I know this bus ride is a long one, but Frank Sinatra is now stuck in my head. Garth and Asphodel have seemed to calm down from their reunion. I feel like this trip has been forever already. Although I am so glad to see garth back with us. I need to let the wyvern know.
"So New York kids, excited?" Garth laughs.
"Well, I am nervous. Honestly, how are we flying out of here, Garth?" I ask.
"Well, through Tracey." Asphodel smirks.
"Who is Tracey?" I ask.
"Tracey is an old friend of ours. She'll fly us over." Garth explains.
"I see." I sigh.
"What's the matter, Annie?" Asphodel asks.
I suppose I wear the disappointment on my face. I was hoping there was going to be a little more of a challenge to this. I guess that's what happens, though. Not everything goes the way it is said to in movies or stories. I guess this is just us getting a break for a change. I never would have called it, though.
"Is it weird I want a little more excitement as we have been going on for some time?" I say.
"Fair." Asphodel says.
"And what was up with those guys?" I ask.
"The guys you fried?" Asphodel asks.
Garth seems rather surprised by the statement that just came from Asphodel's mouth. I can't help but fight the urge to laugh. I know I shouldn't be laughing at a time like this, considering I probably should be remorseful.
"Yeah, she's definitely your sister, Asphodel." He smirks.
"I think I may be rubbing off on her." She smiles.
"You two know I am right here, right?" I say with a huff.
I feel like sometimes they forget I am present. I know they can't ignore what's right in front of them, although sometimes I do feel transparent. A part of me just wishes we were already in New York.
"Crossing New York state border." The driver says over their intercom.
"Good." I utter under my breath.
"Well, Annie, what's the first thing you want to do when we hit New York? Now that we have Garth, we can probably do more on our way through there." Asphodel places a hand on my shoulder through the seats.
"Well, I did always want to see the opera house." I admit.
"Never would have placed that as a fascination of yours." Garth looks at me, somewhat impressed with my taste for culture, it seems.
"Well, Garth, are we able to pull it off?" Asphodel asks.
"I'll let you guys know when we are in Niagara Falls for the layover." He replies.
Garth pulls out a phone and begins typing away on it. I don't know what exactly he is doing, but I am hopeful. The excitement of the idea brings a large warmth to me. I know we are a few hours away from our layover, however, this may just end up being the coolest thing I'll get to do in my life. At least, in my heart, that's how I feel. I never got to see anything like that because of Auntie Melinda living so far from anything. Asphodel smiles and nods. I am only trying to calm the racing thoughts in my mind.
If I am able to hear what a real opera is like, maybe I can harness the ancestors' ways of using music for magical ability. Garth coughs and a few people look at us strange. Asphodel checks her phone, and it dawns on me the cough was a signal for her. I only hope its good news. I see Asphodel nod and I just turn to face the front of the bus again. There is an odd man with bright emerald green eyes looking at me.
"Hey, just a heads up, looks like some of those guys from the holy magicians are tailing the bus," Sven says to me in my mind.
'Are we able to body swap?' I ask Sven.
'That's advanced magic, you may want to ask for assistance if you're planning on being me.' He is audibly laughing at me.
'How about you just take care of them?' I ask.
'Eh, I can try, although I warn, it's likely to kill them if I do.' Sven says.
"Damnit." I say.
"What's up?" Asphodel responds immediately.
"Sven thinks we have some holy guests." I admit.
She nods and walks to the back of the bus. Garth shakes his head. I only wish I understood what is going on now. Sven is nearby, which is awesome, he doesn't go too far away, thankfully. I honestly still can't get a grip on why we aren't using our wands for everything like I saw on tv when i was young.
"That's not good." Asphodel says.
"Well, this may not be the best time, but I have been wondering..." I lean to Asphodel. "What happens to a witch if she eats a witch like the eaters do?" I whisper.
"Well, ask Sven." Asphodel smirks.
"You are oddly cruel, Asphodel." Garth says. "Annie, normies become Nephilim. What do you think happens to a witch with just that information?" He asks.
"We become something worse?" I ask.
"Well, the Svernatine family is one that tried and learned the hard way." Garth explains.
