by M. J. Caan
“You mean, if I had died there…” I began.
“Yes. You would have also died here. That’s why your boyfriend’s wolf attacked you there. You are inexperienced in the ways of astral projection, making you far easier to eliminate there in The Grey than in this world.”
“But I don’t have a clue how to astral project,” I said. “And if I did, trust me, I would not have gone to that place.”
“That’s the interesting part,” said Elion. “That was a very specific destination, one that I have never heard of a mortal visiting before. If you don’t know how to free your astral self, then that can only mean one thing.”
My arched eyebrows in his direction told to continue, but Aunt Lena spoke up before he could.
“You didn’t leave your body of your own free will,” she said. “You were pulled out of yourself and taken to that realm. Someone hijacked you.”
“That takes considerable power,” said Aunt Vivian from the stairs. She was making her way back down and stoped at the bottom landing with Hope. “To completely wrench someone free of their physical self and hurl them into another dimension without their consent…I’ve never seen magic like that before.”
“It is certainly beyond anything we are capable of,” said Aunt Lena.
“It is blood magic,” said Elion. “In my younger days as a fledgling vampire, I heard stories of such power. To cast someone’s soul out of their body like that requires power and blood.”
“What do you mean, ‘blood’?” I asked.
“I mean, someone is working some big-time magic over Allie, and they are using her own blood to do it. That’s the only way something like that could have happened.”
I placed a hand on my throat, feeling for the tiny bite marks that were a parting gift from Mallis. “He, Mallis, bit me…bled me almost completely out. What if her saved some of my blood? Saved it for that witch he is with now?”
Elion nodded slowly. “Yes, that could do it. Maybe.”
“Maybe? You just said what happened to me was powered by my blood…what maybe is there to that?”
“Again, I am not schooled in the ways of your magic. I only know what I have heard. Witches are a natural enemy of vampires, so we make it a point to know as much about them as possible. What I am telling you are things that were told to me generations ago.”
“And what about me being there?” said Cody. “How was that possible?”
“Now, that I can’t help you with,” said Elion. “I have never been in The Grey myself, so I don’t know what resides there.”
“So what now?” I asked, not directed at any one person in particular.
“It’s obvious,” said Cody. “If Mallis and his witch concocted this plan, then they are stepping it up to take you out of the picture. Maybe that’s why they’ve been so quiet lately…they were putting everything they had into this one play.”
“Perhaps,” said Aunt Vivian. “But it seems too...anticlimactic for them. Also, if that were the case, why not attack Allie when she was alone? My bet is they did this to see what would happen, see what your vulnerabilities are.”
“If that is true, then you need to strike back quicker than you had planned,” said Elion.
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“Because there are a host of other, more horrible spells that can be worked with blood magic. And if they have your blood, they will definitely lash out at you with it again.”
Fuck. That’s just great.
“Well, in that case, I don’t have any more time to waste. We need help.” I looked at my aunts with determined eyes. “Time to whip us up a new batch of Totem Shifters.”
6
Thank God Gar was around.
I liked to think that I knew my way around a computer but I was all thumbs when it came to posting what I was looking for across social media.
“Trust me,” he had said, “it’s not called the Front Page of the Internet for nothing. I’ll start a thread, and I guarantee you’ll find what you’re looking for.”
And he was right. I got everything I was looking for and then some. The next six hours were spent sorting through a lot of disturbing replies to the topic “Are You Otherkin?” to find the ones that I felt were worth digging into. Many of the replies recounted moments that these Otherkin had been attacked by “regular” people—apparently in some circles, being Otherkin was a social trigger. I was happy that Gar had thought to create a “throwaway” account for a one-time-use. I just didn’t get all the hate. Why couldn’t people just stay in their lane and mind their business?
But they were there. So many people identified as Otherkin, normal human beings who self identified as non-human. They believed themselves to be partially or totally an animal or some other mythological beast trapped in a human body. They lived on the fringes of society and were often ridiculed and attacked for believing they were different. My heart broke as I read account after account of people being ridiculed and ostracized because they felt different from mainstream society. They were young, old, black, white, straight, gay and bisexual; it didn’t matter to the internet bullies who seemed to live to heckle them. The more I read, the more my heart broke for these people.
By looking at their profiles, I learned that there were a surprising number of Otherkin within a few hours’ drive of Trinity Cove, and even more that were within a quick flight or train ride. I returned messages to the ones who I thought fit what I was looking for, and was happy to learn that many of them knew of Trinity Cove. Apparently, word had spread about my small town outside of a Queen City in North Carolina. A town where you could not only be yourself, but maybe, just maybe, you could become something more.
“How does everyone know about us?” I asked Gar.
“Word spreads quickly in certain channels on the internet,” he replied. “Witches are talking, as well as some supernaturals. Word also spread from a lot of the humans that are packing up and leaving this town as quickly as they can.”
Of course that made sense. If I had to hightail it out of Dodge because there was a chance I might be eaten, then I sure as hell would also be warning anyone that might listen about moving here.
