A few hours later, Katja put on what she thought of as one of her "nicer" outfits, a white blouse with a brown velvet bodice, paired with a long, dark blue skirt over which she tied a peach-colored apron.

Dividing her hair in half, she created two braids, which she crossed at the back of her head and pinned into place. Daring a glance at herself in the bathroom mirror, she nodded. She looked nice...respectable, even, and she hoped by taking extra care with her appearance, she would convey to her aunts how seriously she took being invited to dinner.

When she returned to the bedroom collect Wolf, he was still in human-form, tucking his shirt into his breeches and smoothing out the wrinkles. There was something sweet about watching him get ready, even though it was odd having him doing so in her room.

As Katja closed the door and placed her worn clothes in the laundry hamper, Wolf turned around, a wide smile on his face, but when his eyes landed on her, he froze, one hand resting on his waist where he'd been tucking in his shirt.

Katja swallowed and glanced down at her clothes. Everything seemed to be in order, so it didn't make sense why Wolf was staring at her as if he'd never seen her before.

"Do you think this is alright to wear for dinner?" she asked hesitantly, forcing her gaze back to his. "I'm not exactly used to being invited to do things with others."

Wolf's eyes were wide, and Katja wondered how long it had been since he'd blinked.

"I think it's perfect for dinner," he finally said. "You don't wear your hair pulled back very often...I mean, other than in the workshop...and then you're usually looking down and working on something..."

So that's why he was staring at her.

Katja let out a sigh of relief and tried to hide the smile that threatened to reach her mouth. Wolf seemed to be as much of a creature of habit as she was, so clearly she'd simply caught him off-guard by doing something as unimportant as her hair different than she usually did.

"Normally I don't put it up unless I'm working," she agreed. "But I don't have to worry about Tante Winola or Tante Hedda teasing me, so, I wanted to do something different...to look nice."

"You do," Wolf nodded. "Look nice, I mean."

He continued to gaze at her for a few more seconds, then abruptly cleared his throat and turned away, focusing on tucking in the rest of his shirt. Perhaps he was as nervous about tonight as she was, and Katja was surprised to find feeling awkward or uncomfortable wasn't so terrible when you weren't the only one experiencing it.

Wolf ran a hand through his hair, then turned towards to her. He started to say something, but his words were cut off by a knock at the door.

He quickly transformed into wolf-form and padded over as Katja opened the bedroom door and nodded at the Helferin, who said it had been sent by Tante Winola to lead them to her quarters for dinner. Perhaps because the spells used to create it didn't include any reference to a wolf, the Helferin didn't seem the slightest bit perturbed to be trailed by one, which Katja appreciated.

After numerous twists and turns, the Helferin finally stopped in front of an ornately carved door, where it gave them each a low bow before scuttling off to whatever task it had been instructed to complete next. Katja stared at the door, thinking how many times she'd hoped for an invitation to visit another witch in her room.

"Is something wrong?" whispered Wolf.

"I'm just not used to getting invitations like this," Katja whispered in response.

"Typically, you start by knocking on the door," said Wolf. "That lets your host know you've arrived."

The words would have sounded snide coming from anyone else, but from Wolf, there was no question they were intended to be helpful. Katja shot him a grateful smile, then rapped her knuckles against the wood, hoping she'd knocked loud enough to be heard but not so loud as to sound impatient.

Tante Winola greeted them with a wide smile and waved them inside.

"Welcome to my humble abode!" she exclaimed warmly.

Stepping into the living area, Katja was impressed to see the chamber had more than one room, although it made sense that the older witches would be entitled to more personal space.

Her assessment was cut short, however, as she realized just how many books there were—if anything, the room appeared to be organized and decorated around the books. Couches and chairs were placed between tilting stacks, and small tables or shelves had been situated to prop up precariously balancing towers of oversized volumes.

