The party was absolutely amazing. The music was great, the people hilarious, and the food delicious. I found my father near the food, right where I suspected he'd be. He beamed at me and offered to twirl me. I laughed and snagged some food from his plate. He scowled. "Hey, back off. Get your own."

   "This is mine now," I defended myself. He waved me off. "Go have fun. I think that blonde is flirting with you." He was looking at Harley. I looked his way and shrugged as Dad took a sip of his drunk.

   "I'm pretty sure Harley's gay, Dad."

   Dad spat out his punch and coughed. I broke into laughter that was so hard my stomach hurt. He spluttered and wiped down his face. "W-What?"

   "Oh, my god, my face hurts." I wheezed.

   "Jeez," groaned Dad. "You kids these days. Oh, shut up!" 

   That didn't help my laughter. I slowly staggered away, trying to see straight. Harley frowned as I finally got to the group. "What's the matter with you?"

   "Oh, old people are hilarious."

   "Isn't that your dad that you just called old?"

   "Absolutely." 

   "Hey, look who I found!" Blue returned with Liam. Liam scowled. "You didn't find me. You spilled punch on my shirt, asshole."

   "Because you were flirting with that random person!"

   "I was not!" Liam protested. "That was a reporter that somehow got inside. I told her to leave."

   "A reporter?" I frowned. "Why?" I definitely didn't like that.

   "Just wanting some gossip, probably. Now, let's move! Dancing time, ladies!" Liam grabbed Ashley's hand and pulled her away. Blue turned to search for Layla. I grinned at Ashley as she mouthed help at us. Allie snickered until Winston grabbed her hand and followed. I jerked my head at Harley. "Come on, let's scare my dad some more."

   He obeyed as we moved to the dance floor. "Why would he be scared?"

   "Because I told him that you're gay."

   Harley burst out laughing. I was a bit surprised that he wasn't offended and gawked at him. "You're not mad?"

   "Why would I be?" He chuckled. "It's not like you're wrong."

   "What?" He broke down and I smacked his shoulder. "Holy crap, I thought there was no way! I did not see that coming."

   "Exactly my plan, sweetheart."

   I jabbed my heel into his toe. He howled between pain and laughter. I grinned. 

   Life was good. I forgot all about my troubles for a while and just enjoyed myself. That included 'accidentally' spilling punch on Harley once I saw him looking at a strange boy near the bathrooms. After that, I may or may not have started an eating contest between Ashley and Winston. Ashley won.

   The masters seemed to prefer sticking with one another in the corner. Alexie stayed near the wall the whole time. I finally migrated his way with a cup of punch. I offered it. He eyed the cup before taking it carefully.

   I leaned my back against the wall. "Thanks for this, by the way."

   He inclined his head. The poor guy looked incredibly uncomfortable in the suit and bow tie. "Nice outfit."

   He rolled his eyes and I snickered. After a pause, I finally exhaled and said, "thanks for more than just this, by the way. For putting up with me. I know I'm a pain in the ass--"

   "Understatement," he muttered.

   "But hey, we're pain in asses together!"

   He gave a look from the corner of his eye. I grinned again. After elbowing him slightly, I moved to my friends. A few minutes later and the playlist turned on a line dance. Liam whooped and ran for the group of masters. He pulled some random woman out and to the dance floor. With a yell, the apprentices converged on the group and dragged some of the adults out to dance. They protested but we seriously didn't care.

   By the end, Harley whooped, "Get it Roxie!" I turned to whack at him when a small, white rope took his feet out from under him. Nice, Alexie! I laughed as he spluttered, alarmed. He got pale. 

   "What is it, Harley? Too scared to taunt me again?" I stepped forward with a maniac smile.

   "Roxie, get d--!"

   The ground trembled right as something hit my back. I flew several feet before I hit the ground at a roll, my knees and hands scratched on the rough floor. I rolled over up with a grunt. "What the--"

   My voice died in my throat. Everyone had cowered away and some were screaming. The reason for their terror became clear as I saw a familiar woman standing where the ceiling had caved. She stood in the middle of the debris. My face paled. 

   Dani Darhk surveyed the room. She hadn't changed since her attack at the meeting. Her skin seemed to glow in the blacklight. Dark purple and grey flames swirled around a staff in her hands. "Thanks for advertising your location, by the way. Really couldn't have done it without you."

   My head snapped for where Alexie had been, but he was gone. Something clamped on my nerves and the ink on my arm burned in a reminder of the pain I'd felt when we had first met. My mouth felt dry. Dani's eyes swept the room. "So where are you, girl? Hiding won't do you any good, now."

   I looked around in a panic. Blue was the closest to me, rubbing his head. Liam and Ashley were beside him, both unconscious. Allie was staring at Dani in horror, her eyes glued to the woman. The masters around us were mostly unconscious from the blow Dani had dealt when she landed inside.

   Clearly, I was not her only source of magic. She held her staff and dark purple dominated the grey. Her natural color must have been some sort of dark purple shade, and since she wasn't using me as a source, the darker part of her magic was fainter. I prayed she wasn't as powerful as normal because Alexie was blocking her from using my magic. When she finally turned away from me, I scrambled to my feet and lashed my arm like a whip. Crimson extended rapidly from my wrist until it nearly reached her legs. Dani saw it and whacked it aside with her hand. She turned to face me and smiled. "There you are. Had a good party?"

   My lip curled. "Why are you here, Dani? You can't kill me and you know it."

   "Oh, I don't mean to kill you." Her smile turned malevolent and her voice light. "Just use you."

