The sky was her territory.

Here, no parent claimed the roof above her head, no mother could argue with her will, no sire could judge her desires. She was free. Who really cared if she hunted or not? Bipeds killed for food everyday. Every slice of ham, breast of chicken or string of sausages was a tale of butchery and bloodshed. Karen nodded, finding a strand of logic there, strong enough to support her weight. It was ridiculous to enjoy food others butchered and then crow that it was wrong to hunt. Bipeds harped on about free range food, surely the beasts of the woods were the most free range of all?

Besides, Pa was meant to be on her side, not with Mom’s fears and frets! Had they expected her to learn magic and just be normal?! Ridiculous!

Karen roamed the heavens until exertion banished irritation. At this time of year, the mountains were white fangs rising up around, flanked in fuzzy grey cloaks with only the occasional grey green scar. Civilization rendered a clashing geometry unto the world, squares unnatural against the six-pointed truth of winter, but showing the most black and brown. Even the Ranelk lake was frozen solid, the boathouse a barely visible shed on its edge with a beach alongside it. Quiet, cold, perfect for her secret rendezvous with Maddie.

But there were hours to kill before then. So Karen flew, getting used to the new griffin-bag on her chest, how the straps carefully circled her wing shoulders, how the weight felt, until she was confident enough to dive and loop and play. Credit where credit was due, Alastair’s gift was perhaps the best of today- after all, she didn’t want a noisy ugly awesome badass guitar. The whole street would probably hear her if she played that ridiculous thing at full volume.

“SHIT!” she screamed a frustrated curse. Well, less of a curse and more simply a pure keening shriek, enough to scare up birds from the forest far below. Karen’s eyes roamed over them out of instinct, noting the younger ones, the slower ones, as her wings bore her towards their blindspot. It was just practice after all.

She swept further out. The view on the whole was gorgeous of course, but her vision excelled at the distant and the minute. A hare trying to evade detection as it crossed a snowy meadow was clear as day. There, a fox sniffing in the white, a shaggy wolf, a deer plodding along. And, really, there was nothing illegal about hovering in the deer’s blindspot. It was just the best place to observe the tasty venison from, and there was nothing wrong with practising.

She circled, checking her vicinity.

Would anyone even know?

Talons of thought dug into her mind as she circled. It looked safe, not a mystic or person. Who’d care if she had a licence? Wolves didn’t, and they were just stupid canines that bipeds practically worshipped for some reason. She shadowed it.

Then, past a tree, the deer’s path was different. Karen blinked, swerving over the forest, her senses keen in the orange and red light. Had it detected her? Changed direction? No- there, she spied the metallic colours of blood, vibrant against the snow. Someone had eaten her prey?!

Her temper boiled as she swooped down, then landed in a barrage of wings, crunching perfectly between the trees. The buck was there in the shadow of the trees, a delightful specimen with enough flesh to gorge on for days. Though it wasn’t alone.

A dragon clung to it in the shade, though not any of the ones she’d seen before. Nor was she quite certain it was a drake. The mystic had no scales to speak of, but tawny fur instead, a build with strong rear legs ending in hooves, and dextrous looking arms of curling clawed paws. A wiry rat-like tail behind it was tipped with spikes, eerie and sharp, and two great bat-like wings supported its weight, serving as extra limbs. It was big, bigger than her, and yet fuzzy and incongruous upon it was a caprine head of ridged horns, fuzzy ears, eerie eyes, and sharp wolf-like fangs.

“AAaaaAAAh,” It bleated as blood dripped from its maw, before a tongue flicked out, too long, to lick the red away. Then those wide eyes settled on her and it ducked low, wings unfurling, as a warbling low inhuman voice escaped its throat.

“HeeEEeelloOO thEERre ffRiEeehNdD…”

Karen’s feathers stood on end. Class C’s couldn’t talk. Not English at least. And the creature was like nothing she had seen- not even on deliveries or in theory. This wasn’t right.

“...yOunGg laAAdEy gRrRiIffInn…”

The creature took a strange slithering step, forelegs hanging as it planted rattling wings, treading on them, horrid eyes fixed on her throat.

“SoRcErrResSsss… THomMmpsSson…”

Karen reared up, flaring to her greatest wingspan with a belligerent shriek. There was but an instant of pause, but it was enough for her to scarper and flee through the trees. They were too dense to fly off, she had to keep her wings tight, but the mystics' wings were broader still and it seemed slower.

