Crows of a Feather

15. Amelia

Splitting up was not a good idea. It was never, ever a good idea, and Amelia thought Oscar would have been smarter than that. But no, he had ran off before she could say another word. It didn't help that the storm was picking up again, almost like it had followed them from Washington. It felt like something bad was about to happen.

At least Charon's presence was a comfort. Although she'd never admit it, she felt safe around him these days.

It's because he's a siren, a nagging voice in the back of her mind reminded. Imagine if babcia saw who you're buddies with. She pushed those thoughts away. She had established that as annoying as Charon was, he was harmless.

As they walked along Des Plaines Street, she thought about how much had changed since Oscar came into her life. Everything had been... well, normal, before then. As normal as a witch's life can be. She had trained under Dennis' watchful eye, was taught to be wary of — even despise — any and all magical creatures that weren't witches.

Then Oscar had introduced him to Charon. Out of all creatures to befriend, a siren. The very reason Dennis and her had to leave Virginia. Yet somehow, she had learned to tolerate Charon and his family. They didn't seem dangerous at all; in fact, Marina seemed to care about her safe-being just as much as her own children's.

It wasn't just that, though. Along with Oscar's presence had come the turmoil and disorder between magical communities. The approaching war, which seemed closer now than ever. The disappearance of Killian Monroe, possibly the most powerful and respected witch in all of California.

And now Oscar was gone as well. It was weird being away from her best friend for the first time in... what, over a week now?

"It's okay. He'll turn up," Charon said next to her. Amelia wasn't sure if it was for his own reassurance, or for both of theirs.

"Yeah. He will," Amelia said anyway. "Do you smell anything?"

"It's difficult in such a dense place. There are traces of magic everywhere," Charon said.

"Oh," Amelia said.

"How about you? See anything?" Charon asked.

"Not really," Amelia answered. She recognised the Kane Family insignia, but it was nowhere to be seen. Hell, she might have even missed it. There was so much going on all around her that it wouldn't have been a surprise.

Dennis had once told her that Chicago was the witch capital of America. She understood what he meant, now; everywhere she went, if she looked hard enough, she saw magic. Nothing that would stick out to a regular human, but little things. Like a man who changed the traffic lights with a snap of his fingers, and a girl about her age whose dress changed smoothly into a trench coat at her will when it started raining.

"For a city full of witches, the weather sure is bad," Charon muttered.

"Witches can't change the weather. We can affect it a little, but not control it," Amelia said matter-of-factly.

"Really? That's weird," Charon said. "Some of us can. Not many, but there have been a few sirens who've harnessed the winds."

"The winds of the sea. Yeah, I've heard of that," Amelia said. Honestly, she had thought it was only a legend. Her babcia had told her that wind and rain were out of Magik's reach because they were older and wiser. There were creatures that were allies with the wind, friends of the clouds or daughters of the rain, but even they could only do so much.

Of course, babcia hadn't been as all-knowing as Amelia once thought.

"Should we start circling back?" Charon said.