Alexa stood below the window for a moment, tears running down her cheeks. She'd only just found her other half, her sister, and now... 

Her sister was gone.

Jake stood beside her, shivering. It might have been from fear or adrenaline – she couldn't tell. Her own mind was crammed with so many jumbled thoughts it was hard to see the truth clearly. Her arms ached and there was a hole in her heart that hadn't been there before. Wolfie wouldn't let them defeat her though. Would she? She couldn't let them beat her. The tears came more rapidly now, and she actually had to grit her teeth to push them back. There was no time for that now. She had to do bad things today. From next to her, Jake placed a hand on her arm. He seemed better now, his face wasn't as pale. At least he didn't look like he was about to collapse anymore.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I barely knew her". A lie. She felt she knew Wolfie more than anyone. More than her parents or her brother or even Jake. Wolfie was her twin. Wiping her eye, she sighed.

"We cannot stay here. We need to find my brother. Do you know this city? I have never been here before". He winced.

"Oh god, we're in New York, aren't we?" He went on to panic some more, but after a while she stopped listening. She wanted to tell Wolfie to hold on, to come back. She still needed her, still wanted her. They'd barely had time to talk, to get know each other. To share secrets or first loves. Things that true sisters did. But how? How was she her sister? Had her parents lied to her all these years? Or had Wolfie left them? A muffled voice filtered through her thoughts.

"Alexa? You okay?" No, she wasn't.

"I will be," she smiled. One day. When all of this was over.

"We should get as far away from here as possible," she started and began to walk briskly across the stone. Walls were all she could see at the moment, but as soon as they found the front of the building, they'd have a better idea of where they were. Maybe they could ask someone. Jake would insist on doing the asking of course, seeing as she wasn't the best at modern communication. Her heart broke a little. She'd missed so much.

Trust me dearie, came Wolfie's voice from inside her head. You haven't missed anything worth mentioning. Alexa stood there and smiled. With one final tear, she wiped her face. Continued to walk. Jake fell into step behind her, checking over his shoulder every few seconds to see if someone was following. If those Vaskels had any sense whatsoever, they wouldn't even think about it. She wasn't in the mood to play these games anymore. The building they'd been trapped in was rather large and it took a fair amount of walking before she was certain they were nearing the entrance. A huge metal gate loomed before them. Not a problem. In her mind, she could see the solid particles vibrating and shot white heat into them until their bonds broke and the metal separated. A hole appeared in the gate and she stepped through.

"Wow. Go Team Crazy," she heard Jake remark. After he'd stepped through, she made her way around the corner towards what would hopefully be the building's entrance. Her pace quickened and—

Ashes.

All she could see, for miles upon miles, were ashes. Skeletons of buildings stood lonely in the haze and the sunlight fell grey and heavy upon the scene. Her arms closed around her sides. James had done this. There was a body lying a few feet away from her, covered in ash. A pram had tipped over, submerged in that same grey Magik as the rest of the city.

"Alexa? What's going on— what the hell?" Jake ran up beside her and his hands fell slack. She couldn't answer. She didn't want to believe what stood in front of her. The reality of what a Halfblood could do. The truth. They were abominations, they were monsters. Ash flakes hung in the air, the remnants of the chaos. How could James have done this? To all of these innocent people, this city? Why weren't the human authorities doing something? Breaking into a run, she sprinted to an ashen woman on a bench. Kneeling down beside her, she reached to stroke her little grey dog on its lead. The dog's face was cold to the touch. If she pressed any harder, she was sure it would crumple and fall into nothing. She brought her hand back to her side and slumped. The road was covered in ash as well, but she didn't care. She curled up. All the damage her brother had done: her mother, her father, her life. Jake. Wolfie. This city. She'd been unable to save them. All of these people – they were dead because of her. Her eye darkened and red was the only thing she could see. Nothing else. Just red and those ashen bodies. Jake picked his way over the minefield of the dead. Straight towards her. He wasn't running away or looking at her in disgust. He sat down next to her, groaning as he did so. His ribs were probably still hurting.

"I couldn't save them," she whispered. He stared at her.

"You hate humans"—

"I was jealous of humans. I never, ever hated them. I was fascinated by the lives you led".

"So why do you think this is your fault?" Of course. He could see right through her. Or perhaps it was the telepathic link they shared. Either way, her mind laid bare before him. She sniffed.

"Because it is. I could have stopped James, before... Before any of this".

"You couldn't have known," he said sadly. Alexa gazed up into the ashes, a stray tear making its way down her cheek.

"When I was younger, I wanted to go to London. I would beg and beg for James to take me with him when he went on his travels. But he never did". She laughed bitterly. "I was so naïve. I still am".

"Well, do you want to know what I think?" he asked. His green eyes pierced her lungs, her heart. She may have been the arrow, but he was her aim.

"I think you're the most talented, most interesting girl I've ever known. You, Alexa Frostbite, are the best friend I've ever had". She met his gaze.

