The following day, Rosemary asked the vampires to make themselves scarce for twelve hours. There would be some serious magic happening that they wouldn’t want to be around for. Not a single one put up a fight. They rarely did when Rosemary or Rory asked something of them. The only fuss the older witch received occurred when she asked the witches to strip down nude. Eventually, she relented to them stripping down to undergarments.

  Rory sat cross-legged in the old barn. Doc’s warm knee brushed her own to her right and Nadine’s on her left. They all formed a circle with Rosemary in the center and Asher prowling the edges. His eyes focused too heavily on Rory’s nude flesh and bra for her comfort. All’s fair, I guess. I took in quite the eyeful of him myself when he was wearing nothing but his tattoos. She’d also fully explored Doc in his skivvies. He was quite the sight to behold.

  Sven, not being a fan of underwear apparently, had draped a paisley scarf on his lap.

  The air grew thick with incense and a steady thrum of magic. Rosemary held a braided length of sweet-smelling grass that left trails of smoke behind it. She surrounded each witch with the smoke and placed what looked like a tiny, green tomato in each of their hands. If a crazed scientist had spliced tomato genes with a cactus.

  When it was Sven’s turn to receive his, he cheered. “Knew I liked ya before. But this is a gift from the heavens.” He kissed the button-like object.

  Rosemary gave the nod that meant it was time to eat. Sven’s disappeared before her bracelets went silent.

  “I feel like Alice,” Rory whispered to Nadine. She imagined it was a cake and popped it in her mouth, chewing and swallowing before the taste could catch up to her. Despite her efforts, she cringed.

  “Here’s to Wonderland,” Nadine said and ate her own.

  “What did we just eat?” Rory finally thought to ask her.

  “You don’t know? Oh, dear. Well, Sven is excited about it. That should tell you enough.”

  It did. She didn’t know what it was exactly, but from their reactions, she was in for a fresh experience.

  “Today, you will bond with your first animal,” Rosemary said. “When you return, know that you will no longer be alone in your mind. Understand, the process can be difficult for some and what you’ve eaten to heighten your senses can cause you to become sick. Don’t fight it. Call for Asher and he’ll bring you a bucket. When the visions come, follow them. Asher will guide Doc and Sven. Nessa will guide Holga and Billie. I will guide Rory and Nadine.”

  Asher frowned at his mother but didn’t push the matter. There was a spiritual quality that even he seemed to revere. He bowed his head and readied the bucket while the witches meditated.

  Rory wasn’t the best at meditation. She’d tried it before the time jump to calm herself, but found it boring. Nadine and Mara had both encouraged her to continue with the practice. But the only thing she received from it had been a sore back.

  Beside her, Doc’s breathing took on a steady, even rhythm.

  Soon, Nadine’s matched in perfect synchronization.

  As did Billie’s and Holga’s on the other side of the circle.

  But how can I hear their breathing from here? she wondered. Then the world joined with the even in’s and out’s of their breathing. She felt weightless yet tethered, like a balloon on a string.

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  It wasn’t until she let herself go that the world floated away and she found herself in her old room. Not the tiny apartment. The room she had at her mother’s house. She was coloring. The crayons smelled waxy and felt real in her hand. The texture of the paper smooth against her palm. It was more vivid than any memory.

  Is this how Holga remembers things?

  In the kitchen, her mother was cooking fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy. Her mouth watered and her stomach grumbled. But it wasn’t food she desired.

  She needed to see her mother again. To give her a hug. Tell her how much she loved her one last time. Remember how she looked then, healthy and full of life. Not how she had at the end, old and skeletal from the chemo.

  Her little legs ran as fast as they could and she wrapped her five-year-old arms around her mother’s acid-washed pant leg.

  “Rory bear, what’s gotten into you?” Her mother was no older than Rory’s current age. Her blonde hair was teased and set with too much hairspray. She wore plastic glasses too large for her face. And she was the most beautiful thing Rory ever saw.

  “Nothing’s wrong. I love you, Momma.”

  “I love my Rory Dory, too. Go on and color. Momma’s frying chicken and she doesn’t want you to get burned. Kisses.” It wasn’t a question. Her mother never asked for a kiss. She demanded them.