Logically she could slow down- after all, most mystics were just people, but something about it felt wrong, like the Siren, or the Butcher. And it had known her name, been ready to snap at her throat.

No.

She found a ridge and took off, whirling up into the sky in quick fast circles, eyes watching out for the creature. If it could fly, she didn’t spy, but the deer carcass did vanish from her vision during one rotation. Something strange was out there.

Dusk wove a dizzying kaleidoscope across the world as she swept back homewards, rising up amidst the clouds. It was time to meet Maddie, and despite the encounter, Karen felt a playful excitement rise within. She looped and dove her way back, before sweeping down to the clear area by the boathouse. White powder was kicked up all around by her passage, and she landed perfectly upon the beach, hoping Maddie saw how elegant she was now.

KRIK.

A rumbling crack made the griffin startle, taking in her surroundings. She was a distance from the trees, and distance from the boathouse, so… this wasn’t earth or stone.Her claws bit into lake-ice as she tensed, but another groaning sound sent her darted forwards- no, another threatening crack hissed from below. Karen threw herself back, wings whipping out along with her tail to try and stabilise, even as one paw pierced through the ice to be bitten by winter water.

The griffin yowled in fear, spread her limbs and hunking down, belly to the uncertain ice as her tail flicked and writhed. People had drowned in the lake before, idiots who had thought the ice strong like concrete. They’d fall through ice, through cold, through shock, and never wake up. And she was heavier than them.

But she could fly? No, she had to leap or get momentum, and that would smash through to a frosty demise. She could swim? Not well, not well enough to survi-

“Karen!”

The voice came amidst the trees and brush, and her eyes quickly found the silvery hair and copper scales. An odd part of her brain noted that Maddie looked radiant in the cold weather, her mermaid copper scales kissed by the sun, dressed as if for a summer day. Her eyes were wide, fins flared, on the verge of panic.

“Friend!” Karen squawked back, ashamed of how much fear sounded in her shriek.

“Karen, don’t worry- you’re ooookay, just.. Uh… just scooch this way, alright?”

“SOUTH!” She cawed, eying the fragile lake surface between them.

“Bad? Okay.” Maddie neared the shore nervously, her fangs biting into her lip a moment, before slithering around to the left, burnished scales sliding soundlessly off the ice. “I think, round this way, can you try that? Nice and slooooowly.”

Karen’s tail announced her discomfort, but the griffin gingerly stepped, keeping shoulder blades high as if stalking prey. Her wings nervously flared, twitching, tempting her with every sound of creepy crystalline cracking.

“That’s it- let your wings down, they’re heavy, remember? Let them lay out on the ice, spread your weight. You’re doing greeaaaat.” Maddie cooed, slithering slowly nearer, “This is safe, juuust get to me.”

It felt wrong to let her wings drag. Her feathers flicked and twitched as they scraped into snow, and another shameful yowl escaped her. Going well. Inch by inch Karen scooted forward. Going well.

KRIK!

Going terribly.

The crunch was too much and she lurched into motion, lunging forward only for her paws to smash through into cold water. The sharp fangs of ice fractured, denying her any purchase as she struggled and crashed into winter’s maw. There was nothing solid, nothing even her wings could grip as she flailed, talons tearing off small bergs without offering any traction. The cold coated her like a net, hungry to drag her down like those lost before.

“I’ve got you!”

Something slammed into her belly, soft hair across slender shoulders, and billowing writhing scales. It shoved and struggled as she flailed, hands tight against her ribs, and Maddie’s voice cried, “Karen, don’t scratch- just drink, okay?! Just drink!?”

Drink the lake? No, her head was pushed up into cold air, surprised at how strong the mermaid was in water, and a metallic flask clinked against her beak. Karen balled her talons, kicked with her hind legs to stay afloat, and twisted so bitter stinging liquid spilled into her throat.

The pain of Veil was too much this time. She struggled against everything, even as her legs diminished and weakened, her tail lengthened and writhed madly, her feathers thinned and scales spread. They knocked against the ice, perhaps too hard, and Maddie’s aid weakened, letting the lake embrace her.

She was sinking. Freezing. Feeling her beak give way to nose and mouth. It was too much. She gasped for air. Wintry water answered instead, flooding her lungs. The world darkened.

