped a beat as it returned to its normal position, and my soul smiled.

 CH 14 - The Possibility of Answers - Savi

    It was nice to travel in an actual vehicle to get where I needed to go. Not having to stop a billion times to gather new riders and drop off existing ones made it much faster. And how could I forget the ability to rage to some tunes! Aster and Cooper were exactly alike in their taste in music, and I watched as Aster belted out every lyric to a rock song while she drove.

    She waved one arm around in the air to the beat and caught me watching her. She laughed at herself dancing in the car and paused her karaoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, is this too loud? I¡¯m usually by myself, so I don¡¯t think about ruining anyone else¡¯s eardrums, let alone torturing them with my dying cat impressions.¡± She almost yelled over the music and adjusted the volume to a more tolerable level.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that; I was just enjoying it; I''m curious what this song is. I like it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Steppenwolf - ¡®Born To Be Wild¡¯ - I¡¯m surprised Cooper hasn¡¯t played it for you like a hundred times; it¡¯s like his hype song or something." She turned it back up to keep singing along.

    Hearing Cooper''s name stung my heart. Lying to Rachel and Sue meant lying to him too, and making Aster do the same. Knots tightened in my gut, crushing any butterflies that had dared to take flight. As I stared out the window, the wind whipped my hair against my face. Every sting across it was like my temporary punishment.

    The music''s sudden stop ripped me from my own personal torment. It took a second to register that the ticking sound wasn''t my eternal doom for being such a shitty friend but was Aster''s blinker. My eyes flicked to the side of the road where her apartment building loomed, the windows like eyes, casting judgment on my soul.

    ''Shitty, shitty friend.''

    It looked so much different in the daylight. I could now see how run-down it seemed in comparison to the other buildings close by. It sat outside the city but close enough that you¡¯d still think you were there.

    As we pulled into the parking lot, a familiar chill ransacked my body, and I shivered in my seat. Goosebumps formed all along my arms, and my hair stood on edge. We parked in the same space Cooper had only days before, and Aster pinned me with a grin as she shut off the ignition.

    "Yup, you¡¯re magic alright," Aster said, laughing as she peered over at my arms and removed her seatbelt. ¡°That about proves it as much as you can without scrying it.¡±

    I tilted my head in confusion, raising an eyebrow. ¡°What proves it? Huh?¡± I asked as I unbuckled my belt, unsure if I wanted to continue now.

    ¡°You felt the barrier. The shiver, the cold air. Your goosebumps.¡± Aster gestured to my arms. "Magical beings can feel it; regular people can¡¯t.¡±

    "What do you mean, barrier? Barrier for what?¡±

    Aster turned in her seat to face me better. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll try to give you the tldr version. Our coven uses this building as our ¡®home base¡¯ if you will. Most of the coven lives here, but there are also non-casters who live here too. Now a coven¡¯s base of operations is its sacred space, and the magic held within almost always draws other magic to it, sort of like a lighthouse. For good or for bad," she paused for a second.

    I assumed she was waiting to see if I was following what she was saying so far, so I nodded. "Okay, lighthouse, got it.¡±

    ¡°So to protect our coven, we have a barrier up to keep out those who would do harm to us. Now think of this like a protection spell," she pulled her arm in front of her and placed her hand into a fist upright. ¡°Now say this is the building.¡± Stiffening her fist a little, she stopped and looked around her car.

    Aster grabbed a napkin out of the cup holder between us, opened it all the way, and moved it toward her fist. ¡°Now say this is the barrier our coven casts over our building.¡± She shook the napkin and wrapped it over her fist. ¡°The barrier goes over the entire building to cover the beacon, hiding it, sort of like a flashlight under a blanket. Understood?¡±

    Nodding as I followed, ¡°But what¡¯s with the cold air?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nothing. That¡¯s you feeling the magic. Everyone feels it differently. Now if you had intentions of harming us, then you¡¯d feel something much more than cold air. Believe me. You don¡¯t ever want to cross that barrier in a foul mood with bad intentions toward anyone inside. It¡¯s not pleasant," she laughed. ¡°But, yeah, that¡¯s basically a quick-ish rundown of what I meant. You wouldn¡¯t have noticed the air if you were a non-caster, hence¡­ Magic!¡± She did jazz hands at me, letting the napkin fall.

    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s already a lot to take in," I said as I opened my door. ¡°But thank you, I get it, and it makes sense. You have to protect yourselves. Understandably so.¡±

    We made our way inside, and I bypassed the elevator, recalling its ¡®OUT OF ORDER¡¯ sign and headed for the stairs. Aster grabbed my hand and tugged me in a different direction.

    ¡°Uh not so fast. We¡¯re going down, not up.¡± Aster giggled.

    ¡°Still, don¡¯t we go down the stairs?¡± I questioned as I pointed to the enormous poster duct-taped to the elevator doors.

    Aster giggled again and turned to peek behind us. She stepped up to the elevator door and whispered, waving her hand in front of herself. ¡°Averital.¡±

    The elevator doors shimmered out of sight, and a spiral stairwell appeared in the empty shaft. Aster smiled as I jumped back.

    ¡°Holy shit. What the fu- how did you do that?¡± I shook my head in disbelief and listened for an answer without taking my eyes off the opening.

    Aster turned and mimed jazz hands again before taking a step backward into the shaft''s metal landing. "Magic," she teased as she reached inside, still wiggling her hands. ¡°Now hurry before someone sees.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, yeah. That would be kind of hard to explain," I said, inspecting the doorway as I passed through.

    "Averital," Aster whispered once more as she waved her hand behind me to close the doorway.

    My jaw dropped as the elevator door shimmered back into reality. Once it had fully appeared before me, I reached out my hand to test it. The smooth steel felt extra cold to my touch, colder than I thought it would be. ¡®Must be the way you feel the magic.¡¯ I replayed what Aster had said in the car.

    ¡°So is the elevator really broken or is that a ruse? Like ¡®the elevator is a lie¡¯ type scenario.¡± I chuckled inside, knowing Cooper would be jumping for joy at my reference. I had spent hours upon hours watching him play the game.

    Leaning over the railing at the top of the landing, I peered down the spiral staircase into the darkness below. My insides quivered at what could lurk within.

    ¡°Uhm, no, it¡¯s a regular elevator. Nothing special.¡±

    ¡°So what if someone were to be in this secret stairwell and the elevator were to move? Would they die?¡± I puzzled as we began our descent down the staircase.

    Aster stopped below me, glanced over her shoulder, and shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± She appeared to be thinking off in the distance somewhere far away, and then she laughed. ¡°We¡¯ve never had that problem because the electrician won¡¯t come fix it anymore. Every time he got it working, we broke it, so now he¡¯s convinced it''s haunted and refuses to come back.¡±

    ¡°I bet that was hilarious to watch. How many times did you guys mess with him?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°About seven or eight times. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a huge building and everyone has to have an elevator. There are only four floors and coming from someone who¡¯s on the top, it¡¯s not so bad.¡±

    "Well, as someone who had to trek up those four flights and isn¡¯t used to it, all I can say is screw you guys.¡± I laughed. ¡°And I¡¯m going to assume once we¡¯re done down here, there isn¡¯t some magical way to get back up, is there?¡± I groaned, sarcasm dripping from my tone.

    ¡°You would be correct," Aster chuckled, resuming her descent. ¡°One way in, one way out.¡±

    I was hesitant. The staircase appeared to go on forever in the darkness below. My stomach churned with anticipation of what was to come, and it increased with every step I took. As I spun around the central pole for the fourth time, light began to flicker into view. The darkness retreated from it and gave way to a final platform with a wooden door in front of us.

    I stopped behind Aster and gasped. ¡°How could this be so close? We didn¡¯t walk down very far, and you couldn¡¯t see the light from above. How is this possible? What is this place?¡±

    My eyes kept darting from the door before us to the staircase above us. Droplets of sweat formed at my hairline as unease took over.

    ¡®What have I gotten myself into? I should have never agreed to this. This is all too much.''

    The feel of Aster¡¯s hand on my shoulder as I peered up into the darkness, full of questions and thoughts, brought my attention back to reality.

    ¡°Hey, it''s okay. It¡¯s just a magic spell. It¡¯s a failsafe if any of us were to be a little too hasty in our coming and going and forget to close the doorway behind us fast enough. If a non-caster were to somehow get in, the stairway would continue to lead them on and on in darkness. Eventually, it would land them right back to where they started and out the same doorway they entered.¡±

    She stepped closer, wrapping her arm all the way around my shoulder and peered at me with a grin. ¡°Also, bonus points to the last part that¡¯s woven into the spell. It wipes their last few minutes of memory and closes the gateway on its own the moment they pass the threshold back out. Neat, huh?¡± she giggled and let go, moving closer to the door.

    As Aster stepped to the door, she placed her ear against it and held a finger to her mouth to signal me to remain quiet. After a few seconds of listening, she stepped back.

    ¡°Ok, the coast is clear. I don¡¯t hear any maintenance workers, so we should be good to exit.¡± Aster opened the door and stepped out, turned back to me, and motioned for me to follow. I rushed through the doorway, and a gust of wind whipped past me. The second I turned, there was a regular elevator door fitting into the wall where the wooden door had been.

    ¡°You have to always make sure there¡¯s no one down here before you exit, or else we could get caught. It¡¯s why we can¡¯t just take the regular stairs down here, the basement level is for maintenance personnel only and stays locked with a keycard. Unfortunately we can¡¯t use our magic to get past the system without breaking it¡­ we¡¯ve tried before. Something about our flow messing with the electrical current, " Aster said, grabbing my arm and pulling me to follow. ¡°This way, quick.¡±

    We walked to a far wall, and she repeated her spell to open another section like she had for the elevator shaft. Instead of a staircase, a long hallway greeted me with a torch barely visible at the end. The pit in my stomach grew five times larger, expanding up into my throat, making me swallow hard.

    Aster held my hand as we walked through the open arch and stepped into the hallway. Another small gust of wind blew, but I was too worried about what was ahead of me to glance back. Every brick closer to the torch intensified my feelings.

    Reaching the torch, I paused, my breathing much more uncontrollable than before. My heartbeat drummed in my ears, and a river of sweat ran down my back, causing me to shiver. I fought every instinct I had that was yelling, begging me to run.

    Aster stopped a few steps ahead and glanced back. I connected with her gaze and saw the warmth in her eyes.

    ¡®Get it together, Savi. She''s not going to lead you to your doom; she wants to help. That¡¯s all. Help.¡¯

    She gestured the motion of taking a long, deep breath in and exhaling it with pushes inward and outward of her arms.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m a tad nervous. What if this goes badly like before?¡± I asked as I plunged the rock in my throat back into my chest with a gulp.

    ¡®The possibility of answers is worth the risk.¡¯

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about here, hun, because the Elders have way more experience than I do. They may be able to see more than I could. We¡¯re all here to help. I promise," Aster assured me with a calm voice. ¡°Come, you¡¯ll see. We¡¯re already here.¡± She waved a hand to the room right off the hall.

    I walked with her out into the open room, and my eyes widened, taking it all in. The soft torchlight danced on every surface around us. The wooden table stood tall and proud, filling the majority of the center. I couldn¡¯t keep my gaze on one thing; my eyes bounced from object to object, detail to detail. It was unlike anything I could have imagined a magical room to be.

    The unease in me melted away as I saw more bits and baubles that caught my eye. The feeling lingered one last moment as I realized we were not alone. Off in the distance across the room, I made out a group of women standing huddled together by an old cabinet. They were looking over one woman¡¯s shoulder at a book she was holding, and all turned to face us simultaneously. The feeling made its way right back to my throat.

    "Oh, Aster, welcome back, my child," came a powerful voice from the one holding the book.

    She closed it and stepped closer.

    ¡°And you must be Savi. We have heard and seen so much about you. You must be riddled with questions, dear child. I am High Elder Mora. Come now, may we help you find the answers you seek.¡±

    She stepped toward the grand oak table in the center of the room and waved her hand. In an instant, runes carved around its border began to glow, and chairs popped up one by one around it wherever a lit rune resided. Soon the entire table had enough chairs for everyone present to sit except Aster and me. The other women made their way over and sat in their respective chairs. Once everyone had seated, High Elder Mora walked to her seat and called Aster.

    Aster moved to the High Elder¡¯s side and stood watching me. I trembled with anticipation as I wasn¡¯t sure what was about to happen, but the gentle smile on her face calmed me.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to help this lost soul find her way. We believe you possess magic and want to uncover the truth. Aster shared your visions and story with us.¡± Mora looked at Aster, then at me. ¡°We¡¯ve read about your encounter and the mark you bear. It¡¯s a persistent presence, one we sensed. If you have magic, we need to teach you to control it so it can guide you on your quest for answers.¡±

    ¡®Shit. How the hell did she know about my scar? Did Aster tell her? But then again, how did Aster know?¡¯

    The worry returned in an instant, and I teetered in place, trying to hold my anxiety in before it exploded.

