by A. J. Macey
“Nothing has been easy for us so far, so I’m just waiting for the next disaster to hit,” Tor murmured, the deep lines in his face showing the depths of his worry. Caspian was in rough shape, and I knew he was blaming himself. While I was worried about Caspian, I felt no anger toward Tor. He’d have to eventually forgive himself or realize none of this was his fault.
“It’s going to be fine,” I said, putting a false sense of confidence in my tone. Inside, I was one giant panic attack. Seeing Cas hurt so badly had given us a real look at just how far the council was willing to go. I also wondered what they were telling their witches about us for them to attack so fiercely. They’d sent in elite forces as if we were expendable criminals. I had no doubt they’d kill the others, just to take me alive, but it didn’t make sense. What was a conduit without her tethers? Not that we knew a ton about our kind, but I didn’t see how I’d have my magic without them.
Maybe they think studying me would be a key to see if there are other tetherless Conduits mistaken for Mixtas.
“You lost in there?” Xan teased, tapping my head lightly and wrapping his fingers around mine. I gave him a soft smile, loving that he always had a way of reading me.
“Maybe a little,” I admitted. “I was just thinking about how there could be more conduits out there who hadn’t found their tethers. And I was thinking how unsettling it was the council would go as far as they are to get to me. They came in guns blazing... or potions blazing, I guess, but what good would I be to them if I was alone? If they were trying to stun and detain us, they wouldn’t be using the Acidum potion or lighting it on fucking fire.”
“I had the same thought that night, but you’re wrong about one thing. Your magic is yours now. Our bond only awoke those powers in you, Muse. They aren’t dependent on us,” he explained.
“That doesn’t make me feel better. I’m nothing without you guys,” I said quietly. The thought of losing even one of them in the battle ahead had tears burning behind my eyes. “Can I make you all stay at Bernadette and Seamus’ place?”
“No chance,” Kye and Torryn said together, overhearing my words. I giggled at their reaction, loving that they were willing to stand by me, even in the face of something so intense.
We walked for another hour in silence until we reached the edge of the city, our procession still covered by the landscape. Torryn halted us just out of view and pulled out the two lanterns, passing one to Edmund and keeping the other for himself.
“Alright, two groups, keep hold of each other, and we may just get through this.” We all linked hands, Edmund and Tor lighting the lanterns and obscuring us from view. No matter how many times we used them, not being able to see my own feet was just as disorienting as the first time.
The moment we stepped into the city, I was on high alert. At first glance, nothing seemed off about the streets, but the closer I looked, I spotted more Elite Guards sprinkled into the growing crowd. It was a market day, so the streets were filling up fast, to the point of having to dodge people as we worked our way toward the bakery.
Torryn led us around the alley, but there was no way around without stepping out into the open. “Hold tight,” he whispered, before moving out into the thick of the crowd, weaving through the most open areas the best he could. Of course, it couldn’t be that simple. A courier running through cut right between us, sending me and Xan falling backward. The moment we were visible, eyes focused on us, narrowing suspiciously. Before anyone could say anything, I called the shadows forward, tucking them around Xan and me like a blanket.
“Son?” Edmund’s voice whispered nearby. I dropped the shadows only moments before we were invisible again, Xan’s dad clearly latching onto him. I felt like I could finally breathe again, now that we were under the lantern’s protection, but from the shouting in the market, our presence hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“She went that way!” a nasally voice yelled. A gangly witch pointed down the now empty alley; thankfully, not even our shadows were visible anymore.
“All clear, here,” the guard called out after giving a long look down the alley. “They must have moved on.” The witch gave a huff, clearly unhappy he wasn’t about to be rewarded for helping the guards catch a fugitive. I was just happy Torryn, Caspian, Gabriel, Lyra, Kye, and Drayce were still undercover. We stood in silence, unwilling to give ourselves away and not ready to go into the bakery just yet.
Just as I was about to start consulting the others, a force ran into me and would’ve sent me toppling over if it weren’t for Xan and Edmund behind me.
