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In the kitchen, they found Mrs. Flowers sipping tea with a girl about their own age. She didn't look like she was selling anything: She was as tiny as Bonnie herself, dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, with wild curly blond hair and a spattering of freckles across her cheeks.
"Hey!" the girl said as soon as she saw them. She put her teacup down a little too hard, sloshing tea into the saucer and onto the table. "Oops," she added, grinning.
"Hello, children," Mrs. Flowers said serenely. "Help yourself to some scones. Alysia, if you look behind you, you'll see napkins to wipe up that spill. "
They settled at the table, Bonnie squirming impatiently as Mrs. Flowers poured two more cups of tea and handed around plates for scones and little sandwiches. She needed to talk to Mrs. Flowers about serious business, but Bonnie couldn't see a way to bring up the subject of Old Ones in front of this stranger. And who was she, anyway?
From across the table, Alysia kept smiling at her. Bonnie shifted uncomfortably. Next to her, Zander bit happily into a scone. "These are amazing," he told Mrs. Flowers, who smiled at him.
"Um," Bonnie began, growing impatient, "Mrs. Flowers, did you manage to find anything on the . . . problem I called you about?"
"There are some books of protection charms and divination spells on the table in the hall," Mrs. Flowers said briskly. "You may take them with you when you leave. I'm afraid, though, that I don't think the spells will do anything Elena can't do on her own. " She put down her teacup and looked at Bonnie seriously, her blue eyes sharp. "I think Alysia might be able to assist you, though. She works with a group that could help you strengthen your Power. "
"What kind of a group?" Bonnie asked, confused.
Alysia straightened, her voice becoming formal, as if she was reciting a prepared speech. "It's nice to meet you, Bonnie," she began. "I represent an association of people who work together through the manipulation of natural forces to oppose negative elements. Mrs. Flowers is"
-she shared a look with the older woman-"one of the chief contacts of our group, and she's recommended that we invite you to join us. " The girl smiled eagerly, making her look even younger. "She had a lot of good things to say about you, Bonnie. You sound like one of the most talented recruits we've come across. "
"What do you mean, 'recruits'?" Bonnie asked suspiciously. "What exactly are you recruiting me for?"
Alysia flushed pink to the tips of her ears. "I'm sorry," she said. "I should have explained better. This is the first time I've coordinated a gathering. We'd like to invite you to our retreat for a few weeks, to share your abilities with others who have a deep connection to the natural elements, and they'll share their talents with you. If you find it useful, you can come back every year or two and work with the same team. We all help one another focus and hone our abilities. We're stronger when we work together. "
"Like . . . a workshop?" Bonnie asked.
"Sort of," Alysia agreed, dropping the formal tone. "We're really just a bunch of people who have magic powers and good intentions, and we think that if we work together we can get stronger, and counter some of the bad things in the world. "
"Oh," Bonnie managed. She wasn't sure what to say. It sounded like a good idea, but did she really have time to join-what was this, a coven? "I've never really worked with anyone else. Except for Mrs. Flowers, of course. "
"It'll just be for a few weeks. And I can guarantee it's a great way to take your abilities to the next level. Watch. "
Alysia raised her hand and, her forehead wrinkling in concentration, made a complicated gesture, too quick for Bonnie to follow. There was a flash of red, and Bonnie heard birdsong as something fluttered past her, disappearing near Mrs. Flowers's china cabinet. Shadows of vines spread across the wall, and the scent of flowers and warm rain blossomed all around them. In the middle of Mrs. Flowers's kitchen, Alysia had conjured up a pocket of tropical rain forest.
"Wow," Bonnie said, as the illusion faded and the normal kitchen reassembled around them. "That was really neat. "
"I'm good with illusions," Alysia said, shrugging. "But I never could have done that before I met the others. "
"It sounds interesting," Bonnie said carefully. "Would you mind, though, if I checked something out for myself? No offense, Mrs. Flowers. "
The older woman waved away the disclaimer. "I understand perfectly, my dear," she said.
"Don't be scared," Bonnie told Alysia, then turned to Zander. "Can you see if she's telling the truth?"
Zander got to his feet, accidentally jostling the table so that the delicate cups rattled, and took a deep breath. Then suddenly his body twisted, his face lengthening into a snout, his hands forming into claws. Alysia gave a startled yelp. In just a few seconds, a huge, beautiful white wolf stood beside them, gazing intently at Alysia with his sky-blue eyes.
"Oh, my God," Alysia said faintly, scooting her chair back from the table. Her face had paled so that the freckles stood out like little dark dots.
"Just stay still for a minute," Bonnie said. "He won't hurt you. "
Zander walked around the table to sniff at Alysia, his furred jaw almost pressing against hers.
"Is everything you've told me the truth?" Bonnie asked. Alysia nodded. "You have to answer out loud," Bonnie added gently.
"Y-yes. " Alysia's voice shook.
"Do you have any evil intent toward me?"
"No. "
