Chapter 5

W ith her hand in mine, we took off running. Our shoes clacked against the brick floors. The escape tunnels, or what I called the death tunnels, were built when my fifth great-grandparents made the east side of Houston our home. There were two of them in total. The one we traveled through now led to the Humble, Texas area. The other led out to Bear Lake River and to the countryside of Texas.

There was a thicket of bushes and trees that protected our village and kept us hidden on both sides. It wasn’t until my fourth great-grandparents that they added Manchineel trees, wild parsnip, and Japanese spirea from around the world to prevent some of the intrusive humans from wandering into the village. You would think humans had enough common sense to stay away, but we once watched a couple of humans lost in the area rub against the manchineel tree and the wild parsnip. They died that day in the wood area. Their skin turned bloody red while they scratched at themselves until they peeled away their epidermis. The earth greedily accepted the offering of their nourishment. Del, the castle guards, and I stood there and watched them wither away in three day’s time. We took bets on how long they would last, and the castle guard won. I had to give him a pint of my father’s special witch’s brew, and Del helped me—well, I had to use my magic to send what little of their remains were left back to their home. Bits and pieces of their skin remained until the earth took that as well. And even to this day, I can smell a hint of that metallic scent when we enter the area.

Finally, we made it to the small grassy area before the small river that led to the San Jacinto River. On the other side is the human trap forest.

“Del,” I whisper shout. Del was about to edge out of the dark tunnel. Instinctively, I grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She opened her mouth, but my free hand snapped it, silencing her.

Del was never aware of her surroundings, and she was even clumsier than I. Luckily, we fit each other as I looked out for her. If I didn’t, the guard—a golden guard at that would have caught her. To the coven witch, you wouldn’t be able to hear their light footsteps, but I knew the soft crunching sound that blended in with the wind rustling the scattered leaves was a guard patrolling. I waited until the last soft step seemed muffled by my heightened hearing. My head stuck out the tunnel to see not one but three golden army soldiers circling the castle. If we didn’t move now, we would have to wait because the next set of guards was due to walk this way in two minutes.

I yanked Del forcefully. A slight oomph left her lanky body as we ran to the river, and I thanked the goddesses it hadn’t rained today, so the ground was dry except by the riverbank.

“Hurry, Del, take your shoes off, and let’s cross.”

With our shoes off, we hopped along the familiar stones, left and right, onto the dull brown and gray riverbed rocks. Their flat edges stuck out of the water. It was a path we remembered as we used to race to the other side. When my foot touched the weeds on the other side of the river, I almost cried. Now we needed to cross over my mother’s shield, and then the hard part would be done.

Unlike humans, the shrubs and plants didn’t affect witches, so we could easily move and re-fix the plants to cover our footsteps. Del and I maneuvered the half acre pathway to the shield with ease until we reached the dimmed red barrier of my mother’s blood shield that only I could see. Unlike the magic shield she placed around the bookstore, this one was more for safety than anything else. It took our blood and protected the owner and everyone inside of it by keeping out anyone who would mean us any harm or kept them from seeing inside the village. The humans could cross the barrier, but they would be met with a long and agonizing death when they get into the forest.

After we crossed the blood shield, I almost dropped onto the grassy dirt. We made it without getting caught or having to put a guard to sleep. We did it! Our eyes connected, and Del's grin spread across her face.

“See? Easy peasy.” She nodded.

“Okay, maybe you were right. The goddess is showing me mercy for once.”

“Oh, hush.” Del waved her hand at me.

Snorting, I grabbed her wrist a bit more securely than last time. I hated teleporting with anyone not royal. They always become sick. The very first time Del and I teleported, she upchucked her lunch onto my black dress. It was the only time I’ve ever cursed at Del. Some days, I can still see the atrocious yellow marks on any of my black dresses with the chunks of ham and mashed potatoes.