She should have said… goodbye? I love you? Thankyou?

Why did dying have to hurt so much?

Six agonising knives stabbed into her sides. Something pulsed, water shifted, and oxygen flickered back into her brain. Reeds and weeds tickled her back, tangled around arms like slimy manacles. And a glorious feminine figure hunkered over her, backlit as though by a crimson halo from the broken ice above. Maddie’s golden eyes were wide with fear, and a bubble escaped her lips as she asked something distorted by the water.

Karen grabbed a hold of her. She buried her face in her neck as she felt sobs of fear and panic wrack her being. Her long grey tail wound around, like a child demanding to be lifted, and in her element Maddie complied, holding her tight, webbed hands rubbing her back. Karen curled close, shamefaced as salty tears mixed with the lake, her body shaking with terror for long minutes. Maddie held her.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Then, as she began to quiet, the mermaid straightened that tail, and pushed and dragged her upwards. Their hair was plaster soaked across their shoulders as they bobbed up out of the break in the lake ice, lungs heaving, tears lingering.

“Karen, I’m so so sooooo sorry!” Maddie held her by the armpits teary eyed, “I didn’t… I… I should’ve… oh god, I should’ve just told you to stay still, I’m an idiot!”

“You!? I landed on the shitty ice- I hate it, I couldn’t see it, it looked like ground, it’s fucking ridiculous!” Karen slammed her tail against the rime as she gasped, blood boiling. “I… no, you’re not, Maddie- don’t be sorry, I’d have drowned if you weren’t here!”

“You wouldn’t have landed if I didn’t invite you!”

“Well…” Her mind swam and she found her hands, dark claws clutching bronze ones. “You saved my life, still.”

“Yeeeaaaah, I guess I did… Happy Birthday!” Maddie broke into a giggle, some tears escaping her, shaken as she was from adrenaline. “That wasn’t really meant to be your present though…”

Karen hugged her. “Well thankyou. I… it’s… it’s good to see you.”

“You see me every day, goofus.”

“Ach- that doesn’t count while we’re working the plan- and besides, I didn’t see you yesterday, so ha.”

The smile widened a little, accompanied by a blush as Maddie took her in, “Fine, true, it’s good to see you too… did you bring a swimsuit, or are you just skinny dipping?”

“Hey, you never said swimwear, I just brought normal clothes in my… bag…” Karen felt her own cheeks tint as she considered her bare form, crossing arms, “Damnit. My phone was in there. Pa’s gonna be even madder…”

“It might be okay? We can- well, I can find it, Karen, don’t worry. You don’t need to swim after… that. And I know you like breaking Veil.” Maddie frowned, “Your dad’s angry?”

“He will be- urgh, they’re both being such pains!” She broke more ice, tail lashing with fury, “Know what I asked for? Hunting Licence! But no-oooo-ooo, anything but hunting for sweet little Karen, can’t have her acting like an actual griffin! It’s ridiculous, it’s my birthday, right?”

“Yikes, yeah. So you didn’t get anything?”

“No- well… yeah… I got some cool stuff.” Karen admitted, sinking to let her gills breathe the water, “New clothes. New bag. Statue. And a big electric guitar… but… it’s like… if they’d told me, I’d have… y’know arranged an actual party. I was so set up to go hunting and Pa just blew it up in my face!”

“Hmm.” Maddie drifted over, leaning on the ice, “Ever tried fishing?”

“Yeah, it’s boring as hell.”

Her friend laughed, high and clear, sharp teeth glinting in bare twilight. “Karen, come oooooon. Look at yourself.”

She considered her sharp clawed, webbed hands, her long tail, and felt her mouth curiously. “Oh. We can just eat fish? That’s okay with you? Do we need to chew? Can we unhinge our jaws?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, no. Can do it now, or another time if you’r-”

“I’m fine! Seriously, Maddie, it’s okay- unless you’re scared I can catch more than youuuu!” She whirled around, trying to flow smoothly like the natural naga did.

“Oh yeah, birdbrain?” Maddie snorted and supported her by the armpit, offering the flask with a blush, “Here, drink up- it’s four twenty, so we’ve got two hours. Birthday present courtesy of Logan of course.”

“Of course. Urgh.” She flicked out her tongue at the taste, but drained it. “Thanks.”

“And maybe let’s find your new fancy bag first, hmm? Gift from a griffin admirer?”

