Cera looked down at her phone, then back at what looked like a vacant warehouse covered in colorful graffiti. Could she be in the right place? Not that she was above it; at one time, she had been a part of punk rock circles and had spent many teen years at parties in these abandoned warehouses. But to think that people could use magic in such dwellings was almost absurd to her.

  She looked down at her phone again to confirm the address. Slowly, she began walking towards the structure's doors when she noticed them open and a middle-aged man emerged. He had dark red hair sprinkled with streaks of white, a color so pale it matched his skin complexion. He looked bookish, but Cera could sense a power emanating from him. He paused, his demeanor blank.

  "May I help you?" he called out as his feet crunched on loose gravel while he slowly walked towards Cera. "I've been watching you for almost ten minutes now, observing our home."

  "I—was given this address—" Cera stumbled over her words as he stopped, giving her a penetrating gaze. That damn Sully had lured her into another dangerous situation, her thoughts wandered. Why did I even come here? Are a bunch of them waiting to sacrifice me for some weird magic ritual?

  "Who gave you this address?"

  "His name was Sully," Cera responded, as the man's demeanor shifted, and he offered her a smile. He started to approach her again. As he stood before her, she could tell he was studying her with intent curiosity.

  "So, you're the strange girl he encountered yesterday?"

  "I would say he's the more strange one, honestly."

  He laughed. "Why yes, Sully is quite the character. My name is Mero, and I was told you would be arriving."

  "Where is Sully?"

  "He's inside speaking with Amond," Mero answered, turning and beginning to walk back towards the doors. "I can keep you company in the meantime while we wait for them to finish catching up."

  Cera hesitated briefly, but something about Mero eased those dark thoughts of human sacrifice. As they entered, she saw a few others, including a girl who looked barely in her twenties. A green aura emanated from her body, but what amazed Cera was the fact that she could see this girl with a small frame lifting several metal beams as if they were nothing.

  “Very nice, Janey,” Mero said with a smile to the girl, who Cera saw at a closer glance. She had blonde hair, tattoos covering her entire skinny body, and was wearing dark pants with a metal band t-shirt with the sleeves cut off. “I see you’ve been practicing your physical spells?”

  “That’s all she does,” A man shouted, when Cera turned to see a man around the same age as the girl Mero had called Janey. He was thin, with dark brown hair, and brown eyes that sat behind his black-rimmed glasses. “I tell her she should work on her fire magic, but she doesn’t listen.”

  “Why would I need fire magic, Stefan?” Janey responded sharply, as he started emitting a dark burnt orange aura from his left hand. Cera watched as his hand began to crackle and spark, a flame slowly growing in his palm as he gave a grin and pointed it at Janey.

  “What if someone were to use ranged magic on you?”

  “Then I would just do this!” Janey shouted, hurling the metal beams towards Stefan. He looked up in alarm as the beams plummeted towards him. His burnt orange aura flared, and he quickly leaped backwards, narrowly avoiding the crashing metal.

  "Stop it, you two!" Mero chided, "Can't you see we have a guest?"

  The two young magic users halted their display, their auras subsiding as they turned towards Cera.

  "What can you do?" Janey inquired, her deep blue eyes fixed on Cera as she circled her. "With an aura like that, you could be quite adept at physical spells or battle mage spells."

  "I can't do anything..." Cera replied softly.

  "Ah, a secretive one, keeping your skills close to the vest," Stefan smirked, studying Cera. He made her feel self-conscious; she had only witnessed these extraordinary abilities yesterday, and now they assumed she possessed similar powers. "Seriously, what are your talents?"

  "I'm quite proficient in the Office 365 suite," Cera joked awkwardly.

  "So it's true, then?" Mero asked, "What Sully said—an above-average aura but no magical abilities?"

  Cera blushed slightly. "Yes, until yesterday, I had no idea this kind of thing existed," she admitted.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "Fascinating," Mero mused, stroking his chin as he observed Cera.

  "I sensed her aura from outside," Stefan interjected. "I couldn't detect Amond's friend, but hers was immediately apparent."

  "That's because Sully effectively conceals his aura and employs enchantments in his clothing to further obscure it," Mero explained. "I understand why he brought this young lady here now. Amond will be eager to speak with her."

  “So is this like one of those schools Sully told me about?” Cera inquired, surveying the warehouse. Its graffiti-covered metal walls, bare concrete floor, and grimy windows weren't what she had expected.

  “Not exactly,” Mero answered. “We consider ourselves a coven, but we also teach magic here to those who join. Amond founded it when he moved here to foster a sense of community.”

