*Quin*

Laying in the cell, hands, feet and neck bound with silencers, was a larger girl. Her face was pressed against the concrete and she was looking the other way. Even from behind, I recognized the monster that used to hang on wanted posters.

Inferni. The fire demon that terrorized the streets of The City, hand in hand with Hecate.

When she stood on trial a little over a month ago, she willing admitted that she'd been 'friends' with my Queen for a period of time. Before her utter betrayal. Inferni, Savanah after she lost her title, was the one that brought Hecate in.

And now, there she was, sleeping in a cell, bound with silencers, under the judgement of the people she'd abandoned. Her own people.

"Savanah," Hecate whispered.

I looked to the queen to catch Niquie and Wynnie doing the same. The looks they were giving Hecate told stories. They were close, the queen and her demon. Really close. I wouldn't have been surprised if Hecate took Savannah's betrayal personally, even if the Black Hands, threatened her.

I remember the day Hecate was brought in.

I remember the day the Inferni brought her in.

Because it was my idea.

---

"Inferni," I said, my voice solid, trained, "do you admit that these crimes were committed by you?"

The sniffling girl nodded, the pink streak in her hair flopping up and down.

The silencer must've been so tight at the time that she could barely breath, let lone speak. That wasn't something I would've noticed. Even if I did, I would've called it something like righteous punishment. In my mind, it was. She was the monster and I was the hero.

"And did you hold witness to the crimes committed by the magician who goes by the name Hecate?"

She jumped, looking up at me. There was a whimper from her throat, which came out as more of a strangled cry.

"Did you hold witness to the crimes committed by the magician who goes by the name Hecate?" I repeated.

Her expression grew stern. She shook her head.

I rolled my eyes.

Of course she was lying, I'd thought. It's what magicians do.

"Sir," Hatchet, now Michael said, leaning into my ear, "would you like me to get the cattle prod."

I saw the fear spark in the magicians eyes, right before it was shut down by that damned stubbornness.

"That depends," I answered, looking up to the demon. "Did you hold witness to the crimes committed by the magician who goes by the name Hecate?"

I felt a twinge of heat for a second, not cold, but heat. A raging fire that burned it's way up my spine and to my neck.

She looked at me with those dark brown eyes filled with defiance before throwing herself across the table, no magic needed.

Michael moved first, tackling her to the ground. Without magic, she'd have been just a girl, albeit a bit stronger than average. Not stronger than a soldier. But there were three of us, trained and ready, and one of her, untrained and restrained.

"Get the prod," I'd said.

The words still rang in my ears.

That stupid damn prod was used to cattle before the interrogation rooms got a hold of it. The blood crusted to it's handle spoke stories.

Technically, it was illegal to torture a human, too cruel. The Black Hands found their loophole when the magicians had their human rights revoked.

---

Hecate dived, her skin turning airy when they touched the metal bars, like they weren't even there. Her hands went for the silencers first, undoing them.

"Hecate!" Niquie yelled, leaning against the bars of the prison. "What the hell do you think you're-"

But it was too late. All the silencers were on the stone floor and Hecate's hand was over Inferni's head. I could see little streaks of liquid green absorbing into the fiery magicians forehead.

And then her eyes opened.

Red like the sun and the stars and a campfire. I remembered those eyes. But now, there was nothing of the defiance that I'd seen. No, for a second, there was a flash of fear and then...relief.

She mumbled words I couldn't hear into the crying queen's neck.

And Hecate. Hecate hugged her like she'd come back from the dead.

"Um..." Wynnie said, breaking us all from our silence. Two pairs of crying eyes made their way to her. "An explanation, maybe?"

And Hecate laughed. Her arms still around the larger fire magician, shoulders rising and falling.

"Yeah," she said, her fingers brushing through dark brown hair, picking at a streak of red. "Yeah."

---

*Jason*

I was sitting on the couch, Heather on the far side and Michael between us, leaning on my shoulder, not to mention acting as a barricade between myself and the terrifying soldier girl when Hecate came in, eyes puffy and red.

