Chapter
1
The Triad witches coven was made up of 14 witches evenly divided between 7 male couples and 7 female couples. They sat around the dark wood table anxious to discuss the recent incident between the Triad middle school witch club, comically named the Queer Little Witch Club and the Black Rose club attached to the Mirkwood middle school across the city.
All eyes were on Sensa, who looked around the room at her fellow witches with attentive and curious eyes. Her long blue hair which surrounded her face and ran down over her shoulders was made up of narrow bands of sea blue and sky blue colored hair. She did not dye her hair these colors. It just became these colors over time. It was the color of her magic. The long silence was interrupted by the oldest of witches in the group.
The witch cleared his throat, “We are all anxious to hear more details about what happened last week Sensa. Is it true? The Triad witch club somehow discovered the Triad? And they did it with the help of a shapeshifter?”
Sensa smiled for a fleeting moment and then shifted back into her role as leader of the group and addressed the question with all appropriate seriousness. “That is correct.”
Several witches shifted in their seats, some looked anxious at the witches around them, others glanced anxious to the side and some whispered to their partners, a few looked towards Sensa and waited for a chance to speak.
Sensa continued when they had absorbed the news, “I am keeping a watchful eye on the two who made this possible.” She recalled the golden bell she had given Skylar which would allow her to observe her and her boyfriend Sam’s every move. “They are a pair of shapeshifters who have both recently moved into the city and quickly found their home in the Black Rose and Triad witch clubs. There is no reason to panic and no reason to be fearful. We were all aware…”
“You just let them go??!”
“I thought shapeshifters were a legend?”
“The power they possess if what you say is true is too dangerous, especially in the hands of children.”
“It can’t possibly be true. Can it? Mixing magical sources and amplifying it well beyond what any of us is capable of…
Maeve, who was sitting quietly beside Sensa slid her hand onto Sensa’s lap affectionately. She spoke softly to Sensa, “So much for rules of order huh?”
Sensa reached down and placed her hand on Maeve’s but did not say anything to her in return. Her attention was focused on the meeting and the reaction of the witches of the coven.
Sensa felt she had their attention and tried to address their concerns. “As most of your are aware, the circumstances that led to the formation of a Triad in the middle school were the kidnapping of a young woman. The students were working together to rescue their coven-mate and defend themselves. I believe at one point the perpetrators were preparing to teleport the fingers and hands off one of the young shapeshifters as a form of torture to reveal who was behind some harmless spider attacks. Under those extraordinary circumstances they accidentally discovered how to perform a Triad witch incantation.”
One of the newer witches in the coven raised their hand. Maeve was relieved to see someone remembered there were rules of order for these meetings.
“So, if I understand what they were able to achieve, two young female witches of compatible magic, teleporters, were able to combine their magic power with a shapeshifter. And that shapeshifter was not in a relationship with the other witches, nor had any latent teleportation magic abilities herself, nor was there a celestial or lunar event that would amplify their magic to that level and they achieved a Triad level spell, and sent 5 students to the moon. And when all was said and done, the three young witches just went about their day as if they hadn’t performed a magic incantation that has only been performed one other time in all of the history of witchcraft?”
Sensa wanted to smile from ear to ear because she was reminded how remarkable what they did was. It was a new means of achieving a Triad that had never been done before. She was thrilled to be here to see it and had already discussed with Maeve how she would work with Skylar to understand and document this revolutionary new spell casting technique. She did not smile for her fellow witches as she replied, “That is correct.”
The young witch gave a short nod and then asked, “And, last question. Not that in this age it should matter in any way, more of a curiosity? I heard rumors that these two shapeshifters aren’t.. um.” She paused nervous to ask the question and her voice rose and grew quiet, nearly meek, as she asked, “They aren’t gay?”
Sensa replied flatly, “Nope.”
A couple of witches gasped.
It was widely assumed that only queer people had the ability to use magic. Throughout history, since the mother of witches cast her first incantation and traced magical symbols of power in the air, witches have always been gay, or at least open to the possibility of being romantically attracted to member of the same gender in order to facilitate the greatest discover of magic, the dyad. A dyad is the sharing and amplification of magic between two compatible witches. And historically, that has only been possible with queer witches… at least until now.
Maeve shifted in her chair and Sensa turned to her partner, a person who’s magic energy resonated with her like a tuning fork and filled her with light and life and smiled. She directed her deep blue eyes towards Maeve and waited for her return gaze. Maeve lifted her head and looked back at her the love of her life with warm affirmation. Although the rest of the non-witch society was for the most part straight, her feelings towards Sensa were not any the less true. After over 300 years of living in this world she was confident in who she was, and who she loved. No one had the right to question or challenge her relationship with Sensa. And conversely she had no right to question or challenges Skylar and Sam’s relationship. She was genuinely looking forward to meeting them and perhaps one day, when they were old enough, she and Sensa would welcome them into the adult witch coven.
