Astrid’s face is childishly amazed, “Oh, no. You could have been anybody, but why does it have to be you?” she says spiritlessly. Thick mist that was a disguise on the stranger’s face dissolves in the dampness of the air reviling the distinct features. The sudden realization makes her slow. A moment of hesitation and she is swinging in the air. It seems to me that a huge hand of an invisible giant or an ogre is holding her body. Nina grasps my sweaty hand in fear.

“Just look, Astrid! Look what all this magic rubbish can do! Even I, a weak mage, could make you stick in the air! You! A strong and powerful witch! And what will happen to Billy or baby Sarah if it were not me?”

“What, are you out of your mind? What has happened to you? What would father say if he were here?”

“He would say nothing, Astrid! Father is dead. Dead because of his godforsaken magic and his godforsaken shifters! Why did you get yourself mixed up with one of these animals?

Astrid is speechless. Her beautiful dark hair is disheveled and falling on her forehead and face; her sun and moon earrings and bright bracelets are sadly jingling in the light soft breeze.

I remain in the hidden place; I’m like a ghost, a long lost bobby pin between the divan cushions, an invisible girl under Dad’s invisibility cloak. But can one really hide under the cloak that belongs to a mage who is standing on the sandy, scattered with tiny stones and shells shore.

“The only thing I want after father’s demise is normal life for my girls: for my wife and my daughters,” continues Dad. “You promised not to rely girls into your business. But you are dragging them into this crazy world more and more. Amulets, scary dolls! What’s next? Find them animal boyfriends like you did? You even started sending your animals to my house!” he makes a pause, clenching his jaw. “I don’t want to find them dead or lost one day. And this day will happen if they continue getting deeper.”

“How did you do all this?” obviously, Astrid is trying to buy some time. I can see that she is wriggling her fingers. “How were you able to summon the cloud of bat shifters? They are not easy to deal with; especially, when they are acting against their will. It was you. Am I right?”

“Are not you surprised, dear? You have always underestimated me because of my poor abilities in magic, sis. The fact that I don’t want to deal with magic doesn’t make me weak and magic disabled!”

“Why all these tricks and intimidations? I already figured out how “great” you are!” she sniffs ironically. “A big mage boy must feel stronger now having erased memories of two little girls, trying to change who they are or who they might become. Billy is a witch, and she will always be a witch. Your magic didn’t work on her: you just made your child angry, confused, and lost.”

“I just wanted to show girls that magic is evil. But instead of calling me or bringing them home the moment they faced bats, you arranged a nice dinner by candlelight and invited your half blood and an odd squirrel pet!”

“You might have hurt your own daughters having summoned bats. They could be easily out of control!” it’s pretty unbelievable, but Astrid’s voice remains calm.

“Everything was under my control...”

“Even now when you are technically holding your sister and daughter hostage?”

Dad seems lost.

“Andrew, it is not your fault that father died. It is not your fault that you came home late that day. I now you are grieving, but mother and I are grieving too! And our pain is as big as yours, but we don’t do crazy things... Andrew, the portal explosion must have affected you and crushed your spirit. But I can fix it. Just let me help you.”

“That’s enough, Astrid!”

“No, Dad! You’ve had enough!” roars Billy. Billy! I totally forgot about my sister! “How could you do it to me?”

“I did it for your wellbeing, Billy Bear!”

“For my sake you chased away little Nina when she came to me? For my sake you were throwing the letters all this time?”

“They are dangerous, these creatures! Today you are best friends, but tomorrow they will put you in the middle of some dreadful things. They look like humans, and, sometimes, they act like humans, but they are not; they don’t feel like we: bare instincts is what drive them!”

Billy stands on her feet; her fists are clenched, “It’s not like you to say these awful things. Astrid is right: you do really need help!” she says resolutely, looking at Dad.

Dad comes closer to her, but she pulls away as if he is a real forest stranger.

“I hoped it would never come to that,” he sighs. “Soon no one will remember anything about this magic nonsense and shifter beasts,” he is squeezing something in his left hand. “All of us will become normal people. You, dear sister, will move to the city with us. And mother, of course, too. The woman of her age should not live alone in this wilderness. Billy, you will be kept away from all this supernatural stuff. You’ll go to college, find a good job and a good husband eventually.”

I can’t breathe in; my head is empty. I’m like in the movies watching a spooky film, but instead of actors I see my dear relatives.

“I will distract him,” Nina puts something hard in my hand. Well, of course! A white crystal! Dad’s pain and frustration don’t give him a chance to notice us in the bush. “Astrid left it in Lev’s shack, and I decided to keep it for a while. And, of course, forgot about it. I’m always forgetting things.”

