*This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.*
“Gen!” I spun around at the sound of Thomas’ voice, immediately crushed by his arms around me. It felt nice to relax in his arms. He held me close, leaning into my ear. “I thought you were in there.”
My eyes peered back to the burning house, blinking. Flashbacks of the fight that had ensued moments earlier came back into my mind, but I shook them away and clutched onto Thomas tighter.
“No, I was out here waiting for you,” I whispered in his ear. Thomas let out a shaky sigh, squeezing me a little bit tighter. But I didn’t care. I shut my eyes for a moment, until we both jumped at the sound of someone yelling.
“Guys! Guys! Did you see that? Are you okay?” Oliver came sprinting around the corner, covered in dirt and debris from the onset of smoke and other articles that came flying from the Perdita’s explosion. Thomas kept his arm wrapped around my waist and I leaned into him.
“We’re fine,” I reassured him, giving him a quick hug. Oliver ruffled my hair before giving Thomas a concerned look, but Thomas only grimaced.
“Where’s everyone else?” Oliver asked. Thomas drew his wand and turned to me. I grimaced. I knew where we were headed next.
“They are waiting for us. They’re back at school,” I said to Oliver, seeing his face fall as he realized we were planning to leave Chicago and go back to the East Coast. Oliver whipped over to the burning house, which let out another soft pop as something else got too hot within the house, and then he glanced back to us.
“What about everyone else? You can’t just leave. The Perdita are here, aren’t they?” Oliver asked. The mention of the name worried me, knowing full well that the last time their name was said into thin air, they appeared out of nowhere like they had been waiting to be summoned. No one appeared and I let out a sigh of relief.
“Come on,” Thomas offered. Before I could protest, Oliver grabbed onto Thomas’ arm. I felt the familiar whoosh of air as we were whipped around, transporting out of Chicago. I clutched onto my best friends tighter than ever, until I felt my feet hit the ground. Rain softly hit the top of my head. The weather was cold and dreary and the once smoky skies were replaced with overcast above us.
Oliver, disoriented from his first time transporting by magic, twisted around in circles before falling flat on his butt. He glanced up at Thomas and I, completely bewildered. We both offered him a hand and he got to his two shaky feet. Shaking himself off, he gulped.
“A little bit of warning would be good next time, yeah?” Oliver whimpered. Thomas smirked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
“You didn’t like that? I think it feels like a roller coaster,” Thomas teased. I smiled, then grinned when I saw Thomas hold out his hand to me, glancing back to see if I had noticed. Running to catch up with my best friends, we set off towards the brick school.
Faint voices called to us and I knew that there was business to be discussed. With the fire raging and people still out there fighting, there was no certainty as to when there would be a moment to sit back and just exist.
“Genevieve! Thomas! You’re okay!” Mom came rushing out of the school with her arms wide open, nearly tackling both of us into a giant hug. Then she noticed Oliver. “Oh Oliver, honey! Come here!”
“Actually, I–” Mom had already spun Oliver into one of her signature bear hugs before Oliver could say another word. Thomas and I relaxed into each other’s arms. Then I heard someone else exit from Merlin’s.
“Did you bring a mortal back here?” Aunt Elaine called out to us, rushing down the steps. Mom and her exchanged a look, as if they were silently both trying to reason with each other.
“Oliver was in danger,” I defended. Oliver grew quiet and all the color drained from his face. “What were we supposed to do? Leave him there in the middle of the rubble?”
“I, well, I–”
“They were only trying to save their best friend,” Mom defended. “I don’t care what rule it breaks, which I don’t think it does. What they did was noble, and it’s time for them to rest. We can talk about this later, Elaine,” Mom ended rather sternly. I expected Aunt Elaine to blow up, to say something in response. But she put her hand on my mother’s shoulder, giving her a prideful smile.
“Get them inside and have them rest. I’m going to go seal the border.” Aunt Elaine left us. Mom ushered us inside. Thomas wrapped his arm over my shoulders as we headed off towards the school. Right before we began to walk inside, I turned back to Aunt Elaine.
With her wand in the air, she shot fire engine red sparks into the air, chanting a familiar protection charm that I had learned in casting club. Her face remained stern and sullen, reminding me for a brief moment that while we were safe, my uncle and Dad weren’t. There was still a war out there, and it was time to bring them home.
