WITCH SHIfT
Chapter One

“I’m getting tired of this you two,” Deputy Sherriff Paris said getting between Al and Lincoln for the third time this month. He was tired, even though he was a vampire. He was tired of the same nonsense. “So help me I will get the Guardian to pay you both a visit.”

“Use your fairy tale to scare the little kids. I don’t have time for it.” Lincoln said with such disdain that Paris wanted to lock him up just for his bad attitude. Of course Lincoln was one of the main members of the community. It didn’t hurt that he was an Alpha Wolf Shifter as well in charge of all the cat shifters that lived in Fae-ville as well.

“Lincoln, you better hope he never visits you. I’ve seen him twice, and both times, someone died. Now what’s the problem this time?” Paris asked running a hand through his blond curly hair. He died somewhere in his late twenties and still held that youthful look, but his eyes were so old that no one ever thought he was young. He had seen so much since the paranormals had made themselves known to humans.

“This, this, Dwarf,” he said with disdain, “would not let me borrow a keg of Budweiser.” He threw his hands in the air and stomped around. “You said we had to work together and he refuses to do it. I’m sick of him and his shotty bar. I want him closed down.”

“We both know that’s not happening Lincoln.” Paris said turning to the other culprit of his ruined night. “Al, why wouldn’t you let him borrow a keg?”

“Why should I? Last week he didn’t let me borrow the Coors I needed. He’s a bully and I’m sick of his bad attitude.” Al said smiling with that smug look that made Paris dislike him as well. His high puffy cheekbones set off the color of his red cheeks and his eyes glinted knowing he was setting his rival up for a fall.

“Well I’m sick of both of you.” Paris said wanting to throw them both in jail for the night. “Order more supply and quit trying to better the other one. If you can’t do better I will talk to the sheriff about shutting both of you down till we can make something work. We are just coming into tourist season and I will not let you two ruin it for the other businesses in town. Lincoln get back to Keggers and stay away from Al.”

“Yeah,” Al chimed in.

“Al, shut up, or I will throw you in jail just because you pissed me off.” Paris said meaning every word. “Damn I am sick of you two bickering all the time.”

“Why do I have to go?” I whined from behind my desk.

“Because you’re a witch, in every sense of the word, and I need someone who won’t be in awe of the stupid paranormals.” Oliver said.

Oliver North, owner of North Distributing in Waterloo NY was not the type of man to listen to whining. He was a self made man and he didn’t think too much of excuses. Of course he was also hot for an older guy and he knew it.

“Yes sir,” I said knowing I lost. “How long do I have to be there?”

“As long as it takes, but since they are just coming into tourist season, plan on it being a while.” He said with an evil smile and he turned and walked out of my office I shared with Anna White.

“No offense but I am glad it is you and not me Maryse. The idea of vampires and werewolves scare the crap out of me.” Anna piped up after Oliver was gone.

Of course that was the reason why I had to go. I was a witch from a well respected family that were all in the medical field, unfortunately, my powers were nonexistent so I wasn’t any better than a human when it came to doing magic and spells.

“Well that leaves you taking over all my normal calls. If I’m stuck in Fae-ville, then I won’t be able to do any of my down state stuff. So maybe when this is over you won’t want to be me.” I said smiling to my office mate.

“Still better than dealing with your kind, no offense,” Anna said.

Of course she meant something by it, they all did. Did it matter that I was a witch? I needed the job though and if my powers had been stronger, she would have been one of the ones that were more respectful, but talked behind our back.

“Of course, just like humans are whiny babies who are afraid of the dark, no offense.” I retorted getting tired of being classified because of my different background.

“I need to see John in transportation,” Anna said getting up in a huff.

I just shook my head. I should have kept my mouth shut but I was tired of keeping my mouth shut. “It isn’t worth it” I thought and stood up and grabbed my stuff. I was going to see my family before I left and I had to arrange housing through the council since I was a witch. Hoops after hoops to jump through were all being a witch ever got me, I was tired of hoops.

