With great power comes great responsibility.
- Stan Lee

■NATASHA■

It's one fifteen in the afternoon and I still haven't slept yet. I dedicated half my night and morning, looking after the one and only, Torrin. And let me tell you, it was definitely annoying. Every time I'd close my eyes, he'd make this God awful noise and start shaking. I was starting to think he was doing it on purpose until he didn't move when I was attacking him. Come to think of it, it wasn't even an attack. All I did was strangle him... a little.

He deserved it...

"Are you gonna pass the butter?" Torrin asks. His voice is low and soft and his perfectly long fingernails tap the surf of the wooden table. He gives me a questionable look when I don't answer him. "Cat got your tongue or your mouth finally broke?"

I glare at him, sticking the middle finger at him. "Fuck off Scarface." Crossing my arms and huffing, I lean back in my seat. "It's your fault I'm so sleepy. Everyone knows I need my beauty sleep. Look at me," I point towards my reflection in the glass. "There's freakin bags under my eyes. Bags I tell you! I look hideous!"

Torrin rolls his eyes all the way to the back of his head. "Calm down will ya, you're making a scene. And stop being so overdramatic, you have plenty of time to sleep when you're dead." His lips perk up a little when he sees anger flash through my eyes.

"Well, I hope you feel the same way when I strangle you to death." Looking down at my food, I frown. "This looks disgusting. There's still eggshells in the damn eggs. What kinda shit is this?!"

"Oh, so now you're too good for waffle house food." He taunts. "Just because you're a Queen, doesn't mean you always have to eat lavishly." When Torrin woke up this morning, he said he was in the mood for waffles. So here we are, at waffle house. I'm amazed they're still around.

Letting out a breath, I push the plate of food away. "Yeah, well it doesn't mean I have to eat slop." I resort back. "If this is what you eat, then no wonder why you look like this." The lighting in the diner was dim and the air was thick with the scents of so many different foods.

Now Torrin glares at me. "Don't piss me off Natasha. I'm in a good mood, don't ruin it."

I lift my hands up in surrender. He's so bipolar. "Yeah, yeah." A yawn escapes my lips. "Would you please hurry up, I'm sleepy." Finally passing him the butter, he takes it from my hand. "Where exactly is this next stone located?" Realization hits me. "Wait don't answer that. I forgot to tell you to call your brother." Reaching across the table, I grab his phone. "Alex is probably worried sick about you." Clicking the call button, the phone begins to ring and I pass it back to Torrin.

Torrin quickly hangs up the phone and looks up at me. An unknown expression marks his face. "I already sent him a text." He says, his voice sounding rough. "Why'd you call him Alex? His name is Alexander."

"I know that Torrin. It's just Alexander is such a long name, that's why I call him Alex."

Torrin looks unconvinced. He wears a scowl on his face. "Sure." He grumbles, before getting up. Torrin drops twenty-four tokens on the table, before walking away. My eyes roll to the back my head, he's making a big deal out of nothing.

Getting up, I join Torrin inside the car. "You're so damn moody." Torrin doesn't even wait for me to get inside the car, he takes off driving. "And a dickhead," I mutter the last part. Taking a string of my curly hair, I roll it around my pinky finger. It was a strange habit of mine. "Are you jealous or something?"

And just like that, the car comes to a complete stop making my body hunch forward. The seatbelt tightens around my body, making me hiss. "Let me let you in on a little secret Natasha, I never get jealous. Especially when it's something that has little to no reverence to me." He starts the car again, this time going a little faster than usual. "Now, today we're going after the Greed stone. It's located in the Janhollow clan. Sound familiar?"

My eyes widen at the name, and I instantly forget the come back I had for him. "Of course the Janhollow clan sounds familiar, it's run by my best friend for fuck sakes. How the hell do you expect us to get in there undetected and take the stone? Which I may remind, is probably guarded by tons of powerful witches."

