"Eh, fair enough. Where's the nearest bookstore, and should I dress up in the getup and pretend I'm a witch?"

"Nearest bookstore is in a little town fifteen miles that way," says Isabella, pointing north while her mother takes off, "I don't have any spare silk around, and I'm not sure how well you could pass for a witch unless you have a copy of Adarin's translation spell on to speak, oh, any Earthly language ever. I'm starting to think you should hitch a ride with Ranata and see if you can convince our queen to adopt you."

"Translation spell I'll take in a heartbeat. But convincing a queen to adopt me? What would I be adopted into? Honorary witchdom?"

"Backup for your story if you claim to be a witch. Someplace both wildernessy and safe to crash. A cultural example to imitate so you don't - I don't know, remark on expecting to die of old age or mention the possibility that your daemon could have been a sardine. You'd need a little wrist tattoo -" Isabella points at hers. "And then you'd be covered by whole-clan deals with store chains and such. MOM, COME BACK!" she hollers.

Ranata loops back. "What is it?"

"Hmm. Well, what happens if they want me to prove it? 'Cause I've got magic, but I don't think it's the kind they think it is."

"We're talking about Zeviana doing witch drag, Mom," says Isabella. "I think you could fake a simple demo spell, just speak a verse while you do it - you probably can't duplicate the effects of disappearing runes or herbs, though. People don't usually insist on seeing complicated magic. Can you fake the cloud-pine?"

"Yeah, I can. This is sounding kind of fun. Would they ask me to do stuff, or would it just be, 'Show up at the parties' or something?"

"The queen? We have a fairly reasonable queen, you might have to do some offworld magic for the clan but nothing arduous. There aren't really parties."

"Well I could probably just say, 'Hey, I've got new magic, I want to join you, take me in' and not bother with all of that crap at all. I mean like, how willing are you to lie to your queen?"

"For your convenience? Not."

"Thaanks. So honesty's gonna be the best policy? Fessing up to not being witchy at all from the get go?"

"If you want to interact with the clan, yes. If you'd rather wander off into the wilds of Wyoming, find a bit of national park no one is using, and make a new plant maze, there's no reason the queen needs to learn you exist at this juncture."

"Hmmmm," she says, thinking. "On one hand, hot powerful magic witches. On the other hand, annoying."

"I'm so glad your priorities are in order," says Adarin.

"Yup. Eh, I'll talk to witch queen. If it doesn't seem like my kind of thing I'll just ditch and run off to the wilderness. Make another maze."

"Mom, can you handle - quiet introductions? New exciting magic, adopt-a-witch, by the way not technically a witch, other world, hush-hush?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Yay! I get to be a not-witch. This'll definitely be fun."

"That fills me with fear and concern, you realize."

"So just about normal for you! Have fun, I'm going running off with hot witches!"

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea," mutters Isabella under her breath.

Ranata shrugs and invites Zeviana onto her cloudpine. "Mind you find a way to sit so I'm not liable to touch your daemon by accident. I doubt she can keep up with the branch," she says.