Chapter 2

"I'm sorry for causing you problems!" she sobs.

"Shh, there's nothing to be sorry about," I tell her gently.

"So, I ruined nothing?" she asks softly, looking up at me with bright blue eyes.

"Not at all," I reply gently but proudly.

She stopped crying as her pale skin turned slightly pink. She's up and left me in the dust to the front door as I follow her. No words left my mouth as she opened the door and walked in with Mr. Sapping and Miss Sullivan. Both held a bag in Mr. Sapping's hand and a stack of books in Miss Sullivan's. With a quick jog towards them, I retrieved the stack from her hands and set them down next to the coffee table.

"This is from Miss Karmay," he tells me while handing over the bag.

Curious, I pull the strings open, and a tiny elf comes out, blinking and stretching.

"Um… hello there. My name is Raina," I say, then ask, "What's your name?"

"My name is Jessica, but you can call me Jessy," she tells the elf excitedly.

The elf is slightly spooked as he has never noticed her before, but he smiles at her, which makes her smile wider and brighter.

"Hello, Miss Raina, Miss Jessica-"

"Call me Jessy!" she exclaims, interrupting him.

The elf nods and continues, "My name changes with a new owner. I'm the guardian of the bag."

"Oh.. Maybe Miss Karmay gave me the wrong thing," I say, primarily to myself.

"She didn't! As elves, like me, we take care of objects our family has guarded for generations," he explains.

Confused but feeling eyes on me from different angles, I glance at them. A small smile appears as I guide the elf toward the armchair next to the couch on which the others are sitting. With him in his seat, I lean somewhat against the coffee table as my daughter grabs my hands, tugging and then pointing to her; smiling, I sit down, and she's on top, with a quick kiss to her temple before focusing on the elf.

"So, when you say your name changes with a new owner, are you saying that each time they give you to a different person, they give you a different name?" I ask.

"Yes," he states.

"What is your name right now?" Jess asks.

"Aaron," he whispers.

"That name won't do… how about Brone?" I say, then ask.

His eyes widen before returning to normal as Jess figures out what his old name means. She jumps and runs to hug him, smiling at the scene as I hear the others awe at them. To not upset him, I speak immediately.

"Brone is your official name."

They both smile at his chosen name while glancing over his clothes to see them worn out and his feet bruised to no end, just like Jessica's used to be. Jessy keeps him busy with tens of thousands of questions, all with a neutral look. After a quick jog to Jessy's room, both look and grab a neutral-looking outfit and return just as she tells Brone something.

"You can't call mama or me mistress."

He nods and looks up. With a smile, I hand over the outfit and point to the bathroom. When he bounces off, as we wait for him, Jessy walks to the kitchen and grabs some snacks and drinks for our guests. Brone comes out, wearing jeans and a plain white T-shirt, and spits right in front of the coffee table to get a better look at everyone. We wait for him to familiarize himself with everyone somewhat.

"Brone," I whisper.

His head whips over to me before they go wide with fear, realizing what is about to happen, making me babble, "You're not in trouble. I'm about to introduce you to everyone."

He nods and heads back to the seat he was in before as Jessy leaves the couch to sit next to him. She is mindful if he doesn't want her there, which he doesn't seem to mind.

"Starting with Jessy, first. She's a vampire-angel hybrid; Miss Sullivan is a Ljósálfar, and Mr. Sapping is a Dökkálfar. And I'm just a human," I state.

"Sorry to veer off the topic, but what did Miss Karmay put in your back pocket?" Jessy asks.

Curious, I reach into my back pocket to find a gem and ask, "When did Miss Karmay come near me?" Jessy laughs as my eyes stay on the milky green color, then passes it over to Mr. Sapping to see if he can figure it out.

"This beautiful gem is an Amazonite," he tells us.

"Interesting. I've never seen an Amazonite this color before," I say as I take it back.

"What is it used for?" Jessy asks.

"It's used to treat fatigue, trauma, or anything that takes energy away from a person. Amazonite can also help with problems with the thyroid glands. It's located on your neck below the Adam's apple," I say, pointing to the area. "It also aids the treatment of alcoholism; because of this, there's always been a gentle healing quality. It's useful for nearly everyone."

"Wow, that's a lot, mama," she says excitedly.

"Yes, and if I remember correctly, it's getting close to your bedtime," I laugh, then arch my eyebrow at her.

"Night!" she yells as she jogs to her room.

We say our goodnights, and the guests head out. With a wave from the kitchen hallway, I snag two packets of goldfish and then head back to the living room. I sit on the couch, but the end is closer to Brone, and I hand him his pack.

"How much of our world do you know?" Brone asks while munching on his snack.

"Decent amount," I admit.

"What do you know about elves?"

"There are eight groups: Moon, Elemental, Half, Nature, Avariel, Dark, Gray, and Light. All the elves can brew potions without problems; however, that's the only thing they have in common," I state.

