"We need to leave," Fallon said, her voice shaking as she clung to Luca's arm. "We need to get out of this damned city, right now."
"Or, you can learn to shield your powers."
"Fallon's right. The sooner we get out of here, the safer we'll be," Grover added, a nervous edge to his voice.
My stomach twisted, though I didn't understand why at first.
"We're not going anywhere until the girl wakes up, at least," Luca said, his face twisted as though he'd just swallowed something bitter.
"Yeah, at least," I echoed in a whisper.
"Luca, if they find us again, they could kill us," Grover insisted.
"We were fine back home. We never came across those people until her," Fallon added, nodding at me, her expression suddenly full of contempt.
"It's not my fault they exist," I muttered. I got where she was coming from—I would've hated me too in her place—but they had chosen to follow me. I hadn't forced them.
"If we leave now, we've got a good chance of making it back," Grover said, looking to Luca, who just shook his head, staring at the floor.
"Look, I promise you we're safe here. You need to think about this with a clear head."
*You need to stay.* The thought came out of nowhere, startling me, and I fell back a step. Had I lost my mind? Why did I want them to stay?
The truth was, alone, I could only do so much. But five others like me? Besides, the company wouldn't be bad. They were the only people who shared my life—same magic, same hiding. I'd never really thought about belonging, but with them there, standing in front of me, the idea was hard to ignore.
"I'm staying."
We all turned to Ax, who hadn't spoken a word until now, butterflies immediately erupting in my stomach.
"You are?"
"We've done nothing but run and hide for so long. We can't train, work, or even talk to others. I get why, but I'd rather be doing something."
"You're out of your mind!" Grover shouted. Fallon went over to Ax, grabbing his shirt, her fists clenched tight.
"Axel, no. We stick together, remember? We stick together no matter what," she said, voice soft but intense. Ax's face softened, and I tried not to think too hard about how it made me feel.
"Fall, what we're doing isn't life. If there's a chance we can help others by killing those people, what more can we ask for?" Ax's voice had gone low, tender.
"We're not going to help anyone by dying," Grover replied.
"We already are. We found you, didn't we? We found Grover," Fallon said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
I felt like a stranger in their midst. That's more like it. It was how I was used to feeling all my life.
"If she can do it, so can we," Luca said, nodding toward me.
"This is absurd!" Fallon shouted, turning away from them. "We don't know anything! She could be lying!"
"I'm not," I said firmly, meeting her gaze. "Why would I lie?"
"We saw them ourselves, Fall," Luca said.
"And we survived because of her," Ax added, though his tone held something close to reluctance.
"We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her," Grover spat, his look of resentment cutting through me.
I slammed my hands on my thighs, feeling helpless in my own space. "You know where the door is," I said, then spun around and stormed into my room, slamming the door behind me.
I collapsed on my bed, frustrated and angry. I'd convinced myself I was fine alone, but a handful of strangers sharing my magic had shattered that illusion. Ignorance really was bliss; I'd been happy not knowing about them. Now that I did, how could I stop looking?
Witches went separate ways all the time, and many lived alone. I could do the same. But knowing there were others like me now—it wouldn't be easy to convince myself to stop seeking them.
With a heavy sigh, I rubbed my face and willed my racing heart to calm down. Pointless. I kept waiting to hear the door close, signaling they'd left, but silence dragged on. When the door creaked open, I sat up, startled.
Ax was by the door, looking at me like he'd just seen a ghost. I smoothed my hair and tugged down my shirt, suddenly self-conscious.
"Can I come in?" he asked, glancing around my room.
"Sure," I said, waving him in, trying to act casual despite the mess.
"We've decided to stay for a few days, if that's okay," he said, standing across from me, hands in his pockets.
"Good," I replied, nodding and struggling to hide a smile. "We want to know what we're up against first. And we'll share everything we know."
His eyes flitted around, taking in the clutter, and I tried discreetly to nudge a stray pair of panties under my makeup desk.
"What about you?" I asked, curious at his shift from earlier.
He sighed, meeting my gaze. "I'll be here for now, but…we need to know your price first."
"My price?" I repeated, surprised.
"Yeah. We saw what you can do. You're better off alone, probably safer too. So why are you agreeing to help us?"
I rolled my eyes. "Isn't it obvious? You're the only other people I know who share my magic. What are the odds you found me?"
His eyebrows rose. "You're saying it was meant to be?"
"I don't believe in coincidences. Not like this."
"I want to believe that," he said, his voice soft. "But earlier, you said it wasn't your fault they existed. What if it is? What if…we were made?"
A cold silence followed.
"Made? Who can make witches?" I asked, thrown off.
"You tell me."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Are you insinuating I know why we're like this?" Anger flared as I felt my fists tighten. I was tempted to test just how unbreakable that pretty nose of his really was.
"I'm not insinuating anything. I'm saying I don't trust you."
I stepped forward, grabbing his shirt despite the height difference. "I don't care who you think you are. You're in my home, alive because of me. You chose to follow me. The door's right there—leave if you don't trust me. But if you stay, I won't tolerate disrespect."
Ax wrapped his fingers around my wrist, gently pushing me back, and I let go, noticing the scar above his brow.
"Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked, catching me off guard.
"I learned," I replied. I wasn't offering him any more details until he earned them.
"Where'd you learn to be an *ssh*l*?" I shot back.
A hint of a smile played on his lips. "Interesting life."
He had my curiosity.
"Look, we're all tired. You're welcome to stay, but I won't make you."
"You don't have to, Scarlet. I want to learn what you're doing and find out who those people are," he said, my name rolling off his tongue like a sin.
"I searched everything, found nothing," I said, frustrated.
"But you searched alone," he replied with a grin. "Let's rest up. We've got a long night ahead."
On that, we agreed.