My mouth twisted into a frown as I threw her a sullen look. Before she could complain, my magic slipped from my fingers as it curled around my body. The green warmth of my magic slipped away from me, and Del shivered against my frame as my magic embraced her body. Del’s small blonde hairs raised as her skin grew goosebumps the moment my hand touched hers.

The brown, green, and pitch black night blended as one, as the picture of the countryside of Houston twisted before our very own eyes. My stomach twisted in knots as my magic pulled and stretched, cutting a thin slit of white light into the dark night. My arm shot out, shielding my eyes as together we stepped into the slit of light and into the dark back alleyway of the Majestic Theater. Fixing my bun that got ruined in the portal, I watched poor Del with her hands on the red brick building, heaving as the remainder of her dinner hit the ground. The pungent smell of acid and bile perfumed the air.

Magic is personal and doesn’t like to be shared. It leaves the other individual in a state of frigid cold and can kill the person who’s been left in its presence for too long. Like my father’s cousin, Layla, who was frozen after one of the goddess descendants developed an unnatural obsession with her. The royal shackled her to the bed and wouldn’t let Layla go. Her captor would use their magic to keep Layla alive. I forgot the young royal’s name, but she was beautiful and mateless, and decided she was going to keep Layla. It was a horrible story. My father was the one to find the royal lying in what was Layla’s frozen, shattered remains. He never mentioned what happened next, but said the royal was kicked out of the coven.

Poor Layla. I thought as I worked in tandem with my magic to soothe Del's back. Hopefully, it won’t be as bad when we return home.

“Are you okay, Del? Or do we need to go back home?”

Del straightened her lanky body as she tried not to hold her stomach. Her eyes shut out the world as she took several deep breaths through her nose. I offered her the lone mint in my bag. She thanked me and threw the white candy into her mouth.

After a minute, she opened those pretty robins at me, “No, we’re not going back home. Not after I threw up my dinner. Let’s go!”

Holding both of my arms up in surrender, I followed her. I am not one to complain, but if Del passed out, I would be beside myself. We wouldn’t be able to use magic because we’re surrounded by humans. I would have to drag her away, and I knew that would cause trouble I couldn’t afford to get into.

“Del, I think I need to use a transformation spell tonight.”

“What? Why?”

“You remember we’re going to be amongst humans? You and I are not equal in their world. I wouldn’t be able to sit with you without causing an uproar, and I would hate to have to kill every single person in Houston out of rage.”

Del’s eyes widened as she nodded, and her pale skin turned a pinkish hue. An “Oh, yes. You’re right. Stupid humans.” Left her plush red lips.

Commanding my magic to change to fit in again for the second time this month irked my soul. My magic trembled inside my chest as it fed off the anger. The little sweat that formed on my top lip had nothing to do with the Houston stifling summer night heat. When the slight pinching sensation was over, I turned to Del.

Del's lips thinned out, and she shook her head.

“I hate this.” She chewed her bottom lip. “Maybe we should just do something else?”

“No, I already changed my appearance. It can’t be that bad. Why waste my magic?” I said with a bit of an edge in my voice to keep the bile that threatened to spill out of my mouth at bay.

Pulling out the small mirror from my bag, I nearly blanched. The image that stared back at me was disheartening. Skin as pale as Del’s, with a ruby tint to my newly thin lips and sunken cheeks. My black hair turned the color of rust, which made the light green eyes stand out. The once twinge of excitement was stomped out. This felt wrong in every shape, way, and form. Closing my eyes, I waited until the spark of my magic died down. It took a while before I was able to process the change. It’s only for an hour or two, but it felt like a slap to my Youna’s face for changing the features she had passed down to me.

I grabbed her small wrist, and we raced through the alleyway to the front of the theater. Yes, I forgot about how life outside the village could be. That was my fault. Nothing I could do would change the ugly hearts of people.

Skidding to a stop when we rounded the corner, both Del and I stood with our mouths hanging open.

Del’s voice seemed far away as she muttered, “Wow, it’s beautiful.”