  She gave her two sloppy childish kisses and turned to her room. Halfway there, she stopped and watched her mother cook as she danced to a song where a man sang about Runnin’ with the Devil.

  In that moment, she wanted nothing more than Holga’s ability.

  When she’d made it to her little plastic desk with crayons and construction paper, she focused on the crude drawing. She could even remember drawing it when she was little. There was a small black and gray bird holding a worm in its beak. She’d gaze at them for hours out the big bay window and give them all names. Looking back as an adult, she probably named them multiple times.

  She checked to make sure her mother wasn’t watching. And seeing it was safe, stepped on the desk to get a closer look. Sure enough, perched on a cherry tree branch, was a chickadee, looking back at her.

  The perspective became confused and distorted. She blinked a few times to realize she was now on the outside, looking in at the face of a little girl through a window. The little girl moved too quickly for her liking and she took to the sky. She tweeted happily and flew. Her wings carried her through town, down roads, over pastures. She flew through a sprinkler and a drop of water splashed against her feathers. She beat her wings harder, pushing herself higher, and the ground drew away.

  Farther and farther until it vanished.

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  Rory sat up, blinked her eyes and wiped the thick saliva away from her mouth.

  “Welcome back,” Rosemary said. “You seemed to have had quite the adventure.”

  Nadine was already up and holding a cup of tea that she offered to Rory.

  “Thank you,” she said and sipped it.

  She stood on shaky feet to check on her friends. Sven had thrashed away his scarf and sprawled on the ground, naked for all the world to see. She draped the cloth on him again to help him maintain a shred of his dignity. His chest was pale white and most of his bones were visible underneath. He had scars all over his arms and torso, some an inch long from cuts while others were deep pock marks all along both arms.

  “Heroin,” Nadine said from behind her. “When he came over, he was a mess. The first few weeks Doc and I spent helping him with the detox.”

  “I didn’t realize how bad…” Rory’s face numbed looking down at the lacework of scars.

  “He doesn’t like to talk about it. Despite our history, I’ve only seen him fully nude once or twice. It’s honestly surprising to me he went this far.”

  Sven opened his eyes and smiled wearily. “If I’m still dreamin’ don’t say a word. Just off with the knickers, both of you.” He held out a hand to each of them.

  They groaned and walked away.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Worth a try.” He stood and secured the scarf until he resembled a guru dressed in bright paisley.

  Once they’d had enough time to recover, Rosemary sat on the ground beside them.

  “How long were we out?” Rory asked. The light had changed outside. It must have been a while.

  “About eight hours. It takes longer than it feels. I know.” Rosemary beamed. “You all had a very fruitful time. Tell me, what animals did you see? This way we can prepare for your transformations. Some need a little more space than others.”

  Billie said excitedly, “I saw my goldfish and I got to swim in his bowl.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Rosemary said and clapped her hands together. “We have some clean pools for the swimmers in Inboco. This is a reason for the vision quest before we shift.”

  Nadine blushed. “I was my Papillon, Gigi, from when I was a girl.”

  “Course you were,” Sven said. “You’re already adorable.”

  She frowned, and asked, “And what were you, Sven? A weasel?”

  “No.” He looked hurt and slightly embarrassed. “And I don’t wanna talk about it.”

  Rosemary shook her head. “You’ll share with everyone else, but we’ll let others go first. Holga?”

  “I was my tabby, Princess.”

  “Aw. I love cats.” Nessa said and kissed Holga. They both froze. “Sorry. We haven’t been in public together.”

  Holga blinked and adjusted her glasses.

  “James,” Rosemary said, pointing to Doc.

  He shrugged. “I was a bear. Didn’t really do much, just took a nap.”

  “It’s still dangerous for a beginner.” She sighed and said, “You’ll work closely with Asher for a while. No shifting alone. Do you hear me? We’ll need a secure perimeter.”

  Doc nodded. “Sure. Why?”

  “The bestial side was sleeping for now. You need to know how to control it when it stirs.”

  Blood drained from his face and he nodded again, more seriously than before.

  “Rory, you’ve been quiet.”

  She could sense Asher standing behind her, and she fought the urge to run. The bird remained inside, reacting to his predatory nature. “I was one of the chickadees I’d watch from my window as a little girl.”

