Chapter Text
Things were finally settling into some sort of normal.
After they’d returned to London and found out Niko was still alive, trapped in another realm, they’d been working overtime to get her back. Jenny and Crystal had to take breaks to sleep and eat of course, but Charles and Edwin never stopped, allowing a lot of their other cases to fall to the wayside.
The Night Nurse (she still wouldn’t let Charles call her Charlie) had certainly noticed the decline of solved cases, but she never reported them or even told them to refocus their efforts. She knew nothing else mattered to them as much as this, and she silently supported them in their quest to find Niko.
After a very, very long month of research and exploration, they finally got her back, saving her from an afterlife she didn’t belong in. They even saved those stupid sprites, as Niko refused to let them go. Apparently they’d been helping her survive the winter wasteland they’d all been trapped in, and Niko had a certain fondness for them. They still had to stay in the enchanted jar though, just until the rest of the group knew they could be trusted. The sprites promised they wouldn’t infect anyone anymore, but Charles didn’t buy it.
They were able to get back to regular casework, much to the Night Nurse’s delight, and they got to do it without missing a vital piece of the puzzle. Niko. It was so good to have her back. Charles could see how empty they all were without her, especially Edwin. None of them had been the same after that horrible night at Esther’s.
But things were better now that they were all together. It was like they could finally breathe again.
Charles, Edwin, Niko and Crystal were all hanging out in the office together discussing which of their current cases should take priority when a light tapping noise by the window interrupted them. They all turned towards the sound, Charles with a hand on his bag of tricks backpack in case there was danger.
But it’s just a stupid bird. Charles’ tight grip on the bag loosened, the knot in his chest untangling. Edwin rolled back in his chair, never taking his eyes off his book, and knocked on the window to shoo the bird away. But that crow was determined, continuing its tapping against the glass.
Wait a tick…a crow. It was a crow. But there’s no way it was—
“That’s odd…” Edwin muttered, finally looking up from whatever he was reading, the unflappability of the crow catching his attention.
Charles, Crystal, and Niko aren’t directly next to the window like Edwin, so they can’t see whatever makes him shoot out of his chair— squinting like he couldn’t quite believe his eyes.
“What is it, mate?” Charles asked hesitantly, afraid of the answer.
“There’s a note,” Edwin said, confirming Charles’ fear.
They mostly got their mail from the postman, but every once in a while a witch would send their familiars with letters meant for the Dead Boy Detectives. These notes were usually threats, as the local witches didn’t like having two teenage ghosts interfering with their business. Charles’ favorite instance of this was when a happy, panting golden retriever showed up at their doorstep with a piece of paper tucked in its collar that read: ‘PISS OFF YOU BLOODY GHOSTS!!!!!’
But Charles’ worry isn't coming from the fact this could be a threat. In fact, he’d prefer a threat.
There’s no way it could be Monty. Right? They left him all the way back in Port Townsend.
Besides, tons of witches had crow familiars, it was one of the most common for them to have. The odds of this being Monty were slim to none.
Still, there was something twisting in his incorporeal gut that told him otherwise.
Edwin slowly unlocked the window, letting the bird fly in. It landed on the desk with a squawk.
Niko gasped. “You guys get mail delivered by birds?! This is so much better than that creepy mailman.”
Edwin furrowed his brow as he carefully untied the note from the crow’s talon. Charles isn’t sure why, but it bothers him how delicate Edwin’s being. He didn’t like how the crow was holding its claw out to Edwin, like it trusted Edwin to keep it safe, to be gentle. Charles must be imagining it, but he could swear it looked like that bird was enjoying all the attention it was getting from Edwin, relishing in it.
“Not usually,” Edwin stated. “It must be a familiar. Witches like to use them to send us threats, no doubt this is just another instance of that.” Despite what he said, Charles can tell Edwin had his doubts.
“Wait— this is a witch’s familiar?” Crystal asked. Everyone crowded around the desk, investigating the crow with curious eyes. “...It’s not Monty, is it?”
“No,” Charles declared. “No way.”
Still, now that it's been said out loud, everyone can feel it. There’s a tension in the room as Edwin unfolds the letter, his eyes darting across the page.
