It was a sunny morning, if a bit cold. Sarah was using her Saturday to read the grimoire her parents left behind. Her curiosity was growing with every page.

  “Wow, they knew so much magic,” she thought aloud out of astonishment. “It all looks so awesome.”

  With each section she felt more and more amazed. That feeling of wonder as she travelled the memories of her parents’ magical skills. She wanted to learn their skills. She wanted to continue their experience.

  But at the same time she couldn’t help but wonder why she was kept from that knowledge. Was it because it was dangerous? But then why would they keep it from her so long? Even aunt Caitlyn was surprised when she found out Sarah couldn’t do it. Then maybe they didn’t trust her? No, it couldn’t be it. They all trusted nobody as much as themselves mutually.

  Whatever the cause was, Sarah decided not to worry. She had all the spells of her parents before her eyes. She could learn any of them that she wanted. She might have not been experienced, but she felt confident.

  The only question was which spell to try out first.

  “Roulette,” said Sarah.

  She closed the grimoire and her eyes. And she opened it on a random page.

  “Let’s see…”

  The page was describing some kind of jewellery made of cy. Some kind of tags attached to neckces or bracelets. At first Sarah was disappointed that she opened on such a boring page. On the other there had to be more to it. She turned to the previous page and she discovered what it was that she found. The Magi script. A mysterious alphabet used to engrave intentions on talismans, amulets and magical jewellery overall.

  Sarah was mesmerised by all the different hooks and zigzags. By all the shapes that held power within themselves. She wondered how they could be used. What could she create with them? And how to actually use them?

  “It can’t be that hard, can it?”

  Sarah came back to the next page. It turned out that the tags were really easy to make. She could use even self-hardening cy and make inscriptions using any wooden stylus. Her father even made a footnote saying that he has been using chopsticks. Then some enchanting and a night in soil to energise the tag.

  Sarah was eager to try making the tags. Maybe because she found the concept awesome. Maybe because she wanted to feel like learning from her parents. An emution of an experience she never got. And an interesting way to commemorate them.

  So Sarah decided to learn to make the tags. And the first thing she needed to do was to go to an art shop. He could get a chopstick from the kitchen. But not cy nor strings. She decided to go to the shop straight from school. She couldn’t wait.

  The st bell rang and the students left the school. Sarah was going to the mall. Giovanna and Ursu surprised her by following her.

  “Oh, you two are going shopping too?” Sarah asked them.

  “Yeah, so it seems,” said Giovanna with a gloomy voice.

  “What’s with that voice?” said Sarah. “Did something happen?”

  “She has got a message from her parents,” said Ursu. “They are coming back from a business trip in Italy.”

  “Yes,” said Giovanna. “And before they come I have to conduct a ritual so there won’t be any arguing in the house.”

  Sarah felt off about what Giovanna said. What would her parents argue about? And how would the ritual prevent it? And come to think of it, she couldn’t recall a single time she saw them or Giovanna spoke about them.

  “From Italy? And for such a long time?” she said.

  “Once I started my final year of high school they decided that I can be left in charge of the house,” said Giovanna. “I like it. Saves me crossing borders.”

  “And what is that ritual?”

  This time Giovanna wasn’t answering. She made a deep sigh. Ursu took a look at her. Then at Sarah. Then again at Giovanna.

  “Maybe it would be better to tell her?” she said.

  Giovanna stopped walking for a second.

  “I’ll tell her when I have to,” she said, continuing to walk.

  Just in front of the mall the girls noticed their friend Angelo. He had just finished shopping and was holding a pstic bag.

  “Yo, Angelo!” Giovanna called him quite silently.

  “Oh, hi, gals!” Angelo said. “Going shopping as well, I see.”

  “Are you already returning?” asked Ursu. “What did you buy?”

  “Just some catnip I need to do my job.”

  Just then Angelo caught a glimpse of Giovanna’s face. He recognised her mood.

  “They’re coming home?” he said.

  “Bingo,” said Giovanna.

  “Don’t worry. It’ll be alright.”

  Angelo stretched his hands out and Giovanna hugged him. It was a much needed act of comfort.

  Sarah grew even more concerned. She hoped Ursu could make the situation more clear.

  “Are you sure Giovanna will be fine?” she asked her.

  “Yes, do not worry,” Ursu answered. “At least I hope so.”

  When Giovanna broke the hug Angelo grabbed his bag and turned around.

  “Well, it was nice to see y’all,” he said. “But I’d better get going. Mr. Ovid gave me a new job and I’d like to finish it as soon as possible. I don’t like it one bit.”

  “What is it this time?” asked Giovanna.

  “Some cait sith fell in love with a human and her family wants me to end their romance. I really don’t want to do it, but hey! At least I’ll have three jobs left.”

  “Cait sith?” said Sarah.

  “I’ll tell you when I come back. I’m in a hurry,” said Angelo.

  “You go. I will tell her,” said Ursu.

  “Alright, ciao!”

  Angelo ran away. He really wanted to do the job as quickly as he could. The girls went inside to not stand outside.

  Angelo did not like that gig. Who was he to separate lovers? Then again he wanted to break free from Mr. Ovid’s quote on quote job. And he really didn’t want to make enemies out of a cait sith lord.

  Cait sith are proud creatures with a strict code of honour. Cat spirits that are able to transform into humans living in a highly hierarchical society. One has to be really careful to not offend them. You really don’t want to have a cait sith lord against you. The cn's revenge will be horrible.

  The job had fairly uncomplicated details. A daughter of a powerful cn of cait sith fell in love with a human. In their code such a marriage meant sacrificing power in the cn and ostracism. Of course no cn lord could allow that.

  At first Angelo decided to simply try talking. But of course it was of no use. So the second try had to be more dirty.

  For about a week Angelo was tracing their conversations. He found a possible location for their next date. Rothschild Park. Angelo was already on scene and was scattering catnip in random pces. He knew that catnip was to cait sith like alcohol to humans. If she was not strong willed then she would react. That was the pn. Ruin the retionship by making the daughter act on her instincts. It was immoral of course, but nothing about the gig seemed moral. When Angelo was done he climbed to a nearby tree and hid between its branches.

  Soon the pair came to the park. They talked about something, but Angelo wasn’t paying attention. He only cared about whether or not the catnip pn would work.

  Suddenly the cait sith daughter started sniffing around. Angelo paid closer attention. He even started listening to their conversation.

  “Do you feel that smell too?” she asked.

  Her boyfriend started sniffing too.

  “Yeah, strange,” he said. “What can it be?”

  They looked around the park and tried looking for the source of the smell. And soon they found the catnip that Angelo left.

  “You’re seeing this?” said the cait sith daughter. “Catnip!”

  “Interesting,” said the boyfriend.

  “Good thing I quit.”

  “Interesting to find random catnip in the park.”

  Then the boyfriend noticed one more catnip hidden under a bush.

  “Look!” he shouted to his girlfriend. “There’s more of this stuff!”

  Soon they started finding more and more catnip.

  “You would think somebody’s dropping it around on purpose,” said the cait sith daughter.

  Angelo already knew that this time his try was once again a failure. He waited for the lovers to leave the park and climbed down the tree. Angelo really hated reporting his failures to that lord. Maybe that was what really made him want to finish the job.