The Return of The Witch

by M. J. Caan

  “P-shift?” I asked.

  “It stands for ‘physical shift,’” said Austin. “It’s not possible. We identify with our Kintype for deeply personal reasons, but we all know that p-shifting is a myth.”

  “Oh, really?” I said. “Jhamal, can you come here, please?”

  He stepped out from the corner where he had been standing with Gar into the center of the room and stood facing everyone.

  “Jhamal is Otherkin as well,” I said. “Jhamal, what is your Kintype?”

  “Lion,” he replied smiling. Then, in the blink of an eye, he shifted into the large golden-maned lion that had recently wrecked such bloody havoc on a certain clan of shifters.

  I reached up and rubbed his mane, smiling at the gaping mouths around me. “Who’s laughing now?”

  7

  The initial shock gave way to a bevy of questions, all being thrown at me simultaneously. I held up both hands, urging silence. “Okay, calm down. I promise everyone will have the chance to ask all the questions they want, but one person at a time, please.”

  “How is this possible?” asked Nate. “We have all heard the stories of werewolves and shifters, but we aren’t born into those families. Is he human?”

  “Yes, he is human. Just like all of you. He is Otherkin…not shifter-born.” I replied. “And his name is Jhamal.” I saw Gar smile out of the corner of my eye and that made me smile. “As for how this is possible, it’s magic. Real magic.”

  “So it’s true then; you’re the real thing,” said Austin.

  “I am indeed. I am a Reliquary Witch. I come from a long line of witches.”

  “So this,” Lady said, gesturing at Jhamal, “is something you can do for all of us?”

  “Well, that’s the hope,” I replied.

  A quick silence descended before one of the brothers found his voice. “You hope? Can’t you just…do whatever you did with Jhamal?”

  “I wasn’t the one who did this. That was the result of another magic.” Eyes that were just moments ago alive with hope and possibility were now downcast. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t still do it. I’ve studied the magic that created Jhamal’s totem…the item that allows him to shift into his Kintype. I’m pretty sure I can recreate it.”

  The brothers glanced at one another and one of them leaned over to whisper in Lady’s ear. She had moved to the couch to sit between the two of them. She nodded and looked at me. “So why did you bother getting us here? What’s your endgame?”

  “Her endgame was finding out what our Kintypes are so she can decide which of us are worthy of being able to p-shift. If she can even do it, that is.” It was Nate who spoke up. His bright eyes were dark and murky now and focused on me with laser intent.

  “Actually, I was the one who told her to get everyone talking by asking about your Kintypes,” said Gar. “All of you here pretty much live online. The only people you talk to are fellow Otherkin and I’m willing to bet you’ve never met any of them in real life. Allie needs to know you can open up to one another and be trusted with this.”

  I nodded at Gar, once again thankful that my little brother was here. “Gar’s right. I am not leading anyone on, or picking and choosing who will be able to do what. I just wanted everyone to be comfortable. I’m asking for your help in a war that could possibly get all of us killed. God knows the vampire that is after me certainly wants me dead. But I will gladly die if it means stopping him from taking over the world. And I stand a much better chance of stopping him if I have with more help.”

  That seemed to calm them down for the moment.

  “So, this town really is infested with vamps and werewolves, huh?” said Austin. “What are they fighting over?”

  I took a deep breath and dove into the retelling of what my family, friends, and I had recently faced. For the next hour I recounted all the horrors and threats, everything I had prayed to one day forget but deep down knew never would.

  The room was so quiet you could literally hear a pin drop. Seriously, Jhamal dropped one of the toothpicks that held together a few wraps I had made to go with the appetizers, and everyone jumped at the sound.

  “So this Mallis guy wants to recreate hell on earth, and he’s out to kill you in order to make that happen?” said Austin. “And you’re outnumbered and out-powered, right?”

  “Outnumbered yes,” I replied, “but not necessarily out-powered. And that’s where everyone in this room comes into play.”

  “You need soldiers,” said Nate dryly.

