by A. J. Macey
Three enforcers standing at the other end of the alleyway were combining powers. Sparks of magic, rocks, mud, and trash swirled together until the ball of magic was as big as a small boulder. There was no time to warn Edmund, so turning to face them, I clapped my hands together when the bomb neared us. Stone from the surrounding building cocooned the yellowy orb tightly, creating a barrier around it. Before it could get closer, I shoved the stone casing into the air, letting the wind take it higher and away from the city.
“Aris!” Edmund shouted a split second before slamming into me. We fell, and despite my attempts to keep from hitting anything on the way down, my temple nicked a discarded wood box, and pain radiated through my skull as we hit the ground. Stars burst in front of my eyes, but thankfully, my consciousness remained as I heard Edmund hissing an incantation. Unluckily for us, even with his spell, Delilah’s attack burst through his shield. A line of deadly-looking arrows flew over us by mere inches, striking the enforcers at the end of the alley in their chests. There was no time to make sure they were dead, but with how much blood pooled around them and the large arrows embedded in their torso, I knew in my gut that they weren’t going to make it. Yanking my gaze away from them, I shifted my attention immediately back to the bomb that just exploded high over the city.
The blast was nearly deafening, a yellow flare that almost blinded me, washing across the sky before dissipating. Rolling to my feet and facing Delilah, I ignored the blood I felt dripping down the side of my face. Small pebbles left from the stone casing I had created rained down, but I was focused on only one thing. Taking a deep breath, I moved, throwing as much magic toward her as soon as I could.
Adrenaline coursed through me as sweat beaded across my forehead and rolled down my brow, stinging the cut. We were locked in a battle of wills and power, neither of us slowing as Edmund scrambled to stand. To give him time to get to his feet, I created a barrier. Curling my fingers into a tight fist, I envisioned the hard-crystalline structure of the cave and clocktower, using the thought to solidify the crystal wall. It only took a split second for my power to create the thick divider.
Before he could get up fully, there was a painful scream that I felt all the way to the center of my soul. Delilah’s magic had bounced off the wall, and I watched with horror through the fragmented clear crystals as her own spell slowly turned her to stone. The dark gray slowly moved up her body, her face turning blue when it reached her lungs, her body shutting down as she was frozen forever in this moment. Her mouth was frozen in an eternal scream, eyes wide with shock and fear. The fact it was meant for me had ice running down my spine. How could she hate me that much?
Everything froze for a moment, but it stretched onward until all I could feel was hollow. Delilah was dead, and so were the enforcers, with no more coming our way. We could make it to the others, but I couldn’t get my mind or my feet to follow the command. A hand coming to rest on my shoulder startled me out of my numbed state, and everything started to resume around me. Glancing over, I found Edmund looking down at me.
“It wasn’t your fault,” he murmured, somehow knowing the thoughts racing through my mind. Nodding, I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and rolled my shoulders back. I could think about everything that had happened today when we were finally in the clear, not before. My men and their families were counting on me.
“Uh, thank you,” I stumbled over my words, “for saving me.”
“There’s no need to thank me,” he said before tilting his head to the end of the alley where the enforcers laid. “Meeting point’s that way.”
A new sense of purpose filled me, numbing the horror of what had happened and helping me focus.
“Let’s finish this then.”
Kyelerian
“Go! We’ll meet you there!” Aris yelled, taking off down the alley with Edmund by her side, enforcers on their heels. My heart pounded at the thought of her fighting alone, but now wasn’t the time to dwell. Scooping up Raptor with my free hand, I clutched her close to my chest.
“Fuck this, we’ll never make it on time if we don’t run for it. Visible in five, then run for the market facing the council hall entrance,” Torryn hissed, counting down quietly until we were all in view, dropping our clasped hands. Tor stayed next to Caspian, keeping pace with his wounded brother. Xan, Drayce, and I ran behind them, eventually breaking up when the crowd got thicker. People dove out of our way, and I made no semblance of apologizing as I bulldozed my way through.
