by A. J. Macey
“Aris! Welcome back!” Gertie called as we walked in, the small witch hobbling to the front to greet me with a hug. I’d come enough times now, she always gave me a hug, and I loved it.
“What do ya got for me, Gertie?” I asked excitedly, rushing to the back of the shop where she always kept the human items. I grabbed a pair of dark glasses with white frames, grinning as I put them on and posed for the guys. The shop went dark around me as Gertie laughed at our antics.
“Ah, sunglasses. It protects their eyes from their sun!” Gertie explained. “They look amazing on you, dear.”
“They do look awesome,” Drayce grinned, turning to the shelf. He picked a weird curved wooden object, studying the shiny material and weird animal design on it. Gertie explained it was called a boomerang, and when you threw it the right way, it came back. His eyes lit up, and he tucked it under his arm.
“I actually tucked something behind the counter for you,” Gertie added, turning and slowly walking back to the front. She reached back and pulled out two small black objects with a rubber stick poking out of the top. It had several dials and tiny holes for some kind of speaker.
“What is it?” I asked, picking one up and studying it.
“They have a silly name, walkie talkies, but they’re communication devices. You turn them to the same frequency, then press the button to talk, and the other can hear you. A more primitive version of their phones.”
“What?! That’s so cool! I’ll take them!” I squealed, already excited, and glad I picked up the human power tubes last time I was here. I’d figured out how to recharge them easily, so I never had to worry about them.
“We have airplanes, Aris. Why would we need these?” Kye asked, making me jump. I was so enthralled, I didn't even see them come in together. I rolled my eyes; it was their usual reaction. Only Caspian and Drayce indulged my excitement in the human items.
“Aris! Look!” Caspian called from the back. I grinned at Kye and ran back to see what Cas found. He was holding up a stack of hats, all in different colors. They said ‘Bad Hair Day’ on them, and I loved them. I recognized them as baseball hats and couldn’t wait to try it on. I threw my hair in a ponytail and popped it through the back, tucking the hat on my head. Once I slid the glasses on, I turned to the others.
“Do I pass as a human?” I asked as they walked over, looking amused.
“Why would you need to?” Xan asked, clearly not getting the fun of it.
“When the council comes for me, maybe I’ll have to use them to hide out,” I deadpanned, only half-joking. It was a real fear. Maybe I should make up some of those hair color changing potions too, I thought, ignoring their incredulous protests.
“I’ll take all of these,” I said, taking the hats, Drayce’s boomerang, my new glasses, and the walkie talkies and putting them on the counter. She rang me up while Drayce protested about me paying. “Hush, this is the money my parents give me, so I’ll keep pretending I’m not a part of the family.”
“You’re my family, Angel,” Drayce whispered as he leaned in, hugging me close and placing a kiss on the back of my neck. We waved our goodbyes and walked back outside. I felt bad, I had brought the mood down a bit, but we would bounce back soon enough.
“Where to next?” Xan asked, glancing back toward the market.
“This was what I wanted to see,” I started, stopping when a bright red airplane almost hit me in the face. With reflexes I didn’t even know were possible, Caspian grabbed it before it could, unfolding it and reading out loud.
You guys need to get back here, right now. -Torryn
My stomach was in knots as we hurried back to the school. If Torryn sent something like this, it was urgent, and he’d likely give us more details when we got back. I glanced at the wary faces around me, my heart sinking.
We couldn’t even have one fun afternoon, could we?
“What do you think the meeting is for?” Caspian whispered as we approached the front gate to the school.
“Whatever it is, it’s not good,” Xan murmured, his tone cold. Following his gaze, I noticed Headmaster Tallis, Tor, and two men I didn’t recognize, standing within the gate, the rest of the students slowing as they walked through the courtyard when they realized something was happening.
“Ah, Miss Calisto, gentlemen,” Headmaster Tallis greeted brightly, seemingly unconcerned with the tension that was quickly building in our group. “Just who I wanted to see. It seems the six of you have been called for a council inquiry about what happened over Samhain.”
“The… six of us?” I sputtered, slow to understand.