'He's right, Annie.' Sven calls into my mind.
"They become familiars..." I say in shock.
"Yeah, slaves to the future witches." Asphodel sighs.
"So Sven was a witch at one time?" I ask.
'Indeed.' Sven answers to me.
"Yeah, but there is only one way out. The witch has to figure out your actual name before being a familiar." Asphodel explains.
"Can't he just tell me?"
"It's not that simple, Annie." Garth says. "When a witch becomes a familiar they forget their life as a witch until they return to their true form." He adds.
"Next stop, Niagara Falls, New York. Prepare to off-board to transfer to your destinations." The bus driver calls over the intercom.
"Keep the wand at the hip," Garth and Asphodel both say.
"Yeah, you two clearly been through shit." I laugh.
They look at me a little confused and then Asphodel nods, realizing that I simply see them as close. They must have gone through a lot back in the war of the pink moon. The bus slows down as I see the city swallow the bus into its massive Boundaries. I smile. I never thought I would be here in my life. Then it's New York and even off to Europe! I only hope I can get there and end the bloodline curse once and for all.
Garth stands as the bus pulls into the terminal for our layover. Asphodel stands with him as I find my way to my feet. We all grab the stuff we loaded and know we will have to make the best of this layover in Niagara Falls. I may make us a bit of cash here too, while we wait.
We all move along the aisle of the bus and off into the loading area of the terminal. We all stand for a minute and then bring the bags around the front of the building. Garth looks over our shoulders to see a white coloured Chevrolet Impala coming up.
"Magicians." He says as the car drives by.
The driver of the car has some dark eyes and dark hair. I can't make out too much of his face outside of the steel-blue eyes that watch us as they pass by us. I shudder. I feel as though death itself had just taken a glance into my soul.
"Magicians only came because of the Svernatine family." Asphodel sighs.
"It feels like I still know so little."
"You're still first year, Annie." Garth says, patting my back. "Strong for such an amateur in their abilities, though." He adds.
"Garth is correct." Asphodel says.
The terminal stinks of piss and exhaust fumes. I don't want to put my guitar on the ground here, even if it is still in a case. I don't know what's been here. I can smell awful scents wafting from the alley across from the terminal, and it is overpowering.
"Guys, did someone die in there?" I ask, shifting my head to point to the alley.
"No, Annie, that's people smoking drugs." She replies.
"And no one stops them?" I ask.
"It's not our cake to eat, Annie." Garth says.
"We won't be here long." Asphodel tries to reassure me.
"Well, Nor will they." I say.
"Annie-" Garth starts to try to reason with me.
It is pointless, though. I already have my bags on the ground, and I am walking towards the alley. They can't get away with this shit in public. I speed my way across the road. I keep my eyes open and go to grab my wand... It's not on my hip.
"Shit." I utter.
I slip against the corner of the alley as I hear people begin to laugh. One man coughs harshly. I could swear he may actually be dying if it weren't for Asphodel and Garth explaining a few moments ago.
"Oh man, how'd you get this shit here on a bus?!" a man's voice says.
"It's the Sverantine way." I hear a female say.
'Sven, you around?' I call to my wyvern in my mind.
To my disappointment, it seems Sven is a bit too far from me to talk to at the moment. I sigh under my breath. This just got a whole new level of real. Why is the Svernatine family selling drugs to normies?
I feel a light tap on my shoulder, and I snap to face the source. I almost go to swing my fist but, to my relief, it is Asphodel. She nods and hands my wand to me. It seems she heard just enough. Seems like I have a sense of the right places at the right time.
"The Svernatine's aren't supposed to be here." Asphodel whispers to me.
"Well, I suppose you want your cut?" The male voice says.
I quickly dart my finger over Asphodel's lips. I don't want to be rude, but this sounds like it's big. I have to know.
"Well, my cut is that you keep this shit flowing in New York." The female replies.
I can hear another source of coughing. I do not know if it is a smoker in the alley or if it is a business partner to the two; I managed to overhear. I suppose now we have to hold off on our trip to New York. This just may be the lead we need to have to find the source of the bloodline curse.