Isabelle's POV

The first thing we both did once we got back home was to put into action what I've been taught for the past few months. I'd rephrase this statement a bit now.

The first thing 'I did' when we got back home was to bombard myself with dizzying ancient grimoires on different spells and enchantments. The hardest part was trying to come up with my very own spells and officially use it. While all these were happening, Minuet was laying lazily on the window sill of the room in his cat form, sulking from heaven knows - what!

Trying to shove him from his favourite spot of sulking didn't work—as well as scolding him. I simply gave up on his arrogant attitude and continued with the work. After some time, he'd have the guts to point out one or two mistakes I had made and laugh it over when he shifts back to his usual form as a human.

"You're saying the words upside down...that won't work at all. It'd only come out as weird pronunciations—" He waved his hand slowly as he rephrased some of the spells I had made. "—Try saying them in class and you'd be instantly recognized as the nerdy drunkard." He laughed with a sheepish grin.

So mean!

"I'd rather stay back than be awoken by an army of some hungry zombies." He added.

"Ugh! You're not making any of this less-complicated for me." I grumbled and swiped off the bead of sweats that were already forming on my forehead. He gets to have the cooling breeze from the outside the window while I do all the work here under the scorching heat!

"Yea yeah, life's not less complicated either." He air quoted.

In frustration, I threw my hands in the air and kicked some of the boxes around me. Magic is harder than I thought!

He thinks he would get away with this...!

"Minueeeeeet!". I yelled, stomping my feet to get his attention, but he would just laugh and look somewhere else, saying that the 'sight of my errors are so blinding that he has to look somewhere else'. He's so lucky he's cute!

"You place it over here and don't get these diagonal lines here to meet, or it'd end up producing another spell...and here you'd-".

"Gah! Why you little brat! I'm at my limits here!". I grumbled as my shoulders slumped from tiredness. "Can't you at least...show me how?!".

Minuet looked at me with an angelic innocent smile as a response. I almost fell for that look, thinking he'd come over to help. But before I knew it, he picked up another plushie from the side and leaned back with a toothy grin.

"Nah, I'll pass...". He arched, crossing his legs comfortably as he grabbed one of the books which laid near the foot of the bed.

"I thought you said you won't look at it!". I shook my head, barely trying to hide the amusement behind my voice. "I knew you'd come back for it". There's no way anyone can resist this book's graphics and illustrations - Overworld. I personally had a magazine of all the drawings of the characters from the book. Almost like a manga or comic novel.

"Every magic circle has time limits". He scoffed, flipping through some drawings with interest. "If you don't want to end up being shattered by a magical rune, you've got to focus".

"Grr..!". With my other free hand, I grabbed a pillow and threw it towards him swiftly. Luckily for him, he managed to dodge it and got away just in time, laughing at me terribly.

"What kind of familiar are you! Familiars helps their witches and not sit back!". I murmured in a plea. "This is too much for someone who has no experience...".

"What made you think I'm your familiar?". He asked, lowering the magazine to meet my angry stare. My anger slowly faded out, only to be replaced with a spark of curiosity. The room was now silent. Wasn't he a familiar?

"Well...I thought that since you...".

"Because I've green eyes, have black fur and fangs, and can meow?". He stretched and stood up, glaring at my direction.

"No I didn't mean it like-".

"Wait- meow? I've never heard you meow before". The thought of hearing him meow while in his human form was cringing but exciting and fascinating. I've always wondered what else he could do as a supernatural and which other animal he could shift to, but I'm too afraid to ask, probably from the answer I'd likely get.

Like he read my mind, he shook his head slowly. "Oh please, that'd be just too much efforts...Maybe some other time nerd". He yawned lazily and sat down back.

The jerk sat down back?!

"Minuet?!". I yelled again. I knew cats were lazy and needed attention towards themselves, and not the other way round, but I didn't know it was this much - sometimes, he makes me wish he was a dog instead!

"What? I've not signed any contract to assist you in conjuring spells". He snorted, shutting the book and placing it by his side. He then made his back arch a little as he clasped his hand in between his legs, with coldness swimming in his eyes. "Neither do I've any bonding with you, young lady".

"Bond?". I've come across that word severally in different books but I didn't get what they meant by that. I recall seeing something about blood oath bond, lifetime bond, awakening bond, spiritual bond and mate bond.

"Remember how a sorceress' magic work?". He stood up and walked besides me swiftly yet reluctantly. He always avoids that subject, which leaves me with many suspicions.

Oh no you don't-

"Yeah, it's controlled by her emotions I think. From the books I've read, the most powerful emotion within her uncorks her true power". I tapped my chin slowly as I tried to recall the bulky words I came across earlier. "Wait! Your trying to change the subject again!".

But like every other times, he easily changed subjects and made me curse and curse under my breath for the work on my head.

                                                ******

"Intersect the first circle's symbols with that of the eighth's and plot the second circle in between both of them. Don't you dare mistaken the seventh one for the eighth one or you'd end up paralyzing the person next to you...which happens to be me!".

