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—what'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.”

Stolen story; please report.

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—"

“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.