But that didn’t seem to deter the Otherkin when I told them I wanted to meet with them here, in person. I explained I wanted to discuss engraining them in the culture of this town, and helping them find acceptance and peace in a way they could never have imagined. I had set up a meeting time at the coffee shop for twelve PM. An hour after closing.
The witching hour. The middle-of-the-day kind.
That’s where I found myself, along with Gar and Jhamal, setting out a tray of specially baked cookies and muffins, as well as an assortment of teas and coffees. I couldn’t tell Gar no when he had insisted on joining me. After all, he had put in most of the work to get everyone here. Plus, if I was going to convince a roomful of strangers that they could take the form of their Kin-Selves, it might be helpful to have an actual Totem Shifter in the room for demonstration purposes.
Cody had been adamant about coming along as well. He was convinced, now more than ever, that I might need saving if Mallis’s witch attacked again. But I had assured him that his staying with my aunts was more important. I didn’t like the idea of living them alone with Elion just yet, and thankfully he agreed.
“Are you sure about this?” said Jhamal, taking one of the muffins I had baked and stuffing it into his mouth whole.
“About what? And don’t eat all of those! They’re for our guests!”
He finished off the muffin and picked up one of the folded napkins to wipe his hands. “About telling everyone about what they could potentially do. I mean, have you even figured out the spell that can make turn them into Totems?”
“Of course I have.” That was a lie. Granted, I was close, and I was pretty sure I would be able to do it, but still…
“Yeah right,” said Gar. “I know when you’re fibbing, sis. And even if you can do it, are you sure you should? I mean, what if some of
them don’t agree with the fight we are about to enter and want no part of it?”
“That’s why I’m having them here,” I replied. “I want to talk to them and figure out who’s in and who’s out before we do anything.”
“Well, if it works, I think it will be cool,” said Jhamal. “I’ve never met any Otherkin in real life, so I can’t wait to chat with someone who really gets it.”
I saw Gar wince in the slightest at this, but then almost as quickly he shrugged it off. We exchanged looks and his expression told me to drop it.
“And where are all of these people going to stay?” asked Gar.
“Well, we have some makeshift arrangements at the encampment, plus there are plenty of rooms available in all the bed and breakfasts around the area,” I answered. The town should have been overrun with tourists this time of year— especially with the eclipse pending. The fact that there were “vacancy” signs dotting all the inns was troubling. Of course, if I didn’t figure out a way to stop Mallis, Trinity’s economy would be the last thing anyone would be worried about. “Plus, there will probably be plenty of people who’ll get scared off, turn around, and head right back out of town.” I know I would.
“Oh yeah, Esmay is dropping by as well,” said Jhamal. “She said she has something for you.”
Good. Esmay was the wife of Jhamal’s aunt. She had been instrumental in saving my life, as well as Cody’s, when Mallis had launched his first attacks on us. Her feisty nature and tongue as sharp as the rapier she always carried with her had made us friends almost immediately. Almost. Now, there were few other women I would want by my side when it came time to march into war.
There was no hiding my nerves. Speaking in front of crowds wasn’t my thing. Granted, I had managed to convince a community of shifters to help us, but they had already been invested in Trinity Cove and wanted to put down roots here. Now, I would be trying to do the same thing but with strangers who had no discernible ties to the town. There was nothing to keep them from getting up and walking back out the same way they had come in, back into the night.
The chime of the door opening snapped me back to reality. I looked up to see a young woman in her early twenties walk into the shop. She was slight of build with straight dark hair that hung nearly to her waist. A baseball cap that read “FBI” was pulled tight over her head and it seemed to complement the loose-fitting jeans with the knees torn out and light blue t-shirt she wore.
“Hi, I’m Allie,” I said, rushing over to greet her. “And this is my brother Gar and his boyfriend Jhamal.”
“I’m Austin,” she said, “or you may know me by my online handle of Red Foxy 101.” I extended a hand and she shook it tentatively. Looking around she took in the space before turning back to me. “Am I the only one here?”
“So far. But I am hoping that changes,” I responded. “Please, have a seat wherever you’d like and help yourself to some goodies. I baked them myself.”
Austin eyed the muffins a little suspiciously before gingerly picking one up with a napkin and nibbling at it. She shrugged appreciatively and plopped down on the sofa across from the food. I finished putting out the plates before sitting in one of the chairs next to her.
“Thank you for coming,” I said, trying to hide my nerves.
“Nothing to thank me for. I saw your post and answered it. Your response made me curious enough to see for myself what is going on around here.”
“What have you heard?” I asked.
She placed her muffin on the coffee table in front of her and looked up at me. “Just that this town is a hotbed of supernatural activity. That there is a vampire that has laid claim to it and the witches that live here are powerless to stop him.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say it’s quite like that…” I began.
“Hey, my sister is far from powerless!” said Gar.
Before anyone could say another word, the door opened again. A man entered the shop wearing jeans and a blue and white striped t-shirt. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, and I was immediately struck by how handsome he was. Dark brown hair stylishly cut with just a few hints of gray sparkling throughout framed an angular face; a five o’clock shadow that looked more like an eleven o’clock one gave him the appearance of a man that had only recently accepted the fact that he was no longer seen as a hot twenty something. It was all set off by dazzling blue eyes that swept over everyone in the room, taking in the scenery in a glance.
