“Get out the way or I’m kicking your stitches.” Karen fumed, glancing around the trap with quick short breaths.
“Nope.” Logan folded his arms, gangly frame leaned back against the door, the empty classroom’s only exit. He’d lured her in too easily, just by asking to talk privately, but instead had delivered her to the lying snake. “Maddies just wants to talk- and you’ve been dodging her all week. Plus, I do have a question too.”
“Please, just two minutes,” Maddies was blocking the other exit- perched on the windowsill where she’d been hiding. Her eyes looked reddish, blonde hair wound around anxious fingers, shoes swinging, “Both of you deserve an apology, I’m really sorry.”
“Oh? What for?!” She barked, then lowered her voice, “For tricking me to lose my memory? Or for lying for years? Or is there more bullshit you’ve pulled?”
“Everything! I should’ve never mentioned magic, it got you curious! If I hadn’t, you’d still be human.”
Karen’s eyes narrowed, as she stalked closer, “You know what changed me? Really?”
Maddie wobbled on the sill, shaking her head, “Well, n-no, but if I hadn’t shown you, then you wouldn’t have tried veils, or gotten involved in magic… s-so it’s my fault.”
“No. No. Maddie.” Logan groaned, “It wasn’t my fault, and it wasn’t yours- even this idiot wouldn’t blame you for that. You got the timing wrong, that’s an honest mistake, it happe-”
“It wasn’t a mistake.” Maddie clasped her hands.
“What?”
“So…” Karen cocked her head, “Back in September, you unveiled in the bathroom… on purpose?”
She bit her lips and forced a nervous nod, “I… everyone else was telling people, it was the emergence, and it was just us… it was stupid, but… I wanted to tell you, Karen. To let you see me- and I’m sorry, Logan, I used you as a scapegoat, and it was so dumb, I should never hav-”
“Shut up!” Karen snapped and snatched her hands, tawny fingers squeezing her pale ones. “You’ve got it backwards- that’s the only thing you shouldn’t be sorry for- except you should’ve shown me years ago.”
“I wanted to protect you- what if Matt took more memories? Or some other monster… silenced you? Because of me?” Maddie sobbed.
“I don’t need protected. I can- and I have- kept your secret. You should’ve trusted me, instead of listening to your Daddy’s ridiculous horror stories all the time.”
“Don’t insult him,” Maddie winced, “He wants the best, I need to follow the rules.”
“But you haven’t!” Karen hissed, “You’ve broken them- so own it. You can use your own judgement. And guess what? It turned out okay! None of our bullshit is your fault- right Logan?”
““I mean… I don’t agree with the tone, but she has a point.” He stepped closer, laying a big hand on Maddie’s shoulders, “You can blame Matt, or Karen wanting to fly, or magic being crazy, or some weird spirit, but you’re innocent, Maddie- and I’m glad I know you. The real you.”
Her eyes fluttered with heavy tears, and she pulled her hands free before grabbing them both in a hug. Karen tensed, and she felt Logan freeze too, but this wasn’t too many people. Even if she ought to be mad, she couldn’t find the same anger at this pathetic wobbly display of tears and sniffles.
Eventually Maddie breathed, and released her, “Sorry. But… don’t be too wild, Karen, there’s other horribly stuff out there, ghost stories and… wait, you think a spirit’s involved?”
“Oh it’s fine, I killed it.” Karen bragged. “Bu- it wasn’t a person, it’s like a weird zombie angel. And it turned into pigeons, so technically I just killed some pigeons.”
“Wait, when was this?” Logan squinted suspiciously.
“Last… uh, wednesday. Look, I’ve been busy with homework and it’d sound crazy if I told you in front of people.”
“It still sounds crazy. You’re sure it wasn’t…. instincts, or altitude sickness?”
“I can’t get altitude sickness.” Karen scoffed, “It was real. Real blood on my beak and claws.”
“Riiiight,” Logan sighed, “Well… I guess that loose end’s closed. Well done?”
“It wasn’t hard.” She smirked, as Maddie giggled, “Now, what else did you need?”
“Just a sample for the original veil potion.” He produced a vial, “A hair, or feather, or some blood from whatever injury you’ve got now.”
“I’m not perpetually hurt, I’m not a clown,” Karen huffed, pulled a plaster off her arm and squeezed a scratch to produce a red flow, “How much?”
