Hazyl's POV
I looked around in the room I had once shared with Asia. We had recently gotten news of Asia's confirmed death. I hadn't told the others yet, and frankly, I didn't want to. Willow came in with her soft manner and went over to sit down beside me. My eyes were red and she noticed, and gave me a short hug.
"What is it?" Willow asked.
"It's confirmed," I said, and her eyes went wide behind her glasses.
"She's dead?" said Willow in a shaking voice. I nodded and got up, motioning her out the door. We walked out together, and I put on my grave face as we entered the kitchen, where everyone was gathered.
In that moment, a memory flashed back. Asia's laughter filled up the room, and a warm light seemed to brighten it. I shook my head and the memory dissipated. I turned to face the others: Tom, Lucas, and Toby. I missed Wren as well, but she had told me that she was going to die, that I shouldn't grieve.
"Asia's death has been confirmed," I said strongly. Everyone jumped and turned eyes on me. I nodded slowly. "Someone sent us a notification on it. It's true. She won't be coming back. Handison's won."
"No!" Lucas said, his voice contorted with a type of anger. I winced, he had obviously had some hope, but I had tore it from him. He was breathing hard and his eyes were getting wet, but I stood tall.
Even in times of turmoil, a leader has to stay strong.
Toby's POV
Dead.
Everyone went off to their rooms afterwards, except Hazyl, who stayed behind and began cooking dinner. I went off with Tom and Lucas to our room, and when I saw Lucas and his wet eyes and slack face, something went off inside me. I launched forward, pinning Lucas to the ground and began screaming at his face.
"IT'S YOUR FAULT!" I said.
Tom came over and attempted to pry me off him. I rolled off of Lucas and shot up, but Tom had a strong grip on my middle, holding me back as Lucas scrambled up. "YOURS! IF YOU HAD NEVER MET HER, SHE'D STILL BE ALIVE!'
I was angry, but it wasn't my normal anger: it was rage. Rage that coursed through me and made me feel alive. I finally had something to blame Lucas for: death. It was serious, and all my anger from years before were bursting. I cast a spell to make the room's noises to stay in the room, and then locked the door. I whipped my wand in a large motion and directed it at Lucas. Sparks flew, and the spell hit him square-on.
Or so I thought.
Tom's dark magic blocked it and he redirected it as me.
I dodged, and this went on for about 5 minutes. I yelled and cast spells, and Tom and Lucas attempted to dodge or yell their own. Within this time frame, I had gotten a good hit on both of them: they were bleeding hard. As I waved my wand for the final blow, Hazyl and Willow burst through the door.
Party-crashers.
"Hey, Willow!" said Hazyl, "Can you watch the soup and make sure it doesn't burn? Take it off the stove when it starts boiling too hard and come back!"
Willow nodded and went back out.
Hazyl's eyes were burning with their fire again. I had seen her mad, but never as angry as this. She brought a hand up to deflect my spell, and for an odd reason, it sizzled and died when it touched her hand. Mouth open, I knew that she had somehow invented a spell to deflect and kill a spell. But a curse? Impossible.
She shoved Tom and Lucas to their beds and they got up on it as she faced me, and without words, multicolored sparks flew at me.They wound up and around my legs and body and I fell. She stomped over and placed her foot on my head. "WORTHLESS," she gritted her teeth and pushed down harder, "SELFISH, MEAN LITTLE BRUTE!" she hissed, and then Willow ran in and helped Hazyl pick me up and slam me on the bed.
"Sorry, Toby, but you're not under our protection anymore." Willow said. "We're gonna throw you out."
Hazyl's POV
We did, and I immediately packed up the safe house and carriage. We left quietly, and I made sure Willow cast Oblivious on Toby before we left. We arrived in America.
