The name Morganna, Morgan, Morgaine, or any other permutation of such that traditionally preceded ‘le Fay’ was a dead end. The Academy had never given that designation to any psionic or Enforcer agent in their database, nor was any prelate currently operating in North America using it as a handle.

The only modern connection to the name came two separate headlines chronicling the discovery of a 12th century painting titled Portrait of Morganna le Fay and its subsequent theft during Life Savers Inc’s battle with the rogue psionic, Cinder. It was possible that Cinder had been working with a partner, but he had slipped police custody, leaving Laurel with just another dead end.

Lisa’s erratic behavior and new power set hardly matched the modus operandi of an art thief. A small time art thief at that, considering the Portrait was only valued at perhaps fifty thousand dollars; a far fall from its priceless status during the time of the Knights Templar. That meant that either Laurel was missing something or it was merely a coincidence.

She filed it in her ‘maybe’ pile along with that week’s reports of mysterious animal disappearances at the Garfield Zoo and equally perplexing broad daylight thefts from plant nurseries and jewelry stores in the same time period. Given the seemingly random array of powers Lisa had reportedly manifested, Laurel couldn’t put it past her.

The break came when Kareem had spoken to her on the night after Warrick came home from the hospital. Since his arrival at Freeland House, he had been primarily a creature on the Astral Plane; the world of mental energy adjacent to the Material Plane. Science hadn’t even been aware of the place thirty years ago and as far as Laurel knew, Kareem was the only person to remain crossed over for more than twenty-four hours. He’d crushed the recorded record for astral projection by an order of magnitude.

His intimate and unprecedented connection to the plane was probably why he was the only one to notice what he termed the ‘ripples’ along the Astral.

As he explained it; most people touch the Astral when they have particularly vivid dreams. These contacts with the plane sent gentle ripples within a limited range akin to leaves landing on still water. He confided that even Melissa’s emotion filled nightmares, or Cyn’s occasional night terrors – while causing noticeable turbulence on the Astral – seldom affected anything further than the confines of the house.

The day of Lisa’s disappearance, however, Kareem had felt something he described as being ‘as if someone had thrown a piano in a swimming pool’. The ripples from that event had washed all the way to The Hills from somewhere in Mayfield and had been followed by numerous smaller, but just as uncharacteristically powerful pulses for days thereafter. His guess was that someone had crossed physically onto the Astral Plane and it worried him greatly.

Upon further analysis, Laurel had discovered that the devices she had built to allow Kareem to communicate via monitors and speakers were picking up some sort of interference. She had quickly repaired it, but suddenly realized that that like radio waves, the special frequencies she used to connect Kareem with his communications devices could be traced.

To that end, she had sent every able bodied Freeland Houser out with almost a dozen hastily cobbled together transceivers to mount them to spots all over Mayfield. The main receiver was planted atop Freeland House and connected to Laurel’s main processor.

For two days, she’d lain in wait for the Astral hopping to continue. Who ever had been doing it had slowed down since their original flurry of activity. What few disturbances that had occurred had been too small to properly triangulate. But Laurel had been patient, manning the monitor day and night with only the food her friends bought up to her and the caffeine she had hoarded in her mini-fridge to sustain her.

All she needed was a stronger signal and she would be able to at least get a location – a start to her so far fruitless investigation. Luckily for her, other forces were conspiring to ensure Laurel was about to get all the signal she needed.

In traditional fantasy, wizards made their lairs in lonely stone towers or the high parapets of castles. In the distant past, this was only rarely true; with most wizards living in the same huts and houses anyone else lived in. None were ever forced to take up residence in a tin roofed lean-to atop one of Mayfield’s many multistoried buildings..

It was one of several erected by the local homeless in a feat of engineering prowess common to people forced to survive by their wits. A bit of rudimentary fire starting had managed to frighten all of the previous tenants away, leaving Morganna with the rooftop shanty town to herself.

Here, she stored her now vast library of ‘collected’ reagents; some living, some formerly living. Amid piles of what others would term ‘junk’, Morganna worked over a mortar and pestle, mumbling to herself.

“It’ll be soon now, yes.” She muttered, crushing fish bones into powder along with an assortment of dried leaves. “He’s… he’s… perfect. He needs to be perfect. I’ll make him perfect. Magic… will make him perfect…”

Beside her, something thrashed in a tank of water. It was, in many ways, a large badger, but its tail was flattened and black, as were its paws. Its muzzle was leathery and looked more like a duck’s bill than anything else. Morganna paused and regarded it for a bit.

“Platypus.” She said after a long moment of trying to remember the right name for the creature. “Why did… I do that again?” She blinked at it. “Was there… why did I make something like that again?” something assured her that she had, in fact, not created the platypus; that it was a natural creature, but she knew that was absurd. With a few confused blinks, she went back to work on the charm she was making.

“When you were little, you hated platypuses.” someone said.

Morganna’s head came up so fast, it was a wonder her neck didn’t snap. She focused, in her odd way of looking straight through a person, on the dark haired woman standing on top of the shelter across from her own.

Tatiana Farnsworth, Lady Nightshade, was dressed in a simple grey shirt with dark slacks and a backpack slung over one shoulder. “You thought they were scary.” she continued, a wistful air in her voice. “Actually, pretty much all animals scared you,” She laughed at a fond memory. “Toni was afraid she’d had to get rid of her parrot because you couldn’t stand being alone in the room with it.”

The intruder locked eyes with Morganna and jumped lightly to stand at the entrance of the dwelling. “As far as I know, you’re still uncomfortable with animals.” She continued. “And yet here you are, sitting in a tin shack with little cages full of newts and spiders and snakes…” She counted off the various captive animals as her eyes fell on them.

“Who…who… who are you?” Morganna muttered, sitting up on her haunches.

“It sounds like there’s an owl here too.” Lady Nightshade said, moving closer with animal grace. “As for who I am… I’m someone who’s starting to put the pieces together. You know, in high school, Toni and I fancied ourselves witches—mostly burning pictures of old boyfriends with spices or trying to make potions to make us so smart we didn’t need to study – but you get the picture.” She crept even closer. “The point is, I think you’re the real thing, or something like it. You messed with my head and made me mouth off to Liedecker – then you convinced me to give that painting to Lisa.”

She unslung the backpack from her shoulder and opened the zipper. “What I don’t understand is this: what the hell is the point of the painting?” She produced the painting, its colors slightly faded, but otherwise exactly as it appeared when she had stolen it. “I found it under Lisa’s bed. What is it? Something out of Dorian Gray? A voodoo doll type deal to let you control my niece?”

“A trap.” Morganna muttered. “Stole my soul and trapped it…trapped it forever – that’s what they hoped.” She crouched, shivering like a feral cat caught between the want to strike out and the want to flee. “But I got out… fought my way out. You… you’re one of them. I couldn’t use you, but your… niece… she was good.”

“One of them what?” Nightshade growled, fighting to keep her rage down. She wanted nothing more than to kill Morganna, but until she found out what effect that would have on Lisa, she couldn’t risk it.

“Psionic. I couldn’t take you, because… because you’re a psionic.” Morganna muttered. “You’re different – wrong. I can’t use you unless invited.”