    ¡°Do not tremble and do not fear us, child. We are here to help. We do not let any harm come to those of our own kind. Would you please step forward so I can get a better look?¡± High Elder Mora stepped from the table and held out her arms.

    Everything in my body told me to move toward her, but I couldn''t make my muscles listen. A small gust of air passed over my shoulder, sending a shiver down my spine, and it released my frozen body. I inched to High Elder Mora, never breaking eye contact. Once I was within arm''s reach, I glanced at Aster again. She only smiled and winked. I could tell she was trying to calm me, but it felt so strange.

    High Elder Mora placed her hands on my upper arms and gave them a slight squeeze.

    ¡°There, there. See, nothing to fear. I need to see if I can sense any of your power. I am a Seer with the gift of sight.¡± Mora reached up and caressed wisps of hair from my face, resting my chin between her thumb and forefinger. She brought my face closer to her own and stared deep into my eyes. ¡°Curious, my child. So curious.¡±

    Her face gave way to concern as I felt her hand leave my chin. The other elders seated at the table began whispering among themselves. Elder Mora turned and raised a single hand to quiet the sound.

    ¡°I-i-i-is that bad?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I am unsure at the moment. Every witch has a flame within. A singular flame ensconcing their soulstone, signifying their magic. Their Witchrite. The source of our divine gift. It may vary by sigil and color depending on their Aura, but it is always a singular flame surrounding the stone.¡± She paused and peered to the side in thought, her face sullen. ¡°And yet I see two flames residing in you. One as clear as day, the other shrouded in darkness, concealing your soulstone altogether, but ever-present." She glanced back to me.

    ¡°What could that mean?¡± I asked as I crossed my arms and reached for my neck.

    ¡°Well, again, I¡¯m not quite sure. Aster says you have no memory of your family. Is there anything at all you can remember from your past? Any memory of how you managed to get those scars?¡± She pointed to my chest again and then to my neck where I was rubbing. ¡°Any unusual beings that may have come across your path?"

    ¡°Beings? My scars? N-n-no.¡± I jerked my hands to my sides. ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything. Sometimes I see things when I¡¯m dreaming but only pieces of a life I don¡¯t know. I assume it¡¯s me but it¡¯s so very different. It comforts yet confuses me, and when I wake, this scar hurts," I said as I pointed back to my neck. ¡°H-h-how did you know about my scars? And you said unusual beings? What beings?¡±

    ¡°There are many different unusual beings that walk this earth as you or I do. As for your scars, I can sense them. I can feel their presence beneath your clothes, though I am unsure as to why.¡± She flicked her eyes back to mine and stared. ¡°Have things happened to you, things you cannot explain?¡±

    I shifted on my feet, trying not to break eye contact while Elder Mora continued her soul-searching gaze.

    ¡°Umm, no, not really. Nothing that I can think of off the top of my head.¡± A lie. One I hoped she wouldn¡¯t be able to read. I was unsure of how deep her magic went or how it even worked. Aster had only explained a few basics, and even those had my head in a daze of confusion.

    High Elder Mora turned to her coven and then back to me. ¡°Would you be willing for me to scry further in? I could perform the same spell as the one on Aster which allowed us to see what happened that night. It might give me the chance to see further back. Possibly giving way to more answers.¡± High Elder Mora caressed my arm as she asked, comforting the blow of the question.

    ¡°Would it hurt?¡±

    ¡°Not one bit, my child.¡±

 CH 15 - The Demon Within - Aster

    Everything in me raged below the surface.

    ''How could I stand there and watch this? Two flames? Shrouded in darkness?''

    I rubbed the outside my shirt as I stood beside Mora, feeling the band-aid that adorned my chest where the gem had cut me days before.

    ''Not hurt one bit? And unusual beings - you mean demons - why aren¡¯t you saying anything about them? About the possibilities, especially with what we found in the scrolls?''

    This was quickly becoming so much more than I had signed up for. I wanted to help the coven but not at the cost of betraying this poor girl. She had no idea what was happening to her or what had happened in the past. But if there was something more in Savi, they would need to know. The two conflicts warred inside me, but I stood in silence and watched.

    ¡°I need your permission before we continue. I promised we would help, but only if you desire it.¡± High Elder Mora held her hand as she asked.

    ¡°Yes. If there¡¯s a chance you could see more of my past, I¡¯m willing to give it a try.¡± Savi¡¯s chest rose and fell with her deep breaths.

    I wanted to vomit again; I worried for Savi and for myself. The pain and sorrow I had felt the night of our interaction were intense. It had taken days to pass, and I didn''t want to repeat that night ever again.

    Mora turned to me.

    ¡°You may have a seat, please, dear Aster.¡±

    As she spoke, a new chair manifested from thin air beside my grandmother. I walked to take my place at the table. The place I longed to have.

    Mora addressed the room. ¡°We need not vote this time. The girl has agreed to the scrying and so scry her we shall.¡± She snapped her fingers and her amulet appeared beside her, making Savi gasp.

    ¡®Here we go again. Please don¡¯t let anything happen this time.¡¯

    I gripped my hands together in my lap. I watched Savi crawl up and lay down on the pentagram. Mora instructed her on her positioning. Once her hands and feet were matching the points, Mora picked up her amulet and placed it on Savi¡¯s sternum. As they had with my scrying, the torches dimmed.

    My concern grew greater with the darkness of the room. I was closest to the hallway, so if anything went wrong, I knew where to go. I pushed the thought out of my mind as I reminded myself I couldn¡¯t leave Savi to whatever fate might happen. I would help her no matter what. Something pressed deep inside, warning me¡ªbut what?

    ''She wouldn¡¯t hurt her on purpose, right?''

    High Elder Mora stopped and held her hand on Savi¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m going to first try to scry through to your flames. I want to see if we can gather anything about the second flame before we try to see to the past. Is that all right?"

    Savi cocked her head back and nodded.

    ¡®What? She¡¯s changing the spell?¡¯

    Mora reached forward and closed both of Savi¡¯s eyes, then placed her hands on either side of her head and began to chant. ¡°Untral bayes pyre. I call to the power within. Spirits guide me to the flames.¡± She closed her eyes and repeated her words. ¡°Untral bayes pyre. Reveal to me the flame. Let me reach the root of the magic.¡± Bowing her head, closer to Savi¡¯s, she repeated, ¡°Untral bayes pyre. I seek the knowledge hidden within its spark. Show me its power.¡±

    Savi¡¯s feet twitched, arms shook, and her body bent upward, her stomach far off the table arching her back to its extreme. She let out a gasp, and her body slammed back to the table. Her eyelids shot open, and I could see the light radiating from her sockets. One eye was glowing bright white and the other a hazy purple. The scrying amulet, somehow still lying on her, glowed with a dull white light. I could see the same purple haze glowing from Savi¡¯s scar on her neck, pulsating in and out of view.

    The coven Elders all stirred in their seats, unsure of what to do. High Elder Mora stared at Savi¡¯s body on the table. Fear struck her face, but she still held her hands out to settle everyone else.

    ¡°Please, quiet all of you. Now.¡±

    She squinted and moved her face closer to Savi¡¯s head. Mora tilted it upward to get a better look. As her fingertips left her chin, a deep bellowing laugh exited Savi¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Uh, uh, uh - not so fast. That one¡¯s not for you, witch," came a voice from within her.

    The scrying gem shot off her body toward the High Elder. It slammed into the wall behind her, narrowly missing her head. An eerie green glow formed underneath Savi¡¯s shirt where the gem had been.

    Everyone in the room froze. The voice wasn¡¯t Savi''s, yet it came from her lips. It was deep and rasping, yet powerful and booming. It seemed to tease Mora with its words, lingering on the word "witch." We all watched as her eyes faded from white and purple to a sickly green that matched the glow of her chest.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Mora had taken a step back, pushing her chair from the table after her scrying gem had flown past her. She looked frozen like the rest. I saw her gripping the long protection-spelled amulet she wore around her neck as she stared at Savi. She stepped toward the table and held her gaze.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Mora¡¯s voice held strong though her face betrayed it.

    The voice laughed, an eerie, cunning laugh; a cat toying with its prey. ¡°I have been known by many names by many people.¡± It breathed through Savi, and I saw her chest rise and fall as it wheezed in her throat.

    ¡°A demon¡¯s name is its most prized possession; I don¡¯t fault you for denying me the knowledge," Mora shot back, just as cunningly.

    ¡°Clever, clever little witch. And you who would know oh so much about demons. Tell me, was your pact a success all those years ago?¡±

    I forced my gaze from Savi to Mora. Her eyes had already turned to me, a look of panic in them.

    ¡®What? Mora has never entered a pact before. At least not one that she has ever shared with the coven or that I''ve heard of. It wouldn¡¯t be possible. What is going on?¡¯

    ¡°I do not know of what you speak. Tell me, demon, does this child know what lurks and hides beneath her skin?¡± She flicked her stare back to Savi¡¯s body.

    ¡°So resourceful in years past. I can smell the lingering stench on you. My brethren, the lies, the stories you wove to hide your crimes, dear Sister."

    ¡°Answer me now, demon. Does the girl know?¡± demanded Mora, interrupting it from speaking further.

    The demon tisked and Savi smiled wide. "So eager. So ambitious. Not that it will be any of your concern, but no. The child is unaware of my presence as of this moment, but things are getting rather¡­ interesting in the long hours of the night. In the darkness, in her sorrow.¡± It chuckled deep, an almost guttural growl releasing from deep within Savi¡¯s chest. ¡°Much like the sorrow bestowed upon you, little Aster. Darkness given to you by those you trust.¡± The chuckle turned into full laughter, and Mora slammed her fist down on the table.

    "Enough! If you will not answer my questions, then at least tell me what you are doing with the girl. What is your purpose if you did not enter a pact willingly?¡±

    Ice crept through my veins, and my heart went quiet.

    ¡®How did it know my name? Why did it know my name?¡¯

    "Oh, I entered rather willingly. Though I was not invited in the¡­proper¡­ways, I was invited nonetheless.¡±

    ¡°So it is safe to say that this girl is indeed one of our kind?¡± Mora nudged for more answers.

    "Oh, most incredibly so and vastly much more. Your pathetic excuse for magic wouldn¡¯t hold a spark to the true power held within this tiny, fragile body. This body not of your time, not of this maddening modern world. But beggars cannot be choosers, as they say. Intervening in ancient and powerful spells can leave you with a mess of your own to clean up. But you already know all about that.¡± Another deep laugh.

    ¡°Release the girl, give her over to us and we can help her. You do not belong in this child; you said so yourself. If she herself did not agree to the pact, then it is null and void, and you are to leave her at once.¡± High Elder Mora leaned on the table and peered down at Savi¡¯s body.

    ¡°Awe, what a pity, you didn¡¯t say the magic word. Her power is mine when the time comes for me to need it. I tire of your little games you play, Mora. You bore me. Be seeing you soon. Ta-ta, little Aster.¡± Echoing laughter boomed through the room before vanishing.

    Savi¡¯s body convulsed hard on the table, her hands and legs shaking violently. The brightness of the glow in her eyes and chest waned to nothing before her body stilled. A gasp loosed from her lungs, and her eyes shot open. She tried to sit up but fell back flat. I rushed to her, not knowing what to do or what to think. All I knew was I had to help.

    ¡°Savi, are you there? Savi?¡± I patted her cheeks, but there was no response. I laid my hand on her chest and could feel her shallow breaths. She was alive. My heart dropped, and tears flooded my eyes. I turned to High Elder Mora and screamed, ¡°What was that? Is she okay? Help her now!¡±

    Mora stood still. Her eyes frosted over somewhere far away. I ran and shook her arms. She snapped back and grabbed my shoulders to steady herself. She peered past me to Savi, still lying on the table. Mora pushed past to lay her hand on Savi¡¯s forehead, closed her eyes, and a small dim light emitted from her palms.

