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When Marinette returned to their campsite with the groceries, Alya was poking around at the bottom of the dry well.
“That’s definitely dangerous,” said Marinette when she found her. “Come up and help with dinner?”
“Spoilsport,” said Alya, but she cast a levitation spell and floated up to kiss Marinette’s cheek. “What are we having?”
Marinette arranged her purchases in their cooler, which she had enchanted to remain at the temperature of a refrigerator, no ice needed. Of the three members of their coven, Marinette was the best at enchanting objects. You needed to be able to listen to them, she always said.
“Steak, potatoes, and mushrooms,” Marinette told Alya. “The biggest one is Kagami’s, since it’s her… time of the month.”
“Right,” said Alya. Handling raw meat was an occupational hazard of dating a werewolf. Kagami was worth it.
“Moonrise is in four hours,” said Marinette. She passed Alya the package of steak. “Think you can do a dry rub for these? When the moon’s at its height, we’ll start the summoning ritual.”
The three of them had already spent most of the afternoon chalking careful patterns and sigils on the skeleton of the ruined castle. Everything was in place.
Alya rummaged through their makeshift kitchen, looking for the salt and pepper. “Have you decided what you’re going to say to him?” she asked. “If he shows.”
“No.” Marinette wrinkled her nose. “It’s still so weird. I haven’t decided how I feel.”
Seven months ago, Marinette had begun having strange dreams that turned out to be memories from a past life. This was normal enough; many witches discovered memories from other lives as they grew more in touch with themselves and their magic. In fact, some scholars theorized that all witches had been reincarnated at least once. According to them, energy from past lives could be the source of humans’ magical powers.
What wasn’t normal was the person Marinette remembered being. Her memories were Ladybug’s memories. Ladybug, the founder of the first modern coven. Ladybug, the only witch in history to have formed a life-bond with a phoenix. Ladybug, Chat Noir’s partner.
“It doesn’t feel completely real,” Marinette confessed. She focused on chopping the potatoes. They were satisfyingly corporeal. “Maybe seeing Chat Noir will help. If the summon works.”
“It’s going to work,” said Alya. “It’s us.”
Marinette relaxed her shoulders. “You’re right,” she said. “I shouldn’t doubt you and Kagami.”
“You shouldn’t doubt yourself, Marinette.” Kagami crawled out of the tent, stretching. “You are the focal point of our spell, after all.” She wrapped her arms around Marinette’s waist and kissed the top of her head. “Your strength is inspiring.” She yawned. “Thank you for letting me sleep. I cannot wait for the moon to return my strength to me. Is that… steak?”
Alya bent over the steaks protectively. “It is,” she said. “I’m seasoning it.”
“Hmm.” Disentangling herself from Marinette, Kagami poured herself a cup of coffee. “I would have happily eaten it raw.”
“We know,” said Marinette. She smiled. “I wanted to make it fancy. Sue me.”
After dinner, Alya returned to the dry well with Marinette and Kagami, whose face was beginning to take on a noticeably wolfish appearance.
“Together,” said Kagami, taking Alya’s hands and closing her eyes.
Alya and Marinette closed their eyes too. When they opened them again and looked down into the deep depths of the well, they could hear water trickling.
Alya grinned. “What would we do without you?” she asked Kagami, pressing a kiss to her brow.
Kagami smiled. “Not talk to elemental spirits, I suppose.”
Marinette chewed her thumbnail. She was glad to have returned fresh water to the well, but she couldn’t get over her anxiety about the upcoming meeting with Chat Noir. If he came. “How long until moonrise?” she asked.
“An hour and twenty-eight minutes,” said Kagami without looking up. She always knew what the moon was doing.
“Okay,” said Marinette. “Okay.” All at once, she sat down heavily on the remains of a crumbling wall.
Alya and Kagami rushed to her side.
“Are you okay?” Alya asked.
“Drink this,” Kagami ordered, handing Marinette her water bottle.
Marinette took a sip of water. It helped. “Sorry,” she said. “I’m just… scared, I guess. I want answers about my past life and all these memories, but what if it changes the way I see myself? What if…” She swallowed. “When people write about Ladybug and Chat Noir, they always treat them like one of history’s greatest romances. But what if...”
Kagami took firm hold of Marinette’s shoulder. “Whatever you discover about yourself tonight, we will think no less of you,” she said. “We are here because you are here. This spell is for you to learn more about who you were, Marinette, but it’s the woman you are that Alya and I love.”
Marinette took another drink of water. She let Alya and Kagami help her to her feet. “Okay,” she said. “I’m okay.”
Their final preparations passed in a blur. Alya chalked the final symbols. Kagami filled bucket after bucket with fresh water, which was a potent way to repel malevolent spirits. Marinette sat by the campfire and studied the incantations in their spellbook. She couldn’t afford to say a single syllable wrong. When this full moon passed, there wouldn’t be another chance to contact Chat Noir’s spirit for seven years.
A wild howl broke Marinette out of her trance. Kagami was changing, and the blood red moon was high in the sky. It was time.
Marinette tucked her book under her arm, closed her eyes, and prayed that her ancestors would guide her—Ladybug included. She straightened her black, pointed hat and checked that her pockets were full of salt. Then she walked into the ruins to meet her partners.
There was Alya, shrouded in her purple cloak. There was Kagami, a regal grey wolf whose coat glowed in the moonlight. Marinette took Alya’s hand and placed her other hand on Kagami’s head. She felt their love and courage strengthening her.
“Okay,” she said. “I’m ready.”