Beautiful indeed. The front of the building was painted white to stick out against the boring red brick buildings surrounding it. Two small windows held workers on either side of the building where people lined up to get inside of the theater. Shoving Del, I pointed to the massive, blinding white marquee, stating the last show of the night would start in ten minutes. If we didn’t hall ourselves inside now, we would miss the show.

When we managed to unglue ourselves from our spot, we hurried to buy our tickets. Inside, the lobby was teeming with people. Everyone had small white bags filled with popcorn. The buttery scent wafted through the lobby. Del had returned with our own bags before we hurried into the medium-sized auditorium. The section where we were seated had red plush seats with gold trim on them, matching the walls and the floors. From our seats, we had a clear view of the full stage, which was twice the size of the small Isis theater across town. The space was divided into two different sections. The floor seats were for people who looked like Del, and the balcony section was for people who looked like me. My gaze traveled to the balcony section to see a handful of beautiful black couples and families. Warmth spread through my face as I realized I would’ve been focused on sitting apart from Del because of the humans’ hateful views. My magic flickered slightly before I caught myself slipping.

“Are you okay? You’re almost as red as my dress. We should leave. This isn’t fun anymore, KD,” Del said, her eyes filled with worry.

My sweet Del was nothing but a kind-hearted individual. Sometimes, I couldn’t believe my luck that the goddess gifted me with her.

I placed my hand over hers and squeezed it with a small smile on my face to comfort her. “I’m warm here,” I said, but knowing Del, like the freckles on the back of my hands, she wouldn’t stop worrying until she knew I was truly okay.

A humph from behind us made our heads swivel around as I let go of Del’s hand. A plump man with a balding hairline frowned as he looked toward the balcony.

The slender young woman who accompanied him turned her long, pointy nose at us as he placed his stubby, small hand in her lap. “Disgusting. I can’t believe they're allowed here.” The woman scoffed.

A match made in heaven. They were both ugly on the inside and out. It took all of my willpower not to turn them into a pile of shit.

“Let’s just watch the performance and go home,” I said through my foreign lips.

Pathetic Bastards

After two minutes, the lights dimmed, and the play commenced. Ten minutes into the play, I forgot about the turmoil that had brewed inside of me and got lost in the performance. The play was about a man who tried to save a woman from some evil villain. It wasn’t a romantic play like I would have wanted, but I enjoyed it. Del and I laughed until tears sprung from our eyes, rolling down our dresses. We had to wipe our faces with the spare tissue I found in my purse.

The lights flooding the dim theater brought me back to reality and reminded me of the repugnant couple behind us.

“Thank God it’s over,” the woman behind us said. “We should speak to the owners, Frank. He shouldn’t sully the theater already by entertaining…everyone.”

How would it be if we sliced them up, young princess? We could hang their innards from the ceiling! YES.

No, No, No. I repeated as my hands found the metal edge of the chair. My mind was foggy with the voice’s desire. I tried to take deeper breaths to control the grisly voice, but my body shook worse than the floor of the theater as people left.

“Darling, you’re right. I could only imagine if the owners knew I was the mayor’s advisor. They might think twice about who they allow to patronize their business,” the man said.

Let us out to play, Princess.

“Are you okay? You’re sweating bullets,” Del said from beside me. Worry was thick in the air in our little area as everyone gathered their things.

I don’t claim to be a good person. Quite the contrary, I walk a thin line between good and madness. And tonight, the madness won the fight when a sheath of darkness washed over my trembling body. As I turned to the plump man and his hawk nose date, I threw them a wide, unfamiliar smile, one that would make me look as angelic as the angels the humans worship. Waving at the couple, my magic seeped out, and I watched as it did, entering their noses and into their body. Too bad Del couldn’t see it until they started to choke and gasp as I curled my fingers into my palms, tightening my magic hold on their trachea.

Yes, Yes, YES! Make them suffer.

“Someone help them! They’re going to die…” I heard other patrons cry out.