  “Are there many covens?” Cera asked.

  “Yes, of all kinds. Some are very exclusive with their membership, but Amond doesn't subscribe to the old ways,” Mero explained.

  “Both Stefan and I were expelled from our previous covens," Janey said. "They disapproved of my appearance, claiming I attracted too much attention with my tattoos and clothing."

  "Called you 'Tumblr Witch,' right?" Stefan chuckled.

  "Shut up, Stefan," Janey snapped. "You were kicked out of yours for setting the coven library on fire!"

  "You two get back to practicing your spellwork," Mero directed. "Would you like to join me for some tea, Cera?"

  "After yesterday, I'm not taking anyone's tea," Cera replied.

  "Ah, yes, well, I assure you mine is not enchanted, but just a rather plain Earl Grey with a splash of milk," Mero reassured her with a gentle smile. "But I understand the hesitation, so can I offer you a bottle of water if that would make you feel better?"

  "Okay, that sounds good," Cera replied, following Mero through the warehouse. She saw what appeared to be an old office, and inside she could see a man sitting down. He had long, dark hair, a full beard, and a serious demeanor. "Is that Amond in there?"

  Mero nodded. "Amond and Sully go way back."

  "How far back?"

  "From their teenage years," Mero responded as they headed to a small area that served as a makeshift kitchen. "I've known Sully for as long as I've known Amond."

  "I'm surprised Sully has any friends at all, just from dealing with him yesterday," Cera joked. Mero let out a small chuckle as he walked over to a small stove and began heating a kettle. "He's not exactly charming, actually, he can be a bit of a dick. No offense, of course."

  "He doesn't have many friends these days," Mero replied, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water. He walked over to a small table and motioned for Cera to sit, which she did.

  "I can't fathom why he doesn't have many friends."

  "Don't let his aloofness and quips fool you, he only uses them to mask his true emotions."

  "So, deep mystery magic man, has a heart of gold?"

  "I wouldn't go that far, but he's not without some good qualities," Mero answered as the tea kettle began to heat up. "But I am glad Amond was able to get hold of him."

  "So is that why he is in Seattle?"

  "Yes, Amond and I have been hearing strange rumors of a gray sorcerer and feel that he would be best equipped to investigate it."

  "That's who that Dawn Jean woman kept talking about yesterday!" Cera exclaimed as the tea kettle began to whistle, and Mero walked over, pouring the hot water into a dark-colored mug. "He sounds like a big deal."

  "He very well could be. All of the city has been talking about him, but no one quite knows where to find him," Mero said. "But now we have another mystery on our hands."

  "Me?"

  "Yes, Cera, you are our other mystery."

  "I don't understand why," Cera inquired, opening her bottle of water and taking a large gulp. Mero sat at the table, settling into the chair and looking her directly in the eyes.

  "Sully sensed something peculiar about you, and I have to say, I sense it myself."

  "Listen, I seriously didn't know any of this stuff existed until I walked into that magic shop yesterday."

  "Yes, that's what's strange – how somebody your age could go so long with an aura like you have and no one, including yourself, has ever noticed it until yesterday."

  "Is that even possible?" Cera asked. "Like, have you ever witnessed something like that before?"

  Mero shook his head and took a sip of tea. "No, and neither has Sully."

  "That's comforting," Cera remarked as she could hear a door open and footsteps approaching the area. "What about Amond? Do you think he would know anything?"

  "I don't know," Mero replied. "But between all three of us, maybe we could give you some answers."

  The footsteps continued to get louder and then there was a pause as Cera turned from the table to see Sully looking over at her, and next to him was Amond, who gently smiled towards her and said, "So this is the girl, Cera?"

  "I mean, she's the only person I gave the address to, Amond," Sully responded dryly. "But yes, it is her."

  "You're right," Amond said. "I can sense her aura from here. But she can't use any spells?"

  "Cera, have you learned how to use magic in the last twenty-four hours?" Sully chuckled. As Amond walked over and gestured his hands over the top of Cera's head, immediately the same colors from before started to appear, radiating from Cera's body. "See, I told you, Amond."

  "I could sense it the minute she walked in, Sully," Amond commented. "Very strange, her presence alone should have alerted someone in the city, especially me."

  "So what do we make of it?" Sully asked curiously as he waved his hands through Cera's aura. Cera stood up and stared at the two men, as she could hear Mero sip his tea with a loud slurp before setting it down on the table.

  "Let's go to the office. I have much to ask," Amond asserted.