“Where’s the fire?” an older man called after us, pulling the woman next to him out of the way. Ahead of me, Caspian’s shoulder clipped a rack of cloaks, sending the whole thing crashing down. I sent a silent thank you to the gods and goddesses we weren’t on the side that served food.
Before we could move any farther, a group of witches in enforcer robes were crashing toward us, taking far less care with the people than we were, screams and shouts erupting as they sent them flying every which way, and stalls were left in ruins. It went to show how little regard they had for their own people and no qualms about showing it.
“Are these trolls serious?” Drayce yelled back at me, dodging a lute that came flying at him. My eyes were on my own path and the enforcer standing in my way, his hands held up and lightning gathering in his palms. Not wanting to feel the brunt of his electricity, I feinted left before diving behind the stall on the right. My timing worked in my favor when I found a space to squeeze through the stalls, allowing me to run along the outskirts of the section. The limited options to gain access to the clearer path made it impossible for the bulky enforcers to follow.
It seemed like a good idea until a blast burst through the stall, the debris and the concussive hit slamming me into the wall with a loud crack. Pain exploded down my hip and arm, and I was knocked off-kilter. Though running with a sassy chicken in my arms was not ideal, Raptor and I had been making it work. With the strength of the enforcers’ shot, my poor familiar had flown out of my arms as we sailed through the air, a string of squawks I knew were likely curses following the blast.
It would have been a death wish to stay put, so as soon as I could, I jumped over the debris and kept moving. Raptor ran beside me, somehow graceful enough to just miss getting stepped on. Xan came into view ahead of me, Hedgie in his arms. The hedgehog was already engulfed in flames, creating a startling spectacle. People started screaming even louder and gave him a wide space, not wanting to be burned by the flaming hedgehog.
“Fuck this, Raptor, let’s help,” I yelled, and shadows erupted out of her so quickly, mixing with mine, the entire section was covered in seconds. If we thought they were yelling before, it only got louder when they couldn’t see what was happening around them.
“Caspian, Tor, Drayce,” I called, “We need to fall back!” There was no way the enforcers could attack when visibility was so low, and I refused to drop our cover until we were in place.
“We’re here,” Torryn said, followed by Drayce’s affirmative. I spread the shadows out further, allowing me to see through them. Running forward, I snagged Xan, his fire not burning me somehow. We ran toward the other three, everyone relaxing a fraction as soon as we were near each other.
“Alright, we passed them, so we go forward about twenty feet, then it’s an empty stretch. I can drop the shadows there, and we can stand back to back. Xan and Torryn, if you have some kind of barrier spell, now would be the time to work together,” I said, making sure they were all facing the same direction. “Now, run!” I whisper-yelled as I gave Torryn a gentle shove forward since he was in the lead.
We ran the last few feet to the Goddess fountain, the amethyst accents in the stone looking far too bright and shimmery for the intensity of the moment. I held my breath the last few feet, hoping a new wave of enforcers weren’t coming our way. We halted in the middle of the square, marking the very front of the council hall, and moved into position. The moment my back hit theirs, I dropped the shadows. Xan and Torryn mumbled the same ph
rase in unison and a thick bubble formed around us. I sat Raptor down, the guys following suit with their familiars, and they feathered between us as we faced the approaching enforcers, who had, in fact, doubled in number.
“Where the hell are Aris and my dad?” Xan asked, his voice shaky as the first wave of attacks hit our barrier. The sound was like a bomb going off underwater, a concussive blast somehow muffled, one after another.
The holoscreens that previously flashed between our wanted pictures went blank all at once, the crowd falling silent as a white noise filled the space. As if on cue, a loud boom echoed in the square as the council hall doors were slammed open, and the council, led by Councilman Altermin, was revealed.