Nightshade blinked. “You’re inside Lisa then. Possessing her like a demon?”

Harsh laughter answered her. “There’s no… no such thing as demons.” She grinned manically. “I’m not in her. Mo, she’s inside me, pressed down. She’s quiet now.” She started laughing at the thought.

Nightshade’s teeth ground. She didn’t know how to save her niece, but the first step was to stop the monster inside her. “You—you ARE a demon!” She shouted, lunging at her.

Still laughing, Morganna reached into a felt pouch nearby and drew out a plastic cup in which a handful of crude darts had been pushed into a soaked wad of cotton. She suddenly remembered why she had taken the platypus.

Before Nightshade reached her, Morganna flicked one of the darts at her, hitting her in her right bicep. A few motes of enhancing magic empowered the poison, speeding its course through Nightshade’s bloodstream. Convulsing, Tatiana collapsed on the concrete roof, overturning a few stray potted plants as she did.

“They’re poisonous.” Morganna said standing and moving over to Nightshade’s side. Something in the back of her mind felt bad seeing her like that. “Platypus. They have venom. Imagine that… a vermin that’s poisonous.” She crouched down, watching Tatiana struggling against the blinding pain that now took over her body. “You care about this body… its old soul?” She noted. “Why?”

“S-she’s my niece.” Nightshade hissed through the pain. “M-my family.”

“I had… family. A son. They took him… before they trapped me… trapped me in the painting.” Morganna said without emotion. “Now… now, I think your niece… yes, she can have what I couldn’t… give my lovely Mordred.” She started to stand but Nightshade grabbed her shirt.

“Wait!” She gasped at the sorceress. “P-please. Let her go!”

Morganna grabbed the offending hand and considered using the contact to make the poison more painful, then giggled. “I need… need a body so I can live, no?” Love and pain were a perfect combination to not only break down mental defenses, but to convince people to submit to anything.

Tatiana didn’t even pause to think about it. “Take me.” She breathed. “I… I’m the one you wanted in the first place. I-I’m the one with powers. They’re all yours – just let Lisa go.” The tears in her eyes weren’t from the incapacitating pain any longer.

The sorceress smiled. Crouching closer to her writhing victim, she twisted Antonia’s silver ring from her finger and placed it on Tatiana’s finger. “I accept.” She said before starting a low, haunting chant. One hand reached out and grabbed a handful of leaves and dropped them over Tatiana’s face.

Immediately, the pain eased, though fighting was no longer an option for Lady Nightshade. “Lisa…” she whispered as Morganna pressed some kind of gemstone to her forehead, “If you can hear me… take care of your mother and Zack.” Then perception collapsed upon itself.

Running her hands through her slightly shorter new hair, Morganna frowned at her clothes. She much preferred the girl, Lisa’s wardrobe. That thought made her eye stray to her former vessel, lying on her back, breathing shallowly. In some ways, she missed it already.

“Still…” she muttered, picking up Nightshade’s backpack, “this one is… better. Faster. More agile and… the power…” She looked down at the painting that had been her prison for the past several centuries. With her anger, she felt a new sensation – the psionic power innate in her new body. It tingled in her fingers, almost begging to be used. It felt like no magic she’d ever felt before.

Flicking her hand at the painting, she was delighted to feel lines of force suddenly pull taunt between it and herself. It fell in two halves, bisected with surgical precision. Laughing, she flicked her power at a rose plant she had acquired, removing all the leaves along its left side. Another flick aimed at one of the tin buildings outside. There was a rending sound and a few inches of tin pealed back under the assault.

She frowned at this. There was a limit to this power; both in range and how much damage it could actually inflict on a target. Still, a spell that precise would take an hour of preparation and a small diamond, so she couldn’t argue with the ease of use.

After a few more moments of throwing her new power around, she remembered that she had something to do this night. Grabbing Nightshade’s backpack, she began shoving reagents that might be useful into it. As she did, she giggled in anticipation – a quick sifting of Nightshade’s memory revealed that her new body owned one of those wondrous machines – a motorcycle – and had parked it a block from where she stood.

Laurel popped open another can of cola and blinked sleep from her eyes. She’d gone almost three days without sleep. Truth be told, she had gone much longer without it on occasion, but this time was important, she needed to be alert in case –

One of her monitors flashed red. All of the transceivers were responding to something BIG. One had even overloaded and fallen silent. A few keystrokes brought up the numbers the transceivers sent her. Laurel did her own triangulation – she was more accurate than the computer.

Within seconds, she had her cell phone open, dialing Ian’s room phone. “Ian,” She said before he could properly answer her. “Wake Alexis up and come to my workshop. I just got a huge hit coming from the 1300 block of Coltrane Avenue. I need to get you guys suited up and out the door ASAP.

-- • --

Alexis quirked an eyebrow as she held up the items Laurel had handed her. “This isn’t a tactical suit, it’s a costume.” She regarded the formfitting bodysuit with a skeptical eye. It was mostly back with silver filigree and a silver belt. A black silk scarf was draped over the shoulders and fastened there with uncharacteristically bulky, rectangular fasteners. The shoes and gloves at least seemed practical; streamlined affairs that closed with zippers and had rugged mountain climbing treads. “Plus, I thought you said these would be armored.”

“They’re stylized because we don’t know where you’re going to end up having to go and we want any security or law enforcement to be thinking ‘prelate’ instead of ‘burglar’.” Laurel explained. “Oh, and it is armored.” She waved her hand at the outfit in a vague sort of way. “They’re made from an old Brant Industries prototype fabric – ballistic cloth. It’s made up of carbon nanotubes and specialized ceramics. Basically, it’s bulletproof, knife proof and heat resistant to an extent.”

“Why do I get the feeling that you had these made long before this whole Lisa Ortega issue came up?” Ian asked. His own body suit was dark red with diagonal black stripes along the rib cage. The shoulders were padded, as were the wrists of the gloves. A ceramic face mask and visor made up the headpiece.

“Because I did.” Laurel shrugged. “I started putting these together about a week after you helped the Kin. I figured that it was only a matter of time before we’d have to escalate things with the Academy if we want to help all the other kids they’ve captured.”

“You thought we’d start taking the fight to them as prelates?” Ian asked.

Laurel nodded. “I’ve considered all the options and it really is our best hope of stopping what’s happening. Prelates have a lot of public backing right now and seeing a few of them fighting against the Academy may be enough leverage to put some political pressure on them.” She chewed her lip. “But that was then and this is now. And right now, dealing with this Morganna situation is top priority.”

Alexis frowned at her. “That’s a last – and I mean last resort, Laurel. I’m not kidding. As much as I want to save everyone, we can’t risk the kids we’ve already saved by going public and playing prelate.”

The psionic genius gave her friend a reassuring smile. “There’ll be plenty of time to discuss that after you get back from this. Now, get suited up – and don’t forget your cowl. Hair as long as yours runs the risk of getting caught in things unless you put it up.”

“Then why did you give me a long scarf?”

“Because it’s not just a scarf – it’s another Brant Industries abandoned project – the omni-rope. If you take it off and depress the button on the left fastener a high frequency electrical current hardens it into a bo staff. I trust that semester of bojutsu classes hasn’t been lost on you?” Alexis nodded, perplexed. “Anyway, the right fastener sends an ultra low frequency current that increases it’s elasticity by a factor of ten – the perfect rope.”

