"Xavier!" Quin's voice yelled through the smoke and dust.

My ears were ringing, but not just from the explosion, from the pure overwhelming feeling of having ripped a whole in my magic limiter. My body was cold and white dots blurred the edges of my vision. It felt like my head was a piñata and we were at some kids birthday party or something.

Still, I kept the magic up, just for a few more seconds. That didn't stop Quin from running past me, out of the barrier and through the dust.

"Hecate," a voice said behind me. "You good?"

It was... Who was it? I knew the voice, didn't I? I'm pretty sure I did.

"Heather, Hecate's not responding."

What was his name? It was cool, I remember that.

"Hecate," a voice said in my ear. This one was...Heather, that was her name. "You can let down the magic."

What magic? Oh, right. That magic. I forced my body to calm, but it didn't want to obey. I pushed harder, making the magical barriers around us dissipate.

With a last shake, my body gave in, falling towards the dirt. I was caught by a strong arm. When it touched me, I felt a little tingle shoot down my spine.

"Hatchet," I said, looking up at the man with a little too much blond hair. "That was your name."

He set me down, gently. His arm stayed behind me, holding me up.

"What happened?" I asked, trying to remember.

He gave me a worried look.

The memories came rushing back all at once. I winced as my piñata brain was hit one more time.

"Mm sorry," I mumbled, closing my eyes. My hands came up and rubbed my temples. "Xavier, he-"

"He's good," Quin's voice said. He was probably standing in front of me, from what I could hear. "You pulled up a last minute barrier and saved them both."

"Both?"

"The other kid. Don't you remember?"

I sighed, letting my head drop. "Trying." It took me a second. "Okay, right. The other kid."

"How many barriers did you pull up, exactly?" Quin asked.

I let my eyes open this time. The black haired man was kneeling in front of me. A kid, a younger version of Quin, was next to him, holding onto his arm.

"Eighty-something...I think. Still having a problem with the whole remembering thing. I feel like a punching bag right now though. Or a piñata. What else gets hi- ouch!"

Hatchet, at some point, had moved away. I think he went to deal with the Black Hands with Heather or something, cause she wasn't here either. I'm not sure if I was glad about that.

"Help me get to a wall or something?" I asked. "Something I can lean on."

He nodded, grabbing my hand and pulling me up. Little Quin, Xavier, stayed on my other side. When I was on my feet, the world swayed. I tipped and headed towards the ground. Quin's pale hand came forward and caught me around the stomach.

He quirked an eyebrow at me. "You sure you can walk?"

"Nope. Piggyback?"

I was pretty sure he'd refuse, of just let go of me there, but the next second I was being lifted onto his back.

"...seriously?" I asked. Xavier let out a little laugh and I gave him an over exaggerated glare.

"Well, I figure I owed you."

"Don't start thanking me yet," I said, leaning against his back. "We're not safe until we leave."

"I'm pretty sure we're good."

"Hmm."

All around us, mages took guns from Black Hands. Kids found people to cling to, to keep them safe. Even the little group of kids I brought out was finding adults they kinda knew. Maybe family. Who knew.

"Can't you just magic us if anything happens?" Xavier asked.

I shook my head.

"Why not?"

"It's...magical stuff. I'll teach you later."

He nodded, okay with the answer.

When we reached what was left of the far wall, Quin tipped me off his back and carefully set me down.

"Where's Hatchet and Heather?" I asked.

"Getting us a car."

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught something running to us. It was a man with dark skin and short black hair. He was tall and thin, probably from being malnourished.

"You," he said to me, "you're Hecate, right?"

I nodded, happily, but stopped when I got dizzy. "The one and only."

"Thank you, so much. You saved my life and my daughters and...what can I do to repay you?"

"You're a wizard, aren't you?"

He nodded. "How could you tell?"

"Good guess. Anyways, listen to me. I'm gonna give you a few different sets of directions. I want you to go around and pass them out. It's for safe houses."

He nodded.

I quickly started giving him directions while he magiced them on paper he'd made from the dirt.

"What about you?" He asked when we were done. "Where're you going?"

"I'll be around. Make sure everyone leaves before night, okay. It'll be dangerous when the Black Hands find out about us."

He nodded, mumbling another thank you under his breath.

"Where to next?" Quin asked.

"Back to the City."

He balked at me. "The City? You mean the place we just broke out of and ran from? The capital? You sure you're still all crazy from that...magic thing?"

I laughed at him, coughing when my lungs constricted on me. "I'm always crazy."

"True."

Sighing, and letting myself breath, I finally told him, "Believe it or not, Niquie's in New York."

"New York?"

I smiled. "I'll explain when we get there. Hatchet's coming to get us."

Hatchet came running over, gun still slung over his back.

Quin gave me a sideways glance, but I just shrugged.

"We got the car ready," he said. "We should get going before anything else blows up. Hecate, you ready with more magic? Just in case."

"Nope. I'm out for now. Maybe in a few hours."

"We're running from basically the entire government and we don't even have magic? Great, just peachy."

"Not to mention we're going to New York," Quin mumbled under his breath. "Come on, Hecate, let's get going."

I held my hands up to him. "Piggyback?"

"I'm pretty sure you can walk now."

"Please?"

Rolling his eyes, he bent down and let me climb on.

"Heather's waiting by the new car."

"I vote we get to another Motel Six," I said, kicking my feet. "I need a break and we're not doing a lot without my magic. Unless Mini Mr. Grumpy Pants over there is secretly an amazing self taught wizard. Are you?"

"No, I don't know how to do a lot."

I laughed. "Don't worry so much. I'll teach you somethings on the way. When we get back to Niquie's place, then Wynnie can teach you."

"Are you going somewhere?" Xavier's small voice asked.

I nodded. "I got stuff to do, people to save. You know, the usual queen of the entire world of magic stuff and all that. I gotta make sure the Blackies left my stuff alone and all that."

He nodded, a little sad. I don't blame him though, who doesn't want to be taught by me? No one!

There was gunshot from behind us followed by a loud scream.

"Time to go," Hatchet said, grabbing Xavier's hand and running. "Come on, kid. We gotta hurry."

Quin started running under me. I grabbed his shoulders while he ran.

The car, which was actually a van, was out back. Heather was already inside and the engine was already running.

"What took you so long?" She yelled out the back. "Hurry up an get in."

There was another bullet before fire flared.

"Well," I said, "at least we know that turned out in our favor."

"Your optimism scares me," Hatchet said, dropping Xavier in the back with us. He went, next, around the front and sat shotgun.

Quin climbed in, me still on his back, then dropped me on the floor. He reached forward to grab the back doors and pull them shut.

I pulled myself back to lean against the wall. And there were guns, guns everywhere. I let out a sigh. I'm not sure if it was a relief sigh or an 'I'm seriously done with guns' sigh. For some reason everything was just a tad bit more terrifying when you knew you could die from it. But just a tad.

"Alright," Heather said, "we're moving. Where to now?"

Quin leaned back on the other side of the van. Mini Mr. Grumpy Pants clung to his arm. He let out a long sigh, running his dirt covered hand through his slick black hair. It wasn't really nice anymore, not perfectly slicked back. It was more tussled now. I probably looked like a bird did my hair. And not like some Disney bird that help the princesses. A savage disease infected bird.

"New York," he said, taking Xavier's hand, "we're going to the City."

-Authors Note-

Sorry for the short chapter. Hope you're all enjoying it cause I really don't know what to think wher no one comments anything. I'm going to assume that this is an amazing story.

Love you all,

~Q