"You told him you would cast a revenge spell, Leo," Mr. Jones hissed. "Have you lost your mind?"

"I never told him I would do the spell," Leo snapped back, inching away from his fuming parents.

"You promised me you would help you," Lucas croaked. He pressed his nails into the sides of his jeans. "You lied to me?"

Leo held his hands in front of his chest. "I never told you I would do the spell," Leo explained. "I just said I would help you. I thought I could figure something out other than that." Lucas puffed out in irritation, turned on his heels and turned to the door.

"Of course," Lucas exclaimed. "Everyone else has been shitting on me. I guess you finally decided to join everyone else."

"Lucas-"

"And you know what's even more fucked up about it," Lucas asked, clenching his fist. His palms throbbing as his nails pierced his flesh. "I knew you were going to do this. You're just as shitty as the rest of them."

"I'll do it, Lucas," Leo breathed. Lucas scoffed. "I swear. If that's the only way to help you, then I'll do."

"Leonardo, I think you should reconsider," the black haired woman interjected. Lucas relaxed his clenched hands. In the heat of his anger, he had forgotten that there were other people in the room. He allowed himself to scan the room only to be met with expectant eyes. A few people were exchanging harsh whispers and shooting scathing glares at Leo.

"Let the kid go, HP," a member of the coven said. "He shouldn't have even been here in the first place." Other members of the coven hummed their agreement. He hadn't noticed before, but Lucas realized all the members of Leo's coven, except Fergus, were closer to his parent's age than his own.

The raven-haired woman sighed again. Leo let his chin rest against his chest. "I'll let him make his choice," she said.

"I'm going to give him what he wants," Leo said.

"Very well," the woman said. "Lucas." His eyes flitted to hers. "Normally, I would let Leo do as he pleases. I'm sorry, but this spell is very dangerous. We believe that whatever you put into the world will come back to you threefold. So, imagine the impact a curse will have on Leo."

"You said it was his choice," Lucas mumbled as he began to feel the pressure of the eyes of the people in the room watching him.

"Fuck it," Fergus exclaimed from across the room, slamming his beer down. "Since nobody else seems to give a shit, I'll say it." He stormed across the room, marching uncomfortably close to Lucas. "He'll get kicked out of the coven if he does this. He's only 16, man. Other covens won't let him in until he's at least 21."

"What's wrong with 21?" a member countered. "He's clearly too immature to make decisions now."

"So, age equals maturity?" Fergus spat back. "Then, what's your old ass's excuse?" From that comment, the room imploded into pandemonium. The coven members began to argue and insult each other. All the while, Lucas felt a strange tug of discomfort in the pit of his stomach. How could a simple request cause all this chaos?

He clenched his fist and moved to leave.

"Stop!" Leo yelled.

"Let me go," Lucas spat, ripping his arm away from Leo's grip. Leo gripped the back of Lucas's shirt.

"Crap," Leo uttered as he focused on a clock hanging from the wall. "Listen, I know you're mad at me, but you can't leave now." Lucas brushed Leo's hand off his back. "Just wait 5 minutes."

"No."

"Leonardo," Mr. Jones said, gripping his son's shoulder. "If he wants to go, let him go." He watched his son's eyes frantically dart to the door as Lucas and Carvington left. Although he knew his son had a long day, it was rare for him to have bags under his eye. Mr. Jones clenched his jaw. "Leo, were you looking?" Wearily, Leo glanced at his father. "No wonder you're so tired. You've overextended yourself."

"Dad," Leo choked out. Tears filled eyes met his father's. "Something's going to happen."

Mr. Jones heart sank. He hated to see his children cry, but Leo had a gift that weighed heavily on him. "You know better than to mess with fate."

Leo fell into his father's arms, forcing the older man to stumble back, shoveling his head in the crook of his father's neck. Grasping his father tightly, as if he was the only thing keeping him from falling apart. He comforted his son, but couldn't help to stare at the door. He hoped that tonight Lucas and Carvington would make it home all right and more importantly alive.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Lucas!" Carvington cried, rushing to Lucas's side. He had been walking rather quickly for the last few minutes. Leo lived in the outskirts of town, far away from most of the town. The dirt road back to town had flickering streetlights and an eerie silence from the woods surrounding the street that would put any slasher flick to shame.