“Just out of curiosity,” Ian asked, “And I just know I’m going to regret this… but why were two stupidly useful inventions like those abandoned?”

“Money.” Laurel shrugged. “Apparently, the lives of law enforcement officials, firefighters and soldiers weren’t worth over a hundred thousand dollars per unit.”

“Jeez,” Ian remarked, “I kind of hoped that if I ever had an expensive suit, I’d be able to at least wear it someplace nice.”

“Well, right now, someplace nice is going to have to be Coltrane Avenue or the Garfield Zoo.” Laurel said.

“The zoo? When did that happen?” Alexis asked.

“A minute before you two got here. She must be up to something again.”

“So which one do we go to?” Ian asked.

“We split up.” Alexis said after a moment’s thought. “Ian, take Laurel’s SUV to the zoo, I’ll take my car and head into town. We can’t risk losing her trail again.”

Morganna pressed her hand against hot steel, a simple spell protecting her from being burned. With deft movements of her fingertips, she traced patterns down the length of the orange glowing steel shaft; they glowed white.

“Yes… striking from afar. That is… is how humans in this world fight – how this body fights. He will have to fight this way too.” Morganna mumbled as she quenched the spell wrought metal in the zoo’s ornamental fountain. Steam rose into the night.

When she raised it again, the eight foot length of the heavy lance dwarfed her easily. The only way she managed to hold it at all was due to some long term charms she had lain over her new body’s muscles.

Hefting the weapon, she took twenty paces from the fountain and turned back toward it. With impossible agility, she leveled the lance at it. “Strike!” She commanded, thrusting the lance. A sound like rushing steam gurgled from the lance and a blur of motion raced out from it and into the head of the fountain. Cement and lead piping cracked and exploded into a cloud of dust. Water burst upward in a torrent to rain down in an uneven circle.

“Perfect.” She said quietly as the impromptu rain plastered her hair to her face. “The lance is ready… my knight is ready… now he only needs a steed…”

Across town, a natural rain was beginning to fall. Alexis hit the switch to bring up the top on her convertible. Laurel had pointed out that such a large group needed two cars and had taken money from whatever funds she had hidden away and given it to Alexis to buy one. Her only stipulation was that Alexis wasn’t allowed to buy anything practical.

Despite Laurel basically forcing her into it, Alexis felt guilty for spending so much money on her brand new, midnight black convertible. Somewhere along the process, Laurel had changed some of the specifications; adding gold rims, a top of the line stereo system and an onboard computer that all but doubled as an auto-pilot. Once upon a time, that would have been her dream car. And even now, she had to admit that she felt a little giddy when she got up to speed with the top down.

At the moment though, she was barely creeping along the city streets, her eye on the computer display screen as Laurel sent more precise directions to the point of the astral breech. Her headlights played across the brick wall of an old theater as she turned onto Coltrane Avenue.

Suddenly, a figure lurched into view, waving its arms and shouting at her to stop. Alexis recognized Lisa from the girl’s countless visits to Freeland House. She put the car to a squealing halt and threw open her door. She didn’t have time to pull the cowl over her face first.

Lisa’s face lit up when she saw Alexis. “Ms. Keyes, thank God! I didn’t know how I was going to get home, and Aunt Tay needs help, quick!” She rushed over and hugged the older woman before Alexis could react.

Alexis took a step back and held Lisa back at arm’s distance. “Lisa? Is this really you… though if you weren’t I don’t expect the truth.”

Lisa nodded fiercely. “Yes, it’s me. I know what happened to Warrick and what she tried to do to Kay and everyone else – it was like I was doing it all myself– but please, you have to listen! She’s still out there and she’s got my Aunt Tay.”

“Slow down.” Alexis tried to remain calm, but something in her mind told her things were more dangerous than she realized. “Who is it that’s still out there?”

“Morganna.” She said, looking Alexis in the eye in an effort to show her she wasn’t crazy. “I know what you’re thinking, but I didn’t make her up – she’s real and she’s not like a regular person. She was like this thing that got into my head while I was dreaming.” She shook her head. “No, that’s not what I meant. I’m not crazy. I feel like I’m going to be, but I’m not. She was in my head, and I could see her memories. She’s from like a thousand years ago!”

Alexis put an arm around the panicking girl, trying to calm her down. “I believe you, okay?” she said without much commitment behind the words. “I’m here to stop her. Now where is she?”

Tears streamed down Lisa’s face. “Aunt Tay traded her head for mine. She let Morganna in so she’d leave me alone.” She leaned into Alexis and shivered. “She’s going to make her do horrible things now. She wants to make everyone believe in magic again, even if she has to kill a bunch of people. And she wants to...” she choked and held on to Alexis tighter. “She’s going to do experiments o-on psionics. People like Warrick and Kay.”

Alexis tried to school her face to hide her shock. Lisa’s concern was genuine and she didn’t seem to be mentally disturbed, which left only one option; someone really was out there using real magic with an axe to grind against psionics. “Lisa,” she said softly, “look at me, okay?” Through tear filled eyes, the girl did as instructed. Alexis tried to look far more serene than she actually was. “I’m going to stop Morganna, but I need to know where she is.”

“The zoo. S-she’s making something there, a weapon, I think. I didn’t understand most of the things involved.”

“Ian’s already there.” Alexis noted, “Get in the car; I need to take you home.”

Lisa’s eyes bulged with sudden concern. “No.” She said, “He’ll need you. We need to get there now– or he’ll die.”

Morganna stood on the rim of the ruined fountain, her head bowed, and a psychotic grin on her face. Rain and the spray from the fountain made her hair hang down in a heavy curtain over her face. The backpack, now almost empty sat open at her feet. “I… knew one of you would come looking for me.” She said loudly.

Ian stopped in his tracks. He had been trying to sneak around the aviary to get the drop on the lone figure. “You’re not Lisa.” He said, judging simply from the voice because the falling water made it impossible to see her clearly at that distance.

“I wasn’t even when I was.” She replied. “And… and now you’re here to try and… and stop me. You… things… you psionics. You just want to repress real power. Magic.”

“I’m just here to stop an innocent girl from ruining her life.” Ian said coolly, stepping out into the open. His feet splashed in the quickly forming puddles on the brick walkway. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but just let her come out and you can go back to boiling some ex-boyfriend’s bunny rabbit or something, okay?”

Morganna sneered behind her hair. “You don’t believe, do you? Even now that I’ve changed bodies? Even after… after all you’ve known me to do?”

“This whole magic thing that’s got some of my friends on edge? I’d really like to – and hell, I went to school with kids who did a hell of a lot more than pulling rabbits out of their ears – but it’s a lot to swallow that a sixteen year old girl suddenly takes an interest in the Matter of Britain and parlays it into phenomenal cosmic power.” Ian stopped some sixty feet from where she stood. The lamps lining the walkway reflected off his visor.

