Author notes : Recommend you read Turbulence Parts I-X first. Reading Change of Course Series is also recommended.

  

Turbulence: The Next Chapter

by

Julie O

  

Chapter One

  

I was actually enjoying being back in college. First, it took my mind off all the problems caused by Keir. Well, that's not exactly true. I would never truly get over the trouble he caused. It was his web of revenge that had changed my life forever.

If it hadn't been for Keir, I would be on some warship troubleshooting a malfunctioning weapon system. But now, I was dealing with life as young woman. Don't get me wrong, it could be much worse. I have many things on my side. While I have a way to go, I really don't mind my new life. I have a loving family, a caring sister from my original family, several great friends, and a very confused boyfriend!

My classes weren't too bad. I was officially a history major, with a minor in pre-law. My boyfriend, Bill, had suggested this. He is an assistant DA, so I followed his advice. My goal is to finish college in less than three years and then go right into law school. One good residual thing about the body swap was that it gave me a higher IQ and better memory; I guess it was due to inheriting some of the original Iona's mind. I had tested out of a few classes, including English Composition. The professor liked my writing, although he stressed that I make too many punctuation and grammar errors. I laugh because I had done the same thing as Roger.

As for getting used to being a woman, that was still a struggle, granted a very interesting one. I knew that I couldn't go back to being a male. First off, my old body was dead and buried. Second, I had changed. Oh, I was basically the same person, but I was no longer Roger. My emotional state had changed and, to be honest, I liked being Iona. I still had much to learn. There was also the added bonus of having magical powers!

This week, I was learning new things about my body. My doctor and friend, Amelia, had suggested that I allow myself to become fertile. Before you get any ideas, I have no intention of becoming pregnant! It is just that Amelia feels I should let my body go through a few months of having a normal menstrual cycle. I agreed, because I figured how bad could it be?

I apologize for everything I ever said about women complaining about their period. I also apologize for any jokes I ever made about it! It's bad enough dealing with tampons and panty-liners, but throw in cramps, water gain, and emotional shifts and I am ready to surrender! Aunt Kayla was sympathetic and very patient with me. I know I am not the first woman to go through this, but it is new to me! On the other hand, my sister, Jenny, is really enjoying my discomfort. She's not being mean and she has given me some good advice, but she does get a laugh out of the irony of her "little sister" dealing with her period!

I was also still living with my Aunt Kayla near the ocean. I loved being around her and, with my powers still developing it was nice to have an expert around. My best friend, Karen, was still recovering from the shooting that had almost killed her. Even with my magical help, she had a long way to go until she would be back in school. Karen wanted to move back here as soon as possible. She loved her family, but she had a life here and I know she missed her boyfriend, Sean. We still planned on getting a place together when she moved back here. Of course, that raised some issues about letting her in on the secret about my powers.

Anyway, back to college. I was doing great in my classes and I was making many new friends. I enjoyed the fact that many people accepted me at face value. They saw a beautiful redheaded woman who was just entering college. However, I wasn't about to play dumb for anyone. I eagerly participated in study groups and class discussions. OK, I may be too eager, but I loved a good intellectual battle. I also love putting some of the more egotistic students in their place.

I would have died from boredom if I had stayed with the standard freshman classes and thankfully my academic adviser, Sharon, had allowed me to take some more interesting classes. She let me sign up for philosophy, European history, and women's studies, in addition to communications. I think she did it to teach me a lesson, thinking I would fall on my sword. I knew I couldn't slack up and my midterm scores were excellent.

"Iona, I know these are just the first exams, but if you keep this up, I will be happy to admit that I was wrong," apologized Sharon with a smile.

I smiled. I really liked her and felt lucky that she was my advisor. I also appreciated that she was willing to admit that she was wrong. My advisor back when I was guy was a total A-HOLE! He treated all students like they were all mindless idiots. Sharon was different, as she treated each student as an individual.

Sharon looked like she was in her thirties She was short and thin, with her blonde hair pulled back by a scrunchie. She was intelligent and funny and I liked her a lot. She was working as an advisor until a teaching position opened up.

"Thanks for approving my schedule," I answered.

"I have seen other students request to take a schedule like yours and fail badly, often ruining their confidence. I must admit that you are the exception," she smiled.

"I promise that I won't slack off. It may have taken me a few years to finally settle down, but I know what I want to do now," I explained.

Back when I enrolled, I had given Sharon a sanitized version of Iona's past. I had to come up with something to explain why I had taken a few years off between high school and college. I left out the part about being under a sex addiction spell!

"If you continue to do this well, I may start telling all freshman to take a few years off before enrolling," she stated.

We both laughed, although, I was laughing at something totally different.

 

"What do you think of Dr. Robinson?" she asked.

Dr. Robinson was my women's studies professor. She was an excellent lecturer and I enjoyed her class a lot. Aunt Kayla had insisted that I take women's studies as a way of "widening my horizons".

"I love her. Thanks for pulling some strings to get me in her class," I exclaimed.

Sharon nodded; she obviously knew what I was referring to. Dr. Robinson's class was always full. The other woman who taught the course had a very different reputation. Dr. Miller was an excellent professor, but she was the poster-child for the angry radical feminist. Her reputation was legendary at State. She didn't seem to like men very much. I wouldn't call it hate, but it seemed a little twisted. Very few men took her classes and those who did regretted it almost immediately. She would make their lives so miserable during class that they dropped out before the first midterm. It was hard to separate fact from fiction in the many stories that I had heard. Legend had it that no male had ever survived the entire course.

Actually, she wasn't much better with the women. I heard stories from women who were verbally abused in her class, just for showing some cleavage. Dr. Miller would berate them for bending to the desires of the male dominated fashion industry.

Having a rare insight into both genders, I found her attitude disturbing. It was stupid to hate an entire group based on the actions of a few. But since I didn't have her, it really wasn't a problem for me.

As Sharon and I talked, I began to feel some discomfort from my period. The cramps were returning for another round of torturing me! I still can't believe I am saying this! Sharon noticed my discomfort.

"Are you OK, Iona?" asked Sharon, with a look of concern on her face.

"Yes, it's just, you know, that time of the month," I answered, slightly embarrassed. I gave her the answer I had heard from my female friends over the years.

She smiled. "I understand; it never comes at a good time."

I couldn't believe I was having this conversation! I made a comment about not having one for a while.

"I know what you are talking about. I went off birth control a while back myself and I had almost forgotten the discomfort. If men had any idea of what we go through, they would be much more sympathetic!" laughed Sharon.

I laughed too, although I was enjoying the joke on a different level.

"Just be careful," warned Sharon. "You are without protection and college is difficult enough for one person!"

"No problem. I have no intention of getting pregnant right now," I answered. I appreciated her concern for me and how easily she accepted me as a young woman. I still had concerns that women would detect my secret.

"No one ever does, Iona," smiled Sharon

I nodded, it was an easier answer than telling her I had magical powers. Also I doubted if Bill was ready to have sex me anyway. He was at least comfortable with kissing me again. It had taken several weeks of being together before he seemed at ease while we made out. I know it must be difficult for him to accept the truth about me. Maybe it would have been easier not to tell him, but that wouldn't be right.

I said goodbye and went to my last class of the day. I made a quick stop in the women's room and then headed to the lecture hall. I loved my philosophy class and even the days when we were in the large lecture hall. Our professor kept everyone on their toes and loved to call on people who were daydreaming.

Professor Gross was the Dennis Leary of philosophy. I always enjoyed Dennis Leary, the sarcastic comedian and Professor Gross had that same sort of edginess during his lectures. I found his class both very entertaining and interesting. He made you think! Okay, I was in the minority in my opinion of him as most students just saw him as the psycho professor from hell!

I was absorbed in his lecture when I felt a strange sensation. It was as if I could detect that someone in the room was in extreme distress. I tried to focus these feelings and detect who it was and why, but I couldn't. I did detect that they were having a huge internal conflict, but that was it. It was strange how I could sense their pain and confusion.

The class ended and I lost the sensation. I would see if I could get it again the next time we were in the lecture hall. I knew that I would have to tell Aunt Kayla about this and I headed home. It was exciting to think that I was developing a new power!

 

Chapter Two

 

I arrived home around 5:00 PM and was surprised to sense that Bill was at my home. The sight of his silver convertible in the driveway confirmed my sensation. My range of detection had increased greatly over the last few weeks. I also felt joy at seeing him.

I walked into the house and was immediately greeted by Tully and Bran. Since I had started classes they hadn't been getting as much attention from me and they let me know it!

"Hi, girls!" I greeted as I dropped to my knees and gave them a welcome chin rub. This would satisfy Bran for now, but not Tully who followed me out to the garden.

Bill and Aunt Kayla were sitting out there with several books and manuscripts surrounding them.

"How were your classes today, Iona?" asked Aunt Kayla.

"Great," I answered

Bill got up and gave me a hug and a kiss. I was so happy for his affection that I didn't mention my discomfort over his hugging me!

"You certainly have the look of a college student!" he laughed.

I was wearing shorts, sandals and a gray college t-shirt. My hair was drawn back into a ponytail.

"Functional, but cute!" I replied.

"I agree with the cute part," he replied, with a smile.

"Compliment accepted!" I smiled. "So, what are you two working on?"

"I am helping Bill learn about our legal system and what constitutes a violation," explained Aunt Kayla.

"I've learned that you have come close to breaking the law a few times," joked Bill to me.

I sat down next to him. "That's true, but I have been cleared!"

My actions with Nick and Keir had come out in Keir's trial. Keir's attorney tried to argue that my actions contributed to Keir's actions. I was admonished for what I did to Nick, but didn't receive any punishment.

I let them get back to work as I prepared dinner. Thanks to Aunt Kayla, I was becoming a pretty good cook. I was also becoming a big fan of the Food Network. My sister, Jenny, and I had even taken to swapping recipes via e-mail.

I was putting together chicken breasts sautéed in wine sauce and some veggies. I got the recipe off the Internet and was hoping that it was as good as it sounded. It was fun and was a nice release from school and my mystic studies.

When everything was ready I went out to the garden. "Dinner's ready," I announced.

"It smells wonderful, my dear," replied Aunt Kayla.

Bill nodded in agreement.

I was always a bit apprehensive whenever anyone first tasted one of my meals. I watched as they took the first bite and judging from their reaction they really loved it.

"This is exquisite!" complemented Aunt Kayla.

Bill smiled, "I thought you only knew how to work a microwave!"

"Any other wise-ass comments like that and you won't get dessert!" I quipped.

Bill was slowly coming around, and as long as we moved forward I was happy. The fact that he felt comfortable referring to the old me was a great sign. Due to my heightened sexuality, I would have loved to have been more deeply involved with Bill, but until then I had my silver wand and rechargeable batteries!

After dessert and tea, Bill announced that he had to leave. We walked out to his car.

"You free tomorrow evening?" he asked.

"Hmmm, let me check my busy social schedule!" I replied, sarcastically.

Bill laughed, "How bout dinner tomorrow night?"

"I'd love that!" I exclaimed.

"I never did take you to that little romantic place we talked about before…."

"Before the whole thing with Keir," I interrupted.

Bill nodded. That was when I "came out" to Bill.

 

"What time?" I asked. I was already planning my wardrobe. I would wear the sexy dress that Jenny had persuaded me to buy. I would look ravishing in it!

"7:00," replied Bill.

"I can't wait!" I replied.

Bill leaned over and kissed me. I detected more passion that before and I loved it! I felt tingly throughout my entire body as he held me close and kissed me.

I watched him drive away and just before I walked back into the house I saw a shooting star streak across the sky. That had to be a good sign!

I rejoined Aunt Kayla in the kitchen and we finished cleaning up together.

"I am so impressed with your cooking skills, my dear," she commented as she placed dishes in the dishwasher.

"I like cooking. Before it was just a means to an end. Now it's actually relaxing!" I replied.

