"The way that summoning a familiar works is simple, a single witch calls onto the spirit realm where the souls of familiars are, think of it like a PO box in a post office, there are many boxes but you only have the key for one."   

May explains this in a low voice, like she's almost afraid of anyone overhearing her even though we're alone.

I dare to lean forward in my chair slightly so I can hear her better. She takes a breath and readjusts a necklace of hers nervously and continues.

"But for Unfamiliars, they have the keys for every box and can open whatever one they want," she says before Shawn interrupts her.

"What do Unfamiliars have to do with anything?" he asks as he looks over at me.

"It's the reason why Corrina was potentially murdered, she was an Unfamiliar and Unfamiliars are considered dangerous," I trail off as I swallow, "I'm an Unfamiliar too."

"If she was murdered, shouldn't there be an investigation?" 

I hesitate. 

"It's...complicated, it looks like she committed suicide but Finn has been telling me otherwise." 

"The ghost from the graveyard," Shawn confirms. 

"Yes," I reply as Ava gives me a quizzical look. 

"So the panther? Whose familiar was that?" Shawn asks as he looks from me to May.

"Unfamiliars can capture soul essences and have them enchanted into items so they can be 'bound' to Unfamiliars, I'm guessing that's how you managed to get a panther familiar?" May questions and I nod.

"Yes, my mother enchanted a necklace and gave it to me so I would have a familiar of my own at all times," I explain.

"I thought so, anyways, since Unfamiliars can 'capture' soul essences-."

"Like Pokémon?" Shawn interrupts and May smiles.

"Exactly, but since they can take these captured essences and enchant, they can also bind familiars to other witches," she says and my hands go abruptly cold.

"What are you saying? Like I can give people familiars?" I ask as I look from her to Shawn.

Did I somehow bind a permanent familiar to him?

"Not exactly, it's closer to giving them the power of a witch, it's harmless, however, if people know about this ability they could force you to bind powers to them, or they could force you to give up your ability completely," she says and the coldness in my hands washes over me 

I stop breathing for a moment.

"Forever?" I rasp and she nods grimly.

"Yes, it would be permanent and you would be left without a familiar at all, along with your powers as a witch," she flips open the book she's set in front of her to reveal a page as she taps on it, "there are accounts of people torturing Unfamiliars so they would transfer their powers to them, it turned the tides of many witches' wars, the Unfamiliars were usually killed after the transfer."

The blood chills in my veins. I think about the many who were tortured without mercy and how their lives were later taken from them. I take note of the many lines of what looks like names on the page in front of me.

Tossed away like garbage.

Driven to near extinction and forced to hide out of fear. 

It makes me angry then, to think that my kind was disposed of like a pest, a disease.

My kind, the Unfamiliars. Others may be witches but they're not the same as me, I realize. They will never feel the same danger. 

I'm different altogether and always have been. My power is my blessing but also a curse in this world. Unfortunately, my siblings and mother share that fear. 

We will always be different.

"Kara?"

I startle out of my thoughts and look up to see that the others are watching me, as Shawn was the one who had spoken.

"Hm? I'm listening," I assure them even though I'm not sure if I've missed something or not.

"Anyways, Kara and I saw a ghost in the graveyard, he told her that she was in danger and that she needed to get out of Boston," Shawn explains and my cheeks heat as the others glance in my direction.

"It was Finn, wasn't it?" Ava replies and I nod.

"He was there like he said he would be," I tell her. 

"And Finn is?" May begins and I launch into Finn's history.  

When I'm finished telling them about Finn's murder and how he has recently come back to haunt me, Shawn's face is bloodless as he lets out an uneven breath.

"I'm sorry, this is...this is just so much to take in at once," he says as he laughs a short, humorless laugh, "I didn't think I would ever find out this much about the witches' world."

"Indeed," May agrees. 

She snaps the leather-bound book shut and looks from Shawn to me. 

"I suggest we take a break, there's a break room inside with some light snacks, I can make tea if anyone would like some."

"I could go for a cup," Shawn replies as he offers me a weak smile.

****

After getting seated in a small, cozy storeroom, we talk about all of the information we've been given. I give Shawn a quick back-story on everything that's happened.

"So Finn was friends with Corrina and he wanted you to find her killer but now he doesn't because you're in danger," Ava says as she leads the conversation. 

May sits flanking her from where they're sat at a tiny card table that is set up in the middle of the room.

"It seems like it," I say. 

I take a sip of the tea May had given me as the earthy flavor steadies my nerves. 

"Which I don't blame him, Diana and I very nearly died last night," I admit and both Shawn and Ava pale as May sets down her teacup. 

"What do you mean?" Shawn asks in a low voice.

"Diana's car was hexed, when we left the park last night her car nearly drove us off a bridge," I shiver at the memory as Ava shakes her head.

"We're being tracked and watched, whoever is hunting the Unfamiliars again know who to watch out for, and who to kill to keep it quiet, we must be close to figuring it out if they think that they need to kill us to keep it a secret," Ava concludes.

"Diana was attacked afterwards, but she doesn't remember what happened, it almost looked like a dog attack," I counter. 

"But we're likely looking for a Hallewell since that was in Finn's warning," May points out. 

"I'd go through Astrid's whole family tree if she doesn't mind, we don't know who we could be up against," Ava adds.  

"More importantly, you need to watch out for each other." 

May's tone is suggestive, though I know it's more of an order as her amber eyes lock onto mine. 

"These Unfamiliar hunters are no easy opponents, they'll kill you even if it ends up killing them too, it's what they were born to do and they won't stop until you're dead."

There's a pause before Shawn gives a nervous laugh. 

"Witch murders, this wasn't something I expected to learn about today."