“The legend is true.” Morganna snarled. “Arthur the bear-man was real.” She straightened up, her dark eyes glittered with an almost alien light. “I cannot understand why you people are so… so stubborn. You live in a world where unicorns are real.” She mentally snapped the last measure of a spell in place, setting bestial fury loose and directing it toward Ian.

“What the hell? Unicorn—? “Ian was interrupted by a fearsome bellow from beyond a rock wall to his right. Before he could think about what had made the noise, the wall tumbled down, sending rocks clattering over the walkway. Rough grey skin rippled over massive muscles and three toed feet hammered the ground as something huge surged toward him.

Acting quickly Ian pushed his powers to the maximum. The wind howled as it catapulted him up and back away from whatever was charging him and leaving him to cling to the mesh wire dome of the aviary.

From that vantage point, he saw his assailant clearly. The monster looked like a rhinoceros; thick, hairless skin, prominent horn, and bulky body. But it was… wrong somehow. The horn was at least three feet long and so smooth that it looked lacquered; the secondary horn characteristic of white rhinos was missing entirely. Its skin was noticeably thicker, almost rigid except on the legs and joints, making it look more like it was wearing leather armor rather than simply thick skin. Its legs were noticeably longer, which accounted for its uncanny speed. Most disturbing were its eyes; they were much larger and shone with a feral, malevolent intelligence.

“That’s your unicorn?!” Ian shouted. “Excuse me if I don’t expect any fourteen year old girls fawning over this guy and wanting to brush his hair.”

“It seems you people discovered, then killed off—slaughtered all of their kind with only one horn.” Morganna retorted coldly. “So I had to make… fix this one. So it was proper. One horn.” She added, more to herself than to Ian. “And now I’ve made it want to kill you.”

“Great.” Ian said, trying to shinny further up the aviary dome. “You transmogrified a rhino into a unicorn from hell. You know, I’m starting to believe you might be for real about this magic stuff – how about you call him off and you can teach me how to cast Magic Missile?” He watched as the monster paced below the dome, waiting for him. Every once in a while, it glared up at him with its unearthly eyes.

“It is far too late… too late for you.” Morganna said in a sing song voice. “Psionics are... strange. I need to test them. Learn more. But.. but… but it doesn’t matter if you’re alive or dead for me to test you.” She added the last part with a sort of happy indifference.

“In case you haven’t noticed, Lady M,” Ian said, summoning all his courage in the hopes of forcing the madwoman into making a mistake that would allow him to escape, “Rover down there can’t climb up to get me.”

Morganna laughed an eerie cackle that made Ian wonder if he wasn’t better off dealing with the mutant rhinoceros. “My unicorn… it’s only a gift. Something he needs. A unicorn is just a mount. A white charger for my chosen. My knight.”

Ian realized that she wasn’t looking up at him. She was looking above him – he followed her gaze.

Morganna’s knight was the end result of an orangutan having been twisted by mystic forces. It stood around six feet tall on legs too long to belong to any natural creature of its species. Its face looked like it had been pushed in and pinched, giving it a more human appearance. A thick, leather loin cloth has been wrapped around its waist, but its chest was bare, showing scrawls of Celtic script etching into its chest in a rough circle above the sternum. Upon its brow rested three azure gemstones which glowed dimly in the night.

It wielded an eight foot lance in one hand as if it had been born with it there and wore a fetish of leather scraps and dried berries encircling a blood colored carnelian around it’s neck. Most impressively, it stood on the curved aviary dome with as much ease as any man could stand on terra firma.

“Your knight?!” Ian exclaimed, suddenly caught between a rock and a murderous rhinoceros. He shifted his grip and rolled over on the dome so he was now on his belly. “What the hell?”

“Instilled with the intellect of a man, and the honor of a soldier with the Rites of the Open Eye.” Morganna said her voice more clear than it had ever been. When it came to magic, she never needed to fumble for words. “He is my loyal knight, bound by blood to destroy my enemies.”

The hulking figure hefted its weapon and spoke in a rough, ancient voice. “My Lady has named me Lucian after the emperor of Rome. She has given me the title of Ape Knight. By her order, psionic creature, I will slay you.”

-- • --

“I know what she plans to do. Its like I remember planning it myself.” Lisa said, watching downtown Mayfield speed past the passenger window. All the lights between Alexis’s car and the Garfield Zoo were green thanks to Laurel commandeering the local transit grid. “But it sounds crazy…”

“Lisa, a lot of things sound crazy right now.” Alexis said gently. “If I’m following what you’ve told me so far; you just discovered some of your friends have psionic powers they’ve had to keep secret, you were possessed by an insane person who thinks she’s a cast member from the Arthurian Legend, and you just witnessed your aunt lain low by platypus poison. I’m willing to put all my bets on crazy right now.”

Lisa glanced at Alexis in the darkened car. She certainly looked genuine in her belief. “I said before that she want to force everyone to accept magic again.” She began, “But as to how…” she sighed, “She thinks all psionics are part of some huge conspiracy against magic and she wants to take the fight to them first – as well as learn how to take their powers for herself.”

“Can she steal their powers?” Alexis’s eyes were intent on the road.

“No.” Lisa shook her head. “She can take magic powers – she remembers doing it at least, but psionics give her trouble. She can’t take their powers and her mind affecting spells don’t work on them.”

“That’s a comfort.” The older woman said.

“Not much of one. She’s got a lot more tricks than mind control. That’s why we need to help Mr. Smythe. She’ll have finished making her new knight by now and from what she’s been thinking… it’s going to be really powerful.”

“What do you mean ‘making her new knight’?” Alexis said, chancing a glance at Lisa. “This Morganna’s not the only thing we have to worry about? What’s this knight supposed to do?”

Lisa shook her head. “She knows this spell… the rites of some eye? I don’t remember that very clearly, but it’s like serious forbidden magic that can turn people into some kind of super-buff, super-smart version of themselves. She’s planning to use it on a monkey or something at the zoo, and then give him a magic weapon and set him loose.”

Alexis found it very hard to concentrate on the road now. “Wait, what?”

“I’m serious.” Lisa said sternly. “This thing she’s making… it’s going to be as smart and self aware as a human, but about thirty times as strong, able to heal wounds in a fraction of the time and with the other spells she plans to put on it, totally obedient to her.”

“That sounds like a tall order to pull out in the two hours it took between when this started and now.” Alexis said.

“It wouldn’t be that hard now.” Lisa said in a small voice. “with no other spellcasters to stop her, she can afford to cut corners.”

After that, they rode in silence before the zoo gates finally came into view. “Lisa, I want you to stay here, out of danger okay?” Alexis finally said, parking directly next to the wall.”

“But I’m the only one she doesn’t want to kill!” Lisa said. “Maybe I can help. I mean I do remember a few things.”

“Absolutely not.” Alexis cut her off. “I’ve already had my fill of hospitals for the month and Ian may already be hurt.” She pulled up her cowl and got out of the car, looking up at the wall. With a slight thought, she encased herself in black heat and cut her bond with the ground.

Lisa was left watching her disappear into the night, mouth gaping with amazement.

Ian’s eyes met those of Lucian as he gripped the mesh aviary dome with all his might. Lucian stared right back at him. His eyes were intelligent, but bore no malice as he lowered his lance. “Be still, and you will feel no pain.” The ape-man’s deep voice rumbled.

