That evening the trio arrived at the witches' home. Megan and Lily welcomed them with open arms. Eliza and Rose stayed at the guesthouse on the grounds and Sybil got the guest bedroom in the main building. After they had settled, the three of them got invited to dinner. It was already dark when the two brunettes went back to the guesthouse.
"Hey Eliza, what element comes after fire?"
"Water. Though water is quite different from light and fire. You can't create it, but you can manipulate it."
Eliza saw Rose cocking her head in confusion.
"How so?"
"Water, unlike the first two elements, is more deadly if created," Eliza explained, "It causes dyhydration, and as water is essential for the body, it's forbidden to create, only manipulate."
"Forbidden? By who?"
"My mom mostly. She got taught that it was forbidden and never learned the creation. I'm sure the original Salem Witches decided it was best not to teach it, many witches died by overexertion, you know?"
They had arrived at the guesthouse and Rose turned the key to unlock the door. Very welcome warmth enveloped the two.
"That makes sense." Rose paused for a moment while she took off her boots. "So, how do I manipulate water?"
Eliza placed her boots next to her friend's and hung her coat on the coat rack. She took the other girl's coat and hung it on the rack too.
"Well, water likes to stick together usually. Basically it's a matter of moving one or more clusters and you use the electricity in your body to push and pull the molecules. To freeze water, you have to mix it with air, and to heat it you mix it with the fire element."
Rose plopped down on the plush couch in the living room.
"Sounds rather tricky. The mixing part that is."
Eliza nodded and quickly popped over to the kitchen to fetch a water bottle and a cup.
"Just simply mastering the separate elements is fine for now. It took me a few years to comfortably mix, but you'll get the hang of it after a while. Here, pour some water in the cup and try to move it." She set down the items on the coffee table and sat down next to Rose.
The girl did as her friend instructed. Very slowly the water started to move on its own.
"See? You learn pretty quick!"
Rose smiled at the compliment and for just a second her heart fluttered. The rest of the evening they spend their time on practicing element control. When they headed for bed, the apprentice witch felt tired but satisfied.
------------
Eliza was dreaming. Or at least, that's what she thought, it didn't quite feel like her usual dreams. She appeared to be in some sort of castle, with smooth marble walls and floors all around. It was night and a handful of candles on the wall tried desperately to brighten the place to no avail.
"Hello Eliza, we meet again."
That sing-song voice. It came from behind her. This time it was full of malice, the witch could feel it.
"Kumiho."
Eliza turned around. Before her eyes the fox spirit appeared, her red gown floating in the dim light. Her pale face almost seemed to glow, brighter than the few sad candles.
"So, have you thought about my proposition? I'm waiting!" she said with a wicked smile.
The witch kept silent.
"Oh? Still not considering huh? Well, I can just keep on sabotaging your plans anyway." The fox spirit shrugged.
"What do you mean sabotaging?" Kumiho's words made Eliza realize something. "Where you involved in the fire?"
The woman started to laugh.
"Involved? I started the whole thing!" she confessed and looked af if she was proud of it, "That woman was so easy to manipulate! I only had to sent her into the shop at the right time and bam!"
She threw up her hands as if mimicing an explosion and then lowered them back down. Kumiho then looked at Eliza, with a warped grin plastered on her face.
"Get me Nora or even the Grimoire can't help you with what I'll do to you if you don't."
Eliza was shocked to know that the fox spirit knew about the book that saved them. But she didn't show it. Don't show any weakness when facing an unworldly being, she remembered her mother saying.
She crossed her arms over her chest. "Tell me why you want this Nora person first. Can't you get her yourself if you're such an almighty being?"
The fox spirit cackled.
"Almighty being, that's a new one. I have my limitations too, you know. The reason I can get close to Nora is because of a spell Violette put on the shapeshifter."
"A spell? And why is Violette involved?"
Kumiho's face twisted into an even darker expression and her magical aura almost threatened the walls to burst.
"Violette stole my Nora! Nora belonged to me, but for some reason the Binding thought it would be funny to pair the two." Before Eliza could ask what the Binding was, the woman continued: "Get me Nora and in return I'll lead you to were the demon bitch keeps your friend's soul. You do want to save her, right?"
The fox spirit's face was now really close to Eliza's, and she could see the bright red veins in the woman's eyes. The girl nodded.
"Good."
The air started to lose it's tension as Kumiho retreated, and she started to look like the cofident and elegant spirit she had been the first time they met again.
"I'll send you a letter with details soon. Don't disappoint me."
She left through a wooden door, leaving Eliza alone with her thoughts. Then the dream faded and she gasped for air.
"Hmm, what's wrong, Eliza?"
It was morning again, a weak grayish light filled the bedroom. Rose was brushing her teeth.
"I... I have to tell you something."
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