"Dekoran is the leader of this whole thing? I thought you said he was just in it?" Blyke's fierce whisper pulled me out of my shock.

"I didn't... I didn't know." I pulled my hand down my face, bewildered, but I felt stupid for not putting it together sooner. Of course he's in charge of it. He had more of a reason to be involved than anyone else, and hadn't hid his opinions since the day I'd met him, forget his power and blatant favoritism. It was obvious, but maybe, like now, I just hadn't wanted to see it. I didn't have long to think about it though before Dekoran began again with his speech.

"Witches of this region, for too long, we have suffered. Our everyday lives are affected, tormented by Humans misguided by a government made for them. They try to control our rights, our basic freedoms. Even simply from being a teacher here, I've seen myself how they target us with their guns, almost hitting our students simply trying to get an education the same as anyone else. But they are lucky if they can even make it in the building with them scanning us every day, tracking our every move. How long until they take it a step further? Tracing every use of magik until we can't safely use it at all? Already we have to break a curfew just to gather here. What happened to the right to freely practice that we were promised?"

My heart leapt to my throat as I heard a few people shout in agreement. Even so, Dekoran only nodded at them before continuing, his steps becoming a brisk pace back and forth across the stage. "What happens next then? When are we going to be pushed back until we must fear leaving our homes or face gunpoint in the streets? That's how they think of us, as a pest to be eradicated, when we've more power than they could ever hope to have themselves!"

Small murmurs hung in the crowd, fast and angry at the thought of the great race they'd been talked up to being anything less, but Dekoran gave them very little time to discuss as individuals.

"With how it stands, we are now presented with two options. We either make our move and prove ourselves now, or they will steal away our lifestyle as we know it, without a single representative to speak on our behalf." 

The anger turned quickly into fear as the man fell silent for a moment, leaving the air to hold a single question. How? Even though I didn't believe it, even though I didn't want to know, I couldn't do anything but stand and listen as Dekoran provided the answer for us.

"This time, we must strike from the center. The heart of their power is the Human government who enables these injustices to happen. If we can take them down at the very capital of it all, what options will they have? None. They will surrender to us, and from there, we can finally claim our rights!"

Applause broke out wildly, causing a small, thin smile to brush past his lips. "Thankfully, I've been working hard towards the end of things for a while. I have managed to obtain several potions to shield us during the final battle, giving us more of an advantage than ever."

"What about those fire potions, or the strength enhancers?" A voice called out from the crowd.

"Unfortunately, the Apothecary refused, and turned against his own kind. That's the last of these potions we shall receive, but it will also be the last battle we shall face," Dekoran announced, trying to pull the focus back to him.

"Traitor? How could he do such a thing?" The crowd seemed to have its own thoughts for a moment.

"Isn't the magik in his blood?"

"It could be used to make potions, couldn't it?"

"Kill the traitor! Secure our rights!"

"There's no need to kill the traitor," Dekoran cut in, concern flitting through his cold gaze for a moment. "We have more than enough-"

"Kill the traitor. He attacked us before, and doesn't deserve freedom!"

A chant broke out as my existence was reduced to nothing more than a single word. Traitor. My blood chilled. At least Dekoran doesn't want to kill me. Even so, my hands trambled at my sides. Who else was in the crowd without me knowing? Who else had Dekoran suckered in to his cause until they didn't know how to leave? Who else wanted me dead all because I turned against them?

"Indeed. He stands against us. First, let's be sure to secure what we have thus far. Given that it's in his blood, it's better to bleed him dry as needed."

I threw my hand into my mouth, biting down despite the sharp pain as I tried not to cry out. What? But why? I watched the scene before me, tears pricking my eyes. My throat felt tight as the chant rose up again. I felt a hand on my shoulder before Dustin drew me into a hug.

