They didn't know it but I could see their souls through their eyes.

As I glanced at each of my classmates while I walked to my desk, I caught glimpses of their secrets and thoughts-- 'One more hour and we're off for Christmas' was what I got from most of those who looked up at me in greeting.

Smiling, I sat down, unzipped my bag and took my books out. Luckily I could only read their thoughts when our eyes met. Sitting at the back of the class was the only way for me to concentrate on lessons.

I watched the teacher entering the class seconds later, scribbling away on the board immediately. As if she really believed that anyone would listen to her today, the last day before the holidays. It had been snowing the whole morning and the thoughts I read in the several pairs of eyes that failed to stay focused on the teacher and strolled around the class instead, before settling on the snow-choked window, were about a snowball fight.

For a long time I had thought that my ability was quite normal, that everyone could do what I did. When I understood it wasn't, I did not say anything to anyone, scared that they would not believe me, that they would find me strange. But I often wondered if Mum had the same gift-- her way of guessing my moods and hinting at my secrets was... annoying.

I should try to talk to her when she comes back, I mused, sighing, attracting the teacher's attention.

"Tajana, do I bore you?" she asked, making everyone turn around and look at me, giggling.

I covered my face with my hands-- I hated when this happened. The sudden onrush of different thoughts was overwhelming.

Taking my behaviour for embarrassment, some of them laughed.

"Silence please." The teacher admonished. "Try to pay attention, Tajana. All of this will appear in the test, after the holidays. I expect all of you to be well prepared, you'll have more than enough time to study."

The teacher's voice faded into the background as she started writing again, and my thoughts strolled back to Mum. She was a scientist, often out of town on research trips. She and Dad divorced years ago. When I was younger, I used to spend the weeks when Mum was not around with him. That was before Dad remarried and had other children. Whenever I stayed over lately I felt... not exactly unwelcome, just extra. I did not fit with his new family, so this time I put my foot down-- I would spend Christmas with my friends, rather than with Dad and my step family.

"So what time shall we come?" Linda, my best friend, sat on my desk even before the bell stopped ringing.

"We?" I asked, collecting my things, then pushing the chair back and standing up.

"You did not expect me to come alone, knowing your Dylan is coming, too? I'm bringing Josh." she said as we left the class and walked towards the lockers.

A quick glance in her chocolate-brown eyes showed me again how much she cared about Josh.

"Of course you are." I smiled at her. "You can come whenever you want."

"Great. I'll leave you two alone now." Linda said, trying to suppress a laughter, even as an arm wrapped itself around my waist from behind, making me jump.

"Dylan!" I called in pretend anger, but smiled when a look in his grey eyes showed me just how much he had missed me.

We paused shortly by the lockers to grab our jackets, then rushed outside into the snowfall and ran across the parking lot to his car.

"Don't you need to go home first?" I asked him when he took the left turn on the traffic lights.

"I packed this morning, when I saw all that snow. The less we drive around the better. And you wouldn't want to meet my parents today-- they are still not convinced about this idea. I had to promise them..."

I read what he had to promise to appease his parents in his eyes when he glanced at me quickly. Being only seventeen was not always easy.

"That's fine. I don't mind." I said, forgetting that he didn't know I could read his mind. Until now... But I've been meaning to tell him anyway; not telling him felt like cheating. "We will only spend one night in my house, with Linda and Josh. Then we will move to your place until Mum returns, so they can keep an eye on us." I continued, hoping he would gather it himself.

"Wow, that's impressive. You know them better than I do." He grinned.

I sighed. I'd have to explain. "I don't know them better. But... I can read your thoughts."

"Here we are." Dylan said as he pulled up in front of my house. "Wait, what did you say?"

"I... can read peoples' minds, see into their souls." I said, getting out of the car.

My voice, despite the thick layer of snow that seemed to muffle all sounds coming from the town spreading around us, was still loud enough to reach Linda and Josh's ears. They were already waiting for us by my front door.

"You can... do what?" Linda asked.

"That's... cool. How does it work?" Josh enquired.

"Are... are you serious?" Dylan mumbled, apparently the only person really surprised by my confession. "All my thoughts?"

"Yes, but only when I look into your eyes."

"Mine too?" Linda asked, walking inside the house the moment I unlocked the door, feeling at home.

"Everyone's," I confirmed, smiling, as I patted Muffin, who jumped at me from the semi-darkness filling the house, on the head. My faithful, inseparable Saint Bernard was always overjoyed when I returned home.

Leaving our bags and coats in the hall, we continued into the lounge.