   I barely had time to summon my staff before her spell soared for my chest. I threw myself to the side and another spike of dark purple nearly hit my chest. I caught it in my crimson-covered hand and threw it aside, quickly conjuring a shield around myself. Dani cracked it apart with ease.

   I backed up, panicking, as she pointed her staff. A net writhed to life and sailed for me. My magic ran down and formed a blade as long as my arm on my hand. I sliced the net in half and barely ducked to avoid the one I hadn't seen her throw. Panic thrummed in my chest. I was barely standing and she hadn't broken a sweat. Alexie, where the hell are you?

   I launched a blinding spell at her. She batted it aside easily, but I moved as fast as I could. Dani dodged the net and caused my paralyzing spell to miss. I spun and flung my last resort. The bullet soared for her and to my elation, hit her leg as she twisted to avoid another blinding spell. All magic near her leg vanished. She looked down at her leg and snickered. "Really?"

   Her spell hit my staff before I could react. It exploded into pieces. I yelped and threw myself at the ground, my easy-access to magic gone. Dani had no intention of slowing down. I scrambled up and created a wall in front of myself in order to buy time. 

   In a moment of desperation, I threw my hands at the ground. Red magic sunk into the floor and pooled. With a scream of effort, I clenched my fists and threw every ounce of it at Dani. A massive wave of crimson soared up and directly for her. Tables were upturned. The food table was flipped and the punch bowl shattered. Dani slashed her hand right through and spared herself from the hit. She retaliated with the exact same spell. A wave rushed for me. I shrieked, trying to defend myself, but I was too late. It slammed into my form and I crashed into the wall. Stars danced in my vision.

   My shoulder, still damaged from my fight with Alexie, popped out of place again. I cried out and reached for it, but something caught my hand. My fingers were bound tightly and my arm wrenched. I slid across the ground with a shout before my other arm was wrenched up. White-hot agony exploded through my torso as my dislocated shoulder pulled. Dani ignored me as she held the other end of the chain that kept my hands shackled. 

   I strained against the bindings, swearing. "What the hell?"

  "You didn't seriously think that you could beat me, did you?" Dani shook her head, focused on something her hands. A sphere of her magic was forming. "With your master out cold, I'm good to go. You're going to get to be my source for a long time, girl. And you won't be able to cause me any trouble."

   Alexie. She'd already taken him out? How? Where was he? I was more worried about if he was still alive than what Dani was about to do to me. I tried to bring something, anything, to my hands, but the crimson that appeared was sucked down the chain towards Dani. I shouted in fury, spewing curses. I pushed with my feet, desperate to break free. My own magic was added to Dani's project and she smiled. "Keep on trying. See how that works out."

   "Go to hell."

   "Don't worry about me. You'll get to see it sooner." She held up the spell in her hand with a cocky grin. "Ready?"

   I glared daggers at her. "Bitch."

   Her smile widened and she held back her arm. Pretending to aim, she finally threw the sphere. I closed my eyes in terror before I heard shoes skid across the floor. My eyes snapped open in time to see a figure catch the sphere in one hand and then finish his lunge, hitting the ground and pushing himself up.

   Relief hit me as Alexie stood upright. Blood dripped from his head and his clothes were torn, but he was alive. I relaxed and exhaled. I was about to lose my shit if he had been killed. He was here. Everything would be alright. More importantly, Dani was screwed.

   Then my eyes landed on his hand. Where he had caught her spell, it was turning black. Not a shade, but pitch black. He looked at it with a neutral expression before looking back up at Dani. The first sign of anger crossed her face. "You're dead, Albers. Dead."

   I saw the white chain wrap around her throat before she did. She choked as he hauled her towards him. The black spread up his arm and I began to panic as it spread across his back. Dani snarled and drew the same purple blade she'd had in Memphis. The blade connected with his chest, above his heart, just as there was a flash of light. A shockwave was thrown out and I was thrown again. The shackles on my wrists vanished.

   I looked up in alarm to see that Alexie had disappeared. My breaths began to rattle as I staggered upright and rushed for where he had stood. There was no sign of him. I reached for a nex line and felt nothing. He hadn't left that way. Desperation clawed up my throat. "Alexie! This isn't funny!"

   There was a groan as Allie sat upright, holding her head. Everyone around me was starting to realize that they were gone. My breaths trembled as I spun in a circle, panicking. Where was he? He was just here, I saw him--

   As I stood there in a panic, something white appeared at my side. I whipped around, my heart flying, but all I saw was a faint white rune on the black mark on my arm. In front of my eyes, it disintegrated. 

   Alexie's spell protecting me from Dani had faded. I waited for the mark on my arm to disappear, but it didn't. His spell was gone, but Dani's wasn't. She wasn't dead. And he'd said that his spell would never break while he was alive.

   Outrage began to fill every pore on my skin. Crimson swirled around me in a dark storm as I clenched my fists. My eyes bored into where she had been, moments ago. I was filled with such anger, such fury, such rage, that I could barely feel any pain. I wanted blood. After all that, after everything he'd done for me, and she had obliterated him without a thought. Without a care.

   "Dani, you just made the biggest mistake of your life." I moved to the staff that had hit the ground nearby. Everyone hushed as my shoes clicked against the floor. I picked it up and examined the rune. Alexie's rune.

   "I was going to stay out of it. I was going to go home." A broken laugh left my lips and I turned around, jaw working. "Not anymore. You're going to pay. I'm going to make sure of it." I looked up, seething. "Start running, Dani Darhk. Your days are numbered, and I'm the one counting."