Felicity

As the doors to my office closed and Fox finally let go of yet another bear hug, I took a moment to look at the young girl he had come in with. She was short in stature, but even behind her timid demeanor, I could feel a strength deep inside her. I slowly stepped toward her, analyzing every detail with my approach. Her eyes were locked on me and seemed to fill with fear each moment I drew closer. However, her stance did not waver. Very interesting.

She had made it up the elevators without setting off any of the alarms, but anything was possible. I couldn’t take the risk that she was dangerous, especially not when it included Fox’s safety. With a quick upward motion of my hand, the girl became immobilized and suspended in the air by a dark red cloud.

To my right, I heard Fox let out a heavy sigh. “Crap. She is not going to like that.”

Turning to face him, I gave Fox a knowing look. “You can hardly blame me with everything that has happened recently. Once the spell has finished analyzing her, I’ll know whether or not she can be trusted.”

Fox rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. “I know. And I know you’re just looking out for everyone's safety but don’t you ever find that spell a little bit of, you know, an invasion of privacy? Plus, she’s been through a lot the last, like, 24 hours.”

Stepping over to the console table against the right wall of my office, I poured myself a glass of cognac, aged 27 years. “Well, Fox, it’s not as though I plan on posting anything I find on the internet. Everything remains confidential and gets stored safely away from prying eyes. Yours included,” I said, to which Fox wiggled his eyebrows. “Now, what do you mean she’s been through a lot? Was she attacked by an escaped entity?”

Fox bit the bottom of his lip as his eyes went wide. “You know, I’m just now realizing that I may have not thought this one all the way through.” He made a quick glance at his friend still suspended in the air. “About how long you think that’s going to take?”

I narrowed my eyes and looked between Fox and the girl. “About ten minutes. Why?”

Fox shuffled over to me before leading the both of us over to my desk. “You’re going to want to sit down for this.”

The full explanation took only a couple of minutes but Fox spent the rest of the time trying to calm me down. With everything happening, I wasn’t willing to take any chances. “Let me see if I understand this correctly. First, you find her in the 13th Hour, then you discover she is a witch. But that she claims to have no knowledge of her magic, then proceeds to kill someone and, on top of that, successfully reverses time. Oh, and, it isn’t even the first time she’s killed someone and rewound time. Again, with no knowledge of magic? Please tell me if I am missing anything.”

We had since moved from the desk and were both standing near the girl. Fox, however, was blocking me from getting near her. “Aunt Fee, please. I know you think I rushed judgment on her but there is something else you should know.” He paused for a moment to look back at his friend. “After she rewound time, I thought all of the things you’re thinking right now, but I did a scan of her, and--.”

The spell that had been keeping the girl suspended and immobilized finally ended with the dark red cloud absorbing into my body. The spell always left me a little light-headed afterward from the extensive information upload. Luckily, I had used the spell many times in the past. It only took a minute to regain my composure and when I did, I saw fox bent down to help the girl up.

I wasn’t prepared for what my mind processed. The memories that unfolded showed no sign of magic during her life up until a couple of days ago. What it did show was a special bond between a mother and a daughter. The laughter, the crying, the countless hugs; it was enough to stir something within me. Finally, the memories settled on the previous day, the first sign of magic. It was as Fox said, but I noticed something very unexpected. What I can only assume was the very thing Fox had intended to tell me a minute ago. “She has two forces of magic within her.”

***

Dorian

As the breeze picked up, it lifted her chestnut hair over the view of the city skyline. Upon the rooftop garden, the noise of the streets far below barely reached us. I sat there on a bench seated between two pillars holding cement vases full of jasmine flowers slowly making their reappearance for the upcoming spring. Behind me, a bed of daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips had already begun to color the rooftop.

None of it compared to her. The alabaster of her skin seemed to glitter as the sunlight caressed her. These moments were fleeting but time was kind and seemed to slow down just for us. For me and my sweet Jane.

As she moved to step down from the cement rail, she lifted the bottom of her long gown by grabbing at the fabric below the heightened waist. Seeing her in it always took me back to the first time I saw her in 1549. Though we had both only been 12, she was much smarter than I could have ever hoped to become. And stronger. So much stronger.

Jane took determined steps in my direction until she was standing over me. Even though her head was blocking the sun, her face still seemed to shine in the shadow. It wasn’t until she crossed her arms that I noticed the stern look on her face. “Dorian, you’re doing it again.”

The sweet Anglo-Saxon accent of her voice was entrancing, but I still managed to pull myself to reality. “Sorry. Sorry.” I raised my hands in surrender and quickly stood. “I didn’t mean to drift, but in my defense, you took longer than a minute to stare at the view and you know I could watch you for hours.” I lightly pulled her towards me. She resisted at first, not ready to just give in. Pulling back a little, I looked down directly into her eyes. “Hey, I really am sorry. I promise you’ve got my full and undivided attention.”