I then told her about Bill taking me out to dinner.

Aunt Kayla smiled. "Good. You two are perfect for each other. It would be a shame for some small issues to cause you to drift apart."

I laughed. "Small issues?" You've got a talent for understatement!"

I then told her about my sensations in class. I didn't like to discuss my personal magic with her in front of Bill, at least not until I knew the consequences of the powers.

"Sounds like an empathy power. Many of us develop them, as we grow older. They are initially hard to focus. I have something that will help you channel this power," stated Aunt Kayla. She went into her office and returned in a few minutes with a beautiful crystal on a silver chain. It looked like quartz and was around 1 inch in length and was light blue in color. She handed it to me and I slipped it around my neck.

"It's beautiful!" I stated as I looked at my reflection in the hall mirror.

"It will allow you to focus your sensations and help you determine who is in pain," explained Aunt Kayla. "Eventually, you will no longer need it, as your control over your powers improves."

"So, what should I do once I figure out who is in pain?" I asked.

"That's up to you? You have the ability to help people, but you can't help everyone. Maybe you could try to become their friend. Friendship and the ability to talk to someone can solve many issues," she answered.

"Thank you, Doctor!"

We both laughed, but I knew she was right.

 

Chapter Three

 

The first day wearing the crystal was a bit overwhelming. I detected a lot of pain and suffering among my fellow students. I eventually learned to filter much of it out, much like static on a radio receiver. Most of the problems were those expected of college students, things like money, grades, loneliness, and love. I was anxious about detecting the pain I sensed in the lecture hall. That person had real problems.

I arrived in the lecture hall early and sat in the back. That would allow me to get a clear look at the whole class. I didn't detect anything initially, but as the class progressed I began to feel the same sense of hopelessness and pain that I had detected the previous day. The crystal was very helpful and I soon narrowed down my search. The feelings were coming from a group of people sitting on the left side of the hall. I focused on each one individually and soon detected the person in conflict.

When class was over, I sat there and watched her walk out of the hall. She was a beautiful young woman. She had dark brown hair pulled back into a long ponytail. She looked like she was Mediterranean in heritage, maybe Greek. She dressed very stylishly and her outfit showed off her beautiful body. Outwardly, she looked happy, but as she approached I could feel her inner conflict. The next step was to somehow meet her!

I followed her at a distance. She was heading over to a campus coffee house. That was as good a place as any as any to make contact. I got in line, several people behind her, and tried to act nonchalant. I was pleased when she sat down by herself. I picked up my order and walked over towards her.

"Hi! You're in Professor Gross's class aren't you?" I asked, trying to act naturally.

She looked up and smiled. "Yes."

"I thought so. Do you have a second? I didn't copy down the reading assignment for next week," I lied.

"Sure. Have a seat while I get the info out of my bag," she said.

"Thanks. My name is Iona," I announced.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Maria," she answered.

I sensed that saying her name was painful, although she didn't show it on the outside.

Maria took out her notebook and gave me the info. I copied it down and proceeded to make small talk with her.

"Thanks a lot, you're a life saver! So what do you think of his class?" I asked.

"It's entertaining. Although I don't know what Socrates would have thought of his technique!" she laughed.

"I know, he is unorthodox," I added.

We talked for a half an hour. I felt her pain ease. I figured she didn't have many friends here.

"So, are you from San Diego?" I asked.

Maria paused. "No. I grew up back east in New York."

She was definitely hiding something. But I decided to take it slow.

"I grew up in Maine. I live out near Sunset Cliffs with my aunt," I answered

"Whoa, nice neighborhood!" she exclaimed.

"I know. My room overlooks the ocean. It's a long drive, but I couldn't bear to give it up!" I laughed. "I also love living with my aunt."

"I miss my family," she replied sadly.

Her pain went through me like a knife.

"I don't know many people out here," she admitted.

"Well, Maria, you know one more person now," I added with a smile.

"That's true," she answered. "I could use a friend."

 

I sensed that she struggled to accept me as a friend, as if something was holding her back.

We exchanged phone numbers and e-mail. As much as I wanted to find out what was causing her so much pain, I knew I had to wait. Her inner conflict was very painful, but I couldn't quite detect the cause. I thought maybe Aunt Kayla could help!

"Look, I know that we've just met, but do you want to join my aunt and I for dinner Sunday night?" I asked.

"I could use a home cooked meal. Your aunt won't mind?" she asked.

"No, not at all," I answered. I wrote out directions and handed them to Maria.

"You're really nice, Iona. I'm happy we met," she answered as she put the directions in her purse.

"Me too! See you at 6:00 on Sunday." I added.

"I wouldn't miss it," stated Maria, as she got up to walk away.

I watched her walk away and could feel her internal sadness, hanging over her like a dark cloud. On the outside she seemed so happy and normal! Something was odd.

 

Chapter Four

 

I rushed home to get ready for my date with Bill. Thankfully, the worst of my period was behind me and I felt my body returning to normal. I wanted to look stunning for Bill tonight! I really appreciated his efforts to accept me. I tried to put myself in his shoes. It must be very difficult for him, I thought. At least I had magic to help me adjust to being female. I shuddered to think how difficult my life would be, if I hadn't accepted my new gender. I still had much to learn about being female, but at least I wasn't fighting with myself. It must be horrible to be trapped in the wrong gender!

I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. I nodded in approval at my appearance. The little black dress fit perfectly, although I wondered if it was too short. I examined my legs in the mirror. No, it wasn't too short, my legs were just too long, and I laughed to myself. I looked down at my shoes. Jenny was right about the shoes too, they went great with the dress!

"Well?" I asked as I entered the garden and struck a model's pose for Aunt Kayla.

She smiled. "Iona, you look lovely!"

"You think Bill will approve?" I asked.

"Please!" she laughed.

I felt Bill approaching! "He's coming!"

I fidgeted nervously as he got closer.

"Calm down, my dear," she added.

I waited for Bill to actually ring the doorbell before going to the door. I knew it bugged him a bit, that I could detect him coming.

Bill came in and stared at me. He was momentarily speechless as he looked at me.

"Iona, you're stunning!" he exclaimed.

"Thank you," I replied softly. I felt myself blushing.

Bill looked quite dashing too. I was very lucky to be with him.

We arrived at the restaurant and I felt the eyes of everyone on us as we were led to our table.

"You're eating this up, aren't you?" whispered Bill.

"Every second of it!" I whispered back.

Over dinner, Bill couldn't take his eyes off me.

"I want to thank you for your patience these past few weeks," I said honestly.

Bill smiled. "It hasn't been easy. But even though I know your past, I accept you as Iona now. As they say, no one is perfect."

I nodded.

"As complicated as this all is, I can't hide that fact that I am deeply in love with you!" Bill stated as he took my hand in his. "And I know that it would be the biggest mistake in my life to let you go."

I began to tremble slightly, as he leaned over and kissed me gently on the lips.

The rest of the evening blew by like a dream. As we walked out of the restaurant, Bill held me close. I knew the worst was behind us.

Bill kissed me very passionately as we stood outside my front door. His hands swept across my body. I had never felt so romantic before in my life! Bill was much more passionate, even more than before he knew about my past. I knew that my silver wand would get some good use tonight!

I floated into the house, well, not actually! Aunt Kayla was up and we shared a pot of tea as I discussed my evening.

"You're very fortunate. Many relationships between magic and non-magic people don't make it past the initial revelation," explained Aunt Kayla.

"I know how lucky I am. By the way, have you spoken to Connor lately?" I asked.

Aunt Kayla smiled. "Yes, I have. He'll be out here next week for a conference."

"What conference?" I asked.

"There is a large law enforcement conference being held downtown next weekend," explained Aunt Kayla.

"That's cool. Bill is going to that too," I mentioned. I liked the idea of Aunt Kayla seeing someone. She was too nice to be alone

"You made Fiona very happy by choosing a career in law."

"I'm glad to hear that," I replied.

I then went on to tell Aunt Kayla all about Maria. As expected, she had no problem with me inviting her to dinner. It also gave me a chance to try a new recipe out!

"There's something really bothering Maria, but I can't figure it out. On the outside she seems so happy and well, normal. Almost too normal," I explained. "But on the inside she is almost frantic."

Aunt Kayla just nodded and seemed to be contemplating something.

 

"You don't think that she might be under a spell?" I asked.

She nodded. "It sounds like it. I should be able to tell Sunday evening."

Aunt Kayla then got up and retrieved a book from her library and she handed it to me.

"My newest reading assignment?" I asked, as I opened it up.

"Yes. It's a book on revenge spells. It will give you some good insight on the effects on the victim," commented Aunt Kayla.

"Why would someone cast a spell and let the person live a happy normal life?" I asked.

"Is Maria really happy?" replied Aunt Kayla.

I understood. A spell could leave the person tormented on the inside, but looking happy on the outside. I just couldn't imagine someone doing that to someone like Maria.

 

Chapter Five

 

Sunday evening arrived quickly and as I prepared dinner I wondered if Maria would show up. I was relived when I felt her approaching.

I met her at the door and welcomed her in. My senses were hit immediately with the feelings of her inner conflict. I smiled and tried not to give away the fact that I could read her true feelings.

"I'm so happy you showed up Maria!" I greeted.

"I wouldn't miss a chance for a nice home cooked meal. I brought this, I hope it goes with the meal," she answered, extending a bottle of wine.

"It's perfect! We're having chicken." I replied. I was finding out how versatile chicken really was!

Once in the house Maria was greeted by Tully and Bran, they always checked out new guests. Maria bent down and began to play with them.

"Well, you've made them very happy," I laughed. I told her their names. As expected Bran quickly disappeared, but Tully stuck around, hoping to get some more attention.

"I love animals," she exclaimed.

I noticed that, when she was playing with the cats, her mind seemed more at ease.

Aunt Kayla joined us and I introduced her to Maria. They established an immediate rapport. The three of us talked as I kept an eye on dinner.

Every time Aunt Kayla or I tried asked her a question about her past she became extremely evasive. I wondered what she was hiding.

"Iona, that was delicious!" Maria stated after dinner.

"The recipe is pretty easy. I can give it to you," I offered.

She shook her head no. "I'm not much of a cook. If it can't go in a microwave, then I am lost!"

She excused herself to go to the bathroom and Aunt Kayla helped me prepare dessert.

After looking over her shoulder, she whispered to me. "Maria definitely is under the influence of a spell. If my intuition is correct, then someone out there is casting some very nasty magic," stated Aunt Kayla. The tone of her voice indicated her anger.

I was initially surprised by the morality of the magic community. Revenge type spells were restricted. They were not to be used lightly.

"So what do we do?" I asked.

"Simple, we talk to her about it," replied Aunt Kayla.

I stood there shocked.

"Iona, Maria is hurting badly and no regular therapy can help her. We need to know the truth and work it from there. I think we'll be able to trust her but, if not, I can cast a spell that will cause her to forget about us," added Aunt Kayla.

"Okay, if you think it's the right thing to do," I answered. I was very nervous.

Maria came down and we headed out to the garden for tea and dessert.

"Kayla, this garden is lovely. I feel like I am in the middle of a forest!" exclaimed Maria.

"Thank you, Maria. It is my special place," replied Aunt Kayla. "I think you will find that you'll feel very much at ease here. Please feel free to speak your mind. There is nothing holding you back now."

I felt a change in the air, as if there was an instant shield of protection surrounding us.

Maria gasped.

I watched as she was swept by wave after wave of repressed emotions. I sat next to her and pulled her close to me. Soon, she was crying on my shoulder. I looked over at Aunt Kayla who just nodded and mouthed, "Let her release it all". I nodded and held her tightly in my arms as she cried.

After nearly twenty minutes of crying, Maria was composed enough to talk to us.

"Maria, you can be totally open with us. We're your friends and you can trust us completely," explained Aunt Kayla.