    ¡°She is stable. Only resting. Her spirit is worn thin but she will recover. Silence everyone!¡± Mora yelled over the clamoring whispers around the room. ¡°This is unprecedented territory, and we are to proceed with caution. There is no doubt now that this child is one of us and must be protected and saved no matter the cost. We are all in grave danger¡ªher soul in greater peril. We must work quickly and silently to find a way to rid her of the demon.¡±

    ¡°What do we tell Savi?¡± I interrupted. ¡°She needs to know¡ªDESERVES to know what is happening.¡±

    ¡°In any other circumstance, I would agree, Aster, but this is greater than you or me. This is more than you can handle. I will give you strict instructions now, Sister, so listen closely. All of you. No one is to tell her what transpired here today. It is unlikely that she will be aware of any of what happened. We need to keep it that way until such time as I can uncover the name of the demon held within her. Then and only then will we work our magic¡ªtogether¡ªto bring this to an end. Do you all understand?¡±

    She eyed the room, reading each one of our faces. I couldn¡¯t hide the shame and anger from mine. I spoke again. ¡°And what about what the demon said? How did he know me? What did he mean when he said all that stuff about you?¡±

    She smiled and crossed her hands in front of her. ¡°Aster, my dear sweet Sister. Demons will say anything to get what it is they seek. Know this and hold that truth deep in your being, for they will stop at nothing to cause chaos and confusion. You cannot trust anything it said. We must stand united and work together, as one, to bring it down. Trust me, child. We WILL bring it down and help our Sister here to understand what she is. For now, help her. Train her. Teach her our ways to better prepare her for the battle to come. But speak not a word of the unwanted guest hidden within. Promise? Everyone. Vow, now.¡±

    She held a hand to her chest and waited for everyone to speak the sacred word. The word that would bind us all into a vow with one another from that day forward. One by one, every Elder stepped forward and spoke.

    Once it came back around the room to me, I bowed my head. Everything in me fought the words as they formed in the bottom of my throat and continued fighting them as they left my lips. ¡°Lamaiya.¡± My chest sank.

    ''What was to happen now? What did I just do to Savi? This poor girl.¡¯

 CH 16 - Whispers from the Shadows - Savi

    Sunlight cascaded through the cottage windows onto the floor. Little shadows of leaves danced in the tilted squares as they swayed with the breeze. The sweet aroma of pines filtered through the air, and distant birds sang a tender lullaby. I sat on my bed, watching the shadows dance across the floor, humming along with the songbirds. Such a beautiful day.

    I rolled over onto my side, breathing in the moment, and noticed the small wildflowers in a cup on the side table were beginning to wilt and die. I scooted toward the edge of the bed and scooped them up. "Well, this won¡¯t do. I¡¯ll have to return to the meadow and gather some more."

    The crackling of the fire reminded me of my dinner that was stewing away in the oversized black pot nestled in the coals. A succulent scent of venison stew mixed with the pine as I opened it to take a peek. It looked divine. The charred bits of meat soaked up the juices of the herbs and spices I had gathered and added. I returned the lid, being mindful not to burn myself, and sat on the small rug by the fireplace.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    I watched the tiny flames surrounding the coals flicker and sway. They were mesmerizing. Each one swayed this way and that, and I got lost in the trance of it all. Chills trickled down my spine despite the warmth wafting from the fire. As I snapped out of it, the silence overwhelmed me. No birds chirped, no swaying breeze whispered through the pines.

    Stillness.

    Silence.

    Darkness.

    Darkness had overrun everything around me. Swirls of black rushed in and out of the open windows. Faint echoes and whispers sounded all around me as they poured in, one after the other. One darted right past my face, blowing my hair along with it, and I slouched closer to the light of the fire.

    ¡°Saviiiiii,¡± they hissed.

    ¡°Surrender, Saviiiii.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t see my feet anymore, only darkness. The only light that remained was glinting off my cheeks. I watched the coals die out to nearly nothing as the violent rage of shadows tornadoed behind me.

    Clamping my eyes shut, I willed away the darkness around me, but when I opened them, it crept further in. Chilling the air to my back - icier and icier. My breath caught in my throat as I watched the last flicker of light escape the coals and release into a faint puff of smoke.

    All the light was gone, and I was completely shrouded in darkness.

 CH 17 - Questions and Lies - Aster

    I sat watching Savi breathe¡ªunconscious¡ªoblivious to what had happened to her or what we had all agreed upon.

    ¡®How can the coven treat her this way? I know demons can be bad news, but this girl¡ªno, this woman¡ªdeserved better than this. She deserved our help.¡¯

    She looked helpless as she lay on my couch. The Elders had brought her to my apartment with a shroud of magic to keep her hidden from prying eyes as we made our way through. Thankfully, no one had been coming or going, so all was safe now.

    ¡®Safe. What did that word even mean now? Were any of us safe now?¡¯

    Mora gave me strict instructions on what to do when Savi woke, but I knew I''d have to be quick on my feet to explain all this away as if it were nothing. She would have questions and I''d do my best to provide her with answers, but it might be hard given I had so many questions myself. I wanted more information about what the demon had said. The distinct feeling that High Elder Mora wasn¡¯t so forthcoming with her answers racked my thoughts.

    ¡®Demons lie. Well, of course they do. But still, it felt like some truth was hidden between the lies. A truth Mora didn¡¯t want anyone to find out.''

    I''d do what they needed to protect the coven, but I''d also do what I had to in order for Savi and me to stay safe as well. Her breathing hitched as I sat in my oversized chair, feet pulled up in my lap, drinking my tea. Yes, I would protect her at all costs.

    ¡°Savi, are you there?¡± I asked as she stirred once more.

    She opened her eyes but didn¡¯t look at me¡ªonly stared at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity before taking a giant gasp and scrambling to sit up. I rushed to her side, setting my tea on the coffee table.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here. You¡¯re here with me. It¡¯s Aster, Savi. Breathe.¡± I held her chest between my two hands, one on her back and one in front, hoping to ease her. Her eyes darted to mine, and tears welled in them.

    ¡°Wha- wha- what happened? Aster? I hurt.¡± She gripped her chest where her scar was and heaved forward, sobbing. Savi coughed as she tried to catch her breath and glanced up at me again. "What is this pain?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an echo of the scrying spell; it should pass in a moment. I¡¯m so sorry, Savi. Things got a little out of hand with the spell.¡±

    Her face went pale. "What do you mean? Did the scrying not work? Did High Elder Mora not find any answers I needed?¡± She continued to rub her chest, waiting for answers. Answers I would have to lie about. I swallowed hard.

    "Well, not exactly, but there is some good news!¡± I handed her my tea to sip. "Here, take a few sips of this; it will help calm the effects of the spell. I promise.¡±

    She took the teacup between her hands and stared at the contents.

    ¡°It¡¯s a lemon tea, nothing like the other one I gave you the last time you were here.¡±

    ¡°How did I get here?¡± she interrupted, realizing we weren¡¯t in the basement.

    ¡°You sort of passed out and we had to bring you up here to rest. I hope you don¡¯t mind, but it was better than letting you stay in the damp basement. I thought at least up here you would be safe and comfortable.¡±

    ¡°Safe? Aster, what happened?¡± she stared at me.

    ¡°I mean safe as in not in the way of being trampled by old tomes and breathing in all that dust. As far as what happened, you fainted. The scrying spell has done it on rare occasions if the magic overwhelms the receiver, and so Mora thinks she pressed a little too hard. But there¡¯s nothing to worry about. No lasting problems¡ªexcept maybe a slight headache.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    I gave her the most genuine smile I could muster in the moment. I had lied and I hated to lie. It made me feel sick, but I had to find out what I was dealing with before any truth could come out, whether Mora wanted it to or not.

    ¡°Maybe that''s why my dream was different this time. If you can even call it a dream, it was more of a nightmare. But no headache. Just this pain in my chest.¡± She stopped and patted her chest, and her face changed. She patted it again and glanced at me. "Well, it¡¯s gone now. What¡¯s in this tea, Aster?¡± She shot me a half-smile, and I wanted to sink into the shadows and hide.

    ¡°Good old-fashioned lemons and honey. I''m glad the pain is gone.¡± I smiled again as she drank the rest of the cup. She had dreamt during the whole thing? I needed to know more. ¡°Tell me about your dream¡ªerr, nightmare. Was it unusual?¡±

    I had to choose my words carefully. Mora had assured me the demon¡¯s presence was once again hidden deep within, so I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about stirring it again soon. But I still had to be careful in case.

    She sat the cup on the coffee table and leaned into the sofa. ¡°Well, it was strange. You know how Cooper told you about my regular dreams, and I explained I was always doing something mundane?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Well, I was cooking a stew in a cast iron pot over a fire and everything was as normal but then everything changed. In an instant the entire cottage engulfed in shadows and wisps of smoke. Everything went icy cold and as it bore down on me and my breath left my lungs I woke up. I''ve never experienced anything like it before. Maybe it was my body experiencing the magic overwhelming me? Like the ice-cold air coming into the apartment when I passed the threshold?¡±

    I nodded again. ¡°Yes, it very well could have been. Maybe that was what made you pass out. The magic overwhelmed you. Like Mora said, it happens rarely, but it can happen.¡± I needed to steer the conversation away from too many questions on this. I had a job to do now, to convince her to keep going with us. ¡°But back to the good news.¡±

    Her head tilted as she remembered what I had said only moments ago. "Ahh, that¡¯s right, so what was the good news?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re magic. I mean, you¡¯re a witch, is what I meant to say. I knew as much before we went down there, but I had to be certain. Isn¡¯t this exciting?¡± I tried to hype my excitement to hide my sins, and maybe this would help it not sting later. If she was happy about this, then I could focus on that and not the overwhelming guilt slamming into every fiber of my being.

    ¡°A witch?¡± She laughed. Louder than I would have thought she would. ¡°What? There¡¯s no way. I can¡¯t do magic. At least not that I know of, so how is this possible?¡±

    ¡°Mora thinks your powers are dormant and whatever trauma happened to you before stilled them. Do you remember what she said before the scrying began? How she could see your Witchrite but couldn¡¯t make it out?¡± I waited for her to answer. I didn¡¯t want to go too fast or overwhelm her again with too much all at once. Or worse, get too far ahead of myself and say something I shouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Um, yeah. Although I didn¡¯t get the chance to ask what that was.¡± She looked at me with more questions hidden behind her eyes.

    ¡°Baby steps. Let¡¯s take baby steps. I¡¯ll explain everything in great detail, but we need to talk about a few things.¡± She tensed, and I didn¡¯t blame her. She had gone from not knowing real magic existed only days ago to now being told she was magic and having this world thrust upon her. I had to go slow. ¡°Listen. I know this is a lot to take in all at once. I promise I¡¯ll explain everything. And I mean everything. Soon, but for now, I need to explain that with you, a confirmed witch, the coven is asking you to join us.¡± Fear filled her eyes.

    ¡°Join you? What do you mean join you? I¡¯m not sure I understand.¡± She pulled back on the sofa, further away from me.

    "No, no, no, Savi, nothing like that. Nothing bad. Join us, as in be a part of the coven, and we could help you uncover whatever powers are lying dormant.¡± She wrapped her arms around herself and was in full-blown defensive mode. I knew this was a bad idea with everything so fresh. I should have waited, but they wanted her in now.

    I held out my hand to touch her knee. She didn¡¯t flinch away, so I said, "Mora thinks that if we can help you unlock whatever powers you have, it may unlock everything else. Her scrying couldn¡¯t see past whatever block you have on your magic, but it did give way¡­ some. So she thinks with a little practice and some drills I could help you reach it. Then you might get all the answers you¡¯ve been looking for.¡± I forced a smile to the end of the words. Words I wanted to take back immediately. Words I wanted to replace with the truth right then and there.

    I couldn''t read her body language. She was still. Frozen. Her face was solemn, deep in thought. ¡°Savi, are you okay?" I asked, knowing she wasn¡¯t. I could feel her unease in the air all around her.

    ¡°Can I go home now?¡± she asked blankly¡ªbarely more than a whisper.

    My heart sank. This was killing her. Yet another promise of finding answers to what weighed on her mind day and night. Answers I knew she wouldn¡¯t get, at least not yet.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll take you home. We¡¯ll talk more when you¡¯re ready.¡± I squeezed her hand gently.

    ¡®I¡¯m so sorry.¡¯

 CH 18 - Hard Choices - Savi

    ¡°Hey Savi, perfect timing. Dinner is just about ready!¡± Cooper called out as I walked past the kitchen on my way to my room.

    ¡°How did the paperwork go?¡± Rachel asked, placing a plate on the table.

    ¡°Huh? Oh, it went fine. They ended up having the wrong form and needed me to wait for a new one.¡±

    ¡°Did they get the right one cuz you¡¯ve been gone all day? They should pay you for the time it took away from work.¡± She added another plate across the table.

    I swore under my breath, trying to keep my composure while lying through my teeth to my friends. "Yeah. They should.¡± I rubbed my neck and felt the weight of everything bearing down on me. ¡°I¡¯m gonna call it a night though. I¡¯m really tired from all the waiting, and those chairs damn near killed my back. I¡¯ll see you guys in the morning.¡± I turned toward my room.

    ¡°What? But I made your favorite! I thought you¡¯d have some good news from today, so I made extra sure I had everything to celebrate. I even got those little lemon cake slices you like.¡±

    I paused but didn¡¯t turn; the crushing weight shifted from my neck to my chest. My heart ached as I took a deep breath in, letting the aroma of the chicken parmesan waft through my senses. I took another step down the hall. "Sorry, I¡¯m beat. Save me some for tomorrow?¡±

    I could hear the mix of worry and frustration in his voice as he said, ¡°Yeah, sure. Well, get some rest. If you need anything, let us know. You¡¯re sure you¡¯re okay?"