Panic welled in my chest as he grinned gleefully, seeing us being beaten down by his men, no Aris in sight. Dread sat in my chest like a heavy weight, the intensity of the moment making my hands shake as I looked around frantically.
“Enough!” Altermin called, his voice enhanced by magic to reach the crowd that had already gathered. His face was the picture of smugness as he looked down over the square as if he was a king meeting his subjects. “Funny. We were thinking this would be a run-in with our favorite conduit, yet here you are without her.”
“You’ll never have her, you sick fuck!” Drayce screamed, jumping toward him. Xan and Torryn clamped their hands down on his arms to hold him back, but their feet shifted a few times, both of them grunting with the effort it took to keep him from launching at the council.
Altermin laughed, the rest of the council joining in behind him as they reached the bottom of the stairs, their council robes making them stand out among the onlookers.
“It’s funny that you think you can overthrow us.”
“It’s funny that you still think you’ll win this,” I shot back, unable to help myself. The screens around the square flickered again, but this time, a pixelated array of colors popped up with the words Witches for Mixta Equality scrawled over it. I grinned, knowing that was Olive and her team working their magic. It made me want to get into technorunes even more.
“Well, if you’re going to win. Tell me… where is your pink-haired witch?” he called again. “Oh, Miss Calisto, don’t keep us waiting!” His voice echoed off the stone walls of the castle town.
“Looks like your Mixta couldn’t even show her face.” Councilman Walters laughed, the sound creepier than it should have been.
“What is going on here?” an unfamiliar voice called out, and the councilors all went pale as one. Altermin sputtered, trying to form an answer but failing spectacularly. I turned around to see who must have been the Prime Minister coming our way. The barrier around us dropped, now that we had possible backup, leaving us leaning against each other, our support the only thing holding Xan and Torryn up after expending so much magic.
“Oh, just the council putting the entirety of Akasha and Aureus at risk, falsely imprisoning witches to do their bidding, and being all-around corrupt, hexing assholes.” Aris’ shout echoed throughout the square, answering the Prime Minister. As she stepped out from the edge of the crowd, she gestured around at the wreckage in the market as evidence.
That’s our girl.
December 9th
Monday Afternoon
Aris
“Lies! She tells lies!” Councilman Walters shouted, pointing a knotted finger at me as the others all nodded in agreement. Prime Minister Gennady looked torn, clearly unsure if he could believe a group of rebel witches over his council. My blood boiled as I moved between my guys and the council, ready to end this ridiculous charade. Prime Minister Gennady’s eyes went wide from his place near the council.
“I don’t tell lies. These men sent a witch who abducted and harmed me to force me to do their bidding. She was an accused and confirmed blood magic and dark magic user,” I continued, glaring at the council as I spoke.
“Why would they do such a thing?” the Prime Minister asked, incredulous. Altermin stepped forward, getting even closer to the Prime Minister.
“We would never work with a confirmed blood witch; she was cleared by us, which is within our rights as the council while you were away. She was then put under our authority,” Altermin countered, his eyes darting at the surrounding crowd, who were now whispering among themselves and pointing at the scene before them.
Just wait until we fire up the holos.
“You would, and you did, Councilman. The council has lost all of its credibility, and the witches of Akasha deserve better! I was a born Mixta and treated as if I was less than the rest of society for something I couldn’t control. When all of that changed, there was the council, trying to make me work for them… and to what gain? Nothing good would have come from them having control of me, for me or the people. So, what exactly is the council working toward? Especially without the entire council’s agreement,” I yelled, pointing at Edmund to prove my point.
“These are some grave accusations, young lady,” Gennady said, his frown deepening the more I spoke. “Mixtas have always been an important part of society. Why do you believe you were unappreciated?”
“With all due respect, Prime Minister, have you been living under a rock?” I asked, unable to stop myself. “We have never been given the same opportunities or inclusion others have. I was even sent from my home territory to Aether because it was one of the only two academies in Akasha that even accept Mixtas.”