“...It is.” Edwin passed the letter to Charles. “It’s Monty.”
What the bloody hell was that traitor doing here?
Sure, he’d helped Charles get his bag back at Esther’s house, but one good deed didn’t suddenly erase everything else he did.
Charles would never forgive Monty for toying with Edwin’s heart.
Charles reads the note with Niko and Crystal hovering over his shoulder. The handwriting was absolutely tragic. Which made sense— Monty must’ve written it on his own using his talons, or his beak, maybe.
Please help me change back. I don't want to disappear.
—Monty
Charles tossed the letter down on the desk and looked over at Monty. “Sorry, mate. You're in the wrong place,” he said. “We aren’t witches, we don’t have that kind of magic.”
“What did he mean by ‘disappear?’” Crystal asked.
Edwin drummed his fingers against the table, lost in thought, that usual crease in his brow he gets when he’s concentrating forming. The drumming stopped abruptly, and Edwin’s eyes went wide in horror. Suddenly, Edwin was on the move, pulling books from their shelves and rapidly flipping through their pages.
“Edwin? What’s wrong?” Niko asked, her sweet voice tinged with worry. “What’s going to happen to Monty?”
Edwin rushed back to the group with a small, leather-bound book pertaining to witch familiars. He turned to a section toward the end and held it up for everyone to see.
“Look, here,” Edwin said, frantic. “If a witch passes, the familiar can’t last long without them. Monty’s dying.”
The room went silent.
“...He must’ve been looking for us all this time,” Edwin realized. “When we went back to Port Townsend to come home the long way with Crystal, we probably just missed him— he knew you and I had left through a mirror already, Charles. We left him behind, and he had to fly over an ocean to come find us! We just left him there to die!”
“Mate, deep breaths, yeah?” Charles took a deep breath of his own, motioning for Edwin to follow along. Edwin closed his eyes, breathing in, and out. They may not need to breathe anymore, but somehow it still helped calm them down. “We didn’t know that about familiars. If we did we obviously wouldn’t have left him.”
“But I should've known. I can’t—”
“Edwin. The past is the past. Just focus on what we can do for him right now,” Charles said. “Monty wouldn’t have come to us unless he knew we could help somehow.”
Monty squawked, his head jolting up then down, an awkward nod.
Charles smiled. “See?”
Edwin took another breath, focusing his mind. “Right. He seems to believe if he’s transformed back into a human, that will stop him from vanishing. Is that correct, Monty?”
Another strange nod.
“I’m not quite sure how that would work, if I’m honest. But Monty knows better than any of us on this particular subject, so it only makes sense to follow his lead on this,” Edwin said. “We’re going to need to find a witch who doesn’t hate us.”
“Wait.” Crystal put her hands out in front of her defensively, preemptively preparing for backlash. “Are we sure about this? Monty’s a liar.”
Niko’s eyebrows shot up in shock. “Crystal!”
“I’m just saying!”
“It doesn’t matter if we can trust him or not. We can’t just let him die,” Edwin said.
But Crystal was right. Monty lied to them before, who’s to say he wouldn’t do it again?
“...Do we know for certain that he’s dying?” Charles asked.
The look Edwin gave him in response made Charles want to take it back, to act like he never said anything.
He looked betrayed.
Which wasn’t fair— he should be looking at Monty like that, not Charles. Monty was the one who hurt them— the one who hurt Edwin. It only made sense that he and Crystal would be cautious after what happened in the woods. No one wanted a repeat of Teeth Face.
So why wasn’t Edwin being cautious too?
“He tricked us!” Charles exclaimed. “He tricked you. He messed with your head! I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna automatically believe someone who lied to my best mate like that.”
Charles sent a pointed glare in Monty’s direction. Monty shrunk in on himself, having the decency to look ashamed.
“Edwin, you said when a witch passes, their familiar can’t survive,” Crystal said. “But Esther could still be alive somewhere. We don’t know that Lilith killed her, and she could still have her immortality in whatever realm she’s in now.”
Charles was glad to have Crystal on his side, but he hated how he could feel a rift form, a chasm opening below them and splitting the office in half— Niko and Edwin on one side, Charles and Crystal on the other. They’re all standing right next to each other, but there’s a certain distance between them, one that can be felt by everyone in the room. Charles wanted to bridge the gap. He wanted Edwin to be on his side.