“Yes, Maryse Oliver, requesting a room and a travel pass.” I said into the phone.

The witch’s council was in charge of all witch transportation for everywhere. It did no good going around them because humans would not book a witch without them first being vetted by the council. Everyone was too afraid of black witches to go against the council.

“Yes maim, level one,” I said into the phone.

“No maim, I’m full grown, just severely handicapped in powers.” I said gritting my teeth when they thought I was a student or a child.

Both my parents were factor fifty and my sister was factor forty-five, I just was not them. “Yes maim I understand,” I said into the phone.

I could drive but I needed a pass from the council and even being severely lacking in power there was no way around the red tape. They would email over my pass and thanked me and told me to have a nice day.

“Yeah right,” I said into the phone. I threw another pair of pants in my bag and huffed with anger and closed the phone down. No sooner had I closed it and it rang. I looked at the number, it was my mom.

“Shit,” I said out loud. I calmed myself and opened the phone. “Hey mom,” I answered.

“Mar, what is this about you being sent to Mae-Ville?” She responded quickly.

“It’s for work mom, and I just filed the travel papers, how did you replace out so fast?”

“I have a friend on the council, well more than one, but that’s beside the point. Mar you can’t go to Mae-Ville, you are a witch with no magic. It would be dangerous for you.” She said back.

“Mom I have no choice. The two bars in town are fighting and I have to go and keep them from killing each other and the beer trucks delivering. I wasn’t given a choice, so I have to go, if I want to keep my job that is.”

“Mar, I told you your father and I would take care of you. You don’t need to work for a beer distributor. Besides your sister will probably need a nanny before too long, she and Marcel are getting close to deciding when they will get married and start a family.” She said gushing.

No freaking way, I thought to myself. “Sorry mom but I like making my own way for myself.”

“Mar, I love you honey, but with your limited capacity, no Witch will be willing to marry you. We need to think about your future sweetie.”

“It’s fine mom because I don’t want to get married anyway, at least right now. Now if you will excuse me, I have to continue packing.”

“Mar, your pass isn’t till tomorrow. You will come for dinner tonight. Your father hasn’t seen you in a month. That’s an order young lady.”

“Fine,” I said angrily into the phone. “What time?”

“Six, and be in a better mood. He’s had a hard week and needs to relax. For some reason talking to you always calms him down, and he needs that before you go traipsing off to go to that god forsaken town.”

“Six it is, bye mom.” I said and hung up before she could say anything more to me.

I threw more clothes into my bag and continued to wonder why my life sucked so bad compared to the rest of my family.

“There is my baby girl,” Tom Oliver, head surgeon in paranormal species, and my dad, said wrapping me in a huge hug.

“Hey Daddy,” I said smiling when he let me go.

“Mom tells me you are going to Fae-Ville. Be careful sweetie, the Guardian lives there.”

“Is the Guardian even real Dad, or are you still trying to scare me?”

“He is real and he is dangerous. I doubt you would be a problem, he doesn’t lower himself to bothering with small problems, but just be careful regardless.”

“I will,” I promised. “Mom said you had a rough week?”

“It’s been challenging. Five witches losing their Aura’s, three shifters unable to shift and an Elf with severe blood loss but with no wounds.” He said looking at me.

It was a game we had played for a few years now. “Run the witches Aura through a medium like a pixie and see if they still lose it or if has been tampered with a black spell. Contact the shifters Alpha and see if he can force it on them. If he can it’s something small and within the pack, if not, look for an outside focus that is redirecting their shifter magic. The Elf stumps me. Could they have willingly given themselves to a plant or animal and having the blood loss is because of a drain through a familiar?”

He smiled at me and I felt like the world was Mine. “We did use a pixy, and it seems there was a spell siphoning off good Aura. The culprit hasn’t been found but the witches are fine. The shifters were because of an internal struggle within the pack. The Elf we have been stumped on. I need to call in your idea. I’ll be back. Go help Mom will you? She is helpless in the kitchen.”

