*Hecate*

I pulled open the drivers door, ready to get it.

"No," Quin, now Mr. Grumpy Pants said, grabbing my arm and pulling me back.

I swatted him away. "Don't you tell me no, mister. You get in the van right now."

"Don't treat me like a child, first of all," he pulled the keys out of my hands. "Second, I trust you. If you say we have to leave, then we leave. That doesn't mean you're in any condition to drive. Get in the passengers seat and tell me where to go."

I glared at him for a few seconds before marching over to the other side and hopping in the passengers seat.

"Seat-"

"No."

He rolled his eyes, but started the car anyways. "So, where to?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Where'd you send them."

"Hatchet's probably at the nearest laundromat. Heather and Jacin went out to get food."

"Alright, did you see any grocery stores while you were walking?"

He nodded.

"Then what're you waiting for? Go!"

---

"Remind me why we're fleeing the city?" Hatchet said.

"That French guy you met," I said from where I was sprawled out across the three back seats. "He's probably works for the French government. If he's here with authorization from the American government, it means they got serious. I've been messing with the government for a long time and they've sent a lot of people after me. I didn't think they'd go as far as to send another Frenchie."

"Another?" Jacin asked. "This isn't the first time?"

"Yeah, it is."

"But you sai-"

"I know what I said lets just- We just gotta get as far away as soon as possible."

"What's so dangerous about French magicians?" Heather asked from the shotgun seat which I'd bitterly given up. "Aren't they just magicians too?"

"Yeah, for the most part. Except no. The government there made an amendment to their laws. Magicians weren't always legal, but then they were. As long as they worked for the government at least. If they didn't the magicians wouldn't be considered human. Human Rights don't apply if you're not human. That's what they said at least. So they experimented on magic. Those people will do anything to get their way.

"If that Frenchie finds me, I could get taken to France or I'll get killed."

"This guy might actually catch you?" Quin asked. "He's that strong?"

"Maybe. I don't think he'll catch me. That's if everything else goes to shit. But there'll be a fight and...it'll be dangerous."

"You should rest up," Jacin said. "Quin can drive us as far as Gloversville."

"No," I replied. "Too many Black Hands. We got straight to Troy. That's the last place they'll think we go. Wake me up if anything happens. Heal me when you can, Jacin. You'll need me if Frenchie finds us."

---

"Maman," I said, "vous venez trop, droite?"

(Mom, you're coming too, right?)

She shook her head, her eyes peaceful and kind, the only way I've ever know them.

"Non. Je ne peux pas aller."

(No. I can't go.)

There was shouting and gunshots coming from behind her. She turned to look at the locked door.

"Promets-moi," she said, holding me by my cheeks. "Ne reviens jamais."

(Promise me. Never-)

---

"Hecate!" Someone yelled.

My left shoulder burned where someone was touching it.

"Non! Non! Ne me touchez pas!"

"Hecate!" They weren't letting go. Why weren't they letting go. "You need to calm down."

I was pulled into something. I struggled for a few second before giving in.

"It's okay now," he said. He, no, Quin. "You're safe."

"Safe isn't exactly the word for it," I mumbled into his chest.

"So you can speak English again?"

I hummed a yes. His hand was brushing through my hair and it felt nice. I wanted to sleep again.

"You're from France?"

I hummed another yes, knowing there was no way to deny it. "Where are we?"

"We pulled off the road an hour ago. No idea where we are, but on the way to Troy."

"Hey, move your hand."

"Oh, sorry." He let go of me.

"No, no, no. Don't stop. Just not my left shoulder."

I felt his hands crawl up my back again, carefully avoiding my shoulder.

"Any more questions you wanna ask while I'm still half asleep?"

"No, it feels unfair to ask while you're like this." He was quiet for a minute.

His warmth was nothing like the scorching pain that burt up my skin. It was nice and peaceful and made me sleepy.

"Hatchet and Jacin are gone," he finally said.

"Good. I ship them."

"You wanna tell me what exactly happened in those ruins?"

I let out a little laugh. "Hmm. When we were digging, I felt something pulling at my magic. I didn't really think anything about it. That was stupid. Did Heather tell you anything about the tunnel?"

"Yeah. I didn't think magic could be that..."

"Dark?" I offered. "Cruel? Cruelness is the product of humans. Humans control magic. If humans can be cruel, so can magic. Anyways, I think the tunnel, or something in the walls of the tunnel absorbed the magic. I thought it'd be like a silencer, make it unusable. It didn't. Whatever was in there, in the walls, took my magic and used it as a weapon."

