“A haunted shack, that’s really a magic portal to the magic realm where some warlock has the answers,” I poked at the dirt with the shovel some more. I hadn’t put it back, even though I really didn’t need to use it.
“I don’t know about shack, but by magical portal, you mean shimmering lights and a floating disco globe in the middle of the meadow?” Yuki sounded a little off.
I looked up at her, and a reflection from something bounced across her face. Her arm was outstretched as she pointed to the middle of the meadow.
My gaze followed the direction of her point. Oh. Oh fuck.
“Well, I’d say that might be a magical portal,” Roosevelt said. He crossed his arms and nodded. “Yep, definitely magic.”
Approximately two yards off the ground, where Gage had been standing, a flashing, throbbing, glowing blob appeared. Sparks like diamonds flashed and pastel-colored clouds roiled. It emanated drops of rainbowed lights on the ground around it and reflected light in small patches everywhere. It looked like a sparkling discotheque nebula in the air. Definitely a party, more than a storm.
“What is that?” Gage asked.
“I don’t know,” I whispered.
Behind me, Rosie whimpered. Yuki murmured soft soothing sounds to her.
The magic was between us and the wolves. Max stood his ground and growled at it. Oz seemed to not be bothered by it at all as he rolled around in a patch of wildflowers snapping at bugs.
Gage took a step forward.
“Don’t get near it,” I said. I stood up and I stepped past Gage.
“What part about not getting near that thing, are you doing right now?” Roosevelt asked as I continued to walk toward the thing.
“The part where I’m a witch, and you’re not.” My confidence grew as I got closer. The energy it cast out felt familiar.
“It’s the same energy source I use,” I called back.
As I got closer I could hear it crackle and fizz. I realized the birds and insects had stopped making noise at some point earlier. Maybe they knew this was coming? It didn’t move from where it hung in space.
I didn’t get any closer before I started to circle around. I sent out feelers to detect if this was being generated from any direction.
“Hey,” I said as I reached Max. “It’s worrisome isn’t it?” I asked the growling wolf. He was ready for a fight. But he couldn’t fight energy, and that’s all it was in front of us.
“I don’t think it’s anything you need to worry about. I mean look at Oz, he couldn’t care less.”
I walked over to my boyfriend, the wolf, completely ignoring the situation. He was snapping at bees, and other flying bugs. I could hear birds again, but only over by the rocks. I looked back to the situation, and it was gone. Everyone was focused on something in the middle of the field, but I couldn’t see what they were looking at, at all.
I crossed the space back to Max, and suddenly there it was. And no bird song.
I contemplated calling out to Oz. He would want to see this, and he’d be pissed if I just let him be oblivious to the situation.
As I opened my mouth to say something, a blur of gray fur rushed passed me. Max snapped at his legs but missed.
Oz ran forward and leaped. He sailed right into the middle of the disco storm of magic.