Ada sprawled on the second bed and fished her phone out of her pocket. Sam was already curled up in their bed, fast asleep. Her sleep mask blocked out the lamplight. She seemed so peaceful. Ada found the contact she was looking for and dialled. Maggie answered on the third ring.

"I've got a bit of a weird one for you," said Ada in a hushed tone.

"Oh? Go on."

"The other day when I was in the astral plane, that being found me again. They found me in the forest and put their hands on my head before I woke up. Since then, I've been able to hear them in my thoughts."

"What?"

"Yeah, they come and go as they please."

"That's not good." Maggie sighed. "What do they want?"

"I don't know, I haven't asked them yet. I thought you might know what to do."

"Not really, I'm afraid. My aunt might, I'll ask her, hold on."

The line went silent, and Ada stared at the ceiling, at the sculpted swirls that whirled out from the light fixture in the centre of the room. She traced the pattern outward until it reached the wall, then back again. Sam's slow breathing marked the passage of time as minutes ticked by.

"Hey, sorry."

"No worries."

"Have you tried talking back to them?"

"Yeah, they can hear me when I speak. I'm not sure about my thoughts, I hope not."

"My aunt says you should try to talk to them. See what they want. She didn't have any suggestions about getting them out of your head, though. Have you tried meditating yet?"

"Not really. I tried a couple of times but not for a while."

"Start meditating, then. Try to close off your aura. Maybe it will make you harder to locate, if they haven't already locked in on you. Maybe you'll lose them if they had."

Ada sighed. "All right, I'll give it a try. I haven't heard from them much today. Should I try to find them in the astral plane?"

"You could, but be careful. We don't know what they are or what they're capable of. They can clearly use magic of some kind if they can track you in your waking life."

A chill slid down her spine. "Got it. I'll keep you posted. Thanks."

"No problem."

They signed off then, and Ada crawled into bed next to Sam, exhaustion weighing her bones. She was asleep in minutes, and soon found herself amongst the soft, swirling clouds of the astral plane. Today they were a soft peach, lapping at her legs in lazy waves. Ada smiled, at once at peace.

Far to her right, so far they were nearly a pinprick, stood another individual. They were swirling their hands over the clouds, working them into small funnels. Ada waved, but they didn't acknowledge her. Shrugging, she made her way forward toward the second plane.

Her progression through the astral plane was steady and practised. She knew these levels like the back of her hand at this point. She knew just where to turn to reach the ocean. Its oppressive silence was foreboding for what was to come. Just over the cliff, she would find herself in the library, at the mercy of whatever that being was.

She was getting pretty good at waking herself up when she wanted to leave the plane. She could only hope that would hold up now, in the face of danger. If not, who knew what could happen to her out there. The whole realm was rather a mystery to Maggie and Collette.

Someday she would explore more of the ocean, and try to find more pathways she could explore. A place that vast had to have more than just the one. That said, it was a pretty daunting place, so she didn't like to spend much time there.

The library, on the other hand, was stunning, and she wished she could explore more of it without the risk of that being finding her there. There was nothing else for it but to confront them. She could only hope it would go all right.

The drop into the library was as jarring as ever. This time, though, Ada landed on her feet and sank into a crouch to absorb the impact. She stayed there, listening for any sign of the being. She was met with nothing but silence.

Ada took a deep breath, rose, then said, "Hello?"

She emerged from the aisle she was in and approached the railing surrounding the marble staircase. The golden surface was smooth and cool under her fingertips. She gazed around in search of any movement, any sign of life. There was none.

"Hello?" she called louder.

"Hello?" said a voice from below.

Ada leaned over the edge and scanned what little she could see of the floors beneath her. A blonde head poked out of a stack across the way, glancing around in search of her voice. A chill went down her spine.

"Up here."

They stepped further into the open, cradling a thick book in one hand, and turned to face her fully. A wide smile split their angular face. At once they snapped the book closed and set it on the floor.

"You've returned."

"You haven't left me much choice."

They made their way for the stairs, and Ada had to resist every instinct to run screaming. Robes swished as they ascended. Their hair was parted perfectly down the middle and fell to mid chin, pin straight and nearly white. Cunning azure eyes never left her.

