My Dad stopped to talk to Thomas on his way back into the house. I heard Jeremy running around the second floor behind me, and Ames was pulling into the driveway; I guess that was who Jeremy was calling. Sage leaned her head on me as we watched the insanity outside, but none of it hit us. For a moment, I could almost imagine that it happened to someone else, and we were simply watching. That is until Sage started shaking; I wrapped her in a blanket and sat with her on the couch. She chose to lay across it on my lap, hugging my waist, where she cried. Sage had cried little tears here and there earlier, but now the dam had broken, and this was all she had left.

I noticed the room get darker and looked around. In her grief, Sage caused the bushes outside to grow to cover the windows of the house. The house plants that Ames has were also growing like they were reaching out to Sage. The plants felt her pain and wanted to comfort her.

The slamming of doors around us concerned me, but it didn't pull my attention from the plants growing towards Sage.

"where do you think you are going!" My father shouted from the doorway to someone.

"I will be back," Jeremy yelled in response as he ran out down the stairs. My father let out an exasperated sigh, so I assume that Jeremy left. Then I heard the sounds of luggage being dragged down the stairs. My father said lift, and the sound stopped. I presume that Jeremy wants Jules and Ames out of the house now that Hyacinth and Hollis know where it is.

"thank you," Ames called out on her way to the car. Everyone was fleeing, running out of dodge because the only person who was truly caught was Sage. There was nowhere for her to go, and now everyone was abandoning her when she needed them most.

"Hello, this is Ryan Redfield. I need a cleanup team," my father spoke to someone on the phone. I knew what cleanup team meant, and I was unsure that Sage would be up to that today. I also understood that my Dad was correct in that it needed to be done today. this was such a mess. "I would also like at least three storage areas... yes, mark one with a blue D, one with a silver A, and the final one with a green S... thank you... as soon as possible... thank you again for the last minute" I heard the click of the phone and the sound of my dad walking towards us. The room looked like a jungle because of Ames ivy plant, which has wrapped itself around Sage and me on the couch.

"Dad, I know we need to, but I don't..." I wish I could have finished that sentence, but I stopped and looked at Sage.

"she is going to have to be strong enough" he glanced around the room "at least we truly know that she is a green witch, a powerful one at that."

"What..." a sniffle and a whisper of a small voice came from Sage muffled against my waist. "what do I need to do?"

"We need to go to your home. You can't stay there. Hollis and Hyacinth know where that is. You are going to pack bags for yourself, your brother and your father. Things that they will need in the short run of this until you are 18. then you will mark anything in that house that you think is worth keeping; there are three marks. one for each of you. I know that is a lot to ask right now, but everything in that house can be used to track you are your family. We need to deal with this threat to your safety now." my dad was avoiding the worst part that the clean-up team was coming for.

"I don't understand what is going to happen to the stuff I mark and the stuff I don't?" she asked, still not pulling away from me.

"since warlocks can't enter pocket universes, we will place those things that you mark in a storage unit in a pocket universe for safekeeping until you three are situated in your lives. the things that you don't mark are still a risk to your safety, so they need to be destroyed so they can't be used to track you." Sage shot up to look at him.

"and my home" My dad looked at me; he didn't want to tell her, and neither did I.

"Sage," I pulled her back to me, "homes hold impressions of the people who live there. it can be used to track you."

"you are destroying my home" the tears didn't come like I thought they would. Maybe she was out of them.

"it will keep my father safe, so I can do this" she nodded at the Ivy, and it unwound from the couch and us.

"Sage, this could give us time. we could run hid out for the two years until you become a witch, then go back to a pocket universe." I hold her hands in mine, willing her to agree. My father made a strange choaking sound behind me. Sage just shook her head.

"yes, the college dropout and the high school dropout we will get so far" she pulled her hands from mine. "I need to do this, one step at a time. I can't think into the future, not right now."

