Salem didn’t quite know what to make of the sight she caught out of the bathroom window that Sunday morning after she’d put in her contacts. A soapy sponge was pressing against the bathroom window making circular motions. It withdrew from the window just as Salem looked down, in its place came a surge of water from a floating hosepipe. She hurried downstairs to the back yard. She found Arielle sitting in an Adirondack chair reading an iPad tablet.

  “Good morning!” Arielle greeted her. “Have you ever played Sudoku? It’s very relaxing. Watch out for the sponge!”

  Salem jumped back as the sponge soared down from her bedroom window and plopped into a foamy bucket nearby only to dart back up to the windows of Arielle’s room. The hose was shifting in the air from the bathroom window to Salem’s window.

  “I thought it was a good day to clean the windows,” Arielle explained. “This fall pollen is getting thick.”

  Salem began waving her hands and shaking her head at her sister, “Arielle, what if the neighbors see! You have to be careful.”

  “We’re only cleaning a little,” Arielle replied.

  “Uh, no, phantom sponges are cleaning by themselves,” Salem pointed out. “We can’t let anyone catch on that we are witches.”

  “People know about witches,” Arielle argued.

  Salem ran her hand through her auburn hair in exacerbation, “Yes, people know there are others that practice witchcraft, but that’s basically Wicca and earth magic nothingness. People do not actually know there are real witches who have the kind of powers we do. That has to remain very hush hush if we don’t want the world hounding us.”

  “Back home we just do whatever we want,” Arielle revealed.

  Salem sat down beside her, trying to make the naive girl understand. “Yes, but you live on a plantation back in the marshlands. You don’t have neighbors living on either side of you. In Atlanta, we have to be a little more private.”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Over breakfast of toast, bacon, and hot coffee, Salem expressed her curiosity about the vastness of Arielle’s abilities.

  “What all can you do exactly?”

  “Not so much,” Arielle started. “I can move objects around as you know. That’s really about it.”

  “That was pretty amazing to me,” Salem laughed.

  “Besides freezing time, what all can you do?”

  “I recently discovered I can move much larger objects than I thought could—like the ground and trees.” Salem answered. “I can also blow things up.”

  “Mother call’s people with that gift flamethrowers. I wish I could do that one.”

  Salem laughed. “I’m afraid I can’t teach you that one. I don’t even know how I did it. I was terribly upset at the time.”

  “Daddy’s great aunt was a flamethrower,” Arielle noted. “And your freezing power comes from our grandfather Obreiggon. I can’t freeze people, but I can stop objects in place. Can Seth freeze people too?”

  “No, but he can control the elements,” Salem said. “He can summon lightning, wind and rain, or sunshine. It’s really pretty cool.”

  “I’d like to meet him,” Arielle admitted. “I’ve never had a brother before.”

  “I was thinking you might get to meet him very soon.” Salem revealed. “He’s getting married in a few weeks. I thought I’d take you.”

  “Really? Oh, my word I would love that! When?”

  “Halloween.”

  “Oh,” Arielle sounded downtrodden. “My mother always throws an annual ball on Halloween. I know she’ll expect me.”

  “That’s all right,” Salem looked disheartened. “You’ve been here awhile now, and I know you must miss your family.”

  “Not particularly,” Arielle admitted. “I’d rather meet my brother. Mother has called me twice to find out where I am. Daddy told her I’m traveling with friends. She’s left me messages ordering me to return home by the ball. Of course, I am not moving back. But I did plan to tell her at the ball where I’m living now.”

  “Then go to Oleander for Halloween,” Salem said. “You can meet Seth at Thanksgiving.”

  “No, I want to go to Halloween at your house. I want to meet Seth. I’ll figure out a way to get out of going home.”

  Salem thought for a moment. “Maybe you shouldn’t come home with me. There’s been some trouble at Blanchard House. Apparently, my cousin has been dating a werewolf. He has tried to kill them once already, and they beat him. But they all expect another attack from him at some point. Maybe until he is captured, you shouldn’t go around the family. Although if they manage to locate him, I may need to return to Daihmler to help stop him.”

  “Well, if you go, I’ll go,” Arielle said. “Werewolves are dangerous. My mother knows a few. I believe her cousin is one, but it’s not something she ever talks about. I heard about him once when I was little. She was discussing it with my aunt Blackie. But I already told you they don’t talk to each other anymore.”

  “Why not?”

  “Blackie was your mother’s best friend.”