by A. J. Macey
My chest squeezed, a lump forming in my throat at the thought of my parents. The signature burn of tears filled my eyes, the emotional swell building at his thoughtful statement. Torryn could be an ass at times, but it wasn’t because he wanted to be a control freak, he just cared about his family and wanted us safe and happy. Shoving the mix of emotions away, I promised myself I would think about it after we were settled and had a plan—but right now was not that time. Rolling my shoulders back, I scanned the map.
“We’re here, yes? We’re pretty close to that indoor market and clothing store, so it might be smart to stay here for the next two days while we rest and replenish our supplies. Since we’re collecting everything today, we should probably take tomorrow to rest, make sure we have everything, and leave first thing the day after,” I listed, more saying my thoughts out loud than talking to them.
“I think that’s a good idea. While I personally feel more secure having a place where we’re hidden from the council, I don’t want to get too comfortable. We still have to be vigilant,” Torryn instructed.
“Agreed. They should hopefully be back soon, so let’s get some escape routes and meeting places picked out in case anything happens.” Taking a pen, we started to mark paths and major points to remember on the map.
Now, let’s hope we don’t have to use any of these.
A few hours later, Torryn and I shuffled the copious amounts of bags down the hall after stepping out of the elevator. We went out for a second time, this trip to an outdoor sports store to get winter clothing and boots. As much as we needed them, it was a heavy load, and I was struggling to carry the bags.
“Hells bells and tarot tells,” I huffed when we finally reached the room, dropping the bags haphazardly on the floor since I didn’t have any breakables. “That was so heavy, but I couldn’t spell it to float next to me without drawing attention to myself. How do humans live without magic?”
“Who knows,” Torryn agreed with a groan, shaking his arms after putting his haul down.
“This show is so cool, guys!” Aris called out gleefully, her eyes never leaving the large Witches Glass secured to the wall. All four of them were scattered around the space, watching the show with rapt attention. “It’s called Doctor Who. He’s a time time-traveling alien who flies around in a blue box. Hey, Tor! It’s bigger on the inside, like your bag!”
Even aching, I couldn’t stop the laugh from shaking my body. At least they got some time to relax. We’d needed it, and now that we had everything, I hoped I could chill for the rest of the night.
“Aww, that was the last episode,” Aris pouted, messing with some kind of device, each button she hit reacting on the Witches Glass. She looked for something else to watch as Torryn and I unpacked the stuff we had picked out. When it was all sorted and ready to be put away, we made our way over to the couch to join the others.
“What about that show?” Drayce asked, pointing at the human cooking.
“Oooh, it’s like Boos and Brews without the magic! Yes, let’s watch that, maybe order some dinner?” Aris asked, glancing around. Nodding, we all agreed to order up some food and relax for the night. As we ate and watched the cooking show, I felt my tense muscles finally start to loosen for the first time in what felt like weeks.
I can’t wait to be able to feel like this again, all the time.
Whenever the broomsticks that would be.
November 29th
Friday Morning
Aris
“You all look so amazing!” I gushed, taking in the guys in their new clothes. Caspian was the last to walk out, striking a pose just for me.
“You look quite adorable yourself, Cupcake,” he teased, kissing my cheek and pulling me to the breakfast table. This morning, they'd ordered pastries and coffee. The conversation centered around future plans, but I was more focused on something else I'd seen—a billboard downtown about the National Gallery of Art that had a Picasso show.
“So, I was thinking of taking Xan on a date later today,” I hedged, readying myself to explain all the reasons why it wouldn’t be a totally awful idea. “It's a surprise for him, but we'll be safe, and it's not anything dangerous.”
“Uh, I don’t know if that’s really a good idea, Sweets,” Kye started with a grimace. “We haven’t moved hotels or locations since getting here, and I don’t want to risk the council finding us.”