And she was behind her.

"Savannah," I heard myself whisper.

I may not have much good in a fight, but gods was I ready. I felt the magic spark between Michael and I.

Of course he knew her too, I reminded myself. He was a Black Hand then. So he knew how she betrayed us.

"Just calm down, kay?" Hecate commanded.

Quin, Niquie, and Wynnie came in behind the pair, looking just as suspicious as I felt.

I couldn't bare not looking so I did. I met Savannah's eyes and I saw the joy in them. So pure and kind, just like I always knew. Or thought I did, at least.

Hecate pulled out a chair, ushering Savannah into it and standing besides her like there was a force that wanted to hurt the traitorous bitch. Well, she wasn't wrong at least.

"Alright," Wynnie said, clearly a bit anxious, "feel like explaining now, highness?"

Hecate smiled. "I can do you one better."

---

*Michael*

I don't know what happened, but it was creepy as hell.

Hecate asked us to come and stand by her, so we did...With a lot of suspicion. One by one, she placed her thumb to our foreheads, and now this was happening.

I was standing in an older cabin that looked like it belonged to Hecate. I say that because of the complete and utter mess. The only cleared spots being walkways to different rooms.

And then there was Hecate, sleeping on the couch.

I reached over to her and tried to wake her up, but ended up going straight through her...and the couch.

A dream... Something in me seemed to whisper. It's magic.

When the door clicked, I turned to face the Inferni herself. In her hands, she held what only could've been a silencer, meant to wrap around the neck. The most powerful kind.

"This was that night," I said. "The night the queen fell."

The Inferni approached, eyes burning a blazing red, but her hands still shaking. Her breathing was controlled and quiet, and so were her steps.

She was kneeling in front of the couch now, the silencer slowly approaching Hecate's neck. I had to look away.

When I opened my eyes, I expected the dream to be over, but it wasn't. I turned back to see Inferni kneeling over Hecate, her forehead resting on the couch, right by the queens, and she was crying.

"Vannah?" Hecate asked, her voice groggy. "What'cha doing?"

"I'm sorry," Savannah whispered. "I-I can't."

Hecate moved so quickly that I almost couldn't follow her movements. Her hands were on Inferni, no, Savannah's shoulders.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Her eyes drifted to the silencer now laying on the floor. "How far away are they and how many do they have?"

"I'm so sorry..."

"No, no, no. Tell me what happened."

"They-they got me. I-I was ready to die for you, I promise, but I-they tortured me."

"Savannah. Can you tell me the name of the person who tortured you?"

"Um...Qu-Quintin Zeeli. Why?"

Hecate's eyes went terrifyingly dark for a second, before they were their light selves again.

Slowly, the queen lowered herself before her demon.

"How many and how close?"

"Hundreds. They're outside. I left them a ways from the cavern and told them it was so they wouldn't get lost. I didn't want to loose any cause then they'd torture me more."

Slowly, Hecate took the silencer in her hands...and latched it around her own neck.

I don't know if it was my newfound magic but now I could see the power leaving her. No, not leaving her, but it's like it just...stopped. There wasn't any light in her skin or color in her eye... She looked like a zombie. Was this how magicians saw silencers?

"No!" Savannah screamed. "No! They-they'll kill you. They'll never let you survive! You-you can't. Attack me, make it look like you fought me and-and then they'll take me."

"Too many people would die if I fought and if I ran they'd take you. If we're surrounded, not even invisibility could get us out of here and you know phasing through humans is too dangerous. They could get seriously hurt."

"But they'll ki-"

"This is the most peaceful option. Sacrificing one for the many."

Suddenly Hecate's hand flew out, landing a punch across Savanah's cheek. Savannah flew back, startled and holding her cheek.

Hecate smiled. "Gotta make it look like I'm mad... Right?"

But Savannah was on her, arms draped over the queens shoulders in a hug. Only Savannah was crying. Sobbing uncontrollably.

Even then, when my queen faced death, she faced it with a smile.