Three weeks had past and so did Christmas and New Year. It was our first day back from our long holiday and the students were bombed. Red, Lena, Jessica, Jimmy and I were sitting in the greenhouse. It was huge building and the plants, flowers and trees covered all the space. There were some tables and chairs to drink but it was forbidden to eat anything to protect the environment. The plants were protected from the cold and could grow peacefully. Bugs, like butterflies, found refuge in the building. There were many fruits harvested for the students to eat because they do not grow in our regions.

“Let’s go on a triple date tonight” Lena suggested.

“I can’t, sorry” Jess said sadly “It’s the full moon and Ren invited me to run with the pack for the first time. I’ll get to properly meet his family”

“That’s so cool. You’ll get to howl at the moon with your mate, so romantic.” We laughed at Lena’s exaggeration. “Have fun, we’ll just go on a double date today and the next time you guys will come” Jess nodded her head but it was clear she wanted to come.

-

Our double date started with a nice super at a more or less expensive restaurant. Lena and I paid the bills much to Red’s refusal. We were enjoying ourselves in a human city. Humans have better technology and the food is not as complicated as in a hidden city. For humans, meat is meat but for creatures it can mean basilisks, unicorns, minotaurs, griffins and many, many more. Every time we go in a mystical restaurant we try something new and it is either delicious or revolting.

We then went to see a movie at the cinema. I enjoyed the movie while Jimmy looked bored and the other two were making out. Red and Lena had been friends with benefits for some time. I was glad because I never saw Red this relaxed and happy since I met her. Lena was very patient and helped her as much as she could. Jimmy and I were not the type of couple to hold hands and cuddle. Being in each other’s presence was enough for the both of us and besides, we had our fair share of touching and fun.

Red had left Jimhaya in my care more than once and it took me by surprise. Taking care of someone is different than going out with them but it made me understand Jimmy more and I was grateful. Sometimes, Jimmy would do something totally random and I had to calm her down like one time, she broke her glass and punctured her hand with it. I had to take the four inch glass out because she was staring at it in wonder. She told me she was arguing with her alter ego and one of them decided to hurt the other. That was the worst episode I witnessed so far.

After the movie, we decided to go into the city of Annwn. The landscape and buildings were much nicer than in any human city. Everything was lit up at night and we had no trouble seeing. The street lights floated around like mini suns. The buildings were all sorts of colour and in different dimensions. The rocky roads guided us through the city which was still alive considering the night creatures had woken up. We stopped at a pastry store and bought chocolate. Lena accidently bumped into someone on the way out and excused herself.

There were posters of the Dragons, our flag team. The season had started and the game was more worshipped than football for the Americans or hockey for the Canadians. We found Boris and Kasumi’s posters, tall and proud in their flag uniforms. This was going to be a tough year for them because of new players from other teams that are slowly rising in the ranks. We debated on who was going to win this year’s cup.

“Let’s go there” Lena pointed to an abandon old house. We were now on the outside of the city where it was less populated and quieter. The house was one of those old Victorian houses that nobody bothered to live in. It didn’t look haunted or anything, just very old.

“I don’t know Lena, it looks dangerous” Red said in worry.

“Come on, it will be great” she said as she started to walk again. We all looked at each other before shrugging and following our crazy friend. We entered the house and looked around. Everything was dusty, old and covered with spider web. But, something felt wrong.

We stepped further in and separated ourselves to cover more ground. Lena ventured into the living room as Red looked through the rooms. Jimmy and I marched up the broken stairs to the second floor. There were no pictures on paintings on the wall only dirt and cracks. My vision was impaired by the darkness because, unlike the Hundales’, I don’t have night vision.

“Guys, I think we should leave” I heard Red’s voice coming from the stairwell. I froze. The way Red said it seemed as if something was defiantly wrong.