Sensa could feel the thoughts of her partner and said more loudly than she intended, but she didn’t care, “I love you Maeve. With all my heart and to the end of my days. Never question US.” Her eyes softened and she gave Maeve’s hand a firm warm squeeze and she smiled radiating all the love her heart contained. And then Sensa heard a faint bell ring and the tender moment between them was shattered.
The small gold bell in Sensa’s pocket came to life and vibrated. It told her Skylar was in trouble. She fumbled it out of her pocket and held it between her thumb and index finger and listened to it echo the voice of the young shapeshifter named Skylar.
Skylar exclaimed, “No! Who are you? What do you want with me?! Please let me go! Let them go too! Please! Please don’t do this to me!”
There was a scream and the bell was silent.
Maeve said softly, “Oh no.”
Sensa’s face grew fearful, “Skylar…”
***
Skylar walked to the front of the Mirkwood middle school classroom and turned to address the newly renamed Children of the Moon witch club. She had spent the entire study room hour that afternoon and the hour after Hungarian Goulash dinner at her parents house planning this meeting and what she would say as the new president. She wanted to make a good first impression on the club. She also spent nearly half an hour picking out a dress to wear, putting on makeup and getting her curly brown hair just right for the event. She even wore her favorite pair of opal earrings that matched her favorite necklace made from a stone from the area in Australia where her mother grew up. She smiled brightly, her blue eyes glanced around the room at all the kids who showed up for the meeting. She was so proud to finally be able to be a member of the club the refused to allow her in because she wasn’t gay like they were.
“I am honored to be your new president and welcome all of the previous members.. who weren’t kicked out for misbehavior last week, and to the new members who have joined since opening the club up to those not part of the LGBTQ community.” She glanced at 3 new members who joined once the club had posted that ALL students were welcome regardless of their orientation, or even their magical ability.
“Starting today, this club is for everyone who has discovered their magical abilities, as well as those who just want to learn about magic and support those of us who have.”
Everyone looked up to Skylar, some nodded, some just sat quietly, but all listened to every word Skylar had to say to them.
“I also brought cupcakes.”
She gestured towards the table where she had placed 2 dozen freshly baked chocolate, vanilla and strawberry cupcakes for the club to enjoy and added, “Please help yourself and once everyone is settled let’s introduce ourselves and get to know each other. I think it would be helpful if you told us your name, your preferred pronouns, your magical ability if you have one and if you do have a partner who that is and something funny about them you’d like us to know!”
Ike muttered to Morpheus, “Oooo she’s going to make us reveal all our secrets on the first day! Well played president Skylar.”
A thin girl with long brown hair and wearing old fashioned wire rimmed glasses asked, “Which cupcake is the best?”
Skylar said matter-of-factly, “Strawberry. Don’t make me share my research proving this to be a fact. Just take my word for it. It’s the best flavor. No question.”
The thin girl shrugged and grabbed a cupcake with white frosting dotted with red which suggested strawberry and returned to her seat. Everyone grabbed a cupcake and started making soft snacking sounds except for the kid with short purple hair named Sitisha. He looked somewhat annoyed, but no one could be sure if it was about the choice of cupcakes or Skylar being president and her new rules about letting straight kids in.
Skylar smiled warmly at the group and raised her hand briefly, “Okay. Now that everyone has a cupcake who wants one I’ll go first. My name is Skylar. I’m the new president of Children of the Moon witch club here at Mirkwood middle school. My preferred pronouns are she/her, my magical ability is shapeshifting and many of you have met my partner slash boyfriend Sam Koata who is also a shapeshifter. One funny thing about my partner is he always carries a bag of blue or pink frosted bunny shaped sugar cookies in his backpack everywhere he goes.”
A kid with short tawny brown hair giggled at that as he licked the foil wrapper of a chocolate cupcake.
Skylar smiled widely, “Okay who wants to go next?”
The kid with short brown hair raised his hand which held a crumpled silver wrapper, “I’ll go next. My name is Llasay, some kids call me Lass. I really don’t care which you use. My preferred pronouns are he/him and I can control gravity.” He casually tossed his balled up wrapper in the air and immediately drew symbols in glowing golden lines in the air with his first two fingers and said “Uku” and pointed at the ball of foil. It immediately began floating in the air rather than falling back to the ground like gravity would normally pull it. He let everyone watch his little show and then used his other hand to draw a new symbol in glowing lines and pointed at the ball and said, “Juryoku!”