Torrin glances at me. "First, I was hoping you'd just ask your friend for it and she'd just hand it to you. Second, you're a hybrid which makes you stronger than those other witches."

"That may be so, but Raine is the first witch to ever be created. She's more advanced than me. And knowing Raine, even though she's my best friend, she's gonna need something from me."

His eyebrows raise, upon hearing that. "Something like what?"

"Black magic," I say, looking outside the window. "I'm the only one that's strong enough to conquer it. And like everything else that has to do with magic, it also comes with a cost. A cost that I'm not willing to give because I already know the result of it. Therefore we need to find another way, one that doesn't involve me asking Raine."

"Why exactly does she need dark magic?" Torrin ask.

I sigh. "You ever heard of Jack the Ripper?" Torrin nods. "Well turns out him and Raine had a thing and since he's upscale on the demon league, he's in the darkest part of hell," I explain to him. "Raine has tried plenty of times to get Hades to release him, but Hades is against it for some unknown reason. My guess is, he knows jack is crazy and doesn't want to release that onto the world... again."

"That doesn't explain why she needs black magic," Torrin says.

I give him a straight face. "I was getting to that." I snap. "Getting Jack out of hell is one thing, but being able to get him into the human world is another. That's where the black magic comes in. She needs it to be able to put his soul in another body. And because Hades hasn't given Jack his permission to leave hell, whatever host that Raine puts Jack's soul in, the host won't be able to contain him and will die. That's why Raine needs black magic."

"What's the cost if you do black magic?" Torrin asks, making a turn.

"My emotions." Torrin looks at me confused. "In other words my humanity. Everything that makes me, me will be cut off. I'd just be dangerous, and will no longer feel pain or sadness... not even guilt." I whisper that last part. "And even the rules that I set for my own people, I won't even follow them."

"Can't you just... I don't know, switch it back on?"

A chuckle leaves my lips. "It doesn't work that way, Torrin." My pinky unwraps from my hair. "I did it once," I whisper. "And it really took a toll on me. The only way I was able to switch it back on, was realizing that I'd killed everyone close to me." Torrin looks at me and gives me this look as if saying go on. "When my ex-girlfriend left me, I had shut off my humanity. I killed people, well mainly bad people but for some reason, I needed to kill more people. So I called my friends over and slaughtered them all, every single last one of them. It wasn't until Odessa came over, that I realized what I had done."

Torrin's eyes stay glued to the road. "If you killed your friends, how are they here now?"

"I did a reverse spell and went back in time before I even shut off my humanity. It was painful, but at the end of the day, it was worth it. Even the reverse spell had a price." I tell him. "Magic always has a price."

The car falls to a complete silence but this time it's a comfortable silence, other like times before. Torrin was the first person I ever told that story too and in a strange way, I'm glad, because it feels like a weight is lifted off my chest. We reach Tidefall by seven in the afternoon. Long ago, Tidefall would be known as the state of Georgia, but like everything in the world, change happens.

As we continue to drive, my eyes look around places. On either side are abandoned businesses with boarded-up windows and weeds growing through the concrete steps. Raine wanted it to look like this so that the humans know not to come here. "Since you know everything, where exactly is Raine hiding the stone?"

"In her comic book." He answers. I chuckle, it sounded like something she'd do. On my nineteenth birthday, I discovered my love for comics. Raine was right there by my side, telling me all about the comic world. She taught me everything I know about comics. It was also something her and Jack bonded over. "And before you ask, I know this because I've read her mind before."

"You can read minds?!" I screech. "Have you read mine?"

"All angels can read minds, but because I'm a fallen it's limited." He says. "I can't read your mind, but I can get in it as you may know. Because of the blood binding."

"That tower over there is how we get inside Janhollow," I say, changing the subject. Pointing over at the tower, Torrin looks. "When we get inside don't do none of that splitting up thing, it raises suspicion. Stay by me at all times."

"I don't take orders from you." Torrin snaps. "But seeing how you know this place, I'll listen to you this one time." He pulls his gun out of the glove compartment.

