"So, Athena, did you bring the magic pendant?" Zoe practically skipped in her excitement.
Athena DeVries sighed to herself. Sometimes, she had to admit that being a witch had its downsides. For the past few days, Zoe had been pestering her to teach her some magic or give her some token of her power. While the girl made a steadfast friend in an inhospitable world, she had quite a stubborn streak, and once she set her sights on anything, she would stop at nothing to obtain it.
When Zoe had discovered Athena's secret hobby, she latched onto the idea of magic with gusto. Her constant pestering had finally worn her friend's patience to its limit, forcing her to take drastic measures.
Digging into her purse, Athena brought out a pendant of light blue stone encased in gleaming metal. Hanging from a delicate silver chain, it looked almost like a petrified raindrop. On the back, an engraving read Your Heart's Wish. It was corny, but it looked fancy enough for what she had planned.
"Here you go," Athena handed the bauble to an ecstatic Zoe. "It's not very powerful, but it should be enough for your needs."
Watching the other girl coo over the pendant, Athena tried not to grimace. She did not like lying to her friends. In reality, the jewelry was merely a cheap trinket she had picked up from a small shop near her house. Still, she knew the power of suggestion. Perhaps, it would do her friend some good without getting her involved with anything too dangerous.
"So, why don't you make a wish? Nothing too big, mind you." If Zoe wished for anything too specific or elaborate, Athena could just say that the request was beyond the pendant's power, which was not exactly a lie.
Zoe closed her eyes and lifted the blue stone. "I wish