“That’s enough- wow, stop, stop!” He caught some in a tiny vial, and pressed a tissue to the wound, “Do I even want to know how you got that?”
“Nope. When do you think it will be ready?”
Logan grinned and sat on the sill beside Maddie, “Sunday for sure. It’s already underway and brewing, the timing’s definite, so you’ll be able to be your old self for Halloween.”
“Wooooooow, really? Congrats Karen,” Maddie muttered cautiously, her eyes fixed weirdly on Logan, “And… thanks for listening.”
“Sure. Think things over, I’m going to get to class before there’s a stampede,” She decided, and marched out the free door. There was still twenty minutes left of lunch, but there was a strange atmosphere in the room she wanted to leave alone.
* * * * *
A big figure stabbed the device to the post with a heavy, KER-CHUNK sound. Karen paced slowly along her street, but each time Caleb stopped to staple a poster up, she got a little closer. Too close, but what was the alternative? Cede to him and walk around?
“Hey- don’t shoot me again, huh?” She teased as she closed in.
“Oh h-hey Karen,” The big teenager glanced at her abashedly, and stapled the lower side with another KER-CHUNK. “Yeah, n-no worries there. I know what you look like- mainly? I mean, I’ll just a-assume any mystic on our street is you… is that rude?”
“When you assume, you make an ass out of you.” Karen glanced at the poster- a black and yellow flyer promising the halloween extravaganza, with a small ‘RANELK HIGH NEWS’ at the top. “Not even laminated this time?”
“Emily printed off way too many to laminate.” Caleb groaned wearily, “Sorry.”
“What for?”
“I… dunno, you’re talking to me, so… figure I’d done something.”
“No.” Karen crossed her arms. This was too many apologies in one day. It was too uneven. “No… actually, I should thank you, honestly.”
“Huh?” Caleb looked down at her, his cheeks near the same colour as his auburn hair.
“Yeah. Thanks. You helped me handle those stupid apes without any bloodshed. And… Ollie told me you stuck with him when I was missing. Said you were like a bodyguard, was ready to fight off the dragons and all.” She muttered. “You’re probably strong enough to beat one or two of them.”
“I… don’t think it’s a good thing that I keep nearly fighting m-mystics. Especially kids.”
“Nah, it’s fine- I jumped on Nessie and broke into their house when I met them.” She chuckled, “Just, thanks for taking care of my little bro. I know he’s a pain.”
“He’s fun. Sure. You’re welcome.” Caleb stammered incredulously, and she nodded to walk past him. “Wai- uh, Karen? You want to c-come to this? Halloween Party?”
“Maybe? Logan’s trying to have a potion ready for me, to make me be my old self. And have actual hair, this buzzcut is killing me.” She ran a hand through the short locks, “Dunno what costume though- the only thing I have is the witch from last year.”
“That’d be awesome! Or the… naga or griffin, or whatever… it’d be good to have you, no matter what you are.” He beamed, blushed, and turned back to stapling up the flyers. Karen looked at his broad back, then turned and slipped into her home.
The news about the original veil potion was, on the whole, delightful. Mom and Pa had gotten better at dealing with a griffin daughter- Pa could understand some of her avian speech, and Mom pet her sometimes- but their joy was palpable. Ollie was less enthusiastic, but accepted it more as he understood it was just a specialist Veil, not a permanent cure to the griffin state.
It was only when she mentioned the news to Diana while brainstorming new avian words that someone reacted negatively to it.
“Is she insane?!” The phoenix witch scoffed, perched in the back garden, her red hair long and braided today, freckles vivid, and the heat surging off her, “You’re planning to let the half trained human experiment on you?”
“Not seeing many other options yet. You’ve not involving me in any experiments.” Karen narrowed her eyes back, golden avian orbs as her Veil counted down. “C’mon, OAR lumped me with you, and you’ve not tried anything, Fire-Wing.”
“We’ve not tried anything on you, Storm-Wing.” Diana used the avian nickname back with a pout, “That doesn’t mean I’m not working on ideas. I do have theories I’m building on how you’ve been able to resume your appearance, but I’m not going to test them on you. You’re worth more than that, you’re a miracle. And this boy… his family… is not to be trusted.”