"I'm sorry," Gwen told me, her face contorted with worry, but I didn't want to hear it. At least, not from her. Dekoran, the man who had told me my power, who had made me feel proud of what I could do, made me feel special, even when I didn't always want it, was all right with killing me. Every potion I'd made was only done to further his cause, every interaction just to use me. I was a tool to him, nothing more. The crowd tipped their hats to salute him, but as much as I hated them and everything they stood for, I'd been no different. As a sob pulled out of my throat I tore away from Dustin to burst out the door. I don't want to be here anymore.

"Crow no!" Blyke shouted, and Liesel couldn't cover his mouth with her hands fast enough. In an instant, they turned around, rows upon rows of heads staring at us standing with the door open to a brightly lit room eager to reveal us. I had already planned to run, but now I was frozen in place as hundreds of people scrambled around the plastic chairs with one goal in mind: Get the traitor. 

I couldn't throw open the metal door fast enough, feet pounding against the title as I went to the right. Only a few more steps and I'd be out of the building. But instead, a blur of color flashed behind me as everyone else followed Gwen to the left, further in. "What are you guys doing?" I shouted at them, trying to hold back the lump in my throat theatening to crack my voice. "We need to leave! Now!"

"Last I checked we came here to get your stupid book, so let's go!" Gwen yelled back, throwing a look over her shoulder as she bolted forward. My head twisted back to the door one last time before I twisted on my heel to follow them. Liesel flashed me a small, faltering smile as I caught up before the five of us took off down the halls.

We were lucky to get the head start that we did as the members poured out of the auditorium doors. There was tripping, pushing, and shouting behind us but even so, they weren't all that far behind. I didn't get to look for long through as the hall twisted into another direction. Then there was only the thundering sound of steps echoing down the walls as we waited for them to show up behind us. It wouldn't take long.

My racing thoughts were interrupted though as Blyke turned around, his question cut through the otherwise empty hall. "Wait Dustin, why are you wearing pajama pants?"

Oh right. We picked up everyone in the dark. In fact, if we hadn't gone inside, I doubted anyone would have noticed.

"I didn't think anyone was going to be here!" Dustin dragged his hands along his face in embarrassment.

"So you jinxed us?"

"Can we please focus on running before-" Gwen stopped as she looked at me right as I felt something hot dance over my shoulder. My eyes widened in fear, almost not wanting to see what was behind me.

A wave. That was what it looked like. A sea of black sloshing down the corridors I walked every day, with the power of an ocean threatening to pull me into the masses, or drown.

The fireball was only a warning, another member throwing her hands to the ground as it trembled beneath us, the title splintering into pieces. Behind them, harsh winds pushed at my already aching back, almost causing me to trip over. As a second fireball came by, Blyke stopped in front of me. Just stopped running to take off first his show, then his sock.

"Blyke! What the hell are you doing?" I hissed at him, slowing down even as I knew how dumb that was. "Let's go!"

"Don't worry I got a plan." He grinned at me as he started to follow, dragging his bare foot across the floor. I was about to conclude that he'd officially lost it when I saw it. Wherever his foot trailed, came a thin sheet of ice that almost seemed to spread outwards towards the mass. He reached a lanky arm to the side until he was able to drag his fingers along the wall as he ran, ice trailing behind that too. As the group began to lose their balance on the andom patches of ice, Blyke pulled his hand away from the wall, and I could see the redness built up behind his tan cheeks.

"Goodbye suckers!" From his extended hand came a huge burst of fire, much larger than most Witches could produce. The heart flew back at my face as the group either had to duck and slip, or get their clothes incinerated. Presumably the rest of them with it, but I didn't want to think about it too hard as I looked away. He then tugged his shoe back on quickly, and ran to catch up with us.

"Where did you get all the heat from?" I asked. There was no way he had pulled that much from just the floor and walls alone, not with it being late at night and the heat off.

"Friction," he answered. "Takes a bit of a build-up, but it's still a source of heat."

