by A. J. Macey
The door opened into a small box with arrow buttons on the wall. When we got in, Kye clicked the up arrow, and the door slid closed again before the whole box rattled and carried us upward.
By the time we all got outside, our familiars were fidgeting, and we were tense. Thankfully, it led to a field, the green grass empty of people, which was exactly what we needed. The animals were set down and ran to each other, huddling and gathering comfort from their counterparts.
Glancing back, I saw that the building was actually a large mausoleum. A plaque was on the front, but it was too dark to read it, and I didn't feel like wasting energy on a spell. I needed sleep in the worst way.
“Well, while they recover, what the hell do we do next?” Kye asked. As he slowly started to freak out, his temper returned. Each word he said was snapped as he glanced around the group.
“We find the main part of this city, you two stay with Caspian again while his pastry high wears off, and we'll come back and get you when we find a place to lie low,” Torryn said, his voice strained as he looked around. This place seemed to unsettle him more than any of the others.
“Let's do this,” I said, standing up and fighting off my exhaustion. Gathering our familiars, we started walking, heading in the direction of the city lights.
It was a short walk, but the closer we got, the brighter it got, glowing signs and bright lights everywhere we could see. Cars drove past, not even spelled but run by machine and human manipulation. I always thought they were fascinating, but seeing them up close was a whole new level of awesome.
“Here, this is a good place,” Torryn said, leading us to a small area between two buildings. It was on the edge of the main road, meaning nobody was walking the sidewalks this far down. Drayce and I led Caspian to the nearest wall while Tor handed over Ruby. “She's too big, keep an eye on her for me?”
“Always,” I promised, blowing him a kiss and shifting, so she and Stripes were comfortable. Coral was back in Cas' arms, his laughter subsiding enough to hold her properly. Drayce and Petunia were on his other side. Kye gave me a long, lingering kiss, leaning his forehead against mine.
“You going to stay too, Raptor?” Kye asked, his eyes narrowed on his chicken. She clucked and ruffled her feathers, walking a few feet away and turning around to give him a 'let's go!' type of look.
“Looks like that's a no,” I laughed, and he shook his head in acceptance. He pulled me into a tight hug before letting go and staring down at me.
“I hate leaving you, Sweets. Stay put and stay safe,” he said, his voice thick with emotion as he turned and walked away. Xan walked up next, giving me a quick kiss on the lips and one on the forehead.
“We'll be back, Muse,” he promised, tucking Hedgie in his coat pocket and turning away, leaving me facing Tor.
“Keep them safe,” he teased, giving me a wink. I laughed and leaned up on my toes to kiss him.
“And you keep them safe,” I ordered, doing my best Torryn impression. He barked out a laugh, achieving exactly what I was aiming for. He followed the others out, leaving me alone with Drayce and Caspian, the latter who still looked dazed.
Taking a seat on the ground, I leaned back against the side of the building next to Drayce. For the first time today, I was able to relax. Everything ached, my feet especially, and I could tell Mr. Stripes was struggling to stay awake in my arms, his little yawn one of the cutest things I had ever seen.
“You okay over there, giggles?” Drayce questioned after a few moments of the three of us taking a breather.
“Tired,” Caspian chuckled out, his eyes drooping as he slowly slipped to the side until his cheek rested against Drayce’s shoulder.
“You get some sleep,” Drayce murmured, but Cas was snoring before the statement was completely out.
“You two are so adorable,” I told him with a smile, butterflies fluttering as Drayce fingered Caspian’s hair. “I’m sorry we’re in the middle of all of this.”
“Don’t apologize, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” Drayce’s smile was sincere, his mossy green gaze centering on me. His other hand came to grab mine, bringing it to his mouth for a soft kiss. At the sweet gesture, my heart squeezed, reminding me during this cursed situation, I hadn’t been able to spend much time with him.
“I’ve missed this,” I murmured, cuddling into his side.
“What? Cuddling?”
“Spending time with you. We’ve barely been able to in the last week with everything going on.”
“The others needed you more,” he told me simply. “I’ll always be there, but they needed the Aris charm and cheer. Kye with helping loosen up and enjoying being home. Xan and Kye both with what the council has brought to their parents. Sprinkles and Torryn to keep them from going after each other every other hour. You’re the very bubbly and pink glue to our misfit coven, Angel.”
“I know, but—” I started
“No buts,” Drayce cut me off with a shake of his head. “I’ll always be there for you, for the rest of our lives, so if the others need your attention more frequently for a bit, I’m not going to stop them because I know you love me just as much as I love you too.”
My heart soared, a giddy squeal bubbling out of me before I could stop it. Drayce’s chuckle was just what I needed, warming me from the inside out as he kissed me. Soft lips moved against mine, the gentle caress making me curl my toes inside my boots.
“I love you,” I murmured against his lips, peeking up at him from under my lashes.
“I love you too, Angel.” Drayce opened his mouth to say more, but a sudden yell caught our attention.
“Hey, what are you three doing?” the man questioned. He was clothed in a blue uniform, some kind of utility belt secured around his waist, and his shiny badge, glimmering in the slowly setting sun.
