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“Oh, I am. Just not a blood-drinking one.” Mom stretched, yawned, then decided on Lucky Charms. “How many women my age do you see having cereal for breakfast?”
“Young is a state of mind,” replied Anthony.
Mom laughed, then looked at Tammy. “You weren’t in your room last night, kiddo. That much I do know. Surprised I got any sleep.”
“Figured as much.” Tammy squirmed, not quite able to get comfortable. “It’s some crazy sort of reality bending situation where I was simultaneously only dreaming but also really there. But only one night passed here.”
“Crazy.” Paxton whistled. “But cool.”
“What started all this?” asked Mom.
Tammy let out a heavy sigh. She knew this moment was coming for the past ten years, but it didn’t make her dread it any less. One couldn’t really say the price of learning magic was risking her life to save Annie, since Maple would’ve been happy to teach her either way. However, she had agreed to help and could not in good conscience refuse. Annie was only… eleven or so. A kid that age didn’t deserve to be devoured by the dark faeries. They’d consume and destroy her soul, warping it into some evil parody of the girl she used to be.
“Annie’s in trouble…” Tammy explained as much as she knew. “Maple’s going to come back sometime today and we’re going to help her.”
“Just tell me where to be.” Mom reached over and squeezed her hand.
Tammy smiled. “Trust me, Ma. The first thing I said to her was to talk to you. The problem is, the dark ones took Annie to a place whereimmortalscan’t go. It’s not a real physical place. Like, how I went to the faerie world in a dream where just my soul traveled there? Same thing. This realm simply doesn’t exist for immortals.”
Mom frowned. “That seems dubious to me.”
“It’s true. I kept looking for a way around that but… nope. The Nightmare Realm is only accessible to mortals… or faerie if they have a mortal guide. Any faerie who goes in there would be trapped forever if they couldn’t find a mortal to bring them out.”
“Why would any faerie want to go to such an awful place?” Paxton gasped.
“Only to help someone else… like Annie.” Tammy stirred her Trix.
“So, you have magic now?” Anthony smiled.
“Yeah.”
“Like Allison?” Paxton tilted her head.
“Umm.” Tammy teetered her hand in a so-so gesture. “Not sure it counts as witchcraft. It’s more like nature magic, earth, plants, life force. From what the faeries said, humans who have magic all start off with the same potential. Depending on how we learn, the magic takes different forms. If Allison started teaching me when I was little, my magic would’ve been like hers. But… since faeries taught me, it’s like all nature-y and stuff.”
“Oh, a druid?” Anthony scooped a pile of Corn Pops into his mouth.
“Ugh.” Tammy rolled her eyes. “You play too many video games.”
“Nah,” said Anthony. “Druids were a real thing a long time ago.”
Paxton sat up straighter. “Ooh! Can you turn into animals?”
“Historical druids were somewhat dark and very creepy,” said Mom.
Anthony gave her a ‘yeah, true, but that’s not what I meant’ type glance.
Tammy bit her lip. “Assuming that wasn’t just a crazy dream… I do remember turning into a big, black cat and running through the woods playing with the faeries.”
“Thought you said you’re not a witch.” Paxton laughed. “Why a black cat?”
“Duh.” Tammy grabbed a handful of her jet-black hair and held it up. “Maple thought it fit me.”
Anthony snickered. “Even in animal form, you’re a goth.”
“What can I say?” Tammy couldn’t help but smile.
Mom grimaced. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