As the members stopped to recover, their screams still echoing in my ears, it at least gave us a huge lead as we took a harsh left to the staircase leading to Dekoran's tower. It didn't buy us a whole lot of time, but at least it was something. As Liesel held open the wooden door out of the staircase, waving us through, I could just begin to make out the entrance to Dekoran's room, but as I took hold of the handle, it only rattled around as I wrenched it up and down as rapidly as I could.

"Damn it it's locked!" I cried, shaking it more furiously, as if that would do anything. My heart started beating faster until I could barely make out the voices growing louder in the stairwell behind us. This was such a stupid idea! I should have run out the door. "Blyke! Can you get the lock again?"

I saw him hold up his hand, flicking his wrist up. He frowned, trying it again even as he shook his head. "Nope. There's some kind of protective shield on it."

Protective shield? My eyes widened as I remembered making a potion just for that, telling Dekoran he needed to make sure people couldn't get in there to steal things. Like a book. Damn it damn it damn it! My constant urge to facepalm was returning.

"Oh come on! Not everything needs magik guys!" Gwen took a step back, lifting a single foot.

"That's not going to-" I stopped as she twisted her body, throwing her full weight at the old wooden door. There was a sound like shattering glass, then the snap of a rusted lock breaking, and with that the door swung open. "...work."

She just gave me a deadpan stare, and with no time to waste, we ran inside. The room was pitch black, and I swore I could hear the sound of fingers snapping, until a small flicker of fire broke  through the darkness, held steady in Blyke's hand. He drew it over to the segment of the room I'd been frantically feeling around in. 

"That help?"

"Yeah thanks," I managed to answer as I sifted through book after book. Legends of Akashas, books on the fifth element, other forms of magik... Come on! Where would he keep it?  The bookshelf was empty. In fact, the only other thing in the pillow-covered room was the chest. The same one my potions had been stolen from, time and time again. I grit my teeth, just thinking about it again. That book better be in here after all the trouble we've gone through. But it too was locked, and I couldn't check it now. The only option I had was to take it and pray he'd tossed the book in there too. I lifted the heavy box, my back still sending waves of pain in protest. I could hear the glass bottles rolling around inside, knocking into one another. I just hoped one of them was the book. "All right let's go!"

"Go where?" 

I hated how cold his voice sounded now, enough to make me shiver as I saw a tall shadow rise up behind me. How uncaring and apathetic he was. Dekoran didn't smile as he stepped into the room, face lit from the fire cast around him, though his eyes glinted with a haughtiest that shone much brighter. "There's no other exit, Crow. Hand over the potions, and your Human friends. The rest can go. We won't hurt you."

I just squinted at him, half because I could barely see, and the other half in confusion. I had heard them chanting to kill me, and how they wanted to attack Humans, and he was acting like he was offering me a choice? No, I realized. He's offering the lack thereof. I glanced behind me, catching everyone's scared faces, waiting for me to come up with some sort of answer. I was about to turn my head back, when I saw the old-fashioned, stained glass window to my left. The same one I'd sat next every day after school.

"Crow, make your decision. Now." The threat crawled beneath my skin, Dekoran's magik filling the ari with a dark, heavy presense, but I refused to just hand them over. That's not who I was, or who I wanted to be. I grasped the chest closer, eyes darting back to the glass. I got one shot.

"It already was made." With that I flung the box at the window. Hard. It shattered to pieces, a loud crack following after as the box hit the ground. "Everyone now!"

"Don't-" Dekoran warned, the energy in the room spiking, but I was already running to the window, grabbing the ledge. Instantly, a glass shard slipped into the palm of my left hand, a hot, burning pain following. I watched as a pool of blood rose to the surface, but I closed it with a hiss, taking one look back before throwing myself over the edge.