  “Soldiers? No. That makes you sound expendable. I need people around me that care about doing the right thing as much as I do. People that want more for themselves and aren’t going to stand around and let evil take over this world. Our world.” I hoped my words were sinking in as I looked around at each of them. “We are building a community here…a community of those who are different, yet have a sense of belonging. I’ll do this alone if I have to, but I’d certainly welcome any help I can get.”

  “Harpy eagle,” said Austin.

  “I’m sorry…what?” I replied.

  “Me. My Kintype is a harpy eagle. I’ve always felt I was majestic and larger than any of the men around me that used to try and keep me in my place. Plus, I have great eyesight,” she added, smiling.

  One of the brothers—Kinley, I believe—stood up next. He looked around nervously. “I’m a…” he paused, his cheeks burning red, “I’m a honey badger.”

  To his credit, no one laughed. His brother, Jase, placed a hand on his shoulder proudly. “Nothing to be ashamed of, brother. That’s one fucking vicious creature.”

  “And you?” I asked, looking at Jase.

  He cleared his throat and proclaimed loudly, “Unicorn. A blue one, to be specific.”

  “A unicorn,” said Austin. “Those don’t exist.”

  “Can’t help what I am,” he said. “Ever since I was a child I was fascinated by…well, let’s just say I’m also a closet Brony.”

  Good-natured laughter echoed around the room.

  “What’s a Brony?” I said.

  “Oh Allie, you’ve so much to learn,” said Gar. “A Brony is a man that is a fan of My Little Pony.”

  “Oh. So that’s a thing? Hey, you do you, my friend.”

  “So,” said Nate, “that leaves you, Lady.”

  All eyes were on her and after what seemed an eternity of silence, she finally spoke up. “Me. I’m a minotaur.”

  “Wow,” said Gar. “Kinda blows a lion and a saber-tooth out of the water.” His smile was infectious, and everyone gave Lady an appreciative nod.

  “Okay,” said Jhamal, “then that gives us some serious firepower, right? A lion, a saber-tooth, a big-ass eagle, a unicorn, honey badger…and a minotaur. If Allie can make all this happen…we should be ready to do some serious ass-kicking, huh?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, I would hope so,” I said, “but Mallis has a lot of shifters at his disposal. And many of them are werewolves.” I didn’t want to touch his question about whether or not I could actually grant them shifting abilities.

  “I might be able to help with that,” said Nate. “I have an old friend that lives not far from me in the mountains. He’s Otherkin as well. I think he might be able to help out. He’s off the grid though, so I would have to go there in person to speak with him. But if you can make this work, he would be a powerful ally.”

  “What is his Kintype?” asked Gar.

  “Grey Muzzle,” said Nate. “He’s a wolf…an older male wolf.”

  “We know someone as well,” said Jase. “A friend of ours that…well, let’s just say he could more than even the odds…if we can convince him to join.”

  The excitement I felt was palpable, but more than that, I was starting to feel something I hadn’t for a while now: hope. Together, we could do this. Seeing the eagerness on their faces emboldened me.

  “Austin,” I said, “come here.” I motioned for her to leave her seat and stand with me. The room went eerily quiet as she ap
proached. “Do you have a piece of jewelry, something that you always wear and has great meaning to you?”

  “Allie, what are you doing?” asked Gar, stepping forward. “You said you needed…”

  “I know what I said Gar, but I got this.”

  I ignored the frown on his face as Austin removed a silver ring from her finger.

  “But you said you needed our aunts’ help to do this,” Gar continued.

  “Maybe. But I’ve been studying Jhamal’s necklace, and I can read the magic that is locked inside it. I know I can reproduce it.” Okay, maybe I’m…pretty sure I can reproduce it.

  But what would be the harm in at least trying? Everyone in this room had come because I had called out to them. They would stay if I could deliver on the unspoken promise I had made by having Jhamal shift in front of them. I could do this. I had to.

