A Witch's Way

Chapter 4

A knock on the door startled Serena. She got up, grimacing at her dirty floor.

Rays of sunlight spotted along the floor, reflecting on the glass windchime above the window. It made the walls look prettier, hopefully diverting attention from Serena's floor to the walls instead.

Opening the door, she was surprised to see Stella standing there, a crow on her shoulder, its beady eyes peering at Serena intently. She shuttered and ushered Stella inside, shutting the door behind her.

"...This is your house?" Stella sounded horrified at the mess on the floor. Her familiar flapped it's wings and landed on the table, eying the floor with just as much disgust as Stella.

"What's wrong with it?" Serena asked, kicking books and other things out of Stella's way so she could take a seat at the table. At Serena's glare, Tessa retreated back to Stella's side, glaring her beady eyes back at Serena.

"It's a mess--how can you even walk? How do you live?" Stella said, reaching out her hand only to draw it back when Serena glared at her.

"Don't touch anything. I know where things are, and this is how I like it. At least I don't have dirty dishes in the sink and spoiled food laying around," Serena said, watching Stella, hesitantly, take a seat on the chair across of her.

"So, Serena," Stella started, kicking something out of her way. "Do you have an idea on what to get started on first?"

Serena thought for a second, then shook her head. "I just assumed that we first have to find his element..."

"Tessa, off my shoulder," Stella said, shooing her crow off her shoulder. Serena watched Tessa flap down to the floor, scouting around for any objects she could take home.

"Well, you're not wrong I suppose," Stella said, slightly exasperated. "I'm assuming you don't have a plan? A map? Or anything?"

Serena shook her head. "Not really, no."

Stella rubbed at her temples. "You're truly not fit for this are you?"

Serena shifted in her seat, kicking her foot at Tessa. The bird cawed and fluttered away from the table, to somewhere in the house. "I'm sorry. I haven't taught anyone before. I'm surprised you're here without guards."

Stella flinched at the recalling of yesterday. "Serena--I was just..."

Serena shook her head. "It's fine. I get it. A new guy, you're worried." Serena watched her relax slightly. "Anyways, I've been mostly winging this my whole life--so what's stopping me now?"

Stella scowled at her answer and tapped a pencil on the table. "No. We're making a schedule. It's my job as supervisor to help you, even if you're a tough case..." Stella spoke carefully.

Serena leaned back on her chair, scowling right back at Stella. "Fine. You can create a schedule. If there's one thing I know, I know where we're teaching Jasper."

Stella looked interested and leaned forwards to pay more attention to Serena. "Oh? Where is this?"

Serena loses her balance from Tessa flying past her and she grabbed the table edge, glaring at the crow, now on the windowsill, cawing in something that sounds like laughter. "In my garden. A field." Serena remembered that Jasper had said he liked heights, so why not in the field, where there's a cliff?

Stella nodded and scribbled that down on a piece of paper. "Tessa, get off the potted plant."

Tessa cawed in disappointment and landed on the table. Serena shied away from the bird. "Why not? Serena here is so easily angered by my presence."