“Yeah- his uncle used to seal memories, I know.” She rolled her eyes, and savoured Diana’s surprised expression. “We did a little telepathy session, and Logan found a sealed memory in my head- though nothing relevant- and returned it to me. Logan’s a good kid, he hates Matt as much as you do.”
“Oh- then what was the memory?” Diaan plucked up a notepad.
“Ah. Uh. I saw a mystic once before. Um, a mermaid, but the family moved out of town years ago, they just hired Matt to cover their tracks.” Karen lied quickly. That was a little too close to exposing the Carpenters. “Look. I’m great, magnificent and smart right? So trust my judgement please, Fire-Wing, Logan can help me.”
“Always so stubborn Storm-Wing,” She clenched her jaw, wrote a little then lowered the notepad. “I can’t stop you trying. But I need to play my cards close to my chest, alright?”
“What? Why? Couldn’t you give me magic too? Or blood?”
Diana looked away, before shaking her head, “No. We’ve had people hound us and trap us for phoenix blood and feathers and wishes before, Storm-Wing. Just… let me see you’re trustworthy. That was the whole memory? You don’t recall anything more?”
“No. Merfolk are gone.”
The phoenix-witch smiled, “I see. Well, best of luck with the human’s potion. I hope it works out for you.”
* * * * *
She was restless as a five year old come Halloween. But while a child would be determined to hide their identity, Karen was ecstatic to wear her rightful face once more. She still packed dark clothes and a witch hat from the Wicked Witch of the West last year, but she wouldn’t indulge in green paint this time.
Diana’s warnings still lingered, so partly out of caution, and mainly for comfort, she didn’t Veil for the entire Sunday. It was simply relaxing to not have to endure the pain, to eat offal at her own pace, and fly off come the afternoon. She ended up flying more than expected- Logan’s potion was not yet ready- so she stowed her bag at Matt’s cabin and practised aerial acrobatics, loops and swirls that would put even Fei to shame. The tengu spotted her soon enough and recruited her in preparing the clearing for the Halloween party, alongside Mark, Emily and some others.
That did get her mind off waiting. The clearing looked almost entirely different, cleared of litter and with three growing bonfires near the centre, well warded with stones. Tables were piled high with snacks, Mark was erecting some musical equipment, and Fei decorated the treetops with hanging skeletons and other ghoulish trophies. Emily seemed to have taken on the task of managing things, and put Karen to work pushing and pulling logs into place to serve as seating, her physical strength rightfully, and regretfully, recognized.
When she tried to get out of it by leaving some claw-marks on the logs, Emily instead decided their menace was perfect for Halloween, and sent her off down the trail towards the road to add fearsome gouges to the forest. It was a long and winding track, though well guided by pumpkins and some huge fake spider webs Emily had somehow laid in place like guide rails.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
As the evening approached and dusk colours unimagined by humans painted the sky, more bipeds began to help- adults and even satyr, goblins and other mystics adding their own strange touches to the display. Most were wise enough to stay clear of the griffin, though she did spot Jess, the crimson misty child skulking and rearranging Mark’s equipment whenever he wasn’t looking.
Then a small biped clad in tattered false bandages- really toilet roll- bounded up the trail and jumped straight on her back.
“Gotcha!” Ollie grinned, and wrapped arms tight around her neck as Karen bucked, span and shook. He clung on well, a little too well, and she sat and rolled quickly, trapping him under her wing with a rumbling growl.
“Careful- you alright man?” Caleb followed close in his wake, the youth’s huge frame clad in some fake armour and long cape that clashed ridiculously with the modern camera slung from his neck.
“Chill Caleb! She’s mainly fluff!” He giggled, loosed his grip and squirmed free, “Was that your claws on all the trees? They spooked him good!”
“Yes. Strong. Claws.” Karen chirped back slowly, taking delight as understanding flickered through her little brother’s features. He’d been learning with her and Pa too. Not as often, but he had a knack for understanding. “You. Big Boy. Pack. Query?”
“Yeah, Pa said I needed company, so Caleb brought me- you snuck off before I was ready, you big jerk!”
“You. Slow.”
“It’s a lot of roll to make this costume! We can’t all prance here naked, birdbrain!” He stumbled as she headbutted him, then scratched the back of her neck in the perfect spot.
“Wow- you guys r-really got a language going? That’s awesome.” Caleb knelt and fiddled with his camera, then blushed, “Uh, mind if I take a pic?”
