Zoe was having the time of her life. Wheeling through the air above Lake Point, the sun a red smear on the horizon, gray wispy clouds gathering here and there. It was dusk, the perfect time for twilight creatures such as herself - - and her helper, Athena.
It had been easy enough to convince Athena of her powers. All that had been required was a simple demonstration of shapeshifting. Zoe had been careful not to reveal the true source of her powers, choosing instead to make vague, spooky references to ancient secrets and dark powers rather than explain the existence of the stone. She had told Athena it was within her power to give her whatever she wanted.
"To look like this?" and Zoe had transformed herself into an idealized adult Athena, a tall, bone white Amazon covered in tattoos and leather.
"To make him love you?" and Zoe had briefly become Geoff, an older guy in the scene Athena had been crushing on for the last year.
Athena had said she would do anything to have power like that, just as Zoe had known she would. Zoe had smiled and said in a confident voice, "Then bow to me and when you awaken in the morning you will be transformed."
"What?" Athena had blinked as if coming out of a trance, "Bow?"
"You can keep your crappy little pretend coven in you want, 'Thena," Zoe snapped, irritated by her friend's hesitation, "Or you can join me as the first sister in MY coven."
"O-okay, Zoe," Athena seemed shocked into obedience by Zoe's newfound power. There was no denying this magic was real, realer than real, "I'm in. I'm yours."
Athena got up from her bed and went to her knees in front of her friend. Bending forward she put her palms to the floor and touched her forehead to the carpet. It stung her pride, but she wanted the power Zoe possessed. When she straightened back up to just her knees she was surprised to feel Zoe kiss the forehead which had just touched the floor.
"I have given you the kiss of darkness," Zoe intoned, making this stuff up off the top of her head, "In the morning you shall possess a small fraction of my power."
Zoe left her like that, on her knees in her panties and tee shirt, enjoying the strange thrill of power it gave her. She had wandered the town for a little bit after that, visiting her usual haunts in strange new forms; as a bat, as a long black python, as a wispy phantom. When she went home it amused her to use her magic mirror to watch Athena tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep until she finally removed her crystal necklace, fingered herself to orgasm, and smoked a couple cigarettes.
Hiding the stone in a shadow on her dresser still seemed like a good idea, but it was a minor hassle to retrieve the thing when she needed it. Stone in hand, she had blown out the candle and laid on her own bed, pondering just how much power to give 'Thena. There was never any question that it should always be less than her own, and Zoe still wasn't capable of all that much, so it would be best to start small - - and safe.
"I wish that any power I give to Athena DeVries can only work if I want it to and how I want it to - - and my permission can be withdrawn at any time.
"I wish Athena would wake up with the power to become any kind of animal and change back at will."
So she now had a companion, soaring with her above Lake Point. Zoe, naked and beautiful, her pale form tweaked here and there by minor wishes, was still mostly human, albeit bat-winged and devil-tailed, horns curling from out of her jet black hair. Athena, her new apprentice, first of a real coven, glided alongside like a loyal familiar in the form of a large black raven with blood-red eyes. They had spent the day that way, sneaking around Lake Point, testing their powers. It was awesome.
Unfortunately, Athena couldn't communicate well in animal form, though it was fun to watch her try. Zoe though she might try wishing for telepathy next. That might simplify things. It was dusk and they had just landed on the belltower of the old church on Holyoak just down the road from Zoe's place. She turned to the raven perched on her arm, "Go down there, return home, on foot. I will summon you again - - at midnight."
The angry caws from the crow made Zoe smile. She knew Athena was protesting a long walk home - -naked. Her apprentice had quickly discovered her power did not extend to clothes, which had prompted Zoe to temporarily abandon creating fascimile clothing from her own flesh - - to show Athena that the powerful didn't care about common human crap like the need for clothing. Still, it was asking a lot of her old friend and she supposed there was no need to be cruel.
"Go now," Zoe pointed, "You walk home - - on all fours."
Athena cawed unhappily and flapped down to street level, shifting as she went. Hitting the ground running, the crow blurred and transformed into a big coal black German Shepherd. There was a startled yelp and the dog gave one last look up at Zoe's perch before it bounded off into the gloom. Using her wish to control how Athena's power worked it had amused Zoe to make her friend's canine form male. The walk home would be really different with a set of balls swinging between Athena's rear set of legs!
Chuckling to herself, Zoe unfurled her batlike wings and took to the sky once more. Circling above her house she swooped down to the window and, shifting into mist, flowed into her room and resolidified once more. It was easier than clambering in and out of the window and proved she was gaining much greater mastery of her shape changing powers.
Zoe looked into her magic mirror and saw exactly what she wanted to see. Herself.
And I look bad ass, she thought. Her skin was flawless white except for the beauty mark she had placed high up on her left cheek. She was taller now, just a little. Her boobs were bigger, just a little. She had some muscle now too, just a little, just enough. Her biceps had some definition as did her abs and her calves. Of course, she was stronger than she looked, magically stronger, stronger than most men. Just because it might be amusing to humiliate some of the meatheads at school next week.
Pleased with herself Zoe slipped into a little black dress that accentuated her amazing hourglass figure and headed downstairs.