  The ring was heavier than it looked—a sign that it was pure silver and not plated. That was a good thing, as I had discovered silver was one of the metals that most effectively conducted magic. Closing my fist around the band, I reached into it with my magic. I could feel the connection between the piece and Austin. There was deep attachment to it; someone very close to had given it to her. The connection was old, older than what it would be if it were from a lover. No, I was betting it was a parent, someone that had given great meaning to it, made it more than just a piece of jewelry.

  I could work with that.

  Basically, all I needed to do was combine a spell of revelation with an activation spell. At least, I hoped that was all I needed to do. I had studied Jhamal’s necklace in great magical detail. The power that shaped it was very old and very strong. But deep down, it was a magic of calling, a magic that reached into the core of Jhamal’s being and granted his spirit power and presence. It was similar to what I had done with Cody the first time I’d triggered his shift and gave him control of the wolf that lingered inside him.

  But the difference there was Cody was born a shifter; the wolf was who he was. All I did was call to it and coax it out. These were humans. I had no idea what a dose of magic would do to them. How would animating their inner Othertype work when fused to the totem…in this case, the ring that Austin wore? The one thing I learned from studying Jhamal’s necklace was that the magic was definitely in the totem; he couldn’t shift without wearing it. That meant there was a flaw in the power…one that hopefully I could correct.

  I cast doubt out of my mind and cleared my thoughts. Everything around me melted away until there was only one thing left for me to focus on: Austin’s ring. My magic sang and whispered to me as I called it forth, pouring it into the ring and suffusing the metal with power.

  At the same time, I drew up what I hoped was just the right spell to call out an inner Kintype. In studying Jhamal’s necklace, I realized that it was tied to a type of revelation spell. That was what allowed him to become who he felt he was on the inside. There had been other trace elements of magic as well…most of which I didn’t recognize, but I was pretty sure I had the basics needed to pull this off.

  When I had triggered Cody’s transformation and given him control of it, I had pretty much done the same thing. As a Reliquary witch, I had the raw power inside me to pretty much do whatever I wanted. But instinct told me this required more finesse than using a sledgehammer. I couldn’t just force the power to transform it into being…I had to coax it out willingly.

  Unlike with Cody, there was nothing that felt even remotely supernatural dwelling within Austin. I probed her with magic, yet all I felt was her humanity. This was going to be more difficult than I thought. There was nothing to work with, nothing to shape. Maybe I had made a mistake? But Jhamal was human as well…I was sure of that. Why was he able to shift? It was more than just the necklace, the totem, that created him. I had to look deeper inside of Austin if I was going to make this work.

  The good news was that I had never felt more in tune with my power; it was practically alive and flowing within me. I could see, hear, taste, feel and smell everything around me. The power sang to me, reassuring me with its presence; no matter what happened, it would always be here for me, it whispered.

  That was it. That was the key. My magic was…who I was. I created it and summoned it when I needed to, and that was what I needed to do for the Otherkin. The wolf that lived inside Cody was a part of him, but unlike the Otherkin, it was a part of him that he did not know existed.

  He hadn't created it.

  Again I needed to go deeper with my magic if I was going to make this work. I relaxed, sinking deeper into my mind. I let my head drop, resting my chin on my chest. My magic anchored me as my body rose off the floor and I crossed my legs underneath me, floating a few feet above the floor. The ring burned in my hand as I opened my fist, letting it rest in my palm. This time, I didn’t concentrate solely on the ring, but on Austin as well. I reached deep into the young woman’s mind, burning past her conscious thoughts and fears, and sought out her true core.

  The part of her that had never been swayed by another living soul…that part of her being that was her refuge from all the insults and jibes that had been cast her way by classmates, friends, and even family. There, beneath the turmoil of self-doubt and anger, I saw a light flickering. It was the untouched truth of who she knew herself to be. I couldn’t make out anything within the light, but I could hear in the distance the faint call of a bird.

  An eagle, to be exact.