"Put that away, you won't need it here," I tell him. "Plus they're witches, they'll snap your neck before you can even pull out that gun." He rolls his eyes and puts the gun back in the glove compartment. He shuts off the car and gets out, I follow right behind him. We reach the tower and white light beams down on us. "Remember, stay by me at all times and don't say a word unless I say so." A sudden rush of wind wraps around us. Cold, then warm, followed by a surge of adrenaline as our body is pulled through all planes of existence at once, all in the blink of an eye. And then, in a matter of seconds, we arrive.

Opening my eyes, I'm greeted by the familiar clan. The city was simply urban, tall houses in an exact grid pattern. Trees everywhere. "It's the queen!" Someone shouts. Everyone drops to their knees, saying some common things like, "The queen is here." "Thank you for coming queen Natasha." "We love you."

"Rise, my children," I order. They all stand up, facing me. "I'm glad to see you all once again, remember if you all need something write it down and place it in the TCU box. If it's something urgent, request me in person."

Alondra, one of Raine's most trusted guard walks forward. She was always my favorite because she's kind, that and she has a beautiful body. Alondra keeps me updated with everything that happens in Janhollow and with whatever Raine keeps from me. Don't get me wrong, I trust my friends but I know they keep certain things from me. I have an informant everywhere, just not in Yiska's clan. I trust Yiska and I know he'd never betray me. It's just not in his blood to do so. "Welcome my Queen, Queen Raine is in her study but she has been aware of your presence."

"Thank you, Alondra," I say. She had on her black jumpsuit, which made her backside stick out. Her curly dark red hair was in a mohawk, making her face stick out more. Her thick heart-shaped lip, pulled into a smile as she looked at me. Her caramel skin glistening. "Escort me to Raine please." She shakes her head, before leading the way. Torrin follows from behind us.

Once we make to a place with fewer people, Alondra begins to fill me in. "She's been looking for ways to get Jack out. I'm talking about more frequently now, she hasn't been herself lately. I think," She cuts herself off. "I'm sorry, Queen Natasha. I mean would you like to hear my thoughts on things?" She asks, correcting herself.

"Of course Alondra," I answer. This is what I loved about her, she always makes sure not to cross a line.

Alondra leans in close, before speaking. "I don't think she's fit enough to rule Janhollow, my Queen." She says, low enough for only me to hear.

My eyebrows raise. "And why is that Alondra?" I ask, taken back.

Alondra gulps. "She's sacrificed a child," Alondra tells me, causing my eyes to widen. "Just last week she did it. She siphoned the little girl's powers and used it to try and do black magic. But it didn't work."

I bite the inside of my cheeks, trying to make sense of this new found information. "Why wasn't I made aware of this?"

Alondra looks down at her shoes. "You were not of reach my Queen. To be honest, you've been gone longer than usual, so I took that as a sign to wait till you came back." She explains. "I'm sorry for not notifying you sooner."

I shake my head. "No, it's fine. You went with your judgment, just like how I thought you too." We make it to Raine's study and I turn back to Alondra. "Do me a favor A and keep Torrin here company for a few minutes." I lean in close. "Be prepared, you may have to do something you do not wish to do." Alondra nods and takes a step back. Without knocking, I walk into Raine's study. She's staring blankly up at the ceiling, sitting behind her desk. "Raine," I say shutting the door. "We need to talk."

She looks over at me, bags under her eyes. "What are you doing here Natasha? You've already visited this month." Her warm brown face looks different from the last time I saw her, it's like she's aged or something.

I walk forward. "Last I checked, I don't need to explain why visit."

She stands up, her hands leaning on the desk for support. "Well last I checked, I don't need to speak to you."