…And Niko too, of course.
“We’re not saying, like, we shouldn’t help him,” Charles said. “But we should at least think it through first, yeah?”
Edwin sighed. “I understand your concern. And I appreciate that you want to look at this from every angle so we know how best to approach it, genuinely. I must apologize, I should’ve been more clear. ‘Pass’ in this instance is intentionally vague. It could mean death, yes— but a familiar is also at risk if their witch passes into another realm without taking them along,” he explained. “…When Teeth Face took Esther, Monty was hurting then too.”
Charles crossed his arms, folding in on himself. Esther had to go, he knew that, but why should Monty have to suffer because of her actions?
Monty betrayed them, yes. But in the end it really seemed like he wanted to turn it around, no longer following Esther’s orders. Charles might not particularly like Monty, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t get a second chance.
They would need to keep an eye on him from here on out, but Charles wouldn’t mind seeing this redemption arc come to its conclusion. If they could give Monty’s story a happy ending rather than the tragic one it was headed towards, then they had to try.
“Ok. We help him,” Charles decided. “But if he tries any funny business, he’s on his own. I’ll kill him myself if he messes with us again. You got that, crow?”
Monty ruffled his feathers, an approximation of a chill running down a spine.
“Let's find ourselves a witch then.” Charles nodded to himself, now confident that they were doing the right thing. “…Preferably one that doesn’t want us dead. Dying once was more than enough for me.”
——
The problem was, they didn’t know a single witch who actually liked them.
Edwin paced back and forth across the office as he flipped through the same few pages in his notebook, going through a list of all the witches they’ve encountered here in London. He was mumbling under his breath, mentally crossing off several names of the ones he knew would never help them.
They’d sent the girls off to the magic shop to look for another way to turn Monty back in case this was a dead end. But Edwin said even if they did somehow manage to get every ingredient and perfect step-by-step instructions, he still might not be able to do it. Edwin used magic on occasion, but it was simple spells, nothing so complex as transfiguration.
Still, it wasn’t bad to have a Plan B. And Charles believed Edwin could do anything.
“…What about Ophelia Dawn?” Edwin asked.
Charles raised an eyebrow. Ophelia Dawn once cursed them to not be able to speak for an entire week. It made case solving incredibly difficult. Actually, scratch that— it made everything incredibly difficult.
“Mate, come on,” Charles said.
Edwin pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. “No, no, I know. You’re right. There’s no world where she doesn’t just curse us again the second she sees us.”
“I hate to say it, but I don’t think there’s a single witch out there who’s a fan of ours.”
Edwin’s head snapped up as he turned to Charles, an idea forming in his mind. “They don’t have to be fans of us. We need a fan of Esther’s.”
Charles blinked at him in confusion and bafflement. “What are you on about? Any ‘fan’ of Esther’s would despise us.”
“How would they know our part in her disappearance? We just tell them we have Esther’s familiar and that we’re trying to help him turn into a human. We say that Esther’s been trapped in another realm and Monty is trying to get her back, but he can’t do much in this state,” Edwin said.
Charles’ eyes widened, impressed with the plan. “That’s brills! But are we sure any witches here would even know who Esther is? She lived halfway across the world.”
“Witches are known to revere other witches, especially if they have certain accomplishments. Esther managed to make herself immortal. I have no doubt most witches know of her.”
Charles smiled. He was always blown away by Edwin’s genius.
“Monty,” Edwin started, moving to sit at the desk where Monty still resided. Monty cawed in acknowledgement. Edwin put his journal down, laying it flat for Monty to see. “If Esther ever mentioned any of the witches on this list that you think would work with us, please point them out to me. I’m certain her ego was big enough to brag about all the witches who adored her.”
Monty hopped over and started looking over the list. Edwin’s palm was resting on the pages to keep the notebook open, and Monty used this opportunity to perch on Edwin’s hand under a false pretense that it would help him see better. But Charles knew why he was really doing it.
He just liked being close to Edwin.
Charles clenched his teeth, but said nothing. After they helped him, they never had to see him again.