“Hellsticks,” Torryn’s voice bit out, their light extinguishing and all of them coming into view. Caspian was pale, and Drayce looked pained as he held onto Cas’ hand.
“What happened?” I asked as Edmund blew out our lantern.
“The market was busy, and someone pushed me into Cas,” Drayce said, his voice thick with emotion.
“It’s alright, Drayce,” Caspian promised, but even in that simple phrase, I could hear the pain.
“Okay, time to get us in there. Someone, give me a lantern,” I ordered as I stepped away from the others, pulling the empty canister of salve out of my pocket. Torryn handed me his lantern, and Xan reached out for Torryn, making them all invisible again, leaving me standing there alone with my own lantern. The fact they trusted me without question was huge, making my heart squeeze with pride and love.
Going around to the back of the building, I let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the door opening as Seamus headed out with a bag of trash for the dumpster. Taking aim, I threw the empty container at his back. He froze when it made impact, turning slowly with an angry glare. Had I not met him before, I’d have peed my pants at this giant of a man looking murderous, but the moment his eyes locked on the empty container, they went wide.
“Aris?” he whispered, his eyes roaming right over me. Not wanting to freak him out, I stepped closer.
“It’s us,” I answered, keeping my voice low. He let out a breath of relief.
“Get the fuck in here, girl,” he growled, holding the door open. I heard footsteps behind me, the guys following me inside.
“All in,” Gabriel said quietly once we’d made it in the door.
“Don’t drop the cover,” Seamus said, walking out front. I heard him bark out that the oven was broken, and they’d reopen tomorrow, finishing the last orders before the jingle of keys and silence followed.
“What has gotten into ya, Seamus? I swear you better have a good reason for kicking out my customers on market day!” Bernadette grumbled. I bit back a laugh, not wanting to scare her too much, but couldn’t hold back my words.
“Do I count as a good reason?” I asked, her eyes going wide at the sound of my voice.
“Aris?! Oh my Goddess, get your cute pink butt over here,” she ordered, tears already running down her cheeks. I blew out the flame, handed it off to Torryn as the rest of the group came into view, then rushed forward, letting Bernadette engulf me in a hug. She smelled like sugary treats and freshly-baked bread.
“Thank you for letting us in,” I said, my voice muffled in her shirt.
“Oh, stop. We’ll always help out,” she said firmly. “Now, sit down so I can feed you.”
“Actually, Seamus, we need your help,” I said, holding out a hand for Caspian. “I used what I had left of the salve you gave me, but the council’s enforcers got Caspian.”
“Come on, son, let’s see what we’ve got. After you came by, I had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last we’d seen of you, so I stocked up.” Seamus motioned for Caspian to sit on a stool. I helped lift his shirt, then he leaned forward, circling his arms around my waist, and rested his head on my chest. Bernadette’s intake of breath, and tears coursing down her cheeks as they unbandaged him, broke my heart.
“Those bastards,” she breathed out as Seamus’ face set in a hard fury I felt in my soul.
“The salve was smart, but if this was from an Acidum potion, it requires a special concoction. G
ive me a second to mix it up while Bernadette cleans you up. Here... you’ll need this,” he said, grabbing a bottle of scotch off the counter and handing it to me. Caspian looked up and winced, taking it from my hand and tipping it back. It wouldn’t keep him down for long, but it would take the edge off, and that would have to be enough.
“Alright, this will hurt, but burns are easier to heal than a gaping wound like your girl there. This is bad though, son. It’s not gonna be perfect,” Seamus said, giving his shoulder a pat.
“If it doesn’t hurt like this, I don’t care,” Caspian said, holding me tighter.
“Then hold on tight,” he warned before he dumped an antiseptic on. Caspian’s muffled yells tore through my heart, but I kept my composure, knowing he needed me to stay strong. Torryn came up behind me, his arms clutching Caspian’s as they cleaned him up better than I could. He didn’t stop trembling and letting out muffled cries until they slathered on a thick orange gel.