Minuet held my arms from behind to guide me with the making of my magical runes. The singing and rhymings were very complex for me as it deals with interpretation of some tricky ancient runes. But for him, it was clearly a piece of cake. I was surprised at how good he was in the spells, especially at the creating of the runes of warding. Wardings are illuminating auras and beams of protection, channelled into the atmosphere by a witch's desperate call - these activates automatically when a witch's life is threatened and in danger. But it's very tricky as a beginner, if a witch's concentration happens to be broken, the shield could act as a threat to her and not as defense anymore. The last thing I want is to be chased around by a vexed shield.

He spent ten minutes explaining and demonstrating to me what to do and what ought not to do, but still didn't 'help' me. It's like he wanted me to be a victim of my problems.

Someone remind me to mentally facepalm later, when I take a break from this madness.

"Alright, I can't help you with your emotions now. Your part now is to focus on channeling your emotions of protection into this circle without being distracted easily". He stepped aside, withdrawing any papers or drawings that were around me. What was he? My exam teacher?

"Goodluck to meow". He added.

My eyes widened at his last word. Did he just meow?

"What did you say?". I asked as I couldn't believe my ears. The only way for me to believe this was for me to hear him say it one more time!

Minuet tilted his head at me with his ears twitching slightly as he raised his curled knuckles in front of his face, like every normal cat would do when trying to play innocent.

"I'm bribing you with a meow so you'd channel your emotions to protect meow". He taunted.

The fact that he was honest, cute and flirty...well, sort of, was all together kawaii and cute but distracting! He wants me to fall for his tricks, doesn't he!

Is he doing it on purpose!?

"Sorry you little criminal, your due dates for the bribe has expired". I chuckled and stuck my tongue at his pathetic attempts.

He put up a sulking face then smiled before bopping his nose against my arm.

"Does this count too?". He put on a face which was irresistibly cute.

I couldn't help but burst into laughter at his innocent attitude.

"That's not how we do it humans do it, it's like this...". I was about to show him but changed my mind immediately, he won't get my attention so easily.

Instead, I slid open one of my drawers and brought out two of my favorite fantasy books: Mythomania and Overworld. Okay, Mythomania isn't a fantasy story, but it deals with a sweet bitter romantic life that I could relate with. I sometimes imagine myself as Isla and Alexander as Jaemin. And onto Overworld, the adventures of Nate and Saffie Sparkles makes me itch for more adventures. I even compare Minuet with Acorn as mascots, but maybe Acorn's cuter. I wouldn't tell Minuet that though.

A chuckle left my lips when I saw the perplexed look in Minuet's eyes. If only he knew what was on my mind.

He stared at the books in my hand with confusion, and I could feel a smug creeping over my face. "Can you read?".

"What do you mean can I read?". His lips curved into an annoyed frown.

"Read through these two". Teasingly, I threw the books near his feet with a huge grin. I'm sure gonna tease him if he can't read them.

"Is that a challenge? ". He raised an eyebrow. 

"Pfft..maybe...yes! Read them up...you'd see a whole lot of cute and adventurous parts in them". I nodded and folded my arms to sound firm. He needed a break from work and focus on us, maybe even girls!

"You keep comparing me to that corn of a thing". He turned his face from the books, looking somewhere else. "I refuse to be a ridicule".

"It's Acorn!". I defended the little guy, even though it was just a mere fictional book.

"I didn't come here to be rubbed with your cringing reading habits". He furrowed his eyebrows at me. "Maybe that guy could read them, but not me".

"Ugh, your always doing this to me!". I pretended not to hear him to gloss over my embarrassment. "Yet you force me to read this boring stacks of conjuring!".

"I want to see you conquer this circle". He rolled his eyes nonchalantly. "The very one you're in?".

"R-right, those circles...". I can't believe I almost forgot about the whole circle thing.

"I'd rather not been awoken at a graveyard". He sneered. "But Challenge Accepted".

"Why thank you very much for the mental image". I sarcastically said with a frown.

I took a deep breath as he walked away from the circle and stared at the lines drawn all around. I just learnt few things from my Grandma's grimoires and it's time to put it into practise and bring this circle to life.

Then like a movie, I began to visualize the very person I wanted to protect from a horror that was likely about to happen. I began to visualize someone being surrounded by some hunters at some kind of dead end and try to reach out for the person. The very person I always wanted to protect at the very beginning.

Xander...

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Yes, Mythomania and Overworld are real books-Mythomania is in hard cover and soft covers, while Overworld is available only in soft covers! [Ebooks&Wattpad]. You can check the authors out here; Joseph_Evans on WATTPAD, YOUTUBE and INSTAGRAM-https://youtu.be/NqR1oQRtcoo, https://instagram.com/josephcevans?igshid=1thpo8d7f2q8h and https://my.w.tt/UJtsa0Zxhaband, @WhysteriaRose on INSTAGRAM AND YOUTUBE-https://youtu.be/8PpyC6tJkrA

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Your Writer,
TheMysticalQueen 👸.
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