Changing into a cute green sleeveless gown over a cream blouse I followed Harriette into the forest. As I followed behind her I struggled to focus my mind. I had to learn healing magic, but thoughts of my mother kept intruding.

  Zrysa's visit, short as it was, had been a dream come true. If I could simply accept it, I'd be over the moon. But I couldn't help but fear there was a catch somewhere I wasn't seeing. Something Zrysa hadn't told me that'd ruin everything. My fear of heartbreak kept me from feeling like I'd actually found the family I'd longed for.

  "Bunny!" Lulu appeared from behind a line of trees and rushed over to me, wrapping her arms protectively around me.

  "Lulu, we haven't even started practicing yet!" I whined, trying to carefully push her away. Sentient pnt or not, being hugged by a naked woman was bad for my heart. Especially since Kyra and I were dating now. I definitely didn't want to be beled a cheater.

  "Lulu," Harriette eyed the dryad with a mirthful smirk. "Can you find us a sick pnt for Bernice to practice on? Just dig it up and bring it to the same clearing as before, okay?"

  "I don't want to leave my Bunny behind," Lulu pouted, clutching me even tighter. "She never visits me. Even master has been coming to the forest less than before. I've been lonely."

  "Do this for us and you'll have lots of tasty aether to consume," Harriette grinned. "She can't use magic without a subject to practice on."

  "Understood," Lulu released me and vanished into the forest. "I'll be right back, Bunny!"

  "I'm going to be practicing healing already?" So far I'd done little more than hurt myself trying to use magic. It seemed far too soon for me to be learning any specific spells.

  "Knowing who your mother is, I have come to believe that your aether is too potent to draw out without purpose. So you will learn control and a spell at the same time."

  I watched Lulu disappear into the trees. Zrysa had mentioned suppressing my divinity, which meant I'd likely somehow inherited some kind of divine power. How that'd come to pass when she and Laurnaja hadn't given birth to me, I didn't quite understand. But it seemed a given that gods didn't have to obey the normal rules of procreation.

  "What do you mean, who her mother is?" A flutter of pink hair appeared out of the corner of my eye. Turning I gasped as Kyra stepped into the clearing with us.

  "Kyra..." There was so much I wanted to say to her. But I could hardly find the words.

  "Happy to see me?" Kyra smiled and closed the distance between us to wrap her arms around me. "Even if it was only few days, I missed you too."

  "As loathe as I am to get in the way of my mistress's daughter, Bernice is supposed to be training right now. I'd ask that you wait until she returns home to coddle her, Lady Kyra."

  Kyra's eyes sparkled with amusement as she gnced at Harriette, then back to me. "I won't get in the way. I want to help my girlfriend train if possible. That's okay, isn't it Bernice?"

  My heart fluttered as Kyra gave me a gentle squeeze. I wanted to lean into her touch, and waste the day away in her arms. Despite still feeling as if we barely knew one another, Kyra brazenly calling me her girlfriend warmed me in ways I couldn't put into words.

  "Lady Kyra," Harriette sighed, her voice den with exasperation. "I believe you being here would be nothing more than a distraction."

  "Because I can't use magic myself?" Kyra's eyes narrowed.

  "Yes, well—" Harriette's eyes darted from Kyra to me. "—I cannot even say you being here is safe. Given Bernice's connection to the divine."

  "What do you mean?" Kyra's eyes sparkled with interest. "I overheard you mentioning her mother. I thought Bernice was not of this world?"

  Harriette looked at me, and I nodded my consent. If Kyra and I were going to be dating, I had no reason to keep my parentage a secret from her.

  "Bernice," Harriette's expression turned solemn. "Was visited st night by one of her mothers—the primordial Zrysa. As such, we can conclude she is not simply a celestial, but a legitimate primordial scion. Without knowing the domain she's inherited, it's possible her magic could harm you."

  "If we assume Laurnaja is my other mother, wouldn't my domain be either life, w, or fortune?"

  "Presumably," Harriette agreed. "But there are no records of any primordial ever having children. We don't know how your power will manifest. If you do carry the mantle of your mothers, however, your power over life could be fatal for Lady Kyra. As an undead, I fear such power could purify her and end the spell preserving her life."

  My heart sank as Kyra's expression hardened. I finally had a mother, just like I'd always desired. But even the fulfillment of my heart's deepest desire, was a poison. Just by being near me, I was endangering my very first girlfriend's life.

  "I had no idea," I whispered, feeling a lump form in my throat. "I would never intentionally harm you."

  Kyra smiled softly, "I don't believe I'm in any danger. There aren't any records of Zrysa's faithful sying undead are there, Harriette?"

  "No," Harriette admitted, her gaze soft and sympathetic. "But there is no reason for us to not exercise caution. We should consider the risks of Bernice's power, as much as we consider its benefits."

  "I'll be careful then," Kyra shrugged and fshed me a cocksure smile.