“You’re a brave one,” Bernadette remarked. “All done. If you stand, we can get a proper bandage on it. It won’t soak up the medicine like the other one, which means fewer changes and irritation. The shallow ones will heal within a few days, likely a week or two on the deeper ones. You’re going to have some spiderweb scarring where it made contact.”
“My salves are the best around, so you’re in good hands,” Seamus promised, kissing the side of his wife’s head before going off in search of a few rolls of the special bandages. Caspian finally let go, his cheeks wet with tears and a shaky smile. I wiped his tears quietly, not making a fuss, and Torryn moved around to help him stand up. Bernadette raised his arms out a bit while Seamus expertly wrapped him. The whole process was only about ten minutes, but they were likely the longest ten minutes of Cas’ life.
I’m going to kill them all for doing this to him.
“Shit!” Xan cursed from the front, where he and Edmund were peeking out the front window. “Guards are flooding the streets.”
“We need to go then,” I said, feeling awful.
“And we need to go to the council building,” Josephina agreed with a sigh. Gabriel nodded in agreement and clutched Lyra’s hand. We were about to head into the viper’s nest, and I just prayed we made it out unscathed.
“Give him ten minutes for the scotch to wear off,” Seamus ordered in a tone that brokered no arguments.
“While you wait, fill your bellies. Hunger won’t make for a good confrontation,” Bernadette added, walking around the front glasses and piling a platter with random baked goods. As soon as it was set down, we converged on it, eating uneasily, but eating all the same. She looked happy, handing out bottles of something I didn’t recognize.
“It’s a sharp mind potion. Seamus uses them when he’s working on his medicines. He can spare these for a good cause,” Bernadette joked with a wink. I uncorked the glass bottle and was immediately assaulted with a citrus scent. Not bothering to think too hard, I upended the bottle, guzzling down the tangy, tingling liquid. It took a few moments, but when it kicked in, it felt like the world was truly in focus. It was similar to the potions they used at school for studying but much more intense.
“Well, there goes the scotch, but thankfully that stuff numbed my back,” Caspian said, shrugging on his shirt and jacket again. “Anyone send a message to Olive that we’re ready to go?”
“Doing it now.” Drayce’s words were muffled as he looked down at the Witches Glass.
“Thank you for all you’ve done,” I said, giving Seamus and Bernadette a hug.
“Now, you be safe. Come back here if you need a safe space. We will always be on your side.” Bernadette gave each of us a hug before we split into two teams.
“Be safe, Love,” Edmund said as he and Xan hugged Josephina tight. Kye did the same to his parents, and I followed behind.
“We will,” Josephina said confidently, taking the lantern Torryn held out. “You keep them safe, Edmund. I’m counting on you.”
“With my life,” he promised as the rest of us gathered into our team, waiting for him. He kissed his wife on the lips, then the forehead before taking my outstretched hand. I could see the pain and worry on his face and didn’t envy him, having to separate from her.
We activated the lanterns and disappeared, heading for the back alley. The gravity of this moment hit me, and I felt an unexpected wave of confidence flow through me.
The revolution starts now, and we’re more than ready.
December 9th
Monday Afternoon
Aris
It was difficult to maneuver through the crowds. Witches randomly glared when we bumped into them, but their brows knitted together when they saw nothing that would have caused the jostle. The further we moved into the heart of the city, the more densely packed the crowds became. We had made it a little past a block and a few stalls before a man barreled into where I held onto Kye’s hand, the force of the collision making my hand slip from his. As soon as we were no longer touching, Edmund, who had been at the end of the line behind me, and I became visible.
“There she is!” When the boisterous shout sounded, two enforcers started to push through the crowd to us. Glancing frantically to the side where I knew the guys would most likely be, I reached out but couldn’t find them. I realized there was no way to get under cover of the lantern before the enforcers reached us, and I had to make a quick decision to try to keep the biggest number of us safe.