“Yes, Professor Callahan will be required to attend,” one of the men stated. The first man was tall and lanky, his expression serious, but not unkind. He lacked emotion, which was a big red flag.
The witches were dressed in a fancy uniform made up of black, red, and gold—the intricate design screamed of wealth and power—they wore like a suit of armor. The smaller of the two was holding a bundle of parchment that held the seal of the council. The seal was an intricate weaving of the five magic types with a large A behind them on a coat of arms.
“Now that everyone is here, why?” Tor questioned sharply, his green eyes burning as he stared down the council messenger.
“Because you’ve been summoned for an inquiry. Everyone must attend,” the second man commanded, his voice firm and strong. This man was huge with piercing gray eyes and a permanent scowl. He was burly and clearly the muscles of the duo. The staff clutched in his hand was adorned with various engravings and crystals. I didn’t have to look at the symbol on his uniform shirt to recognize an enforcer for the council, having seen enough over the years from my father’s functions.
“You’ll have the next little while to pack. Expect to be away for a few weeks, depending on how long the inquiry sessions last,” the messenger told us. “The inquiry itself shouldn’t be longer than a few days, but travel can be slow.” Despite his respectful tone in comparison to his counterpart’s brusque attitude, I couldn’t squash the sense of dread that had flared to life. Everything was too suspicious, and based on my guys’ faces, I could tell they had the same thought.
“Alright then, you heard the men, go and get packed,” Headmaster Tallis directed. At his clap and the flourishing wave of his hand, I glanced over at him. He had a smile on his face, but I could see the tightness in it as he ground his teeth together. His eyes were sharp as he glared at the messenger and his enforcer, no doubt angry, I wouldn’t be here for his creepy meeting.
Unfortunately, not even the thought of getting out of that situation was enough to ease my worry. Shaking myself mentally, I followed the guys, but instead of breaking away to go to the dormitory as I thought, Torryn waved us toward his office.
“Alright, who else has a bad feeling?” he questioned as soon as the door was shut and secured.
“Hellsticks, yeah,” I huffed, wrapping my arms around my waist as if I could physically contain the flips my stomach had been doing.
“Yeah, it’s too much of a coincidence,” Drayce agreed as Tor came closer, curling me under his arm. The rest of the guys nodded their heads.
“Any insight?” Kye asked Xan.
“Pack essentials and anything of importance for both us and our familiars,” Xan told us. “Anything you think might be of use. I don’t know what’s about to happen, but I want us to be prepared. When we get to the capital, I’ll talk to my father, but since it’s official council business, I doubt he’ll share much of anything.”
“Before we leave, I’ll ward each of our doors, so no one can go in except one of us,” Torryn tacked on. “Now, we only have so much time, so let’s get packing. I’ll come around in a bit to enchant the rooms.”
With that, the five of us left Torryn in his office and hurried off. We moved efficiently through the building, refusing to be distracted by the bustle around us. Kye grabbed my hand, stopping me from going upstairs when we reached the dorms.
“Come with me
while I pack, then I’ll go with you. I don’t want you alone right now. Not with Tallis being pissed off, he won’t get his Monday meeting with you.” Swallowing the bile that rose in my throat, I nodded, stepping into his dark room.
Kye hustled, yanking a duffel bag from his closet and depositing it onto his unmade bed. I was buzzing, and not the good kind like when I was excited. My nerves were on high alert, tingling as I stood by his door, watching him. Taking a deep breath, I shoved away the trickle of power I felt starting to build, tucking it away. We needed to save our energy in case we had to use them, so I focused on Kye instead.
He counted out shirts, pants, and other miscellaneous clothing, even grabbing a heavy coat. I watched curiously as he shucked the normal day-to-day shoes he tended to wear, stuffing them in the bottom compartment of the bag, choosing to wear his heavy outdoor boots. Huh, maybe being prepared for anything would be a good idea. I quickly realized I didn’t necessarily have proper winter attire, not after growing up in Ignis, where it was a summery desert all year round.