The atrocious couple blended in with the blood-red seats of the theater. Their stubby and skinny hands clawed at their necks as if that would give them relief. Bright scarlet lines marked their pale skins like hives. It reminded me of some of my paintings, jagged and cruel but beautiful all the same. More! More! The voice rang out from deep inside of me.

The audience attempted to revive the couple on the theater floor. I fought an inside battle to keep the giggle lodged in my throat from bursting out, but failed as it came out, and everyone turned their head toward me. Del noticed my balled-up fist, which kept my magic tight around their windpipe. She placed her small hands over mine in an attempt to save the couple, but I couldn’t stop.

“Kaydian, that’s enough. I think they learned their lesson,” Del whispered in my ear.

Their clawed hand movements became impeded as the faintly blue-lipped couple was on the verge of going into the underworld. The theater’s employees and the audience’s muffled cries ricocheted off the blood-red walls. Del pinched my side, and the world came crashing into me as I landed on earth. Luckily for them, Del gave the offending couple a second chance at their pathetic life. As soon as my magic dropped, the couple fought for air and cried on the dirty floor. I watched their skin rescind to its original color.

Only when Del touched my arm and said, “Let’s go.” I turned to her and nodded.

Ten minutes later, with a smirk plastered on my face, we stepped out of the theater and into the dark alleyway. I was walking toward the back when I noticed Del stopped. She stood there in the dark. The sequins on her dress stood out like Lucifer’s scales.

“Come on, Del. Time to go home. I think we had enough fun for the week,” I said.

“Are we going to skip over what just happened in the theater?” Del asked. It was then I noticed the deep frown painted on her face. “You know I hate the sight of blood or…. killing.”

Opening my mouth, my initial thought was to tell her the truth. A moment of weakness sent me spiraling into the darkness. “I’m sorry, Del. It was a mistake. I let my guard down for a second too long and…” I stopped mid-sentence, fidgeting with the end of my dress.

“It happened then.” Del paused. “It’s becoming more frequent…maybe we should tell your mother at least.”

Holding my hands up, I say, “Absolutely not. She has enough on her plate. No need to worry about something that can’t be fixed.” Del opened her mouth but closed it as I continued, “Let’s get home. Nothing good will come for us fighting.”

Silence fell between us in the dingy alley as I waited for her response. I knew Del like the back of my hand. Shifting to her feet, Del looked down at the floor.

“Del…” I said sternly.

“Can we do one more thing?” She had her hands behind her back. “Lemon Johnson, the jazz player, is playing at a club in Frenchtown. Thirty minutes. That’s all I’m asking for, and then we can go.”

I rolled my shoulders and sighed. Del always had some type of trick up her sleeves, like my mother. It was already nine-thirty, and I didn’t want to push my luck. However, as I stood there watching, Del folded her hands together with her mouth in a ridiculous pout, pleading and begging.

“I brought some of the Fae wine we couldn’t finish from the last coven meeting,” Del said, pulling out the small flask filled with the purple Fae wine. “Please,” she cried as she jingled the tempting juice in front of me.

And I folded. I mean, who could turn down free Fae wine?

Lemon Jefferson was playing in the Fifth Ward of Houston, an area I’ve only ventured into once when I was younger. Before we step through the portal, I undid the transformation spell eagerly. Poor Del almost had whiplash on how fast I changed back, but she had said nothing except, “Thank Youna! I missed you.” And I shared that sentiment.

When we stepped through the portal, we ended up on a dead-end street. Little brown and white brick homes lined both sides. The one streetlight on the block flickered and dimmed, casting the homes in a dark shadow. All except for one home at the corner of the neighborhood.

“I think that’s the home,” Del said after wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Del, I thought you said it was a club?”

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” she said eagerly, causing me to roll my eyes.

Disrespectful common witch! The voice said. Squeezing my eyes shut, I counted to four until I felt the darkness recede. “Let’s go then and make the best of it then.”