“Go! We’ll meet you there!” I yelled, shoving Edmund down the closest alleyway. He didn’t take much nudging, realizing we needed to run for it.
Sprinting and weaving through witches, we barely kept ahead of the enforcers chasing us. The further we ran, the more followers we collected. My heart pounded, and the racing of my blood only pushed me faster, but Edmund kept up with me easily.
“I have no idea which direction we’re going!” I shouted frantically when a blazing ball of fire whizzed by my head, missing by only an inch or two.
“This way!” Edmund grabbed my forearm, tugging me down another alley. Before we could get to the next street filled with witches and stalls, a pair of haunting red eyes met mine at the other end of the thin space.
“Oh, hellsticks,” I breathed, my body acting on instinct as I erected a wall of stones behind us to keep the enforcers busy. At the same time, I threw a burst of vines toward Delilah, but with a wave of her hand and an evoked spell, my attack was shredded.
“Not this bitch again,” Edmund ground out before muttering an incantation that was too soft for me to hear. Dodging a burst of sharp black shards, I collided with the stone ground, barely escaping Delilah’s attack. Whatever spell Edmund had conjured though threw her off her game before she could launch her next assault, lifting her into the air before throwing her back over a stall on the far end of the street ahead of us.
“Come on, Aris, they’re getting through the wall.”
Helping me up, Edmund and I started running again, rounding the corner right as the stone barrier I had created was blown to pieces. Eyes landed on us, shouts from the enforcers mixing with the gasps of the market-goers. Faces, clothing, and stalls blurred, my eyes only tuned to pick up the two things that mattered most to my survival—Edmund’s path and a reappearance from Delilah.
“Aris!” her taunting voice called out over the crowd. There was something about her that reached me beyond the clamor around us, even the chaos of the marketplace unable to stop her attempts to reach me. Fear slowly iced my veins, but I knew I would have to face her when we came to the capital.
Let’s just hope this will be the last time.
A blast thrown from behind us hit the pavers, showering us and nearby shoppers in a shower of dirt and rubble. The stone shards dug into any exposed skin, the sting akin to hundreds of tiny paper cuts, and my mind vaguely registered some of the nicks were beading with blood. Unable to pay it any more attention, we kept going.
“We have to get away from the main market before someone gets hurt!” I sh
outed over the surrounding chaos, knowing if we stayed on one of the main streets, someone would get injured or killed. If they hadn’t already. I shoved the rogue thought out of the way. Edmund veered to the right, taking us into another empty alley before we were cut off once more.
“Sweet, sweet Aris,” Delilah cooed in a sickeningly sugary voice, the sound making my stomach turn, but I focused on readying myself. Widening my stance slightly, I held my power right at the tips of my fingers, ready to strike, knowing it was only a matter of time. “You can’t just do as you’re told, can you?”
“As I told the council,” I challenged, “I’m not a lapdog.” Her lips twitched slightly, her gaze hardening at my words. Seeing that little moment of weakness, I only wanted to push her further. If I can get her to lose a little more control, I can take her down. The longer we stood here, slinging insults at each other, the greater the chance our plan would fall apart. “I’m glad you read between the lines on that one, Delilah, because yeah, I was referring to you.” I sneered, trying to emphasize that I saw her as beneath me.
“What are you doing?” Edmund whispered, his mouth barely moving and his eyes never leaving Delilah.
“The sooner she strikes, the sooner we can wear her down and get back to the others,” I murmured. “Time is kind of essential to this plan.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing.” He stopped talking, letting me take control.
“Do you really expect them to just hand over your freedom?” I called out. Thanks to the focus potion coursing through my system, I was able to see every minute shift in her expression and body language, which could very well be the only thing keeping us alive. “The council has already proven they’re willing to use anyone and everyone to get what they want, no matter the cost. Are you really that blind to think you’re any different? You’re a pawn, nothing more—”
“Shut up!” she screeched, finally having enough, but she didn’t strikeout. Something is going on. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and glancing back over my shoulder, I realized what it was.