“Big. North.” Karen stood, stretching her wings, and enjoyed the hesitation on his face. “I. North.”
“She says make it good,” Ollie translated, slipping in under to hug her wing. The flash of the camera was a little dazzling, but Caleb adjusted it after the first one, then got at her front, then on her back, then pinned under her talons- it was hard to look regal with a toilet paper mummy clambering over her.
“Looks good t-to me,” Caleb cringed slightly as he eyed the trapped youth, “Uh, you wanna see K-Karen? You’ve got better eyes, right?”
“I. North.” She confirmed, stalking off her brother, and eyed the screen- her patterns were indeed perfectly visible, the tealvalin a little flashy in the first picture, but the others were, admittedly, excellent. Which wasn’t a surprise- it was her after all.
“Glad you like it.” He stood, and she realised she’d been purring somewhat in satisfaction. “Uh- Logan said they’re good to go over there. So… s-see you again in a bit, yeah? ’ll keep an eye on Ollie in the meantime, yeah?”
He’d never figure out the word for thankyou, so she gently paced up and gave his hand a soft head butt, before adding another firm nod. Then she turned, considered the crowded clearing with no good space for a launch, and slipped past him through the trees and down the side track.
She nearly fell over when she reached Logan’s cabin.
For one thing, the young mage looked absurd. He had dressed in a baggy suit that floundered around his gangly frame, with a long cape whose collar curled up towards his dark curtains of hair. Yet he wasn’t alone. Maddie was coiled on the porch, her long mermaid tail exposed and coppery in the dusk light, her top covered by a dress with shell ornaments hastily sewn into it.
“Finally. What do you think? You suggested the vampire idea, I figured I’d lean into it?” Logan grinned, showing fake fangs as the cape almost tripped him.
“Careful,” Maddie warned, and looked down at her fidgeting, webbed hands, “Uh, hey Karen. Hope you don’t mind, I’m just going to the party with Logan so… just waiting to see if this works.”
The griffin stared at her, then Logan, then the distant music, thoughts raced without any way to vocalise them.
“We thought this could be a good idea of letting Maddie slither for an evening. I’ve sold some Naga Veil to others, so she won’t be alone, but everyone else will think this is a costume like their own. Genius huh?”
“I am sooooo getting grounded for this,” Maddie groaned, “But it’s worth a shot, right? I’ve not been outside like this for…. Well, since we swam.”
Karen nodded, bounced, shrieked and nodded again, before turning back to Logan eagerly.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve got your Original Veil right here- got clothes?” He brandished a flask, and stumbled back as she gathered her legs and bounced onto the roof of the lodge itself. The bag was stowed against the chimney there, safe from the antics of mystic cubs, and she jumped down with it to land perfectly.
“...so that’s what that noise was earlier.” The mage grimaced, “Right, this should last between two and three hours, but it’s valuable so I need to pour it in. Just sit and hold still, yeah?”
She lay down, folded her wings and let Maddie throw a blanket over her back, before Logan hunkered down and set the canteen to her bill.
As potions went, it was middling. Thick as yoghurt, plain save for a buzzing tingling that made her tongue curl and throat thrum. The dose was far larger too, easily half the flask before Logan pulled back, she swallowed and...
Waited.
Paused.
Felt their eyes on her.
Curled up under the blanket.
Then the pain hit.
It was like a vacuum in her gut, a black hole spiralling in her intestines that dragged her entire being inwards. Her nerves did the opposite, fired surges of lightning to every muscle to get her wings flapping, legs flailing even as her being was crushed and contracted. Her wings shortened, tail thinned and she felt the blanket weight on her more. Smaller and smaller she shrank, ready for the changes- for her fur to thin and reveal tan smooth skin, for her feathers to give way to long dark hair, her vision to blur and dim.
But it didn’t.
“Uuuuuh, Logan? Did just you erase my BFF from existence?” Maddie’s shrill, fearful voice broke through the fading pain.
“No! I mean, I followed the instructions, you can’t just erase people, but on the other hand...”
“On the oooother hand?”
“This is Karen, I’m beginning to think she just naturally screws up magic. Maybe she teleported?”
Teleported? Karen gritted gathered her legs and beat her wings against the stifling blanket. Why were they ignoring her? She was right here, and still a griffin! She gathered her breath and loose a fearsome…
Peep.
“What was that!?” Maddie jolted, “Karen?”