He blinked repeatedly before opening and closing his mouth a few times until I could practically hear the wheels turning in his mind.
“These are all baseless accusations,” Walters sputtered, shaking his head as if he was disappointed in my lack of morals. “We have always wanted what was best for Akasha. We would never condone manipulating, intimidating, or abusing witches for their powers, nor would we condone any corrupt behavior or decisions within the council.” The last few sentences were directed toward the Prime Minister and out to the crowd that had formed.
“The council and your prime minister are here to make sure your lives are the best they can be, to ensure your and your family’s safety. Protecting you from a dangerous rogue witch and her coven would fall under that category. I mean, look at the damage caused here.” He gestured at our surroundings, an imperious tilt to his head that made it all the more obvious he saw the villagers as beneath his notice.
He doesn’t even deign to look them in the eye as he tries to sell them this sob story.
“Yes, because you falsely imprisoned us, threatened to harm those I love unless you could use me for my powers, then sent a blood witch and enforcers after us through the streets of the market!” I countered sharply. “But that’s not the reason we’re here right now. Your heinous actions will certainly be dealt with when what you’ve been up to comes out. We’re here because things need to change.”
“How so?” Councilman Walters scoffed, his beady eyes narrowing as a scowl curled his lip. I refused to let his judgment and behavior deter me. We had finally made it here, and we hadn’t come this far to only come this far.
“How so, you ask?” I started, looking at the men standing before me. “Prime Minister and Council, hellsticks, even the rest of the witches here witnessing this, are you aware Mixtas make up about seventy-five percent of the population in Akasha? They are your healers, your service workers, the people who make your world tick, yet you treat them like they’re unworthy. This has been a long time coming, and we, the people of Akasha, demand change!” I called out, my voice rising as I got more and more fired up. Several witches in the crowd let out whistles and claps of agreement.
“And we, the council, appreciate those witches who are the foundation of Akasha,” Councilman Altermin fired back, sounding way too much like a rehearsed sentiment to be taken as real.
“Really?” I asked, a smile forming on my lips that made him pause and narrow his eyes. “Well… it seems it’s not just my coven that feels this way.” My eyes moved to Caspian, who was already recording the interaction on his Witches Glass. Appar
ently, he was streaming because a moment later, the holos all lit up, bringing a deafening roar from the recorded crowd.
The screen minimized and moved to the corner of the now blank screen until another took its place. The same process repeated until all the territories were on board, the holoscreen a patchwork of video squares, then continued past the academies—healing clinics, shops, restaurants, tailors, bookstores, banks, the list went on. It wasn’t all of Akasha, but with each new feed that popped up, I felt more and more hope bloom in my chest. It was so much more significant, the Mixtas, closing their shops and making a stance, were doing so on their own, with their own experiences.
By the time it stopped, you could barely make out the finer details of the squares. The blank square in the middle was soon filled by Indigo, who stepped forward to address the crowds.
“I’ve gathered support from the academies, those who feel like change needs to happen, and word has spread through my vlog and through Aris and her coven’s story. It’s not just our generation who sees or has experienced this, it’s all of them! Let’s call this next segment, ‘The Darker Side of Akasha: Mixtas’ Fear and Abuse.’”
The square was blank again before it blew up to fill the screen. An older man stood in front of a Healer’s clinic.
“Hello, I’m Edward March. I’m a Master Healer and have served the fine people of Caeli for years. In that time, I have served each and every type of witch. But… in all those years, the worst cases that have stuck with me were ones where I was treated like a servant or screamed at and ridiculed when something didn’t go their way. It was always by one of the Big Five affinities. Always. This scar,” he started, holding up his arm to show a deep, healed over cut, “was from a witch who wasn’t pleased I couldn’t perform a miracle and remove the last remnants of a scar from his face, so he gave me one in return. The burns by my eye are from a witch who wanted me to create a poison, and when I refused, she used her fire affinity to heat antiseptic and threw it at me.”