The room smelled of parchment and ink, fragile paper dust jackets, and hand-pressed wooden covers. Books of all shapes, sizes, and colors abounded, and while some would have called it cluttered, Katja thought it was just right for the librarian, a cozy nest where she could be surrounded by the things she loved most in the world.

Before Katja could ask where Tante Hedda was, a knock rang out, and Tante Winola opened the door to reveal the shopkeeper, flanked by four Helferin carrying serving trays covered with rounded lids. Tante Winola waved them inside, and Katja briefly wondered where they would find the space to place the trays.

"Oh, I should have done this earlier!" the librarian lamented with a shake of her head.

Flicking her fingers towards one corner of the room, three stacks of books rose into the air, revealing a table Katja hadn't noticed before. Tante Winola pointed towards a pair of loveseats on the other side of the room, and the books leisurely floated over, settling gently onto the cushions as the Helferin placed the trays on the table before leaving as silently as they'd entered.

"Have you redecorated?" asked Tante Hedda, closing the door after the Helferin. "I'm certain that pile of poetry by the desk wasn't there the last time I was here."

Wolf bumped his head against Katja's knee and gave her a knowing look, which she hoped no one else had seen and tried to cover up by scratching between his ears; unfortunately, this caused him to laugh but the sound came out as more of a barking wheeze, and Tante Hedda and Tante Winola turned towards him.

"Well, then," Tante Winola said, her eyes fixed on Katja, "now that it's just the four of us...tell us about your wolf."

Katja and Wolf had spent the entire afternoon considering what they could tell the librarian and the shopkeeper. In the end, they'd decided to tell them almost the entire truth, everything except the part about Wolf's past as the Witch Killer of the Schwarzwald.

While Katja was still afraid of losing her only friend, it would be so nice to share at least part of the secret with someone else, to not have to lie all the time where Wolf was concerned.

"Sometimes you have to take a chance on people," Wolf had told her, and while Katja had given far too many people too far too many chances to believe it was as simple as that, she also understood Wolf's point—if anyone in the Hexen could be trusted, a strong case could be made for both Tante Winola and Tante Hedda.

Hoping she wasn't making a terrible mistake, Katja pulled the wolf necklace out from behind her blouse. She wasn't sure what each witch knew, so she decided to start with a brief summary.

"A while back, I had the idea to make an enchanted wolf," she began. "I wanted to alter the spell for creating Helferin and use it to make a magischer wolf—a magical wolf. Tante Winola helped me find the right incantation, but as I told Tante Hedda when she first sent me the necklace, I couldn't really do anything with it—especially use it as a template—because it was covered in so many spells."

She explained what she'd learned about the different layers and how she'd removed them, only to discover that Wolf had been trapped inside.

"That's the most incredible thing I've ever heard!" exclaimed Tante Hedda, smacking the side of her hair so hard, Katja worried the ever-tilting beehive might come toppling down.

The shopkeeper looked at Wolf and shook her head. "To think a wild animal was trapped inside a piece of jewelry for so long!" She turned back to Katja. "I remember you being surprised the metal was silent. Is that why?"

"Not exactly," cringed Katja. "The metal is still silent, but I think that's because there's one last spell I haven't removed. You see, Wolf's not just a wolf...he's a shapeshifter."

"I knew it!" crowed Tante Wionla at the same time Tante Hedda exclaimed, "A what?"

Rather than answer, Katja simply turned to Wolf, whose black and silver coat began to shimmer from nose to tail until there was no longer a wolf standing there, but a boy with his hands shoved into his back pockets, a hopeful smile on his face.

Tante Hedda gasped, grabbing Tante Winola's shoulder to steady herself. Tante Winola clasped her hands below her chin and gazed at Wolf as if she'd never seen anything more fantastic.

"It's nice to meet you both," Wolf offered.

"He can talk!" Tante Hedda exclaimed. "I mean, you can talk!" Pushing her glasses up her nose, she winced. "Sorry. This is just the absolute last thing I expected to see this evening...or in my lifetime." Collecting herself, she took a step forward and extended a hand, which Wolf promptly took. "It's a pleasure to meet you...uh..."