  We continued to talk idly until Lulu returned, carrying a small wilting flower, its petals browned and sickened. "Wah! Master's daughter is hugging my bunny!"

  "Your bunny?" Kyra squeezed my shoulders, "I believe you're mistaken Lulu. Bernice is mine."

  My face heated at Kyra's cim. My chest ached with warmth as I tried desperately not to let myself melt into a puddle of girl goo.

  "You can argue over Bernice ter," Harriette intervened. "Pnt that flower in the soil Lulu. As for you Lady Kyra, please step away from Bernice."

  I almost compined as Harriette nudged Kyra back, creating distance between us. But, it was for the best. The st thing I wanted to do was hurt Kyra.

  After Lulu carefully pnted the wilting flower in the soil in front of me, Harriette gestured to the pnt. "Alright, I'll teach you the spell. I want you to carefully speak each word, mispronunciation could cause disastrous effects. Stay close to her Lulu."

  Harriette spoke slowly, letting her words wash over me. Nothing happened as she spoke, however, which made sense. If all it took was speaking a spell aloud to activate it, I'd have been capable of magic days ago.

  Once I'd repeated the words of the healing spell back to Harriette enough times for her to feel confident I understood it, she smiled.

  "Alright Bernice, now focus on the flower in front of you. Hold out your hand and pull slowly on the well of power within you. We need only a thread of it at first. Once it has obeyed your will, begin to speak the spell."

  Taking a deep breath to center myself, I closed my eyes. The st time I'd pulled on the power within me, it'd burned. I was afraid of being hurt again, even if Lulu was here to take care of it. But I couldn't let my fear stop me, the princess's life could be in danger. I needed to be capable of this much at least.

  From the vast golden well of power within me I willed out a single thread, pulling it up into the flow of aether within me. At first, the thread failed to make it to my shoulder before it broke and slipped back within me. After several attempts, my body felt hot, and I began to feel a slight tremble in my limbs.

  Lulu pced her hand on me, pulling away the heat and helping me stabilize. Focusing I pulled again, and this time my aether flowed up to my shoulder and down my arm. As I felt the current traveling toward my fingers, I began my spell.

  The air around me seemed to electrify. Opening my eyes I saw a soft pink-gold haze seep out of my fingers. The flower in front of me began to glow, wreathed in the color of my magic. Its petals took on a vibrant purple hue as the withering rot affecting them vanished from sight.

  Straightening its stem, the flower before me began to shimmer and grow. In seconds it was waist height, a moment ter it was nearly as tall as I was.

  "Stop!" Harriette grabbed my hand. Jolting at her touch I stumbled backward. The thread of aether within me snapped, and the rose gold haze of magic faded from view.

  I stood there panting. My heart raced as I gazed at the gargantuan flower in front of me. Had my magic done this? Harriette's eyes were wide with concern as she stared at the now-thriving flower in front of us.

  "What did I do?" I asked, a shiver run down my spine.

  "You went beyond simply healing it," Harriette said, her voice measured. "Your power has utterly transformed it into something else entirely."

  "But..." I widened my eyes in shock as I observed the giant flower. At this point it was basically a tiny tree. But if this was what I could do with only a thread of the power within me, how would I ever be able to control it?

  "The spell I taught you should have never caused this," Harriette sighed. "But perhaps I should've expected you'd defy my expectations. Nevertheless, you achieved what we set out to do. Congratutions on successfully casting your first spell Bernice."

  A surge of anxiety overcame me as I thought about the consequences of my actions. "But what if I can't control it? What if I hurt someone or...or worse?"

  Harriette pced a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "At first the spell did exactly what we wanted it to do. Only after the flower was healed did it start to exhibit an undesired phenomena. Now that we know this is a possibility, we can focus on control. It seems your magic will not simply end when the spell is through, you will have to will it to stop every time."

  "Ah," I colpsed to my knees. As the adrenaline wore off, my body felt heavy. It was as if I'd just run a marathon and pushed myself to the brink.

  Kyra ran forward to grab me as I colpsed. Laying in her arms I smiled, happy to see she was unharmed. Out of the corner of my eye, I almost thought the dragon stone I wore had started to glow. Then everything went bck.

  When I came to, I found myself still in Kyra's arms. "You're awake," Kyra's voice cracked as she squeezed me tightly. "I was so worried."

  I swallowed hard, my throat dry and aching. "How... long was I out?"

  "Not long," Harriette replied, pcing a hand on my forehead. "You feel a bit feverish. We should call it for today. Your body still needs time to adapt."

  "Bunny will come back though right?" Lulu whined, her expression a mixture of concern and relief.

  "She still has a lot to learn," Harriette smiled softly. "So we will return. We'll be relying on you again next time Lulu, don't worry."

  Groaning, I struggled to sit up. My body protested the movement, but with a gentle push from Kyra I was able to take a seated position.