I nodded in agreement. Maria looked at us and bit her lip. "My real name isn't Maria. I mean to the world I am Maria Lemnos, aged 22 of New York City. I have her memories and feelings, but deep down I remember that until a few weeks ago I was Andreus Lemnos. I can picture the way I looked. My memories are clear and vivid of growing up the youngest son in a family of six. I was an engineering major and was planning on joining the military. Now I am a communications major! I haven't been able to even say my old name until just now! I mean, if I tried to write it earlier, I would have written Maria!"

"Do you remember when this happened?" asked Aunt Kayla.

"Absolutely! It was near the start of the fall semester. I had just arrived back in town. Nothing unusual happened. I dropped off my tuition and was going to look up some of my old friends when I suddenly felt really tired. I went back to my apartment and took a nap. It was only 3:30 in the afternoon. The next thing I remember, it's 7:30 in the morning and I am Maria. Every trace of Andreus was gone! Even my family pictures had changed. My cat was the only one who noticed the change, and she ran away for a week!" explained Maria.

"Animals can be very perceptive," added Aunt Kayla. "I need you to be perfectly honest with me. It is the only way I can help you. Have you angered anyone lately?"

Maria sat there thinking for a moment. "I broke up with my girlfriend last spring; actually she broke up with me. One day we were dating and the next day she told me that she didn't want to see me anymore! Come to think of it, I saw her at the registrar's office that morning. She actually seemed friendly to me."

"Tell me more about your girlfriend," asked Aunt Kayla.

"She's a real nice girl. We dated for around six months, but then she changed last spring. Kelly became very political and almost militant. I didn't pay too much attention, as she had a tendency to jump from cause to cause. When I met her, she was heavily into environmental issues. She finally said that she couldn't be true to the cause and still date a man. I blame those wackos in that radical feminist group," vented Maria

"What group is that?" asked Aunt Kayla.

"I don't know the name, but the group was formed by that professor. I forget her name," she replied.

"You mean Dr. Miller?" I added.

"Yes, that's her!" she answered

I told Aunt Kayla about Dr. Miller and her reputation.

"Did you take her class?" Aunt Kayla asked Maria

"No, but Kelly was in her class. I met Kelly outside of her class once and I remembered that Dr. Miller glared at me like I was some sort of criminal," replied Maria/Andreus.

"Maria, I will have to check some things out. The spell that transformed you is very strong. I cannot reverse it, I'm sorry," explained Aunt Kayla.

Maria nodded, her eyes welling up in tears.

 

"Don't give up. I will do everything in my power to help you. Once you leave here you will be back under the power of the spell. But, you're welcome to come here whenever you want. It's not healthy to hold in all that anger and pain," continued Aunt Kayla.

"I'll be there for you too, Maria," I added.

Maria smiled and hugged me again. "You don't know what a relief it is to have someone to talk to about this. I thought I was crazy!"

"You're not crazy, Maria," added Aunt Kayla.

"Is there a way to reverse this?" she asked.

"I don't know," replied Aunt Kayla, honestly. "If there isn't, I may be able to help you adjust to your present situation."

Maria laughed, "You mean you've had experience in this sort of thing?"

We both nodded.

"I do ask that you don't say anything about this evening to anyone," requested Aunt Kayla.

"Who'd believe me?" replied Maria, with a smile.

"The person who did this to you," I answered.

Maria looked at me and nodded. "You can trust me."

I sensed she was telling me the truth and I nodded back.

We talked for another hour. Aunt Kayla gathered a lot of personal information from Maria.

 

I walked her out to her car. I could sense the change in her when we left the garden. She accepted that she was back under the spell and she didn't seem as frustrated. I guess she was comforted by the fact that she had hope in her life again. I suddenly felt very fortunate about my own situation.

Back in the garden, Aunt Kayla and I talked about Maria.

"I didn't detect her lying about her situation," I stated. I was becoming pretty good at reading people's emotions and truthfulness. Thankfully, I had found that I could turn it on or off. Sensing a whole lecture hall of college students could be pretty overwhelming!

"I agree. She told us the truth. The question is who did this to her and why!" exclaimed Aunt Kayla, angrily.

She asked me to check out the student group on campus and she would check out Dr. Miller. Additionally she would contact Fiona and Amelia to see if they could help.

"I do know a few people with powers at your campus, but I not familiar with her," explained Aunt Kayla.

That night I went online for a while and did some searching on the campus website. The feminist group was a small, almost fringe group. There were several other women's groups on campus. I searched the achieves of the school paper and found several articles on Dr. Miller's group. Apparently they were known for doing some outrageous stunts. Last year they'd hung posters around campus listing the names of actual male students as potential rapists, their argument being that any male is a possible rapist. This act almost got them put on probation.

I then did a search for Maria or Andreus Lemnos. While I struck out on their names, I did find an interesting article on the Greek Island of Lemnos and the Amazons that lived there. I then switched to my e-mail and wrote a long letter to my sister, Jenny before I went to bed.

 

Chapter Six

 

I swung by the student union and checked out information on Dr. Miller's group. They held meetings once every two weeks. The next meeting was the following Monday. I talked to people from some of the other women's groups; they seemed to feel that it was a fringe group at best.

"We try to get legitimate changes to campus policies and they pull some idiotic stunt. It makes us all look bad," complained a woman with a different feminist campus group. "We get grouped with the extremists. They do more harm than the conservatives."

I then bumped into Dr. Robinson as I walked out of their office.

"Hello, I don't know your name, but you're in my Women's Studies 201 class aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes, I am Dr. Robinson. My name is Iona Beddau," I greeted.

"I thought so. I never forget a face. So, you thinking of becoming politically involved?" she asked.

"Yes," I lied.

"Good. We need young women like you to become involved. We need to pass the torch to the next generation. We meet next Thursday at 5:00 PM. I hope to see you there," she offered.

"I just might be there," I answered.

As I walked to class, I thought about the two groups. Something didn't seem right about Dr. Miller's group, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I also thought about what Dr. Robinson said. It wouldn't hurt for me to get involved. I could look at it as part of my growth as a woman!

I ran into Maria during our philosophy class.

"You want to come by my home tonight to study?" I asked, tongue firmly in cheek.

"Yes, that would be great," she smiled.

 

I immediately sensed her feeling of relief. Aunt Kayla also wanted to offer therapy for her.

I couldn't imagine her frustration about not being able to express her true feelings. The spell blocked her real words from coming out. It was extremely cruel and I can't imagine someone doing this to another person.

Maria said she would come over around 8:00. I guessed she didn't want to be seen as imposing on us. Actually, this would work out well, as I wanted to talk to Aunt Kayla before Maria came over.

I found Aunt Kayla in her office. She was downloading some information from the Internet. I proceeded to tell her about the feminist groups on campus and my chance meeting with Dr. Robinson.

"She is right, becoming involved is a vital part of a complete college education," commented Aunt Kayla.

"I'll check to see if they have a legitimate magic and gender switching political group," I laughed.

"Very funny! By the way, Maria's story seems to check out. Fiona informed me they have an investigator on campus who is checking out some strange incidents on there. Maria would be the third forced gender change in the past year," informed Aunt Kayla.

"Any idea who is doing it?" I asked.

"No," Aunt Kayla replied. "When you are finished with Maria, I would like to talk to her alone."

"I understand. Doctor-patient confidentiality," I smiled.

Maria arrived on time and we sat out in the garden. Tully joined us and snuggled into Maria's lap. I felt slightly jealous!

"I needed to come back here, just to make sure that yesterday wasn't a dream. I actually had a good night's sleep last night!" smiled Maria.

"That's great. You don't mind me calling you Maria, do you?" I asked.

"No, it fits my physical body right now. You have no idea what it is like to suddenly become the opposite sex!" she laughed.

"Oh, I have some experience in that myself," I answered. I figured that telling Maria about my gender change would help her. She would know that she isn't totally alone.

Maria sat there as I told her about my old life and the body swap.

"Iona, I had no idea that you went through something like that! How have you adapted?" she asked, as if I had the answers to all her problems.

"It just happened. Part of it was the spell that caused the swap. I also decided to get on with my life, as I had no other option," I answered honestly.

"I see, that almost makes sense. I wouldn't mind being a woman, if my mind matched my body. I hate the duality of it all," she sighed.

"Maria, my Aunt wants to help you with that. She is a real therapist and works with people in both worlds," I explained.

"Really?" she answered. Her eyes were welling up with tears.

I nodded and we hugged, which disturbed the sleeping Tully!

As if on cue, Aunt Kayla walked in and I made a graceful exit. I picked up Tully and went upstairs to my room. I wrote a long e-mail to Amelia. I then e-mailed Fiona. I still couldn't call her Mom and I felt slightly guilty about it. I wrote her about my investigation of Dr. Miller's group.

I went back downstairs and saw that Maria and Aunt Kayla were about finished. Maria's eyes were quite red, obviously she had been crying a lot. That was actually a good sign, as Maria had a lot of pain to get out of her system.

"I'll see you in class tomorrow, Iona. Thanks again for helping me!" she smiled. Maria then gave me a long hug.

"You're welcome, Maria," I replied.

Afterwards Aunt Kayla and I sat out in the garden and talked.

"Amelia is going to give Maria a physical. She has a good idea about the spell, but she needs to make sure," explained Aunt Kayla.

"Can the spell be reversed?" I asked.

"Unlikely. If it's what we think it is, then there is only one-way to reverse the spell. It looks as if it was cast using a mystical object. For the spell to be broken, the object must be destroyed," continued Aunt Kayla.

"So, all we have to do is find out who cast the spell, find the mystical object, and then destroy it? Sounds simple enough," I quipped. "So what would a mystical object look like?"

"It could be a statue or a crystal. You'll know it when you see it. You'll sense the energy coming from it," added Aunt Kayla.

"Do you need powers to operate it?" I asked, wondering if operate was the right word.

"No. That may be why we have had a hard time detecting who has been doing this. We have been looking for a person with powers," she stated.

"So, where do they fall into the law?" I asked

"Usually, not much happens to them, unless they have broken human laws. Once the object is taken away, they aren't usually a threat. We'll also take away any wealth or power they may have acquired illegitimately," she explained.

"Really? That's it?" I exclaimed. It seemed like a light sentence for ruining others' lives. "What they've done is almost like a sexual or physical assault!

"We'd rather focus on the victims. They will have a choice of staying as they are or going back to their original form," continued Aunt Kayla. "I know it doesn't seem fair."

"It's not fair! As for the victims, I guess that would depend on how long they had been changed," I answered.

"Very good! You're really studying," smiled Aunt Kayla.

"If they go back, do they get their old lives back?" I asked.

"Most of the time, yes. Again, it depends on the spell cast," answered Aunt Kayla.

"Well, I hope you and Amelia can help Maria. Her pain runs so deep," I commented.

"I know. I think we can have her accept the change, but it will take a long time. The outward control of the spell will allow her to function, but eventually I fear that the pain will grow so strong that she will seek a way out," replied Aunt Kayla, in a very serious tone.

I sat there in silence. "You don't mean she would kill herself?"

"Think about the pain Iona was experiencing," replied Aunt Kayla.

She was right. The original Iona couldn't stand her life anymore and she chose to die in my shattered body. Thankfully, I wasn't feeling the full strength of the tattoo that Keir gave her.

"Well, if Amelia confirms the spell as coming from an object, I will try to find it," I stated.

"You may be very helpful in the search. Whoever did this might not expect that we are hunting them," remarked Aunt Kayla.

I liked the phrase "hunting them".

"What effect would this object have on someone like us?" I asked.

"From what I've read, very little effect on someone with powers. The person using the object may not even know that people like us exist," explained Aunt Kayla. "They assume that the people who had powers all died off in the ancient past or some nonsense like that!"

"Good. That'll mean that whoever is doing this will underestimate me," I stated.