Monty used his beak to point out a couple names and Edwin wrote them on a scrap piece of paper, starting a new list. A list of witches who actually might help them.
There was a strange sensation rushing through him as he watched Monty and Edwin, a stinging feeling. He just wanted Monty to leave Edwin alone, to stop touching him.
It’s because Monty was a traitor, Charles reasoned. That's why he was getting so worked up over this. Because they couldn’t trust him.
The girls came back, swinging the door open with defeated looks on their faces.
“The lady at the magic shop said we were out of luck unless we knew a witch,” Niko said, frowning.
“It’s alright,” Edwin said. “We may not know any witches who’d help us— but Monty might.”
——
The first two witches on their list had died a few months back. They’d poisoned each other, some act of petty revenge.
The third witch didn’t have any magic left, giving up her powers to save her son.
They’re making their way to the fourth witch now. There were only four names on the list. Apparently Esther didn’t boast as much as they thought she did, or maybe Monty knew any of the other witches she’d mentioned would be of no help.
Either way, they needed a miracle.
Monty flew ahead, scoping the place out before soaring back to the group, landing on Niko’s shoulder. He took a strand of Niko’s hair in his beak, tucking it behind her ear and out of her face.
“Thank you, Monty!” Niko scratched the back of his head appreciatively and Monty trilled, leaning into her.
He might have Niko and Edwin fooled, but Charles knew what he was really doing. He was putting on an act to try and get back in their good graces. Charles wouldn’t fall for it.
He grabbed Crystal's arm, pulling her out of earshot from everyone else. If no one else would listen to reason, at least she would.
“You’re seeing this too, yeah?” Charles asked, tilting his head in Monty's direction.
“Seeing what? Monty and Niko getting along?”
“No— Crystal, he’s doing it on purpose. Pretending to be all friendly in the hopes we just forget how he wronged us.”
Crystal shook her head, her curls bouncing. “Or he’s trying extra hard to make it up to us because he regrets what he did.”
Crystal didn’t understand like he thought she would. It was a bit isolating to realize he had no one left on his side.
“I want to help him, honest,” Charles said. “But what happens once he gets what he wants? What if he really does want to save Esther? When we’re of no use to him anymore, will he still be so friendly?”
Crystal hummed in thought. “...All fair questions. Although, you know— I wasn’t exactly the best person before, and you guys still let me hang around.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
Charles stuttered, unable to come up with a good answer.
“Look, I get it,” Crystal said. “We’ll both keep our guards up and be ready in case he switches sides when he changes back. But shouldn’t we at least give him the benefit of the doubt? I want to believe this story has a happy ending.”
Charles grinned. She did understand. “Me too.”
Crystal gave him a warm smile in return, nudging his arm playfully.
“We’re here,” Edwin announced.
The group moved to the front porch of the old gothic style house with careful steps, Charles with his cricket bat in hand. This was still a witch they were dealing with, and they’ve long since learned to be cautious around witches.
Edwin used the ornate door knocker to announce their presence, and after a long, silent pause, they heard the lock click. The door creaked open to reveal a boy about their age, smiling bright with a broom in his hand.
“Hello!” the boy cheered. “How may I help you?”
Edwin looked past the boy into the corridor behind him. “We’re looking for Aurora Amethyst. Is she here?”
The boy leaned against his broom, giving Edwin his full attention. “No, sorry! She’s away on business. But I can take a message if you like!” He reached out his hand. “I’m Cooper, by the way.”
Cooper was ridiculously tall, towering over all of them. He was skinny, with long blonde hair reaching past his shoulders and big hazel eyes. Charles couldn’t place it, but he looked familiar somehow.
Edwin shook his hand. “I’m Edwin. This is Charles, Niko, Crystal, and Monty,” he said, gesturing to each of them. “We’re the Dead Boy Detectives & Co.”
“Oh, I know! We’ve actually met before! Well, I’ve met you two, at least!” Cooper said, pointing at Edwin and Charles. Edwin and Charles exchanged confused glances. Neither of them seemed to remember him. “It’s nice to see some new faces! You guys sure have been making a lot of friends, huh?”
“Apologies, I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t recall ever meeting you,” Edwin said.
