A Witch's Way

Chapter 6

"Serena?" Jasper whispered, grabbing her shoulders and shaking.

Serena felt sleep slip away when she started to shake. She smacked him on the forehead and turned away, grumbling. "It's super early, Jasper. I only like it when I wake myself up."

Jasper sat on his hands, feeling the strange energy tug at him again. He swayed, holding himself there in the room. Something inside of him was trying to be tugged outside. "Serena!" he tried again, feeling the force grow stronger. "I feel something trying to tug me away and--"

Serena shot up, wide awake. "Are you sure? At this time, too?"

Serena couldn't believe it. Honestly. She threw off her covers and took Jasper's shoulders, spun him around, and shoved him towards the door. "Follow it. I'll be right behind you. I promise."

Jasper nodded, feeling the pull inside his body--it was like it was calling from his soul. The call was strong now, and Jasper broke into a run. "What--this isn't me!" Jasper cried, panicked.

Serena stood there as Jasper took off. She laughed, and ran after him, trying to keep any eye on the point of fluffy brown hair in the dark. It was hard enough, being sick, trying to breathe and run at the same time. Eventually, she stopped next to Jasper, puffing, and wheezing.

"So? Does it feel better that you followed it now?" Serena asked, putting her hands on her knees to breath better.

Jasper nodded, unsure of what to do now. "So.."

"We wait," Serena said, sitting down in the damp grass. It gave her a shiver, but she didn't want to move now, or it would make the wet seep into her pants even more.

After a few minutes, a hoot broke the silence and Serena pleaded to Mother Gaia that his familiar was not a bird.

"Are you the one who calls yourself Jasper?"

They both looked around to see an owl sitting on a nearby branch, it's wide, amber eyes locked onto them. Serena stood up slowly, her shoulders tense.

Jasper looked over to Serena, afraid to respond. "Serena? What do I do?" he whispered.

Serena pushed him forwards, eyeing the owl carefully. "Talk to it, or it'll leave. That's no good." Why did it have to be a bird? A bird of prey, no less?

"Yes, I am," Jasper said, hearing the flap of wings. He tried to locate the sound but was unable to. "Where is it? I lost it!" he said, looking at the night sky for any sign of the owl.

"Look above you, Master Jasper," The familiar spoke, flapping above their heads.

Serena shrieked and swatted at the owl, who dodged with surprising grace and glared at the girl. "Lovely. Who is that with you?"

Jasper looked to Serena and gave an apologetic shrug. "It's Serena. She's afraid of birds, I think."

The familiar looked amused for a second, landing in front of Serena. "The utmost apologies, Miss Serena. I didn't mean to frighten you so bad for you to attack me."

Serena scooted a bit further away from the bird and sat down. "Do you have a name yet?"

The owl turned its head towards Jasper and sighed. "I do not. It's up to you to name me. I just beg of you, Master Jasper, do not name me something like 'Feathers' or 'Talon'," he said, looked annoyed at the names

Jasper nodded and sat in the grass, and the owl moved his way over to sit in between the two of them. "Clark! Do you like that name?" Jasper asked.

Clark nodded contently. "It's better than 'Scar," he remarked dryly.

Serena laughed, unable to imagine Clark being named Scar. "You used to be someone else's familiar before you got Jasper?"