“Sure dad,” I said walking away from him and into the kitchen where Mom was pulling a tray of fries out of the oven. “Need any help Mom?”

“If you want to set the table that would be great. I’m not sure how the time got away from me.” She said looking like something out of Witches quarterly. Looking at my Mom now in her apron you would never guess she was a respected doctor as well.

“Sure thing,” I said setting the table and waiting for Dad to come back in. Dad and I were always close, and he always acted like a buffer between mom and me, I knew I was going to need that tonight.

“I don’t care, we have tried everything else. Call me in an hour after you ask him. I’m having dinner with my daughter tonight and won’t be available till then” Dad said entering the room.

“No Maryse,” he said and then he listened for a moment. “Watch yourself Newton or we will have words, good bye.”

“I’m sorry Dad,” I said knowing he had to defend my lack of magic again. He had been doing that for my last ten years when everyone figured I wasn’t a late bloomer anymore.

“There is nothing to be sorry for. The blame could sooner be placed at your mother or my feet. Don’t you ever apologize for being you, you are wonderful.” He said and it sounded so sincere I smiled at him and we both sat down.

“What were you talking to Newton about dear?” Mom asked.

“Mar had an idea about the elf actually giving himself willingly to a plant or animal. If that willing familiar bond was used to keep something or someone healthy they could be draining the life force from the elf, and in this situation, his blood loss.”

‘It sounded so much more official when it came from him’ I thought.

“Couldn’t be a plant could it?” Her Mom asked actually thinking about it.

“It could be anything if they give themselves freely to maintain life. It’s worth a look and no one else thought about it, so why not?” He said beaming.

“Mar should be a doctor?” Mom said surprising the heck out of me.

“I agree, but the lack of magic prevented her from going into the paranormal division, and the bigoted professors would not let her into human medicine. It’s a waste if you ask me, Mar is better than most human doctors and she never had any training.” He said with a flourish.

“Right here people,” I said laughing.

They both laughed with me. They were just that way, they ran with ideas and just kept going whether if you were in the room with them or not.

“I still hate the fact you are going Mar.” Mom said and dad shook his head at her. “Well I do. It could be dangerous.”

“She’s not a child anymore dear and she has to live her life. If she needs us we are here. Now what’s for dinner, I’m starved.” Dad asked ending anymore talk about my work trip with just that statement. Damn I loved my father.

“Dinner was great, thank you both so much,” I said heading for the door.

They were both right behind me. “You’re welcome sweetie, drive careful and call us when you get there, and if you need anything, and “

“Mom,” I said laughing. “It will be fine. I’ll be home before you know it.”

“Mar,” Dad said and then he held up his finger as he reached for his phone that started ringing. I looked at the clock and it had been exactly an hour since he was on the phone last.

“You’re kidding me. How stupid do you have to be? I’m on my way down. Get a hold of the Elven council for the East Coast and tell them what is going on.” Dad finished and hung up and grabbed his own coat.

“Mar you were right,” Dad said shrugging his coat on. “The stupid Elf didn’t like a housing complex being built outside the city. He strapped himself to a tree with a bunch of anti-industrial activists and swore to protect the land. He unwillingly shared himself with the land that is being destroyed. Every time they cut down a tree or move dirt he loses more of himself.”

“I’ll be back baby; I have to get to the hospital. Thanks to Mar we have a chance to save the idiot.”

“Of course dear,” Mom said with pride in her eyes.

I wished I could get some of that. Then just like that she looked at me and the pride didn’t go away. “Mar, oh Mar, you may have saved that person’s life.”

Before I could speak she wrapped me in her arms and hugged me. Damn it. Tears began flowing from my eyes. I hugged her back and left with dad. We didn’t speak but he gave me a look and it was all I needed. My parents were proud of me. Damn it. Why did I have to cry so much?