Chapter six
1318 Words
All three ladies exited the car to noise and jubilation. It looked like the whole forest was decorated in gold, black, blue, and grey. The smells from the food being passed around were amazing, grilled smoky meats mingled with roasting vegetables, causing their mouths to water. The celebration was for all the people turning into adults officially as well as new clan members that wanted to join. So there were a few of Sherry and Esmy's old classmates here as well. As well as some strangers they had never met.
"Well, hello there ladies," came a sultry voice from behind them. They turned around to see their old friend and classmate Jared.
"Hey Jared," they returned. Sherry giving him a thorough looking up and down. Appreciation showing in her eyes for the few years that have passed since graduation. He went from a skinny, acne-faced, oily-haired mischief-maker to a well-muscled, toned, clear-faced handsome devil that Sherry wouldn't mind making more than mischief with. He went from Sherry to Esmy eyeing both ladies and returning the favor of appreciating the changes. His eyes lingering on Sherry's slight opening on her cloak, where the tops of her breasts peaked above the bodice of her dress. He looked like he wanted to say something but decided against it for now. Causing him to excuse himself for the time being, but not before wishing Esmerelda a happy birthday.
Sherry giggled at Esmy, "What a difference a few years make huh?" she said wiggling her eyebrows suggesting she would like to catch up with him in more ways than one. Esmy couldn't help but roll her eyes. Since she saw that handsome god-like man this morning Esmy couldn't keep her thoughts off of him. She wanted to get lost in his emerald green eyes again.
They continued to make their rounds and have a great time, greeting old friends and making some new ones. The whole time Esmy couldn't help but wonder if he would show up today. She really had no idea who he really was, if he was a shifter or human, or worse a witch. She knew that there was a war many, many years before she was born and that witches and shifters have never liked each other since. It's taught in all the history books in all the schools. Her mother had told her to give everyone a chance in life, but because of the rifts between the witches, she was just leery of witches. She didn't think her mother disliked them per se she just didn't understand them.
"ATTENTION, ALL SHIFTERS THAT ARE COMING OF AGE AND THOSE WISHING TO JOIN OUR CLAN, PLEASE COME TO THE STAGE," a booming voice came over the speakers breaking up the music.
Esmy swallowed her fear as she came up to the stage, she already knew her shift would be an owl. Her mother and father both are owls and when she accidentally shifted to that old village she saw her owl. She was a plain brown owl, just like her mother. So she wasn't exactly sure why she was so nervous about this.
Being that her last name starts with an "S" she knew that she had about six or seven people before her, giving her plenty of time to calm her nerves. She looked down at the crowd looking for her friend and her mother. Oh, who was she kidding she was also looking to see if Bodhi knew about this party and would show up. Esmy mentally kicked herself, why was she thinking about someone she literally met for what ten minutes? She was never like this with anyone she ever a had crush on so why a handsome stranger?
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Bodhi knew about the clan celebration tonight. Being the Prince of Witches had its perks and everyone told him everything. He isn't exactly welcome there though, for the same reason. He would be tolerated if he showed, as there has been a tentative grasp on the peace between the night shifters and the witches since Morgana died centuries ago. He knew the general story, but honestly, history was boring to him in high school so he did enough to pass his classes, much to his parent's dismay.
His aunt Circe walked into their house took one look at him and said, "Why the hell are you still here? You should be in the forest right now with the night shifters."
He looked at her, puzzled, and asked, "Why do I need to be there?"
His aunt shrugged her shoulders, popped a few grapes into her mouth, and said, "You're supposed to be there this year."
"How do you know this?" His curiosity piqued. His aunt knew many things, he just wasn't sure how much was her gift and how much was on old woman hell-bent on stirring the cauldron, as it were.
The eccentric old woman smiled, patted his arm, and said quite plainly, "Herema told me many years ago dear nephew, now go shower, because you smell like a barn. Put on your nice emerald green shirt, you know the one that shows off your muscles and your eyes, trim your goatee and get over there. Oh and don't forget those black pants that show off your butt." She winked as she grabbed a few more grapes and headed to her room.
Bodhi shook his head and did as she suggested knowing full well that she would be back to pester him again if he didn't. If he didn't know any better he would think she was trying to play matchmaker, but since it's a shifter's celebration he knew that wasn't the case.
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"MayBella Ruse" please take your place at the front of the stage" The elders called the person that would shift before Esmy. Her fear of doing this in front of everyone starting to grow deep in the pit of her stomach. MayBella shifted effortlessly into her form, that of a raccoon, complete with the mask and bushy tail. Although she was a small one, she looked like she would bite someone if they called her 'cute'. Esmy smiled she really did make a cute one, though she wouldn't say that to MayBella.
"Esmerelda Strigiformes please take your place in the center of the stage". Bodhi was about to take a drink from his glass, he stopped at the mention of that name. He had been sitting in the corner of the celebration taking everything in. They weren't much different than a coven, they just changed form.
He knew that name from this afternoon in the cafe, and there she was standing center stage in a dress that hugged her beautiful curves and gave her silver-white hair and piercing grey eyes an even more exotic look. He couldn't stop staring at her beauty.
Esmy took one more look out at the crowd, seeing her mother, her best friends, and, "OH MY GOD," she whispered. He's here. She needed to think about her shift and not his well-muscled body or she would end up only partially shifting. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and focused on her shift. When she opened her eyes not a single person moved. They were all staring at her with their mouths halfway to the floor. Before them was not a plain, soft, brown barn owl, but a stunning white owl with silver-tipped wings and grey eyes. The only part of Esmy to remain so that she could be identified from a non-shifting owl.
Suddenly a murmur is running through the crowds. " She is here, the blessed one has been given to us. The prophecies are coming true!"
Esmy shifted back to her human form behind a screen and quickly put on her blue jeans, t-shirt, and running shoes. She wanted to see what the commotion was about and find her mother, friends, and Bodhi.
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