Cooper giggled. “That’s ok! I looked a bit different then!”
That just confused Charles even more, but Edwin seemed to pick up on something he hadn’t.
“Different how, exactly?” Edwin asked.
“Well, I was a lot fluffier, for one thing! I’m a transfigured familiar,” Cooper explained. “I used to be a golden retriever. I delivered a rather rude letter to you once. Sorry about that! Aurora was just having a rough day and needed someone to take her anger out on. She’s usually very nice!”
Ohhhh, that’s why Charles recognized him. This must be why Monty pointed them in Aurora’s direction, he probably heard about Cooper’s transformation from Esther.
“Nah, don’t be sorry mate,” Charles said. “That letter gave us a good laugh.”
“Do you know when Aurora will be back?” Edwin asked, getting back to business. “Monty is also a familiar, and his witch is trapped in another realm. We’d like to ask Aurora if she could turn him human so he doesn’t fade away, and so he can help get his witch back.”
Cooper frowned. “I’m afraid I don’t know when she’s coming home. Her business is in the dream realm. I begged her to take me with her, but she said it wasn’t safe. She turned me because she knew she’d be gone a while and didn’t want me to disappear.” he looked off into the distance, lost in the memory. “...That was almost five years ago now. I don’t know if she’s ever coming back.”
Niko rushed over and gave Cooper a hug. “I’m sorry. That must be really hard.”
Cooper sniffled, fanning his eyes. “Oof, sorry! I usually try to stay positive, but yes. It’s hard.”
“If you ever wanted to have us investigate and find where she may be, we’re always happy to offer our services as detectives,” Edwin said.
“Really?” Cooper looked at them with those wide, innocent puppy dog eyes. “That would mean the world to me! You’re all too kind. I can’t believe Aurora ever wanted to threaten you guys.”
“I promise we’ll look into it,” Edwin said. “But first, we really need to help Monty. Is there any way you could perform the ritual? Surely you must know it.”
“Familiars are unable to use any sort of magic without their witches present. And even then, the magic we are able to use is very limited— we can only do simple stuff, like unlocking doors or turning the lights on and off. I can tell you the steps so you know the process, and I can even provide you with all the materials you’ll need, but you’re still going to need an extremely powerful witch to do the job,” Cooper said, his voice apologetic.
A collective dread was felt amongst the group, hopelessness seeping into their skin. There were no more witches left they could go to.
“What are we gonna do?” Crystal asked.
“...I don’t know,” Edwin admitted. “But it’s getting late. You and Niko should go home, get some rest. Charles and I will keep looking for a solution.”
Niko turned to Cooper. “It must be lonely being all by yourself in this big house. You should come stay with me and Crystal, even if it’s just for one night. We can have a sleepover!”
“Wow, are you sure?” Cooper asked. Niko nodded, grabbing Crystal’s wrist and shooting her a look that made Crystal nod too, albeit reluctantly. “That would be awesome! Let me grab some stuff and we can go!”
The front door closed as Cooper headed back inside.
Crystal crossed her arms. “Niko, really? We barely know this guy! And Jenny already puts up with enough of our shit, we can’t just spring a guest on her like this!”
Niko waved a hand dismissively. “Jenny will be fine. And besides,” she said, “you never know when the good you do will come back around.”
——
Charles and Edwin joined the rest of them on the walk back, since their office was just across the street from the apartment complex Jenny, Niko, and Crystal were renting out. Monty was flying high above everyone, enjoying his wings while he still had them. Charles felt a sort of relief with Monty being further away, away from Edwin. He still doesn’t understand exactly what this feeling is.
But his relief doesn’t last long. Cooper walked directly next to Edwin, their shoulders brushing with every step. Again, Crystal was right. They didn’t know this guy. They shouldn’t let him get so close, especially not to Edwin.
Edwin was his best mate, and he’d already been through so much. Charles just wanted to protect him from ever getting hurt again.
“Would you mind explaining to me why turning a familiar human makes it so they don’t vanish when their witches pass?” Edwin asked.