"What brings you back to my library?"

Ada stood proud in all her nudity. "You. Why are you in my head?"

"It is so dreadfully boring here. You're the first person to come through here in an incredibly long time."

"Why is that?"

"I imagine it is because the library is so hard to find. There are only the two doors here, one in, one out."

"Are you sure it's not because you scare them away?"

They cocked their head to the side. "Why would I scare them?"

"You scare me. You chased me."

"I do apologise, that was never my intention. I am simply bored."

"Am I a toy to you?"

"Not exactly. You intrigue me."

"How so?"

They beckoned Ada along and led the way to a series of benches she hadn't noticed before. They were padded with sleek golden fabric to match the accents around the room. Ada took a cautious seat as far away as she could manage without moving to another bench entirely.

"Your aura, not only is it astoundingly loud, but it's gold."

"So I've been told."

"You don't make any attempt to reign it in, do you?"

"Not as of yet. I only just discovered my power recently."

"Fascinating. And what does gold allow you to do? I've never come across that before."

Ada shrugged. "Luck based magic. I make my own luck, apparently."

"Fascinating," they repeated. "How does that work?"

"I wish I knew. I'm sort of an anomaly." Ada paused, scanning them from head to toe. "So where did you get the robe? I've never seen clothing here before."

"Ah, I made this from the drapes in a mansion plane a good deal of time ago. It seemed fitting."

"Damn. So I'm stuck being naked here, then."

"I'm afraid so, unless you'd like to make some yourself. I can show you how to get there."

"Maybe next time. Look, can you leave my waking mind alone, please? You're making it extremely difficult to function day to day."

They frowned. "But I only just found you."

Ada paused, chewing her thoughts. On one hand, this person, being, could be dangerous. On the other, they had been nothing but civil this entire time, apart from the unceremonious chase the first time they met, and last time. Both times, though, Ada had been completely fine. Maybe trust could be extended. Maybe.

"What if I come back to visit you?"

"Would you?"

"Yes. I can travel here every night if I want. But if I do, I need your help."

The opportunity was too good to pass up. A sentient, civil being that lived in the astral plane, what better guide could there be? She could cover so much more ground with their help.

"Go on."

"I'm looking for someone. Her name is Aria, she's been lost here for a few years now."

"Ah," they sighed, wistful gaze drifting to the light filtering through the skylight. "I see. That is rather troublesome."

"I've been looking for her for weeks now and I've made very little progress. With your help, I'd have a much greater chance of finding her."

"I can try, but I'm not sure how much help I'll be."

"Any help is better than none."

They mulled it over for a time. "I suppose that's fair. You visit me, and we'll look for your friend together."

"Thank you," Ada sighed in relief. "What's your name?"

"You may call me Storm. And yours?"

"Ada."

"Lovely."

"Were you ... I don't know, born here?"

They smiled. "No, I am as much a guest here as you are."

"Really? Where are you from, then?"

"I don't remember anymore. I've been here so long."

Ada nodded, but wasn't sure she believed it. "By the way, what are your pronouns?"

"I've never given it much thought."

"Neutral, then?"

"Sure."

Ada nodded and gazed around the library. Without the threat of this person, or whatever they were, it was quite beautiful and serene. The pressing silence was full of potential. If only she could read what was in those books.

"How do you propose we go about finding her?"

"It would help if I could familiarise myself with her magic, but I imagine that's going to be difficult. Does she have any relatives?"

"Yes, her sister and niece. Both are able to travel to the first plane, but no further."

They nodded slowly. "Perhaps if I met one of them I could search for similar signatures in the ether."

"You could do that?"

"In theory."

"I'll talk to them and see if one of them can join us tomorrow night."

"I won't know when that is. Time is irrelevant here."

"Okay. As much as I don't like it, keep talking to me tomorrow. I'll tell you when I'm going to bed and you can find me on the first plane."

"Which is that one?"

"The one with all the colourful clouds."

"Of course. I'll do my best to be of help, but you must keep coming to visit me. I have so many questions for you."

