AN: I know! What am I doing writing new fanfic when I have two others that need tending to? Well, all I can say is that I'm almost done writing the update for TLS. Don't kill me!

Enjoy.

The trees were so tall...looking up it was hard to see the sky through them. The path that she was walking on felt somehow familiar. Which was impossible since Zuri was quite certain that this place either didn't exist or she hadn't been to it. Nonetheless she continued walking, she really didn't have a choice in the matter. The path that she was walking had already been chosen. The farther that she walked the closer she had gotten to the end. Traveling through the woods more she saw something. A simply flower stood in the middle of the path. It had not yet bloomed, and for that reason Zuri was grateful. She wasn't ready. This flower, so unassuming, was the key to her life…and death. She knelt before it and stared down it. How she wished she could just rip it out, this torturous reminder. Zuri reached out to do just that when a loud, low howl rang throughout the trees. She turned her head saw multiple creature come towards her…wolves? One jumped off of the ledge and made its way towards her. She knew that she should've been scared but she couldn't bring herself to do it. It stopped a foot away from her. Zuri slowly retracted her hand and placed it on her lap.

Not yet…

"Miss? Excuse me Miss? It's time for you to get up. The plane is about to land." Zuri woke up with a jolt when she heard the flight attendant speaking to her. The woman looked slightly unnerved speaking to her, although she tried her best to be cordial. Zuri supposed that she couldn't really blame her. She was an interesting sight, and that was Half of her hair was cut off and she a good number of piercings. Two snake bites…an eyebrow piercing, and multiple ear piercings to boot. Not in the mood to talk she lifted her head slightly and gave the woman a silent nod. 10 hours, that was how long it took for her to make her way from England to the United States. Zuri stretched as much as she could in her seat. Feeling the tension in her legs from sitting so long warned her of what was to come they did land. Yeah…she was definitely not going to look forward to standing up.

It would've been so much easier if she were allowed to use magic. She could've been able to meet up with the woman her father had contacted to play guardian during her stay in America and unpacked. But no, he didn't want to risk it. Not when their current friend was probably watching their every move. Zuri unconsciously rubbed the back of her neck. No, she didn't want to think about it. She was in California for a reason and she didn't want it ruined by thoughts of the past year.

[Ladies and Gentlemen, if you would please fasten your seatbelts the plane is about to land. When we do make a complete stop please check for all valuables and we hope that will see you again on Heathrow Air.]

" Doubt that very much…" Zuri muttered to herself, she straightened her jacket and checked her watch. The woman picking her up should be waiting at the airport by now. All she would have to do to is get through customs and pick up her things from the luggage trolley. Shouldn't be too bad, right?

Customs can kiss my arse, Zuri thought angrily as she finished putting on her leather jacket. She hated airports; she hated being thought of as a suspicious character just because of the way she looked. A brown chick with piercings and un-uniform hair cut should not constitute a full body search. She was technically a dual citizen right? Her mum was an American, damn it! Not like she would admit that she had a daughter but still…Zuri let out an aggravated sigh and went to the luggage trolley to pick up her things. This women better be here…that's all I have to say.

Zuri walked to the main gate and saw people names looking to be picked up. She looked for a woman with light brown skin, her father told her look for a woman in her thirties. Way to be descriptive dad…

" Zuri? Zuri Boyd?" She turned her head and saw a young woman. She was certainly young looking. No, way she could be 30. " Hello, I'm Bianca Morrell, your father and I spoke about you coming to stay with me."

" You're not thirty. You can't be thirty, 25 at most." Zuri said in disbelief, it came out of her mouth before she could stop herself. "…Sorry…yes miss I'm Zuri. Thanks for picking me up and letting me stay with yah."

Morrell laughed, " Your welcome, and it's alright I get that quite a lot actually. All I can say is healthy living is major part of it."

" Oh no need to be coy miss. We all know what it actually is. You bath in the blood of virgins. It's alright, it can be our little secret." Morrell shook her head, continuing to smile. This girl was something.

" I'm sure that you tired from your trip. Why don't we get your things into the car and head to my place. The room is all set up. All you have to do is unpack. Oh wait, didn't you bring an…animal with you? Did you pick it up?" Zuri gave her mischievous grin, which made her raise an eyebrow.

" No need Miss, got him right here." She lifted her wrist and showed the school counselor a charm bracelet. The charms themselves represented different animals. They were all silver except for one. It was a canine in appearance but Morrell couldn't completely make it out.

" Zuri…your condition. You know that using…" She got in close and lowered her voice, " magic only speeds up…"

" Look, I know. Really and truly but….I couldn't put him in a crate…I needed him close you see…he helps me keep calm miss." Zuri messed with the backing of one of her snakebites. She knew that shouldn't have done it but, she felt like she needed to do it.

Morrell frowned but the look in her eye made Zuri think that she understood.