"Carv," Lucas said, as Carvington fell back behind him. "I don't really want to talk right now."

A loud shuffling sound came from behind Lucas as a gurgling sound followed. The sound of shuffling stilled.

Lucas stopped, waiting for Carv to catch up to him. He listened intensely, before jumping around. Striking his ears, the bang of what sounding like a sandbag hitting the ground rang.

He turned around expecting Carvington and was instead met with the face of a man. The flickering pool of light provided by the street lamp.

Lucas took a step back as he recognized the man. "Mr. Martin?" Lucas gasped. The teacher merely responded with a calculating stroll of his eyes across Lucas' body. Lucas flitted his eyes around the street looking for Carv. His attention was drawn as another gurgling sound came about. Searching for the sound, the light flickered again, and a flashing light drew Lucas's attention to Mr. Martin's hand. A kitchen knife, splattered in a dark substance, dripping onto the dirt road. The sound. Lucas looked down behind the teacher, finding his friend lying on the ground. Deep red, blood, seeped through a gash on Carvington's throat. The ground below him was covered in the sticky red substance.

Lucas could fill the ice fill his veins. He couldn't move. Eyes wide with shock, he stared at his friend.

The sound of crunching dirt and stone broke Lucas out of his trance as the man took a step forward.

Lucas' heart was pounding out of his chest.

He had to leave.

He had to run. So, he did.

Lucas pumped his arms; his legs propelling him down the road, away from his dying friend and his murderer.

Suddenly, he flew to the ground, the weight of both his body and another, with a cry. The weight on his body pinned him down, no matter how hard Lucas twisted. He jabbed his elbow back hoping to strike his assailant but hit nothing but air. He thrashed under the weight and found his voice.

"Help!" Lucas cried. "Hel-"

The teacher muffled his cries with his wet hand. It reeked of a strong metallic smell. "I am not going to hurt you," the teacher said. The teacher seemed to wait until Lucas went still before removing his hand.

"What about Carv?" Lucas asked, trying to figure out a way out of this.

"He will be fine," the teacher replied. "I only slashed his throat. Just give him a few minutes." Lucas tried his best not to try to fight again. This man was obviously crazy. What kind of person could live after having their throat slashed?

"Right," Lucas said, his voice shaky, licking his lips. He almost gagged as a metallic taste hit his lip, Carv's blood. "Are you going to slash my throat too?"

"No," the teacher said. Lucas sighed in relief but was still on edge. This man was deranged. He spoke in a calm voice as if he hasn't tried to kill Carv. "I'll let you get up, but don't run. I hope you know by now that you can't outrun me."

Lucas nodded, just hoping to get up. The teacher rose, the weight release allowing Lucas to get up. Lucas almost jumped up but decided to take his time moving off his stomach, careful not to startle the man.

He stood and was met again with those calculating eyes. "Your powers," the man said. "Why haven't you used them?"

"Powers?" Lucas blurted. The man's eyes narrowed.

"Yes," he snapped. "Have you compressed them in an amulet?"

Lucas tried his hardest not to show his confusion. He knew this man wanted something, but how should he respond. What would his book characters do? "Yes, my amulet," Lucas said, reaching into his back pocket. Relived for deep-set pockets, Lucas found his phone. "I don't remember where I put it though." He searched for the power button, remembering a trick that he taught his sister that would call 911 without taking his phone out of his pocket.

"Do I appear that dull?" the teacher asked, quickly moving towards Lucas and reaching into Lucas' back pocket, taking out his phone. Lucas flinched as the man looked at the phone dialing an operator. The man hung up the phone before the call could connect. The man rose his hand with the phone, and Lucas knew he was going to smash it.