Gritting his teeth, Ian threw himself backward even as a pulse of invisible force shredded the wire he’d been holding on to. Concentrating, he compressed air into a cylinder below him. With no small effort, he backstroked in the liquid air until he found himself on the roof of the reptile house.

“Well met.” Lucian regarded Ian with what could only be respect. “But you cannot win. Strike!” He thrust the lance and another bolt of power raced toward Ian. It hit the roof at his feet, sending up a cloud of tar and gravel. Using the momentary distraction, Lucian ran down the side of the aviary and leapt the distance to the reptile house.

Ian saw him coming and directed his power into water that had accumulated on the roof, condensing it into a thin, slick sheet in Lucian’s landing path, causing him to sprawl and roll along the roof instead of landing softly.

Using his lance to help himself up, Lucian glared at Ian. “My Lady was correct. Psionics fight without honor.”

“I’m not the one with the shotgun lance.” Ian retorted, pulsing the wind to smash open the roof access to the reptile house.

“My weapon was given to me by my Lady.” Lucian growled. “As was my steed, Embarr, who will crush your bones if you try to flee your fate by ground.”

“I’ve got a question,” Ian said, edging toward the roof access. “Have you been paying attention? Morganna’s a lot of things, but a Lady she’s not.”

Rage played on Lucian’s features. “You will hold your tongue, psionic. You have no grounds to question one of nobility such as my Lady.” He pointed the lance. “Strike!” Ian was ready this time and solidified the falling rain into a shield that ate the incoming force before it reached him.

“No, seriously. Lucian, right?” Ian asked, breathing a bit heavier from the workout his powers were getting. Morganna’s knight nodded at the sound of his name, but remained on guard. “Lucian, do you even know what ‘noble’ and ‘Lady’ mean aside from Morganna telling you that’s what she was?”

Lucian faltered, furrowing his brow. “I… do not.” His grip on the lance grew unsteady as he mulled over the question. Then the fetish around his neck grew warm and his zeal redoubled. “But it matters not. She is my liege and I will serve her by destroying psionics such as you.”

“Shit!” Ian dove for the cover of the stairs. The strike tore the top step apart as Ian rode a slide of congealed air down to the next landing. He rolled to his feet at the bottom and pushed on the door. Locked. He looked up to see Lucian’s shadow darkening the only other way out.

“Some of the psionics she wants to kill are kids, Lucian.” Ian said, trying to find the soft spot for logic the ape knight had shown previously. “Kids who only want to do good with the powers they’ve been born with. You want to kill them too?”

The fetish almost burned Lucian’s skin as his sensibilities warred with each other. “What I want is of no consequence.” He finally said. “My Lady decrees that you must all die. Strike!” The power roared down the confined space and there was nowhere for Ian to go. He caught the bulk of the burst in his stomach and was hurled through the door and out onto the tiled floor of the main exhibit room of the reptile house.

Gasping for breath, Ian was shocked to learn that he was still alive. His stomach and chest hurt and would certainly bruise, but Laurel’s miracle cloth has managed to save him from being decapitated by the explosive force of Lucian’s weapon.

Sitting up, Ian shivered. At any other time, the sight of so many snakes in one place would have been enough to send chills down his spine. But the addition of Lucian standing at the end of the row in the ruins of the doorframe Ian had been blown through was enough to turn his blood to ice.

Lucian also shivered. For him it was a purely hereditary aversion to serpents. “I see you do not like this battleground anymore than I do.” He said, displaying the purely human tendency to engage in inane chatter when frightened. “Let us finish this quickly then.”

A bit unsteady, Ian stood. “Ophidiophobia.” He said breathlessly. “That’s what they call fear of snakes in psych class.” His voice quavered as he committed himself to his next strategy.

“I am not afraid.” Lucian’s teeth ground with irritation and his grip redoubled on the haft of his lance.

“There’s no shame in it.” Ian continued, eyeing the weapon nervously. He wouldn’t get a second chance at this. “Hell, I’m afraid of them myself. They’re all slithery and… jeez, those tongues? They creep me out completely.”

“It is normal to have such fears?” Lucian cocked his head to the side inquisitively.

“Yeah.” Ian nodded. “The only real cure for it is to face your fears head on.”

“How would one accomplish that?” the ape knight cast a wary glance at a tank containing a boa constrictor.

“Well, let’s see if being covered in them helps.” Ian surged his power, blowing out the glass in all the tanks around Lucian in one violent gust of wind and sound. Dozens of snake specimens were violently forced out into the aisle and consequently onto Lucian.

Roaring in a mixture of surprise, confusion and primal fear, Lucian swung the lance wildly and stumbled away from the hail of reptiles. Ian took the opportunity to make a break for the exit.

Hurrying down the stairs, Ian took a second to let the rain wash away the disconcerting, slimy feeling he always felt when he was exposed to snakes of any sort. The cool flow did little to calm his nerves after the last week, which had culminated in this; the most bizarre ten minutes of his life. Talking primates wielding medieval hardware, psychotic sorceresses, and monster rhinos from hell— Crap. He thought and looked down the pathway leading back to the fountain. Embarr, the aforementioned rhinoceros stood at the top of the path with Morganna standing beside it.

Before Ian could react, Morganna flicked her wrist toward him. The force felt like a shotgun blast, even through the ballistic cloth, some of which cracked and pealed away under the onslaught. It was strong enough to spin him a total 180 before he hit the ground, his arm throbbing.

In his shocked state, he saw the supposedly bulletproof and knife-proof cloth separate at the seams along a neat line about six inches down his arm. The skin beneath it was red and welted. Wincing in pain, he came up to a knee. He had no intention of just lying down and being trampled.

“That… was… was supposed to cut your arm off. Is that one of… your powers?” Morganna mused. “We’ll see.” She pointed at him and Embarr charged.

“Ian!” came a shout that cut in over the monster’s roars and the pouring rain. Alexis dropped out of the sky, her black heat causing the rain to billow out from her in a cloak of steam. She skimmed the ground and tackled him just under the arms, driving the air from his lungs, but also lifting him into the air.

When they were flying away at a safe height, cloaked from Morganna by rain and steam, She shifted her hold on him. “Sorry for the rough rescue, but it looked like there wasn’t a lot of time.” She landed them on the roof of another building, between two rows of air conditioners.

“I’m not complaining.” Ian groaned, leaning on one of the machines. “Though I am starting to think there may be something to Cyn and Laurel’s magic theory.”

Alexis nodded. “Me too. Believe it or not, I came here expecting a mystic monkey – but not a mutant rhino.”

Ian gave her an incredulous look. “Oh, the Ape Knight’s around here somewhere. He’s gotten about this close to killing me a couple times. I shit you not, that thing that was about to squash me is his horse.”

“I really wish I could be as shocked as I probably should.” The raven haired woman said, “But I can top that. The woman that’s leading them? She’s Lisa’s aunt Tatiana – or more accurately, its a thousand year old spell slinger possessing her body. She’s hell bent on killing off psionics so magic can be supreme.”

“Okay, I was having enough trouble with the lance wielding, honor bound orangutan.” Ian pulled his visor up and rubbed his eyes. “Where did you hear all this?”

