Page 324 of Castings & Curses

“Well, I’m happy for you,” Broody said.

To which Luca added, “It does seem fortuitous that you managed to connect with him but Moni, please, be careful .He is a relative—pun intended—stranger. Just because he’s blood doesn’t mean he has your best interests at heart. Broody and I wouldn’t ever pry because we don’t give a shit, but rumors around school hint that you are some kind of heiress, that your folks left you a lot of money… What I’m trying to say is, some people might want to get close to you because you’re rich!”

CHAPTER FIVE-PLAYING DOCTOR/HOMECOMING

“I did what you asked,”the heavily perspiring Professor Weasel insisted as he looked warily from one half shadowed face to another. “I made contact. I let her know who I am. You never said there was anything else!”

The middle figure was taller than the rest, and as he stepped closer to the nervous Dr. Weasel, enough light shone on his face so that the Professor could see the sneer on the unwelcome visitor’s lips.

“I apologize for the misunderstanding, but our association will continue until we have achieved our objective,” he said in a quiet voice that was liberally edged with menace. “We need to make an acquisition, and for that to happen you need to have more than a cursory, casual relationship with Antimony Crockett. You must ingratiate yourself to her. Become her favorite Uncle. Win her confidence to the point where she relies on you and trusts you. She will be hungry for connection, having lost her brother, and with her family declining in number since the last century. You are a very well spoken and charming man. I am sure that this is a task you are equal to,” the figure finished.

Professor Weasel would have trouble sleeping that night, as it turned out. He had made the mistake of looking down at the feet of the robed figures that had come into his classroom, quietly closed the door, pulled the shade over the window, and cornered him for a privatepep talk.

Although the exposed portions of their anatomy from the waist up seemed normal enough, even their exposed hands looked like the hands of any witch or warlock, their feet were something entirely different. They had feet that were those of a giant lizard, all of them. He could see the rough lizard skin and the claws protruding out from under the bottom of their robes.

That meant that they wereextra. They were not only witches, but something more sinister. He had no desire to find out what they might do to him if he did not heed their instructions.

* * *

Moni could hearthe raucous music emanating from the room she shared with Broody and Shady—who was now going by the moniker ofThe Fabulous Shade—filling the corridor as she walked toward it. Before she could open the door, she was met by a sweating and exhilarated looking Luca.

He pulled her inside and pushed her gently against the door for a full fifteen second kiss before explaining, “If you came for danger and excitement you’ve come to the right place!”

Luca was wearing a kilt, and peering around his shoulder, Moni could see that Broody was too.

Broody was jumping up and down on the bed to the beat of the music, his kilt flying up to his trim waist with each jump. And because he was wearing nothing underneath, as was proper with the tradition, all of his airborne genitalia was on full display every five seconds.

“Come join us and dance,” Luca urged.

For a fleeting moment Moni thought of all the Alchemy Homework she had yet to do, plus a short paper for Metaphysical Magic on conjuring diaphanous cloth from seaweed, but in the next instant, she allowed her armful of books to crash to the floor and ran to join Broody on the bed

Within seconds, she had them laughing, her standard issue Pitchfork Prep Academy skirt in the tartan plaid in various shades of violet, magenta, green, and gold associated with the academy flying up to her waist just as the kilts of her dancing partners were.

All of them were thinking how funny it would be if Shady walked in at that moment.

She didn’t though, and as they all finally collapsed on the bed they’d been using as a trampoline, Moni realized that all the tension in her body was gone.

She sat up and was about to get up when Broody gently grabbed her wrist.

“Please stay for a moment,” he said. “Let’s play doctor or something!”

Luca made a funny noise and rolled with laughter. Finally wiping his eyes he said, “Seriously? Is that a line you use? Does it still work even though no one here is five years old?”

“I just meant it might be nice to transition into some kind of body thing,” he said in an injured tone, pouting slightly. “Like role playing, which is somethinggrown ass adults do all the time, am I right?”

Moni squinted and looked thoughtful for a moment.

“Okay I’min,” she said at last. “As long as I can be the doctor!”

Luca and Broody shot each other astonished looks and Broody quickly said, “Okay, Dr. Antimony, where do you want us?”

DoctorAntimony had the two gorgeous young men lay next to each other side by side on the vast bed.

“Hmmm,” she said in a serious tone. “I think I’ll start with a thorough examination. What seems to be the trouble here?” she asked Luca.

“I have an insatiable ache, you know,down there. I wondered if you have anything that could help, Dr. Antimony?”

“That was my issue also,” Broody said, his cyan blue eyes looking up into Moni’s eyes innocently. “It’s a chronic problem… occurs more frequently than I would care to admit. Can you help us, Doctor?”

---