  This was the self she had created long ago on a subconscious level. It wasn’t until later that she’d given it a name and a shape. This was primal Austin, and I reached out with my magic with all the strength I could.

  It was like pouring gasoline on a match; the small spark blazed to an inferno within her.

  I heard her physical self scream out in response and I sensed her fall to the floor. Too late to stop it now, though. The ring burned white-hot in my hand, and looking over at Austin, I commanded the spell of revelation to fully awaken who she was. At the same time, I threw the silver band at her. It flew through the air in a blue streak of power, slipped itself back onto her finger, its burning glow spreading to encompass her entire body.

  Austin screamed, but I couldn’t tell if it was in pain or ecstasy. Either way, I threw more magic at her, practically willing the spell to work. She looked over at me, her face awash in mystical energy, and I could have sworn I saw her smile.

  Then she arched her back, throwing her face to the ceiling as she lifted her arms from her side. Then, with a blinding flash of light, accompanied by a small clap of thunder, she was gone.

  8

  Everyone shook their heads, clearing away the leftover buzzing created by the thunder.

  To my eyes, the room was alive with magic…my magic. It filled the space, flowing into and around everyone, licking at them like flames leaping up from a newly-lit campfire.

  I smiled as I heard everyone gasp. Auston was indeed gone, and in her place stood a magnificent creature.

  A harpy eagle.

  I knew what an eagle looked like, but I had never seen a harpy eagle before. The form Austin had taken was that of a large raptor, standing nearly five feet in height, with brilliant sapphire blue and black plumage. She looked like an American eagle, but with a large double-crested crown of feathers on her head that gave her a horned appearance. A white underbelly contrasted sharply with the bright blue wing feathers and the shimmering plumage that ran down her back. Her eyes were pitch black and shone fiercely in the dim light, peeking out from a white and gray face that was dominated by a large, gracefully curving beak. She stood on strong, stout legs that ended in inch-long, curved talons.

  Shock seemed to momentarily wipe away everyone’s ability to speak. Everyone except Austin, that was. She lifted her beak to the ceiling and let loose a wailing cry that pierced my eardrums. I joined everybody else in the room in covering my ears just as she spread her wings, revealing an unbelievable wingspan that easily exceeded twelve feet. One flap caused the small tabl
e that held the refreshments to flip over, spilling finger food and coffee cups everywhere.

  My new group of friends scattered as she tried to flap in order to gain air. Chairs flew across the room, and the two brothers dove to protect Lady as all three were thrown against the back wall from the updraft Austin was creating. I had to put a stop to this. The coffee shop wasn’t built to withstand the force of the wind shear she could generate.

  “Austin!” I screamed over the din. Between the roar of the wind her flapping wings generated and the ghostly wail of her cry, I wasn’t sure my voice could even reach her. “Austin, stop! You’re going to hurt someone!” Actually, I was afraid she was about to kill someone if I didn’t get this under control.

  I grabbed at the ambient magic I could see swirling around the room and gathered it around Austin in glowing bands that closed over her feathery form, pinning her massive wings at her side. This made her screech even louder, but at least it allowed me to approach her without fear of being beaten unconscious, or worse.

  “It’s okay,” I said, reaching out to stroke her with my hand and my magic. “You’re okay…I can’t imagine what this must feel like for you, but underneath all of the feathers and new senses that you are now experiencing the world through, remember who you are.”

  Heat rolled off of her in waves. It was new magic and it was looking for place to go. I gathered it up and bent it gently, coaxing it to flow back into Austin, helping her to find herself. What if this was too much for her? What if my magic had not only warped her physical self but had trapped her mind as well? What if she no longer had a mind and had become all fury and raptor? Damnit! Why hadn’t I waited until my aunts were around to try this?

  No. No time for self doubt now. I made the decision to do this, so that meant I had to be the one to fix it. But the problem was, I couldn’t see where anything had gone wrong. To my mind’s eye, Austin was awash with magic…her shifter form was pure mystical energy through and through. It looked just like Jhamal’s did; all glowing magical goodness.