“Waiting for some friends,” Drayce told him.
“Do they have exotic animals with them as well?” he questioned, gesturing to Ruby, Coral, Petunia, and Mr. Stripes, who were all passed out asleep across our laps.
“No,” I answered, my brows drawing down at the odd question. Not all animals are normal here? Mr. Stripes is the best companion ever.
“Alright, I need you three to stand up,” he commanded. Shuffling hesitantly, I did as he asked. A thread of worry wound through me as another uniformed man got out of a black and white car, flashing lights flaring on top.
“Can we ask why?” Drayce asked, picking Cas up from where he had started to groan and glance around.
“It’s illegal to keep exotic animals, especially as pets, so you three are under arrest.”
Oh, broomsticks.
November 27th
Wednesday Evening
Xanthius
The city was loud and busy, humans scurrying and bustling around from building to building. Cars and other vehicles, the term I found on a giant sign plastered above a building, were constantly moving down the road. The frantic pace was almost too much, distracting me from being able to focus on where we were going. Honestly, it was a reprieve from thinking about my mother, and the ache in my chest lessened as I continued to glance around me.
“Hey, those people have food,” Kye stated, his voice pulling me from scanning my surroundings with dizzying speed. “Let’s check that place out. No use going through what little supplies we have left when we don’t have to.”
“We’ll need to find out what they pay with before we can actually get anything, though,” I noted, my eyes landing on a few pieces of green paper and coins in someone’s hands.
“Whoa,” Torryn murmured when we stepped into the building.
“Indoor market, that’s pretty cool,” Kye added, all three of us gaping at the large shop. In Akasha, we had the outdoor markets like Crystal Borough—shop owners specializing in certain items, all coming together. The sense of community was stronger there, but this was nice in its own way, though half of it was new to me. Most of the items were hidden in boxes and packages, the words describing t
he contents.
It was busy but less overwhelming than outside, so I was able to scan the area and actually see details around me. Like the neat aisles, organized shelves, and wheeled carts, humans were filling as they walked. That would make shopping for our big family a whole lot easier! The thought of a carefree future had a lump rising in my throat. I pushed it away, determination taking its place. Shaking myself from my thoughts, I went back to gawking at our surroundings.
It was odd seeing such a familiar activity in such a different manner, but as we stepped further into the area, I found myself enjoying it.
Hedgie popped his head out of my jacket pocket, his nose sniffing the air as we walked through the fruits and vegetable displays. Reaching up, I rustled his needles softly in a gentle pet.
“How do you think they keep it cold if it isn’t magic? Ice?” Kye asked when we reached a bank of enclosed cabinets. He stuck his hand in while the other held the glass door open, his head tilting as he scanned the shelves.
“Humans are weird,” I muttered, “but they seem to be resourceful. Much more so than I originally thought.”
“You know a bit about humans?” Kye shut the door, his gaze shifting away from the icebox to me. The conversation caught Torryn’s attention, drawing him closer after he placed a bag of vegetables back on the shelf.
“One benefit to being a councilman’s son, especially one who listened when no one thought I was,” I explained with a shrug, forcing the reminder of my family away as I blinked the haze of tears that filled my eyes. “Most of the councilmen would talk about them as if they were primitive, that their world was boring because they didn’t have magic. While they may not be able to do what we can, I definitely think they have some kind of magic.”
“Well put, Xan,” Torryn agreed with a nod. “They definitely have something special here, though it doesn’t surprise me the council would think in such a way. I’m only surprised Akasha hasn’t adopted some of these technologies. Cars and indoor markets seem efficient, more so than carts fueled by magic. I mean, they move fast enough, but they don’t go this fast, by any means, and it would be easier for shop owners to have the market indoors, I would think. Especially for witches who don’t have spell casting or access to any items to help extend their foods shelf life.”
“The council doesn’t exactly like its subjects have any knowledge,” I countered. “How else would they keep such control over the world?”
Kye had opened his mouth to say something when someone tapped him on the shoulder. The move caught all of our attention, and we tensed, no doubt still riding the adrenaline high of being on the run for almost two weeks.
“You can’t have animals in here unless they’re service animals,” the woman said, her badge signifying she worked here. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“Oh, of course,” Torryn replied, taking over the conversation. “Sorry about the trouble.” With that, we started back toward the sliding door. “Alright, note for future excursions, no familiars. Don’t want to bring any unwanted attention to ourselves.”
“Hopefully, Aris, Drayce, and Caspian aren’t having too many issues with the animals,” I noted with a grimace, a thread of worry growing in my stomach.
“We told them to stay put, seeing as how Caspian is basically incapacitated,” Kye said with a shrug as if he wasn’t too worried about them. He was right; it was probably everything going on that was making me so paranoid.
Seeing the council attack my mom and running for our freedom would do that to a person.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t put too much into them, not getting into some kind of trouble. My brother is the definition of trouble,” Torryn muttered under his breath. “Let’s see if we can find some money and a place to stay before it gets dark. I doubt they would take too kindly to us camping in the middle of the city.”
“I’ll try to work on conjuring up some money,” I told them, but Kye stopped, his gaze glancing to the right.
