We rush through the door and stop dead.
The shop looks like a nature documentary gone wrong. A squirrel has claimed a crate of dried lavender as its personal fortress, chittering aggressively at anyone who gets close.
A massive crow perches on the antique cash register, cawing loud enough to rattle the glass jars every time Mica takes a step forward. Its wings are spread wide, its black feathers gleaming with an iridescent sheen that seems almost magical.
Near the back, a chubby little possum has wrapped itself around a potted rosemary plant. It hisses like a demon and coils its tail tighter every time Izzy tries to inch closer.
And— “Is that a raccoon?”
“Yes!” Izzy shouts.
A raccoon has somehow opened one of the lower cabinets and is aggressively guarding what appears to be the marble mortar and pestle inventory.
My mind is spinning. "What the?—"
"Don’t ask." Mica waves her hands at the crow, which caws so loud I wince. "We've been dealing with this for an hour!"
Izzy looks close to tears, with hands raised in a calming gesture toward the possum. "I'm trying to explain that the rosemary isn't a good place to make a home, but I don't think it believes me."
"It's a possum, Iz. It doesn't understand reason." Mica tries to shoo the crow again, which dive-bombs her head. She ducks. "You stupid feathered?—"
"Stop scaring them!" Izzy pleads.
Asher is standing in the doorway, laughing. “It feels like we’ve opened a portal to a Disney movie. Izzy, you’re playing the part of Snow White who’s lost control of her critters.”
I move forward slowly, hands out. The squirrel swivels its head toward me, lavender sprigs sticking out at odd angles from its cheeks. “And if Izzy can’t calm the forest animals, something has gone wrong with the Matrix.”
I channel gentle energy toward the squirrel, the same soothing pulse I use when helping spirits cross over. The squirrel's chittering softens for half a second.
Then it torpedoes a dried lavender smudge bundle at my face. "Okay, that was rude."
Izzy tries again with the possum, her animal affinity magic glowing faintly around her hands.
The possum hisses louder.
Mica makes another lunge for the crow. It caws and pecks at her fingers. "I swear to the Goddess, if you don't get out of this shop?—"
"Wait." I hold up a hand. The animals aren't attacking. They're defending. Aggressively defending completely random objects as if their lives depend on it. “Izzy, what emotions are feeding their outbursts. Can you tell?”
Izzy focuses on the possum again. “Beneath the aggression and territorial chittering, there's… fear. Raw, primal, bone-deep fear. They're terrified.”
I hold up my hands. “Everyone, stop.”
"What? Why?" Mica looks at me like I’ve just sprung two heads.
I gesture to the menagerie of chaos. "They're scared out of their minds."
"So what? Are you suggesting we offer them therapy?" Mica raises an eyebrow, but her tone has softened.
"Well, the first thing we do is stop trying to make them leave." I lower myself to the floor, sitting cross-legged. “They came here for a reason—likely because Izzy’s energy feels safe to them?”
Asher follows my lead, sitting beside me. "Sure, let’s hold a group meditation with woodland creatures. Why not? Just another Thursday night in Emberwood."
Izzy kneels near the possum, her magic shifting from persuasion to comfort. Mica sighs but joins us, directing calming energy toward the crow.
I breathe slowly, pushing gentle warmth toward the squirrel. Not forcing. Just offering safety. The lavender rustles as the squirrel shifts, its rapid heartbeat gradually slowing.
The crow's cawing quiets to soft clicks.
