Familiars and trouble - 1.8

Ann took her place in the center, smoothing down her robes, and began chanting the words of the spell.  "Et qui audit, quaero spiritum pythonem…"  As she did so, focusing her magical energy on the objects placed around the circle, the candles began to light on their own, sending thick spirals of smoke up into the air.  The lock of hair that she'd placed in one marked circle flared and vanished and in the central circle ahead of her a smoky cat began to appear, slowly coalescing into the shape of a ginger tom.  It meowed plaintively and pawed at the circle surrounding it then looked in her direction and relaxed, sitting back on its haunches and licking one paw.  As she finished the ritual, a bright light surrounded her and her new familiar for a moment then narrowed into a single beam of light connecting them.  As the light faded, everyone slumped back, momentarily drained.

The cat stepped over the chalk outlines and jumped into Ann's lap as she sat there.  "Whew," she panted, as she stood up.  "I guess it's your turn, Lex.

"Wait," Miles said, "Wait until you're ready.  I've done this a few times, I'm more used to it.  You don’t want to run out of energy in the middle."  He looked up at Red, standing just inside the door with his scythe at the ready.  "One down, Red, thanks for making sure we weren't disturbed."

Red nodded at him, "It has been my pleasure."

Ann and Lex switched places and Lex cut a lock of her hair to go into the proper spot as Ann leaned over and started blowing out candles.  Lex looked around her then started chanting the memorized ritual, ""Et qui audit, quaero spiritum pythonem…"  focusing her magical energy and the candles started lighting again.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.  Swiftly moving into action, Red opened it a little ways.  "This isn't a good time," he started, before he stopped and the person in the hall said something.  He stepped back from the door and said, "A familiar is being summoned, as you will recognize, please do not disturb it.

Lex's voice started to shake and Miles grunted out through gritted teeth as Red calmly and loudly said, "Do not stop Lex."

A Captain of the town guard stepped swiftly across the threshold, drawing his sword and holding out an arm towards Red, who carefully presented his scythe for the Captain to take.  Not moving from where he stood, the Captain began peering at the chalk outlines and listening to the ritual.  As it ran its course, he relaxed some and handed the scythe to someone in the hall as the whispy smoke outline coalesced into a full-grown raven whose head was only slightly lower in elevation than Lex's was while she was seated.   It cawed and flapped up into the air as light shone around its body and as the beam of light connected them, a large bump grew on the side of its head, matching the one Lex had, distorting one eye.

The Captain raised his sword into an on-guard position as the light died away and the crow flapped its wings and landed in front of Lex.  "A member of the King's Guard," he said, "Swore out a warrant today that you announced yourself as a witch."