The brown “club” appeared to be the size of Merrell’s magical corner, as we stood on the front porch of the home. A small white paper was stuck on the door. “Lemon Jefferson playing tonight,” it read. I wasn’t sure about Del, but I was nervous. When we opened the door, a thick cloud of smoke greeted us. If we were humans, we would’ve coughed up a lung. My eyes squinted against the fog and made do with the only light in the medium-sized home that barely lit the center. Mr. Johnson was on a small stage in the back of the home, and several wooden tables with chairs lined the walls. People dancing in the cramped space by the door stopped when they saw us. All eyes gawked at Del, and she flushed ruby red under their observation. But as usual, we ignored it and pushed our way into the dark room of sweaty folks. I spotted an empty table by a door, tugging on Del’s arm. We made our way to claim the old, rickety table and seats. When we dumped our belongings onto the chair, two human men spotted us from their table and came to us. Already? If there was one thing I hated more than anything, it’s humans.

“Hello, ladies, what brings you to the Hole?” The taller man of the duo said. “My name is Malcolm, and my friend here is Yves. We’ve never seen y’all here.”

He was beautiful for a human. He leaned so close I could smell the brown liquor on his breath that mingled with his sweat. His tawny skin glowed against his white dress shirt. Malcom’s glasses took nothing away from his light brown eyes as he watched us over the rim. His hair was slicked back in waves. The light brown slacks fit snugly against his solid frame, and black dress shoes finished his look for the night. He was an inch or two shorter than me, but I guess that’s the norm for humans.

“We traveled here from across town to check out Lemon Jefferson. We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I said as Del’s hand flew up to her mouth, hiding her giggle.

Nosy bastard.

“Sorry, my best friend isn’t in a great mood tonight,” Del said as I threw her a pinched look. “My name is Delphine, Del for short. And Kaydian, KD for short.”

There wasn’t a lot that made us mad when it came to Del, but right now, I wish I could magically sew her mouth shut.

“Kaydian, that’s a beautiful name,” Yves said, smiling.

Not to sound vain, but Yves was plain for a human. He wore a tweed white suit that stayed buttoned over a white dress shirt, even though you could see the sweat stains seeping from his suit. He was petite, standing next to Del, and he appeared mini next to me. Yves’s bald, so you could see the sweat collected on his shiny head. His brown mustache was saturated and stuck to his lip.

Yves continued, “Ladies, let’s get some drinks and hit the dance floor.”

I would rather have Sera’s dinner than go anywhere with Malcom and Yves. Malcom had a glint in his eyes that made the hair on my arm stand. Even without knowing him, I knew he was full of himself.

“No, thank you, Yves, but you guys have a good time,” I responded.

“Come on, KD,” Del said as she grabbed my hand, begging me with her enormous eyes. “Let’s go dance!”

“Don’t be a party pooper, KD. Let’s go!” Malcolm pleaded with his hand open for me to take.

Biting my cheek, I shook my head at his outreached hand. His charming smile turned downward as he took back his hand.

“Seriously, KD. This is a once-in-a-lifetime show. Let’s not waste it,” Del said over the music. My heart raced to the beat of the drums from the stage as I shook my head. I felt down for refusing, but I would rather not make a fool of myself. Del tried three more times to get me to budge, yet I was nothing but stubborn. With a huff and a couple of swigs of Fae wine, she ambles off onto the crowded dance floor with Malcolm and Yves.

What was supposed to be a thirty-minute stop, has now turned into almost two hours. I hate to admit it, but dancing outside of the choreographed dance routine taught in the palace wasn’t my forte. However, I enjoyed the upbeat music. Sweat, beer, and Lemon’s baritone voice permeated the tiny room. The thickened air in the home filled with an electric energy that kept everyone moving. Lemon Jefferson had everyone up and dancing erratically, except for me. Firmly planted, I stuck to swaying in my seat, enjoying the music while watching Del, Malcolm, and Yves dancing until they called it quits, returning to the table with drinks in their hands.