She stifled a sob and try to pull herself from my gaze. “It is not that.”

I thought for a moment, thinking about what it is I could’ve overlooked. It took a second because my mind was full of her. “Oh, is it because I took a little longer than usual to summon you? We’ve been apart longer than that before.” Again, I tried to pull her towards me, but she resisted as a tear escaped the side of her eye. It had been decades since I had seen Jane cry. It was enough to completely unsettle me. “Is there something else? Did something happen?”

She stifled one more sob before finally looking back up to my face. “You were gone, Dorian.” She paused for a moment to take another breath. “And I don’t mean on another mission. I mean our connection. Our link. Something happened and you were just gone. I could no longer feel your life force. It was only for a few moments, but, in those agonizing minutes, I thought--.”

Jane couldn’t keep it in any longer. Her tears broke through and mine were not far behind. This time, I didn’t hesitate to pull her as close to me as possible. The hot breath of her sobs warmed my chest. It was all I could take. I kissed the top of her head as one tear after another fell onto it.

After a few minutes, she pushed herself off of me and regained her composure much quicker than I did. I was still wiping snot away when she took my hand and led me to the edge of the rooftop. “I apologize for my outburst. I know it was probably silly of me to make such a fuss.”

I cleared my throat and finished wiping the tears from my eyes. “And I apologize because we both know I have a pretty ugly crying face.” It was small, but I managed to get her to smile. “I am so sorry that I made you worry like that. The last thing I want to do--.”

She put her hand up to cut me off. “I know. After lifetimes together, I should know better. I was just so taken back by the sudden loneliness of not feeling our connection. I dare say after five centuries, I’ve grown rather accustomed to you.” Now, she was the one smirking.

“Well, look at that. It only took five hundred years but it sounds like you’re finally warming up to me.”

Her grin slowly vanished as it was replaced with her usual look of “no-nonsense.” We had a strict open communication policy. “Now, on with it. Tell me what it is that is happening. I can always tell when there is a thorn in your paw.”

Taking a deep breath, I looked out at the view of the city before turning back to her. “I’m not entirely sure, myself. Maybe everything, including us being briefly unbound is tied to what happened to the 13th Hour a couple of nights ago.”

Jane moved her hair to one side to keep the wind from blowing it into her face. “What do you mean? Did something unusual happen? Well, more unusual?”

I crossed my arms and tapped my chin trying to decide whether telling her would make her more or less worried. Aunt Felicity knew I would tell Jane, so that wasn’t a concern. In the end, I decided she would probably handle it better than I did. “The 13th Hour collapsed the other night. It was only for a second. Not even long enough for me, Sabine, or Fox to notice. It went right back up, but that’s never happened before.” I ran my hands down the sides of my face as the frustration within me began to build. “On top of that, there’s a new girl at school that is apparently not only another witch, but somehow entered the 13th Hour last night.”

Jane didn’t seem rattled. I wasn’t surprised. After what she had endured during her actual life and all that she had witnessed over the centuries of us being together, it was very rare to see her lose her cool. She took my hand and looked me in the eyes. “Whatever is happening, I know you will find a way to fix it. I have no doubt in my mind. But,” she said raising her tone. “Whoever this new witch is, be cautious. You and I both know some of the most wicked things in this world camouflage themselves in innocence.”

I was just about to reassure her, when my phone buzzed from my back pocket. After pulling it out, there was a message on the screen from Aunt Felicity that I needed to get to the laundromat immediately. With a sigh, I turned back to Jane. “My sweet love--.”

She, again, put her hand up to stop me. “Go. You have far more important matters to look after.”

Even though I grinned, I knew my eyes were sad. “I’m already looking at the most important thing in the world to me.”

***

Sabine

Walking between the racks of clothes in the new boutique recently opened on 5th Avenue, it was all I could do not to grimace at the selections. Each piece lacked fundamental elements of fashion. From patterns to cuts, it was like the shop was a parody of what could be considered chic. Oh, my god. Is this an Edwardian collar? What kind of sick son of a--

A cheerful voice came from behind me. “I bet a beautiful young woman like yourself would look amazing in that blouse.”

I turned, fully intending to explain that I wouldn’t even let my corpse be buried in something as disrespectful to fashion as that top. However, when face to face with the short woman, seemingly in her forties, her smile stopped me. It wasn’t that she had some bedazzling smile. It was that her smile completely contradicted the emotions she was filled with. In brief flashes, I saw the things currently weighing hard on her heart and mind. Her son was sick and she was trying to figure out how to take care of the medical bills. The rent on their small apartment was due and she was also two months behind. The shoes she had bought for her daughter from a thrift store had barely lasted a month and already needed replacing.

