An angry man can be quite the catch.

His burning iridescent eyes would embody rage beyond all Human capabilities. The flecks of fire within those striking irises could entrap the youngest of gals. From the singular sight, our knees would buckle and blood would splurt from his self-created intoxication.

A dream, really, if I completely disregarded being on the usual receiving end.

Yeah, Trevor was mad. Yet, the normal seducing factor he exuded failed to stir my soul. Someway or another, this loss intrigued me. This mystery trumped stomping on those goblin throwing freaks, which said a lot. Honestly, Trevor had this uncanny habit of providing a luxurious thrill.

So, where did those pitch black eyes come from? A Normal under the influence of magic control exhibited this change, but Trevor acted himself. Right?

I dabbed my face, pushing back a stray hair. Blotches of blood coated my hand, a simple reminder of our earlier escape. Great, here I stood with my beauty marred from perfection. Why did a girl have to do the dirty work? Gender roles were supposed to provide me an easy escape from work.

"Trevor, glad to see you," I said while dropping into a curtsy despite my ragged appearance.

Trevor motioned with his head for the first responders to return. They glanced once over their shoulders before hightailing out of earshot. "What did you do?" Trevor questioned. He kept his distance, refusing to bridge the gap between us.

"Darling, no worries. I did the dirty work and put a dent in Erwin's plans."

"Lanna, are you mad? Do you know what you've done? You've interfered with an investigation and broke out of jail. Do you think you'll run free?" he barked at me.

I shrugged my shoulders at his outburst. "Tisk, you can't speak in rhetorical questions," I muttered, before strengthening my voice. "A high risk high reward scenario. You wouldn't have caught Erwin anyways. Think about it, his connections run deep within your government. He's not a man you little people can face. Instead of yelling at me, you should be glad I took care of the problem before it threatened the lives of your beloved citizens."

Trevor sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. "Lanna, we know that. Erwin and our government had an agreement. They staged the whole plan to pull potential threats out into the open. If a large enough ruckus ensued, then plenty of Supernaturals would take advantage of the chaos. But with the destruction you caused, it leaves a dent in the plan. Be proud, you wasted your freedom to stall the inevitable."

"What?" I swear my reaction mirrored both August and Park. "Are you telling me they sacrificed all those people to fuel the spell?"

"Death row inmates. Perhaps not ethical, but the plan would remain under the covers. People would be more likely to overlook the cause once they realized how many dangerous Supernaturals existed."

"Lanna, this is bad," Sebastian interrupted.

"Not now," I murmured low for Sebastian. "Don't play with me. Are you telling me even those children were on death row? I saw them with my own two eyes."

He scratched his jaw. "A good disguise, huh?"

"There's no way an illusion could trick me."

"Even with your heart under control?"

I skipped a beat at his proclamation. He knew? Did this mean all the events from the Orchard were fabricated to set me up? Why? Did Trevor play the part of a hero, like Erwin, to deceive me? No, this can't be right, he's a Normal for the love of Verdina.

"You knew?"

"Yes."

He took a step forward with hands in his pockets. Though his gaze had turned pitch black when I first spotted him, now they returned to their original hue. They held a spot of warmth, but my mind screamed atrocious remarks at my blubbering heart. That warmth was a lie. I knew his next words carried weight, maybe they'd transform into the form of a hammer ready to smash me to bits.

"Lanna, your infatuation was clear. Actually, your mother had predicted this. Seems the two of you have the same preference in men."

I cleared my throat, feeling an odd constriction on my breathing. "Please," I mocked, "love is fleeting. Did she tell you that as well? No, maybe she only whispered sweet nothings into your ear when you slept together. I'm right, aren't I?"

"Lanna," Sebastian hissed, but his voice was nothing but a nuisance.

"Did you ever plan to tell me? Or did you enjoy stringing me along? Should I explain what she did to my father? How she killed him? She doesn't love, you're just a toy to her," I growled.

"Your jealousy is showing, Lanna. Our relationship isn't important. It won't change the hole you dropped yourself into. You went to such an extent to destroy Erwin's plans, only to create the perfect opportunity for them to use you. Killing all those people and now destroying a key figureheads home." His eyes dulled.

"And your point? What can you do? What can you Normals possibly do to me?" I chided, knowing the figurative hole Trevor described was becoming deeper by the minute.

"It isn't the Normals you have to worry about, but your own kind."

I winced at his words. Don't tell me he got the counsel involved.

My body was pulled backwards as Sebastian's claws grabbed ahold of me. "What are you doing?" I screamed.

"Getting us out of here," he voiced followed by a large area breath of fridge air.

"Seb, don't do this. If the pursuers from the council are here we don't stand a chance."

"Do you think I'd lose to some forgotten relics?"

Sebastian's body shuddered, and he roared. I cringed from the sound burrowing through my ears, but saw for myself where the source originated. Chains wrapped around him, more adding by the minute. Another flew upwards to drape around his neck and head, pulling him to the ground. The metal glowed a freakish purple, the defining factor of Void Walkers, meaning the dreaded council pursuers were here.

The chains siphoned the energy from Sebastian's large body. In moments, he'd pass out from magic consumption fatigue.

"Seb, leave me and run," I wriggled in his weakening grip, trying to pull myself out.

"Forget it," he muttered while his claws opened, releasing me.

"Dumb cat, you should have left when you had the chance."

The black cloaked figures ambled into my vision's field with chains floating around their bodies. Those same chains extended forward to entrap Sebastian, preventing him from budging an inch. The illusion of freedom was slipping through my fingertips one act at a time.

This unimaginable sight wasn't befitting for a main character. Where was my happy ending? Where was my hot fudge sundae? Everything should be perfect like myself. I'd have solved the case and acquired my monetary income for this pathetic job. Risking my life would be rewarded, not condemned. Yet, here I stood with so-called comrades throwing me under the bus.

The Void Walkers extended their chains, the cuffs locking around my wrists. I stared at the bleak, cold metal wrapped around my body. My mind numbed from their touch and weight. The dry savanna in my throat quenched for one final dumb phrase.

"Trevor," I said while locking eyes with him, "this isn't over."

He offered no condescending smirk to aggravate my constitution. Instead, he displayed a stone mask absent of any emotion. "Lanna, this is your end."

"It may be the end for now, but not forever. I'll be back, and when I do come back, it'll be straight to you. Remember that."

Trevor smiled. "I don't have an eternity to wait."

My arms were yanked to the side, and I almost tumbled to the floor. Glancing over my shoulder, I returned his smile with my own. "Don't worry, who do you think I am?"

My last words were short and sweet, but not enough to soothe the defeat gnawing at my soul. Trevor stomped on my pride and crushed my black twisted heart. I had no one to blame, but myself. Failure resulted from the manipulation of two men and one old Witch. An ironic ending for a self-centered Witch.

Though my ways were set and my perfection might be flawed, this ending will continue. Perhaps not today, or tomorrow, but the possibility still exists.