  "I'll carry you home," Kyra said lifting me into her arms. "You don't have a problem with me keeping her to myself for the rest of the day, do you Harriette?"

  Harriette raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Just be gentle. Bernice needs to focus on her own recovery above anything else."

  Kyra smiled softly as she strode through the forest, holding me in her arms. "I'll be careful," she whispered into my ear.

  My face flushed at the suggestiveness in Kyra's voice. Given how lethargic I felt, I was certainly not ready for any of the activities which came to mind. I was certain Kyra was just being pyful, even if part of me couldn't help but wonder what it'd be like if she wasn't.

  As we stepped through the door, I felt my heart nearly leap out of my chest. Someone was waiting just inside, and the sight of her made my blood go cold.

  The fox-eared corpse Otrea had infused with my blood beamed the moment she id eyes on me. Her bushy ginger tail swished back and forth with delight as she ran toward us with preternatural speed.

  Kyra hardly had the time to flinch before the little girl's hands wrapped around my arm. "Big Sis! You're home!"

  My mind struggled to comprehend what I was seeing. The little girl's eyes sparkled with excitement as she held onto my arm.

  "Y-You..." I stammered, trying to process what was going on.

  "Do you know this girl?" Kyra asked. I could feel her muscles twitch. She wanted to pull me away from the little girl's grasp.

  "She... was one of Otrea's experiments. But she said this body failed, she couldn't age it after injecting it with my blood."

  "This isn't one of your pranks, is it mother?" Kyra's eyes narrowed as she glowered at the little girl. I'd been so certain Otrea wouldn't have returned home so soon, I'd never thought of it. But now, it seemed so obvious. How could this girl not be Otrea in disguise?

  "Hmm?" The little girl tilted her head in confusion. "I dunno. Mommy sent me! She said Big Sis needs my help!"

  I stared at the little girl, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. Her eyes sparkled with innocence and excitement, but something about her felt off. Then it dawned on me, her hair color had changed. She now had nearly the same shade of copper-colored hair as Laura and me.

  Was this little girl what Zrysa had been referring to when she said her partner was working on a way to protect me further? But why send a child? And if they couldn't have children, how'd I end up with a little sister in the first pce?

  As the little girl continued to beam with excitement, Harriette appeared out of nowhere. A cloak of silver light surrounded her as she flicked her fingers conjuring spears of ice to impale the little girl.

  With a quick chant the little girl's eyes turned fierce. A bright silvery-gold shield appeared in front of her, shattering the spears of ice. "Bad girl! I won't let you hurt Big Sis!"

  Harriette conjured massive icicles but before she could even release them the little girl was upon her. The bracelets she wore began to glow as massive cws of magical energy appears around her hand. With a swipe she reduced the ice to little more than fkes of snow.

  "Both of you, stop!" I shouted, trying to break free from Kyra's hold.

  The girl's cws came to a rest a breath away from Harriette's stomach where a patch of icy armor had begun to form. "Harriette isn't trying to hurt me, she's trying to protect me. As for you—" I gazed at the little girl. "These people are my friends. So put the cws away please?"

  Taking a step back, the little girl's ears drooped. Her eyes filled with tears, her voice trembling. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to protect Big Sis."

  "Bernice," Harriette looked at me wearily. "This child..."

  "Was likely sent by Zrysa's partner, my other mother. I don't know why she's inhabited that body or anything else. But we can at least assume she truly is here to protect me."

  When I spoke with Lyre, she mentioned how some special people could see magic. I'd realized immediately that I was one of them. Because of it, I could reasonably assume the girl in front of me wasn't Otrea. Her magic had always manifested in hues of purple, not silver-gold.

  It was possible that inhabiting a celestial body could change Otrea's magic, but something about the girl had set Harriette off. If someone so dedicated to Otrea could tell the girl wasn't her, I was inclined to believe my hunch was true. The only expnation left was that this girl truly was my little sister, sent by my mothers to protect me.

  As I expined everything, Harriette's shoulders slumped. Carefully patting the little girl's head, she forgave her, causing the girl's mood to immediately bounce back. Her little ears now twitching happily she ran back over to Kyra who was still holding me in her arms.

  "Can you put Big Sis down now?" The girl asked her little fangs on dispy as she spoke. "I wanna py!"

  "Bernice is tired," Harriette interjected. "You will have to wait until ter to py with her. Until then, I will ready a room for you. Do you have a name child?"

  "Eskame," The girl replied grabbing my hand and squeezing it. "I'll be a good girl. I wanna stay with Big Sis!"

  "Eskame," I tried to speak softly, like Laura would when she wanted to comfort me. "Kyra's going to take care of me, okay? So, please go with Harriette for now. We'll py together soon."

  "Promise?"

  My heart ached as I gazed into Eskame's eyes, sparkling with hope. It was only natural for a kid to believe in the promises of an adult. If I said I would, she'd believe me. If only there was truth in such childish optimism. "I promise."

  Cossimeri