Chapter 33

April 11, 2001 – 12:10

"Technically speaking, I'm an elemental mage. A spirit mage to be precise. Some kind of witch according to uh, human lore."

"A mage? Wait, so a witch and a mage aren't the same thing?"

"Not at all. Most mages find it offensive to be called witches. Personally, I don't really care, even if I don't like the majority of witches. The main differences are in the way we use energy and how we call for it, but I do understand that even within the supernatural world, people don't know the difference between a witch and a mage."

"Daaamn! Wait… can I say that or is damn a word I should avoid using? I'm sorry, I thought I knew all about the supernatural when I found out about werewolves, but clearly, I don't know anything about it. I mean, I will always remember you saving my mom's life a few months ago, but this explains so, so much. Can you fight like that because of what you are or it's a skill you developed?"

Coralis wanted to laugh over the damn comment, but she couldn't. The waiter came with their order, and she sighed when he left. She decided to look at it as a practice for when she'd have to reveal to Frank what she truly was. Stephanie already knew about the werewolves, which made it easier for her to explain what she was. Her boss vouched for her, so she wouldn't be in trouble for revealing to her anything about her world.

"Don't worry about it, you can still use the word damn… although some families of coven witches might confuse it for a compliment. As for my combat skills… no… mages don't typically fight like that. Let's just say that my parents' past has a lot to do with it. Hmm, I don't mind you knowing about it, but uh, just in case the day comes where I have to tell it all to your brother, I don't want him to be mad if you knew all about it when he didn't."

"Fair! I guess this just shows how much you're a keeper despite of what you are. I mean, I know very well how werewolves aren't as scary as what fairy tales want us, humans, to believe. Shit… and now I realize how much everything we think we know about fairy tales is a lie… or is it? Anyway, I don't care about what you are, I do, but not really. I still think you're good for my brother and I don't wanna see him leaving you just because of what you are… does that make sense?"

"I get what you are saying. As far as your brother is concerned, it's not about how much we like each other. I like him, I really do, and I'm glad that you understand why I can't talk to him about what I do and what I am, at least not yet. However… I do have a phone book full of enemies… I also need to protect him from them."

Stephanie looked at her food. She was hungry, but was too lost in her mind to be able to eat anything. Coralis ate half of her plate and was toying with the remaining of her pasta. She was glad that Stephanie understood and wasn't mad at her, but couldn't help herself from wondering if it be better if she ended things with Frank.

"Well… your secret is safe with me," said Stephanie, swirling her fork between her fingers, while keeping its pointy ends in the noodles, "but I need to know: how do I need to call you? Is your name actually Coralis, or Blue Thunder? And what exactly can you do? Can you fully change into an animal or only partially? If so, which one? Jessica doesn't know what you are exactly, she can't pinpoint your smell, but Clarissa thought you might be werepanther."

"Aight, one question at a time," said Coralis. She couldn't help to laugh at Stephanie's series of questions, hoping it'd be that easy when she'd had to reveal herself to Frank. "How to call me entirely depends on who you're talking to: to your family, or any humans, keep calling me Coralis, which is actually my civil name. I omitted a lot when talking about myself or my past, but I never lied about it. Anything non-human, well, they would know me as Blue Thunder, so keep it that way," said Coralis.

Coralis looked around for a waiter. She saw one, and waved at him when he looked her way. She ordered a drink for her and Stephanie, and asked for a take-out container, just in case they had to leave before her companion finished her food. 

"May I ask why?"

"You can, but I won't answer you just yet. It's one of these things that your brother should know first, if it gets to that point. If we end up splitting up, then sure, I'll answer you about all that you want to know about, uh, some aspect of myself. As for your other questions… I don't think we have enough time now to be able to explain what I can actually do and how, and yes, I can fully transform into an animal if I want to. I can shift into a panther, or a mini-version of it… which looks like a black cat."

"You being able to only turn your arm into a paw, is it because of what you are? Or is it because of your bloodline? Clarissa thought that you could be from an ancient bloodline of werepanther, she couldn't smell wolf on you and Jessica said you had a very unique scent. I'm sorry if I'm not making sense right now," said Stephanie, before she finally took a bite of her food.

"Some bloodlines of shifters do have full control over their shift, it depends on how close a family is to their gods and goddesses, and yes, in my case, I can partially shift because of what I am. However, not all mages can transform into something else, and some elementals can transform into elements. It's a skill to develop."

"What do you mean by transforming into an element? You said that you're an elemental mage, so that means that there are other types of elementals? Just like there are many types of shifters, and not just werewolves?"

"Some can transform into a wind, or something that looks like a shadow. It's typically a skill that some fays may develop over time. Fays, elves, pixies and djinns are also considered elemental beings. The smell you mentioned earlier, comes from our essence, the type of elemental energy that our aura is made of. I am a spirit mage, but my bloodline isn't pure, from what I was told. My mother was a water mage, but people don't sense that in my essence. I don't know what else there is in my bloodline, but I am aware that it gives me a very unique scent."

"My brother said that you were working two full-time jobs, and I remember you mentioning that the night my family met you. Now I know that you work for the CMMA, but what else do you do?"

"I don't actually work for the CMMA: I am attached to a different agency, one that is based in Europe. Believe it or not, and I'm not supposed to be telling you that, but Eva and I are technically apprentices. We've been partnering up for quite some time and our respective agencies want to keep it that way for now. My other job is my main one."

Coralis started to explain to Stephanie what flyball was. Stephanie was fascinated. She was looking forward the day when Coralis would tell her brother Frank about that world: she wanted to watch a flyball game, but wanted to do that with her brother.

Coralis' pager went off, as she was talking about when she started playing the game. She looked at it and cursed. 

"We have to go back, now."