I slept fitfully. My subconscious pgued me with scenes of Laura finding my body. I tried to reach for her, but I couldn't. I was the only family she had, and now I was gone. I hated leaving her like this.

  Opening my eyes, I gazed up at the ceiling. Despite the air in my room being a bit chilly, I was covered in sweat.

  Sighing deeply, I sat up in bed. Without a window I couldn't tell if it was still night or if day had begun. I was exhausted, but after enduring nightmares all night, I couldn't be sure it was from ck of sleep. Or if the quality of my sleep was just terrible.

  Collecting some clothes, I slipped out of my room and made for the bathing chamber. Even without any torches or other visible lights, the hallways in Otrea's home were well lit. I was left wondering how it all worked. Especially since, the light in my room seemed to fade away the moment I wanted it to, and returned when I needed it. Was this normal? Or was it something unique to Otrea and her home?

  A gentle warm mist greeted me as I stepped into the bathing pool. The cool night air causing the steam to condense and spread through the room.

  Laying my clothes on a table, I stripped out of my sweaty nightgown and made for the water. A sigh of relief left my throat as I sank down to my shoulders.

  In response to my sigh of content, a girl squealed. Now that my eyes were almost level with the water, I could finally see that I wasn't the only one who'd woke up in need of a bath.

  Staring at me in horror was a girl with bright pink hair and light gray skin. Her ruby-colored eyes filled with tears as she trembled. Beside her was a blond girl with cat-like ears atop her head, racing to put herself between the terrified girl and me.

  "Who are you?!" The cat-eared girl demanded.

  "B-Bernyece," Rushing to reply I bit down hard on my own tongue. Tears spilled out of my eyes as I covered my mouth with a hand.

  "Beryese?" The cat-eared girl raised an eyebrow. "I've not heard of you. Did Lady Otrea grant you permission to wander her home freely?"

  "It's Bernice," I whined. "Just... give me a moment please. It hurts."

  The cat-eared girl sighed. "Bernice? The new apprentice? I was told of you. I am Lyre, personal attendant to Lady Otrea's daughters, Lady Adelita and Lady Kyra. If you'd be so kind as to remain still, I'll escort Lady Adelita back to her room. She frightens easily and fears strangers."

  Nodding vigorously I sank as far down as I could and turned away so that Adelita could escape in peace. Being the daughter of a witch powerful enough to fell entire armies, made her practically a princess in my book. The st thing I wanted was to antagonize her.

  Making the daughter of an extremely powerful witch uncomfortable felt like a quick way to die. Even if she was just an attendant, Lyre was likely more than powerful enough to turn me into bunny stew if I made a misstep. I really didn't want that.

  "Thank you," Lyre's voice softened. "I will look forward to speaking with you when it is time for us to officially meet."

  "Same. See you ter."

  My heart pounded as I listened to Lyre and Adelita's footsteps. Once they'd faded out of earshot I took a deep breath to calm myself. Adelita was beautiful and delicate as a flower. If she wasn't terrified of me, I'd have loved the chance to speak with her.

  If I was Lyre, I'd do everything in my power to protect Adelita too. I could easily see a girl like that becoming my whole world.

  "What the hell am I even thinking about," I mumbled to myself. My face warmed with embarrassment as I shook myself free of the tangent daydream I was slipping into. Hardly a day had passed since I arrived in this world. I couldn't start daydreaming about getting a girlfriend. Not when I couldn't even survive without the charity of others.

  After soaking for a bit, I made my way back to my room to find Harriette waiting for me. "Did you sleep well?" Harriette asked. I couldn't tell if she actually cared about the answer, but I appreciated her asking.

  "Not really. I'm sure I just need some time to adjust."

  "Follow me. You need to eat, and then we'll begin your first lesson."

  Harriette took me to a small dining room where she'd prepared breakfast for the two of us. After we filled our bellies we headed back into the forest for my first lesson in magic.

  "Warbeasts are commonly poor at magic," Harriette noted as we strolled through the trees. The astringent smell of the forest filled my nostrils, calming me. Yesterday I hadn't been in the right mental state to enjoy the forest. Now I could gaze about at the wildflowers, and the small critters skittering around. It was much more enjoyable now that I didn't fear the possibility of impending death.

  "So I shouldn't expect much?"

  "You are an exception. As a celestial, you should be capable of wielding magic beyond most mortals. It may be impossible for you to reach the level of Lady Otrea who's practiced magic for nearly six centuries, but with a few years of study you could surpass most mortal sorcerers."