Questions didn't sound so bad. "Of course." Ada got to her feet then, stretching. She could feel the tug of consciousness on the edges of her mind. "I have to go, I'm about to wake up. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Farewell, young one."

Ada waved as her mind hurtled backward into darkness.

For a long moment, Ada was confused. Nothing looked familiar, and the comforter under her chin was oddly scratchy. She sat up and gazed around. Slowly, familiarity bled back in. They were in their hotel room. The curtains were drawn, so it was impossible to tell the time of day. The alarm clock said it was just after six.

Ada groaned and sank back into her pillow. Sam's place beside her was empty. A moment later, the washroom door opened.

"Good morning," Sam said, smiling as she put up her hair. "Did I wake you?"

"No, but good God it's early."

"Yeah, I couldn't get back to sleep."

"I don't think I can either. Should we find a place for breakfast?"

"Sure. I remember a diner on our way into town, they're probably open."

Ada got out of bed and hopped into the shower, scrubbing away memories of the strange conversation she had had with Storm. She still wasn't certain if Storm was dangerous or not, and she'd rather not find out. If talking with them would appease them, then she would do so until they could find her no longer. Damn it, she would have to start meditating. Maybe Sam could help her with that.

Dressed in her comfiest jeans and a plush hoodie, Ada was as ready for the bitter winter day as she ever would be. They piled into Sam's car and made their way to the diner ten minutes down the road. The city was sleepy, only a few cars out this early. A snow plough was clearing side streets, and they got stuck behind it for a few blocks before finding their turn.

The diner was unremarkable, just a small building on the edge of the highway festooned with Christmas lights. Brilliant light spilled onto the shadowy sidewalk. Delicious aromas welcomed them inside, fresh coffee and bacon. There were a handful of people there already scattered at tables around the room. Sam and Ada took a booth under the window, and a server in a classic blue dress hurried up to serve them coffee and menus.

"I went back to the astral plane last night." Ada dragged her mug over and welcomed the warmth in her cold fingertips.

"In search of Aria?"

"No, in search of that being this time. I talked to them."

"What did they say?" Sam's eyes went wide and she leaned forward on her elbows.

"Lots. Their name is Storm, and they said they're a guest in the astral plane, too. They couldn't remember where they were from, though. I don't know too much about them. But they're going to help me look for Aria."

"Are they going to leave your mind alone?"

"Soon. So long as I keep visiting, they say they'll leave me be."

She smiled. "That's good."

"I was wondering if you could help me learn to meditate? Maggie wants me to start, to close off my aura. If I'm lucky, they won't be able to find me then."

"Of course. It's not hard, really, I can guide you later."

"Great." Ada took a sip. "I'm going back there tonight with Collette, Storm is going to try to memorise her energy signature and use it to search for Aria."

"Do you think it will work?"

"I hope so." In reality, though, she was far from certain. "Are you ready for tonight?"

Sam's gaze dropped to her mug. "I think so. I'm so nervous."

"It'll be fine. She'll turn no problem, and you two will have a nice run together. It'll be fine."

"You're probably right. What if she gets stuck in the change, though?"

"Is that common?"

"No, but it happens."

Their server returned to take their orders then, ending their discussion. Ada asked for the classic breakfast, and Sam ordered a stack of pancakes. Her sweet tooth was uncontrollable. When they were alone again, Ada went on.

"Don't worry about what might happen. You can't control it. If something goes wrong, come get me, I'll be in the car until you give me your signal. I'll do what I can to help."

She nodded, and seemed somewhat bolstered. "You're right. Thank you for doing this."

"I don't mind at all."

Sure, it was risky to be there when they were shifting, especially with a new werewolf to contend with. They knew nothing about how she would behave in her other form. They could only hope she would be tame. Ada was ready regardless. She would wait in the car until Sam appeared, then she would call a cab and head back to the hotel. They were going to shift in the park down the street from Lily's home, not far from the edge of town where they could relocate to the forest when the change was complete.

"She's going to be fine. You'll see."

"I'm sure you're right." Sam smiled over the rim of her mug, her warm eyes lighting up in the way that Ada loved so much.