We found the other girls in the living room with frowns on their faces. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I can’t use my powers. Siana can you try to conjure something?” I did as my friend asked of me. I tried to summon my magic but it wouldn’t come.

“What the hell? It feels like it is being blocked”

“The house is spelled” Red said nervously “This is a trap, we have to leave now”

“Leaving so soon?” a deep Irish voice asked from the shadow. I jumped and turned around to see Riker standing between us and the door. The white haired man wore a black leather coat and a top hat. He quietly brought a cigar to his mouth and lit it. “So, you lasses are the ones causing trouble heh?”

“We mean you no harm Riker” I said stepping forward. ”Let us leave”

Riker laughed. “You take me for a fool lassie? I know well enough that you will go running to your mummy if I let you go” He suddenly raised his hand and green fire appeared.

“DUCK” I screamed as I dropped to the floor. I felt the heat as the fireball grazed over my head. I crawled away from Riker but kept an eye on him. The man was grinning from ear to ear as he took his time to conjure another fireball. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jimhaya leap forward. She crashed into Riker sending the ball across the room and away from us. I got to my feet hastily and ran to where they were fighting but Red caught my arm. I looked back at the battle to see Jimmy thrown into the wall. She fell limp by the power of the crashed and didn’t get up. I screamed her name but she didn’t move and Riker had disappeared.

Before we knew it, another green ball flew through the air and hit Lena square in the chest. She was knocked off her feet and started screaming. Red let me go and knelt beside her and put out the fire that had spread to her clothes.

I grabbed the damaged sofa and used my strength to throw it at Riker. Riker was surprised by the object and had no time to dodge. He went down with a grunt and the sofa landed right on him. I used that time to head to the front door but it was sealed by magic. No one could get out.

Everything was going so fast, I couldn’t get my mind to function properly. My body was shaking from adrenaline. I could hear Lena screaming and crying to the pain of being burnt. I ran back to the girls, but I was tackled to the ground. I struggled as the body fell on top of me and a hand covered my mouth. I relaxed a little when it was not a man’s hand. Jimhaya was laying on me. With her free hand, she grabbed the shadows and covered the four of us with it. The air became colder and darker. Jasmine had a hand covering Lena’s mouth and used her body to protect her from the wizard.

From the kitchen, we heard Riker groan in pain. He got up from the ground at the same time as the front door open. The Duke of Farnon walked in followed by bodyguards. My breath caught in my throat as he made his way to the kitchen. He passed by us but never noticed we were lying on the ground. We could see the scene perfectly from our hiding place.

“Riker, what are you doing?” the fat man said furiously. “I told you to kill the girls, not let them escape” Riker sighed. He picked his pockets until he found a cigar and lit it. He took a puff and let the smoke out.

“They did not escape fat man. They are simply hiding from me”

“How can they hide from you? You told me you bound the house that would prevent any magic except yours. You told me that once you spelled them they would come here and not come out”

“No you drowning rat, I said I can bound a circle around the house that prevents light magic but you never told me one of the lasses can use dark magic so that fat man, is your fault” Riker sneered.

“Where are they then?”

“The youngest is using the shadows to cover their sent and bodies. We will not find them at this time” Riker took another puff of smoke. He listened to the Duke swearing and rambling about incompetence.

“Find them you fools!” He punched the door frame and made a hole and the men scattered around the house. I squirmed underneath Jimmy. To calm myself down, I concentrated on Jimmy’s body heat and heartbeat. It was very steady for a situation like this but it gave me comfort.

Red was stroking Lena’s hair murmuring words in her ear but Lena had stopped moving. I couldn’t tell if she was alive or dead, but we wouldn’t know until the men were gone. We waited five minutes for them to leave because they searching for us and a couple more to be sure they were not waiting for us outside.

Jimhaya got up from me and sped to the front door. She opened it without effort and stepped outside to see if it was safe. Red cradled Lena in her arms and ran outside with me following behind. Red gently laid Lena down and started a healing spell. I bent down to touch her neck for a pulse but found none. Her eyes were open and her burnt body was limp.

