An original and empowering shapeshifter/werewolf mystery.
Lily's abusive life with her childhood pack is about to change forever when she's assigned to attend Rochester Academy; A boarding school rumored to be for unmated shifters.
What does this...
"You sure this is allowed?" said Lily, following close behind Anne. Their footsteps echoed sharply against the stonework.
"Of course it is. It's no different than a study group really," Anne said over her shoulder.
"I don't mean about working together," said Lily, "I meant about being down here..."
"On the first floor?" said Anne. "Yeah, that's chill. The other students don't come down here is all, not because it's not allowed, but because it's colder here and out of the way. Particularly when there are plenty of places to study and practice and hang out on the top two floors."
"Why didn't we go to the second floor then?" said Lily.
"That floor is out of bounds. According to reliable, solid rumors.. the floor is reserved for teacher and staff stuff."
"Now you've got me interested," said Lily, mostly joking.
Anne laughed and took another turn. The hallway opened up to a magnificent room. Water leaped in a celebratory kind of way from a white-marbled fountain containing a rearing horse statue that was situated in the center of the large room.
The windows were long and narrow and placed high on the wall. Light poured in from above and, transformed by the lapping water, landed on the opposite walls in prisms of dancing color.
"This is amazing!" said Lily. She touched the nearest wall, and the light painted her hand in color and warmth.
It was a short time before Lily started thinking about her classes and studies... their purpose for being here... For Anne to teach her what she needs to learn now that she's a shifter. An official one anyway.
She thought about how hard she'd been working, and how in this moment she was unexpectedly blessed with things as beautiful as the room, her new abilities, her renewed sense of belonging. She savored that for slow minutes before thoughts of 'get back to work' intruded.
In that moment she thought about how .. it's good that she's working hard, and being diligent... but ... but that it's also good to be in the moment also. To be ...happy. To just stand and enjoy the lights waltzing across the palm of her hand in warm joy. She couldn't help but smile.
She glanced at Anne. She thought Anne would be mesmerized by the lights also, but Anne was only looking at her. There was curiosity in the depths of her amber eyes.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"You have to hold the idea in your mind," said Anne.
"What idea exactly? Having improved smell?" said Lily. They'd found a large rounded study room where they could practice. It was lit with thousands of tiny lights spaced organically all over the ceiling like stars in the night sky. The fireplace was overlarge, and a fire burned hot in the hearth. The room was empty apart from two rounded benches set adjacent to the wall.
"It's not just .. being able to sense smell better," said Anne. "But rather thinking about how it would feel to be commanding that ability."
"So... I should sniff the air or something," said Lily, who was having a hard time believing this would work.
"Sure?" said Anne. "I can't tell you what is the right way, because it's going to be specific to whoever is trying to use the magic."
"Hm," said Lily, moving slightly away from the nearest bench.
"If you had that magic right now, and were employing it then what would you be doing? If you would be sniffing the air then... It would seem that'd be the right thing to try."
"I guess if I had that ability I would ... be standing here, and ...smelling things stronger than I currently am," said Lily. It was weird because the idea seemed straightforward.. and yet to implement it seemed challenging.
"Perfect!" said Anne. She made it seem like it was a breakthrough of some kind. "So what would you be smelling more of?"
"The wood burning in the fireplace," said Lily. "And I guess the stone has a subtle cool smell about it. There's a kind of cinnamon smell also."
"Focus on those. Visualize them becoming more intense."
"You said every shifter has this ability?" said Lily, after practicing for a few minutes without success.
"I said they have the potential," said Anne.
"That mind-reading stuff is bogus right though?" said Lily. "I'd rather not have a bunch of random shifters shouting in my mind.. even if we were part of the same pack."
"There is mind magic so far as I know, but it's not an everyday kind of thing. I've only heard of witches' potions that can alter that. Then again I don't know what the Lycans are or will be capable of."
"Maybe me and super-smelling don't mix," said Lily. "Is there another ability I should try?"
"Don't say that!" said Anne. "If you say you're not good at it.. with magic... you won't be good at it."
"Um," said Lily. "I can't say I'm following."
"I don't understand it all really," said Anne. "This is deep magic we're talking about. It's still being studied. But there's a theory that suggests that you must think about it first before you can do it. If you say 'I can do it,' and somehow make yourself believe that you can do it.. there's a higher chance that you will be able to learn. If you say I'm not good enough..."
"Like mind over matter?" said Lily thinking. She'd never thought of this kind of idea before.
"Yeah, a bit like that," said Anne. "And.. if you don't think you can access and master the ability, then in basic terms... like would you even try? And if you didn't try... you'd never learn how to accomplish the goal."
Lily felt like a window onto a brand new world was opened for her. She wondered what other abilities shifters were able to attain. What abilities would she be able to attain?
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