  “My first form was a pigeon,” Rosemary said. “Yes, it’s the rat of the skies, but the ability to fly is still the ability to fly. Now, I’ll warn you, flying is a challenge, at first.” She looked over at Billie. “As is breathing underwater. The two of you will require extra help for you to achieve mastery.”

  “Speakin’ of rats…” Sven put a hand through his spiked hair. “Just ain’t the sky version.”

  “Nothing to be ashamed of,” Rosemary said. “You’re the best type of scout. Nearly invisible in most surroundings and found almost everywhere.” She took a deep breath, almost as if she was gathering the nerve to speak. “I’ve summoned one last person from Inboco to assist with your training. He’s also part of a confession I have to make. There will be no secrets between us. Truth is, I’ve known about your group for a few years now. Rufus, come out please.”

  An average-sized man with bright red hair and a beard joined them. His face so full of tiny freckles, he looked dusted in cinnamon.

  Dusted in cinnamon, Rory thought before her eyes widened. “No shit. Betts?”

  “Busted,” he said and scratched his head nervously. “Hi guys. It’s great to finally get the chance to talk to you.”

  Sven stood and snorted. “Nah, you ain’t Betts. Betts is a horse… An actual horse. In fact, best damn horse a bloke could have. If I hadn’t lost him.” His face turned uncertain, and he looked around. “Right? This ain’t Betts.”

  “I could prove it to you if you’d like.” Rufus lifted the corner of his t-shirt to remove it.

  “Don’t wanna see a ginger strip, mate.”

  “I do,” Billie said and waggled his eyebrows.

  Rufus gave him a tight-lipped, forced smile before looking away. “I’ll prove it another way. When you found me, there was a flask that never empties in the cart waiting for you. Rosemary thought it would sweeten the pot. And she couldn’t have been more right on that one.”

  He snorted and shook his head. “You keep that flask in your left breast jacket pocket and drink from it frequently. In fact, more often than not, you’d drink too much and fall asleep in the cart while I took us back to Alma. If you weren’t sleeping, you’d talk about Nadine and touch-”

  “That’s plenty. You’re Betts.” Sven patted Rufus on the back and whispered loud enough everyone could make out his words, “Don’t talk about some things you seen or heard, and I won’t poison ya while you sleep. Got it? Ya fuckin’ ginger bastard.”

  Rosemary pondered the Brit for a moment before continuing, “Understand, before I would allow strangers into Inboco, I wanted to know more about you and planted Rufus for Sven to find. I was afraid he would question it. However, he accepts things with greater ease than I’d ever expected. I do hope you’ll forgive my transgressions.”

  “Makes sense to me,” Rory said. “I appreciate you coming clean with us.” Her face flushed as she remembered all the times they’d left the cart behind. The time they spent in Mara’s domain had been the longest, and she felt even more horrible. She locked eyes with Rufus/Betts and said, “I’m sorry for how often we abandoned you.”

  “It was fine. I got to go home for a while and let my back heal up. You guys really need to learn how much weight is safe for a horse to pull.” Rufus stretched and his back popped. “There was an amulet hidden in the cart that let me go straight back to Inboco. I’m honestly surprised no one ever found it.”

  Rory looked at Sven, who was busy attempting to intimidate Rufus while wearing a little paisley wrap. “Are you? Because, honestly, I’m not.”

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  Rufus and Asher shared Byron’s old room, and the farmhouse was full. Meals took multiple people to make, but everyone took turns. Even Rory, who under Nadine’s careful guidance, created a few edible dishes.

  Once the spells of protection shielded the homestead, it was easier for everyone to let their guards down. The vampires kept to themselves mostly, only dropping by to whisper the current events to Billie or get more blood alternative—which as it turned out, Sven had a rather large emergency stash of.

  Rory and Doc maintained a cordial though slightly strained, relationship. She wasn’t comfortable giving him her normal friendly hugs and pecks on the cheek. There was an electric, ever-present hum of tension between them.

  Eventually, Rosemary taught them the basics of elemental magic. While only she was adept at using all four, the others found a singular element they could attune themselves to.