"I go by Wolf regardless of the form I'm in," he offered. Shooting a grin at Katja, he added, "I've become quite fond of it."

Katja shook her head but couldn't stop herself from smiling in return, even as she turned to Tante Winola.

"How did you know Wolf was a shapeshifter?" she asked, some of her previous worry returning. "If you could tell he wasn't a real wolf, do you think others can, too?"

"No," assured Tante Winola with a shake of her head. "Let's sit down for dinner, and I'll tell you all about it."

"Sounds good to me!" exclaimed Tante Hedda as she headed towards the table. "Katja, how have you been managing to sneak enough food to keep Wolf fed?"

"Actually, I don't eat," said Wolf, explaining how being in the necklace had altered his need for food.

While both witches were sympathetic, Tante Hedda, in particular, appeared especially appalled at the idea of being unable to eat and kept shaking her head and muttering, "Can you imagine?" Wolf slid his covered plate towards her, encouraging her to take what she wanted, and while she initially hesitated, she ultimately agreed good food shouldn't go to waste and helped herself.

"Now," said Tante Winola, smoothing a napkin across her lap, "as to how I knew Wolf was a shapeshifter...remember when I told you anything discussed between a librarian and a library patron is held in the strictest confidence because access to knowledge should never be limited?"

Katja nodded.

"The truth is, my job is as much about protecting sacred texts as it is ensuring everyone has access to the knowledge they seek. Librarians are charged with keeping the books in their care safe at all costs, and in order to do that, they must always know what they're up against and exactly who is crossing the library's threshold."

Tante Winola raised the pince-nez dangling around her neck.

"The castle is warded to detect invisibility spells. These are warded to detect just about everything else, particularly things that can't be seen with the naked eye. I need to know if a person entering the library isn't who they're pretending to be.

"Most witches worry about the Schwarzwald expanding and the Waldkonig appearing on our doorstep, but I worry about losing our records, our shared past, the very history that makes us who we are.

"These glasses see through glamours, and I've worn them so long, I seem to have absorbed some of the spells into myself, such that I don't always need to be wearing them to know when someone isn't who they appear to be."

"Do many people come into the castle wearing glamours?" asked Katja nervously, having never previously considered such a thing.

"No," replied Tante Winola, and Katja sighed in relief. "It's just a precaution any good librarian would take. I've had Hedda here cast various glamours on herself and try to sneak into the library, just to make sure the spells work."

She grinned at the shopkeeper. "I always caught her, but I will never forget the time she disguised herself as a visiting Nicht courtesan who dreamed of learning to be a ballet dancer."

Katja couldn't imagine the no-nonsense shopkeeper pretending anything of the sort, but she tried to smile politely rather than make a disbelieving face.

"Wolf doesn't exactly have a glamour," continued Tante Winola, "but when I saw him that first time, he seemed to shimmer. When I looked at him through the glasses, his entire body was covered in pulsing, glittering light, like what we see when he transforms."

She smiled. "Once I knew he wasn't wearing a glamour, I did a little research and realized the only alternative explanation was that he was a shapeshifter. It was obvious the two of you were fond of one another, which meant you were either aware of his shapeshifting abilities or you didn't know but weren't in any danger, given your relationship."

Katja willed her face not to respond to being described as having any kind of relationship with Wolf, even though a friendship was certainly a type of relationship.

Instead, she said, "Thank you so much for not saying anything!" She explained about taking Wolf into the orchard, which had resulted in running into Elise in the hallway. "I really appreciate what you said to Sprechen Gerta," she added. "I was so worried."

"That Elise needs a good talking to," grumbled Tante Hedda around a mouthful of spinach. "Some manual labor wouldn't hurt her, either."

"That's true on both counts," nodded Tante Winola. "Now, Katja, you're the one who knows the most about metal here—do you think the witch who trapped Wolf had an affinity for metallurgy?"