 

Chapter Seven

 

The rest of the week flew by. I had a couple of papers to write, so my sleuthing had to wait. The good news was that Maria continued to come and see Aunt Kayla. Amelia confirmed that the spell was from an object. She was searching her database for possible sources. She had narrowed it down to coming from some ancient Mediterranean culture, most likely Greek or Phoenician. I wondered if Maria's heritage was part of the reason for her transformation.

Saturday was the "big" day at the law enforcement conference. Bill had several lectures he wanted to attend. I guess I should have been more excited. I mean, this was my future profession; still I found conferences like this a bit boring. Still, I agreed to walk around with Bill.

Connor was also in town for the conference. He had taken Aunt Kayla out to dinner the previous two nights. I liked the idea of them dating!

"You sure that you don't want to go to the lecture with me?" asked Bill.

"A lecture on search and seizure?" I smiled. "I'd be asleep in ten minutes."

"I promise it will be exciting," Bill replied. "Okay, I promise it won't be really boring, but I still think you should attend."

I froze in my tracks. I got a sudden sensation from my tattoo. I looked around trying to spot the person.

Bill had seen this a few times to know what was happening. "Who do you detect now?" he asked.

I stood there with a strange look on my face, "Believe it or not, I sense Ben Carlson!" I replied softly.

Ben was an officer I had served with in my old navy days. We served together on a cruiser. I helped train Ben and we stood countless watches together, becoming close friends. Together, we had trained Bill. I also knew that he was dead, having been killed in a plane crash over a year ago.

"Iona, that's impossible and you know it," replied Bill sadly. "I was at his memorial service."

I nodded. I still looked around at the crowd entering the lecture hall. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but so far my warning system had never been wrong. Something was strange. I don't know, maybe Ben had been reincarnated as a bird or a baby. I wasn't ruling anything out.

"I'm going to walk around for a while. I'll meet you out here when the lecture is over," I remarked.

"You okay?" asked Bill. I could tell that he was concerned about me.

"Yes, I appreciate your concern, but I just need to walk it off," I kissed him. "Thanks for caring!"

I walked around campus, hoping to get another hit on my tattoo. I knew Ben was dead. But then again, I had seen enough strange things in the past few months to keep an open mind.

I suddenly felt the sensation again. It was definitely Ben! I didn't see him; in fact the only person in sight was a young teenage girl, looking at a map of campus. I studied her from a distance. Her auburn hair was drawn back into a ponytail and she was wearing a denim skirt and a coral colored blouse.

I walked closer and the sensation got stronger. I knew that I had to solve this mystery.

"You look like you could use some help." I remarked, as I approached.

"Oh, thanks. I am trying to find the campus book store," she replied. "I want to get a sweatshirt."

"Forget the map. I'll show you where it is. My name is Iona," I greeted.

"Pleased to meet you, Iona. I'm Beth. Iona, that's a cool name! My mom is attending the conference. Do you go here?" she replied.

"Yes, I do. My boyfriend is also attending the conference. He's listening to a lecture on search and seizure right now," I replied with a sigh. Even the names were close!

We began to walk over towards the bookstore. During our small talk I focused on her. I could tell that she was hiding something and the feelings that she was Ben wouldn't go away. I also noticed some similarities. There were words and phrases that sounded familiar. The more I was with her, the more I was convinced she was Ben. But how?

"So where are you from?" I asked, I then remembered where Ben came from. "Obviously, you're from the east coast. Philadelphia maybe?"

Beth hesitated for a moment, "No, we live outside Washington DC." She gave me a strange look. I sensed that I had hit a nerve.

Okay, the next step was a big one. I was either about to have a very strange reunion with an old friend or look like a complete idiot. I looked around and made my move. "Beth, I know your secret. I know you were Ben Carlson and before you freak out, I need to tell you that I used to be Roger Lyons." I watched her reaction anxiously.

Beth froze in her tracks and quickly swung around and stared at me.

"I remember your wetting down for making LT in Brisbane!" I stated. I wanted to let her know that I had been Roger. A wetting down was a celebration for officers upon their promotion. I broke out in a smile.

She stared back. "We both went in the pool fully clothed at the hotel, as we tried to toss the Executive Officer in!" Her eyes widened and a huge smile came over her face and we hugged each other. "Is that really you, Roger? How's that possible?"

We sat together on a bench. "You look pretty good for dying in a plane crash," I smiled. "I was only killed in a car crash."

We both broke out laughing.

Beth eventually gained control and began to explain to me what had happened to her. She described what sounded like a spy story. (Author's note: To read more about Beth's life read my Change of Course Series) I was amazed that genetics had advanced that far, that a person's gender could be changed in less than 24 hours. It was an incredible story and I felt for Beth and all the pain and troubles she had been through. Still, I wasn't surprised Beth survived, as Ben was one of the bravest men I ever knew.

"I can top that." I smiled. I proceeded to tell her what had happened to me. It was her turn to be in awe

"So, you really have magic powers?" she asked.

"Yes. Beth, promise not to tell anyone, okay?" I smiled. Deep down, I knew I really didn't have to ask, as I knew she could be trusted.

"Oh, like I can tell anyone!" she laughed. "Iona, you promise the same back, right?"

"Of course! We're friends and friends always keep their word!" I promised.

She gave me a long hug.

"I am so happy that you're not dead!" I laughed. I felt real joy in my heart to know that an old friend wasn't dead. I now know how Jenny had felt when she guessed my secret.

"I'm so jealous of you, Iona! I am stuck in the 11^th grade and you're not only in college, but you have magical powers!" she laughed.

"I am happy that you have a family," I replied. "I can't imagine surviving something like this, without Aunt Kayla."

"I know what you mean. Maggie and Steve have been incredible. I love them as much as I do my original family," explained Beth.

"It makes you realize how important family is!" I added.

We both sat there in silence. I guess we were thinking about the families we'd lost.

"So, how has it been for you to, you know, get used to living as a girl?" asked Beth.

"It's been a challenge. Luckily, the spell had something to do with it. It helped me adjust. In some ways, I can't imagine going back to being a guy. I also like my new life. Most people don't get a second chance," I replied. "Although I still have a hard time accepting that someday I could be pregnant!"

"I feel the same way. The process used to change me, also allowed me to accept that I'm a female. Being only sixteen is a bigger problem. High school is sooooo boring! Still, I agree with you about getting a second chance. There's something exciting about it!" replied Beth.

"That's true. However, I'm happy that I was lucky to only be a few years younger. I don't think I would want to be a teenager again!" I laughed.

"I guess considering everything we're both lucky," replied Beth. "So, are you really dating a guy? What's his name?"

"Bill Somers. Yes, that Bill!" I smiled.

"Oh my God! You're kidding? Does he know?" exclaimed a shocked Beth.

"Yes, he knows," I answered.

"You've got to tell me how that happened!" exclaimed Beth.

"I will. But, we need to get back to the lecture hall," I explained, as I checked my watch. We talked as we walked back to the hall. The sweatshirt didn't seem so important.

Beth thought it was pretty cool that I was dating our former shipmate as, in a weird sort of way, it actually made sense.

"I think as long as you two are happy, what difference does it make?" commented Beth.

"That's what I've always liked about you! You're so adaptable. So, what about you, do you have a boyfriend?" I asked.

"Sort of. His name is Kyle, but he lives in London now. His parents are in the State Department," replied Beth sadly.

"Sorry," I replied. I really didn't know what else to say.

"It's okay. After all, I am only sixteen…..again," smiled Beth. "I don't want to pry, but since you are older I want to ask you something. Is sex as a woman as good as sex as a man?"

"Better, much better!" I smiled. I didn't tell her that the only time I had sex with a man, was right after the body-swap with the original Iona! Some things are best kept a secret.

"Wow!" exclaimed Beth.

 

"You want to exchange e-mail addresses?" I asked

"Absolutely! There're times when I really could use an old friend to vent to! I love my life, but sometimes I wish I could talk to someone about my changes," she explained. "I also crave someone to be able to discuss the past. I liked being Ben and being in the Navy. I don't want to forget the person I was."

"I know exactly what you mean, Beth." I replied. I felt so good knowing my old friend was alive, although in a slightly different form. I suddenly didn't feel like I was the only person going through this!

We walked together back to the lecture hall. I sensed Bill approaching.

"Do you want me to tell Bill?" I asked. "He can be trusted"

"No," she whispered. Then a grin appeared on her face. "Let me tell him!"

I nodded and held in my smile. I remembered how Ben had played many jokes on Bill, back on the ship. Bill approached and saw me talking to Beth.

"Hey, Iona. You missed a pretty good lecture. Is everything okay now?" he asked, after he greeted me with a kiss. He then noticed Beth standing next to me. "Oh, I'm sorry, who's your friend?"

Beth looked at me and shook her head in mock disgust. "Bill, I'm shocked that you don't recognize me. After all, we only shared a stateroom for an entire deployment! By the way, have you checked the mail buoy lately?" She then broke out in a huge grin.

The mail buoy was a gag played on junior personnel. The story was that it was a buoy filled with crew's mail and we would get some unsuspecting sailor or junior officer to stand lookout to spot it. It was an old joke, and there was never a shortage of victims. Thankfully, Bill was very good-natured about the jokes!

The look on Bill's face was priceless. I wished I had brought a camera. He stared at Beth and then looked at me in stunned disbelief.

"I told you I sensed him," I replied, in an "I told you so" manner.

Bill slowly broke out in a smile. "Ben! I should've known you wouldn't die in a plane crash!"

Beth gave him a long hug. Bill just stood there smiling, shaking his head in disbelief.

"By the way, it's Beth now," explained Beth.

"Bill, I'll explain it all to you later," I added.

"Iona says that you're an Assistant DA, that's pretty cool," remarked Beth.

"I am one of many Assistant DAs," Bill laughed.

I was impressed that Bill was so accepting. This was a good sign for our relationship, if he could handle a supposedly dead friend coming back as a teenage girl, then what was the big deal about me?

"It's still pretty cool. Here comes my mom, act relatively normal!" stated Beth

We all broke out laughing. Normal was relative.

Beth introduced us to her mom. Maggie Williams seemed like a really nice person and I was happy that Beth had someone like that in her new life.

I watched Beth walk away with Maggie. Coming to the conference hadn't been a total waste of time after all. I also sensed that our paths would cross again some day.

 

Chapter Eight

 

Bill drove me home and we took a walk along the ocean. Bill listened intensely as I repeated Beth's story. I think we were both slightly scared that science had progressed so far. Magic was one thing, it could be controlled and limited, but science was different.

"I guess this would fall under the oath I swore with the DA!" remarked Bill.

When Bill was recruited as the liaison between magic and the legal system, he had taken an oath not to reveal what he learned to the outside world. Technically, Beth's transformation didn't fall under magic, but she was an old friend.

"Maybe this is cosmic justice for all the jokes you two played on me," laughed Bill.

"But you were always such an easy mark!" I quipped back.

"What's so amazing is that you two are so relaxed about your new gender," stated Bill.

"It's because on the inside we see ourselves as female," I answered.

Bill just stared at me and pulled me close and we kissed passionately. While it was fun to reminisce, the present was pretty good too.

His kisses were getting more passionate all the time. I felt all tingly as he held me. I loved Bill so passionately, I couldn't imagine life without him.

"You know, if we keep this up, it could lead to something more serious," quipped Bill.

"Good," I replied and watched Bill's response.

"You wouldn't mind?" he asked.

"Mind? Bill, I love you," I gushed. Okay, I was acting like the heroine in a B-movie, but I wanted him to know my feelings.

He smiled and kissed me again, and we walked back to my house.

I watched him drive away. I sighed and walked inside. I knew that he wasn't ready, but we were still moving forward.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Amelia talking to Aunt Kayla. I found that I couldn't always detect people with powers, unless I was actively searching for them. I joined them out in the garden. My lap was almost immediately filled by Tully.

"I guess I will have to do, since your new best friend isn't here!" I quipped to Tully. I turned to Amelia. "Any good news about Maria?"