“She’s dead” I said out loud “Let her go Red” I grabbed her arm but she pulled away.

“No she’s not; we just need to heal her”

“She can’t be healed because she was hit by Wizard’s Fire. Jasmine let her go”

“No” Red yelled at me. Tears were running down her cheeks and her hands were trembling. She continued to cast her spell and I was not able to get her to stop.

Jimmy arrived shortly and saw the situation. She grabbed Jasmine by the shoulders and threw her away from the body. Jasmine got up in fury and tried to go back to Lena’s side but Jimmy caught her and locked her in her arms.

“Let go of me, she needs to be healed”

“She’s dead sister, you can’t do anything”

Red finally stopped struggling and fell to her knees. I was too numb to feel anything. Everything went so fast I couldn’t understand what had happened. One of my oldest and dearest friends died and I had no idea what to do. I blankly stared at the body.

Jimmy came into my view as she picked Lena up from the ground. I didn’t understand why she picked her up like a potatoes sac because Lena could get hurt. Oh right, she was dead.

Jimhaya came to me and took my hand. She led me to her sister and knelt down beside her. She balanced Lena on her shoulder and put her second hand on her sister’s arm. I blinked once and the scenery changed. We were in the school nursing room.

Everything became a blur. People gathered around us like flies and they started yelling gibberish. The three of us were brought to an empty room and left alone. I could hear Red crying beside me and feel Jimmy’s hands on me. Everything was wrong.

-

Everyone was here. We had explained everything and were now waiting for Lena’s parents to show. I had gotten over the shock but I couldn’t stop thinking: What had I done wrong? Why didn’t I stop her from going into the house? There were so many questions swirling in my mind it was giving me a headache.

The doors burst open as Lena’s parents ran into the room. Their faces were shattered and they had been crying. When Lena’s mother saw her child on the bed, with her eyes closed, she screamed in agony.

“My baby” she cried “nooo, my baby, my Lena, no, no, no, no. Not my baby” She fell to her knees and took Lena’s hand in hers. We could hear the sorrow in her voice. Lena’s father dropped right beside his wife hand hugged her. He put a hand on his daughters shoulder and cried. It’s a hard thing to see a father cry and it hurt. Their only child was dead; killed by a man who was supposed to be in prison.

We saw Cameron walk in the room. He took a good look and stayed quiet as the weeping parents mourned. We were silent for a long time until the nurses came to get Lena. Her mother yelled and begged her not to take her away. “No please, don’t take her away, please not my baby. Please” Only her husband kept her from following her dead child to the morgue. Another nurse came in and took the parents away from the room.

“What are you doing here rock man?” Queen Aaliyah sneered. “These grounds are forbidden to you, how did you get in?” Cameron walked to Red and placed a hand on her shoulder. He looked at her like he was trying to see any injuries but found none. Once he was satisfied, he turned around to face the angry woman.

“I came here to pay my respects and to see the damage Riker has done to your people”

“Respect? This is none of your business Cameron. Go back to your cave”

“Unfortunately for you Queen, but those girls belong to me and therefor this is my business” he said pointing to Red and Jimmy. Red didn’t look pleased by the claim but Jimmy grinned darkly at her shocked aunt. The queen was at loss of words.

“I suggest you start making allies Aaliyah because you are going to need all the help you can get. Once again, we are no better than humans. We are creatures bearing the gift of a rational mind and intelligence beyond others and we use it to amplify our selfish need of greed and lust.” Cameron explained with pain “As a representative of the Underground and ruler of Phoenix guild, I am ready to sign a peace treaty for the upcoming event. This is as much your business as it is mine queen. The Duke of Farnon has gone too far in his cupidity. The first blood has been spilled and this death is an act of treason”

“What are you talking about Cameron” Red asked “What do we have to prepare for?”

“War”