"And," he carried on. "I'm done with sitting here and watching you feel sorry for yourself. You're the most amazing person I've ever known, Alexa. More than that, you're the greatest friend I've ever had. So, come on". He stood and put his hand out.

"You're dead, I'm dying, what have we got to lose?" Oh, Jake. She wanted to hug him and make him hold her until the world ended, but she was Alexa Frostbite. She was dead. She had spent three-hundred years frozen in a coffin. And she had unfinished business to attend to. So instead, she let him pull her to her feet.

"Not much". Brushing the ash from her shoulders, she wiped her face. She had a brother to find. The telepathic link was strong, but it was fading fast. It kept blinking in and out of existence as if her brother's form was changing and morphing back at a rate too fast to comprehend. Jake offered her a weak smile. She could tell he was still hurting, and she would forever hate herself for lying to him. Right now, she didn't matter. It was what she did that mattered. Treading over the pavement, she honed in on the link. In protest, it tried to shake her off, parrying the telepathy waves she sent out. Eventually, her sense locked on to the signal.

"This way," she told him. She didn't run down the road, she walked. She didn't need to run. She hoped James knew that too. Because he should be the one running. Ignoring the ashes at her feet, she pressed on. Jake strode behind her, his mouth set in a grim line. Alexa couldn't help but choke on the tears she was withholding. She hadn't managed to save her mother, but at least she could try to save his. The link had started to fade, so she sent out signals once again. In her mind, she could see James's location lighting up like a star. He couldn't run away from her anymore. A bus and an automobile came into view, blocking the majority of the street. They could not pass. Ashen people were sitting inside, their faces frozen in smouldering expressions of terror.

"Now what?" Jake asked. His question came too late. Alexa grabbed his arm and leapt, clearing the vehicles with ease. As she landed, half the road sprung up in tarmac daggers. Setting Jake back onto the ground, she carried on.

"That. Was. Insane," he smiled. She nodded.

"Well, we are Team Crazy after all". Her steps echoed throughout the city and the closer she felt to James, the harder her steps became. The road thinned, turning out of the city and towards a huge sinkhole in the road. It couldn't have been natural. Magik flickered at the edges – James's Magik. Splaying her fingers, Alexa rose up in the air, and moved the solid particles back to their original positions. After a minute or so, the hole closed. She lowered herself back onto the road. Her eye was as cold as stone, her face stonier. An enormous house stood before her, a little ways down the road. It half resembled the manor they'd lived in those years ago. That only made her firsts clench.

"Is he close?" Jake's jaw was set in a line of steel.

"Yes. I think he is in there," she said and pointed to the entrance to the mansion. The door had been replaced by a gaping ash chasm. Magik swirled around the outline of the windows and there came the sound of thunder from inside.

"We might die in there," he whispered. She shrugged.

"We might not". They clasped hands and together, walked straight towards the ashen house. As soon as they reached the entrance, two Vaskels threw themselves at her and— and she burnt them to a crisp. Her expression didn't change. She kept on walking. All the way into the house. Further and further until the dust cleared. Her eye widened.

"Mum?" Jake rubbed his eyes. Alexa had always imagined what condition his mother would be in, but she'd never imagined this. She was sitting on a chair, eyes cast straight towards them, unblinking. She appeared to be in a trance like state.

"Mum!" Jake cried and dashed over to her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a tight hug. She barely moved. Alexa bit her lip. When Jake turned around to face, his eyes were filled with tears.

"What's happened to her? Why isn't she moving?"

"Jake"—

"What has he done to her?!" Alexa closed her eye.

"He's Altered her. Jake, Jake I'm so sorry," she said. He shook his head, desperately.

"What the heck does that even mean?" He bent over his mother and began to pinch her arm.

"Mum, c'mon. Wake up! Wake up, please. I understand now. You were trying to protect me. Please. Wake up!" Alexa slowly headed towards him and pulled him into an embrace.

"Jake, stop. She's Altered. She won't wake up, no matter what you do. She'll remain like this forever. I'm so, so sorry".

"No. No". He dropped to his knees, taking her with him.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way". His voice rasped and his breathing was laboured.

"I know," she said softly. "I know". They remained kneeling in the dirt for a long time, so long that the telepathy faded, and her brother was once again lost. That didn't matter for now. She'd find him.

"Or maybe I'll find you". Alexa froze. That voice. Releasing Jake, she spun around. Nothing. Maybe she'd just been imaging things. Tears streaming, Jake stood up and started to search with her. James was here. Her eye darted from the upper floor to the stairs, then to the doorway. Nothing. Just Magik. Emptiness. Until she spotted him. Finally, him. After all this time. He waded through the ashes contorted in the doorway, and Alexa could barely make out his face. When he stepped into view, she choked back a gasp. His clothes were ripped and torn, and there were black veins glittering all over his body. His eyes were black too. Raising his hands, several faceless masses rose out of the ash of the building and moved toward her. She stared at him, at her brother. At the monster he'd become.

James took one look at her and smiled.