The foil ball suddenly dropped to the ground and when it his the classroom floor it cracked the tile and everyone in the class felt the floor tremble at the little foil wrapper.
Everyone was silent. It was broken by Llasay saying cocky, “And I don’t have a partner. I think I’m good.”
Skylar nodded, “Thank you Llasay. And just a reminder, we are expected to be respectful of school property while we are here and try to avoid casting any magic that would require a custodian to repair or clean up afterwards.”
Llasay rolled his eyes, “Yes ma’am.”
Llasay added, “Oh and another thing. I’m straight, I’m into girls, just throwing that out there.” He winked at Skylar playfully.
Skylar’s left eye twitched a little uncomfortable with Llasay. “Okay, who…”
Ike raised his hand. He had remarkably deep green eyes and straight gray hair the fell down to his shoulders. He looked directly at Sklyar. “First off, I am grateful to have you as our new president. I wasn’t a fan of our last one.” Skylar looked around at everyone else at the club meeting and introduced himself, “I’m Ike. Most of you know me. My magic is creating illusions, especially good at changing my appearance like fairy glamour. I’m male. So he/him. And my handsome partner over here.” He gestured his head towards Morpheus. “And one secret about Morpheus.. ” He smirked at Morpheus who just stared without emotion at Ike, perhaps it was a threat of harm if he chose something too embarrassing for Morpheus.
Ike smiled lightly, “Morpheus’s favorite movie is Tangled, followed closely by Frozen and Frozen II.”
Morpheus’s eyes flashed red and he looked furious at Ike.
For Ike’s part he just smiled sheepishly, “I think we can all appreciate a good belting of let it go from an icy mountain top or…” He wasn’t allowed to finish. Morpheus was on top of his boyfriend and trying to wrap his hands around his neck.
LLasay called out, “Just let me know if you want any help Morpheus. I’ll make gravity 100x stronger and pin his body to the floor and he wont even be able to breathe until I cancel the spell.”
Skylar’s eye twitched again. She wasn’t sure this was going as well as she hoped. She said loudly over the wrestling Morpheus and Ike, “Okay! who wants to go next?”
Morpheus grunt-replied, “I have a secret about Ike to share…”
Ike and Morpheus continued to tussle and tip over a desk that crashed loudly on it’s side in the middle of the classroom.
Skylar interrupted, “It’s not secrets we’re sharing, we just want to tell everyone something funny about your partner!”
Morpheus continued between grunts while wrestling, “Oh it’s funny I promise.. <huff> .. grrrr .. I’m going to tell them about your pajamas Ike..”
Ike gasped and tried to clamp his hand over his friend’s mouth, “Don’t you dare!”
Morpheus squirmed away from him, “OH I dare…”
Skylar raised both her hands, “I think we should let someone else have a turn.” She craned her neck looking around the room anxious to get things back to some semblance of order. She caught the attention of a young girl she hadn’t seen at any club meetings with glasses and long brown hair. The mystery girl quickly looked away hoping not be called on.
Skylar wasn’t letting her go. She pointed straight at her, “Why don’t you go next. Introduce yourself, pronouns, magical ability” She decided to leave out the part about sharing something funny about your partner. That didn’t seem to work out very well.
Stumble… Crash!
The girl with glasses shifted in her seat and Sklyar feared she would grab her stuff and run away, but eventually she spoke.
“Um. Hi. My name is Sylvie.”
Everyone sat silently waiting for more.
“Oh right. My pronouns are She and Her. I don’t actually have any magical ability. I wish I did. I think it’s so amazing that you all have some magic inside you. I always wished to be a witch or have some magical ability. One time I swore I moved a pencil across a table with my mind.” She giggled nervously. “It turns out the table was just crooked and it rolled. Gravity. Yeah.”
Sylvie gave a weak smile.
Skylar nodded, “Well it’s great to meet you Sylvie and you are welcome in this club.”
Morpheus and Ikelos continued to fight and were now growling at each other in the far corner of the room, standing face to face with hands locked together.
A young woman with short wavy hair the color of sea blue raised her hand.
Skylar loved her already. She nodded to the girl with blue hair.
“My name is Percepia. My pronouns are She and Her. My magic ability is manipulating sensations and physical feelings like warmth, touch sensations, hearing and pain. I don’t have any partners to share secrets about.” She glanced over Llasay. “And I’m perfectly happy being alone, before anyone starts talking to me about doing the magic bond and boyfriend/girlfriend thing to enhance your powers. In fact I prefer to be alone most of the time.” She gave an exaggerated wink at Llasay that everyone saw. A few kids chuckled.