“Shut up!” She splashed her, got splashed back and broke into mirth and tears.

Splashing turned into swimming, and diving beneath the cold, wet and wild. Karen tried to race her, but Maddie streaked through the lake like a shooting star, radiant to serpentine night vision. In comparison, it was embarrassing to be so clumsy and slow, her body unfamiliar. Yet the medium of water was much more forgiving than air. Here, one could swirl and loop to your heart's content, without ever falling prey to gravity. As fierce as winter was, underwater it was gentle.

Maddie won naturally. She admired the bag wordlessly, and Karen extracted a soaked top before chucking it up on the surface, leaving a nice open hole in the ice for later. Then, Maddie leading, she followed through the twilight world, watching for movement in the green beds below. Here, there, in dappled moonlight, scales were spied, and she chased after them with bubbling mirth. The first couple of large fish escaped her- taking refuge in nooks or crannies too deep for her arm.

But the fourth. The fourth was driven towards Maddie and had at least enough brain to recoil from the other serpentine mystic. As it did, Karen’s sharp fingers grabbed it. It wriggled and struggled, flopping and flailing, only for her teeth to descend on some brute instinct and tear out a mouthful of flesh and blood. It tasted good. Karen tore and ripped into it, feeling a joy bubble up from inside as she proved herself.

She licked gore off her lips, bloody and beaming.

Maddie stared at her, golden eyes wide. Then, a small smile showed her own sharp teeth, and she held up a single digit. One to you.

* * * *

“It counts even if I let them go.”

“But what if you grab a fish, let go, then grab it again!? That’d be cheating!” Karen flopped against the ice, arms thrown wide.

“Well, yeeeeah, that would be cheating,” Maddie consented, drying off silver hair with a towel, “Buuuut, I don’t need to cheat at this. Eight-three was totally legit scores.”

“Totally.” She sighed, tail coiling up.

“And I didn’t waste time eating mine.”

“What’s the point of hunting if you don’t eat it?”

“Uh, not much, just, y’know, victory.” The mermaid bragged, flopping onto her back with a beatific grin. “But glad you enjoyed it. Feel better?”

“I guess?” She considered quietly. “I mean… Maddie… Is it weird I wanna hunt? Like… it… feels useful. Or I get to… hmm, finish things?”

“Karen, you’re a quarter griffin shapeshifter sorceress, of course you’re weird.” Maddie smirked, “But, it makes sense for you, so it might as well be normal, right? And I think I get it- it’s a way for your skill with flying to have a definite end, right? And a benefit, at that.”

“Oh- yeah, that sounds good. I’d get to start and finish a task in one go.”

“...you’re not gonna try and eat our target when we find it, are you?”

“Urgh, gross, no- it’s rotten as hell, I’d get sick,” Karen gagged, eyes glancing through the dark for any eavesdropping vermin. “Think we can talk?”

“Yeah, well… you’ve got one minute, I’ve got another five.” She swept out a mix of snow and sand with her tail, and laid down a towel. “Are you alright with your folks? You’re not gonna fly off the handle again, are you?”

“I don’t wanna talk to them today.” Karen grumbled, pulling off her top wearily, “Gotta tell Dad my phone broke and… do you… think I could stay over?”

Maddie fixed her with a look. “Without being spotted?”

“Oh… no, I… hmmm… I’m pretty dark?”

“I’ve got a better plan- but you will need to Veil again.” Her friend pulled another, small bottle from her bag, the potion inside an odd dark turquoise colour.

* * * * *

She retched over the toilet in agony, the bathroom tiles cold beneath her knees. Her throat burned, chest heaved, stomach violently opposing the changes wrought upon it. The contents burned as she disgorged them, coughed and spat once more, averting her eyes from the chunks of fish and offal. Maybe it was the fish, she mused, pulling the flush to banish it away. Or maybe the shapeshifting.

Six was excessive. The young woman winced as she pulled herself up to the sink and mirror, tail twitching for balance. Sera would forbid her from such recklessness, but the djinni wasn’t in her reflection- nor was much humanity. Her skin was grey pallored, flecked with dark feathers in places, and two awkward half size wings drooped wearily from her back. Her eagle eyes concluded the spot the difference despondently as she rinsed her mouth, spat the taste of bile out. Then splashed and washed her face, carefully combed her hair back with talons, and met her reflections’ gaze.

