Hey, guys.
Don't be surprised if it's not until Friday or Saturday when I post a new chapter to any of my stories. I have a science and a huge English test tomorrow, a test in history on Friday, and a choir performance Saturday morning at the elementary school during our school pride day, and I'm meeting up with an old friend afterwards.
So...yeah.

Chapter Two-

Thunk!
Lena abruptly opened her eyes. Damn potholes.
"Slow it down, old man- precious little Lena might get head trauma." joked Ridley.
Macon didn't say anything, but Lena guessed he had given her a sideways glare.
"I'm awake, you know."
"Oh, great. You didn't have a concussion and die." her cousin sneered.
"So- where are we going again?" Lena said, ignoring Ridley's snark remark.

"My cousin Sirius's house. You remember Riley from the family reunion,correct?" inquired Macon.
"The sweet little blond who people think is adopted because she hasn't shown any caster powers yet? Yeah, we talked for a little bit, but not long."
"Sirius is Riley's father."
Lena nodded. "Go on"
"Sirius is a dark caster, and he is a shape-shifter."
"Like Larkin was?"
"Not really. Larkin could create illusions, but Sirius can alter his physical appearance in almost any way 's mother -Sirius's wife- Celest, is a light caster. She is a very powerful Telepath like myself, only unlike myself, she can only read mind and do basic casting. She cannot conjure light or anything like that."
"It seems the Ravenwood's have a lot of relationships with light and dark casters together."
"Not really" Ridley butted in "The only others are Cyrus and Narissa, and they're only family friends."
"Oh." Lena said "Anyway- is Riley really adopted?"
"No." Macon replied sternly. "I was there when she was born. Me and Sirius were very close way back when. She's Celest's daughter for sure."
"Then why has she not shown any signs of caster abilities?"
"Some of us think it's because she is the offspring of light and dark casters, and some genetic issues with that. But there is also Luna, who appears to be a promising caster soon, even though she isn't biologically related to them as offspring."
"Luna? Like the blue horse in My Little Pony?" Ridley added, throwing an inside joke at her uncle. Oh, he will never live that down.

"No." Macon said, nearing more forested areas of the smaller, even more deserted highway. "Most casters send their children to be raised by a relative so when they are claimed, the parents will not be as emotionally distraught. No one knows who Luna's parents are -or were-, but she is somehow definitely a Ravenwood. She turns sixteen while we're here."
"Bet you five dollars she turns light." Said Ridley flatly. "Luna was always a goodie-two-shoes when I saw her. But heck, that was over seven years ago."

They had just gotten off the highway, passing a mile of all auto dealers and fast-food chains, eventually passing a large hospital, some doctor's offices, and lastly a Catholic prep school and a very large cemetery right across from it. After going through a four-way intersection, they had now entered a small neighborhood of houses that were either run-down, or made for businesses.
It was only two blocks of the buildings, until the hit the center of it all. It was a gleaming town square, christmas lights hanging in a few of the trees in the area of beautifully manicured park that surrounded a majestic gazebo in the center, which was all corralled in by roads, which had a church, a courthouse, and a very large three-story library on one side, and stores put into old-fashioned buildings on all the other three.
Macon pulled into the square from the side road between the courthouse and the library.
As they stopped at a red light -which was completely unnecessary due to the fact they appeared to be the only ones on the road at that hour- Lena read a medium-sized sing on a pole. It was a brown bronze shade, shaped like the state of Ohio itself with a gold outline and the words printed on it in an even more gleaming gold script.

Medina County, Ohio
Founded 1818
Home of A.I. Root candles
Voted #40 on CNN'S Most Desirable Cities to Live in

"Good old Medina." said Macon as the light turned green and he drove the car past the sign.
"Good ol' Medina, eh?" exclaimed Ridley, pointing at various shops that had closed a few hours ago. "Since when was there a frozen yogurt place, cheap overflow merch store, and a fancy asian restaurant?"
"Well, besides that-"
"Don't kid, Macon. Everything changes. There are probably things in the most random places now."

They eventually hit scenic farmland, a few deer scurrying across the wide fields enclosing the road. The clouds had been swept away by wind, and the azure midnight sky was now back. The stars glittered like diamonds, and the crescent moon glowed gleefully, as if even they were glad she was coming -if a gigantic ball of space rock and giant balls of burning gas had emotions-.
She yawned, now looking out at a few moving blobs nearby. A herd of deer. A buck, a doe, and a little fawn. They naturally began to nervously walk in slow-motion across the road.
"Uncle M-" before she could finish the sentence, a flash of golden brown went in front of the car, the deer prancing away in fear. Her uncle stepped on the brake, a deafening screech coming from the tires as the car jerked, sending Lena flying the the ground of the vehicle.
"What was that?!" said Lena, pulling herself up using the headrest of Macon's seat.
Using a simple cast, Macon opened the door on the back left side, a large Golden Retriever in a hot fuschia collar awkwardly jumping in onto Lena, licking her face lovingly, the big brown eyes looking at her.

"That, Lena- was Princess Grace of Lester. Otherwise known as Gracie. Our scatterbrained canine caster welcoming committee"

Yes, Gracie was real. Sorry- is real.

Yes, she was a dumb-as-crap golden retriever. Yes, her real name on her birth certificate was Princess Grace of Lester (not our idea, the kennel or whoever did it made it. We chose the first name). I had to say goodbye to her in October, and unless she miraculously found a way to die (She's 9 and acts like she's a puppy), she lives a few counties over with this nice retired couple that our groomer found. I just found a really old picture of her and I decided that she needed to be in this. The fields of Ohio were her home. I miss her sometimes.
Okay, I'll shut up now.