“That machine just gave that man some money; we could see if we can magic it to spit something out. Probably would be easier than attempting to copy their money.”
At Kye’s suggestion, we started over to the machine. ATM… huh, wonder what that means? I noted the internal question for later—figuring Aris might know with her love of all things human—and glanced at the machine. There were several prompts on the screen, but hitting the numbers and buttons did nothing.
Murmuring softly, Torryn started to work different spells and incantations until finally, it started to spit out Aureus currency. After collecting the paper money, we moved further down the street.
Slowly but surely, I got used to the insane amount of foot traffic and was able to look around me. There were tall buildings, taller than most of the structures in Akasha. Bright city lights shone off the windows, the glow vibrant and lively.
“What about here?” Kye asked, stopping in front of a fancy structure. “Hotel is a place to stay, right?”
“Pretty sure, but I’m kind of out of my element,” Torryn admitted, his tone soft as he eyed the face of the building. “I’ll go see if they have any rooms. You two should probably stay out here because of the animals.”
He headed inside, leaving the two of us to stand on the sidewalk with Raptor and Hedgie. The hotel was pretty, more fancy stonework than the surrounding buildings. A man wearing a maroon jacket stood outside a revolving door, his hands clasped in front of him as he waited. I was trying to figure out what exactly he did or why he was just standing there, but Kye talking pulled me from my staring.
“So, I know I’m not Aris or anything,” Kye started softly, “but how are you handling everything? With your parents and all.” A stab of pain rattled my chest, the memory of my mom on the floor as my dad tried to heal her coming to the front of my mind. At first, I wanted to snap, angry he would bring it up, but when I looked at him, I saw a familiar pain in his gaze. Kye lost his parents in this fight with the council, too. He had no idea if they would ever be released from the prison the council had no doubt put them in. Thanks to my father’s position, there would probably be some kind of leeway to whatever consequence he was given. My mother, on the other hand… I shoved the thought away and shrugged.
“Trying to not think about it. Making sure we’re safe and keeping Aris away from anyone wanting to use her has been what I’ve been focusing on,” I murmured. “Helps keep the thoughts away, you know?”
“Yeah, I just worry now that we seem relatively stationary, at least the time being. My mind won’t stop thinking about it.”
I patted him on the shoulder, squeezing gently to help reassure him. Raptor squawked, nudging her head against his leg.
“Well, if you ever want to talk about anything, I’m here.”
“Thanks, Xan.” Kye’s smile was sad, but before I could offer any more help, Torryn walked out and down the stairs.
“Alright, got a suite booked. Luckily, they had a cancellation earlier today,” Torryn explained. “Unfortunately, I had to magic the human working the desk so she wouldn’t need to see any identification. That’s something we’ll have to do as soon as we get settled—fake some IDs, double-check we have maps of the area since the enchanted one from Akasha wouldn’t work here, and see how much money we have and how far it might get us.”
“We can check everything after we get back and get some rest,” I said. “We’re all basically walking zombies, and it would be safer to wait to do any kind of magic until after we sleep.”
“Agreed. Now, let’s go get the others,” Torryn commanded.
It wasn’t a long walk to find our way back, but when we neared the alleyway where they were supposed to be and finding it empty, panic wound through my body. Glancing around frantically, the three of us looked for Aris, Caspian, and Drayce.
“Aris! Cas!” Torryn called, his tone giving away how worried he was.
“You looking for the three kids that had them animals with them?” a man with a harsh voice called. Looking fu
rther down the alleyway, I found a dirty human, sitting in a pile of what I thought was trash. Upon further inspection, I quickly realized it was a handmade shelter. His face was wrinkled and smeared with dirt, one eye squinted closed as he watched us. “Them kids been arrested.”
“For what?” I asked, my heart starting to race. Now, what the hellsticks are we going to do?
“Yous not from around here, ain’tcha? Can’t be having no wild animals as pets, specially not within the capital,” he huffed with a shake of his head. Muttering to himself, he shifted until he no longer faced us.
“Where would we be able to find them?” Torryn asked.
“Police station. Down the way, o’er there,” the man shouted over his shoulder.
“Well, fuck. Alright, we’ll make a plan on the way,” Torryn ground out.
Let’s hope we can magic ourselves out of this situation; otherwise, we’re cursed.
Aris
“This is so cool!” I whispered to Drayce, my eyes taking in all the people waiting around the lobby. Shifting uncomfortably, I wished I could take off the stupid metal device on my hands, but the cops hadn’t been happy when I asked.
“Just keep your voice down, we don't need extra attention,” Drayce warned, his voice strained as he scooted closer.
“Keep your distance!” the officer who brought us in growled, taking a step forward before his colleague pulled him away.
“What about the animals?” Caspian asked, his voice now sobered and eyes wide with worry.
The officers had loaded us up, then called animal control. If we had known, maybe we could have spelled them to look like dogs or something. A thread of guilt twisted through me, knowing I should have thought of that. I was the witch who loved Aureus after all.…
“Fuck, I hate to admit it, but we need Tor.”
“He’ll be here,” I said confidently, shaking off the guilt. “We don’t want to bust out and alert the humans.”