  Rory remembered the first time she met Nadine and her odd comment about being the last of their group of four. She’d never spoken of it again, and Rory never brought it up. But as they learned this new magic and discovered they were each attuned to a distinct element, she pondered over the significance.

  After several hours of summoning nothing more than tiny puffs of air, she felt less like a powerful witch and more akin to a machine at the eye doctor. She sat in the barn's shade and looked for a distraction.

  Mister Distraction himself—Asher—prowled in her direction.

  The bird inside her fluttered, panicked, as if stuck in a cage. But she forced herself to stand her ground. “Hey, Asher.”

  “Hey, yourself,” he said in a tone halfway between a growl and a purr. “My mother sent me to check on your progress.”

  “If you need your eyes checked for glaucoma, I’ve got you covered.”

  He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and stared at her blankly.

  “Oh, right. Before your time, I guess.”

  “Tell me about it.” He sat next to her cross-legged and pointed at the churning gray sky. “Before that happened, what was the world like? Mother won’t talk about it.”

  “I keep forgetting you aren’t a Starfall like the rest of us.” Rory laid back on the grass with her arms behind her head. “Never really appreciated all the things we had back then. Like a summer day when the sun would warm your skin. Outdoor concerts where complete strangers became fast friends because you were all there to see your favorite band.”

  “The sun wouldn’t burn you? You could be outside when it was up?”

  “Well, if you were out long enough without protection, you’d burn.”

  “I think I’d like to bask in the sun.”

  She giggled and received a glare in return. “Sorry, I'm not laughing at you. That’s just what cats do.”

  “Well, that would explain the appeal then.”

  “Tell me more about yourself. I don’t know anything about you besides you’re a witch and Rosemary is your mom.”

  “You also know I’m from Inboco.”

  She sat up to look him in the eyes. “And? What else?”

  “And I studied magic for many years.”

  “What about these?” She traced her fingers over his tattoos. He shivered, and she quickly withdrew her hand.

  “Some are for protection from magic and others from physical harm. Some help quiet the leopard and some help me connect with it.”

  “Can you turn into other animals?”

  “If I wanted, but the leopard doesn’t like it. It can be a very selfish animal.” He grinned at her and shook his head. “I’ve made a horrible impression, haven’t I?”

  “Where’d this come from?” His personality shift disarmed her. She could handle him once she knew what he was about. And so far, he’d only been about one thing. Since when does he care what I think?

  “Mother doesn’t want me to take a partner who’s not like us.” His eyes followed the movements of two vampires as they grabbed their supply of alternative. “A small part is a superiority complex, but it’s mostly from her own experience. My father was a human shifter in Inboco.”

  “Humans can do it?” This was news to her.

  “They can, but not as well. One animal only. I guess you can say the people of Inboco are naturals. The same way the Daughters of Alma can purify water little bits at a time. Humans can tap into magic, just not on a grand scale.” His eyes followed the vampire’s departure, and he returned his full attention to her. “Sorry, I’m still not used to allowing them to wander around all free range.”

  “Neither am I, to be honest. But it seemed like the right thing to do.” Rory shrugged.

  “I admire that. You’re smart enough to be afraid, but you don’t let that fear conquer you.” He shook his head. “Anyways, humans can tap into the magic, but they don’t have our lifespans. They’ll get, at best, another thirty years tacked on. Mother ignored that when she got attached to my father and tried to awaken him. Or something like that. When he died…” His voice trailed off and he looked at his hands. “Maybe, it’s not so much a superiority thing with her.”

  “So, you think I’m your answer? A witch you can settle down with?”

  “I wouldn’t say settle down with. But it'd be nice to have some fun. Don't you think?” He asked and leaned in to kiss her.

  The bird screamed in its cage. “Don’t touch me,” she said, fusing magic into her words.

  He smiled and held her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I won’t kiss you because you don’t want me to. But your magic won’t work on me, though. Gotta do it the old-fashioned way.”

  A stone dropped in her stomach. She’d gotten a little too reliant on her ability to protect her. She was more vulnerable to him than she’d thought.

  He jumped up and held a hand out for her. “Also, I lied earlier. So we should probably get moving. Mother didn’t send me to check on you, she sent me to fetch you. She has some plan she needs your help with.”