“I’ll change my hair like I did for the store, I’ll even make up some normal colored potions for it, and Xan can wear a disguise like a hat and glasses. I picked some fake ones up the other day for situations like this. We haven’t noticed anyone following us or picked up anything about the council being here on the Witches Glass,” I rattled off, my well-thought-out arguments tumbling out in one giant string of words. “It’s only a few blocks to where I want to take him, possibly check out the big yard thing they call the National Mall, then come right back. This is probably the only chance we’ll ever get here in Aureus. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. The council doesn’t exactly keep the portals open for traveling. Please, please, please.”
They hesitated, glancing between each other. I waited impatiently, hoping they would understand why I wanted this so desperately. Torryn and Kye seemed to be the two struggling with the idea the most, but finally, after a pregnant pause, they nodded. A relieved sigh left me, despite me trying to contain it, but I was too excited. I knew we needed to be careful, but I didn’t want to spend my entire life hiding and miss out on these kinds of chances.
The council will always be a threat, but change is coming, and I’m not afraid of them.
“Alright,” Kye said, giving me a smile. “We'll all be here, trying not to be jealous.” His teasing lightened the mood, and I smiled wide, loving his show of trust.
When I peeked up at Xan, he had an excited smile on his face that had my chest warming. After everything that happened, I just wanted to give him an afternoon to forget and live in the moment.
Now that was settled, I got to work, making the hair changing potions with Caspian working on his own batch next to me. We worked in silence, the chatter from the others filling the air. Once it was done, Cas packed up the leftover potion to stash in my bag. I took the small bit I needed and covered my hair in it.
As I waited for that to work, I pulled out the Witches Glass and scrolled back to the Witches Bitch Vlog. Indigo had uploaded a video that morning, so I clicked on it and kicked up the volume, the holograph displaying her in front of me. Thank the Goddess, the network magic for these works across world borders. Yet another sign the council wanted to keep the portals a secret; otherwise, they’d have the networks locked down. Can’t have us witches, thinking on our own.
“Hey, Witches! It's Indigo with another episode of the Witches Bitch Vlog! Alright, hear me out. We've been focusing on our cotton candy heroine, Aris Calisto, and her contingent of hot man candy. They're quickly becoming the face of the underdogs in the magical community, and I couldn't pick anyone more fitting.”
“Well, from our sources on the inside, they are believed to be hiding out in Arcadia. And I, for one, am jealous as heck! All the pictures in our books show how pretty it is there, like something out of a fairytale, but being on the run is anything but. So, if you support Aris and their freedom to exist without the council controlling them, follow our petition!”
“Well, that's enough of that,” I mumbled, clicking off of the main video and following her petition link. Scrolling, it was full of pledges of support. All the encouraging messages and bits of advice were making my eyes burn with unshed tears. For the first time in my life, I felt worthy. I wasn't just the Mixta, who was always taught to blend into the background. I was the face of a virtual revolution. Sure, we might be running and hiding now, but it was a means to an end. We ran to find our feet, to grow stronger in our powers, and to work out a plan of action. It wasn't because we wanted to bury our heads in the sand and start new lives. I was a witch, through and through. Akasha was where I belon
ged, and I had every intention of going back. Before that could happen, though, there was definitely work that needed to be done.
“You alright, Sweets?” Kye asked, concern drawing his eyebrows down as he studied me.
“I'm fine. I was just thinking about how awesome it is that we're the face of something big like this. Change is coming to Akasha, and we get the honor of helping bring it to light. That's a big deal,” I explained, and they all smiled softly.
“With anyone else, I'd think it was the spotlight, but you're just humble enough to think it's amazing and put everything you have into it, not use it to gain power,” Tor said, shaking his head and smiling fondly.
“It is amazing, though. The whole system has been flawed, calling witches who aren’t one of the Big Five, Mixtas, even though we make up nearly half of the magical community. Half! Yet we're lumped together like our magic is just common. We vary from technomagic to herbology to healing to the magical sciences. Those jobs are the cornerstone of our society, yet we are swept under the rug and unappreciated. It has to end. We deserve an equal society for Akasha,” I ranted, my hands gesturing wildly as I spoke, getting more heated by the second. I half expected the guys to brush me off, but the pure pride in their eyes made me appreciate them even more. Just as I ended and took a sip of coffee, I noticed Caspian lowering his Witches Glass.