"I'm now almost positive that the spell is from ancient Greece. I would like to find another victim to confirm it," remarked Amelia

"What can I do to help?" I asked.

"Kayla has told me of your budding power to sense emotional distress. She has also told me that she has provided you with a crystal to amplify your power. I have a crystal that is much more powerful and will allow you to stretch the range of your power. I want you to search for feelings similar to those you felt in Maria," explained Amelia.

"Sounds simple enough. I'll do it," I replied.

"Let me finish. You will be exposed to a wide range of emotional distress during your scans. This may become overwhelming. I want you to limit your searching to less than one hour a day, even this may be too much to absorb," continued Amelia, a real look of concern on her face.

I wondered how bad it could be. I really didn't give it a second thought as I remembered the pain I felt in Maria. "I understand and I still volunteer."

Amelia looked at Kayla, "I want you to monitor her often."

 

Aunt Kayla nodded in agreement.

I was a little miffed at the idea that they didn't trust me to follow Amelia's instructions. Still, I appreciated their concern.

Amelia took the crystal out of a leather bag and showed it to me. It didn't look all that special. It was just a bluish, squat crystal. Its sides were uneven and it looked like a reject from a mineral shop. I took it from her and placed it around my neck and was suddenly filled with a rush of emotional energy. I felt as if my senses were turned up several notches. I immediately took it off and I returned to normal.

"Whoa! That was intense!" I declared.

"It will take time to get used to its strength," smiled Amelia.

"What do you want me to do when I find someone else?" I asked. I already assumed that I would find others in distress.

"Try to identify them, but do not make direct contact. Leave that to me," explained Amelia.

I nodded. "We don't want to tip off the perpetrators."

Aunt Kayla and Amelia both laughed.

"Hey, I am a lawyer-to-be! I need to get used to those big technical words. It sounds better than calling them the bad guys!" I quipped.

"Or bad girls," added Aunt Kayla with a smile.

I nodded. She was right, there was a distinct possibility that this was done by a woman. I needed to stay alert.

I then told them about Beth and our reunion.

"I know it wasn't the smartest thing to do. But I trust Beth. We shared many things that, well, go beyond friendship," I replied.

"It might be good to have someone you can talk to about the gender shift," replied Aunt Kayla.

"I'm interested in the process that changed her. In some ways, science and magic are getting closer every day," added Amelia.

"I sensed that she didn't want to talk about the process. Her mother is in law enforcement and I don't think that was by chance," I answered

"That makes sense. A process like that could cause a lot of problems," noted Amelia.

 

Chapter Nine

 

Monday I returned to my normal routine. I decided to try out the crystal during lunch. I hadn't sensed any other people like Maria in my other classes, so I needed to find a large group of students.

I took a deep breath and placed the crystal around my neck. At least this time I was prepared for the rush of energy. I was also hit by a wave of emotional distress. I found that I couldn't stop it all, but I could focus through it to search for the type of sensations I detected in Maria. I slowly scanned the area and after twenty minutes I was overwhelmed. I removed the crystal and eased myself down. A college seems to be a breeding ground for emotional stress!

I decided to try it later at one of the campus coffee houses. I was staying later today anyway, as I wanted to checkout Dr. Miller's group. I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt today. I had heard that the group frowned on revealing clothing, such as skirts and dresses.

At the coffee house there were less people, so I wasn't so overwhelmed. I still was carrying the remnants of my previous scan, but they were fading slowly. I slipped on the crystal and looked around. While there were less people, their issues seemed stronger. I felt a sense of fatigue growing. It reminded me of how I felt when I was helping Karen.

I then got a hit! I focused on the person. She was a lone woman, who was reading a book and seemed lost in her thoughts. I picked up my cell phone and called Amelia. She said that she would be there in fifteen minutes.

I wondered if the girl had once been a male, as Maria had been. She was a very attractive blonde and her clothes were a bit revealing. I wondered if part of the spell was to make the transformed males very sexy, so they would get a lot of attention from men.

Thankfully, she didn't appear to be in any hurry. She seemed lost in her book. I suddenly sensed Amelia. She entered a minute later and, after ordering her coffee, she joined me. I pointed out the girl and removed the crystal.

"No more scanning today, my dear," replied Amelia with a smile.

"No, problem. I am off to check out the first group. See you later," I whispered.

I headed to the student union and left Amelia to deal with the other girl. I hoped she could help her. I was a bit depressed myself as I was holding in much of the pain and suffering of the students I had scanned. Maybe this would help me in my undercover mission. Looking depressed might make me blend in easier.

The group was small. There were only ten other women there. I didn't recognize any of them. There was one other new girl and we sat together. The meeting was a joke. Several of the women stood up and ranted against the male dominated society, yet none offered any solutions. The girl next to me rolled her eyes at some of the comments and I did my best to try to act interested. If these were the people behind the transformations then they were great actresses, as they didn't look any more dangerous than a puppy dog.

Just on a whim, I took out the crystal and slipped it on. There was a lot of emotional distress in the room, but nothing severe. I was thinking that maybe some of them had real problems. But I didn't sense that and I removed the crystal.

They asked if we wanted to help them protest the football game that weekend. The other girl and I said we'd think about it and left.

"No, offense, but they are a bunch of losers!" she stated bluntly.

"I have to agree. By the way, my name is Iona," I introduced myself.

"Pretty name. I'm Kelly," she replied.

Kelly! That was the name of Andreus's girlfriend! I acted calm and smiled.

"I actually went to a couple of their meetings last year. They have become even stranger. At least, last year they had real plans and ideas," she explained.

"I was just checking out some of the groups," I replied, "I guess I can cross them off the list!"

We both laughed.

"Why don't you come to Dr. Robinson's group on Thursday," she offered.

"Actually, I was already invited to your meeting," I replied. "By Dr. Robinson herself. I'm in her class."

"Cool! Well I need to run, catch you later, Iona!" smiled Kelly.

I wished I had scanned Kelly as I watched her leave. Something was odd about her.

I started home but I was still feeling the aftereffects of the scanning. I felt very blue and, on a whim, headed over to Bill's condo. I pulled up and was pleased to see the lights were on. I walked up and rang the bell, and sensed Bill approaching the door. Thankfully, he was alone.

"Well, what a nice surprise," he greeted.

I just leaned over and hugged him; he sensed that something was wrong and held me tight.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I need to be held and cuddled, and you've be elected to hold me." I grinned up at him.

He led me inside and we sat down on the couch. He kept his arm snugly around me. I told him about my scanning for Amelia and how I was feeling a bit depressed. He nodded knowingly.

"Kayla told me about what was going on. I admire what you're doing, but please don't overextend yourself. You mean a lot to me," he stated.

I looked up into his eyes and smiled. "Thank you. You mean a lot to me too."

His reply was a long and passionate kiss. It was just the sort of medicine I needed. I felt so safe in his arms and the longer we kissed and snuggled the better I felt. I could feel the weight of my depression slipping away and, as it did, I felt more and more aroused. Without really thinking about it, I reapplied the anti-pregnancy part of my tattoo. I wasn't sure how far we would go, but there was no sense in taking chances.

I felt Bill's hand slip down and caress my breasts. I tingled with excitement and surrendered to his touch. He began to slowly rub my nipples, increasing my pleasure. I moaned, "Please, don't stop."

I hadn't planned on going to bed with Bill that night, but I wasn't against the idea either. Bill was very sensuous, as he slowly undressed me. I felt a twinge of jealousy, as I had to admit that I had never been this smooth or caring as a man.

Soon we were partly undressed and both fully caught up in the moment. I guess the best times do sometimes happen unplanned. Without a word, Bill scooped me up in his arms and actually carried me to his bedroom! He placed me gently on the bed and we finished undressing. We returned to our sexual pleasure.

We kissed and fondled each other's bodies, slowly building up our sense of arousal. Unlike my previous time having sex, this was slow and much more satisfying. There was no sense of urgency, as there had been in the jet lavatory.

I gasped in pure pleasure as Bill entered me; it felt so right, so wonderful. I let my feelings go and we had an incredible love making session. I'm not sure if it was true, but it felt as if some of my sensual energy from the tattoo passed to Bill. We kept going and soon I could feel Bill taking me to a new level of pleasure. We achieved orgasm concurrently and it seemed liked an explosion. I know I saw colors this time!

We collapsed in each other's arms and lay there for several minutes before either of us had the energy to speak. I just snuggled up to Bill. I now knew what it was like to really be a woman. This wasn't just sex. It was love!

Bill looked over at me and gasped. "Wow!"

I giggled a little and kissed him gently.

Later on, we were sitting out in living room. I was wearing his bathrobe, which was way too big for me. Bill had on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"I never thought it could be like that," exclaimed Bill.

"That makes two of us," I smiled back.

"I'm glad the walls are thick here," he laughed. We had both been rather loud.

I giggled. Damn! I felt so giddy and happy!

Bill pulled me closer. "This wasn't how I planned it, but I have no regrets about tonight. It just confirms that I do love you dearly."

"I feel the same way. I love you too," I replied. There was no need to say anything else.

The next morning, I was up early to fix us breakfast. Fortunately, Bill kept a better-stocked kitchen than I ever did when I was a bachelor. I was scrambling some eggs and cooking some bacon. The coffee was already brewing and the aroma filled the kitchen. I wondered if this would be a regular event in our lives. I hoped so.

Bill walked in, already dressed in his suit. "Hmmm! Something smells great!"

"I figured you'd be hungry," I quipped.

He pulled me close and we kissed. I had to pull away as I was afraid the eggs would burn.

There was no need to talk about last night. It was a beautiful night of mutual love. It also marked a new step in our relationship.

I drove home and changed for classes. There was no need to say where I was to Aunt Kayla. She could just tell by the look on my face what had happened.

"Good morning, my dear," she greeted me with a sly smile.

I just broke out in a great big smile.

I had an hour to talk about it before I left for class.

I told her what had happened and she just smiled knowingly.

"Is it possible to share my sensual powers?" I asked.

"Yes, but only with someone you really care about," she replied.

I nodded. I then remembered about Amelia and asked Aunt Kayla what had happened.

"Amelia is now convinced that they were both changed by the same object. She is sending out a profile of the spell to some researchers who should be able to determine the specific object," explained Aunt Kayla.

She then told me about the girl. Her name was now Anne and she had once been a guy named Alex. He was an engineering student and was leading a pretty normal life. Then his girlfriend of two years suddenly broke up suddenly with him and the next day he was a woman. Anne was struggling through the same sort of depression and had admitted to trying to kill herself, but wasn't able to do it. Aunt Kayla explained that the spell prevented her from taking her own life.

"Did Amelia learn the name of the ex-girlfriend?" I asked

"No, but I will find out," replied Aunt Kayla.

I then told her about my attending the meeting the previous night and meeting Kelly.

"Just be careful," added Aunt Kayla.

I nodded.

 

Chapter Ten

 

I took a few days off from scanning, as I wanted my powers up to full strength before the meeting on Thursday with Dr. Robinson's group. It didn't make sense, as the group had a good reputation on campus. They never overreacted, unlike many campus activist groups. Instead they worked within the system to create positive change. I found myself agreeing with most of what they had done. One of the more positive things they had done was to attract more women to the engineering and science fields.

Bill and I met each night for dinner, and yes, we just had dinner! Although we did make out a few times. I was okay with this, as I didn't want our relationship to burn out.

I also spent some time learning some new protective spells. I wanted to be able to defend myself, just in case!

I also spent some time catching up with Jenny, Karen, and Beth. Jenny was now a fulltime artist. Her work really began to take off when she found out about her powers. I was so proud of her. I was also glad that I could talk to her about anything.

Karen was slowly recovering. She was anxious to return to school, but was listening to her doctors. I knew that her injuries were serious, but I was just learning how close to death she had been. Karen told me that her doctors said that less than 5 percent of people survive from the injuries she suffered. I hoped that someday I would be able to tell her the truth and my contribution to her recovery.