“Of course I wouldn’t mind!” That was another thing— Charles thought Cooper was too enthusiastic. No one who acts that happy all the time is actually that happy. Charles would know, he’s had experience. “Basically, in my original form, I was more familiar than I was dog. But being human reverses that— I became more human than familiar. I’m not sure why, exactly— something to do with gaining a higher consciousness? But anyway— humans don’t just disappear when their parents leave, so why would I go when my witch goes if I’m human too?”
“Fascinating,” Edwin said, jotting down notes in his journal. “Magic is so incredibly complex. I study it often in my free time, but there is still so much I’ve yet to learn. The various rules and nuances seem endless.”
“Well…I do know a thing or two about the subject. I’d be more than happy to talk with you about it sometime, answer any questions,” Cooper said.
“Ok— seriously, how does this keep happening?” Crystal whispered.
“What’s happening?” Charles whispered back, even if he was unsure why they were being so secretive.
Crystal looked at him like he was stupid. “Edwin. First the Cat King, then Monty, and now Cooper. Is the entire fucking animal kingdom attracted to this guy or like what? I seriously don’t get it.”
Charles shrugged. “What’s not to get? Edwin’s a catch.”
Crystal just stared at him. “...Ok, so he’s not the best with people. But you know he would do absolutely anything for the people he loves. Don’t tell me he wouldn’t make a good boyfriend.”
Something about saying that burns him, like the feeling of iron against his flesh. Now that he knew how Edwin felt about him, this just felt like a sore subject.
Crystal rolled her eyes. “Maybe you should date him then.”
She didn’t mean it— she didn’t know. Edwin and Charles kept the confession to themselves, their secret. She wasn’t being serious. It was just a joke. All he had to do was laugh.
But it wasn’t funny.
Charles froze instead.
If Charles thought Edwin would make a good boyfriend, and if he already knows Edwin’s in love with him, then why doesn’t he want to be with him? What was wrong with him?
Was love just too scary to him— too unfamiliar? Was it too big a word, too heavy for someone who always wanted to keep things light? Was there a part of him that loved Edwin back, the same way Edwin loved him, that he was simply too afraid to face?
No— no. They were best mates. They fit together perfectly that way, Charles didn’t want that to change.
Of course he loved Edwin. But not like that, not the way Edwin wanted him to.
Edwin would be ok though, Charles was certain of that. He’s got guys falling for him left and right, and eventually he’d move on with one of them. The thought of it reassured Charles.
But it was painful too— the knowledge that he wouldn’t get to hold Edwin’s heart forever. It’s selfish, but he doesn’t ever want to give it away.
Crystal knew she’d said the wrong thing based on Charles’ reaction, but obviously she wasn’t sure why it was the wrong thing. Her apologetic eyes also held a certain curiosity within them.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t’ve—”
“It’s fine,” Charles said, cutting her off.
He didn’t want to talk about this.
Crystal's gaze turned skeptical. “Ok.”
Niko must’ve sensed that things got awkward because she put herself in between the two of them, linking her arms around theirs, and started talking about the new manga she was reading. Charles was eternally grateful for the distraction.
Soon enough, they were in front of the apartment building. Charles and Edwin decided they’d walk them up, figuring they could at least pop in and say hi to Jenny before going back to the office. Monty swooped down to join the rest of them, landing on Edwin’s arm. Edwin quickly passed him to Crystal.
“You can’t do that when livings are around, Monty. If you land on me and you're visible and I’m not, it would certainly look strange, wouldn’t it? We don’t need anyone seeing a crow who’s flying without using its wings, now do we? It would raise too many questions we’d rather not answer,” Edwin said.
Monty lowered his head, looking sheepish.
“It’s alright, just be careful to not do it again,” Edwin said, as if Monty had actually responded— as if Edwin could understand him without him having to speak.
Charles clenched his fists, still feeling weird. They all headed up the stairs to the third floor and made their way to the girls’ place, Niko using her key to let everyone in once they arrived.
“I’m making food,” Jenny called out from the kitchen. “It’ll be ready in ten.”
She made her way to the entrance to greet them, throwing a rag over her shoulder.
“What’s with the bird?” Jenny asked. “And who’s that?” She nodded in Cooper’s direction.
“Jenny, this is Cooper— Cooper, Jenny. He’s our new friend and he’s going to stay over tonight!” Niko blurted out. “Don’t worry, we won’t bother you or keep you up, promise!”