“Lisa.” Alexis replied. “Her aunt struck a deal with this Morganna person to let Lisa go free.”

“Lisa? Where is she? She remembers everything? Even—“

“She’s in the car.” Alexis interrupted, “she insisted we come here to help you. And yes, she remembers all of it but right now, we have to deal with Morganna or that won’t even matter.”

“She was right to worry.” Ian nodded, “Lucian – the Ape Knight, he’s not just strong and fast, he’s got this pike that fires some kind of force bolt.” He replaced his visor and clenched his fists, “What’s more, I think he may be an innocent in all this.”

“Didn’t you just say he almost killed you?”

“Yeah, but… I don’t think he wants to – or even understands what’s going on here. Whatever Morganna did that turned him all smart and super-powered, she’s also got a strangle hold on his free will. More than once, I’ve seen him almost resist whatever she’s got on him.

“Do you think there’s a chance to undo it though?” Alexis asked, “Because if there isn’t he’s eventually going to kill us both.”

“The only thing I can think of it knocking Morganna out. Which, if what Lisa told you is correct, involves roughing her aunt up.” Ian sighed. “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. By comparison, taking on Enforcers sounds refreshing right about now.”

Lisa shivered as she moved cautiously between the reptile house and a rest area equipped with picnic tables. Something like a taunt string in her mind drew her ever forward through the pouring rain. She knew Morganna was out there somewhere. She could almost taste the sorceress’s malevolent magic.

A dark shape loomed up before her and the transmutated rhino, Embarr ambled past, it’s attention so bent on whatever orders Morganna had given it that it didn’t even notice her. Still, Lisa shook with fear watching the thing rumble past. The danger of it spotting her and impaling her on its horn wasn’t the thing that bothered her most. She was terrified to realize that the creature matched the mental image of Morganna’s expectations for the thing almost exactly.

The creaking of hinges drew her attention and Lisa looked across the brick walk to see Morganna and her Ape Knight entering the arctic animal exhibition hall. Taking a deep breath, she summoned all of her frayed courage and stole quietly after them.

-- • --

Several heavy blows landed solidly against the door leading onto the roof of the Garfield zoo’s artic animal hall to no avail. After a few, short moments of this treatment, there was a pause, after which the door separated into four, even pieces and collapsed into the stairwell.

Morganna stepped into the breech, her finger still extended and her acquired psionic power at the ready. Lucian stood behind her, his lance at the ready. Syrupy thick water squelched and flowed over the pieces of the door at their feet.

“Such strange powers.” Morganna noted, surveying the rooftop. It was empty except for the double rows of powerful air conditioners that occupied it. “I have… never… never seen magic do such a thing to water.”

Lucian scanned the roof as well. “Have they left this place, milady?”

Morganna shook her head. “No… no, they’re still here somewhere. I feel them… their power…” She took a tentative step out into the rain. The thickened water collapsed into normal density under her feet. “Can you smell them?”

“The rain washes most scents away, milady.” Lucian admitted, lowering his head in shame. Through his bushy brows, he redoubled his efforts to see through the curtain of water before him. At the same time, he breathed deeply, hoping to get some sensory information from the poor environment.

The pair ventured cautiously out onto the roof, watching their surroundings carefully.

“They have to be here.” Morganna muttered petulantly. “I… I want them. They’re mine.” Her head snapped around as the crunch of gravel caught her attention. Lucian whirled around as well. The sound had come from behind them.

The air rippled like the shimmer of heat on a summer day. Then it waxed into blackness that then retreated to reveal Ian and Alexis standing side by side. Alexis’s eyes were the last thing to come back into view, as if the retreating blackness was flowing into them. For a second, they were voids in her head that disturbed even Morganna’s already fractured mind.

“No, Morganna.” Ian said. With some obvious exertion, he was holding a glass sphere the size of his fist with both hands. “We’re not yours and neither are Lucian and Tatiana Farnsworth. That’s why we’re setting them free.”

“Even if it means having to knock them out first.” Alexis added, a new wave of black heat rising to encircle her arms.

Before their enemies could respond, Ian threw the sphere underhanded between them. Only then did Morganna note the similarities between the congealed water that sealed the door shut and the ‘glass’ globe. In the space of an instant, ten gallons of rainwater underwent a density shift that took it from the size of a fist to a gaseous cloud six feet in diameter. The corresponding force slammed into Morganna and Lucian.

Roaring in surprise, the Ape Knight planted his lance in the rooftop, spearing it through gravel and tar into cement. He held on as tightly as his enhanced strength allowed and weathered the explosion like the warrior Morganna had made him into.

Morganna on the other hand only had time to utter a spell of vulgar magic as she was pounded into one of the air conditioners, leaving a deep dent. The machine made a terrible squeal of metal being tortured and fell silent, a plume of acrid smoke testament to its demise.

Despite what should have been a knockout blow, Morganna was the first to retaliate. Emitting a long, wordless scream, she rose to her feet, murder in her eyes. With deft strokes of her hand, she sent lash after lash of Lady Nightshade’s psionic power at the pair that dared to deny her what she desired.

Ian dove behind an air conditioner while Alexis took to the air, steam and black billowing after her.

Blinded by rage, Morganna continued to send invisible cuts into the air. Mortar began to erupt from the stairwell access and sparks flew from the air conditioners and other rooftop paraphernalia.

The barrage of attacks went on for several seconds before the toll of summoning them up began to fatigue her. She had never imagined that psionic powers were taxing to the individual. She took her frustration out on Lucian. “Useless thing!” She bellowed. “Kill them… break their bones!”

Hesitating for a fraction of a second, Lucian bought the lance up. “Strike!” He rumbled. His aim went wide as Alexis evaded. When she had righted herself, she paused in air and bought her arms in tight around her chest.

Motes of black heat began spinning off from her, shooting off in random arcs that began to drive down on the rooftop as heavy as any rain. They were too small and too weak to do any lasting damage, but they were painful and they fell in an inky sleet down upon Morganna and Lucian.

His aim now thrown off by the myriad, tiny stings of Alexis’s attack, Lucian took a knee to steady his shot. “Strike!” He hissed, feeling one of the burning motes of black heat land on his tongue.

Alexis was nimble enough to dodge, but she wasn’t ready for Morganna’s renewed frenzy. Her ballistic cloth shredded across her stomach, absorbing the brunt of the damage, but what was left over was a painful gash akin to a ten inch long paper cut. The sudden pain broke her concentration, causing her black heat to fail and she fell.

The wind kicked up, whipped to hurricane forces that made the rain sting the eyes as Ian called a column of air into being below Alexis. It broke her fall just barely. She still landed hard enough on the previously destroyed air conditioner to leave a sizable dent.

“You hear what she called you?” he shouted at Lucian over the wind. “A useless thing. You really think she gives half a damn about whether you live or die as long as you serve her purpose? You’re nothing but a tool to her, Lucian!”

The Ape Knight narrowed his eyes. Being used was demeaning; he knew that much from the vast amount of unsorted information Morganna had instilled in him from Tatiana Farnsworth’s mind. Being used was something that shouldn’t happen to anyone. At least to any human. His own memories from before his transformation made him realize that humans were perfectly fine using animals for entertainment. Of course, Lucian was no longer an animal. He didn’t know what he was anymore, but an animal he was not.