Skylar nodded, “So cool. Thanks for sharing Percepia. And thank you for raising your hand. I think we should do that more.”
There was the sound of the classroom door swinging open slowly and everyone heard it. Morpheus and Ike stopped fighting for a moment. Everyone turned their heads to see who had entered. It was just a dark silhouette in the doorway. It was not a student. It was not anyone any of them had ever seen before. His head was bent downward so no one could see his face, but it was obviously he was there with one purpose as soon as he spoke.
“Ah. Hello children. Young witches. How charming to meet all of you. Tick. I have and so.. have I been l have come to find the shapeshifter. I heard them at that meeting. Tock. You know the one I’m sure who were friends with the moon children who. They were so focused on kidnapping and other mischief. All good fun for kids. Yes. Tick. Imagine what this could mean if properly applied. They did not. Tick Tock. I did! Such power. So much to make right. Time to change tick things for the better.”
Everyone just stood there frozen in fear, the witches presence was terrifying, but no one had the courage to do anything. He continued his wild mumbling.
“They said she would be here. On this night. Tick. At this time. And I recognize her. Yes. Tick. There she is. Curly brown of hair. There you are my my my. I had hoped one day to meet a shapeshifter a universal magic user. Tick Tick. I thought perhaps my mind was slipping and I just dreamed I had learned this or heard it, but.. Tick tock.”
The witch lifted his head just enough for the light to fall on his gray lips. They curled into a twisted and ugly smile revealing two rows of crooked yellow teeth and he said just one word.
“Skylar.”
Then the witch drew several complex geometric shapes of glowing red lines floating in the air with such speed it was startling given how frail he appeared. He whispered, “Kurikaesu Kurikaesu”
Before the spell was cast everyone was frozen in fear. Now they were immobilized by a magic spell and although they could see everything happening around them and watched as the witch entered into the classroom dragging a children’s red wagon behind them with one thin gray hand wrapped around the black handle, it felt like their bodies were vibrating.
The witch walked slowly towards Skylar, his feet rising and falling against the floor being the only sound heard. He stopped in front of Skylar and placed his hand on the top of her head. He looked straight into Skylar’s face which was awkwardly still looking at the empty classroom doorway because she could not bend her neck to look at the dreadful witch before her. His face was so close to hers she could hear his breath slip in and out between his teeth like a gentle wind blowing and pausing over and over.
“We are going to unmake the world. Tick. All of this. You and I child.”
He fetched a rope from his coat and carefully tied up Skylar’s wrists and legs. As he did so he explained his magic.
“Let me introduce this myself. I will as your fellow students. My name is Toshinori. Some call me Tick Tock. I wont tock answer your that RATHER comical query. I am male. That is all that should matter. Tick. Not that it matters at all. Magic. Yes. Tick. The heart of this creature once and always connected by an oath. My magic is time itself. Tick tock. See how you are standing in my spider web. I spun the fine silk around you and all of you. Tock. The words Kurikaesu. You may know, should know, it means REPEAT in our language of magic. Time in this room is thump thump thump repeating. Tick Tock. The first moves is forward. Tick. The second back to the beginning. Tock. And so the spell traps you in a moment and you can’t get out until it tick is over.”
He finished binding Skylar’s limbs and outside her vision undid the time trap spell and her timeline continued forward. Her hands and legs were bound and she naturally couldn’t balance herself and fell forward towards Toshinori, who quickly caught her in his thin arms and drug her over to the wagon and laid her across it.
Skylar struggled against the ropes bound tightly across her wrists and ankles. She tried in vain to cast her magic and shapeshift, but it was no use. Instead she yelled at him.
Skylar exclaimed, “No! Who are you? What do you want with me?!”
The old witch walked around her and grabbing the handle began dragging her towards the classroom door. “I already told you. Tock. We will have a grand time the two of us. Tick. Shapeshifter and witch of time. Let’s us be off my child. Tick tick. If the others find out they may wish to stop me.”
Skylar screamed, “Please let me go! Let them go too! Please! Please don’t do this to me!”
Toshinori just pulled the wagon into the darkened hallway ignoring Skylar’s pleas for help. His voice trailed away leaving the members of the newly formed Children of the Moon witch club frozen in place under a spell that allowed time to proceed a fraction of a second forward. Tick. Then reverse and start over. Tock. Over and over.
The old witch repeated as if he had the hiccups:
“Tick.”
“Tock.”
“Tick.”
“Tock.”