    ¡°Just tired, Coop. That¡¯s all, I promise," I said as I worked my way down the hall. The witch¡¯s magic overwhelming me was nothing compared to what this was doing. This would drag me down quicker than anything. But I had to stay strong. I had to figure this all out, if only for myself.

    My bed was cool beneath my face as I slammed down on it. A shiver ran through me as it reminded me of the cold shock I had felt twice now.

    ¡®Maybe Aster wis right. I¡¯m a witch. But how would I know? How could I be certain, given I knew nothing of my past? Nothing of anything.¡¯

    I chucked a pillow across the room and loosed a slight roar from my chest. This frustration. This anger. It was all unlike anything I had dealt with before. I thought I knew it well. I thought I had gotten it down to a science. I knew my triggers in therapy. I knew what line I walked every time I tried hard to remember. It was a line I could easily see and was willing to cross every time I wanted to search for more. But now¡­ now felt different.

    Now felt raw and more intense. I had the possibility of answers within my reach that were once again yanked away. I thought at first hearing what Aster said¡ªthat I was magic¡ªthat I was a witch would cull the anger for a while. Give me something to focus on. Give me something to spend more energy on, but it only stoked the flame into a pyre. My core blazed.

    This would have to mean something. It had to. It had to mean more than just more unanswered questions. But I knew the only way that I could get answers to the plethora of new ones would be to go all in. Accept Aster¡¯s offer. But that would mean more of today. More going against my word to those I cared for most. Those who actually cared for me most.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡®Maybe Theo is right¡­ I have people who love me, and that could be enough.¡¯

    I stared at the wall beside me, tears standing at the ready. The flames inside lapped at my core again.

    ''No.''

    If they truly cared and loved me, they would be willing to do anything, go any distance to find those answers. If not for me, then at least with me. They would do whatever it took to hunt them down and cure my sorrows.

    ''No.''

    They would let me do whatever it was that I needed to do to cure myself.

    ''Yes. Yes, that¡¯s it.''

    I bolted up in bed. Whispers. I could hear whispers. I strained my mind to silence the world around me to make out what was being said. Nothing. They disappeared as quickly as they had come. A familiar chill ran through me again. Magic.

    ''What was that? Was that me? My own magic? I must be delirious at this point. One hour after learning I¡¯m some sort of witch, I''m already imagining my powers? Savi, you can¡¯t be serious. Get a grip.''

    Movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I swirled my head toward my closet. Nothing was there.

    Again.

    Movement from the left drew my head spinning toward my door. I sprang from the bed and stared at it, taking a step back.

    Again, nothing.

    Nothing but darkness as the light from the hall illuminated the gaps around all four sides. I peered longer, harder. The cold chill arched through me once more. A twitch in the darkness made me gasp as I continued my stare.

    ''Man, I''m tired. Now I''m seeing things.''

    I shuffled my feet to the door, and as I approached, I could hear voices. I pinned my ear to the gap and strained to hear more. It was Rachel and Cooper. They were talking at the kitchen table. I could barely hear what they were saying, but I made out my name. They were talking about me.

    I slid my hand down the door and gripped the knob. I rotated it, trying not to make noise, and eased the door open a hair¡ªenough to let more sound echo in from the hall. I heard my name again¡ªor what I thought sounded like my name¡ªand I pulled the door a little more until the hinge creaked beside me. They stopped talking, and I shut the door, trying not to make another sound. I didn¡¯t breathe until I felt the click of the latch resting back in the frame.

    Listening for movement, I remained in place. Once I realized they weren¡¯t onto me and coming to check, I loosed a long sigh and peered around in the darkness of my room. I made out where the pillow had landed and went to pick it up. My muscles ached as I stood upright, so I fell onto my bed.

    ''This is crazy, Savi. They don''t know anything. You don''t need to eavesdrop. How could they know about today anyway? It¡¯s not like they have magic too and can tell you were lying through your teeth. No, apparently I¡¯m the only one in this house who has magic. And now I can¡¯t tell anyone else. Not until I know what I¡¯m going to do.''

    I rolled onto my side and tucked the pillow under my head. The decisions I would have to make, and soon, blared through my mind. Magic. Magic was real. It wasn¡¯t all hocus pocus like Rachel and I thought. Actually real. This could change everything¡­ but it would also change me. I had to make the right choice here - if there even was a right choice. Either one I made, someone would get hurt.

    ¡®If I choose to learn my magic, I hurt my friends, but if I choose to stay away, I could hurt my chances of knowing what it meant and more.¡¯

    An impossible choice. The pyre within me died down to mere embers as exhaustion surged through. Sleep. I would sleep and try to weigh my options with a fresh mind. A new day may bring new possibilities I hadn¡¯t thought of yet.

    Sleep found me swiftly, and I didn¡¯t even change my clothes or tuck myself under my blankets. A deep sleep of nothing but darkness.

 CH 19 - An Explosion of Emotions - Savi

    "Dr. Barnes will be right with you, Savi. He¡¯s finishing up an important call with another patient.¡± Jakobi called to me from his kiosk desk. I was the only one in the waiting room, so he didn¡¯t have to be discreet or quiet about it.

    Having to wait didn¡¯t bother me much, considering I was dreading this session. The last two days had been a blur of chaotic energy, and I was already on edge.

    ¡°No problem, thanks for the heads-up." My legs were bouncing against the side of my chair, creating a soothing rhythm. It somewhat helped with my racing thoughts.

    Sleep had eluded me these last few nights. I wracked my brain on what was happening to me. The night I''d heard Cooper and Rachel talking about me, something happened that I couldn''t understand. With everything else going on, I doubted I''d get much help from Theo either because I can¡¯t tell him any of it. This led me to my hesitation for today¡¯s session. How can you get therapy for problems you can¡¯t discuss?

    It¡¯s not like I can go in there and blurt out ¡®Hey Theo. So, apparently I¡¯m a witch with magical powers and things have been off-kilter lately because of it. What things you may be asking, well let me tell you. I¡¯ve been hearing and seeing things that aren¡¯t there. Whispers in the dark and movement in shadows. Oh, and also I have been sleep-painting the last few nights and waking up in my studio covered in paint.''

    Yeah, I don¡¯t think handing over those tidbits of information would go over too well. Most likely, I would end up back where I was last year in the hospital having another "breakdown."

    ¡°Are you okay, Savi?... Savi?"

    My vision focused back on Jakobi, who had crouched in front of me with a tissue in his hand. He gestured to my neck.

    ¡°Savi, you¡¯re bleeding. Let me take a look.¡±

    I pulled away from his hand as it reached out toward me in confusion. Glancing down to where he was reaching, I noticed the small trail of blood on my chest and pulled my hand back. Crimson smeared my fingertips. In all my nervousness, I had rubbed my scar raw to the point of bleeding.

    ¡®Good one, Savi, now you look the crazy part.¡¯

    ¡°Oh, sorry, yeah, I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡± I took the tissue and pressed it against my neck. ¡°A bug bite was bothering me. I must have scratched it too hard and not noticed.¡± Hopefully, he would buy it, and no further explanation would be necessary. The expression on his face told me otherwise.

    ¡°You look like a nervous wreck. You¡¯ve been staring off into space for the last ten minutes, completely still. Are you sure everything is okay?¡± His eyes locked on mine, and sincere concern shone through the calm blue stillness.

    "Yeah, yeah. It¡¯s been a heck of a week at work and I''ve been worried about my boss. She¡¯s been sick the last few days and you never know what can happen. Ya know?¡± That sickening feeling returned as the lie left my lips.

    ''Was I becoming a pathological liar now?''

    He sat in the chair beside me and took my hand in his. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Savi. I¡¯m sure she will be okay. I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s been a bug going around. A few patients have called in and rescheduled, and the one on the phone now was supposed to be an in-office visit. Hopefully, it¡¯s nothing.¡± He paused for a moment, studying my face. Squeezing my hand, he asked again, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay? Do you need anything else?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Jakobi, thank you. Once Sue gets better and I can get a little more sleep, I¡¯ll be right as rain. Oh, speaking of, how about that thunderstorm last night? It shook my windows pretty hard. Crazy, huh?¡± I pulled my hand back from his and fumbled with my shoulder bag to slip the bloodied tissue inside.

    Jakobi sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. It was crazy. My apartment is on the top floor of my building, so it felt like I was in the center of it. The wind was howling.¡±

    Dr. Barnes''s door creaked open and I glanced over to see him standing in the door, his brow furrowed. ¡°Jakobi, uh, is everything alright? I tried to patch Mrs. Stevenson through to schedule her next session but you didn''t pick up. She¡¯s waiting on the line now.¡± He pursed his lips together and frowned.

    Jakobi shot up from the seat and lunged for the desk. ¡°Oh, sorry. Let me grab it right quick. Savi needed a tissue for a bug bite. Sorry, Dr. B.¡± He grabbed the phone receiver. "Hello, Mrs. Stevenson, sorry about the wait. Let¡¯s get your next appointment scheduled.¡±

    My eyes darted back to Theo standing in the door. He was already waiting for my gaze to meet his. He stepped out of his office and held the door open further, gesturing for me to come inside.

    I gathered my strength for the array of questioning that was about to follow and stepped in past him.

    ¡°A bug bite? Is everything okay?¡± he asked as he closed the door behind us. ¡°I¡¯m not going to have to worry about you climbing up the walls today, am I?¡±

    I plopped down on my usual side of his sofa, leaned my head into the cushion, and chuckled. "Yeah, watch out for my webs. Need any dusting done while I¡¯m up there?¡± We both laughed as he sat in his usual chair across from me. ¡°Nah, it was a silly mosquito or something. It¡¯s been bothering me, and Jakobi helped because I scratched the scab off by accident.¡±

    ¡®Please believe me; please believe me.¡¯

    He glanced over my body as he adjusted his glasses and reached for his notebook on the side table. ¡°Ah, well, glad he was able to help you out.¡± He thumbed through the pages of his journal and settled into his chair. Studying one page in particular, he glanced up at me. "Now, based on our last session, we were discussing your dream journals and how you filled another one. Did you happen to bring it with you today?¡±

    ¡®SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!¡¯

    I knew I had walked off this morning and forgotten something. Work had been crazy, and I couldn''t for the life of me remember what it was. I gave him the slightest grin and scrunched my face in response. He sighed loudly.

    ¡°Savi, you were supposed to bring it this time. How are we supposed to digest and sift through the material without it being present?¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ''Oh, if you only knew what material wasn¡¯t present today, Theo. If you only knew what I wished I could tell you.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve had a rough few days and it slipped my mind. I promise I''ll bring it next week.¡± I had to choose my words carefully. The last thing I wanted was to sound the alarm bells in Theo¡¯s head about anything else going on. I had already received many check-in texts from Aster in the last few days, urging me to make a decision. I didn¡¯t need another thing to stress about.

    He studied me for a long while before he spoke again, trying to read any sign of something hidden below the surface. I¡¯ve seen that look many times before. I will never forget his face the moment before he sent me to the hospital last year.

    ¡°Well, I guess we should start from where we left off. How are your dreams going this past week? Still the same as usual?¡± He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat once he was satisfied that there was nothing further lurking under the surface.

    The sweat that had built on my neck vanished as I eased into the conversation, still vigilant about every word I spoke. "Well, they have been different, I would say. If you could call them dreams to begin with. I¡¯m not sure you can.¡±

    His eyes lifted to mine from taking his notes. ¡°And what would you call them? Elaborate on that a little.¡± He glanced back at his notes, waiting.

    ''Think, Savi, think. Let¡¯s word it in such a way so you don¡¯t sound completely insane.¡¯

    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t dreamt at all; I don¡¯t think.¡± This was the truth as far as I knew, so I didn¡¯t feel guilty for the lies that were to follow next. He stopped his writing and peered at me again, puzzled.

    ¡°What do you mean? They¡¯ve completely stopped?¡± He folded his notebook closed over one hand and removed his glasses as he glanced back at my face.

    I tried to look everywhere but at his eyes. ¡°They''ve stopped as far as I know because if they haven¡¯t, I''m not remembering them.¡± I studied his expression, checking for any hint of alarm bells. Nothing but blank curiosity staring back at me. Good. ¡°You see, most of the time over the last week it¡¯s been blank. Darkness. No cinematic play-by-play of anything at all.¡±

    I threw my hands up to either side of me and shrugged, hoping it would help the illusion of nothing else. Maybe if I acted as dumbfounded as he looked right now, this would be a breeze.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that you haven¡¯t had any dreams whatsoever? Savi, that is¡­ that is fantastic. You¡¯re making real progress here. Now I can¡¯t help but ask, has there been anything jarring or out of the ordinary that could have put you in a more or less heightened sense lately? Anything at all that could throw you for a loop?¡±

    I immediately stifled my face into submission as I shook my head no. ¡°No, nothing that I can think of. I mean unless you count getting a new set of oil pastels as life-changing or jarring, then no.¡± I smoothed the lines of my face into a smile behind my eyes.