“It’s dangerous, and he is not himself,” I speak in a whisper.

“I don’t want to lose Billy. I promised never to let anything separate us. Don’t miss a chance, Sarah!”

Nina turns into a squirrel again and like a red arrow dashes to Dad. She jumps on his head covering his eyes with her tail. She is running rapidly in circles, catching on to his nose and hair. Dad is trying to get rid of her. He finally manages to throw her away.

It gives me some time to get out of my secret place. He notices me at last:

“Baby Sarah! Hurry, dear, and go home to grandma. It’s dangerous here. Don’t worry: we will be right there!”

“I’m not a BABY! I. Am. Almost. Eleven!” I scream and smash the crystal at his feet.

The result is above and beyond my expectations. Everything is snow white, and I can see nothing but scary, endless whiteness.

“Am I dead?” this idea slips out.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I can feel Billy’s hand covering mine.

The white colour is weakening and floating away like clouds after the rain. Astrid was able to break her brother’s magic: she reads a long spell standing on her knees leaning over him. Dad is lying unconscious on damp sand.

“Are you hurt, girls?” Lev is standing behind me; Nina is sitting on his shoulder. Thank goodness, she is fine! She jumps into Billy’s arms; my sister catches her and clasps to her heart.

“What's going to happen to Dad now?” I ask the question that is bothering me the most.

***

“He won't remember any of it, will he?” I ask with sadness.

“Not now. Later, I hope. When he calms down, and the clear understanding of the world comes to him at last. We should not disturb him with magic. As he wished. Now he needs some rest,” says Astrid, brushing the dark lock from her brother’s forehead.

“But why did he do it? As if it was not our Dad!” asks Billy. She is sitting next to Nina. The girls have been glued to the magic book of spells for several hours: Billy has been reading to us; Nina and I have been watching old illustrations.

“For the safety of the family and dear ones people could do crazy things,” answers Astrid. “Your father is a good man, but something changed him when his dad died several years ago. He thinks it is his fault, but it was a terrible accident: no one could help them... Do you remember my story about a cat that I and your Dad were following in the garden when we were kids?”

“Uh-huh,” I nod. Billy moves closer to me as if ready to listen to a new fairytale.

“The cat was a shifter. He was your grandpa’s good friend. Morris, the cat, was fond of adventures and traveling to other magical worlds and dimensions. It was not always safe, but we mages are a little bit reckless - it’s our nature,” she smiles bitterly. “Once he told your grandpa into another travel. They created a good plan, prepared everything. They were sure it would be another funny trip, but, unfortunately, some portals have only one way ticket. When your Dad returned home (you, girls were with me in the garden), he saw the unfortunate portal that was dragging your grandpa and Morris the way it should not. The portal could drag the whole house, garden... all of us. But it exploded. These explosions can emit dark magic from different worlds; that must have affected Andrew, made him paranoid, give him more magic power.”

Dad is stirring and opening his eyes, “What time is it, Astrid? I’ve overslept everything: the workers must be at the door, and I forgot to give them a spare key!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll give you a lift,” says Astrid, touching his shoulder.

“Ok, girls. I have no time to say ‘goodbye’ to your grandma; I’m already late. How did I fall asleep instead of going home? These house renovations and my architect projects are driving me crazy!” he laughs.

“Right,” says Billy awkwardly.

“Stay safe,” I add.

“I’ll call you later! Mom said that her plane has already landed.”

“We’ve already received her message,” mutters Billy.

“You are so lucky to stay here. I wish I could stay too. Billy Bare, if you don’t want to be in the village the whole summer, you can return with me. I can’t promise to spend much time with you due to the work...”

“No, Dad. You go,” she assures him hastily. “I’ve met an old friend of mine here.”

***

“Now you will be taught magic?”

Billy and I are standing on the porch and watching the night sky and tiny butterfly fairies that doesn’t seem forlorn today.

“It seems like it.”

“Now you don’t mind to live in the forest like old spinster,” I giggle.

She softly elbows me. I take her silver ring from my pocket and give it to her.

Billy chuckles, “Keep it. You’ll put it in your own eyebrow when you are older. Well, consider this an early sixteen birthday present! Besides, I do really look like bog Mike with this ring."

“Only when I’m sixteen? Why? But you are thirteen. That’s not fair!”

“You are a late developer, Sarah!”

I touch her shoulder with mine. It is still hard for us to talk as if we have met each other only several hours ago. But this “first” meeting promises the mass of pleasant adventures! I know it, for everything is possible in the world full of magic.

~~~

The end of Book 1

To be continued…