“It came from- oh!” Logan’s tan hand drew the blanket away, and she found herself staring up at a giant, as if she was a hawk again. Yet no, even smaller this time, and she whirled around to stare in horror at her griffin form- tiny and fluffy, smaller than a cat, with soft downy feathers like a chick, diminutive wings and dull ultra violet colours barely visible.
“Oooooh my god she’s soooooo cute!” Maddie’s voice reached a new pitch, hands clasped over her mouth.
“Yeah? You in there, Karen?” Logan tossed the blanket aside and he knelt, extending a hand, “Remember me?”
The griffin gathered her legs and lunged, pouncing into his chest hard enough to over balance the teenager and land him on her back. Yet her ridiculous little claws failed to draw blood, only kneading his vest where she scrabbled, and Karen loosed a roar of utter fury.
The resulting mreowr noise was utterly disappointing.
“Yeah, that’s her- here, don’t claw me please!” Hands half as big as herself plucked her up and set her on a mesa of coppery scales that she stamped and scratched, “Aaah, Karen, noooooo that tickles!”
“Don’t scratch Maddie!” Logan boomed, and she winced, before settling into a sullen glare. “Okay. Good.”
“Good? Logan, she’s a kitten!” Maddie sat cross legged, resting Karen on her lap where she peeped, “Fine… a chick? No? A cub? Okay, she’s a cub, why?!”
“I don’t know! Like I said, I followed all the instructions, I double checked every step, I used our best stock, but as soon as you try to do anything to Karen it’s just chaos. It’s not meant to do this, it’s supposed to return a being to their original form!”
“Ooooh.” Maddie sighed, “It worked.”
“No it didn- wait? You mean?”
“Original. As in early version. Child. Baby.” The naga explained, “Not previous form.”
Karen and Logan stared at her for several seconds before both flopping with a grunt of disgust.
“Well that’s not my fault- I mean, sorry Karen, sure. But blame Paul De’Ardhart and his vague meandering recipes. I followed it perfectly.” Logan groaned, “I swear I thought this’d work.”
“It’s fine. It’s just a bump.” Maddie brushed fingers gently over her back, “It’s not… permanent, right?”
“Yes. That was the least vague part of the recipe- we’re definitely looking at two to three hours of kitten Karen, that’s it. No harm done.” He sat up and smirked at her tiny form.
She tried to pounce at his face, but Maddie’s tail grabbed her in a coil and pulled her back with a disapproving tut. “No. Behave. Look, you’re adorable, this could be fun. Want to come to the party still? Or hang out? Or go home?”
She didn’t really want anything more than to be left in peace, her humiliation private and secret. Maddie left her on a chair with some water, Veil, watch, and meat. Maybe she could catch up hours late, but what was the point of that?
Karen curled up and watched Maddie slither off, clinging to Logan’s arm, her tail lashing. It was a good step. If she could use Veil as an excuse once, she could do it again, and maybe even come clean.
* * * * *
Mist surrounded her when she awoke, orange lights casting shimmering beams through it like sunset on a waterfall. Karen yawned and stretched, blinking blearily before the absurdity of her situation settled in once more. She must have fallen asleep from the weariness of her flights and work. Or maybe this ridiculous tiny body was just built for sleep. She was very fluffy.
The watch alongside her read eight, which left somewhere around an hour or thirty minutes before she was dignified and whole again. Perhaps she’d just fly over as a griffin. Or could she circle home, grab Naga Veil, and match Maddie?
A coo caught her attention as a mangy mottled pigeon fluttered down and landed on the deck-chairs arm, glancing down at her with beady orange eyes. As if she wasn’t a threat!
The griffin cub peeped, squealed and flapped her wings. Even she was bigger than the winged vermin. Yet the pigeon only purred and groomed its wing, ruffling them as if to show off that it could fly, and she could not.
The audacity!
Karen gathered her legs, tensed her tail, and pounced at the bird, talons out. It skipped to one side as the cub bounded from her chair, squeaked and tumbled across the grass below, a rolling ball of fluff. When she came to a stop, the pigeon was staring at her from a low tree branch, looking down at her once more.
It was completely unacceptable. Karen gathered herself up once more before chasing after the pest- pigeons and mice were cub-prey, she would not be shown up by any such filth! Yet it kept ducking back just by a few feet at a time, fluttering branch to branch as trees loomed around them, brown dead needles littered the ground, and thick mist consumed her.
