Strange Magic

Back To The Circle

The creature didn't make contact with her. Jenna opened her eyes in nick of time to see a white form pushing the creature away from her. The two creatures hit the road and began a horrid animal fight.

Jenna scrambled quickly to her feet. She couldn't even leave now that her car was smashed. All she could do was stand and stare at the gruesome battle in front of her. The white form she saw was another creature. A snow white sabertooth tiger without stripes. It lunged at the black creature sinking its sharp teeth into its throat. The creature whined in pain and lashed out again, sending the sabertooth flying feet away from it. Then the creature turned at Jenna, growling menacingly. Jenna could only utter a faint cry as it came pouncing on her again. She was saved again by the sabertooth who attacked the creature from behind. The creature was sent sprawling on its back. Before Jenna could understand what had happened, Leah was standing before her. She threw something down and a portal opened. Then she grabbed Jenna roughly before she could protest and jumped into the portal.

They materialized on the grounds of the circle. Jenna saw herself staring at the building in a distance.

"What the...

"What the hell are you thinking?" Leah screamed at Jenna. "You nearly had us both killed. What's the big idea?"

Jenna winced at Leah's loud voice. Was she the sabertooth? Nothing was clear.

"Why did you get out of here?" Leah continued yelling. "Do you want to get yourself killed? Why can't you do as you're told for once?"

"I s-saw something," Jenna stammered and remembered she was staring at the killer.

"What did you see?" Leah growled.

"I saw you draining a girl dry," Jenna answered in a small voice.

"What did you expect from a monster?" She snapped. "That I'd have a pair of wings and a halo and go around saving the world?"

Jenna couldn't help but smile at the thought of Leah having a pair of wings. It would be so unlike her but she would look cute though.

"I can't help who I am," Leah continued. "Just as you can't help who you are much as you try to deny it. So accept what you are before you cause more harm to anyone."

That shut Jenna up. Much as she want to pretend she's not a monster, she didn't want to cause harm to anyone. She didn't intend for anyone to get hurt for her, or worse, killed.

"Do you have an ounce of obedience in you to follow me back to the circle?" Leah asked.

Jenna felt rather taken aback by the sarcasm in Leah's voice.

"Or..." Leah trailed. "Should I use force? Because you have no choice but to get back and face Old Nana's wrath."

"Lead the way," Jenna muttered under her breath.

Old Nana was none too pleased with Jenna's break out. Jenna expected a fresh and long tirade from her but she was surprised at Nana's indifference at having come back.

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself."

That was all Nana told her before she was dismissed. Weird. No, eccentric is the word.

But as Jenna lay in bed that night, she did feel ashamed of what she had done. For giving a hard time on Leah and the others and risking their lives, especially Leah's. She shuddered what would have happened if Leah didn't come to her rescue in nick of time. She felt guilty. She swore to herself that she would make it up to them somehow.

Jenna slept through the day without being interrupted for once. When she woke up, it was already late afternoon. She grabbed her head and forced herself to stand up but she felt weak. Then she strolled out of her room wondering what to do next. She needed to see Fiona and tell her about Drew but she wasn't around. She saw Trevor leaning against the wall in solitude watching the others when she stepped out into the hall. He noticed Jenna but didn't attempt to come close to her. Jenna had no business with him so she passed him without a word but something Trevor said made her stop to listen.

"You can really trigger something in my sister, can't you?" He said, grinning. "It's been a while she did that. You must be an enchantress."

Jenna didn't turn around. Did what? What Trevor said didn't make sense. She knew she wasn't an enchantress or anything, especially not with Leah. She started walking again without a word.

To her surprise, no one came to summon her to anything. It felt strange as Jenna was used to Nana always summoning her. She took that spare time to take a look around the building.

The building was bigger than she had imagined. A small town could've fit in it. There were other outcasts who looked like normal college going kids. They ignored her just as she ignored them. There was everything that one might need. From tiny cafes to stores, everything was there. Jenna hadn't noticed all of these since it was on the other side of the building. She realized that the area where she's most usually at was some kind of dorm habitation. She marcelled at the size of the castle. It was actually bigger than a castle.

She walked over to a counter and looked at the bakeries underneath the glass case. Her mouth watered. She forgot the last time she really ate something. Suddenly she felt very hungry.

"Would you like something dear?"

Jenna started at the voice and straightened up at once. She saw a young woman smiling at her from behind the counter. She didn't see her before.

Jenna felt her pockets even though she knew it was empty. Then she shook her head regretfully.

"Would have loved to but I got no money," she replied.

The woman chuckled and peered at her closely.

"You're new here, aren't you?"

Jenna nodded, her eyes still fixed longingly at a double creamed pastry.

"You don't need money around here," she said which made Jenna tear her stare off from the pastry to the woman.

"Everything's free."

The woman made the pastry fly out from its place with magic and placed it on a saucer. Then she handed it to Jenna who looked stunned.

"Enjoy."

Everything's free?

Jenna glanced around at the other stores. Somehow she knew that this place wouldn't be so bad after all.