My eyes dance around the room, taking in its appearance. The room is painted black, and it had only one floor-to-ceiling window, which faced the main road. On the brown desk sat a laptop, a witchcraft books lying open, and a stack of papers sitting under a paperweight. A few pens were lying on the papers, but some had fallen. "Well looks like you don't have a choice in that matter," I say, walking forwards. I'm in front of her face now, looking at her dead in the eyes. "You have five minutes to explain to me why the fuck did you sacrifice a child!" My voice booms. "Because I'm trying to figure out how in the hell you thought it was okay to do so. And to do it without my permission, you must really have a death wish."

Raine glares at me, moving from behind her desk. "I don't need your permission little girl to do things, I can do whatever I want, whenever I see fit!" She shouts back. "You can boss anyone you want around, but you will not do it when it comes down to me. I'm the one who taught you everything you know, you're supposed to take orders from me not the other way round!"

I glare at her. "You want me," I point at myself. "To take orders from you?" I point her. "A person who doesn't know right from wrong, a person who killed a child for her own selfish needs. You gotta be kidding me. You're doing all this for a fuckin demon! What sense does that make?" I take a step forward. "You may have taught me everything I know Raine, but when it comes down to fighting you know I'll win. I always do." We stare at each other, both of us wanting to attack the other. "I'm taking your title away from you until I see you're ready to rule again."

Raine looks at me shocked. "You can't do that Natasha."

"Actually I can and I will Raine." Looking at her bookshelf, my eyes land on something familiar. "Jack is a demon and there's no way for him to come to earth. Get over it!"

"You're lying!" She screeches, tears brimming against her eyes. "There is a way to get him here, you just don't want to do it." She points at herself. "You talk about me being selfish, but you're the one that's selfish. What kind of friend chooses not to do what her best friend ask of her."

"What kind of friend asks for something, knowing that the stakes are high?" I resort. "You will not make me feel bad for saying no."

She gets down on her knees. "Please Natasha, I'm begging you. What if you were in my place, trying to get Claire back."

My lips form into a thin line. "I wouldn't cross that line, I'd still know right from wrong. And I sure as hell wouldn't sacrifice a child." Walking to the bookshelf, I take the comic book. "I need the stone inside of this, take it out." To get the stone, someone needs to physically go inside the book and take it out.

Raine stands up. "No. I won't do it, not until you bring Jack to me."

"Then I'll do it myself."

"You can do it yourself." Raine agrees. "But just know if you do, you'll never come out. I'll burn the book before you can even get the stone." Her eyes darken. "And after I burn it, I'll burn every single last witch in this clan. I'm serious Natasha and you know it."

Hearing the rhythm of her heartbeat, I know she's telling the truth. "Alright," I answer. Bloodshed is the last thing I need right now, innocent people don't have to die over something so petty. "I'll do it. But just know Raine, when this is all done and I get back to my normal self, I'm coming for you." Putting the book down, I turn and look at the mirror. "You've made an enemy out me Raine, consider our friendship over."

Raine doesn't say a thing. "A me ad vos, hoc refertur duo tempora." I chant. "A me ad vos, hoc refertur duo tempora. A me ad vos, hoc refertur duo tempora." The smell of death mingles with the cool and gentle air. The black magic calls for me a distance away. Pulsing from my fingertips is a strange, black light. I watch it flicker, changing colors from blue to black. "A me ad vos, hoc refertur duo tempora." I chant for a final time." My mouth is filled with black blood, and it feels like fire is rushing through my veins. I moan as my vision shifts, a ping in my head. At first, it hurts, but then I'm suddenly filled with power, more power than usual. In the mirror, I can see my mouth is set into a hard line. My eyes are glowing black.

I'm no longer myself.

Black mist surrounds the spot beside me and then it vanishes, leaving behind a nude male body. "Jack?" Raine questions. He nods and she runs towards him, pulling him into a hug.

I smirk evilly at the scene. "You have nine hours Raine and then I'm coming for your head. I would do it now, but I'm afraid I have someone else more important to kill. Have fun while it lasts." I zoom out the room with my speed, smirking at the amount of havoc I was about to cause.

It's time I pay Claire a visit.

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