"Why didn't you protect yourself with magic?"

"I was worried. If I used magic to defend against something like that, it might've gotten stronger." I was quiet before speaking up again. "Hmm, this feels nice. No ones played with my hair like this since I went out with Niquie."

His hand stopped moving. "You...went out with Niquie?"

"Wait, no, don't stop." His hand started petting my hair again. "Yeah. For a little while."

"So you're..."

"Bi. I've had boyfriends too."

"Can I ask you something then?"

Uh-oh. I don't like where this is going, but I nodded anyways.

"Let me ask you something first, though. You know that I still don't have a bra on, right?"

"...really?"

I laughed into his chest.

"Alright, my turn. Hecate, will you...um...do you..."

"Deep breathes, grumpy pants."

"I like you. And I was wondering if maybe, you'd want to be my girlfriend?"

I let out a little laugh.

"That didn't sound good for me."

I pushed myself up so I could look at him while I talked. So he could know how serious I was.

"Girlfriend and boyfriend. What are we preschoolers." I didn't give him time to mention my maturity level. "A lot of people thought they were in love with me. That they liked me. But they don't, okay, they never do. It's just a rush, the feeling of adventure. It's-it's adrenaline."

"It's not."

"It is."

"It's not."

"It always is, Quin. Give it a month, maybe even a week. When you realize how dangerous it is to be around me, to even be in the room as me, you'll realize that you don't like me. It's happened. A few times. I was debating it, but now I'm positive. After Troy, I'm dropping you off at New York."

"What is it with you magicians and think that you can't be loved? No, you're not dropping me off in New York. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"No, Quin, listen to me-"

"No. Hecate, I like you, whether you believe me or not. You said you'd drop me off after Troy?"

"All of you."

"Alright. But if I can prove to you that it's not just an adrenaline rush, then you let me stay."

I let out a little laugh and pushed myself off his chest. "Fine. But if I don't then you do as I say and you stay in New York."

"Deal."

---

*Jacin*

Hatchet saw Quin crawling towards the blubbering Queen and walked out. I grabbed a gun and followed, just in case. Frenchie was still after us, after all.

"Where are we?" He just about yelled. "The middle of fucking no where!"

"You okay there?" I asked. He was yelling out at the trees and probably looked crazy.

When he looked back at me, his eyes were big and glassy. "No. I'm not okay. Don't you magicians have a hospital or-or emergency center somewhere?"

"New York City. A few other reformed cities too. With everyone attacking magicians, we kinda need them."

"Right, of course."

"You...What's wrong? No, that's a stupid question. You're worried about Hecate."

He looked back at me with big puppy dog eyes that it almost killed me not to compliment. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"She was crying in her sleep. It must really hurt."

"I don't think that's entirely why."

"Oh yeah? Then what do you think it is?"

I shrugged. "She sounded more distressed than hurt. More scared. And I don't think she was just blubbering out nonsense. Sounded like some European language."

"So?"

"Every hero has something they regret or are scared of. Probably all mental."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Have anything you regret?"

"Hmm, maybe leaving my parents. They didn't know I was magic. I just...up and left. Once, I even saw a missing person poster with my face on it. They probably missed me. They might think I'm dead now."

"Why don't you tell them now? Go find them?"

I gave a little smile. "They're dead. Killed by Black Hands because I ran away."

"Oh god, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's fine. I ran away when I was ten, twelve years ago. Back then, they could arrest you for having a magic kid. I was a wizard, they were the parents. When they couldn't tell the Blackies where I was, they said my parents were liars and accused them of hiding me. I saw them executed on live tv."

I looked over at Hatchet to see him looking up at me with horrified eyes. "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't-I don't-"

"No, hold on. This isn't your fault. I'm not blaming you at all."

"You should."

"But I wasn't you're fault. You weren't the people who caught my parents or killed them."

"No, maybe not, but I wanted to be like them! I looked up to people like that until I met all you guys. I wanted to be the kind of murderer that killed them."

I snapped. My left hand went to his shoulder and my other his arm. "Listen to me, you're not like them. Hatchet, you're not like them at all. Maybe you started out that way, maybe. But you changed okay? You're better than them now and you know it."

He looked up at me with wide eyes.

I took my hands away, realizing that I might've gone too far. "I'm sorry. I-"

"Michael."

"What?"

"My name. It's Michael. I didn't like it when I was little so Heather said Hatchet was cool and then it's always been Hatchet."

I smiled. "Alright, Michael, let's get back to the car. It looks like it's about to snow."