"I don't know," admitted Katja. "I've wondered myself, and it's certainly possible, but I think it's more likely she had an affinity for transmutation—changing something from one state of being into another. Unfortunately, I've never met anyone with that affinity, so I don't know much about it...do you?"

"Only what I've read," replied Tante Winola. "It seems there's a subtle but very real difference between, say, turning a wolf into a necklace and trapping a wolf inside the form of a necklace. There are certain spells any witch, regardless of her affinity, can cast to make one thing appear to be another or actually turn into another for a period of time.

"But to keep a living organism completely intact and trap it inside of something else...that's a rare ability. Since it's rare, we don't know a great deal about it, but scholars seem to agree the affinity requires you to use something you already own, which makes me think the witch who trapped Wolf used a necklace she already owned. The item takes on the shape of whatever you have trapped inside, which means she wouldn't need your skill with metal."

"I don't think anyone has Katja's skill with metal," offered Wolf.

Katja focused on the plate in front of her, wondering if she would ever get used to hearing someone say such nice things about her and mean them so sincerely. Growing up with peers who had complimented, rather than teased, her would have made accepting Wolf's kind words so much easier.

"No, I don't believe they do," agreed Tante Hedda, biting off the tip of an asparagus spear. "I know my shop—and the rest of the Hexen—are the luckier for it." She then proceeded to tell Wolf how she'd almost decided against selling Katja's jewelry in her shop and what a mistake that would have been.

While she certainly appreciated the accolades, Katja was also relieved when Tante Winola changed the subject back to Wolf.

"It's interesting the witch trapped you inside a necklace rather than doing something worse to you," mused the librarian. "I wonder why she spared you."

Relief at no longer being the center of attention was replaced by an icy tingle coursing down Katja's spine—did Tante Winola's words mean she knew who Wolf truly was? Did she believe he deserved a worse punishment? She glanced at Wolf, but he took the question in stride and simply nodded.

"I've wondered that myself," he admitted. "Not in the beginning, of course—in the beginning, I didn't feel anything other than angry, afraid, and hopeless, and then I'd start back over at angry again. I think perhaps she, like you, recognized I was a shapeshifter, and trapping me was her way of offering me a second chance; over time, I came to view her actions as a kindness rather than a cruelty."

He grimaced. "I wish I could have told her that before she died."

Tante Winola reached over and squeezed Wolf's hand with her own. "I'm sure you did the best you could, as did she. My great-grandmother escaped the Schwarzwald during the Great Purge and made her way to this castle...she was one of the founders of the Hexen, and the stories she left behind about that time are almost too tragic to read."

"My great-grandmother came to the castle then, too," nodded Tante Hedda. "I never knew much about her, beyond her being a founding member of the Hexen, but it must have been a terrible time for all who lived in the Schwarzwald."

Katja was more relieved than she could say to know both of the elder witches' family members had made it out of the Schwarzwald alive, as she'd been secretly terrified they might have been victims of the groBe böse Wolf sitting across from her.

"It wasn't always like that in the forest," sighed Wolf, and he began to recount some of the stories he'd shared with Katja about his childhood and the village he'd grown up in. Tante Winola and Tante Hedda listened in awe, at times almost forgetting to eat as the food cooled on the platters in front of them.

Katja had to admit, it was nice knowing how Wolf's stories would end; she wasn't used to sharing even something as small as a story with anyone else, and it made her feel both proud and important to know more about Wolf than the other witches.

After dinner, Tante Winola suggested they move to the pair of sofas nearby, which required the rearranging of books that had already been relocated once, but no one seemed to mind.

"Well, Wolf," said Tante Hedda, sinking into the overstuffed sofa with a contented sigh, "now that you're out of the necklace, what are your plans?"

"I'm not exactly sure," he admitted, sitting on the opposite sofa and positioning a tasseled throw pillow behind his back. "I'd love to find a way to stay here, in this form, but since I have to balance my time between being a human and being a wolf, that probably means telling everyone I'm a shapeshifter, and I'm not certain that would be a welcome addition to your home."