    ''Play it cool.''

    Dr. Barnes chuckled as he put on his glasses and opened up his notebook. ¡°Ah, no, that wouldn¡¯t count as life-altering, no. So it¡¯s possible you may have reached a turning point. Maybe the date of your papers coming through, getting ever closer, is helping to ease your subconscious. Knowing that after that, things will be better for you in some ways.¡±

    "Yeah. I mean nothing else has been going on so that¡¯s likely it.¡± I reached for my neck but immediately thought of the blood and stopped myself. It would only draw more attention to the tension I was trying to hide. ¡°So are we done here today? I¡¯m cured? I¡¯m free to go about my days without this anymore?¡±

    He paused his writing and stared at the page a moment before he replied. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that exactly.¡± He closed it over his hand again and eyed me. "You see, sometimes, and I¡¯m not saying this is the case here, but given last year, we have to be hyper-aware of what could be lurking around the corner. Sometimes we can make a huge leap forward only to stumble backward a bit. It¡¯s my job to make sure that¡¯s not what is happening here. Make sure that everything is moving forward and keeps moving forward. Now don¡¯t get me wrong, Savi, I think you''re making significant progress here, but I can¡¯t help but feel like you''re on edge today. I can hear what you''re saying about your dreams, but I¡¯m going to be honest with you, as I''ve always promised to be. You look like you haven¡¯t slept in days. So we need to take this turn of events cautiously.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t hold it back; the words burst out of me before I could check them behind my perfectly placed smile. ¡°Are you fucking kidding me, Theo? Last year was last fucking year! When are you going to let that go?¡± I leapt from the sofa and started pacing the room. ¡°I have made every attempt to move on from that and do this little dance with you week after week, and still, even after progress, you throw it back in my face? How could you?!¡±

    ¡°Savi, please, just listen. Sit down and let¡¯s discuss¡ª"

    ¡°I¡¯m done discussing. I¡¯m done parading my every thought around in here to get poked and prodded. I''m a person, ya know, and I don¡¯t deserve this. One misunderstanding last year doesn''t warrant all this bullshit. I thought we had trust, and I thought I could move past this, but how can I when you don¡¯t believe that I am?¡±

    Theo moved to the edge of his seat, ready to stand and calm me as I continued my trek through the room.

    "Savi, please. You have to understand, I¡¯m not saying this has all been nothing. You are making progress and I can see the great strides you''ve taken. We talked about this last time, how far you''ve come, but you still have a way to go to heal and move on. You never forgot your notebooks before. You never got upset with talking things out. You never once held things back like you are now. Savi, it¡¯s clear there are more things you wish to discuss, so why are you holding back?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! I''m so tired of the lies. I''m no further than I was last week, last month, or even last year. This is all a waste of time and how dare you accuse me of hiding things? I forgot one notebook, sue me. I look like I haven¡¯t slept, yeah well maybe I haven¡¯t been feeling like it. Bite me. Everyone¡¯s talking about me as if I¡¯m some delicate little flower they have to protect and I''m so sick of it!¡±

    My blood turned volcanic, anger spilling into every fiber of my body, and I wanted to run. I wanted nothing more than to escape this before anything else got blurted out that I didn¡¯t mean to let out. ¡°You know what, screw this. I¡¯m done, Theo.¡± I grabbed my bag and rushed to the door, almost breaking the handle. I jerked it open, and it bounced off the rubber stopper and slammed into my shoulder. I had to get out of here. I couldn¡¯t breathe anymore. Tears cascaded down my face, the pyre inside had reignited, only this time it was inferno.

    I peeked into the waiting room as I hissed from the door hitting me, and Jakobi bolted up from the desk - fear on his face. ¡°Savi! What¡¯s wrong - what¡¯s happened?¡± He moved around the back of the desk, but I booked it over to the office doors. I jerked one open and fled before he could reach me. I didn¡¯t dare glance back as I ran through the lobby of the building, arms pumping, heart pounding. The stark difference of the fresh air blasted my face as I exited the front, and I kept running.

    I ran past my bus stop. I didn¡¯t care. I needed to get away. Needed to be free of this feeling, outrun the pain of everything I had said. I knew deep down Theo was only trying to help, and he had always been right. I knew what I said hurt him, but I didn¡¯t care. In this moment, I only wanted one thing. Answers. Progress of my own doing. A new door had opened in my life, allowing me a new path to follow, and I only needed to decide to travel down that road. After what happened, I knew my choice.

    Once I had reached well past where anyone could locate me, I slowed my pace and tried to catch my breath. I glanced around to figure out where I''d ended up and realized I wasn¡¯t far from Cooper and Aster¡¯s bar. I''d instinctually run toward my decision without realizing it. I shuffled through my bag and found my phone. The screen blasted with missed call after missed call from Dr. Barnes''s office. Jakobi, no doubt, if not also Theo. I unlocked it and swiped away all the alerts and located the only one that mattered to me in that moment.

    There it was: 8:06 a.m. this morning. An alert from Aster I hadn¡¯t opened yet. Another text from her checking in to see if I was okay and that being scared was normal. That she would be there with me every step of the way if it was the choice I made.

    ¡®Hey Aster, are you working tonight? I¡¯m at the bar. I made my choice. I¡¯m in.¡¯

    It was all I needed to say in the text. And before I could reread the message I''d sent, a reply buzzed through.

    ¡®I¡¯ll be there in twenty minutes. I promise we¡¯ll find your answers.¡¯

    It was done. Progress of my own. I closed one door and opened a whole new path. One that I chose.

 CH 20 - Diving Headfirst - Aster

    I pulled into the bar feeling a dual sense of elation and fear. I was eager and happy to work with Savi and so pleased that she had agreed in her message. On the other side, I was also torn¡ªnot only frightened of the demon inside her but also of how my own morals would play into this scheme. Yes, helping her would be good, like I had always wanted, but helping under false pretenses worried me. What, if anything, would the demon do? What could it do?

    Savi was sitting in a back booth, and the way she sat hunched over the table told me that her decision had not been made lightly. Thankfully, Cooper wasn¡¯t working tonight either, so no fear of running into him, for now at least.

    ¡°Hey Savi.¡± I approached her cautiously, unsure of what kind of state I would find her in. Her text was pretty choppy and stern. It wasn¡¯t hard to see in her eyes as she glanced at me that I was right. The choice had been hard. Her eyes were bloodshot, nose bright red, and her hair was a tangled mess, half falling down her back out of her braid. ¡°Oh Savi, it¡¯s going to be okay. I¡¯m here. You can talk to me; what happened?¡±

    I slid into the booth and waited. She sniffled, trying several times to speak, but each time stopped short of words forming. I reached across the table and took her hand. It was cold and clammy, but I squeezed it gently. ¡°You can trust me. I''ll help in any way I can. I see how hard this choice was for you, and I''m so sorry if you felt like I pressured you in any way. I just wanted to reach out and make sure you were okay after everything from the other day.¡±

    She pulled her hand away and dropped it into her lap. ¡°No, it wasn''t you. None of this was you. I understand you were looking out for me. It was everything else.¡± She wiped a tear that slid down her cheek. ¡°Everything else was piling up. Rachel and Coop know something is off but don¡¯t know for sure. I heard them talking the other night and I know it was bad. Has he said anything to you?¡±

    I froze.

    ''Why would Coop say anything to me? He didn¡¯t know anything about what happened the other day, and I would keep it at that.''

    I shook my head at her. ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t asked anything. Other than wanting to get together and hang out. That¡¯s about it though. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing. Maybe they¡¯re worried about the papers coming, or hey, they¡¯re planning a big party for you and don¡¯t want you to know.¡± I had to do or say something to cheer her up. I hated seeing her like this. She was so broken, and it killed me.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    She let out a tiny chuckle under her breath and nodded. "Yeah. That would be something they would do, especially Rachel. She¡¯s probably trying to find some perfect guy to try to hook me up with too.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. I mean I don¡¯t know her all that well, but what I do know is that it sounds like she cares for you a lot. I know Cooper does. He talks about you all the time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that.¡± She said low.

    ¡°No worries. Having someone care for you is a blessing. I don¡¯t mind. Really.¡± I smiled softly at her in hopes it would help. I didn¡¯t mind how he felt about her. I knew they had a huge history together and I''m sure there¡¯s way more to the full story than I''ll ever know.

    I thumbed my keychain on the table, fidgeting till I could think of what to say next. I knew what I wanted to say: to tell her everything there was to know about witches and the practice right here, right now, but I knew it wasn¡¯t the time or place. Little by little, I would show her, but I was unsure of how much she could handle right now. I would have to test the waters.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy you texted. I know it¡¯s going to feel like a lot and be confusing, but we''ll go at your pace, whatever you would like that to be.¡±

    She sat straighter in the booth and gripped my hand, interrupting me. "No, that¡¯s it. If I¡¯m going to do this, I want to go all in. Dive headfirst. I¡¯m ready. I''m scared, yes, but I''m ready now. If there¡¯s anyone who can help me at this point, it¡¯s you. I trust you. I¡¯m all in.¡±

    I hesitated to respond, trying to read her expression, but the only thing I could gather was sincerity. She wanted to dive in, and I didn¡¯t blame her, but I''d still have to work cautiously around the demon. You never know what could trigger it to surface, and without telling her about it, it would be hard to test.

    She squeezed my hand tighter. ¡°I mean it, Aster. I¡¯m in. So what¡¯s first?¡± She let go and sat back; her face immediately changed to one of determination and resilience.

    ¡°Hmm. Well, if you want to dive headfirst into this world, I have a job on the schedule tonight.¡±

    ¡°Like your other jobs you told me about? The ones that you¡¯re not supposed to do?¡± She looked hesitant but still interested. Maybe she was ready. Ready to learn all there was to learn about our world.

    ¡°No, no, this one is an actual job from the coven. But I need to warn you now, it¡¯s a lot to take in on the first day. Do you think you¡¯re ready for it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready for anything you can throw at me. I¡¯ve had enough of playing it safe. It¡¯s time for action. So what¡¯s the job?¡±

    Her face was completely different now. The bloodshot eyes had disappeared, and a smile was shining on her face. Okay, this was going to be the beginning.

    ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s a lot and it''s hard to explain, so I¡¯ll have to take you with me and show you. But one promise.¡±

    ¡°Anything. I promise anything.¡±

    ¡°Okay, you have to promise you will keep an open mind and not freak out.¡±

    She stood up beside the table and held out her hand to shake mine. ¡°Promise.¡±

    "Well, alright then. Let¡¯s go! You¡¯re in for quite a night!¡±

 CH 21 - Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire - Aster

    ¡°Are you going to tell me where we¡¯re headed or what we¡¯re doing, or are you going to keep it a secret till we¡¯re there?¡± Savi questioned over the music blaring in the car.

    We¡¯d been on the road for a while and were well outside the city limits. I smiled at her and turned down the volume. The rumbling of my engine hummed as I found the words to say. I wasn¡¯t sure where to begin, but I knew I had to ease into this gently. I had to think of the demon and consider how it could react to what we were going to walk into tonight.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that your world is about to be forever changed.¡±

    She laughed hard. ¡°Not like it hasn''t already? Watching you do actual magic while also learning that I¡¯m a witch with dormant powers is kind of unforgettable. I highly doubt you''re going to top that.¡±

    "Oh, you¡¯d be surprised. Well, here goes nothing. My job tonight is to bring some supplies to a special someone that the coven helps. His name is Lawrence and he¡¯s a bit¡­ peculiar.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it? Deliver some supplies to some guy. How is that going to be ''life-changing''?"

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to see. I can assure you, he¡¯s not just some guy," I said teasingly. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡±

    I followed the winding gravel road to a giant stone wall nestled in the woods. The car¡¯s headlights beamed off the metal gate between a break in the stone. Spiraling metal twisting and turning, breaking off into leaves at the ends filled the iron gate. They coalesced in the center to form an ornate W when the two halves closed.

    I pulled up to a speaker box and rolled down my window. Pressing the silver button on top, I waited for entry as a security camera panned over my car.

    ¡°Hello, how may I be of service?¡±

    "Yes, it¡¯s Aster. I¡¯m here for a delivery: Whispering Willows.¡±

    A resolute click filled the air, and the gates began to move, opening toward the paved road ahead. I passed through, and as my car cleared its path, it closed behind me.

    ¡°What was that about? Whispering willows?¡± asked Savi.

    ¡°It¡¯s the passcode. Mr. Walcott is an extremely private person. A select few are allowed to enter, and those few are given a unique passcode that only we know. Trust me, it will all make sense in a moment. Patience, young one, patience.¡± I gave her a sidelong smile as we continued down the winding driveway.