“Hi, I’m Nate,” he said, his voice pitched low, making every part of my body stand on edge and take notice.
I started towards him but was nearly knocked off my feet by Gar. “Hello and welcome! I’m Gar, the one who posted the messages on the forum. Did you find us okay…I mean, did you find your way here without any problems?” He had his hand out and was shaking Nate’s furiously.
“Er, yeah, it was pretty straightforward. I’ve actually been through this town before, I live further up in the mountains toward Asheville.”
“Oh wow…so beautiful…oops, I mean…Asheville. Asheville is so beautiful. Not you…I mean…you’re not not beautiful, but the mountains up there are.”
My brother’s rapidly spreading blush was making me laugh on the inside, but I didn’t want him to scare off the man before we could find out what brought him in. I rushed over and introduced myself.
“I’m Allie, and we are very happy you have decided to join us. This is Austin, she just arrived as well. You’ve met my brother Gar, and this is Jhamal, his…”
“He’s my boyfriend,” said Gar, rushing over to take a startled Jhamal by the arm. “We’re together.”
“That’s…nice. Good for you,” Nate replied as he shook my hand and offered a magnificent smile.
“C’mon on in and help yourself to some coffee and snacks,” I said gesturing toward the food laid out before us. “Take a seat wherever you’d like. We were just talking about what people outside the community of Trinity Cove are saying about our little town.”
“Oh, you mean how this town is probably going to go the way of Sunnydale and be swallowed by a Hellmouth?” he answered. Austin gave a big smile and made a show of clapping her hands in approval at his remark.
“Eat your muffin,” I told her before turning back to Nate. “Not going to happen. As long as I’m still standing, that is.”
The door opened again and three more people walked in—two men and a woman, all young, barely out of their teens. It was now a quarter past the time we agreed to meet, so after asking them to come in I locked the door and placed a ‘Closed’ sign in the window. If anyone else showed, they’d have to announce their presence by knocking.
The young woman introduced herself as Lady and motioned to her two friends. “That’s Kinley and his brother Jase. They don’t say much.”
The two men barely acknowledged us and instead made for the two chairs at the far end of the shop close to the hallway that led to the bathrooms and plopped down. They were both tall and thin with bloodshot eyes, and I couldn’t be certain if it was from too much time in front of the X-Box or too much time hitting certain herbs. My guess was the latter but I wasn’t here to judge anyone.
Lady, on the other hand, definitely caught my attention. She was short and what my friend Hope would describe as “thick”. To me, she looked like the majority of women I had been seeing around town lately. She was dressed in black leggings and a slouchy Under Armour sweatshirt that was two sizes too big for her frame. She wore a black beret from which a long braid of snow white hair flowed. She wore too much makeup around her eyes and her blood red lips automatically drew attention to her mouth. From the outside looking in, which was exactly what I was doing, I couldn’t imagine what she and the two brothers had in common.
“So, your post said you could help us,” Lady said, helping herself to two muffins before sitting down near the brothers. “How?”
“Well, first things first,” I said. “Can everyone tell us what their Otherkin is?”
“You mean kinty
pe,” said Nate.
“Excuse me?” I said.
“It’s called Kintype. We are all Otherkin, but each of our individual spiritual animals are called our Kintypes.”
Pulling a chair away from one of the tables, I spun it around so that I could sit in the center of the room and addressed Nate. “I’m sorry. Thank you for correcting me. Would you be willing to share your Kintype with me?”
Nate swallowed hard and glanced around the room. All attention was focused on him—even the brothers’ eyes were locked on him. He took a deep breath and nodded in my direction. “I’m a saber-toothed tiger.”
I could see him practically holding his breath as he waited for the response. Not sure what he thought was going to happen but it probably wasn’t the response he received from Austin.
“That is so friggin cool!” she exclaimed.
“Holy shit, she’s right,” added Lady. “And just when I thought you couldn’t get any hotter.” That made Nate blush and sink back into his chair.
“Good,” I said. “That’s good, because we can use all the muscle we can get. So who’s next?”
“Okay, hold up,” said Lady. “Why exactly are we doing this? You called us here but you haven’t ponied up any info at all. How are you going to help us?”
I stood up and made myself sound as confident as possible. “I’m a witch, and this town has been invaded by an age-old vampire that is determined to return humanity to the dark ages. Literally. But I’m not going to allow that. He has an army of shifters on his side. I have a few. But I need to augment my troops with more shifters. Which would be you guys.” I looked each of them in the eye before continuing. “I intend to cast a spell that will allow you to shift into your Kintype.”
Now it was my turn to wait for the response with bated breath. I wasn’t prepared for the response I received.
They laughed. Hard.
“I”m sorry,” said Lady after she made a great show of trying to catch her breath and wipe tears from her eyes. “You’re going to cast a spell that will let us p-shift?” Again there was a round of laughter from the group.