It landed ahead, ready to fly, wings out, and Karen lunged. Yet for once it didn’t dodge. Her little talons slammed the pigeon's head against the ground, her beak found its throat and pulled. Warm crimson blood gushed from the wound, and the bird went still. Victory!
“
Karen squealed as she felt the Bad Egg’s presence once more, and stamped on the carcass, tore it wider- it was meant to be dead! It was meant to be dead!
“
Its rotten wings seemed to stir and blend into the canopy of needles, five horrid pinions centred on a gangly ruined form, hands bigger than her entire body. Karen shuddered, tried to loose a roar of defiance, yet only a pathetic growl emerged.
Don’t show weakness.
But she’d failed to kill it.
It had played dead.
She’d failed.
She turned and ran, bounding off into the mist, into the woods as coughing broken laughter cackled in her mind like static. It was a challenge to even run like this, everywhere she looked there seemed to be an orange eye in the mist, every fallen branch was a hurdle, every root a sudden drop she rolled, bounced, squeaked and fell over.
Then there were voices. Warm hands grabbed her up close and she scrambled tight against them, for once in her life glad to be surrounded.
“The hell is that Grant?” A sharp, snide voice hissed.
“Uh, dunno. Dragon? Think it’s a baby.” A deep voice thrummed from the chest she was held to, and Karen peered up, surprised to recognize the broad stocky form of Grant. Her classmate was in camouflage gear, a heavy backpack across his shoulders, a torch clipped to a strap with some leafy sticks half heartedly poking from its top.
“A dragon?” His friend, the tall wild looking one, Seb was there too, hauling around a huge duffel bag, “Reckon dragons have fur and beaks? That’s a hippogriff, you dumbass!”
“It is a baby one though- here, give it to me.” A female voice drawled, and Karen hissed and lashed out as the long nailed fingers of Irene reached for her. The girl winced and sneered at the defence, blonde hair piled into a ridiculous bun, wearing a long black dress with a heavy stick in one hand, “Argh, little pest tried to cut me- drop it!”
“Fine, here- look, can you run off kid? We’re kinda busy...” Grant lowered her, and Karen sank her talons into the fabric of his shirt and scrambled up, hanging tight to his shoulder and backpack. “Oh… wrong way? Jambo, a little help?”
“No way. I’m not getting rabies.” The first voice returned, belonging to a nervous younger teen with square glasses and a long coat, pockets stuffed with odds and ends. “That can kill you.”
“Oh so I’m going to carry it? What if I’ve got rabies?!” Grant rumbled.
“Then it’s too late for you, but the rest of us can still live.”
“Shut up the pair of you!” Seb snapped, voice echoing in the mist as orange eyes fluttered overhead, “Be quiet, or we’ll never surprise those freaks!”
“You’re the one being loudest.” Irene pouted.
“Yeah? Well it’s necessary to get you morons to focus. Now where the hell is this little gathering? You said the traitors in your class were the ones organising it.” Seb growled, pulling the strap of his bag tighter.
“Told you, path off the road. It was your idea to trek through the woods,” Grant snorted, “I came in costume and everything.”
“Ooooh yeah, as a soldier, very subtle.” Irene cracked her hands, “Look, you’ve tried your approach. Now, let a true witch and her familiar guide you to success.”
All three of the others seemed to sigh at once and Seb turned, marching forwards, “Urgh, I’m not explaining this to you again. You ain’t magic. Stop wishing you were one of those freaks.”
“I’m not wishing I was a freak. This is what humans should have- those monsters have been hiding magic we rightfully deserve!” Irene screeched back, then suddenly abated, “See, look, here’s my familiar buddy!”
Karen glanced back, the others stunned momentarily as a half dead looking pigeon, missing one of its legs entirely, landed on the girl’s hand and peered at them with cold yellow eyes.
“Alright.” Jamie blanched, shining the torch on it, “That definitely has rabies.”
“Yeah, I dunno what sauce you’ve been showering with, but that’s gross- it’s scaring the kitten!” Grant protested as Karen hunkered down, growling on his shoulder.
“Then get rid of the freak. And it’s magic, I told you! Watch this!” Irene whined, and drummed her stick against the dark forest floor, “Siren, dear. Can you help us crash the party?”
“