"do you remember how to shadowstep" she nodded and disappeared into shadows. My father and I followed her.

Sage stood in front of the fence around her home. she wore a blank stare and was unmoving. I could tell that she was holding it together as best as she could by the plants' reaction. They were now shriveling up and dying. Her entire property turned into a fire hazard in a matter of moments.

"I can pack for your brother, and my dad can grab stuff for your dad if you want to focus on your stuff?" I grabbed the duffle bags that my dad materialized from the house. And handing one to him. my dad nodded and walked inside. "are you ready to go in? if not, we can wait." she reached for my hand.

"no, I have to do this" she walked me to her brother's room and left to pack her things. I was hesitant to leave her, but this needed to get done. The faster I move, the faster we can finish. I tossed stuffed animals, clothes, sheets, pillows, and toys in that bag. I had no idea what would give him comfort in the following month. With him being isolated from his father and sister, taken to live with strangers, I didn't know what he would need. There were no framed photos in his room, but looking around, there wasn't anything breakable in his room at all. Under his pillow, there was a picture of Sage and her dad sitting in the yard. He had a baby in his lap, and purple flowers were growing around them. The edges were worn, and on the back in little kid writing, it said 'our pack.' this picture was defiantly going with him. I also tossed the silver A mark on just about everything in this room, just in case.

"Reed, are you done packing for Aster?" My dad asked from the doorway. I nodded and carried the duffle out. "I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but I want you to know that I am with you in this Reed. I am doing everything I can."

"I know, dad. I just wish there was something we could do" my father awkwardly hugged me, and suddenly I realized how long it had been since we had hugged each other. My father sent the duffles that we had to their respective destinations.

We watched and tried our best to help Sage mark the things in the house; it took a long time to get everything, but by dark, we were standing in front of the house, again. one duffle bag on my shoulder. The three of us performed the spell to move the marked objects to the storage area, after some coaching for Sage, of course.

"Fire," Sage commanded. And sparks shot out from her hands. that landed on the dry grass and plants. The flames rose out of control until the house was consumed. A few moments later, the clean-up guys arrived. Ready to finish the job and control the fire. No need to start a natural disaster.

"Reed, let's go back to Jeremy's house and pack your things while I make a couple of calls" My dad lead us in another Shadow jump. When we arrived, he pulled out his phone, but before he dialed a number, he turned to us, "mark all the movie equipment to go home. You can't carry that around." Sage and I walked up to my room and started packing my things. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew that it was wherever Sage was going to be. Once again, I did the movement spell and went back to my father.

"... I am telling you this is good information. I have it from Hyacinth's mouth that a warlock will come after this witch in a month. A party of hunters could take him down so he can't kidnap this girl... you have evidence of misdeed already; there was a threat made on an innocent, so you have the ability to step in... find I understand that there is not a lot of hunters out there but isn't there something you can do to protect her... I am not asking you to babysit; I'm asking you to do your job and protect an innocent girl... what about the students... I understand that Mardovo's hasn't started the term. That is my point; it won't pull them away from their studies... I have met these kids in training before they are eager... could you ask? I'm sure there is at least one capable hunter in training that wants to leave home early... you do that."

"Dad?" Sage and I walk up to him.

"just working on another backup plan." he walks to Jeremy's car that he left behind. "did you clear out all of your things?" I nodded, and he sent everything else in the house away to our basement.

"what about Jules and Ames?" I ask, getting in the car with Sage. she has been silent for a while, and now she is just staring out of the window.

"she is staying with her parents until this is all sorted. I'm glad Jeremy and Chrissy called Evelyn and me in. This could have ended very differently" he rubbed his eyes as he started the car. then he tossed a cloaking spell around the car for extra precaution. "we need to go over what is happening next for you two."

"let's hear it."

*************************************************************************

Hello beautiful humans,

This has been some heavy things recently, but at least Reed and Sage are still together.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. have a lovely week. See you again on Sunday Funday

So mote it be