Thank you so much to my very encouraging reviews--you made my day. Again, I unfortunately was not the brilliant mind who created Morgan, Hunter, and crew, all that credit goes to the wonderful Cate.

August 17, 2003

It is a truly amazing feat that I have not killed myself. These idiots I'm forced to work with. Spending their days explaining to anyone within earshot how strong they once were. Especially that new one. If they were so bloody strong they wouldn't be in this predicament, would they? I use my power around them to taunt them. They get so angry I want to laugh at them-- their anger can't touch me. Especially that new one. I'm having fun with that one. -KL

Weird singing. Jeeze, what is that? Doesn't even sound like English. Wait-- it's not English.

It took me a few minutes the next morning to remember where I was; and why my back hurt so much. I disdainfully pried one eye open and searched for the numbers on my alarm clock. Ahhh! That couldn't be right. I don't wake up that early. I wondered idly if my new room infester would mind terribly if I told her to shut her bloody mouth up and go back to sleep.

I smiled at the last part. More Hunter rubbing off on me. (Of coarse then that pictured Hunter literally rubbing me…) Five days. I could make it.

"Hmm, good dream?"

Oh no. Tell me she's not standing over me. Oh I can't do this. I need my own room. Again I opened my lashes. Oh, Goddess. She's right there. What posses this devil child

I threw my feet over the side of the bed and got into a standing position. I silently scolded myself to be nice. It's not her fault she's foreign and knows nothing about the glorious wonders of sleep.

"Hiya Marie. I see your up early." I mumbled, trying o insert a perky note into it. I failed.

"Bof. This, this is not early."

"It is 5:43 Marie." I fumbled through one of my bags.

"Oui. The sun rose hours ago."

It tried to mentally black her out of my mind as I desperately clutched my coke can, ransacking my brain, trying to remember how you open it. Ahh yes. There we go. I gulped a revitalizing sip, then tore into my Poptarts.

"Breakfast is in twenty minutes."

"No." I said numbly, dumbfounded. I was so not waking up by six everyday.

"Oui. I agree. I don't know why they wait so long."

I shook my head to clear it before I returned to demolishing my healthy breakfast.

Two hours and two meals latter, I must admit, I was a lot better. I no longer wanted to strangle my new "copain". I was even fairly content with listening to her beautiful city in France. It beat trying to tell her about what I've been doing the last year or so. She told me all about her four years of college at some notorious French academy, and how happy she was to be accepted here after all that work.

"Oh! Tatiana!" Marie exclaimed excitedly as she dragged me into the main room I had walked into yesterday.

A tall girl sat curled up on one of the couches. Her black hair streamed over her shoulder as she sat engrossed in a huge book. She looked up at her name and quickly brushed the book aside and stood. She was imposingly tall, with perfectly fitted designer close around a body even Bree would get jealous of. Her thick lips rose into a smile.

"Marie." They kissed each others cheeks. "I look around today, and I don't see vou. I thought vou had died. What kept you? Are we not to have a circle today?" Her heavy Russian voice seemed to cut through the musty room.

"No, no. I was showing Morgan around this place. She is my new room mate."

"Oh I see. Vou join us?"

A chance to practice magic with two well versed witches? Oh yea. Tatiana cast a circle which we stepped inside of.

"I found this studying charm I think would be useful." Tatiana said and drew three small pieces of quartz out of her pocket. "Place your stone in front of vou then hold hands."

The three of us did, all sitting down knee to knee, and I grasped their hands. She instructed us to repeat her after she finished reciting the spell the first time, then finish with the words 'So mote it be'.

My magiks strong and my powers true

But I could still use a little help from you

Fill this stone with knowledge pure

So when I touch it I am sure

I can remember every fact I learn

To use it latter for every life's turn

She recited the spell first and Marie and I both had no trouble picking up the words. We all repeated it together, then stood up and started walking clockwise. It was amazing. I had done circles with other blood witches before, but this was so intense. It reminded me of my first time with magik. It was a whole new experience. It was only a small, simple spell, but I could feel so much power. We eventually lifted out arms up, then down whispering 'so mote it be'. I had no doubt that each of our little stones would do its little trick. As we cleaned up, a man walked into the room.

"Well, well. Finally I catch some new faces. I was beginning to think all of our new practitioners were going to hide and stay away until the last possible moment. Welcome back Tatiana."

"Professor Klume." Tatiana greeted.

"I trust you had a good summer."

"Yes. I enjoyed being home."

"Good, good. And to whom am I having the pleasure of meeting?"

"Marie Angeo."

"Morgan Rowlands."

"Well, its definitely a pleasure to meet you both. I was once taught be Elisabeth Wildon. She's an incredibly gifted instructor, and I've never heard her talk so highly about one of her students." He laughed. "Which of coarse delights me because I teach Astral Travel. I daresay that was your main focus?"

"Oui."

"Very exciting. And Morgan Rowlands. Your name has certainly come up a few times. I have done some work for the Council. They are most impressed by you-- and trust me, that's not an easy task to accomplish.

What was I supposed to say to that? "Thanks."

"It's great to meet you both. Come, lets talk over lunch.:

By the end of the magnificent 'croque-monsuer' lunch I really decided I liked the easygoing young Phillip Klume. It was my first time trying the sandwich combination of high calorie homemade bread, Swiss cheese, and ham. I loved it. And I was very excited to try this Astral Travel the three of them were talking about. Apparently you can "leave your body" and watch things from your past, and even if you get really good, things from your future. IT sounded very interesting. Apparently Marie was very good at it too.

I basically spent the rest of the day unpacking, organizing my stuff, and hanging up some posters and pictures. I was more then once tempted to call Hunter, but refrained myself. He didn't need me calling him twenty-four seven. I ended up deciding to write my parents a letter. I took out my brand new stationary set Sharon had given to me before I left, and the set of gel pens Bree had dished out to me, and started writing.

I wrote about the very entertaining flight and how "picture pefect" Scotland was. I tried to focus on every non-magikal, very normal aspect of this whole experience. I talked about the people I had met and everything I deemed safe. Afterwards, Marie wanted to sleep, and I was steadily getting more tired, so I decided to turn in also.