  "Six centuries?" I didn't know what I expected. In a fantastical world filled with magic and monsters, a powerful witch living for centuries shouldn't have surprised me. Still, I couldn't fathom living that long. Especially when Otrea looked so young. Based on appearance alone I wouldn't have ever guessed she was any older than thirty.

  "Lady Otrea has found methods of evading death." Harriette grinned, puffing out her chest as if she was boasting of her own accomplishments. "At this point I doubt even a god could kill her."

  As we stepped into a clearing Harriette suddenly stopped and turned to face me. "Celestials wield a power greater than mortal sorcerers. We weave mana into manifestation to create our magic. You are imbued with aether, the foundational force of existence. You simply need to expel it from your body and will it to take shape."

  I nodded, "Okay. How do I do that?"

  "First, close your eyes," Harriette instructed, her voice gentle but firm. "Focus your consciousness inward. Aether is like blood, it flows through you, it permeates every part of you. Follow it, find the heart of your power."

  Closing my eyes, I did as Harriette instructed. Searching inward I tried to find a thread of the power Harriette cimed I had, but I found nothing. Eventually, I grew frustrated. "I don't feel anything! Is it possible I'm not actually a Celestial?"

  "There are no creatures in existence with golden blood other than the celestials. Do not give up so easily. It is as Lady Otrea said, your ignorance makes you no different than a child, compare yourself to them, not to us."

  "I understand what you're trying to say, Harriette. But, I have no frame of reference for what is normal for children in this world. You and Lady Otrea are the only sorcerers I know. Unless Lyre and Prin—er, Lady Adelita are also sorcerers."

  Harriette blinked slowly, her eyes widening as she stared at me. "You've met Lady Adelita? Already?!"

  "I decided to take another bath and had poor timing," My cheeks warmed as I recalled my unfortunate encounter with Adelita. "Lyre was quick to get between us, so Lady Adelita and I didn't really meet. We just saw one another."

  "That is still more than most newcomers ever accomplish," Harriette shook her head in disbelief. "I did not meet Lady Adelita myself until my fourth year as Lady Otrea's aid. It took another two before she would even speak to me. Thankfully, her other half is far more outgoing."

  "Her other half? Is Lady Adelita married?" It made sense that an etherial beauty like Adelita would be already be married, but still my heart sank. Even if we'd barely crossed paths I was already captivated by her.

  "Of course not. I meant her sister Kyra. They," Harriette paused for a moment, furrowing her brow. "...They're twins."

  "Twins?" Not only was Adelita a beauty beyond compare, she had a sister who looked identical to her? My heart quickened at the thought of getting to spend time with the two of them.

  "Yes, Lady Adelita's sister, Lady Kyra does not carry a shred of her sister's meekness. She is always eager to explore, and often gets herself into trouble by doing more than she should. Often without Lady Otrea or I being aware of her movements."

  "She is troublesome," Harriette continued, smiling softly. "But I believe that makes her a perfect compliment to her sister. Without Lady Kyra, I doubt Lady Adelita would ever see the world beyond the walls of Lady Otrea's ir."

  With thoughts of Kyra and Adelita in my head, I continued my magic practice with Harriette. Unfortunately, I failed to make any progress. Once the sun began its descent we returned home.

  "Lady Otrea is expecting you for dinner," Harriette noted as we stepped inside. "Follow me, I'll guide you to her study."

  Unlike the rest of Otrea's home, her study cked any visible natural stone. Its walls were crafted from bckened bricks which gave it both an ominous air and a bit of rustic charm. Shelves lined the walls, crammed full of dusty tomes and books with timeworn covers.

  The study had numerous worktables scattered about, each housing its own assumedly in-progress experiment. As breathtaking as Otrea's study was to see, its crown jewel was something I'd have never expected to see. Not in the middle of a witch's ir, in the middle of a dense forest. Taking up an entire wall of the study was a magnificent stained gss window, bathing the room in a kaleidoscope of colors.

  A stone stage sat beneath the stained gss window. Though I couldn't see it clearly from the doorway it looked as if symbols were etched into the stage. It was likely used for some kind of grand magic, though I couldn't exactly imagine what kind.

  The only part of the study not cluttered with Otrea's various projects was a circur table rge enough to seat twelve people. Otrea was already seated. At her side was a young woman with bright pink hair. At first I believed she was Adelita, but the steadiness in her gaze as I approached made me realize the girl in front of me had to be Kyra.