He noticed me looking and grinned, clicking until he played back a clip of my rant, starting with my assessment of our magical hierarchy. “I think we should send this anonymously to Indigo,” he said, glancing around the table at us. “In the event things get worse, it'll be nice to know we have backup somewhere, someone who would miss us, ya know?”
“That's actually brilliant,” Tor agreed, clapping Cas on the back and making him choke on the bite he just took. He quickly recovered and puffed out his chest slightly at the praise. “It's a failsafe, in a way. So, when the council eventually paints us as fugitives and criminals, the people will know the truth.”
“I'm on it,” Caspian promised, tapping away at his phone. The idea made me anxious, but I ignored the feeling, focusing instead on Xan.
“Shall we get ready, good sir?” I asked, my fake formal tone making him laugh.
“We shall, my lady,” he responded, looking me up and down. “Though I suspect you're already ready?”
“Partially,” I admitted. “It's nothing we have to dress up for, your jeans and button-down look perfect. Promise. Just give this a bit longer, then it should be a pretty brunette.”
Tor handed me a plastic card. At the question in my eyes, he explained.
“Here, take the credit card we magicked up. We tested it out at the sporting goods store yesterday, and it worked.” His hand hovered over it for a moment, changing the name to match mine. I tucked it into the small purse I got at the store yesterday, hurrying off to put on my favorite pink converse that matched my dress and thick tights. It was a nice day, considering it was almost winter, and the sun was out, both of our smiles reflecting that vibe as we ventured outside. We hailed a cab, practically pros at it now, and I rattled off the address to the driver.
“Ah, the National Gallery of Art, right?” the cabbie asked, and I smiled politely, secretly dying a little on the inside because he’d just ruined my surprise.
“Yup,” I said, popping the ‘p’ to hide my annoyance.
“You're taking me to a museum?” Xan asked, leaning toward me as his eyes lit up, melting me completely.
“There's a Picasso exhibit this week,” I explained, and for the first time, he was bouncing in his seat, the ‘son of a councilman’ composure slipping away as my sweet Xan came out of his shell a little more. He lunged, claiming my mouth with a hurried but possessive kiss, telling me without words exactly how much he appreciated the date.
When the cab dropped us off outside the museum, we both stopped and gaped up at the huge columns adorning the front of the large building, the stone stairs leading up to it full of people. It was easy to feel safer on Aureus when I looked around at all the people around us—hair in every color and people in all kinds of clothes and demeanors, a beautiful mix of people—the diverse display allowed us to fit right in.
Taking his hand, I led him up the stairs and onto our newest adventure.
November 29th
Friday Afternoon
Xanthius
My eyes scanned over the perfect woman next to me, almost as much as they scanned the art. This place was amazing, but the thought behind it was what really affected me, more than I let on. Nobody in my life had really respected my love for art until I met Aris. Now, even on the run, she was still encouraging me to keep being me—the true me.
“Oh my Gods, look,” she giggled, holding up her phone to show a picture Caspian had sent of the 'dogs' at the dog park. They couldn't stay cooped up constantly, so Torryn had maintained the spell that disguised them as puppies and allowed the others to bring them out in public. Based on the photo, they were enjoying the slight reprieve from the cold weather.
“It's Picasso,” I whispered, pointing to a new room, the famous painter's name emblazoned on a banner that hung from the ceiling. We rushed into the room, stopping in front of one labeled 'Harlequin Musician.’ The bright colors and crazy shapes weren't what I was used to, but I loved it. It was simplistic yet complex, almost hard to pick a focal point of the piece. My eyes roved over the colors, taking it in slowly. Dusty blue, rich orangey-red, and pale yellow, all painted in block sections, so when you looked at each piece individually, the artwork looked like a jumble but together created an abstract person.