“And you’ve actually already met ‘the bird’ before. It’s Monty, our friend from Port Townsend,” Crystal said.
“...Sorry, you mean your human friend Monty? Why is he a bird now?”
“Well, technically, he was a bird first,” Crystal explained.
“Wait— Monty’s already been human before?” Cooper asked. The group nodded. “That’s great news! If you can tell the witch what he looked like it will make the transformation go a lot smoother since they won’t have to start from scratch!”
Jenny sighed in exacerbation. “I literally can’t keep up with you kids.”
Cooper bounded up to her. “I’m sorry, where are my manners? It’s so nice to meet you Jenny!”
Jenny slowly shook his hand, thrown off by his endless energy. “Yeah. Hi.”
A faint ringing started flowing through the room, and a bright red glow came from Cooper’s chest, under his shirt.
“Woah!” Cooper exclaimed, tugging on a chain around his neck and revealing the source of the glow— a necklace. More specifically, the bone shaped pendant with Cooper’s name etched into it that was attached to the necklace. “What in the world were you guys doing asking for Aurora’s help when you already know such a strong witch?”
Everyone in the room went still, exchanging glances.
“Jenny’s not a witch,” Charles said.
Cooper scoffed. “With that much natural talent? Sure she isn’t.”
“She really isn’t!” Crystal argued.
“Ok, what are we talking about now?” Jenny asked, her voice strained.
Cooper held up his necklace like it had all the answers. “My name tag is enchanted to detect a witch’s aura. Aurora made it for me because she wanted me to be careful around other witches— said hardly any of them were trustworthy,” he said. “But you seem trustworthy, Miss Jenny!”
“It’s just Jenny. And like they said, I’m not a witch.”
“Huh.” Cooper seemed dumbfounded by this. “Well, that’s a shame. You really should be! I’ve never seen my name tag glow that bright before! Talk about a waste of potential!”
“What the fuck did you just say to me?” Jenny snapped.
“Woah, woah,” Crystal said, moving to get between them. “He didn’t mean it like that, he’s probably just never seen someone who has magic but doesn’t use it. Right, Cooper?”
“Yes, sorry! I never meant to offend! It’s just strange to see someone so powerful not use their powers.”
“For the last time, I don’t have powers!” Jenny declared, frustrated.
“Charles,” Edwin said, holding out his hand.
Charles didn’t have to ask what he wanted. He reached into his bag of tricks and pulled out the specs with all those weird lenses on them. He always forgot what they were called, and he didn’t even fully understand what they did, just that they could see the unseen. But it didn’t matter if Charles understood it or not, because Edwin did. He always made the complicated stuff seem so simple. Charles admired him for that.
He passed the glasses to Edwin, and Edwin put them on, flicking down a few lenses.
“...She really does have an aura,” Edwin said.
Edwin handed the specs back to Charles so he could see it as well. Cooper was right. A neon red light surrounded Jenny, engulfing her like flames. It looked scary, but everything about Jenny looked scary, and looks could be deceiving. Charles knew her aura was no threat to them, but it was a crazy discovery.
“I wanna see!” Niko said, snatching the specs off Charles’ face and putting them on. “Oooooo, so pretty! Jenny, you look radiant!”
“Niko, quit messing around,” Jenny said, her patience wearing thin.
“No, I'm serious! You’re glowing!” Niko exclaimed. “Wait…you’re all glowing.”
“I set them to detect anything with a magical presence, and all of us have a certain detectable magic about us,” Edwin explained. “Me and Charles are ghosts, Crystal has her powers, and Monty and Cooper are familiars.”
“What about me?” Niko asked.
Edwin smiled. “I dare say you’re the most magical of us all.”
Niko beamed back at him. She returned the glasses to Charles.
“You’re thinking what I’m thinking, right mate?” Charles asked.
“I am,” Edwin said. “Jenny could do the ritual.”
Crystal’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait…surely you don’t mean—”
Charles nodded. It might be dangerous, but what other choice did they have? None of them knew how much longer Monty had left, but they knew time was running out. It was worth the risk.
“She could save Monty.”