Dylan sat on the sofa and pulled me next to him, wrapping his arms around me. Muffin followed us, resting his large head in my lap.

"How did you find out?" Linda, sitting in an armchair squeezed next to Josh asked.

"I... always had this gift. I just thought that everyone could do that." I shrugged.

Josh cleared his throat. "You know what some say about your mum, don't you?"

"Josh stop..." Linda told him, but I was curious.

"I don't." I said, waiting for him to continue.

"I swear I didn't know either until I met him." Linda said.

"It's just silly gossip." Dylan added.

What were they talking about? I mused, even as Josh said, "People say that your mum is a witch, and that's why your parents divorced."

"Josh!" Linda called.

"It would... sort of make sense though..." I mumbled, trying to follow the confused stream of memories my mind played in front of my eyes.

"What do you mean? It's just an urban legend." Dylan said, pulling me closer and kissing me on top of my head.

"What if it's not? I have had Muffin ever since I remember, he doesn't seem to age..."

"Your mum looks incredibly young, too." Linda interrupted me.

I pushed through all the strange images my mind kept producing, choosing one.

"Many times Mum took me to the park when I was small. I was not allowed to play with the other children though, she made me sit on a bench with an ice cream and Muffin next to me as my guard, and vanished somewhere... into an old cabin at the end of the park, where the forest starts. How did I not remember this before?"

"Let's go." Linda said even as I stood up.

"Where?" The boys asked in unison.

"I need to see the cabin." I said, heading out of the room.

It didn't take us long to reach the town's largest park. As we followed a stream running parallel to one of the paths we left the noise of the town behind us. Soon, the soft gurgling of water, flapping wings of ducks and swans gliding across a nearby pond, and the echo of our footfalls muffled by the snow were the only sounds we could hear.

None of us spoke until we reached the cabin perched on the outskirt of the forest.

"Wow. I've never noticed this place before. What do we do now?" Linda asked.

"Go in." I said.

Holding hands, Dylan and I approached the ancient-looking building and I reached for the door handle. The moment I touched it we found ourselves on the other side of the door-- just the two of us.

"Wow." Dylan said, his eyes strolling around the candle-lit room, which looked a lot like an alchemist's laboratory, or a witch's den. "Tajana, no matter what happens now... I love you." He said looking into my eyes.

"I love you too." I said, pulling him down for a kiss.

A loud popping sound disturbed us moments later.

"Tajana Rose, you did not tell me you had a boyfriend!" Mum called before I could pull away from Dylan.

She stood in front of us in her white lab coat, hands on her hips, one black, long-tipped boot tapping on the dirt floor.

"And you never told me you were a witch, Mum," I said, pointing accusingly at that boot only barely visible beneath the hem of the long black dress she wore under the white coat instead of her usual jeans.

Looking abashed, she pulled me in an embrace, then showed me around the cabin, Dylan strolling behind us quietly.

"What is that place?" I asked, intrigued by a picture placed on top of what looked like a potions cabinet.

"The Petrified Forest, Tajana. Our home..."

"What does it mean?" I asked, studying the tall, grey, rock pillars standing erect like trees turned into stone.

"Our coven comes from there-- most of them are still in that forest, petrified like those trees. It's been years since we, those who escaped, are trying to reverse the awful curse..."

"You are not a scientist." I said, trying to organize my thoughts.

"Not exactly..."

"This is where you disappear when you are 'out of town'..." I nodded towards the picture.

"Yes. We, our coven, have a base in that forest. I usually work from here, only joining the others sometimes. But even when I leave, I pop in here, and at home often-- you didn't think I'd ever leave out of my sight for too long, did you? I don't understand how I failed seeing him around you..." she scowled at Dylan, noticing his arm around my waist.

"We belong together, Mum." I said fiercely. "Am I a witch, too? Is that why I can read people's thoughts?"

"That's only one of many things you can do, Tajana, I'll tell you all after this expedition. You should go now, or your two friends will freeze outside. Do you want me to wipe their memories?" She asked, pulling what looked a lot like a magic wand from the pocket of her coat, her eyes trained on Dylan again.

"No!" I called, standing between them, pushing Dylan out of the door. "One more thing, Mum, it's about Muffin..." I mumbled the moment he was safely out of her reach.

I couldn't shake the feeling that sometimes, when I looked at my Saint Bernard askew, I did not see a huge dog but...

"He is a... dragon really, Tajana. Your familiar."

"Thanks Mum, that... explains... everything, I guess." I said, shutting the door between us, head swimming with all the things I've just learned.

I would definitely have to talk to her the moment she returned...