Saturday, ~~ hours before arrest

I woke up ready to take the day on.

This is the day that everything fixes itself. The day where everything goes back to normal. Where I won't have to worry about Madam Mara's killer on the loose. The day where Niko will be gone. For good.

As I'm packing up everything that we'll need for the spell a thought hits me.

I'll have to kill Niko.

I sit back on my heels. The impact of the thought leaves me breathless. I'll have to kill someone. I'll have their blood on my hands.

I look down at my pale hands. There's no blood on them now, but will they stay like that? What if I hurt the wrong one? What if I stab Neo instead of Niko? The only difference is their eye color. It's not that hard to mess up.

Why did I think I could do this? There's no way I can do this. I'm going to hurt Neo and then Niko will be free and then-

Ping!

I jump as my phone flashes on with a text.

Neo

Hey! Don't worry about anything! You'll do great. See you soon

I pick up my phone with trembling hands.

Neo's right. He believes in me. I won't mess this up because his life is in my hands. I cannot mess this up.

See you soon

***

An hour before arrest

I pull up to the field and turn the car off.

Last time I was here I met Niko for the first time. Tonight I'll be seeing him again for the last time.

I hop out of the car and grab the box from the back that I put all the items into. Along with the book. The spell is super complicated, and as well as I think I could rely on the notes I'd taken I'd rather not risk messing up and use the book instead.

Once I'm far enough into the fields that you can't see much from the road I put the box down and take a moment to put up a barrier so that no one will be able to see anything from the outside.

"To'siq y ko'rinmas." The words flow out like butter. As I imagine how big I want the barrier to be, a blue-ish, gray-ish tint seems to slither along the grass in a circular motion until it connects with the other side of itself. Then it climbs upwards into the sky until there's a blue and gray-ish tint dome surrounding me.

Mia and Neo might have a hard time finding me but it'll keep other people out.

Once the barrier is set-up I bend down and take the book out of the box and flip to the page with the spell I'll need.

Find an open spot with no one around. This is so that there is minimal chance that anyone other than the devwI' and its host will get hurt.

I grin. Step one is done.

Grab salt and make a large circle. This will keep the devwI' in. The devwI' cannot leave a salt circle. Though it is not affected by salt itself, just a salt circle.

I rummage through my box of items until I come across the container of salt that I packed. Standing up I start to make a smaller circle within the barrier that still leaves room between the two for me and Mia.

As I'm sprinkling the salt I start to lose the trail of it. It hides beneath the tall grass. But there isn't anything that I can do about it. So I take my time and make sure that each part of the circle has a heavy amount of salt and that there are no cracks in the circle.

When I'm done, I put the lid back on the container, drop it in the box and read the next step.

Have a bowl of sage ready to burn. Sage is a repellent for evil forces. If the devwI' is not here for a evil reason or intention than sage will not work. Make sure to start burning the sage when the devwel' and its wizard are separated and start the spell. No sooner, no later. Or else it will not work.

I sit back on my heels. There isn't much to do while I wait. I pull out my phone and check the time. 5:55. They should be here any minute.

I look out to the road. Only my lonely car sits out there. I'm surprised they aren't here sooner. Or Neo at least. I thought he would want to get this done fast so he wouldn't have to deal with Niko anymore.

Unless...

No. I shake my head. I can't think the worst. I have to hope that Neo is okay and is in charge. That Niko somehow wasn't able to overpower Neo.

I sigh and turn back to the circle. Will this work? Will we be able to get rid of Niko?

I can't help that little spike of hope that bounces throughout me. If this is the only major problem I have to deal with as protector then it can't be that bad. Right?

"What's it like?" I ask as we set up the candles in a circle.

"What's what like?" Madam Mara asks as she brings the spellbook over.

"Being protector."

Madam Mara smiles. "It's the best thing in the world."

"Because you get to train with me?" I put on my biggest smile, all teeth showing.

Madam Mara chuckles. "Yes. And because I get to protect the town that I love."

"What are we protecting it from?"

She looked at the circle. "When we cast this spell you will see. Now read the words here and make sure to have your hand on the salt."

I shiver as I think of what I saw. All those witches and wizards that had been killed because of their magic. A thing that everyone used to think was beautiful until one wizard changed that.

That's when all the witches fled here. The one safe town that still cared for them.

A man in a gray coat stands before the road that leaves town. Thousands of angry blurred faces stand before him. He holds his staff high in the air before slamming it into the ground. A shock wave ripples through the crowd, knocking people off their feet.

A glowing blue light flashes up from the ground in a circle around the town. It rises up to above the town until all sides of it connect together.

Once the people on the other side of it gather their wits they start walking towards the wizard in gray. But they slam into an invisible barrier. One guy shakes his head after hitting it before reaching out and feeling the air until he meets the barrier. He then slams his fist against it, sending blue little waves out from the point of contact before they disappear. Everyone who's close to the wall beats it, getting the same reaction.

The man in gray smiles and speaks in a deep and loud voice, "You'll never be able to get in."

I look out to the wall that's just a few feet away from me.

If they couldn't get in then, then how are the holes appearing? Is the wizard's magic dying just like how Madam Mara's cleaning spell has?

If so, then what does that mean for us?

Sure there aren't that many of us left, but what about the people who live in town who aren't magical? Will they be accepted or turned away because they protected the magic users all those years ago?

I sigh.

I wish I had the answers, but all I'm left with are questions that no one knows the answer to. Was everything always this complicated before?

As I'm looking out at the wall now some of the grass moves and parts like something is swimming through it.

I squint my eyes and raise onto one knee to try to see better. The moment I do though the grass stops moving. Is someone out there again?

"Lumi?" a whispered hiss comes from behind me.

I snap my head around and see Neo with his hands cupped against his mouth as he makes his way through the grass.

I almost laugh at how he's inches from the invisible barrier and is going around it instead of into it.

I stand up and dust myself off before heading to the barrier. I stick my hand through it so that it sticks out right in front of Neo's face. "Right here," I say.

"Oh." Neo turns and walks in. I move out of the way so that he doesn't bump into me. "That's an impressive barrier."

"Thanks," I say, but I don't hear his words. I lean in closer to him, trying to get the best view of his eyes to make sure there isn't any blue in them. All I can make out is green that's just a little darker than the grass out here.

"Don't worry." He laughs, like any of this is funny. He puts his hands up in front of him, palms out towards me. "Niko is not in control."

I eye him warily but step back. "Good. I don't need him to attack me in the middle of the spell."

Neo's silent for a moment before nodding. "I think I'll be able to hold him off. Especially since he doesn't know any of the plan."

I nod and rub my arm. "Are you sure it's safe that you don't know? I'm still really worried about-"

He reaches out and places his hands on both my shoulders. "Everything will be fine."

I nod, but the rock that sits in my stomach tells me otherwise. I shrug his hands off and move closer towards the circle. "While we wait for Mia I should at least explain some of this to you."

Neo starts to open his mouth.

"It won't be anything that could give the plan away to Niko."

He closes his mouth and nods.

I point at the circle of salt. "You will stand in the middle of the circle. Under no circumstance during this spell can you leave. Not until I say so."

Neo nods as he looks at the circle.

I hum. "I guess that's all you really need to know." I take a deep breath and turn to him. Over his shoulder a figure walks closer. I grin. "So, Neo. Are you ready to get rid of Niko?"

Neo rubs his hands together before nodding. "I am."