Blaze woke up naturally for what felt like the first time in years. No one had knocked on his door to rouse him; no alarm had sounded to draw him from his sleep. He had simply found himself awake in bed, feeling slightly sore from the day before, but well rested. He looked at the clock on the nightstand and noted that it was 11:37am. It was the latest he had slept since they had first arrived in California.

The night before had been the large celebratory party. He was not much of a dancer, but he had gone downstairs anyway after getting most of the chalk dust off of his suit. Kayden went with him, still clad in her emerald dress, but wearing a pair of sneakers; Lira Fallon had come up to their suite to heal her ankle, but Kayden hadn't wanted to risk reinjuring it in Lexi's too-small high heels.

They only danced for a few minutes—apparently Kayden didn't fancy dancing either—though they stayed downstairs for over an hour, laughing over chocolate covered strawberries and cake pops set out on a dessert table. They eventually returned upstairs, too exhausted and sore to continue socializing. They had then spent part of the night watching a movie and kissing in Blaze's twin-sized bed.

Blaze closed his eyes for a second, remembering the way Kayden had looked up at him as they had lied in bed, before they had separated to go to sleep. Her eyes were green and slightly defiant, as per usual, and yet there was a spark in their depths. He liked that spark; he didn't ever want to see it fade away.

Blaze glanced over at Kayden's bed, expecting to see her thin form molding the white sheets, but her bed was empty. He instinctively looked at his wrist before remembering that the mark was no longer there. His skin was smooth and pale, without even the trace of a scar. It was odd that he could no longer sense her presence; despite everything, the mark had almost been something of a comfort.

He got out of bed and slipped on a t-shirt; he figured boxers and a white shirt were acceptable for breakfast. But when he reached the kitchen, it was deserted as well. There were a few empty plates on the counter, but no sign of anyone. He checked all the other rooms, including the bathroom, but the entire suite was empty.

He went back to the kitchen, scouting for something to eat, when he noticed a small handwritten card on the counter:

Karen Lee, Kayden Lee, and Lexi Carter,

Please meet us in Room 152 at 11:30am to discuss an important matter of potestas security.

Please be punctual.

~The Congregation

The note was short and yet Blaze's body felt cold upon reading it. No. He immediately grabbed the card off the counter and ran out of the suite. He didn't change clothes; he didn't grab a room key. He just darted out into the hall, took the stairs two at a time, and rushed toward Room 152.

He had heard rumors of summons like these, sessions where people who knew too much had their memories erased. It was the only way that the Congregation could ensure that no one would expose magic. And with the Bonding Oath negated, they now had clear access to Kayden's mind.

Blaze wanted to kick himself for not thinking about this sooner.

When Blaze burst into Room 152, he shouted "Stop!" at the top of his lungs.

The room had an assortment of people in it, sitting at a long table, but Blaze's eyes were locked on Kayden. She stared at him, but her eyes blank with confusion. A rune circle glowed on the wall behind her.

Blaze felt his skin clam up, and he looked away from Kayden until his eyes fell on the Congregation. "I'm too late, aren't I?" he said. His throat felt tight, and his stomach sat like lead. "They don't know who I am anymore."

"Blaze," Lira Fallon started gently, but she was quickly cut off.

"What are you talking about, Blaze?" Kayden demanded, staring at him like he had sprouted an extra head.

Blaze paused and glanced around the room, suddenly confused. The Congregation members, who were sitting across from Kayden, Lexi, Mrs. Lee, and even his father, looked as if they were stifling grins. Several papers and ballpoint pens were on the table.

"I..." Blaze started. He held up the white card. "Isn't this a mind-wiping summons?"

"Ah so that's what this is about," Carsten said.

"Blaze," Silas groaned. He looked deeply mortified. "Why did you come down here in your boxers?"

Blaze glanced down and his face warmed. "I saw the card on the counter and I thought...None of you woke me up!" he added defensively.

"You were sleeping rather deeply," Mrs. Lee said. "We didn't want to wake you for something you didn't have to attend."

"Then what is this?"

"A promise ceremony."

Blaze blinked, and immediately looked at his father. "Is... is someone getting married?"

"Promise ceremonies are not only conducted at potestas-sanspotestas weddings, Mr. Merg," Carsten said, cleaning his glasses with a handkerchief. "They are also done on an occasion where someone has revealed magic to sanspotestas, but they have been deemed trustworthy enough to keep the secret."

Blaze felt his face warm. "Er... right."

Carsten gestured to an empty seat at the table and Blaze took it, sitting next to his father. Silas still seemed mortified; even Kayden's face was red, though she didn't say anything.

The promise ceremony wasn't nearly as elaborate as Blaze had thought it'd be. It was more of a legal proceeding than a wedding. Lira passed out several contracts, and Kayden, Lexi, and Mrs. Lee signed and initialed each clause. After the paperwork had been completed, the Congregation murmured an incantation, casting a spell that would alert them if anyone broke the agreement. The air hummed with magic—a comforting sensation after the magic-free month during the shift—and then it was over.

"Still know who I am?" Blaze asked Kayden jokingly as he stood up from the table to leave.

Kayden rolled her eyes. "Put some pants on."

* * *

"Kay, can I talk to you?"

Kayden looked up and saw Lexi lingering in the doorway of her Le Lieu bedroom. It reminded her of the day she had been throwing a ball against her actual bedroom wall, thinking about her second—and supposedly last—encounter with Blaze.