“What do you think Sera? Is it worth to stick like this, or change another two times?” Karen groaned to the mirror. Somehow, despite the strangeness, this hybrid looked like her more than Sera ever had. “I mean… like… it’s not good, kinda a freak, but… Maddie’s half snake so… we kinda match to hang out, right? ….Denrol.”

Her form locked, she pulled on the spare dry clothes Maddie had left. A tank top thankfully stretched enough for her awkward wings to feel comfortable in, and a pair of loose shorts and leggings blended violet and indigo without chaffing her tail. She carefully twisted the lock to avoid scratching it with her talons, creaked the door open, and almost screamed.

A giant snake filled their landing.

Karen stumbled and fell on her rear as coils of emerald and black scales stirred, twisted, and brought into view the distorted frame of Hugh Carpenter.

“Oh, gosh- Karen, are you alright? So sorry, did I scare you!?” The creepy naga gasped, so alike and yet alien to his veiled self. Lacking glasses, his orange reptile eyes looked too intense, traced by scales and fanned ears, all giving more severe features. His frame was heftier, with shovel sized webbed hands, and too many teeth in his mouth. “Apologies, it’s just me- was on my way to bed actually, though I can Veil lickity split if you-”

“It’s fine!” She snapped, wings hugging over her shoulders, “I mean, it’s your house- and I’m fine, I just tripped a little, kinda… uh… messed up shapeshifting. But I’m fine.”

“Right. Well, happy birthday, let me know if you need anything, of course,” He leaned closer, looming over her to offer a massive hand, the claws blunted, “Do you need Veil? A mage? Diana? Ethan?”

“Nah, I’m okay, it’s not my worse one,” Karen cringed, grabbed the toilet and carefully stood on her own two feet. “Uh, Etha- the Professor? Is he… um… in the know with you?”

“No, no, but we could Veil lickity split, don’t worry,” Hugh relaxed, drifting back into the hall, “At least… hmm, I don’t think he knows. He did work with old Mr Kingsley- Diana’s father- but if he does, he’s kept it hush hush, he’s a smart man. You’re lucky to be learning from him next term, I’m sure you can master this with his help.”

“You knew Diana’s dad?” She stumbled, then pushed the thought aside. Too much had happened today to care. She just wanted to get free of his conversational coils. “Yeah, it’ll be crazy to learn magic at school. Congratulations on that research thing, that was the big plan right?”

“Bingo, much appreciated- honestly it was closer than I expected! There’s a lovely place down in New Mexico that was sailing ahead in the pitches, from what I heard on the grape vine. But you just can’t beat Ranelk’s scenery and climate, can you?” He beamed, tail wiggling.

“Nope- you should see it from the air, it’s incredible, I get to just see the whole world like a big… huge blanket, almost!”

“Tempting- maybe I’ll enquire about a hot air balloon for the opening, that could be attractive,” He stroked his chin, “Eeeh, but the budget’s pretty tight all round, and winter’s hardly the best time, let alone all the rest of the work piling up. How’s your work going by the way? Kept off the horse diet?”

“Ha ha. It’s exhausting.” She snorted, hopping over his tail carefully, “Wait- is there more? You don’t get to relax now RARC is sorted?”

Hugh laughed. “Sorted? Barely, it’s a gosh darn lot of paperwork, charm, chatter, and trying to get egos to work together. It’s a good step- though I can’t take steps- to help make sure mystics settled here aren’t moved around and get the chance to build proper roots, proper lives and all, but… the work never ends, kid. Just gotta keep it rollin’ like old Sisyphus!”

“Uh… who?”

“You know? The king of rock and roll?” Hugh laughed at something, “Ah, lame joke, even for me- though I don’t have a leg to stand on in that regard!”

“Daddy, don’t throw all your snake jokes on her, it’s her birthday!” Maddie called up the stairs, “Hey, Karen you good? We got the big TV!”

“I’m fine! Hm, thanks Hugh, for… letting me stay and all. And good luck with… everything.”

“Not a problem, thankyou for being Maddie’s friend again,” He smirked, and dropped his voice, “Good to see more than just the boy, hmm?”

She snorted back mirth as she stumbled downstairs and he slithered off soundlessly. The Carpenter’s lounge was plenty impressive, twice the size of her lounge, mainly due to being dining and sitting room both in one. The table at one end was home to plenty ham, nuts and snacks, then a big comfy corner sofa with blankets was facing the massive main TV. A treasure trove of DVDs covered the coffee table, from which Maddie looked up and suppressed a giggle.