Before Lucas even knew what he was saying he cried out, "stop!" The man froze seemingly obeying Lucas' order. "Give it back!" His voice echoed, power booming through his voice. Lucas jumped as he realized what he was doing, and was even more shocked when his phone was placed back into his hand. The man appeared dazed and Lucas moved back before the man could come to his senses. Dialing the number again Lucas looked at Carv, his chest no longer moving. As the man came to his senses, Lucas stepped back even further.

"911, what's your emergency?" the operator said.

Lucas sighed in relief, before realizing the hand gripping his wrist, forcing him to drop the phone. He cried out as the man tightened his grip, and stepped on Lucas' phone, ending the call.

"I thought you were smarter than that," the teacher said yanking Lucas closer. "You've bruised already anyhow. I'm sure my master won't notice this."

Lucas flinched, closing his eyes, waiting for the man to strike him. The pressure around his wrist disappeared, and the man's cries filled the air. Lucas opened his eye and watched as the man flew into a tree on the side of the road. Lucas jumped again, searching to see who pushed him but saw no one as the light gave out once again.

The teacher's groans could be heard. The lights flicked back on, and a young feminine figure stood behind the bleeding Carv. Wearing a plain spring dress the girl looked at Carv, she stepped to the side, lifting her finger. She pointed at the source of the blood and quickly jolted her finger to the side. Carv spasm as a slashing sound traveled through the night and more blood splattered from his throat. The girl chuckled, her hazel eyes familiar.

The young girl walked towards Lucas with a confident stride. Lucas felt lightheaded as he realized who it was. With her black ballet flats crunching against the road, Sophia grinned at Lucas, waving.

"Witch," the man grumbled, stumbling towards the young girl, glaring at her. Sophia halted her steps, closing her eyes. She released a giddy giggle, before facing the disheveled teacher.

"It speaks," the girl joked, facing the teacher. She frowned feigned musing, while Lucas stood still, stunned at the scene. "I don't like that title, witch. You and I both know I'm something much stronger."

The man grabbed his knife off the ground and charged towards her. Sophia stood oddly calm as the man grew closer.

"Snap," Sophia said.

At her words, the man fell to the ground, his neck jolting to the side at an uncomfortable angle with a loud pop. His body plopped limp on the ground; his knife skidded away from him. Lucas waited to see if he would get back up.

"We don't have to worry about him anymore," Sophia said, suddenly standing at Lucas' side. She grabbed his hand, drawing his attention to her. "I think it's time we go home."

Lucas ripped his hand away from her, startled as he heard something other than the silence of the dirt road. Lucas looked around.

Marble floors, high ceilings and intricately decorated walls, he was no longer in a dirt road but inside of a building. He fell to his knee, his light-headedness finally getting to him.

"Tada," Sophia exclaimed. Lucas looked up at her, standing next to him and looking at someone in front of them. He followed her gaze and was met with the widened brown eyes of a very shocked woman.

The woman was dressed in a gown that Lucas could have sworn he saw in an episode of Merlin. Her long brown hair was curled and decorated with a strand of gold. She had to be no older than Lucas' mother.

"It's him," the woman uttered, her voice smooth and gentle.

"Where am I?" Lucas exclaimed.

"Home," Sophia said with a sense of pride.

Lucas looked around himself becoming more anxious.

"Sophia, you must take him back," the woman rushed, as she stepped towards Sophia. "It is not time for him to return. The council has yet to finish their approval."

Sophia sighed. "I'd rather not," Sophia responded. "It's so boring there. All they ever do is drink and talk or eat and talk. Today was the first action I've gotten since I've been there."

"It is almost time," the woman said. "You will be able to come home soon, but now is not the time."

Sophia huffed again, watching the anxiety grow within Lucas.

The woman moved her attention to Lucas, her eyes softening and a smile dancing on her lips. "You look just like your father," the woman said.

Lucas' eyes snapped to the woman. Did she know his father?

"Time to go back I guess," Sophia mumbled. "Goodbye. Sorry, I meant fuck off since that seemes to be your farewell of choice. Until next time, I suppose."