"Give me a distinct tract of each," he says.

"Dark, Gray, and Light Elves have some of the same abilities. They are all excellent fighters, but Gray and Light can use energy attacks, Unlike the Dark Elves. Moon Elves have a crescent moon in the middle of their foreheads, and they have ashen gray skin and can get mistaken for Gray Elves if the moon is hiding," I state before confining, "Elemental Elves are rare; however, you'll find them in their element. Half-elves can sometimes be mistaken for Nature Elves because of their ears. Nature Elves can communicate with animals, while Avariel Elves have wings."

"Are you sure you're human? I've never met a human that could tell the eight types of Elves at the top of their head."

"Um.. Not that I know of. Then again, I've never seen my birth certificate, so who knows?" I answer honestly.

"Questions?"

"No, do you?"

"How much room is in your bag?"

"It's a bottomless bag. Why?"

"I have a skateboard that I want to bring so Jessy can have something to do if I'm in class," I explain.

"Do you have a suitcase?"

"No, I have a chest full of clothes," I reply while we head towards my room.

Once in, I point to the chest; it changes into a suitcase before my eyes; the experience of seeing magic performed by another who isn't a witch is completely different from when Miss Karmay uses hers. Then he disappears, just leaving behind smoke. I took my board and sneakers and put them on the bed; then, I walked to Jessy's room and grabbed her shoes and any other items she might need/want on the plane before returning to my room. I place the rest of the items on the bed, then head over to my old high school backpack. With everything assembled, put it by the front door with Jessy's bag and mine, so when it's time to leave, we'll have plenty of time to get there- once my head hits the pillow, I'm out.

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The blaring sound of my phone's alarm wakes me from a deep sleep as I lift my tired body off my bed and slowly drag my feet to my bathroom. I splash myself with water, waking me up more before going to Jessy's room. With ease, I lift her as she continues to sleep; we make it to the front door, where everyone is waiting with no bags in sight. Walking to the bowl by the small table behind the couch just a few feet from the door, where I put my keys in, then tossed it to Mr. Sapping. Miss Sullivan and Miss Karmay are in the front seats, while Mr. Slender is in the back with all the bags. I offered him an apologetic smile as he tilted his body backward so he could fit somewhat.

That was until Miss Karmay used magic, which gave the van more space in the back; I buckled Jessy in the middle before climbing into the right seat and doing the same with myself- not even two minutes passed when Mr. Sapping came jogging down towards the van. He passes the key over, to which I give a small thanks, as Mr. Slender hands over my backpack and two bags containing snacks for Jessy and me, with drinks and other snacks. I failed to notice an extra bag within the backpack.

"As you noticed, those two bags are your snacks; however, the second bag deals with only Jessy's and your favorite snacks. When you get low, it'll automatically refill, so you'll never run out. Oh, and no one but you and Jessy can get in," Mr. Slender explains.

Then he grabs another bag and hands it over, taking a quick look inside and noticing potions before closing it and putting it into the backpack.

"Inside the bag, you have three shrinkage potions and three anti-nausea pills- you'll need to give with a full stomach. Just in case Jessy gets airsick."

"Why the shrinking potions?" I ask.

"You never know when you're going to need it," he shrugs.

We reach the docks used for the shopping center, waving to the dock crew as we board the ferry to the mainland, shifting Jessy higher as she slips a bit. Knowing I won't be able to hold her the whole ride to the mainland, I glance around to see if there is anything that I could use to help when I spot a box. Speed walking to the box, I gently place her down while leaning her head towards my shoulder as Jessy sleeps. I take out my phone with empty hands, seeing as it's 11, before putting it on airplane mode. The boat begins to move as I stare into the dark water; with a quiet shuffle beside us, I tilt my head to see Mr. Sapping. With a smile, I angle my body towards him while ensuring Jessy is still comfortable.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Not at all," he says.

"What's the real reason you didn't want to teach Magical Creatures?" I ask while brushing some hair away from Jessy's face.

"Besides the fact, I'm the only potion master on the island," he laughs.

"Yes, besides that," I say, giggling.

"I know you know many things about Magical Creatures. More than I do, and I see how much you enjoy teaching Jessy about those creatures," he states.

With a hum, we reach the mainland, picking her up again as we see Mr. Slender waiting outside a truck. Not dealing with a heartbeat and a sleeping Jessy, I hold her firm in my lap as we drive to the airport. I'm surprised getting to the airport wasn't more packed with traffic. Our quick entry was simply because we did not wish to do anything at the last minute. A quick scan of the flight information display- spotting what I was looking for that we headed in said direction. Since the plane wasn't boarding yet, I woke her up so she could say bye to everyone; she smiled at everyone, and that's when the overhead spoke-

"Flight Wildbolt is now boarding! Head towards gate six!"

"That's us, Jessy," I tell her.