Beth and I traded off several e-mails. There weren't a lot of people in the world that we could talk to about our gender issues. I sensed that Beth was leading a slightly more interesting life that she was telling me.

On Thursday, I attended the women's group meeting. Kelly greeted me and introduced me to several other members of the group. I was wearing my crystal and could sense that several of the women there were hiding something. I wished I could read their minds. Kelly introduced me to a girl named Alyce. That was the name of the girl that Alex/Anne had dated. There had to be a connection.

The meeting was pretty good and I actually thought about coming back. I did scan the room and picked out five or six other girls who were holding back something internally. This included Cheryl, the woman who was leading the group. I didn't see Dr. Robinson at the meeting.

Afterwards I talked to Alyce and Kelly.

"What did you think?" asked Kelly

"I heard a lot of good things tonight," I answered truthfully.

We made small talk for a few minutes and I sensed they were checking me out. I really didn't trust either of them.

"I'm going over to get a cup of coffee, you two want to join me?" I asked.

They looked at each other. "Maybe another time. We have a…. study group to go to," answered Kelly.

She was obviously lying, but I pretended not to notice. "Okay, well I'll see you both later."

I walked away and could feel that they were watching me. As badly as I wanted to see Bill, I needed to see Aunt Kayla and Amelia more. I called him up and apologized and he seemed to understand. We agreed to go out tomorrow night. Bill said he had tickets for a play and then we could grab a late dinner. It sounded wonderful!

I arrived home and was pleased to see that Amelia was already there. As expected, they were out in the garden. I greeted them and sat down and poured myself a cup of tea. I then told them about the meeting and my impressions of Kelly, Alyce, and the other girls.

"You said that Dr. Robinson wasn't at the meeting?" asked Amelia.

"That's right," I replied.

"I suspect that a member of the faculty is involved with the transformations. The reasons why are still unknown," explained Amelia.

"Don't rule out being crazy," I quipped.

That got me a stern look from Aunt Kayla.

"Some good news. I know what the object is that they are using. It's an enchanted statue representing Agdistis," explained Amelia.

"Who or what is Agdistis?" I asked.

"In Greek mythology, Agdistis was child spawned accidentally from a union between Zeus and Gaia. The child was born intersexed and the gods, fearing the child's power, emasculated it," explained Aunt Kayla, as if it was common knowledge.

"Oh, that Agdistis!" I quipped.

Amelia smiled. "The statue is bronze and around two feet high. It is male on one side and female on the other. Property of the person to be transformed is laid before it and offered as a sacrifice. The statue was stolen from a small archeological museum on the Greek island of Andros nearly twenty years ago. Apparently, the museum was unaware of the true nature of the statue."

"How do we reverse the spell?" I asked.

"Destroying the statue would work, but I would hate to lose such a valuable relic. There should be an inscription on the base that would reverse the spell," remarked Amelia.

"Yes, I seen that in other Greek statues. The person to be changed back would have to be holding the statue and speak the reversal spell," added Aunt Kayla.

"So, all this thing can do is change men into women?" I asked.

"It may have other powers. From what you've told us, I wouldn't be surprised if it was used to make the girlfriends willing and obedient pawns of whoever controls the statue. In exchange, they would get some of the male's strength and intelligence. But I would have to examine it to be sure," explained Amelia.

"So, what sort of a person would create something like that?" I asked

"You must consider the times this statue was created. Men had most, if not all of the power in the various city-states of the area we call Greece. Women were expected to stay at home and provide the next generation. This object was created out of frustration and anger," explained Amelia.

"Okay, but why cast a spell over the women?" I asked.

"It would guarantee the secrecy of the statue. Most likely the spell would make them very loyal to each other and block any feelings of guilt over what they had done. Most likely the women would wear an object like a charm or a ring to maintain their obedience. I won't know until I study the actual statue," continued Amelia.

"Would that spell work on one of us?" I asked.

"Unlikely. It is not a strong spell," added Amelia.

"So what do we do?" I asked.

"The statue would be kept close to its owner. Mostly likely it would be displayed in an altar of some kind. I will contact Fiona and they will start an investigation on the students and faculty advisers of both groups," stated Amelia.

"In the meantime, stay alert and see if you can detect any more victims of the spell. Also be careful, as if they have an interest in you, then that puts Bill at risk," cautioned Amelia.

I felt my anger rise. Woe to those who tried to hurt Bill! "That would be a big mistake on their part."

"If they try something, get Bill here into the garden immediately. It will protect him from the spell, as long as he is in here," explained Aunt Kayla.

 

I nodded. Just to play it safe, I gave Amelia and Aunt Kayla directions to Bill's home. I also decided to ask Aunt Kayla to tell more about this garden someday.

"So, I'm the bait again," I stated bluntly.

"Yes, but like Keir, they have no idea of your power," added Aunt Kayla.

I nodded in agreement.

 

Chapter Eleven

 

I continued to scan, but I didn't detect any other victims of the Agdistis statue. I needed a nice relaxing night with Bill. I debated not telling Bill of the potential danger and decided that honesty was the best policy. I would tell him after dinner.

The play was casual and I wore a long skirt and a lightweight sweater. I also wore a new pair of Italian leather boots that I had just picked up. Bill obviously approved of my appearance. I really enjoyed dressing up and looking pretty for him. I guess part of me wanted to reassure him that I really was a woman.

The play was pretty good and we stopped in a little restaurant afterwards. We had a light dinner and talked about our week.

I finally got the nerve up to tell Bill about the statue. "I need to tell you something."

He smiled. "I was wondering when you would get to it. I could tell you were hiding something all night."

"You sure you don't have powers?" I quipped.

"No, I just know you too well," he replied with a smile.

I nodded and told him of the threat. He didn't seem too worried.

I gave him a copy of our house key. "You must get to the garden if I tell you to. It is your only protection until we gain possession of the statue."

Bill nodded and placed it on his key ring. I instantly felt better. I wasn't worried about myself. But, it was a different story when it came to my friends and family.

With that out of the way, I felt much more relaxed. We spent a long time at the restaurant and had dessert and coffee. I just enjoyed being in his company. Maybe Aunt Kayla was right and we were meant for each other.

We headed out to his car and Bill opened the door for me. Okay, it may sound foolish, but I got a kick out of how much a gentleman Bill was!

He glanced over at me and I smiled back.

"Since you bought dinner, I guess I owe you a breakfast," I stated.

Bill smiled and leaned over and kissed me. We were soon on our way to his home.

Our lovemaking was just as good as the first time, maybe even better. It really was lovemaking, as I could sense that Bill was as love with me as I was with him. I felt so safe cuddled up next to Bill's body. I also vowed to protect Bill with all my powers. I felt asleep with his arms around me.

Over breakfast Bill told me that his parents wanted him to fly back home for Thanksgiving.

"I want you to come with me," he remarked. "I want my parents to meet the woman who means so much to me."

I suddenly felt chills running through my body. "I'd love that Bill."

We both needed a day out of the city, so we drove up to Julian, a small town up in the Cuyamaca Mountains. It was just over an hour drive from San Diego but it seemed like days away from magical statues and research papers! Bill and I played tourist and shopped and had some wonderful apple pie. It was fun to just be another young couple in love. Julian was known for their pie and we bought a couple of them to take home.

I also enjoyed just walking around holding Bill's hand. I was learning the pleasure of just being with someone you loved. We decided that we would get a room the next time and spend the weekend. Even if it never happened it was fun to make plans.

I spent most of Sunday working on my class work, which had be neglected the past few days. I also practiced some new spells that Aunt Kayla had taught me. I wanted to rely on set spells this time and not just eruptions of magic due to anger or fear. From what Amelia told me, the girls were as much victims of the statue as the transformed men.

Amelia came over and we reviewed the information on the female students of the two groups. Kelly and Alyce had changed majors within a few days after their ex-boyfriends were transformed. Amelia had her source check the academic records of the other women. Sure enough, all of the ones that I suspected had changed their majors. All went from mainly liberal arts to very technical, business, or science related majors. We nicknamed this group the inner circle

Amelia then created a profile of potential female recruits to the inner circle group. They were all in their 20s, liberal arts majors, in a stable relationship with a man, and interested in becoming a member of one of the two women's rights groups. It didn't take Sherlock Holmes to deduce that I fit it perfectly.

"I'll let Fiona know this. I think she'll make this case a higher priority. Whoever is doing this has some sort of higher plan than just changing a few men into women," remarked Amelia.

"You like playing detective, don't you?" I quipped.

She laughed. "I guess I'm a frustrated gumshoe. I love detective stories. It's not that different from medicine. It's just matter of reviewing the facts and putting the information together to come up with the answer."

"I like it too. I don't know if I want to be a lawyer as much as I would like to be an investigator," I remarked.

"Connor thought that too," added Aunt Kayla, who walked out into the garden and joined us.

"I guess I like the excitement aspect of investigating," I continued.

Aunt Kayla nodded. "You can do both. Connor also has his law degree."

"Speaking of him, I thought he was coming out here," I remarked.

"He'll be out here later this week. Fiona assigned him to this very case. He'll appreciate the work you've done, not that he'll tell you!" laughed Aunt Kayla.

I could tell that she was really looking forward to his visit. It made me happy to see her in love.

 

Chapter Twelve

 

I went through my normal routine at school. I scanned a few times for other victims, but I didn't find any others. I wondered if I would find them.

I soon detected Kelly as I walked across campus. She was just at the outer range of my detection ability. She hung back, never getting any closer. I smiled to myself and let her play her silly game. I was really appreciating my powers about now!

Kelly stayed with me most of the day. I guessed that she was assigned to get my schedule. Luckily, I didn't come into contact with Maria. I would have had to tell her to stay away from me for the next few days.

Eventually, Kelly's presence felt normal and I was slightly disappointed when she left. However, I soon detected Alyce. So, she really was the ex-girlfriend of Anne. I headed over toward the student union and Alyce stayed with me the whole time. I got a large Diet Coke and wandered around, checking the club listings. I then walked over to the room where Dr. Robinson's group met. I figured this would give them an opportunity to contact me if they wanted to.

I was looking over a posting of their upcoming events as Alyce approached. She pretended not to see me at first.

"Oh, hi Iona! I didn't see you there," greeted Alyce.

She was a poor liar. "Hi, Alyce. I was checking out some of your activities," I replied. "I like your ideas."

"Cool, we can always use some new blood," she explained.

 

I nodded my response and went back to looking at the announcements.

A few minutes later, Alyce came back with another woman. It was Cheryl, the woman who had led the meeting the other night.

"Iona, this is Cheryl, she is our club president," introduced Alyce.

"Pleased to meet you," I replied.

"I've heard some good things about you, Iona. I was hoping you would like to join us for an early dinner," she said with a smile. "It will give me a chance to tell you more about our group.

"Sure, that would be great." It was then that I first noticed the pattern on her ring. The ring was silver and it had a pattern that almost looked like Greek letters.

She nodded and we walked across campus to a restaurant, right off campus. We sat in a booth in the back. Along with Cheryl and Alyce, there was another woman named Nancy. As we looked over the menu, I noticed all three wore the exact same ring.

The waitress came by our table and I immediately sensed her pain and hatred for us, especially Cheryl. However, on the outside, she was overly friendly and a bit of an airhead. Her nametag identified her as "Candy".

"We always seem to get your table. How're doing you Candy?" asked Cheryl.

"I'm doing good, thanks. I hope to have enough money for the spring semester," she replied.

 

I could feel some intense pain coming from Candy. I would let Amelia know about her.

There was some small talk, but nothing too heavy. I figured they were checking me out.

"Iona, you're a liberal arts major aren't you?" asked Cheryl.

"Yes, I am. How'd you know?" I replied.

Cheryl smiled. "I have a friend in the administration office. Have you ever considered a more technical major?"