" Please…just don't do it again. Your father doesn't want you using magic until he finds…"

" Our dear friend." Zuri muttered bitterly. She shuffled uncomfortably, her duffle suddenly seeming a lot heavier than did before. She broke eye contact with Morrell.

" Can we leave now please?"

" Yeah…let me go get the car." The two women walked out of the airport and towards the parking lot. Morrell took off the car alarm and they both got into the vehicle, before she turned on the ignition Morrell turned and looked at Zuri.

" Zuri…you shouldn't give up hope. Not yet. You still have time. You father—"

"…Has been looking for this fucker for a year now. With no luck or leads…I'm might be young Ms. Morrell but I am far from dumb. I'm not going to try and fool myself into believing that…everything is going end up okay. Why put myself through that? "

Morell turned the ignition, turned on the headlights and began driving out of the parking lot and " You know Zuri…believing isn't that hard when you find a good reason to. Who knows, stranger things have happened in here Beacon Hills."

Zuri decided to let Ms. Morrell have it; she was too tired to argue. Instead she decided to stare out of the car window, she really didn't know why given the fact that it was dark out but she rather focus on that than her own thoughts. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day. She was starting at Beacon High…and she was finally going to see her older brother. The last time they were together was she was three. Zuri wondered about how much he had changed. From what she could remember, he was always quiet boy. He always looked after, didn't tease too harshly, and was patient. All these things were a little common for a boy that age but Vernon was always special like that. After their parents divorce, Vernon had gone back to the United States with their mom and she had stayed with their father. Zuri was never quite sure of the cause to their break up all that knew was that she hoped one day they could sort everything out. Be a proper family again. She was pretty sure that her dad still loved mum. He never took off his wedding ring. Sure, he would go out with an occasional random but he always seemed to come back to thinking of her.

Fuck, what she wouldn't give for her life to be different. Just a few tweaks were all she wanted, nothing exceptional. Was that too much to ask for? According to her run of recent luck, it probably was. When they got to the house, Zuri followed her new guardian to her would be room.

"I'll leave you to unpack and stuff. I'm just down the hall if you need anything. Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"

" No….thanks…I think I'll just change into my pajamas and head off to bed."

" Oh, okay. Well, good night Zuri. I'll see you in the morning. Try and be excited for tomorrow, alright? Things seem better when you have a positive outlook."

" Right…well…goodnight." Morrell closed the door fully and Zuri looked around the room. It wasn't bad, just enough room for her to feel comfortable. She set her bags down by the bed and sat on the duvet. Judging by the thread count, Ms. Morrell had some expensive tastes. My kind of girl. Looking down she remembered that she had to release Anselm from the charm bracelet. She took off the charm, threw on the ground and muttered reversing enchantment. Her eyes flashed a blue color and the magic was done.

The little charm started to shake violently as it grew larger. Soon a fully living animal came into being. Zuri bid him to come closer; the unusual creature that had seemed canine in looks soon transformed itself into a feline. He jumped onto her lap and began to purr. How cliché it was, a young witch with a black cat. Anselm was not an ordinary creature, not by a long shot. He was a part of her being. A daemon. He changed shape as quickly and as fluidly as she changed her mind. Normally, a daemon's form settles after certain period of time, usually around the teenage years, but for some reason Anselm never did.

" I had thought you had forgotten about me…" The voice was distinctly male, it was soothing to the ear and it made her smile. Zuri stroked the daemons fur gently.

" Never, Anselm you know we have to be careful. It's not exactly common place to talk non-humans." Anselm purred loudly when she scratched behind his ear. He turned on his back so that Zuri would scratch his stomach.

" Amet never believe what is right in front of them. It is their folly…as well as their saving grace."

" Hm…I probably should get some sleep…or at least attempt to." Sleep had never come easily for the young witch, and it only seemed to worsen with the recent happening. Zuri put Anselm on her bed and went to dig out her nightclothes from her duffle. She went into the bathroom and washed her face of her make up and took of her facial jewelry.

" I will guard you in dreams as I do in your waking…" Anselm moved so that she could get under the covers.

" You know…I might have to demote you from dream detail. You've been slacking Anselm." She was teasing of course. Anselm was probably one of the sole reasons that she could sleep at all.

" You wouldn't." Anselm huffed.

" Might have to audition…post flyers. Put ads in the local paper and what not."

" You could never find better. Also, posters? Are you secretly technologically inept Zuri? Could've fooled me with as much time you've spent on that Mac of yours."

" Ooh, someone brought their A-game tonight. I only tease Anselm, your irreplaceable to me…you know that. When and if I-"

" We shall not talk of it…until it happens. And if the day does come…I will follow. You know that daemons cannot survive without their human counter parts…you will not be alone Zuri, I promise you that."

She could feel herself tear up a little, " I love you Anselm…"

Anselm chuckled; he moved closer to her rubbed his head against her hand,

" Don't get all mushy on me now. You'll lose credibility."

" Anselm…"

" I love you as well, Zuri. But you already knew that."

" Good night Anselm."

" Sweet dreams, little witch."