To say I was uncomfortable was putting it lightly as I shifted in my seat, and everyone around the table noticed. Just perfect.

“What’s eatin’ ya?” Malcom asked as he took sips of the dark brown liquor in his cup.

“Nothing. It’s just really late, and we should get going, Del,” I said, but I might as well have been speaking to the air.

Del was so far up Yves’s body that they could have been classified as Siamese twins. Her skin was flushed pink since she guzzled the fae wine until there was nothing left.

“Come on, KD. Don’t be like that. Aren’t you having a good time?” Malcom wondered. His hand found my thigh and gave it a slight squeeze. “Maybe we can get out of here and get to know each other properly.”

Stupid foolish imbecile!

Staring at the foreign hand on my thigh, my mind wandered. I could take a lot of things, but someone, a human no less, invading my space, caused a slow death. Yes, burn him from the inside out! Maybe my dark doppelganger had a good idea for once. Before I could think about my actions, I grabbed the back of his intrusive hand. My magic, which boiled under my skin, set out to heat the piece of wasteful flesh attached to its owner. Malcolm’s teeth grind, and he hissed as his soft, unmarred skin turned a bright shade of red that reminded me of the ruby band sign above the stage. Yellow boils formed all over his hand, and it took all my strength not to pop them. More! Kill him. My hidden voice screamed, and I didn’t disappoint. Red open wounds formed once my magic overheated the boils that stretched with fluids and popped. Blood dripped from his hand and mixed with the clear fluids. I couldn’t help but admire the color mixing.

The gall of him to touch us. Stupid human!

Exactly! ME! Kaydian Thibodeaux, future queen of the fucking North American Coven.

The fresh scent of metallic copper drifted through the stale air. It made the corners of my mouth pull into a smile, especially when the droplets of blood splattered on the wooden table and floor. One by one, I watched as it fell like snow. It was a beautiful thing to witness.

Malcolm jumped from his seat. His thick thighs hit the old, rickety wooden table, sending our drinks crashing onto Del and Yves. His injured hand flared in the air as he howled over the background music, drawing everyone’s attention. Mr. Jefferson and his band stopped the music to watch the drama unfold. I would be a fool to say their watchful eyes didn’t make my insides quiver. It wasn’t typical for me to show out in the human world. Much less a crowded club.

“You evil witch!” Malcolm screamed while holding his bloody hand. “You did this to me!”

Now is my time to shine. I willed my magic to make tears flow from my eyes as I clutched my chest.

“Why little ol’ me? How could I do such a thing?” I said as I summoned my best Creole accent, like my mother. “Maybe the god that you love so much caused you to be caught red-handed…literally.”

The dancers and band looked on as whispering broke amongst themselves. Malcolm seemed ready to pounce on me, but I didn’t give him a second chance.

“Del!” I yelled. The tone of my voice could cut steel.

When she acknowledged me, her eyes widened, surprise etched into them. Her face flushed. I don’t care if humans were the last living beings on the planet. I would never entertain or let them touch me like Malcolm did.

“Sorry, your Highness.” She stumbled out. Her face was flushed. Since she had finished the Fae wine from earlier, she had been sipping on the weak human drink Yves bought for her from the bar.

The nerve of these humans!

I was about to forsake my parents’ rules of no magic in front of these useless bastards when Del mentioned she had to use the bathroom. She was on the verge of having a panic attack from her slip-up. I wanted nothing more than to shake her for calling me that in public.

My magic was at the edge of my fingers, waiting to be let out again to peel the skin off every human in this tiny home.

“So, you think you’re a queen, huh?” Yves asked. He had a sarcastic smirk that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“No, I’m not. Del, it’s time to go,” I said, grabbing her things.

“Wait, Queen KD,” Malcom sneered. His injured hand was wrapped in the sleeve of his shirt. “If I catch you in these parts again, I’ll make you pay, you fucking whore.”