“Got everything?” I asked, watching Kye zip his bag after stuffing a large bag of chicken feed and a bowl for Raptor into it. He shook his head, grabbing a smaller bag that had two straps on it. “What’s that?”
“It’s my rune bag,” he explained, strapping the first belt around his waist and the smaller one around his thigh. “Carries my rune stones, engraving tool, and my notebook I have for reference. I’m not taking chances with whatever this inquiry is. I would rather be prepared for anything. Raptor, come on, time to go.”
Raptor clucked, her head poking out from where she had created a small bed under his desk. Kye continued to try to get her to come out, but she wasn’t having it, nipping at his fingers whenever he tried to reach for her. Chuckling, I nudged him out of the way and knelt down.
“Hey there, my fierce warrior. Ready to go on a trip? You’ll get to spend all the time you want with the other familiars,” I cooed. As soon as I held out my hands, Raptor hopped up, darting into my waiting arms. “Yes, such a good familiar.”
“Ugh, of course, she would love you more than me,” Kye grumbled, shouldering his pack. As he was securing the lumpy bag, there was a knock. “Professor Callahan,” he greeted as he opened the door. Ruby ran in, making her way around Tor until she was at my feet, her paws tapping my leg as she looked at Raptor. Chuckling, I reached down and scooped up the excitable red panda.
“Please, just call me Torryn,” Tor said, stepping into the room. “I think we’re way past the teacher-student barrier. You all packed?”
“Yeah, we’re about to head up to Aris’s room and get her and Mr. Stripes ready to go,” Kye explained, stepping out of the room. I kept my eyes on Raptor and Ruby, nudging my nose against Raptor’s feathery head, so I didn’t have to see the gazes I felt turning our direction as Torryn warded the door to Kye’s room. We had officially given up on keeping the pretense going. Torryn now walked with us as we went to his brother’s room, his hand brushing my lower back.
“I’ll be up in a bit. I need to hit Xan’s room. Be good, Ruby,” Torryn explained, his soft command directed at his familiar as she looked over my shoulder at him. Nodding, Kye and I ascended the stairs, finally escaping the nosy stares of the other students.
“Hey, baby, time to wake up,” I whispered, rousing Mr. Stripes from his nap. One beady eye opened, followed quickly by the cutest little yawn as my familiar woke up. “Raptor and Ruby are here to play while I get us ready, baby.” Holding the two animals up so he could see them, he perked up, jumping from his cocoon bed and crawling down the bark of the tree. I set the two animals on the floor, leaving them to play with Mr. Stripes as I got started.
What does someone bring when they don’t even know if they’ll be coming back? The thought swirled in my mind as I looked around my room. There were so many things here, little trinkets and baubles that had no real meaning to witches, but to me? They held bits of excitement and happiness, and the thought of having to leave them behind was hard, but I took a deep breath and got to work.
I grabbed an array of clothes, trying hard to focus on things that would be functional like jeans, shirts, sweaters, and the only jacket I owned. Thankfully, I remembered I owned a pair of boots, having just purchased them for the impending winter here in Aether. With one last longing look at them, I changed out of my pink chucks and slipped on the thick brown boots. As much as I tried to leave it behind, I ended up stuffing my pink tutu into my bag. Hey, never know when I’ll need to have a skirt. I shifted to the next set of stuff I had to pack. Food and a couple of Mr. Stripes’ toys went into the bag, along with the human items I had picked up today, knowing they might actually be useful. Sighing, I tried hard to push the pang of sadness away, forcing myself to think positively.
Maybe we’re worrying for nothing. This could be just a regular top-secret inquiry. Okay, yeah, that didn’t even sound believable in my own head, either.
“Shh, Sweets,” Kye whispered, calloused fingers brushing over my cheeks to wipe away tears I didn’t know were falling. “No matter what happens, we have each other and our familiars.”
“I know, I’m just scared,” I murmured, finally admitting it out loud. Kye’s smile was soft and understanding, chasing away the seemingly permanent glare he wore.
“I love you, Sweets, and I won’t let anything happen to you.” He wrapped me in his arms, tucking my head under his chin. A chuckle rumbled in his chest, the rich sound loud in my ear. “Who would have thought three months ago, I, king of isolation and broodiness, would have bonded to the prettiest and perkiest witch in all of Akasha.”