It was all I could do to keep my cool right there in the middle of the store. Taking a deep breath, I looked down and read her name tag. “Catherine, is it?”

The woman smiled a little wider and nodded her head. “How can I help you, young lady?”

I extended my hand for a warm handshake. Catherine hesitated for a moment, more than likely not used to customers being so casual. “I’m Sabine.” As our hands touched, I got a clearer image of her thoughts. She worked on commission but struggled with trying to push people to buy things they didn’t need, and most of the time didn’t want. Her job was on shaky ground because of it.

With a deep breath, I made a decision. “Well, Catherine, if I’m being honest, I really need your help.” With as much fake sincerity as I could muster, I continued on. “I just love everything in here and would really appreciate your help in putting together some looks.” Jesus Christ. If this doesn’t get me into heaven, nothing will.

Catherine was clearly caught off guard because she didn’t notice she was still holding my hand. There was a burst of hope within her chest and the emotion surged through my hand right up to my brain. I quickly pulled my hand back as the feeling left me a little lightheaded. “Sorry,” I said clearing my throat. “I thought I felt a sneeze about to come on.”

The saleswoman had the biggest look of sympathy on her face. “Are you okay? Would you like me to get something for you?”

I sniffled a few times for effect and smiled. “Yes, actually. You can get me a dressing room.”

It wasn’t Catherine’s fault that there wasn’t a single item of clothing in the store worth even a second look. So, I went to my happy place and focused on what the commission would mean for her. But it wasn’t going to be enough in the long run. Catherine needed to get out of the boutique and into a real job. At one point, I had a few minutes while Catherine was helping another customer to make a quick call to an associate who worked alongside my mother. With my affinity for the present, it was impossible for people to keep things from me. It might have been wrong to blackmail but I figured it evened out if I was helping someone else and her family. Besides, trying on the clothes was penance enough.

I beamed a smile at my reflection in the dressing room mirror as I finished up the call. “Well, John, if you don’t find room for an administrative assistant somewhere in the department, I’m pretty sure you’re going to have to find a room for old, single men after I tell your pregnant wife about your other family in Hartford and then tell that family about your pregnant wife here in New York. Kay? Thanks,” I said before hitting the call end button and tossing my phone into my purse.

By the time I finally made it up to the register, the number of clothes was staggering. Thankfully, Catherine had been ringing up the items as I took them off and confirmed I would be purchasing them. After a few more accessories, she had the total ready for me. It wasn’t the look of shock on her face that concerned me but rather the dip in her level of hope.

Without hesitation, I pulled out a black card and handed it to her with a smile. Catherine hesitated at first, but I continued to smile and nodded her along. I’m sure in her mind, my parents would probably lose it over the amount of the bill, but I already knew it wouldn’t matter. I was going to donate the clothes and then my parents would be able to use them as a tax write-off. So, in a lot of ways, I was being a good Samaritan. I was like a saint or something.

I grabbed a pen from the counter and ripped off the top portion of the receipt before handing it to Catherine. “Would you do me a favor and write down your phone number for me?”

She was bewildered but took the pen and paper anyway. After she was done, I carefully placed the number in my purse where I knew it wouldn’t get lost in the void. At the same time, my phone lit up in between the folds of the bag. With a quick glance, it took everything inside of me not to completely switch to “bitch mode.” It was a text from my mother.

I glued my smile on before looking back up at Catherine. “Thank you so much for all of your help. Would it be possible for you to keep the bags in the back? I was going to have a courier come by for them.”

A woman from behind me cut Catherine off before she had a chance to answer. “Of course. It would be our pleasure.” The woman, tall, skinny, and with a face pulled back by a painfully tight-looking crown bun, wedged herself between me and Catherine. “I will personally see to it that your purchases will be handled with the utmost care. I am Adaline Laurent. The manager of--.”

Oh, thank god. I really need to vent. My face twisted in disgust as my voice took on a condescending tone. “How nice for you, Addy, but I believe she--.” I pointed directly at Catherine. “Was the one helping me.” Adaline looked bewildered and ready to state her case, but I wasn’t having it. “Now, I don’t know you and I certainly don’t need a stranger touching anything of mine. So, here’s how it’s going to go, Ads. I’m going to leave my purchases with Catherine, the woman kind enough to help me the entire time while you were nowhere in sight. And when my courier comes to fetch my things, I expect him to find Catherine with my purchases. Got it?”

Adaline was blustering with the right words to say before finally conceding to a nod. I gave her one more glare before beaming a smile at Catherine. “Bye, Catherine. I’ll see you later!”