shaking her head. “I’m never using my magic again. I think… I need to be alone right now, Sean. I-I don’t know what I want, but I just need to be alone. Please.” She looked away, down at her hands as she fiddled with the sheets.
He didn’t say anything, just sat there for a long while, and then he slowly got out of bed and got dressed.
Hallie didn’t look at him, but he stood the by bed for a long time, waiting for her to look up. She finally did. Her heart broke at how sad he seemed.
“I’m going to come back tomorrow—don’t argue,” he said. “Think about this. We don’t need to end because of your past. You can’t keep running from it, Hallie. You have to face who you are eventually.” She swallowed loudly, then turned around, waiting for him to leave.
There was a horrible moment of silence, and then Sean walked out, shutting the bedroom door behind him. She heard him close the front door a while later. She lay down and curled up into a ball, wanting the memories to go away. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but she was never going to let her magic out again. No matter what the cost.
***
Hallie walked into the front room of her house a little while later after getting dressed and washing her face. It was early evening; she and Sean had only slept for a few hours before her nightmare. She sat on the settee and folded her hands in her lap, feeling empty and lost. She didn’t know where Sean was staying, so couldn’t find him even if she wanted to. She felt horrible about how they’d left things, but she was so confused and needed time to think. How could she be with Sean and still not let out her magic? What was she going to do about her power? And what was wrong with her— why couldn’t she control it? Why was her magic so dangerous? She sighed, wishing things were different.
Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door, startling her, but she felt a sense of joy, thinking it was Sean. She hurried over to it, swinging it open.
Nicholas stood there, smiling at her. “Hello, Hallie. May I come in?”
Hallie slammed the door in his face. She stormed away, telling herself to calm down, but then Nicholas appeared in front of her. He’d seen inside her place—he could magically transport inside. She clenched her fists. “Get out,” she seethed. “I don’t care what you want—just leave me alone.”
Nicholas stepped towards her, still smiling, arrogant. Then his expression became more serious, and he gazed at her, eyes narrowed. “I’ve captured your red-haired friend,” he said slowly. “He’s safe, but you need to come with me if you want him to stay that way. I’m not going to hurt either of you, but you need to come quietly.”
Hallie stared at him, wondering if he was telling the truth. She clasped her hands together, shaking slightly. “You’ve captured Sean? Why? What do you want?”
“You’ll find out in time. For now, I just need you to come with me. And you can’t try anything—if you hurt me, you’ll never find him.”
Hallie took in her breath, wondering what in the world was going on. She kept shaking, her lip quivering. “What do you want with us?” she said, her voice wobbly. “I don’t even know who you are.”
“That doesn’t matter. Hallie, it’s quite simple. Come with me now , or Sean dies. Do you want to be blamed for someone else being hurt?”
She looked at him, then shook her head. “No,” she said weakly. “I’ll go with you. But don’t hurt him. Please.”
Nicholas didn’t say anything, reached out, and grasped her arm. She felt a spinning sensation and then they appeared in a small room with drawn curtains and only a few candles providing light. Hallie’s eyes adjusted to the dimness, finding the room only contained a table and two chairs. Nicholas gestured for her to sit down.
Hallie faltered for a moment, then obeyed. She took shaky breaths. Nicholas sat across from her, folding his hands on the table. She
He didn’t say anything, just sat there for a long while, and then he slowly got out of bed and got dressed.
Hallie didn’t look at him, but he stood the by bed for a long time, waiting for her to look up. She finally did. Her heart broke at how sad he seemed.
“I’m going to come back tomorrow—don’t argue,” he said. “Think about this. We don’t need to end because of your past. You can’t keep running from it, Hallie. You have to face who you are eventually.” She swallowed loudly, then turned around, waiting for him to leave.
There was a horrible moment of silence, and then Sean walked out, shutting the bedroom door behind him. She heard him close the front door a while later. She lay down and curled up into a ball, wanting the memories to go away. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but she was never going to let her magic out again. No matter what the cost.
***
Hallie walked into the front room of her house a little while later after getting dressed and washing her face. It was early evening; she and Sean had only slept for a few hours before her nightmare. She sat on the settee and folded her hands in her lap, feeling empty and lost. She didn’t know where Sean was staying, so couldn’t find him even if she wanted to. She felt horrible about how they’d left things, but she was so confused and needed time to think. How could she be with Sean and still not let out her magic? What was she going to do about her power? And what was wrong with her— why couldn’t she control it? Why was her magic so dangerous? She sighed, wishing things were different.
Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door, startling her, but she felt a sense of joy, thinking it was Sean. She hurried over to it, swinging it open.
Nicholas stood there, smiling at her. “Hello, Hallie. May I come in?”
Hallie slammed the door in his face. She stormed away, telling herself to calm down, but then Nicholas appeared in front of her. He’d seen inside her place—he could magically transport inside. She clenched her fists. “Get out,” she seethed. “I don’t care what you want—just leave me alone.”
Nicholas stepped towards her, still smiling, arrogant. Then his expression became more serious, and he gazed at her, eyes narrowed. “I’ve captured your red-haired friend,” he said slowly. “He’s safe, but you need to come with me if you want him to stay that way. I’m not going to hurt either of you, but you need to come quietly.”
Hallie stared at him, wondering if he was telling the truth. She clasped her hands together, shaking slightly. “You’ve captured Sean? Why? What do you want?”
“You’ll find out in time. For now, I just need you to come with me. And you can’t try anything—if you hurt me, you’ll never find him.”
Hallie took in her breath, wondering what in the world was going on. She kept shaking, her lip quivering. “What do you want with us?” she said, her voice wobbly. “I don’t even know who you are.”
“That doesn’t matter. Hallie, it’s quite simple. Come with me now , or Sean dies. Do you want to be blamed for someone else being hurt?”
She looked at him, then shook her head. “No,” she said weakly. “I’ll go with you. But don’t hurt him. Please.”
Nicholas didn’t say anything, reached out, and grasped her arm. She felt a spinning sensation and then they appeared in a small room with drawn curtains and only a few candles providing light. Hallie’s eyes adjusted to the dimness, finding the room only contained a table and two chairs. Nicholas gestured for her to sit down.
Hallie faltered for a moment, then obeyed. She took shaky breaths. Nicholas sat across from her, folding his hands on the table. She
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