    ¡°Okay, if you say so, boss. Should I know the passcode? Won¡¯t that get you into trouble?¡±

    ¡°Typically, yes. But these are extenuating circumstances, and Lawrence will understand from the moment he sees you. Trust me. Everything¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Oh my Gods, he lives here?¡±

    I looked over and Savi¡¯s eyes widened as the house came into view. It was an old mansion estate littered with stone statues and ornate carvings all along the exterior. Lanterns lit the entrance in a way that made it mesmerizing.

    "Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± I pulled into the loop driveway and stopped under the canopy leading to the front door. ¡°The whole property is about three thousand acres. The house sits within a two-thousand-acre stone wall that¡¯s twenty feet high all the way around. Well, except for the gate we passed through. The remaining thousand acres are all woodland with several houses scattered throughout.¡±

    ¡°This guy must be loaded. Oh my, I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡±

    ¡°He is. He owns the land but allows the coven to use it as we need. It¡¯s all part of our relationship with him. Come on, I¡¯m already late. I bet you¡¯re dying to see inside, aren¡¯t you?¡± I motioned for her to follow as I unlocked the back hatch of my car. Savi stumbled up beside me, almost tripping over my foot, not taking her eyes off the house.

    "Oh, sorry. This place is humongous. It''s something out of a fairy tale.¡±

    ¡°Just wait till you see inside. Here, carry this, please.¡± I shoved a cardboard box in her direction.

    "Okay. What is all this stuff?¡±

    ¡°Some supplies they needed. A few groceries and some herbs. Various things.¡± I hauled another box from the trunk and reached for an oversized cooler beside it. Juggling the box on my hip, I set the cooler on the ground and closed the hatch. "Okay, that¡¯s everything. Here we go.¡±

    Savi followed closely behind me through the entry patio to the grand metal door entrance. I stopped shy of the doors and turned to her. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I said. Have an open mind. Oh, and don¡¯t stare. He hates it when people stare.¡±

    I knocked on the door with my foot, and Savi huffed behind me. ¡°What do you mean don¡¯t stare? Don¡¯t stare at wha-¡±

    The doors opened, cutting off Savi¡¯s questioning, and a petite young woman stood inside. Her wavy blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, covering much of her bright red sweater. It reached just shy of the top of her black and gray striped suit pants.

    ¡°Ah, Aster, we¡¯ve been expecting you. Please do come in.¡± She gestured for us to enter as she slipped to the side holding the door. I stepped in and as I passed her she asked, "And who might your guest be? We were not expecting another visitor, but a rare treat nonetheless."

    "Rebecca, this is Savi. Savi, Rebecca. Savi is a new member of the coven and is under my protection and guidance. She¡¯s my pupil," I said, expressing the intent of why she was with me. They would understand not to question the coven, and declaring her my pupil wouldn¡¯t raise any further questions.

    ¡°Ah well, Savi. It¡¯s so nice to meet you. A friend of the coven is a friend of ours indeed.¡± Rebecca grinned as she closed the door behind us and stepped into the foyer. "Right this way Aster; Daddy just retired to his study from dinner. You can leave the supplies here. I will have Marcus fetch them when he''s done tending to the livestock. Come.¡± She turned and headed down a long hall to the left.

    I sat the supplies down and Savi followed, her eyes still wide, soaking in every inch of the place. ¡°Place the box here on mine. It¡¯s okay, Savi, no need to be nervous. Marcus is the groundskeeper and, as you can guess, Rebecca is Lawrence¡¯s daughter. Nothing will happen to you as long as you¡¯re with me. I promise.¡±

    She whirled her head and stared at me as she placed her box on mine. ¡°What do you mean nothing will happen to me? Was that a concern before? Who are these people?¡±

    ¡°Through here, ladies.¡± Rebecca stood at the end of the hall, waiting for us to follow.

    "Coming," I called back. ¡°I hooked my arm in Savi¡¯s and started walking towards the end of the hall and whispered to her, ¡°Just trust me. And don¡¯t stare.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± was all Savi managed to reply before we arrived at the oak doors propped open beside Rebecca.

    ¡°Daddy is in there. I need to freshen up before I head back to the city for the night. I¡¯m so sorry to run out of here so fast and not get to catch up, but I have a lot of work at the firm tomorrow. I hope you understand.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We won¡¯t be visiting long. We too have a lot to get done, so I will fill Mr. Walcott in on the delivery and be out of his way shortly if that¡¯s okay."

    ¡°That sounds perfect. Have Marcus lock up after you leave. Thank you for making the trip out tonight. We¡¯ll catch up next time.¡± She waved behind herself as she headed back down the hall toward the foyer.

    ¡°Stay here a moment, please.¡± I let go of Savi¡¯s arm and stepped inside the study. A sweet smell of musk and oranges caressed my senses. My eyes scanned the room of wall-to-wall books and leather chairs trimmed in ornate oak carvings. A soft glow from the fireplace danced in the shine of all the glass bookcase doors, giving the space a warm and inviting allure. I looked to my right and found Mr. Walcott seated at his desk opposite the lounge area. He was writing in a journal with his familiar pipe in hand.

    He noticed me over his tiny glasses and smiled. ¡°Welcome, Aster. Come in, dear. Always a sight for sore eyes. Don¡¯t mind this tired old man; I was lost in my thoughts.¡± He removed his glasses and placed them on his desk. Inserting his pen inside the journal, he flopped the aged leather cover over it, securing it closed.

    He paused and sniffed the air; his green eyes glistening with excitement. ¡°It seems we have an unexpected guest.¡± His haggard face turned almost childlike as his smile widened. ¡°And she¡¯s a special one indeed. Hurry, bring her in.¡±

    ¡°Yes, special indeed. Her name is Savi.¡± I turned toward the doorway behind me and motioned for Savi to come. She gave me a hesitant stare but walked to my side. "Savi, this is Mr. Lawrence Walcott, the owner of this grand estate.¡±

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    She glanced at Lawrence, then back at me, a slight puzzled look on her face. No doubt questioning what I meant about not staring. She peered back at him and gave a slight nod. "How do you do, sir?¡±

    ¡°Bah, oh there¡¯s no need for formalities here. My estate may be vast, but I can assure you I¡¯m a regular old fool. Chin up now, dear. Now let¡¯s have a look at ya, Savi.¡±

    He reached his hands to either side of himself and pushed back. He slid away from his desk and, as he turned, the back handles of his wheelchair caught the light glinting off his desk lamp. Giving another good push with his hands, he rolled around the side toward us. Savi stood beside me, and I felt her tense as he approached.

    He breathed in a long, deep breath and exhaled through a smile. "Savi, you are remarkable. The scent of your power is overwhelming, almost downright intoxicating.¡± He cocked his head before drawing another deep breath. ¡°Ahh? A scent I can¡¯t quite place. Fascinating. A special guest indeed, Aster. Tell me everything. Come sit.¡± Lawrence gestured toward the couches and wheeled himself to a small bar by the fireplace.

    She slapped my hand into hers and gripped it tightly. Fear, confusion, and curiosity rolled off her, and her body tensed as she eyed Lawrence preparing himself a drink. With every sound of ice clinking against his glass, her heart fluttered through her hand in mine.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Savi. I promise," I whispered to her and tugged on my hand to walk us to our seat on the couch. Lawrence pulled up beside an oversized chair and took a long swig before setting his glass down on the table beside him.

    "So, Savi¡¯s magic. Tell me all about it.¡±

    Savi sat so close to me she might as well have been in my lap. "Well, unfortunately, there¡¯s not much to tell yet. She¡¯s a peculiar case who has been unaware of her true nature, so we¡¯re trying to help her discover it.¡±

    His eyes gleamed as he tipped his head back in a half-laugh. ¡°Peculiar case, that¡¯s an understatement. Well, your coven does like their peculiar cases, don¡¯t they? I can smell the cooler from here. For Luca, I presume?¡±

    I chuckled. "Yeah, it¡¯s too late for me to drop it off at the cabin, so I thought Marcus wouldn¡¯t mind leaving it out for Zoe."

    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. There hasn''t been a peep from them in a couple of weeks. How¡¯s he holding up?¡±

    ¡°From what I understand, he¡¯s taking it in stride. One day at a time. Thank you again for letting him stay with Zoe.¡±

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s no bother either. She¡¯s a good kid and she¡¯s been here long enough to know that cabin¡¯s her home for whatever she needs. Anything we can do to help, we will.¡± He took his glass and gulped down another long swig before glancing back to Savi. ¡°Now back to this little lady here. Savi, tell this old soul what you do know. What powers do you possess?¡±

    I nudged her to answer while she kept staring straight at him.

    ¡°Sorry. Um. Uh. I don¡¯t yet know. You see, I didn¡¯t even know magic was real until the other day. Like for real, real. I never imagined something like that existed.¡± She relaxed next to me as her nervousness eased. Lawrence had a way of doing that to people. He had such a kind and gentle smile.

    ¡°Oh dear me. You¡¯re in for quite the roller coaster ride finding out all the things that you never knew existed.¡± He chuckled to himself as he took another swig. As he withdrew his glass, his face turned somber. ¡°Or the evil that exists out there to hunt you down and stop your magic. To hunt all of us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a whole different topic of conversation, Lawrence. One Savi''s not quite ready for tonight. I was bringing her here to help show her a little about this vast world that exists beyond what she¡¯s known.¡± I braced for what was to come.

    I may know Lawrence Walcott as one of the kindest people, but he does not like it when someone disrespects him. Not agreeing with his way of thinking could set him off, so I needed to be careful as I was still unsure of how the demon might act. I watched both of them cautiously.

    ¡°Throw her into this world head first before she¡¯s even explained the threats that lie beyond? She needs to know these things, Aster. I''m not doubting your tutelage by any means; however, you of all people should understand the significance of those threats. Your grandmother¡¯s healing is the only reason I''m still alive today.¡±

    I glanced at Savi from the corner of my eye, trying to make out her expression. She was rattled by this tension and no doubt full of questions now. I wanted this to be eye-opening for her but not explosive, so things needed to calm down before they got out of hand.

    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. How about we talk about the supplies I brought, and we can go into a full-depth explanation of everything else later? I promise. There¡¯s no threat¡ª"

    ¡°No threat? No threat?¡± Lawrence¡¯s eyes shifted in color as he let out a guttural growl, their deep emerald hue changing to fiery orange. ¡°If there¡¯s no threat, then explain this to Savi.¡± He yanked the wool blanket covering his legs off. There in his wheelchair lay exactly what I wanted her to see.

    She shrieked as her eyes met the two twisted limbs covered in dense gray fur with speckles of white spattered throughout. They followed from the haunches all the way to the paws perched on the footplates of his wheelchair. The massive talon-like claws that protruded from each digit sparkled in the fire¡¯s light.

    "Whoa, what the¡ª" Savi sprang from the cushion and flipped over the side. "Aster, what the fuck is that? Whoa, whoa, whoa. No, no, no, no, no.¡± She gripped the back of the couch, not taking her eyes off Lawrence, and readied herself to run. Creeping backwards, she lunged and grabbed the poker from the fireplace and held it up, ready to swing. ¡°What is that thing?¡±

    I leapt to my feet and stood between them. ¡°Savi, listen to me. It¡¯s okay. Look at me.¡± I held out my hands and motioned for her to lower the poker. ¡°Please put that down and listen. You know how I said I wanted you to keep an open mind tonight? Remember?¡±

    She bobbed her head yes, not taking her eyes off of his legs. "Well, Mr. Walcott here and the people in his community are exactly what I wanted to show you. I wanted you to see the world you¡¯re agreeing to be a part of. There¡¯s more than witches like us, Savi. Much more. So please put that down and let¡¯s talk about this. I will explain everything.¡±

    I glanced back at Lawrence, who was gleaming ear to ear at her display of courage. He undoubtedly found this amusing to watch, but I know he would ultimately respect her bravery. ¡°I will explain everything, even the threats you face. That will make everyone in this room very happy.¡±

    Savi¡¯s face went white. "What¡ªwhat is he then?¡± She stumbled to the side, losing her balance for a split second. "Oh, I don¡¯t feel so good.¡± Her eyes fluttered closed and she whipped her head to the side to steady herself again. Wisps of smoke gathered around her eyes as she stared at me in confusion. ¡°Aster, what¡¯s happen¡ª" The poker slammed to the floor and I lunged forward to catch her body before it collapsed with it.