“Ohmigosh, you okay? Couldn’t make up your mind?”

“Look, breaking Veil’s hard, and it’s been a daaaay,” She hurdled the couch and flopped on the soft warm spot, stretching out wearily. “The Veil worked, I work and I’m alive, that’s pretty good.”

Maddie’s eyes flickered down, pulling three cases free, “Did you feel anything in that form?”

“Small, cold, weak, embarrassed. But nothing creepy or Bad Egg-y, so it should work… just was too eager to break it I guess.”

“Well you look real badass at least, check out your nails, you’re like a beastly Tengu- but even cooler, obviously.” She shuffled closer, offering a zombie movie, a horror, and a romcom. “Take your pick, oh ancient and wise seventeen year old.”

“Uuuuh, the… Twenty Seven Dresses, sure.”

Her blonde lashes fluttered, “Really?”

“Yeah, really.” Karen pouted, rolling over, “I just… I dunno, wanna feel a bit like last years birthday I guess?”

“That’s okay. It’s been rough- want your nails done?”

“If you have enough polish, sure.” She snorted.

Maddie did. She lavished little brushes and strong smells on each talon, painting them different shades of blue to purple to black, then adorned them with yellow, red, pink and white. Eventually, as the movie blared on about romance, schemes and secrets, her claws took on the appearance of a sky through morning, clouds and night, decorated with sunrise, stars, and moon. She couldn’t return the favour, not even when Maddie’s veil ended and tail sprouted, but that was alright. Maddie had always loved a willing subject, and it was nice to be preened and polished, giggling away at dumb jokes and class comments.

“Think you’ll take Professor Fossil’s class?” Maddie wondered eventually, laying in a comfy cosy pile as a wedding dramatically blared onscreen.

“Hmmmm, yeah. Might as well, dunno what I wanna do, but… magic’s neat.” She cocked her head back, “You?”

“I don’t know. I mean, like, is it weird if Daddy does sooooo much work to get him around and I don’t? But it’s weird if I do, I’m not meant to be fussed about magic, I’m meant to seem… normal but it’s such a weird paradox.” Her tail flicked anxiously. “What’s normal?”

“Not fussed? You’re dating a mage and hanging out with a witch.”

“Well, yeaaaaaah, but that’s like… welcome to town, that’s relationship stuff, not study!” Maddie huffed, “Is it hard?”

“Depends if you’re Iain the Archmage or not. You’re smarter than I am- yes, you are.” Karen held up a talon, “But… it’s hard, at least how Diana teaches it. My sorcery, my shifting, it doesn’t have the pain reduction Veil does, it’s all on me so… it’s… it’s hard.”

She blinked, surprised to find tears in her eyes, and curled close, wings hugging round herself to brush at her eyes clumsily. Too slow. Maddie noticed, her expression pensive, but leaned in, one hand petting her back, the other combing through her hair. They sat and settled, snacked and turned on another one before conversation returned, more scornful and bitter. She ranted about her parents, ranted about her gifts, ranted about the stables and stupid horses and the horror in the woods.

And Maddie ranted too. She groaned about how busy everything was, how sick she was of lying, of the dragons pestering her and so many mystics looking down on her expecting her to know nothing, to be an ignorant human. And she ranted of Irene. They found a good common ground there, in the witches ignorance and pride, stupid plans and unfair skills, her ridiculous politics and false friends.

“Sorry you had to deal with her… we can cancel things, if you’re sick of her.” Karen groaned, “Grant might get something or… I mean, I could try being direct.”

“Excuse me?” Maddie blinked.

“Ah- I wouldn’t kill her- or torture her? No. Just scare her. You know. I can be scary.”

The mermaid raised an eyebrow, tail coiling, “Oh, ye of little faith- come oooon, you think I’ve not gotten her to spill the beans?”

“You… what?”

“Yup. She’s going to let me meet her familiar.” Maddie grimaced, and took on a pompous snooty voice, “Where ancestors linger and memories lie heavy, there we shall receive guidance- seriously, who talks like that? She keeps trying to be super mysterious, it’s the wooooorst.”

Karen frowned.

“...birdbrain, come on. Ancestors. Memories.”

“Oh- it meets her at the graveyard?”