We quickly leave the graveyard behind, Finn's warning shadowing my every footstep as I think over his words. 

Why would he change his mind like that? 

I can't think on it for long, as I have other things snagging my attention and keeping me preoccupied. 

The wolf creature lopes along beside Shawn in broad daylight, as he had urged me not to let the familiar disappear. I can understand why. I would be excited too if I could suddenly see my familiar after not previously having one.

But I can only hope that any mortals around here assume that the wolf is merely a strange looking dog as we walk through the gates of the graveyard and start down the sidewalk.

"Maned wolves aren't even related to wolves," Shawn rattles off facts from his phone, having looked up what his familiar was. "It's its own species, not a fox or coyote or anything like that."

"That's weird," I agree as I try to think of some place we could go to talk more about his newfound ability.

"What should I name it?"

I pause as I glance over my shoulder at him. In that moment, he and his familiar look alike, the same dark eyes and attentive expression as the wolf's ears flick forward to listen to what I have to say.

"It's your familiar, you name it," I mutter as I turn on my heel and keep walking.

"What familiar do you have? Does it have a name?" he asks as he rushes to keep pace with me.

I call on Bastet's energy then without a word. The panther hardly breaks her stride as she falls into step beside me. I keep her energy low, as she appears as only a shadow of herself.

"A panther? Kara that's amazing!" Shawn says excitedly and I can't help but nervously bite my lip.

"Shawn we're in the mortal part of Salem, you need to be careful," I warn him. 

I quickly dismiss Bastet then and she shimmers out of existence.

A maned wolf that can be mistaken for a dog is one thing, but a panther in the middle of Salem is another problem altogether.

"Sorry," he murmurs in a low voice as his cheeks brighten.

He reaches out a hand to his wolf then, his fingers trembling as he hesitates to pet the creature.

"It won't bite you, it's your familiar, it obeys you," I explain as I keep walking, my phone buzzing from its place in my pocket.

I pull it out and glance at the screen. I've gotten a text, though more specifically, it's from Ava.

"I need you to meet me in the Underground, I think I've found someone who can help us, meet me at the crystal shop on the corner of Thorn and Westfield street."

A tide of relief washes over me and my fingers tremble. Shawn watches me with a sudden concern while I type my reply.

"Are you ready to see some of the witches' world?" I ask and a grin spreads across his lips as his eyes sparkle with excitement.

"I thought you'd never ask."

****

Doorways to the Underground are scattered throughout much of Salem, all one needs to do is know how to find them. Luckily we find one relatively easily as I lead him down an onyx staircase and out onto the street below the city.

His head jerks back to stare at the translucent road above us as cars speed by overhead, their shadows swooping over the street beneath us. He gapes at me after a moment. I wonder then how many surprises he's going to endure today before he passes out from shock.

"My mother...since she's half witch she told me that she could never access the magic world, she was cast out for the most part," he admits. 

His lips press into a thin line and he shakes his head as his expression grows thoughtful. 

"I never knew things like this existed."

I can't help but feel pity for him as I shake my head and start walking. 

"Well...you're here now and I need your help."

It's a lie but having him along makes me feel less uneasy as I head for the crystal shop Ava had wanted to meet me at. Shawn's wolf trots up next to me several times, the creature's dark eyes surveying me before it circles back to its owner's side as Shawn falls into step beside me.

"I was thinking about naming him Amarok," Shawn says in a low voice. 

I glance over at him as he offers a crooked smile and shrugs. 

"I'm a nerd, it's from Inuit mythology."

"Yeah? What's the story of the Amarok then?" I ask as we cross one of the crosswalks.

"An Amarok was said to be a giant wolf that would eat anyone who would hunt alone at night," he explains and I grimace.

"What kind of mythology were you into when you were younger?"

"A little bit of everything, I have a lot of mixed heritage," he admits. 

His gaze wanders past me to the store that we're approaching. 

"So crystals, herbs and wands, it all really works for you?"

"Yes, crystals can be used for most anything," I tell him as I think back to Finn's long ago resurrection. "It increases internal vibrations and amplifies the magic of the caster." 

"I tried to get into using crystals when I turned sixteen...but it never worked for me," he says softly.

I can picture him then, a slightly younger Shawn all bright-eyed and hopeful as he scattered a couple of loose gems on the floor. I can imagine he tried to do something, anything at all to prove that he was also a witch.

I can imagine his frustration when nothing worked.

I open the door to the shop, the walls inside painted a deep shade of blue that is almost black as gold paint glitters in random patches. Ava is standing by the check-out counter where another girl who is maybe in her twenties leans against the glass case. Black-framed glasses sit perched on her petite nose as a light tan coats her golden skin. Wide, almond-shaped eyes look to me as she nervously pushes a lock of black hair behind her ear to reveal a silver earring.

"Kara, this is May," Ava says as she nods to the girl, who smiles softly.

"Hello," the girl murmurs as she walks around the counter and offers me her hand.

"Hi, Ava said you could maybe help me?" I ask as I take her hand and shake it, noting then that calluses brush against my palm.

May nods at this as she inclines her head toward the back of the store. 

"If you'll follow me we can talk about this more in privacy."

Her eyes flick to Shawn and I clear my throat. 

"He's with me, I'd like it if he could come with us, if that's okay."

"Of course," she agrees. 

She walks to the front door and locks it before she flips the sign to 'closed'. 

"It's this way."

I trail behind her as she heads for the back of the store and pushes through a door labeled 'employees only'. A greenhouse-type room sits on the other side, sunlight streaming in through curved glass panels as light blue tiles gleams spotlessly in the fading light. The air inside is earthy and damp as I take a calming breath of it. Rows of waist-high tables line the room and potted plants sit on top of them. Many of them fall into the category of herbs that are probably sold within the store.

May gestures for us to sit in a couple of woven Adirondack chairs that line the back wall as she leaves the room. Amarok sits next to Shawn, his large ears perked and on the swivel. Shawn reaches over and pats him on his head as his ears fold down and he looks up at him. Ava shares a questioning glance with me and I realize she's yet to meet Shawn.

"I'm Shawn," he says, like he's realized he's caught Ava's attention, "I'm Kara's...," he trails off and glances in my direction as he pauses, "I'm her...friend."

A blush creeps across my cheeks as I try to think of something to say. 

"I mean...you-, you and I are dating kind of-...?" I start to say but stop.

Boyfriend isn't the right word yet. 

The breath catches in my throat when he lifts an expectant eyebrow at me. I'm suddenly at a loss for words.

"We're-, we're something more?" he asks. 

I'm relieved to hear what sounds like excitement.

"I mean not boyfriend and girlfriend but-." 

I try to put words together then, but it's like I've suddenly forgotten the entirety of the English language. I fumble for something simple.

"I'm going to end this now, I'm Ava," Ava suddenly introduces herself in a low, reserved tone as she interrupts me.

I'm grateful for the change in subject as I steel myself for a moment and look away as I calm my breathing. Luckily May has returned and is holding a thick, leather-bound book. She pulls a small table no bigger than a dinner plate over to us.

"Okay, so this book has given me a lot of information, along with the internet," she says as the table squawks once she's gotten it situated before she takes a seat across from us.

"What, like Google?" I ask incredulously and she looks over the rim of her glasses at me.

"Why not? Many answers are only a few keystrokes away anymore," she replies.

I share a glance with Ava, who merely shrugs. 

"Anyways," May continues, "I think I've figured out something you may not even know about yourself, and you're not going to like it."