    The demon had taken her out, like it had at the scrying. I peered over my shoulder at Lawrence, who was sniffing the air. ¡°That smell. Brimstone. What is she? That¡¯s the scent I couldn¡¯t quite place earlier, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Like you said, the coven likes its peculiar cases. There¡¯s an unknown demon within her and as far as we can tell, she has no idea, so it must stay between us.¡± I scooped my arm underneath her neck and legs and hoisted her up as best I could to the couch. ¡°The coven has tasked me with not only teaching her our ways but also quietly finding out what she knows, if anything, about her guest.¡±

    ¡°I will never claim to understand you witches and your pacts with demons, but if she has such a powerful being inside of her, there''s even more reason to tell her of the Templar.¡± He wheeled beside her and placed a hand on her stomach. ¡°She could be in grave danger if they got wind of her; then so would you. I have plenty of rooms here if it ever comes to that and you need a place to lay low. My doors are always open, Aster.¡±

    He grinned and took another long breath in. ¡°Oh¡­ no. There¡¯s still something more. A hidden scent. The sulfur is trying to cover it almost like it¡¯s trying to hide something. It¡¯s willing to be discovered to keep whatever that is hidden. Aster, what have you gotten me into?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m as shocked as you are. High Elder Mora said she could sense more in her, but it was shrouded by the darkness and the demon showed itself. I wonder¡­¡± I was completely unsure of what I was doing, but I had to test my theory. I had to know if it was present with us.

    I spoke loudly but firmly. I would have to display some semblance of control. ¡°Show yourself, demon. I know you¡¯re here.¡± I waited, watching Savi¡¯s chest rise and fall. Her face was pale, yet her expression was peaceful. A low hiss whirled through the air. Savi¡¯s serene lips curled into a wicked grin, yet the rest of her remained still.

    ¡°Ah, little Aster. Still none the wiser, I see.¡±

    Savi¡¯s lips moved through the motion of the words, but it wasn¡¯t Savi¡¯s voice, not entirely. My instincts had been correct. The demon had responded to the situation at hand. I needed to be cautious. Really cautious.

    ¡°Why have you shown yourself now? Release Savi at once.¡±

    Another low hiss followed by a deep chuckle. "Oh, you poor puppet. Why, you ask? Why not? You throw my¡ªthis vessel¡ªinto danger and expect I will not respond? Tisk tisk, puppet.¡±

    ¡°There is no danger here¡ª"

    "Quiet, welp. This is between me and puppet.¡± The words bit harshly from Savi¡¯s throat. ¡°The danger lies in the knowledge. The more she knows, the more she will dig, and the more she will dig, the more knowledge this way comes. So you see, dear puppet, I cannot allow that.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, and why do you keep calling me puppet?¡±

    Another sly smile. ¡°Time echoes truth. Truth echoes time. Time sees all. Time reveals all.¡±

    ¡°You demons and your miserable lies and half-truths. Witches do you a favor by allowing you to remain as you are, and you spit in their faces. Back to hell with the lot of you if it were up to me," Lawrence scoffed between draws of his pipe.

    I glanced at him and gestured for him to stop. The last thing we wanted was to upset it, whoever it was, and cause more problems. ¡°How much time?¡± I query, feigning an interest in making out the lunacy. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for demons to trick witches or speak in rhymes and riddles, but this one wasn¡¯t particularly keen on communicating in one style. This one was different for whatever reason.

    ¡°The deceiver weaves the timeless thread. The unbound will be found, and your strings will be unstrung, for time will reveal, and time will heal.¡±

    ¡°Just stop. I know you¡¯re different. I know you clearly don¡¯t want anything to happen to Savi since you misspoke and called her your vessel. She made no pact with you, which is why you can¡¯t take over completely, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Clever, clever puppet. Perhaps you should be the one in charge.¡±

    ¡°Answer me. How much time, and what is it counting down to?¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯ve had enough fun for today, little puppet. I will enjoy watching you squirm.¡± A low hiss retreated back into Savi, and a deep breath filled her chest.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got some explaining to do, Aster. What have you dragged me into now?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off her to check Lawrence¡¯s expression, but I could feel his eyes glaring into me. ¡°It¡¯s nothing the coven can¡¯t handle. I promise. You¡¯ll remain safe. We¡¯ll explain everything to her once she¡¯s awake. I need time to think for a moment. Something it said,¡± I paused, taking in my own thoughts, trying to make sense of everything. ¡°Something it said doesn¡¯t make sense. There¡¯s something much bigger than what I was told going on here.¡±

    ¡°Ya don¡¯t say? Mora never liked to divulge all the information. She¡¯s always one to keep a small tidbit of it hidden for herself. Information others could use.¡± He let out a breathy laugh. ¡°Deceiver is accurate; I¡¯ll give the old demon that one.¡±

    I continued studying Savi¡¯s body for changes while I mulled over what he had said. Deceiver.

    ''Was Mora truly the deceiver it mentioned?''

    So much was going on now. First, the words it spoke at Savi¡¯s scrying and now this. What did all this add to? I hated to admit that the demon was right to a degree. Time does reveal all, but reveal what? I would have to figure this out before whatever it was came to be. For now, I would have to wait.

 CH 22 - Werewolves and Unicorns and Vampires, Oh My! - Savi

    The light burned my eyes as they opened, but I could see Aster lounging in an oversized chair in front of me. Her lips were moving, and her knee bounced as she focused on something out of view from my position on the couch.

    ¡°Not yet. I still have to work some things out before I do.¡±

    Aster¡¯s words pierced my ears, cutting deeper into my pounding skull. I shut my eyes and winced.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably for the best not to. She can be¡­ conniving."

    That voice.

    His voice.

    That man¡­ I shot up straight.

    ¡°Savi! Thank the moon you¡¯re back¡ª" Aster was reaching for me as I stared at him.

    The man in the wheelchair.

    His legs.

    His hairy legs filled my vision, and I panicked again.

    ¡°What is he? What are those? Aster!¡± I pointed at them, demanding answers as I pushed further into the sofa.

    "Savi, calm down, please, and I will explain everything," the man said to me.

    Lawrence.

    Lawrence was his name.

    But this was no man; not with these weird things in front of me. Everything rushed into my brain at once, and it pounded louder.

    Aster''s face slid into view, pulling my gaze from his legs. I blinked and searched her for answers. The softness in them comforted me. "Please listen," she said, taking my hands. Then, she sat beside me, holding my chin to keep my eyes on her.

    ¡°We will explain it all for you, but you must promise you will remain calm. You passed out¡­ from the shock of seeing his true form a while ago, and I don''t want to repeat that again. So please, listen. Okay?¡± Aster let go of my face, and I couldn''t help but turn my eyes to Lawrence.

    I only managed a slight nod. After swallowing hard and blinking, I turned to her and sighed. "Explain." I wanted to hear them out before deciding.

    ¡°Okay. I told you there were things that were about to change your world. Well, he is one of those. In our world, more than magic exists. More than Lawrence.¡± She squeezed my hand gently as she paused, studying my face before continuing. ¡°Savi, Lawrence is a werewolf.¡±

    "I¡¯m sorry? He¡¯s a what?¡± The words didn¡¯t quite register; my brain refused to make sense of them. It was right in front of me but could not bring myself to understand her. I stared at her, blinking uncontrollably, as I waited for the information to process.

    ¡°A werewolf, little one. Lycanthropy. Derived from the Greek words lukos and anthropos; wolf and man.¡± Lawrence raised his pipe to his lips and took another draw, not making eye contact with me. He exhaled the white wisps of smoke as he continued on, this time shifting his eyes to mine. ¡°The ability to shift from man to wolf. Werewolf.¡±

    His casualness took me aback.

    ''How could he nonchalantly explain something so unreal?''

    ¡°Of course he¡¯s a werewolf. Why wouldn¡¯t he be a werewolf?¡± I glared at Aster, throwing my hands in the air in disbelief. ¡°That makes total sense. Now you¡¯re going to tell me that vampires, dragons, and unicorns are real.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, girl; dragons haven¡¯t been seen in centuries. That is to say, if they were ever seen to begin with; there¡¯s conflicting information on that¡ªand unicorns only live in Europe," Lawrence scoffed.

    I glared at him. "Europe, of course! And vampires too. Why not? You didn''t rule them out, so they must be real. Can''t have werewolves without vampires. This has been fun, but I need to go back to reality now. Thank you." I stood up to leave, but before I could, Lawrence¡¯s voice boomed through the study.

    ¡°Sit down, Savi!¡±

    I immediately sat down; the power in his voice halted all of me¡ªmy body, my thoughts¡ªeverything.

    ¡°Good. Now if you¡¯ve had enough of your sarcasm, then let us get back to business, shall we?¡±

    Aster cleared her throat. ¡°Everything is very real. Lawrence is a werewolf and yes, vampires are real. You''ll be meeting one soon enough if you so choose but they are real whether you choose to believe or not. There is much to our world for you to discover. It¡¯s why I brought you here tonight.¡± She relaxed at my newfound timidness, the threat of me leaving or attacking no longer lingering between us.

    ¡°But if he¡¯s a werewolf, then why is it only his¡ª"

    ¡°Bottom half?¡± Lawrence interrupted. "Yes, why indeed? You see I became injured by the very threat you will now face. It¡¯s precisely why I urged Aster to explain things and scolded her for having you enter this world without knowing the danger beforehand."

    Aster shot him a look I couldn¡¯t quite place, and he halted his words. ¡°What he¡¯s trying to say is that being what we are comes with a certain risk, and I need to explain that risk to you now.¡± I watched as her face dropped all its peace and turned sorrowful.

    She wrung her hands together a few times before continuing. ¡°A group of individuals, a powerful group, hunt people like us. People like Lawrence and the others.¡± A long, loose sigh escaped her. ¡°They call themselves The Templar and it''s a silent war that has been waged behind the curtain for centuries.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of them, like in the movie Cooper was watching a few weeks ago. What was it? Something about a declaration," I cut in.

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    ¡°Forget what you¡¯ve seen in movies, Savi. Forget everything you¡¯ve seen about all of this.¡± She gestured towards Lawrence¡¯s legs. ¡°There are similarities, yes, but holding too tightly to what you think you might know could get you hurt or worse. So please, let me teach you, and I''ll guide you through it.¡±

    I shook my head as I realized she was serious. This was as serious as he had tried to explain earlier. The danger was real, and now I faced it, so I waited in silence to hear more.

    Aster understood my silent nod and continued. ¡°The Templar are set on destroying all things magical; witches, werewolves, vampires, everything. It doesn¡¯t matter to them. They believe it is their religious duty to eradicate the world of anything that wasn¡¯t created by their God, and they live solely for that purpose. They''re dangerous, which is why our coven¡¯s number one rule is to not practice openly. Your magic must stay hidden from outsiders at all times.¡±

    I nodded my compliance, but it left me with so many questions. I knew there would be more I would learn over time, but for now, I''d focus on what was in front of me or go completely insane. There was a werewolf right in front of me.

    ¡°So why, how did this happen to you? Was it the Templar?¡± I glanced at his legs and braced for his response. I still couldn¡¯t completely wrap my head around this, but at least the pounding headache had eased a bit.

    ¡°The Templar? Yes. I was the alpha of my pack and we were on a hunt for a rogue wolf who had broken our traditions and left. Little did we know that Templar had been hunting him as well. They caught wind of a possible werewolf sighting and had been following him for several weeks. We finally caught up with him one night at a cabin deep in the woods five days north of here, way out of our known area.¡±

    Lawrence wheeled himself over to the bar, his empty glass in tow. ¡°We didn¡¯t know anything about the town or about the pack that might lay claim to it, so we had to be cautious. It was during one of the wettest weeks, and all scents of anything fresh had washed away, so we were essentially blind.¡±

    He opened up a bottle from a high shelf and refilled his drink. "Well, we found our guy in the cabin and tensions were high, voices rose so we didn¡¯t notice them coming. They''d surrounded the cabin and ambushed us all inside. Most of us were lucky enough to shift fast enough to outrun them but some weren¡¯t.¡± He took a long sip before turning back towards us. Plopping the empty glass on the bar, he rolled to his side table.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t one of the lucky ones?¡± I asked, not knowing exactly how to word my question. It was the best I could string together to form the words. I couldn¡¯t imagine what they went through.

    "No, unfortunately, I was one of the lucky ones, just not the luckiest. As pack master, I wanted to make sure everyone got out, so I was the last to shift. I had been running on my own in the woods following some of the others'' tracks. Mid-shift, some of their bullets found me, but I kept going. That¡¯s what saved my life but ultimately what led to this here chair.¡± He slapped the wheel of his chair and then used it to adjust himself in the seat.