The fetish around his neck grew heavy and hot. He set his jaw. “It does not matter what she wishes of me. I am a knight and I must carry out my duty.” He said, stalking toward Ian.

Meanwhile, Morganna had leapt atop the air conditioner where Alexis had landed. She crouched over the fallen woman, her expression that of a child on Christmas Day. “Yes… now, you are mine.” She muttered. She reached down and touched one of the beads of blood that had welled up on the thin cut she had inflicted. “You are… very strong… very resilient.” She rubbed the blood between her fingertips. “Impressive.”

Alexis looked up at her through heavy lidded eyes. Very slowly, she lifted an arm.

“Please don’t… don’t fight.” Morganna chided. “You are so much more valuable to me alive.”

“Not fighting.” Alexis breathed, placing her hand on her left shoulder.

“Good… good…” Morganna mumbled, still fascinated with the blood. She cocked her head to the side when she heard a quiet beep.

Exactly as Laurel had described, the scarf straightened into a bo staff. Specifically, it straightened into one in the space between the air conditioner and Morganna’s jaw. The blow made her teeth clack together and her mind spin. Before her sense (or what passed as her sense) returned to her, Alexis planted a foot in her abdomen. Ignoring the pain from her wound, Alexis extended her leg and pressed her shoulders against the air conditioner.

Morganna yelped as she overbalanced and tumbled backward, hitting her head hard on the neighboring air conditioner on her way down. She lay still thereafter.

A thin cloud of mortar dust still hung in the stairwell as Lisa made her way to the roof. The top landing looked like a war zone with pieces of broken door and chunks of cement strewn everywhere. Still, Lisa pressed forward onto the roof.

The wind lashed at her, causing her clothes to billow out around her and reminding her that she was certainly not dressed to be on a roof in the rain. Then again, she was sure she also wasn’t dressed or prepared to fight sorceresses and transmutated orangutans.

Light from the walkway below reflected off the length of Lucian’s lance and she froze. It was pointed at her.

“Are you another psionic come to assault my lady?” the towering creature demanded with he deep, rumbling voice.

Shivering, Lisa put up her hands defensively. Whatever words she might have said in the situation caught in her throat. Silently, part of her screamed for an explanation as to why she hadn’t stayed in the car.

“Leave her alone, Lucian. She’s just a kid.” Ian stepped out from behind the air conditioner he’d been using as cover. “Leave her alone.”

“Explain why she is here then.” Lucian said, his weapon still trained on her. “You have fought without honor before.” Something in the back of his mind questioned if he was really willing to strike at the girl. The psionic was right after all, she was just a child.

“To be perfectly honest with you, I have no idea.” Ian said, slowly inching toward her. “But I’m sure it’s just a mistake. She’s probably here to sneak a late night peek at the penguins or something. He reached her side. “Isn’t that right, Lisa?”

Lisa looked up at Ian, only recognizing him by his voice with the visor down. In the last few days, everyone she knew seemed to be turning out to be a psionic. Not only were they psionics, but Warrick, Cyn, Alexis and Ian had all acquitted themselves to be selfless and heroic with their powers – like the prelates she’d heard about on the news. Tentatively, she nodded.

“See?” Ian said. “Now go see those silly, silly penguins, Lisa. See them far away from the range of the big monkey with a magic lance-thing.”

This time Lisa shook her head.

“Uh, Lisa? What are you doing?”

The fetish grew warm around Lucian’s neck again and he extended the lance more firmly.

“You need my help.” Lisa said quietly. But she wasn’t looking at Ian, she was looking at Lucian. Suddenly, she knew why she had been drawn to follow Morganna. Her Aunt Tay would have wanted her to use her knowledge to do good. “I know what she did to you.”

“M-my Lady has done nothing to me except give me purpose.” Lucian wavered slightly. The fetish burned with painful insistence now. The command word that could easily end the young woman’s life was on the tip of his tongue.

“Lucian!” Alexis shouted. “Morganna’s down. I knocked her out.”

A knight’s instinct overrode the alien desire to kill the girl. The Ape Knight whirled in defense of his master, lance at the ready. Ian began calling wind, hoping to strike Lucian from behind, but before he could build up enough force, Lisa broke from his side and ran toward Lucian with sudden determination.

She covered the distance faster than she ever remembered moving and leapt at the knight’s back. Her mind flashed with memories of Morganna’s plans to enslave the Ape Knight, bypassing key flaws in the Rites of the Open Eye; namely the confusion and morality of a freshly sapient mind. The fetish was the focus for her control; allowing her to influence Lucian with little or no concentration.

“Stri—“the word was cut off by a strangled yelp as the leather cord that held the fetish to Lucian’s neck went taunt. Dropping the lance, the Ape Knight grabbed the cord in one huge hand and reached behind him with the other. Struggling to breathe, he went to his knees and shook himself like a wet dog, throwing Lisa from his back.

Before she even came to rest, he was up again, howling with rage. His ham sized fists were raised high, ready to pulp her.

Shrinking before the bestial fury of Lucian, Lisa tried to roll away.

There was no need. Lucian stopped in his rage, eyes focusing on the fetish. He’d torn it off in his effort of desperation to escape strangulation. In his hand, it no longer glowed with faint, eldritch power, nor did it burn or even feel warm. It was inert. Dead.

Then the weight of what he had almost done came crashing down on him like a wave. He had almost murdered innocents on the orders of a madwoman who would have used him to murder countless more. Dropping the fetish, he let out a groaning roar and collapsed on his hands and knees, pounding the gravel under his fists into dust.

Alexis approached him cautiously, knocking the lance away from him with her bo staff.

“Your fears…” Lucian finally said with a shuttering sigh that sounded like the growl of a big cat, “Are unnecessary. I see the wrongs I have done now. And there is nothing I can do to undo them.”

Ian stepped closer to him. “We figured out that you were mind controlled. We just didn’t know how to stop it.” He crouched down next to the still slumped Ape Knight. “The way I see it, the sin in this is all Morganna’s.”

Lucian shook his head. “I have to take responsibility.” He looked over to Lisa. “I owe you a debt I do not think I can ever repay.” He rumbled as he stood, moving with ponderous steps toward the stairs.

“Whoa, hold on, Lucian.” Ian said, “You can’t just go running around the city as you are. No offense, but people will freak the hell out.”

“I know.” Lucian said, “But I no longer belong here either. I will find a place for myself and Embarr so I can think things through. I hope to eventually pay for my sins… and bring Morganna to justice.”

“But we already brought her to justice.” Alexis said, gesturing. Then she blinked. “Oh my god...”

Lucian nodded. “She was not unconscious from your attack. If she had been, I would have known. The amulet that controlled me also made me aware of her injuries.”

“You mean to tell me that we’re back to square one and every psionic in the city is still in mortal peril?” Ian looked up to the rain for answers.

Lucian moved for the stairs again. “Do not despair, psionic. She is badly injured and healing magic takes time. You have carried this day.”