“I know it's different from the paintings you do, but it's our little inside joke, and I wanted you to experience it,” Aris said softly next to me, wrapping her fingers around mine. I brought her hand up to my mouth, placing a gentle kiss across the knuckles as I gazed down at her.
“It's perfect,” I promised before letting myself relax and enjoy the moment, pulling her from one painting to the next. She wasn't afraid to talk about the art, saying what she loved or didn't like about them and how she interpreted them.
As we left the room, I noticed a door to our side. The plaque over it read storage vaults, but the door hadn't quite clicked shut. I murmured a quick cloaking spell and waited for the hall to empty before pulling her into the room. She thankfully kept quiet as I listened for sounds of movement beyond our hiding spot. A set of keys and a badge were lying on a table nearby, likely belonging to the careless person who’d left the door ajar. Tugging her with me, I snagged the badge and led us down the staff hallway. Doors branched off, but they were closed tight with voices coming from behind a few of them. Our steps were slow and deliberate as we wound our way to a set of double doors labeled art vault. Now that sounded like an adventure.
“What are we doing here?” she finally hissed, her voice quiet and fast in case anyone was nearby.
“Don't worry, we're cloaked. I just wanted to have a little fun,” I explained innocently, giving her a wry grin before leading her through the doors. There was an elevator and a set of stairs beyond it, and below was a large warehouse-like area with giant wooden crates and display pieces. Everything was arranged into some form of organized chaos, making it hard to navigate. Spotting something in the distance, I grinned, leading her down the stairs into the maze of the storage area.
She giggled as she took in the section I brought her to. It was the remnants of a fairytale display, the castle not fully finished, but they had been putting it together for some reason. Either way, I was going to take advantage of it. Casting a barrier around the castle, I led her inside. It was clearly meant for children, an interactive display, but it was perfect for right now.
“This is the best date ever,” she said, laughing as she twirled in the center of the castle's ballroom. The skylight in the castle allowed the main lights in just enough to cast her in a soft glow, only making her look more beautiful. Her hair and dress flared out around her as she twirled, the genuine giddy smile on h
er face taking my breath away.
“I love you, Aris,” I said, unable to hold back anymore. “No one else has ever cared enough to let me be my true self like you do. Or even an opportunity to find out what my true self is. The fact you did without question means more to me than I could ever explain.”
“You did just fine explaining,” she teased, falling into my embrace and kissing me softly. Not wanting to lay her on the cold floor, I used a simple spell to grow a carpet of grass and wildflowers. Sweeping her off of her feet, I laid her down gently on the ground. She smiled up at me, her gray eyes full of love and trust. We hadn’t had many chances to slow down lately, so I was taking my time in this moment we'd created.
Wanting to see all of her, I helped her out of her dress and tights. She shifted as if embarrassed for a moment but stopped as I gazed lovingly down at her. She was beyond gorgeous. Her soft curves and slender frame were sexy, making me hard faster than should have been possible.
I gently, even reverently, explored her soft skin, brushing my fingertips over her shoulders before sweeping them over the swell of her breasts. A low moan escaped her pink lips, and goosebumps erupted on her skin. She squirmed under me, which was the telltale sign she was loved every second.
Wanting to taste all of her, I placed soft, sweet kisses down her stomach, her legs falling open so I could position myself between them. I pulled away as I shed my clothes, tossing them aside. Lifting her leg, I kissed my way from ankle to inner thigh. She moaned and tried to buck upwards, but my free hand held her in place. Whimpers fell like music from her lips as I worshiped her, getting to know every inch of skin.
The moment I finally gave in to what she wanted and slid my hand to the apex of her thighs, she was dripping wet. I groaned, loving that every bit of sweet essence was for me. Teasing her with my fingers, I lazily swirled my fingers over her clit and down to her core, easily sliding two in, helping to prepare for me. With unhurried movements, I brought her slowly to an orgasm, her body spasming over my fingers as I pumped them in and out, drawing out every moment of pleasure I could.