"Surely there are more exciting places in the world for a lad your age than here," scoffed Tante Hedda as Tante Winola sat down beside her and gestured for Katja to take a seat near Wolf. "I'm surprised you're even considering staying."

"He doesn't have a choice," explained Katja, causing her aunts' eyes to turn towards her. "He's bound to the necklace, and the necklace is bound to me, because I removed the spells. I think if I could break the shapeshifter curse, Wolf would be completely free and could go wherever he wants, but—"

"—But some spells can't be broken," interjected Wolf firmly. "Which is fine, since it's no more than I deserve, and I'm incredibly lucky to be here at all. The worst part of it is being an imposition to Katja, but as long as she doesn't get tired of me, we'll figure something out."

"I could never get tired of you!" Katja assured him, angling towards him slightly, even though there wasn't much space between the two of them. "I just want you to be able to make your own decisions and do what's best for you because that's what you want, not because it's your only option."

Wolf dropped his gaze to his lap and didn't say more, although Katja noticed Tante Winola studying him with a curious expression on her face.

It passed quickly, though, and the librarian deftly changed the subject to an experience she'd had repairing an old scroll in the archives, describing how it had broken into pieces and chased her around the room before she figured out how to remove the jinx and keep the document in one piece.

"I felt like a mother hen running around chasing around her chicks!" she exclaimed, acting as if she was grabbing things running past her as everyone laughed.

"On the topic of mother hens," said Wolf suddenly, as Katja prayed no one else noticed the twinkle in his eye, "do either of you have children?"

Both of the women smiled and shook their heads.

"Obviously some Hexen do," said Tante Winola, "which is welcomed—"

"—And necessary for the coven to continue—" added Tante Hedda.

"—But it was never the path for me," concluded Tante Winola.

"Nor me," agreed Tante Hedda. "It seems that neither children nor a great love were written in the stars for me, at least not in this life." She wiggled her white eyebrows playfully. "Perhaps in the next one, though...I certainly wouldn't mind a scandalous love affair."

Tante Winola's sharp cheeks began to burn, and she quickly excused herself, saying something about after-dinner drinks before ducking into another room. She returned a moment later with an ornate silver tea set Katja recognized from having repaired it a few years ago.

"How about some chamomile tea?" the librarian offered, and while Katja eagerly accepted, it seemed Wolf wasn't quite ready to let the previous topic of conversation go.

"What about you, Tante Winola?" he asked with a bright smile. "Are you also hoping for a scandalous love affair in your next life?"

"Good gracious, no!" she tittered, focusing her gaze on pouring the tea into a delicate porcelain cup.

"Good for you," nodded Wolf approvingly. "Why wait until your next life? I'm sure you could have quite the amorous adventure right now, if you wanted."

"Oh, that's not what I meant!" clarified Tante Winola, very nearly pouring tea onto the thick carpet beneath their feet. "I meant...I have my books, and I have my friends, old and new," she cast a quick smile at Katja, "so there's really nothing more I need."

Wolf appeared inclined to say more, but Katja interjected, not wanting to make anyone uncomfortable. "Tante Hedda, how has business at the shop been? Have any interesting new necklaces come in?"

The evening flew by far faster than Katja had expected, and as they sat there talking and laughing over their tea, she couldn't help but look around in awe, still not entirely believing she was a part of the gathering.

After so many years of being alone, it seemed incredible how, in the course of less than two weeks, she'd acquired a companion and been invited to dinner with two other witches.

At one point in the evening, Tante Winola remembered she had a carved wooden screen put away in storage that could help divide Katja's room, allowing Wolf a little more privacy, and she offered to send it over the following day.

Katja's heart felt so full, it was a wonder it didn't burst straight through her chest, like a flower blooming to bask in much hoped-for sunlight. While she was still scared to get her hopes up, perhaps this was the start of feeling like she truly belonged.

(Artwork by bradfordhines from Pixabay)