Ian sighed and took off his visor, pressing his temples with one hand. “If you say so.” Lucian nodded to him and started down the stairs. “Hey, Lucian…” Ian said back. The Ape Knight turned and caught his lance as Ian tossed it to him. “You’re probably going to need that thing. No way Morganna’s going to give up on you any more than she’ll give up on us.”

Lucian gave the best equivalent of a smile his ape face could manage. “Thank you, psionic. I was mistaken in insulting your honor.”

“The name’s Ian.” Ian returned. “And the same goes for you.”

-- • --

The previous night’s heavy rain slowed to a light drizzle with the dawn. It was soon after that that the Garfield Zoo was overrun with police investigators and reporters. Channel 16 even had a helicopter circling the scene.

A week of animal disappearances had culminated in scattered destruction and further loss of stock. The structural damage to the roofs of the reptile house and the arctic animal hall, as well as several retaining walls and an ornamental fountain was already estimated to be in the high range of six digits. Worst of all were the biggest losses of animals yet; Joey a twelve year old orangutan; the zoo’s only white rhino, Clara; and over a dozen snakes including a rare species of python.

Security reported terrible sounds in the night and what sounded like explosions. The police had no leads, but the zoo was offering a thirty thousand dollar reward for information leading to an arrest and recovery of the animals.

Warrick quickly changed the channel when he heard someone coming up the stairs.

“Nah, change it back.” Ian said as he crested the stairs. “It’s not like I don’t know what happened.”

Nodding, Warrick turned back to the news, but the broadcast was now discussing traffic. “How long do you think until she’s back?” He asked, not taking his eyes off the television.

“No telling.” Ian said, sitting down on the other end of the couch. “Alexis seriously kicked her ass and Lucian said it would take time for her to bounce back from it.”

“But she will be back.” Warrick confirmed. “And she’s probably going to hunt down some psionics with a little less fight in them next time.” He tossed the remote onto the coffee table.

Ian shook his head. “Look, I know how you feel. I was the one that was out there with a chance to stop her last night and screwed up. But we can’t sit around worrying about the one who got away.” He put his feet up on the table. “For example, school is starting in what, three weeks? Alexis has it in her head to have all of you but Kareem enroll.”

Warrick made a faint, non-committal sound.

“Frankly, I agree with her on this one.” The older man continued. “If you don’t, we’re going to have to do some mental gymnastics to get around the truancy board and that’ll probably be more hindering than homework ever was.”

“How are we supposed to go to school and act normal when Morganna’s still out there, waiting to put us in a jar?” Warrick blinked.

“Same way you’ve managed to make friends, have fun and save the day on occasion with the Academy out to put you in a jar.” Ian said with a matter of fact air. “You just realize that no matter what else is going on, you have to live your life – no matter what evil sons of bitches are breathing down you neck.” He put a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “You want to be a hero?”

Warrick nodded.

“Then that’s the first lesson. Now teach that to your fellow heroes-in-training and we’ll have no problem dealing with these things when they come up.”

“When I was younger, I always thought it would be really neat if magic and fantasy existed.” Alexis commented. She inhaled the scent of her coffee deeply, hoping the caffeine would clear her mind a bit more. “But now it exists and it’s very scary.”

Laurel shrugged. She was back at her computer following a well deserved night’s sleep. “I actually think it’s pretty exciting.” She looked up in time to catch Alexis’s eye roll. “Don’t get me wrong, Morganna is scary. But magic itself could be the discovery of the century. It could revolutionize the world in the right hands.”

Alexis shook her head. “Right now, it’s definitely not in the right hands.”

“I know.” Laurel frowned. “The worst part is that we still know nothing about her; where she is, where she came from…”

“We know what time she came from.” Alexis offered.

“Point.” Laurel started scrolling through a few website entries she had placed in her ‘maybe’ pile. “It’s a start. Not much of one, but it’ll have to do. I’m not giving up on this one, Alex. Forewarned is forearmed and unless one of us miraculously develops a sorcerous knack, we’re going to need something more concrete to use against her.”

Lisa sat on the edge of her bed. She hadn’t slept at all that night. There was too much on her mind.

Her family had been relieved to have her back, though concerned about what she had told them about her aunt. Still, she could tell they were still nervous around her; frightened that the ordeal wasn’t over. It wasn’t like Lisa could blame them. It still felt like she had been the one that had cast the spell that left Zack in the hospital.

Of course, her family would come around. They were close and even something like possession wasn’t strong enough to come between them for long. Lisa was more worried about her friends. Not only had she attacked them; hurt them, but she now knew things she knew she was never meant to.

After the chaos at the zoo, she had pretended to faint and forget everything that had happened. She didn’t know why the Freeland House residents were hiding their psionic natures, but she decided not to be one more person they had to worry about telling the world.

Then there was Kay. Apparently even Warrick and Cyn had been unaware that she was psionic – until Morganna had let the proverbial cat out of the bag using Lisa as a proxy. That one stung. Kay had been her best friend since third grade. The two were the founding members of the currently inactive band Snackrifice together. Lisa had thought they were best friends. And yet Kay hadn’t trusted her with her secret.

And worst of all, her aunt was still missing. Both Alexis and Ian had promised to do everything they could to make things right, but the truth was that those two had barely beaten Morganna and her knight. Now that Morganna knew what they were capable of, they’d have an even harder time stopping her the next time.

A week ago, her biggest problem was being upset with herself for pushing JC away. Now that seemed petty by comparison.

With a sigh, she flopped back on the bed and closed her eyes. Even with her eyes closed, she felt the room around her. It was something she recognized from her time trapped in Morganna’s thrall. With some concentration, she picked out her computer by feeling the soft hum of electricity in it. Concentrating more, she could follow the patterns of light coming from her lamp.

Then she felt three presences moving up the hall toward her. Startled, she opened her eyes and sat up. She had felt their heartbeats. Even knowing they were coming, Lisa jumped at the knock on her door.

“C-come in.” She tried to sound like her old self. The door swung open to reveal Cyn, Juniper and Kay.

“Your mom let us in.” Cyn said by way of explanation as she breezed into the room. “Get your stuff together, we’re going to the park, and then shopping, and then we’re going to catch a lame movie and mock the hell out of it.”

Lisa blinked.

Juniper gave her a pitying glance. “Cyn, maybe she’s not ready.”

“That’s the point.” Kay piped up, leaning on the doorframe. She grinned at Lisa. “Don’t mind what she says, if you’re not ready, me and Cyn plan on making you ready.” She pretended to crack her knuckles. “So do we do this the easy way, or the hard way?”

Lisa smiled in spite of herself. “I was worried that none of you would want anything to do with me after all that’s happened.”

Kay waved her hand dismissively. “Evil ghost in your brain. The girls filled me in and we all agree – all is forgiven, okay?”

“You’re taking this way better than I am.” Lisa sighed.

“I think they’ve just agreed that no matter how implausible what’s happened in the last week has been,” Juniper looked around the room at the others, “we know deep down that you wouldn’t do anything like that on your own. And from what I’ve heard, I agree.”

Feeling a small part of her burden lifted from her shoulders, Lisa mustered a genuine smile. “Thanks, guys. Let’s go.”

End Issue #6