“Who knows, but I wouldn’t change pestering you constantly for anything,” I told him through my giggling, the sound mixing with a sharp knock. Giving me one last squeeze, Kye stepped back, turning to open the door, where the rest of my guys waited, packed and ready to go with their familiars, on the other side. “Come on, babies, time to get going.” Bending down, I scooped up Mr. Stripes as Raptor and Ruby started toward their witches.
“I’ll do some additional wards and spells on your door, Aris, in case the headmaster or any other nosy witches come sneaking around,” Torryn told me. Smirking, he got to work.
“Why are you smiling like that?” Caspian questioned cautiously. “You only do that when you have something up your sleeve.”
“Oh, yes, I definitely do. Not only will I know if someone tries to get into any of our rooms, I’ll know which room it was, based on the ward signatures I put on them. But for Aris’s room, whoever tries to get in will get pink hair they won’t be able to change back until I do it for them,” Tor explained, happy with his very obvious punishment for anyone trying to get in. “Figured it was only fair for the witches here to be put on display for being shitty.”
“Alright, I’ll admit, that’s pretty funny,” Drayce agreed. Even with everything, I couldn’t stop the tiny curl of my lips at Torryn’s triumphant expression as he finished his work.
“Ready?” he asked. When everyone agreed, we made our way down to the main level and back through the courtyard, eyes following us the entire way. It seemed as though in the twenty minutes it had taken us to pack and get ready, the staring crowd had grown to include most of the students and faculty. I purposely kept my eyes straight, only looking to the side when I heard Olive call out my name. Bursting through the line of onlookers, she sprinted to me.
“Heard… about… what happened,” she huffed breathlessly. “I’ll keep… an ear and eye out… for anything suspicious.”
“Thanks, Olive, you’re the greatest. If you see anyone with pink hair after we leave, it’s because they were trying to get into my room,” I explained with a chuckle. She laughed, wrapping me up tightly in a hug before patting Mr. Stripes on the head.
“Send an airplane if you can. If not, I’ll see if I can figure out a way to communicate, so I know what’s going on and let you know anything happening here. You be good for your mama, Stripes,” she lectured my familiar
playfully. “Stay safe.” Mr. Stripes leaned over and nuzzled her cheek before leaning back again.
“We will. I’ll let you know when we make it.”
We continued our walk to the front of the building where Headmaster Tallis was waiting with the messenger and enforcer, two large carts stationed behind them.
“Stay in touch, Professor Callahan,” the headmaster commanded, holding out his hand for Torryn to shake. After glaring at the hand, Tor growled at Tallis with enough hatred, I felt my brows creep up my forehead. Not that it was a surprise to see—I knew how much Torryn hated Tallis—but because he so freely showed it in front of everyone. It was a true testament to how different our lives were from here on out.
“I’ll let the council messenger keep you up to date,” he murmured, a near growl radiating through his words before he turned to me and directed me away from our creepy headmaster. “Come on, Aris, gentlemen. We have a long ride ahead of us.”
“Uh, wouldn’t it be easier if all of you split between the two carriages?” The messenger asked, confused. Tor looked over his shoulder as we all climbed into the second one in line.
“No, we will be sticking together. Now and at the capitol.”
We settled in the seats, no more protests from any of the surrounding people. It only took a few more moments for the council’s workers to get into their carriage before we were off, my most recent home growing smaller and smaller as we were magically pulled away.
Hellsticks, help us all.
November 20th
Wednesday Late Afternoon
Aris
Has it really only been a month since I was here last? So much had happened since Samhain, it seemed like a lifetime ago. As the cart rattled through the cobblestone roads, I waited for panic to hit, but somehow, having us all together, smashed into this tiny cart, kept me calm. There weren’t flashbacks or panic, only tense glares as everyone was lost in thought, likely wondering what the hellsticks this was all about. Even the familiars were subdued, snuggled into their witches’ arms. Mr. Stripes had a death grip on my neck, but I didn’t mind.