"What's up?" Kayden asked, setting down her phone. She'd been texting one of her friends from home, trying to explain her summer without mentioning any magic. It had been harder than she had thought and sounded much less interesting.

Lexi looked around the room. "Where's Blaze?"

"Joe Beckett's place. Trying to get some last minute tips and tricks before we fly back home tomorrow."

Lexi nodded and shut the door behind her before sitting cross-legged on Kayden's bed.

"I know we don't typically do this too much," she said, staring at the beige comforter. "But I needed someone to talk to."

"Sure," Kayden said with a frown. "What's wrong?"

"Lira pulled me aside after the promise ceremony. She said she wanted to discuss something with me."

Kayden nodded. "Like?"

Lexi exhaled, air escaping through her lips like a sigh. "She thinks I'm psychic."

When Kayden hesitated, Lexi's eyes widened. "You knew!" she said in shock. "You knew I was psychic, didn't you?"

"I didn't know, per se," Kayden said quickly, holding up her hands. "It just doesn't... surprise me too much, I guess. It would explain how you always know when something's up, and how you were able to find me in New York City."

"Well it surprised me," Lexi said with a laugh, though it rang a little sad.

Kayden frowned. "I figured that finding out you're psychic would be pretty cool?"

"Lira and I were talking about how it works," Lexi explained. "About the genetics and all that, but also about the symptoms. Most people get some sort of physical illness, like a panic attack or a stomachache, when something bad is about to happen, which explains all of that. But we also talked about how it's less about seeing future events in advance and more about deciphering feelings. And that sometimes those feelings aren't straightforward." She looked at Kayden meaningfully.

Kayden stared back at her, uncomprehending.

Lexi sighed. "I think the only reason I liked Helio is because I'm psychic."

"How do you figure that?"

Lexi leaned her head against the headboard. "I don't normally just... fall for guys. At least, not that quickly," she amended. "But as soon as I saw him in New York, I just had this feeling that he was this awesome guy and that I needed to go with all of you to California. I didn't listen to you when you said he was a jerk, and even though I got super upset with him when he said those horrible things to you, I was back in his arms within a few hours. It was like, I needed to be with him for some psychic mystical reason. And then, the only reason Helio told you about Naven's plan was because he knew he could talk to you about it—which was only because you had bumped into him in the field and was trying to get him to talk with me. If he didn't fall for me, and if I didn't feel strongly enough about him to go with you to LA, he might not have said anything at all. And then we all could be, you know..." She trailed off.

Kayden took a second to gather her thoughts. Lexi looked as if she was trying her best to stay composed, but she didn't exactly know what to say. "That doesn't necessarily mean that you only liked him because of the psychic thing," she said after a moment. "A lot of that stuff could be a coincidence. It doesn't have to be because of magic."

Lexi shook her head. She couldn't maintain eye contact with her cousin, and her voice was so low that Kayden almost didn't hear her when she said, "I don't like him anymore."

Kayden's eyes widened. "Wait, what? Why are you saying that? Are you sure it's not just because of your conversation with Lira?"

"I was starting to feel it right after the casting, and I noticed it again last night, at the party. We didn't really talk too much, just danced a bit. And I just felt... like I didn't feel the same as before." She rubbed her face with her hands. "He wants to talk with me tonight, to figure things out, but I don't know what to do. Just yesterday morning I felt so strongly towards him, and now... I just don't want to break his heart. I don't want to hurt him." She looked at Kayden miserably. "I thought magic couldn't interfere with feelings. What do I do?"

"Tell him the truth," Kayden said. "Tell him what you told me. That's all you can do."

"But what if he hates me?" Lexi groaned and buried her face in a pillow. "I'm psychic and I have no idea how he'll react."

"I can't really help you with the psychic thing," Kayden said, looking at her cousin. "And I've never broken up with someone. But you need to be happy, and if this thing with Helio isn't making you happy, then you need to stop hurting yourself and move on."

"And what if I can't tell if I'm happy or not anymore?" Lexi asked softly.

"Talk to Helio," Kayden repeated.

Lexi sighed, her finger trailing the stitching on the comforter. "I guess you're right." She slid off the bed. "Thanks for talking."

"No problem."

She started to make her way out of the room, but she lingered in the doorway. "I feel like this summer we've gotten a lot closer, Kay. I'm really going to miss you."

"Me too," Kayden said, and it wasn't a lie. "But I'll see you at Christmas."

"And maybe this year you'll actually leave the guest bedroom?"

"Maybe. I can't make any promises."

Lexi grinned and crossed her arms over her chest. "By the way, what's going on with you and Blaze? Are you two dating now?"

Kayden was startled by the abrupt change of subject. "I... I don't know. We haven't talked about it yet."

Lexi nodded. "That's fair." And then she smiled, just a bit. "By the way, I called that so long ago."

Kayden rolled her eyes. "You're psychic. That doesn't count!"

Lexi laughed as she left the room. "I didn't have to be psychic to see that, though."

* * *

Ahhh! Only one more part left! I hope you guys are as excited as I am!

What did you think of Blaze's mistake (oh you lovable oaf)? And then the revelation about Lexi and her relationship with Helio? Was it a surprise to you? Are you happy or sad to hear about their relationship status? Was it confusing at all? (I know that part gets a little rambling so let me know if I need to reword it/explain it some more!)

Thanks for all the support, as per usual. You guys are amazing! Please vote and comment if you enjoyed this or have any questions, and I'll see you in a few pages for "The End..." :'(

~Bdicocco