    ¡°When I finally made it well away and had found a secure place to hide out with a few of the others, I tried to shift back. The bullets moved through the shift and one pierced my spinal cord. It halted the change so I couldn¡¯t finish. I spent weeks, through the full moon, without being able to change back to one or the other.¡±

    Lawrence looked toward Aster. ¡°That¡¯s when this one¡¯s grandmother came up and did all she could to help. She stopped the spread of the infection that had taken over and healed me up the best she could. I will forever be grateful for her healing powers as well as her herbs, and I owe her my life. I wouldn¡¯t be what you see here today if it hadn¡¯t been for her.¡±

    She glanced at his legs and smiled as he continued. ¡°So yes, I am forever stuck this way because of their hatred and self-righteous delusions. We lost almost half the pack, and without me as their leader, it dissolved. After the attack, nobody wanted to step up and take over since there was no real way to challenge the position. So now I am one of the last remaining wolves in this area. Which is why knowing of the Templar is so important. They have ways to hunt we don¡¯t fully understand yet. It¡¯s vital you stay alert and don¡¯t draw any attention to yourself. Understood?¡±

    My heart hurt. It ached for this man I barely knew and all the loved ones of his pack that he had lost. I saw now why he was so adamant about me knowing who the Templar were and what kind of threat they posed. I fought back the growing lump in my throat. ¡°Yes. I understand. I¡¯m so sorry for everything you had to go through. I can¡¯t even imagine what that must have been like.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been years, and trust me, I¡¯m in a much better place now than I was at the beginning. We built this place out afterwards to not only keep the Templar well and clear but to also keep my rage well within. It¡¯s been a long road, but what was done was done.¡± He stared off into the floor, seemingly lost in thought.

    ¡°I appreciate you sharing it with me. Now it all makes sense. I¡¯ll be extra cautious. I promise.¡±

    He peered at me and smiled, the softness returning to his eyes. ¡°Thank you. That¡¯s all I ask.¡±

    Aster had been sitting next to me this whole time, completely still. I glanced at her and saw a trail of tears that had recently fallen. Lawrence must have noticed them the same time I did.

    ¡°Oh Aster, it¡¯s nothing to worry about now. I didn¡¯t mean to upset you; I just wanted Savi to be aware of what was out there. The danger. I wasn¡¯t meaning to yell at you.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that. I never knew the full story even myself. I knew she had come and healed you, but I wasn¡¯t aware of everything. I was little when it happened, and I remember she had been gone for weeks. But I was never told about the rest of your pack. I''m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°Lessons were learned. Now you know it''s not about my anger at you; it¡¯s my anger at them and my dedication to keeping you all safe. I mean it when I say you and any of your friends are truly welcome here anytime you need it. Understood?¡±

    She nodded to him as she wiped her face clear. ¡°Understood. Thank you. I''ll explain everything else to Savi and make sure she¡¯s prepared. I promise.¡±

    A silence fell over the room as they both stared at each other, a knowing look on both of their faces. Something said but unsaid exchanged between them that I couldn¡¯t understand. I couldn¡¯t even try to understand, not with everything racing through my mind now. I had so many more questions for Aster and Lawrence that I wanted to ask. So many that it brought back the thumping headache that had almost gone. After a few more silent moments, Aster patted me on the knee and then stood.

    "Well, we''d better get this one back before she starts asking more questions about unicorns.¡±

    Lawrence cleared his throat and smiled, letting a chuckle escape. "Yeah, that¡¯s probably for the best. We wouldn¡¯t want her to find out more about ghosts and ghouls either.¡± He shot me a sly wink.

    Aster laughed at that and walked toward the entrance to the room, pulling me behind by the wrist. "Oh, Lawrence, you bad dog.¡±

    I eyed them both as I didn¡¯t know what to make of the game they were both clearly playing. He wheeled behind us. ¡°Woof.¡±

    That was all he needed to say to send both of them laughing in unison as we made our way down the hall to the foyer. Aster grabbed for the open door handle but stopped shy. She turned back to Lawrence, leaned down, and hugged him. He squeezed her shoulder with his chin and his eyes met mine. ¡°You have a wonderful teacher here and I have no doubt you¡¯ll figure out whatever those little problems you¡¯re facing are. No doubt.¡±

    "Goodnight. Remember, tell me when you run out of these supplies, and I¡¯ll get some more over right away, okay?"

    ¡°I will, and bring this one back with you. She¡¯s absolutely delightful.¡±

    His eyes flared on the last word, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel like there was more being said underneath. I smiled back at him. ¡°I would love to come back again. Thank you for having me and helping me understand.¡±

    He gave me a slight nod and a big smile as we headed out the door to Aster¡¯s car. The crisp night air bit at my lungs as I took a deep breath in. I peeked over the hood of Aster¡¯s car as I opened my door and found her smiling at me. ¡°What?¡±

    She giggled and opened her own door. ¡°Nothing. I warned you he was unique and you didn¡¯t want to listen, did you? Next time, listen.¡±

    I scoffed at her as we began our descent down the long driveway, back to reality. A reality now that felt more real than it had ever been before.

 CH 23 - The Solace of a Studio - Savi

    The ride home had been quiet. Aster hadn¡¯t blared her music, and in a way, I was thankful. It allowed me some time to think about everything, which was likely her plan all along. She was right; she had warned me, but now that everything was out there¡ªwerewolves and vampires and magic¡ªmy reality was different.

    Everyone was asleep when I crept inside, and I had been extra careful not to cause too much panic. Small bumps and creaks felt like echoes through the stillness of the night. I should have gone straight to bed, but I couldn¡¯t. How could I? My mind raced, and the overwhelming eagerness to learn everything I could about my new world left me with an unshakable energy.

    I changed into some of my older clothes, knowing sleep would be of no use to me right now. The best way I knew to get out of my head and stop over thinking every question I now had was some alone time in my studio. I could always clear my head through the creative process, so I tiptoed down the hall again.

    My day had been a whirlwind, but this studio stood as a constant lifeline. I couldn¡¯t count on Theo to help with all this, or Rachel, Sue, or Cooper. Hell, I couldn¡¯t even count on myself at this point. Aster proved one thing, along with many others tonight: that I couldn¡¯t be alone in this anymore. I needed her and the vital support the coven offered if I was ever going to figure things out.

    Something drew me to the oversized cabinet in the corner, and I pulled out the mystery painting. I placed it on my easel and stepped back, taking it all in with fresh eyes. I was still as perplexed as ever as I studied the brush strokes. The way they mimicked mine and yet were not mine. Then something caught my eye; beneath the surface layer of greens and blues, the pops of red below formed a pattern. They looked like words.

    I turned the piece trying to find where one letter could begin, but I couldn''t pinpoint which way was right. They were so well covered that I couldn''t follow each line by eye, but if I traced with my hand, I could tell they connected beneath. I was so determined to figure out what it said that I didn¡¯t hear Cooper walk up behind me.

    ¡°There you are! What time did you get in?¡± he whispered to me, trying not to wake Rachel.

    I whipped around, scared half to death, and let out a small gasp. ¡°Oh my Gods, you scared the shit out of me.¡± I walked over to him to keep my voice lower. ¡°What are you doing up?¡±

    ¡°What am I doing up? What are you doing out so late? Where were you? Rachel had gotten a call from Dr. Theo after you ran out of there in a panic. What happened?¡±

    ¡°He called Rachel? Why? Oh, yeah, I forgot, she¡¯s my emergency contact. Fuck. Is she okay?"

    ¡°Is she okay? That¡¯s all you have to say? No, Savi, she was not okay. She was worried sick; we both were. Thankfully, Aster had texted me that you had reached out to her and that you were okay."

    ¡°She did?¡± I wracked my brain trying to find out when she had done that. I never noticed her text anyone.

    ''Was this some sort of witchy thing she did without me knowing? Whoa, can we do that? Send texts without even using our phones?''

    My mind wandered at the thought.

    "Yeah, I figured you had called her since she''s now the only other person you know after I called Sue and she hadn¡¯t heard from you either. Don¡¯t worry, I let Sue know you were okay so she wouldn¡¯t worry either. Besides, we wouldn¡¯t want to worry your terribly sick boss, now would we?¡± He gave me a sly side smile.

    He knew I had lied to Jakobi about her being sick, which meant Jakobi had told Theo and Theo had told Rachel. Oh boy. This was going way overboard, real fast.

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    ¡°Care to explain what¡¯s up with that little white lie? It¡¯s not like you to do that, so you must have a reason. Should I be worried?¡± His face changed as he studied me. The sly grin shifted to deep caring and worry.

    ¡°Oh, no, no, nothing¡¯s wrong. I lied to Jakobi because he was trying to make small talk and I really didn¡¯t feel like talking, so it sort of happened. Sorry.¡±

    "Hey, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m only looking out.¡± He peeked over my shoulder into the studio. "Hey, that¡¯s the painting from the other night. What¡¯s with you and this painting late at night?¡± He sighed and glanced at me. ¡°Anyways, I care about you and I don¡¯t want to see things go sideways. You promise me there¡¯s nothing going on?¡± There was that face again, deep-seated care and compassion.

    A tinge of guilt swept through me. Not only had Aster lied to Cooper for me, but this was only the beginning of more and more lies. I buried it deep and smiled at him. "Yeah, everything is fine. I¡¯m eager to get my papers, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m worried something will happen to keep it from going through. But I promise, nothing is going on.¡±

    He stepped closer and reached toward my face. His fingers grazed the apple of my cheek, and as they retreated, I could see the speck of blue he¡¯d lifted. "You''ve got some paint right here. There. All better.¡±

    I fidgeted in place, and my heart skipped a beat at the softness of his touch. ¡°Thank you. Stupid oils take forever to dry. Sorry.¡±

    He glanced at the painting again and grinned. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you creating something. You¡¯re always the happiest when you¡¯re in here day in and day out.¡±

    Another flutter of guilt surged through me, but this time it was mixed with something else. Something unfamiliar. ¡°Oh hey, I found something for you. I¡¯ll be right back. Stay here and let me grab it; it¡¯s in my bag in my room. I promise you¡¯ll like it.¡±

    ¡°Something for me? Well, color me intrigued.¡± He grinned and stepped over to the dining table and pulled out a chair. ¡°I¡¯ll wait right here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I darted down the hall on my tiptoes to avoid waking Rachel. I didn¡¯t want to deal with her wrath right now. I doubted she would be as cool with me calling on Aster as Cooper was, but that was for future Savi to deal with tomorrow. I ducked into my room and found my bag beside the bed and rifled through it. Snatching up the folded paper tucked by my sketchbook, I headed to the dining room.

    ¡°Here ya go!¡± I slid the paper to Cooper, who was cleaning the paint from his hands with a paper towel from the holder on the table. He sat up higher in his chair and grabbed it.

    "Aww, a piece of paper, Savi, you shouldn¡¯t have!¡±

    ¡°Open it, dummy.¡±

    He unfolded the flyer and I watched as his eyes scanned from left to right, reading each of the bolded words. His face lit up as he finished and set it back down. ¡°This is awesome! A battle of the bands Halloween bash! Right on! Oh man, this is going to be so much fun! I bet Aster will have an absolute blast rocking out!¡±

    ¡°Oh. I thought we - errr. Yeah. I saw it on a coffee shop board and thought that you would like to check it out. It¡¯s right up your alley.¡± I tried to play it off, hoping he didn¡¯t notice the falter in my voice. He did.

    ¡°Oh Savi, I¡¯m sorry. I already told Aster we would hang that night. I figured that would be okay since Rachel had said she wanted to do Halloween at home this year. I thought you two could ham it up with a girls'' night and wouldn¡¯t want all this masculinity hanging around.¡± He flexed his arms in the air before falling forward in quiet laughter. He glanced at me and grinned a sheepish grin. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s okay. You¡¯re right; Rachel did say she wanted a girls'' night for Halloween this year since last year''s Halloween date had gone horribly. I forgot. I''m sure she would have reminded me soon. You and Aster go and have a good time. You guys make a good couple, ya know?¡± He flashed a curious look at me as he skimmed the flyer once more.

    ¡°You think so?¡±

    "Yeah. I do. You guys kind of fit. I¡¯m happy for you. Just don¡¯t tell Rachel I said that.¡±

    ¡°Why? What does she care?¡±

    ''Shit.''

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. You know how she likes to tease you about all your girlfriends. She¡¯d kill me if I didn¡¯t uphold tradition and take her side in the teasing. You know how she is.¡±

    ¡®Good save.¡¯

    He chuckled again. "Yeah, you¡¯re right. She does like to mess with me. Well, hey, it¡¯s getting late. I¡¯m going to head back to bed, that is if I can ever get this paint off. You should too since you¡¯ve got to be at work early in the morning and wouldn''t want your boss to have to get on to you in her sickly state.¡± He pouted his lips out while continuing to rub at his finger.

    I punched him on the arm softly. ¡°Hey! Don''t make me hurt you. And that''s oil paint, genius. Use soap."

    ¡°Ok ok ok I¡¯ll stop. I had to. It was left wide open.¡± He stood up from his chair and walked toward the kitchen and stopped. Casting a single eye over his shoulder, he mumbled, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t hound you about something bothering you anymore as long as you keep me in the loop. Okay?¡±

    That lump jumped right to where it had been. "Okay," I said quietly.

    ¡°Goodnight Savi.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight Coop.¡±