"Initially I did. But now I plan on applying to law school after I get my undergraduate degree," I replied. No sense in lying, as she probably already knew that.

"I've got nothing against the law, but we are trying to get more women into engineering or business management. We need women to strive for corporate leadership positions. I found out that you originally applied to the school of engineering, but switched before the fall semester. I was just curious why," asked Cheryl in a friendly manner.

I could sense she was trying to figure me out.

"Well, my mom is a lawyer," I answered. I didn't want to say anything about Bill.

"Isn't your boyfriend a lawyer?" asked Alyce

I noticed their sense of hostility at the mention of the term "boyfriend".

"Yes, he's in the DA's office," I replied. "How did you know that?"

"We check out all potential new members of the group," explained Cheryl.

"Does it bother you that you are going into a male dominated career?" asked Nancy. I detected a real sense of hostility in her voice.

"No, besides the DA is a woman," I smiled. "My boyfriend's immediate supervisor is also a woman." Not exactly true, but Bill did report to Fiona for magical cases.

They all laughed.

"Not many of us have boyfriends presently. They get in the way of our studies," explained Alyce.

I nodded. I also sensed they were all lying to me.

"Well, at least think about changing back to engineering. We can provide some excellent help, including financial aid," explained Cheryl.

"I'll give it a thought," I replied

"May I ask you something? You're a bit old to be a first year student, why did you put off college for so long?" asked Nancy.

I smiled and told them that I had wanted to see the world a bit before going to college. I also mentioned that I was in a bad relationship for a while.

"Does he still bother you?" asked Alyce. I could actually detect a touch of sincerity in her.

"Not anymore. He tried to kidnap me this past summer and after killing a co-worker and wounding my best friend he was shot by the police," I answered. "I only wish I had been the one who had shot him." I figured that Nancy would appreciate my vengeance.

"I remember that," remarked Cheryl.

"I was young and stupid when I fell in with him, and when I broke away he didn't like that and stalked me," I continued.

No one said a word. I sensed that my story gained their respect.

As we left, I felt the anger and hatred from Candy towards us. I felt bad that I couldn't do anything for her at that moment. I wondered where Nancy's ex-boyfriend was. I suspected it was something pretty harsh.

"I hope you consider our offer, Iona," stated Cheryl.

The others nodded in agreement. Although I sensed that Nancy didn't exactly trust me.

"I will. I'll see you at the next meeting," I replied. I wanted them to think I was totally unsuspecting of their plans.

I walked away and at no time did I sense anyone following me. As I drove home, I called Amelia and let her know about Candy.

I arrived home and sensed some familiar people. Fiona and Connor were here!

Fiona was very happy to see me and I gave her a long hug. At times, I knew she still saw me as her Iona.

Connor got up and greeted me with a big smile, "I've heard you've been out there playing detective."

"Just a little," I replied. I then told them about my being tailed all day and the dinner. Tully ran into the garden and leapt into my lap.

"I've looked over Dr. Miller and Dr. Robinson's records and neither has any indication of this sort of activity," explained Fiona.

"I've never seen either at the meetings," I replied. Petting Tully helped me calm down.

"We are tracing the statue of Agdistis. It was in the illegal collection of a businessman in Miami. It was stolen from him four years ago. Of course, he couldn't report this. Two years ago, he was nailed for a separate smuggling charge and it came out in the investigation. He was out on bail and has since disappeared," explained Connor. "There are several known collectors of stolen relics here in the San Diego area and we are questioning them."

"That doesn't exactly help us," commented Aunt Kayla.

"No, but we did gain an excellent description of the statue, including the reversal spell on the base. Of course, he had no idea of its significance," added Connor.

I remembered the rings. "Can anyone here read ancient Greek?"

All three looked at me and nodded yes.

"Thanks for making me feel stupid," I laughed. I then wrote out the inscription on the ring. "I don't know if this is the right order or not."

Fiona and Aunt Kayla quickly translated it. The writing was a blessing to Gaia, the ancient goddess and personification of the earth.

"You say that all three women were wearing a ring with this inscription on it?" asked Aunt Kayla.

I nodded.

"By itself, the blessing has no real meaning, but combined with the statue, it may be the way the women are controlled. What do you think?" Aunt Kayla asked Fiona and Connor.

"It's a sloppy way of control, but I've seen it used in similar ways," commented Connor. "It's a weak spell and wouldn't work on one of us."

"It's obvious that they are interested in you, my dear. I want you to keep in touch with me more often now. They might try to grab you and take you to their initiation," stated Aunt Kayla.

"I will." I picked up my purse and looked inside. I then switched to my backpack.

"What are you looking for?" asked Fiona.

 

"My planner. It was in my purse, but now it's gone," I remarked. I checked my bag again.

"When was the last time you saw it?" asked Connor. I noticed a concerned tone to his voice, as if something was wrong.

I thought for a moment. "Damm! It was just before I went to dinner!" I exclaimed.

"Anything else missing?" asked Connor, in a serious tone.

"No, wait, my hairbrush is gone too," I answered.

"They got what they wanted from you: a personal belonging and some hair. They will use it to try and to cast a spell on you," announced Connor.

Suddenly I was filled with dread.

I jumped up suddenly and sent poor Tully scurrying. "Shit!" I grabbed my phone and frantically dialed Bill's number, after several rings he answered it.

"Hi, Iona. Sorry I didn't call earlier, but someone broke into my car," he stated. He sounded exhausted.

"Bill, get over here immediately!" I interrupted. Bill sounded very sleepy. I hoped I wasn't too late. The fear in my voice was evident to everyone.

"What's up? I was about to go to bed, I suddenly feel very sleepy," replied Bill.

"Bill don't go to sleep! Not unless you want to join Beth and I in a sleepover! Stay awake!" I shouted.

"I'll go get him," announced Connor, "Keep him awake at all cost!"

"I'll call Amelia!" stated Fiona.

I nodded and watched Aunt Kayla and Connor run out of the house.

I kept talking to Bill. He was sounding like he was starting to drift off.

"Dammit, Bill, wake up!" I screamed into the phone.

"I'm here. I've never felt so sleepy," he yawned.

"Bill, concentrate and stay awake," I begged.

"I'm trying….. honey," he said softly. "I can barely keep my eyes open."

"You need to fight it, unless you want to start sharing outfits with me!" I exclaimed.

Bill laughed, "Whoa, that's a scary thought!"

"Bill, help is coming. If you can, unlock the door and stand by. They'll be there soon," I stated. I was doing everything possible to keep him awake. In the back of my mind, I was steaming. Someone would pay for this!

I continued this struggle for what seemed liked hours, but in reality was only fifteen minutes. Suddenly the phone went dead!

I tried to redial his number but all I kept getting was a wrong number. Shit! I could only hope that Connor and Aunt Kayla found him and brought him back here. I couldn't rationalize that Bill was now a woman.

Connor called us a few minutes later. "We've got her. The change happened very quickly. She was confused and didn't recognize her old name or us. She calls herself Brandie now. Kayla put her under and we are bringing her home."

I wanted to kill the people who did this and at the same time I was so worried about Bill or Brandie or whoever he/she was. I turned to see Fiona right next to me. I had been too wrapped up in saving Bill to notice her. From the look on my face she knew what had happened and she held me tight and comforted me. I cried hard, as I wanted it out of my system before they brought Bill here. I wanted to appear strong

"Thanks," I replied.

"You're really in love with Bill, aren't you?" she asked.

 

I nodded, "Very much so. I will find them and change him back, if it's the last thing I ever do!"

"We will be able to protect him as long as he's in the garden," she stated.

"I suppose that they will try and to change me soon. They're in for a big surprise," I responded seriously.

"Don't go for revenge, my dear." Fiona answered.

"No, not revenge. But I will put an end to this little group of theirs!" I reaffirmed.

She nodded.

 

Chapter Thirteen

 

A few minutes later, I felt them returning. Amelia was with them. I watched as Connor carried the frozen Bill into the garden and then released him from the spell. He was momentarily confused and dazed. As a woman, Bill was pretty cute. He had long brown hair and a nice body. His breasts weren't as big as mine, but they were nice. The spell had only changed his body and not his clothes. He looked a bit silly in his oversized male clothes. I also sensed his pain and anguish. I couldn't refer to Bill as Brandie or even being female. The inside person was still Bill, who was very much a man.

I flung my arms around him and held him tight. "I'm sorry, I failed you!" I began to cry, so much for being strong for him!

We held each other for several minutes. I released Bill and he sat down.

"Don't blame yourself. The DA warned me that this could happen," stated Bill. He then turned to Connor and Aunt Kayla. "It feels so good to be able to speak freely again. I'm sorry I was so rude back in my apartment. I hope I didn't hurt you Connor."

Connor smiled and I then noticed that there was a scratch mark across his cheek.

"Don't sweat it, Bill. It's the not the first time I've been scratched by an irate woman," laughed Connor

"So what now?" I asked, sitting down next to him. He seemed so physically small and vulnerable now. But I could tell that inside he hadn't changed.

"You need to stay inside the garden, Bill. If you step out, the spell will take over and you will not be able to speak freely," explained Amelia.

He nodded, although he didn't look happy about it.

"You want something more comfortable to wear? You look about my size," I added.

Bill smirked at me. "I'll take a pair of sweats if you don't mind."

I smiled back. Bill was taking this better than I thought he would.

"Have you left the garden, Iona?" asked Aunt Kayla.

"No, I haven't," I replied. "Should I?"

Aunt Kayla, Amelia and Fiona nodded.

I tentatively stepped into the living room. My body was hit by what felt like a light electric shock. I could feel a sense of obedience trying to take over my mind, but it was too weak. The enchanted leather outfit had a stronger spell than this one. I called back and described the feelings to them. Bill could still see me through the hallway. I gave him the thumbs up sign and he returned it.

"Other than feeling a little lightheaded, I feel okay. Connor, you're right, it's a very weak spell. What happens next?" I asked.

"They'll probably call you soon. Remember, you should have no memories of Bill," explained Fiona.

"Who?" I quipped.

"Hey! I can still hear you!" he yelled from the garden.

"I've researched the spell. You should be very passive and not initiate any conversation with them. Don't act drugged, just passive," explained Amelia.

"I understand. I can play along with their silly game," I replied.

'Don't take them lightly Amelia. Just as they may be underestimating you, you don't want to make the same mistake," added Connor.

"Iona, remember the other women are also under a spell. Don't blame them," added Amelia.

I nodded.

Aunt Kayla handed me a pair of black stone earrings. "Here are your earrings, my dear."

I nodded and took out my silver loops and replaced them with the stones. They would allow Amelia, Aunt Kayla, Fiona and Connor to track me. I felt sorry for Bill. He was trapped in the confines of the garden. Granted it was a nice cell, but until I recovered the statue, he was trapped there.

"I'll stay with Bill," offered Fiona.

"Thank you, Fiona," I replied, and I hugged and kissed her. I still couldn't bring myself to call her mom, even though I loved her. I then ran upstairs and grabbed my biggest set of sweats and a pair of panties. My bras would be too big for Bill, so I grabbed a t-shirt for him.

Bill went to the back of the garden and changed. I had to admit that I was slightly curious about seeing his new body, but I let him have his privacy. I must admit that, if this wasn't so serious, I would be interested in taking Bill to bed. Bill really was cute!

Just then my phone rang. I checked the number and didn't recognize it. I picked it up and replied with a hollow sounding greeting. "Hello?"

"Iona? How do you feel sister?" asked Cheryl

"Good, thank you," I answered softly.

"By the way, is Bill there?" she asked.

"Bill? I ..I ..don't know anyone named Bill." I answered. You'll get yours bitch, I thought.

"It doesn't matter, sister, soon you will understand. Now, I'll come by and pick you up. Give me directions to your house," she ordered.