  Kyra was every bit as beautiful as her sister. They were perfectly identical twins, the ptonic idea of what twins should be. And yet, despite their perfect simirities, I doubted I'd ever mistake one for the other. Their demeanors were just that different.

  "Bernice," Otrea smiled and beckoned me over. "I'd like you to meet my daughter, Kyra."

  "Mother doesn't often have such cute guests," Kyra winked. "I look forward to getting to know you better, Bernice."

  I opened my mouth to reply but found myself completely incapable of speech. With each passing second I could feel my face growing hotter as I processed what Kyra had just said.

  She called me cute! A beautiful princess called me cute!

  Otrea's eyes twinkled with amusement. "I see you are as weak to being charmed with words as you are vulnerable physically, Bernice. Try to take it easy on her, Kyra."

  "I only said what I felt," Kyra replied, looking me up and down. "Bernice is cute."

  "Save the flirting for another time. Take a seat Bernice. In order to better understand why you may have been sent here, I wish to learn more about you. If you don't mind, regal me about yourself, your world, and most importantly your final memories before waking up in my forest."

  Sitting down beside Otrea, I began to rattle off stories about my life while Harriette served us dinner. As we ate I told Otrea everything I could think of. About Earth, the books I liked to read, what I knew about technology, my aunt Laura, school, and working at the cafe. I finished by telling her about Ardie, and the chocotes which ended my life on Earth.

  "Despite some curiosities, living in a world without magic sounds incredibly boring," Otrea commented after I finished my stories. "That said, I am very curious about this coffee beverage you speak so highly of. Since you specialized in making it, I'd like to ask for the opportunity to try some. What would you need to reproduce it here?"

  "All I wou—," I began to reply before the weight of what Otrea had just said hit me. She was a witch who'd lived for six centuries. It was inconceivable for her to have not had coffee during that time. Unless, it didn't exist.

  Taking a deep breath to center myself, I looked Otrea in the eye. "Do, you not have coffee here? It's a dark brown beverage made by seeping ground seeds we called coffee beans in my world. They're kind of oblong and green before they're roasted."

  "I am unaware of anything matching that description."

  "Seriously?" My gaze turned to the leftover food from our dinner. Nearly all of the items before me were things I'd known on Earth. There were some subtle variations, but nothing that would prevent me from recognizing them. How could a world with so many simir food items not have coffee?

  Otrea shook her head, "There is nothing of the sort."

  "Sorry, I'm really struggling to come to terms with that. I recognize so much of the food I've been served. I guess I just assumed everything I knew would exist in this world."

  "If it is a beverage derived from the seeds of a pnt, it is possible we simply haven't discovered it yet." Otrea rested her head on her hand, smiling at me. "Perhaps once we have discovered who your enemies are, you will be granted some freedom to go searching for it."

  "But that could take years," I was crestfallen. I loved the cafe. Being a barista felt like my calling. The thought of going years, or even the rest of my life without coffee depressed me.

  "I already have some thoughts on who might be out for you," Otrea stood and made her way to a nearby desk. "The power needed to transform a human girl into a warbeast would be limiting. I can think of less than a hundred people who'd be able to do it. Turning a mortal red-blooded girl into a gold-blooded celestial? Even I can't do that."

  "Who could?"

  "One of the gods, an exceptionally powerful one at that. We might even be dealing with a scheme set in motion by one of the primordials. Your eye color and the transformation you've endured cannot be expined any other way."

  "My eyes were this color before." As impossible as everyone believed it was to have amethyst eyes, I'd been born with them. On Earth I was constantly accused of wearing colored contacts. I'd even been bullied because of them. As a kid I'd hated my eyes. Given everything else, I couldn't believe they'd followed me into my new life.

  "Was such a color common in your world?"

  "No. I believe my aunt and I were the only people alive with amethyst eyes."

  "That may tell us something," Otrea retrieved a needle and returned to the table. "Your eyes may connect you to something greater than yourself. I'll look into it. For now, as per our pact I'd like to obtain a bit of your blood."

  "Alright," Nervously I held out my arm.

  "You won't feel a thing." Otrea gently wrapped her fingers around my wrist. Her touch infused my body with a comforting warmth. As promised, I didn't feel even the tiniest bit of discomfort.

  Cossimeri