Del looked on the verge of crying. My best friend was not made for confrontations.

“Kaydian will be the greatest queen to live. You asshole,” she said as the old Fae wine dwindled into her system. Of course, it sounded more like “you ash’ole” with her heavy, drunken tongue—strike number two. Del meant well, but I’m beyond pissed to see reason.

“We’re leaving, Del!” I bellowed forcibly.

“O-Oh, KD. Let me get my things.” She hiccuped as she gathered her things, leaving me to eavesdrop.

Malcolm and Yves had slithered away like the snakes they were. Malcolm cursed as they disappeared into the door behind us. While Del gathered her things, I leaned my head toward the bathroom and homed in on their pathetic little voices, using my heightened hearing.

“That bitch did this, Yves. I’m telling you, she did!” Malcolm yelled as the screeching sound of the faucet turned on. The soft slosh of the water hitting the sink muffled the noise a bit.

“I don’t know, man. She is just a girl. How could she do that?” Yves questioned. “They’re weird girls from out of town, by the way, your girl talked. Didn’t you find it weird she called her ‘your highness’?”

“Princess! That bitch,” Malcom muttered.

They both fell silent as the noise of something ripping filled my ears. Rage was like consumption. The more you sat in it, the more it ate away at you. As I sat here wanting to barge into that bathroom and cut Malcolm’s throat open, I wondered if it would drip slowly. If I cut a thin line in his throat, I wondered if it would turn into a torrential storm. Would his blood spurt over the table and chairs as the tiny, coiled muscles fought to burst out of the opening?

Would I get into trouble if I did? The laughter from the two imbeciles dragged me out of my murderous thoughts.

I’ve had enough, and if we didn’t leave now, I wouldn’t only be wanted by the human world, but the coven would have my neck. That would surely give the town’s witches enough gossip for the next hundred years.

As if I didn’t have my own fill of disappointment from my people.

No, of course, the goddess had to stick it to me by allowing the humans to defile me. I’m truly sick of it all. I didn’t waste any time as I jumped from the wooden stool, dragging Del by the wrist as she stumbled over her feet to catch up. My anger built with each step as we entered the dark, dead-end street next to the home.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Del said as she hunched over.

But I didn’t care at the moment.

“Well, swallow it. You’re going to puke once we get back, anyway.”

I reached out for her and grabbed her upper arm as the emerald aurora poured out angrily, like my mood. Del jumped when it covered her, but I ignored her as I pulled us through the slit and to the same spot we left.

As soon as our feet hit the thick grass, I turned her away from me as she threw up the old Fae wine. Stroking her back, I held her hair in my hands to prevent her from vomiting in her hair. Her small head popped up after a minute.

“Gosh! I’ll never get used to that.” She wiped her mouth off with the back of the bottom of her dress. She looked at me and saw the scowl on my face. “KD, what’s the matter? You look ready to kill me?”

“It doesn’t matter now, does it?” I asked.

I knew I was being irrational, but I had no one else to release my misplaced anger. This night was ruined by not only the infuriating humans, but by my inability to reign in my dark curse.

“Woah! Kaydian, let’s talk about it?”

“There’s nothing to talk about, Del. Let’s just go home and get to bed before we get caught.”

I turned to leave, but Del grabbed me by my upper arm.

“I’m sorry. I wish I saw it coming. Listen, KD, I’m a failure at everything, but I don’t want us to leave mad at each other.”

“If you weren’t drinking and didn’t drag me to that stupid house. I wouldn’t have burned that human.” The words left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“I did my best to stick up for you. I can’t control those dimwits. This is my fault, I guess. I’m always the screw-up,” she declared.

She was right, but my pride made me not care. I kept walking, not even checking to see if she was behind me. My mood and magic swirled inside of me like an impending tornado. I wanted to teleport to the party and cut their dicks off and shove it down their throats.

Maybe I didn’t have two years like those damn witches thought.