I followed her orders and, as I talked, I watched Connor, Amelia and Aunt Kayla depart. I knew they would stay close. Fiona went out into the garden to join Bill and we closed the kitchen doors, blocking anyone's view into the garden.

In fifteen minutes I felt Cheryl approach. She walked up to the front door and knocked.

I answered it.

"Hello, sister. I know this is difficult, but soon you'll agree this is all for the best. Now, I will take you to meet the woman who will shape your life," explained Cheryl.

I just nodded.

We walked out to her car and we drove towards downtown. I tried not to be angry with Cheryl, but it was difficult. I guess it was just that she was closest at the moment.

Cheryl drove us into an older neighborhood near campus. We stopped at a house at the end of a street. There was a canyon bordering the side of the house. Very good location, nice and secluded, I thought.

She led me in and I saw Alyce, Kelly, Nancy, and several other girls from the group. A quick scan confirmed they were all wearing those damm rings. This must be the whole inner circle.

"Prepare her to meet The Mistress," declared Cheryl. "Iona, do exactly as they tell you."

I nodded.

They began to undress me. I had to stand there as they stripped me down and commented about my body.

"Well, well, that's a nice tattoo you have on your back, Iona," commented Nancy. "Maybe you're not so straight-laced after all!"

"She's a passive one alright," commented Alyce. "I don't remember being this easy to control."

"Enough chit-chat. Finish the job. You're keeping The Mistress waiting," barked Cheryl.

The Mistress? That's the best they can come up with? I smiled inside at this joke.

I was soon naked and was led out to the backyard. There was a high hedge surrounding the whole yard. The only light was from lanterns. In the middle of the yard was a stone altar. I assumed the statue was behind the curtain. I continued to play the game, as I needed to discover who The Mistress was. I tried to sense either Dr. Miller or Dr. Robinson, but I got nothing.

The cool night air caused the expected response to my nipples, which were now fully hard and erect. I had to stand there totally naked like an idiot and wait for HER to show up. Whoever she was!

I didn't have to wait long as I heard someone approach from behind me. I watched as the other girls dropped to their knees in a bowing position. I sensed someone approaching, but something wasn't right. It couldn't be her?"

"Welcome to your new life, Iona. You are the newest recruit to our sisterhood," stated The Mistress.

I felt shocked and stunned by the sound of her voice. It wasn't either of the two professors, rather it was my academic advisor, Sharon!

It all made sense now. She had the perfect job to screen potential "recruits" and could then shift any possible suspicion to either Dr. Miller or Dr. Robinson. I had to admire how she had fooled us all.

"Iona. You will join a growing sisterhood tonight. Now that you are unchained from your ex-boyfriend, you can redirect that passion into obeying me. Upon graduation, I will have you placed in a very high paying position. I was denied a chance for power and wealth, but that will all change. You will be my agent in that company and we will all become wealthy and powerful. Your inside information will provide me, your Mistress, with power and money. Once I place my ring on your finger, your head will be clearer, but your obedience will be absolute," she explained. "Obedience is a small price to pay for the wealth and power you will receive."

I was very disappointed. This was just a money and power grab by a disgruntled academic advisor! I was at least hoping it was something more than theft! To disrupt so many lives over greed was immoral!

"This statue controls your destiny," stated Sharon. She waved her hand and Cheryl pulled back the curtain.

The statue of Agdistis was on the altar. It was an ugly statue; I thought it might be something beautiful, like many of the Greek statues I had seen in museums. Instead, it was a crude image of a human body, male on one side and female on the other. My planner was next to it. There was also a silver ring next to the statue, the ring Sharon hoped would soon be on my finger.

"I was ridiculed for studying ancient languages, but without that knowledge I never would have detected the true wealth of this statue. My uncle stole it from a fellow antiquities collector. He didn't know the true value of it. He, or rather she is now my housemaid and cook. If you want, I can give your ex-boyfriend a similar profession. Cheryl made her ex a waitress and Nancy turned her ex into a prostitute. So what do you suggest for Bill Somers? Or should I say, Brandie Somers?" she asked in a particularly nasty tone.

"I don't know. Bill is so good at prosecuting losers like you. I think he should keep his present job!" I responded with a smirk. I placed my hands on my hips and glared at them. I wanted to show no fear. I also had a wonderful plan pop into my head.

My smart-ass response stunned Sharon and her "sisters".

"H..H..How is this possible?" she stammered. She looked at her followers and screamed at them. "Tie her down, we'll recast the spell here!"

Nancy and the others approached me and I hit Nancy with a spell to suspend her motion. I didn't have the power to cast it more than once, so I relied on bluffing the rest of them until help arrived.

Nancy stood there in mid-stride, unable to move. The other girls stared at me in horror. They then glanced at Sharon, hoping their leader had an answer.

"You mess with magic and sometimes beings with real powers show up!" I shouted loudly. "The rest of you sit down. I mean it!" I glared in their direction.

They meekly obeyed. So far so good, I thought!

"Who or what are you?" asked Sharon in a horrified voice.

I decided to have a little fun with her. "I am a messenger from Olympus. You have misused your stolen powers for personal wealth and the Gods are not happy about it!"

Sharon was confused and began to tremble slightly. "What do you mean? The Gods? That isn't possible!"

I sensed her confusion. Part of her was in pure denial and part was terrified that she might be confronting something more powerful than she imagined.

"Silence mortal!" I exclaimed. "Order your 'minions' to take off those rings and place them on the altar. Do it NOW!" Okay, it was a little over the top, but it was working. They were all too scared to resist. I also had to admit I was enjoying myself.

Sharon looked at the still inanimate Nancy and began to shake. "Do it! Do what she says, take off your rings and place them on the altar. Now!" she screamed. She was totally terrified. I sensed that she was almost hysterical with fear.

The girls obeyed and I noticed how passive they got as soon as they took off their rings. That was good as I didn't want to hurt them.

"Good. You know how to take orders, as well as give them. We may have a use for you after all. Sit down with your sheep!" I continued my bluster.

Sharon meekly obeyed and sat down.

I then sensed the arrival of Amelia, Connor and Aunt Kayla. I would have preferred that they didn't see me naked, but I had to keep up my image as a message of the gods.

Aunt Kayla came out first and I smiled at her and shrugged my shoulders. I pointed out Sharon to Conner and he froze her and the rest of the girls.

Amelia handed me my clothes and smiled as I explained what I had done.

"Good show, Iona!" smiled Connor.

I broke up laughing, hoping he meant my actions and not my nudity.

I watched as Amelia unfroze each girl and ordered her to read the inscription. Actually, Amelia read it to them and they just repeated it as they held onto the ugly bronze statue. One by one, they came to and awoke from their living nightmare. They would need a lot of help. They explained that they were trapped by the spell and couldn't resist Sharon. Nancy felt the worst over what had happened to her boyfriend. Amelia explained that the stronger the love, the worse the assigned profession. Connor had to restrain Nancy when she tried to attack the frozen Sharon. I glared at Sharon. I wondered if there was a worthy punishment for the hell she put these people through.

"The statue will be used to undo the spells on the men who've been transformed. We will free Bill first and then we will do the rest. I will then place this statue in a safe location," explained Amelia.

I felt so relieved that Bill would be returned to normal.

They had me touch it and read the Greek inscription. Even though the spell had almost no effect on me, it was best to clear it completely from my system. I butchered the Greek, but it was close enough and I felt the spell slip away.

In a short time, several police officers and detectives arrived. I recognized the detectives as the ones who had helped rescue me from Keir. The police officers also had powers. They secured the location. The question remained: what was to do to be done with Sharon? Her crimes were great, but how could they be prosecuted? She was taken into custody, until they decided who would get her.

I left that to the experts, as I was in a hurry to go home and be reunited with Bill. I was impressed with Bill's ability to read and speak Greek, as he read the inscription by himself. Was I the only one around here who couldn't read it?

His transformation back into Bill was astounding. Within a few seconds he was back to normal. However, my sweats would never be the same! I was also a bit disappointed; I wouldn't have minded spending some more time with the feminized Bill.

When he was cleansed of the spell, I almost jumped into his arms. We embraced for so long, I didn't even notice Amelia leave.

Afterward, Aunt Kayla, Fiona, Connor, Bill and I were discussing the case out in the garden. Aunt Kayla brought out a nice bottle of wine. Tully had forgiven me and was back in my lap.

"Amelia is making contact with each of the males and offering them the chance to return to their original lives," explained Aunt Kayla.

"I doubt if they will refuse. They're only women on the outside, inside they're still male. The duality of their lives is awful," I stated.

Bill nodded in agreement.

"Will they return to their exact old lives?" I asked.

"Amelia believes so. Although, I don't know how many will return to their old girlfriends," added Aunt Kayla.

"Is there a way to remove those memories?" I asked.

"Yes, but it is risky," replied Fiona.

"I am prepared to help them through therapy," stated Aunt Kayla.

The combination of the wine combined with my coming down from an emotionally draining situation soon had me drifting off. I wasn't the only one, as Bill was looking pretty beat too. I guessed that two body morphs in one evening were very tiring.

"Bill, why don't you spend the night here?" I suggested.

"Sounds good," he answered, with a yawn.

Thankfully, we had several guest rooms and enough room for everyone. I was too tired to even think about sex and, after a round of good night hugs and kisses, I went immediately to bed.

 

Chapter Fourteen

 

Over breakfast we continued to discuss the events of the previous night. It was decided that the magic court would try Sharon. The damage she had caused was too great to ignore.

"So, what sort of punishment could she receive?" I asked. I thought of all the people she had hurt and I wanted Sharon to pay.

"I imagine she will get some sort of community service. Before you get upset, our court's community service is a bit more intense than just picking up trash along the highway," explained Fiona.

"Like what?" I asked.

"She has a talent for assisting people. I'm thinking a third world aid worker for maybe thirty years. Sharon needs to give back for all the pain she has caused over greed and power. Just punishing her wouldn't really accomplish anything. This way, she can do some good and maybe become a better person," continued Fiona.

I nodded in agreement. "It's hard to be objective after I felt the anguish in Maria and the others."

"I think we both need a day off!" stated Bill out of the blue.

I looked at him with a surprised look.

Bill slipped his arm around me. "Seriously, Iona, I almost had to spend the rest of my life as a woman and you were almost converted into a cult-member, so if that doesn't call for a day off, I don't know what does!"

I shrugged my shoulders and nodded in agreement.

"Let's pack a picnic lunch and we'll head out on the road," smiled Bill.

It sounded like the perfect medicine for both of us!

Later that afternoon we were sitting together, along side the Pacific Ocean, eating lunch.

 

"So, what would you have done if I couldn't be changed back?" asked Bill.

"I'd still love you," I replied honestly.

"Would it bother you that I was physically a woman?" he replied.

"Nope," I answered.

Bill gave me a look.

"Does that mean that you also like women?" he asked.

"It means that I love you, no matter what you are. I am devoted to you and love you deeply. But, since you're curious, I do like other women," I replied. What was the harm? Bill knew that I used to be a man and that I was magical!

Bill smiled back. "I have to admit that part of me is glad this happened. As I waited for you to return, I gained a little insight into what you have gone through. My emotions were much more accessible and loose. It was a remarkable experience."

"Did you have anytime to explore your new body?" I asked.

Bill shook his head no. "There wasn't an opportunity. In some ways I wished I could have stayed a woman a little longer. It would be a wonderful experience, as long as I could change back."

What Bill said was interesting. I wondered how serious he was about it.

 

"If you want, I can research a spell to allow you to return to your feminine side temporarily and at the same time keep your own personality. Would you like that?" I asked. I had seen a spell like that in one of Aunt Kayla's books. Besides it didn't look that hard. "But I just want you to know that I prefer you as a man."

 

Bill stared back and smiled. I could sense that he found my offer appealing. He then leaned over and kissed me. I felt tingles all down my body!

Bill was right life would never be dull!

The End

  

  

  

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