*Hecate*

"Pack your stuff, kiddies!" I yelled as my head phased through the training room's black door. "We've got stuff to do."

Pushing myself back out, I saw Quin waiting behind me, an eyebrow raised.

"What? We're in a rush."

"Where, exactly, are we going to be doing?"

I smiled at him, flashing pearly white teeth. "We're raiding a camp. Taking Savannah this time though so I don't burn myself out by accident. Someone tries to blow us up, she's got it under control."

I grabbed his hand, dragging him through the Black Hat until we reached a closed door. Well, not exactly. It was a wall, really, painted with a purple rectangle.

My hand still holding his, I dragged us both through it.

The room on the other side was dark until I snapped my fingers, forcing the electricity to turn on.

---

*Quin*

The room was much like Hecate's house. Covered with things that had the probability of being complete junk but may also blow New York off the efface of the earth.

"I'm assuming this is your room?"

"Storage, more like. Temporary until I can either figure out how to magically transport things or drive them back myself."

I glanced at her. "Put glyphs on an electric plane. I've been studying, you know. You could use air and electricity for short distance flights."

She smiled at me, lifting her free hand to tap my nose. "Boop. Smart boy, you're turning out to be."

Smiling, she let her warm hand slide out of mine. Rushing over to junk, pillows, and blankets that were suspiciously couch shaped, she handed lifted the little half magic half non magic artifact in her hand. She tossed it to me, expecting me to catch it. Lucky for her, I did.

She bent down again, digging around until she pulled back up. This time, sitting in her hands was a sphere. It looked like it was made of some sort of gray stone. The sides were carved in to make lines that went all the way around. The little indents that created circles around the sphere were giving off a feint light.

"Sit," she demanded.

I obeyed, dropping onto the floor.

She came over, sitting in front of me and then holding out the sphere to me.

"And I'm doing what, exactly?"

She smiled. "I'm gonna teach you how to use magic."

I blinked.

She kept talking.

"I told you before that all humans have the capacity to use magic. I theorize that, for the humans who can't use magic, the stone was created as a way for magicians to share their magic. I have another one made of clay but I gave it to Jacin. He likes setting of fireworks and being lazy about his work." She looked up at me, her eyes shinning. "But, you know what that means? It means there used to be peace. Which also means, like the guy who had Savannah, people without magic can use magic. It. Is. Possible."

"Yeah, but only when you're there to give me magic. Or, any other magician, I guess."

Her eyes shone even deeper. "That's what this is."

She took the artifact out of my hand to hand me the other, spherical one. It was surprisingly warm, and had a weird feeling to it that I couldn't explain.

"Is this what I think it is?" I asked.

"Probably. What do you think it is?"

"It has...magic in it." The magic was electric now, buzzing on my hands. A warm kind of buzzing. "Your magic."

"You can tell it's mine?" She shook her head. "No. Well experiment with that another time. Don't get me wrong, it's cute and super touching, but we have to hurry." She handed me the purple artifact. Now, with both in my hand, I had a strange feeling going through me.

"Alright, but what can I do with this?"

"Hold them together."

I did. The buzzing feeling rushed through my arms. I could feel it rushing through my whole body. Magic running wild under my skin.

"Can you feel it?"

"I feel... Light. It's like your magic's running under my skin."

She smiled. "Listen. You keep these hidden and you don't tell anyone. This is for emergencies only, get it? I don't know how much you can take."

"But how do I use it? I can't... I'm not a magician."

"The first step to using magic is simple. Don't doubt that you're absolutely magical."

---

*Savannah*

"How does the bastard, orphan, immigrant, decorated war vet unite the colonies through more debt?" Hecate sings. "Fight the other founding fathers 'til he has to forfeit? Have it all, loose it all, you ready for more yet?"

"What the hell is this?" Heather yells from the back seat.

"Alexander Hamilton!" I yelled, astounded that she'd never heard of it. "Absolute classic. Pre magic rebellion play that was absolutely the best thing that's ever happened on the stage of any theater. Well, probably. I'm not old enough to decide cause, you know, that was hundreds of years ago."

"How far are we from the camp?" Michael asks, a concentrated ball of fire floating above his hand.

"Were here! No, we're here, I mean." Hecate yells, quitting her singing. "Everyone remember the plan?"

No response, so she takes as a yes.

We walk out of the car and I feel her magic wrapping around us. When I look down, my t-shirt and jeans have changed to standard Black Hands uniform. Disgusting.

I turn to the rest to see everyone but Quin wearing the same uniform. Instead, his is a red version of ours, signifying that he's a commander and the leader of the little group.

"Get in, break it down, get them out," Hecate says. "Lets go."

---

*Quin*

Getting in was easy enough.

And when we did, we all knew we were all waiting for Hecate to move, but she simply let the small man escort us a closed off room.

"Quin and Savannah, you take the outside fields, make sure everyone stays safe. Jacin, Michael, and Heather, get as many people out and safe as possible. I've warned you before, Michael, watch limiter and make sure you don't go over board. I'll be going through all the rooms and clearing the halls. Kill as little as possible. Sleep spells only, if you can."

They nodded and we set off.

---

*Hecate*

Clearing the halls was easy, too easy. Everything was too easy. I felt like the place had security who's only purpose was to attack me and me alone. I was being charged from all directions at what seemed like all times.

But that didn't mean there wasn't a hoard of magicians, kids and adults alike following behind me. Strange or not, I had to fight. I had to fight for them.

It was hard, though. Keeping a barrier of magic around forty people at one time all while walking and working at the same time.

No, this wasn't normal. I felt weak here. Normally, this would be a piece of cake for me.

The orb thing, I thought. I'd poured a great part of my magic in that thing. A lot. Because...

Because it was Quin...

A snap of my finger set another soldier to sleep. Bullets continued to ricochet off the barrier. Well sleepish. Like I said long ago, sleep is complicated and way more gentle. I was just knocking them out.

When we make it outside, it seemed like the others got the fighting down, for the most part.

Quin's doing this weird soldier thing that makes him seem like some Zen master. Pressure points or something. I don't know but I looks awesome. Savannah was protecting him.

On the other side, magicians work along with Michael to keep barriers up while putting soldiers to sleep.

All to easy.

I felt my barrier flicker.

Something was so wrong.

"Hecate!" Savannah yells, catching my eye. "I feel it too."

"We gotta hurry," I reply.

As I say it, the last soldier falls unconscious on the ground.

Too easy.

"Is that...all?" Jacin asks.

I shake my head. "I know, it's too-

A chill rakes my spine, drawing my attention to the gate where we came it.

A man stands there. Blonde hair and blue eyes, a terrifying smile plastered on his lips. He held a book open in his hands, the pages flaring with fire and greenish water, smooth like glass.

A sound draws my attention to the side. I turn and see Savannah, her eyes wide in terror.

An icicle, light blue and shiny, punctured her stomach...before skewering her all the way through.

I watch her drop, not quite understanding what's happened, or not comprehending it or- or I don't know but she drops and everything isn't right.

She's breathing. Breathing, that's good.

No, not good. Not good. She's not. It's not good.

She's not-

She's-

"Hecate!"

Quin's voice brings me back.

Savannah lays next to me, her body bleeding out on the ground. Not blinking. Not breathing.

And may hands. My hands burn.

"Get. Back."