Wind rose up to meet me almost as much as the ground, and I tensed as I prepared to slam into the unforgiving dirt once again. But instead, the air around me softened, catching and lowering me gently to the bottom. Seconds later, Liesel's feet lightly tapped the ground next to me, alongside everyone else's as she put her wand away. I tried not to be annoyed that she hadn't done that the first time as I rushed to take hold of the now-broken box, the potions spread out across the ground. I picked up a blue one in my hand, wincing as the weight pushed against the cut.

"What are you doing? We have to go!" Gwen shouted back after me.

"I need to make sure they can't follow us." Even now, I could see several brooms making their way towards the window as Witches pulled them from across the parking lot. I couldn't let that happen. I slipped my backpack off my shoulder, tugging open the zipper. "So much for never needing to use this."

The launcher felt smooth in my hands as I took hold of it, loading in the blue bottle. The cartridge pushed in with a click, and with that I heaved it onto my shoulder, squinting to line it up. Here goes nothing.

A pop sounded, then a crash as the potion careened into the wall next to the empty window frame. My heart jumped as it missed, but the cerulean liquid still managed to splash all over the stone before it reared up, coming together until it formed a transparent wall over the opening. Someone tried to send a rock out to break it, but it bounced off, reflecting the earth magik with ease. Stumbling back, I scooped up the other potions into my backpack, almost tripping as I scrambled back towards Dustin's car.

"Crow! Crow!" My fingers twitched as I could hear Dekoran's voice, muffled through the magik barrier, but I ignored it. I was never going to listen to him again.

By the time I reached Dustin's car, everyone was already packed inside, the door open for my exhausted body to flop into the front seat before Gwen sped off. It was weird, sitting in dead silence, our hearts still pounding as we drove down an empty street, back to the dead quiet of the neighborhood. It almost doesn't feel real, I thought even as I stared at the slice on my hand, still bleeding heavily no matter how many napkins I stole from the glove compartment to press against it. 

How can all these houses sit here with people sleeping inside while we had run for our lives only a few blocks away?  Was that how it had always been before? Had people always been in danger, Humans and Witches, and I just passed it by? A shiver crept up my spine at the idea. 

Finally, the car stopped in front of my house. I could barely look anyone in the eyes as I got up. Taking hold of the handle, I paused, swallinghard as I forced myself to look at everyone. Everyone that I'd put in danger just to get one stupid book. My voice broke as I tried to speak. "I'm sorry. I never meant for it to turn out this way. I just-"

They blinked back, Liesel twisting a frizzy braid around her finger as Blyke quickly tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling instead. Anything but me. The car fell silent before Gwen finally broke it. "Stop. It's fine." She sighed, putting her head against the top of the wheel, long hair falling with it. "Just... go. We'll talk about this tomorrow, okay? I want to sleep, and I still have to drive everyone else home."

"Okay." I left it at that. My cheeks felt how with embarrassed, though it wasn't entirely my fault, I supposed. Still, I could barely reply to Dustin calling out 'goodnight' to me before I closed the car door.

A sharp tug erupted from some random muscle in my back as I heaved myself through the window, groaning in pain. At least that's the last time I'm moving tonight... and possibly tomorrow at the rate I'm going. Clenching my certified napkin bandgae tighter, I threw my backpack to the floor, launcher still tucked away as I flopped on my bed. 

I just wanted the day to end like it had never happened in the first place. Even in my own room, miles away, I could feel the negative energy settling beneath my skin, the terrifying call of Dekoran's speech. The comfort of being under the covers felt like only a small relief from the threat that lurked outside. There were so many people in that room, yet I'd only seen one face. They could be anyone, from anywhere. I felt something poke into my neck as my aching muscles forced me to roll onto my side, and I reached up to pull off the spider earring.

I stared at it in the dark. They could have just stayed at home and slept like everyone else, but no. Once again, I'd dragged them into it my problems, all under the pretense of saving them. "Pssh, like I can save anyone." Who did I think I was? Some sort of hero? I can't even tell who's putting them in more danger: the coven... or me.