I had changed out of my black dress and into my blue one. Mom had helped with my make-up even though I had protested I didn't want any.

I rubbed my hands together and took a shaky breath. I didn't know how this was going to go. If Madam Mara had been alive she would have done the speech and the ritual, but with her not here I didn't know who would do it.

"Ready sweetie?" asked a lady who wore a black suit and had her blond hair up in a bun. She reminded me of a spy.

"No," I told her.

She placed her hand on my shoulder and squeezed. I'm sure it was supposed to be comforting but it wasn't. It only riled up my nerves more. "You'll do great!" she said. I could only stare at her. She was so joyful. "That's your cue!" she cried and slapped me on the back.

I gave her a weak smile and walked onto the stage. You'd be surprised how big of a theatre Roseborn has when it's such a small town.

My eyes scanned the crowd. It was a full house. Everyone from the funeral was here, but somehow it seemed like there were less people. Maybe it was because they weren't cramped into a small room?

I walked over to the middle of the stage where The Mayor stood. He smiled at me, his white teeth flashing against his dark skin. He wore a royal purple suit that reflected the light from the overheads just like his bald-head.

When I was standing before him he clasped my hands and said in a low voice, "Big day kiddo."

I nodded.

He released my hands and turned to the crowd, spreading his arms out wide, like he was going to hug them all. "People of Roseborn, today we instate our new protector, Lumi Fay!"

The crowd burst into applause. My gaze jumps from person to person. Mom and Dad sit in the front row, clapping and beaming proudly up at me. Amber sits in the middle, a big smile on her face as she claps and cheers. Neo sits beside her, clapping and a smile on his face. Mia and her friends sit in a group. Some are clapping and some are whispering into each other's ears and pointing. Fox sits with his family, clapping and a big smile on his face.

"Lumi." I turn towards The Mayor and eye the items in his hand. A blood red cloth and a dagger. "Are you ready to take the oath?"

I take a deep breath. This is it. The last time I'll ever truly be free. The rest of my life will be dedicated to protecting this town, these people. I won't get a lot of time for myself, but have I ever? I've dedicated my whole life since I was ten to magic. I've already taken an oath. This one is just the real one. Am I ready?

I picture Madam Mara. She would say I am. She would be standing in the place of The Mayor with an encouraging smile and eyes filled with pride.

"I'm ready," I say.

The Mayor nods and holds the dagger and cloth out to me. I take the dagger and the black rigids of it fit like the last piece of a puzzle in my hand. The Mayor walks over to a pedestal that has been placed just back from the middle of the stage. He places the cloth down like it's a glass vase that needs to be handled with care.

I join him at the pedestal and hover my hands and the dagger over it. I'm not sure if this is right, but something, like a gut instinct tells me it is.

"Do you, Lumi Fay promise to keep the people of Roseborn safe from any harm that may befall them?" The Mayor looks me in the eyes. His brown eyes search mine for the answer.

"Yes," I whisper.

"Do you promise to do what it takes to keep everyone safe? Even if it means sacrificing your life?"

"Yes," I say, a little louder.

"Do you, Lumi Fay, promise to never put this town and it's people at risk?"

"I promise to uphold all that I must as the protector."

"Then spill your blood."

I straighten. Spill my blood. That's the only thing it takes to become protector?

I swallow the lump in my throat and bring the dagger down over my hand. Before I can think twice I nip the end of my pointer finger. It's like jabbing myself with a needle.

Blood balls up and slides down my finger. It drips and lands on the cloth, creating a blob picture.

I blink and the cloth has changed to an ice blue color. A gold string appears, threading itself through the cloth. When it's at the end of it's line it finishes off the two letters with a swoop. L.F

Lumi Fay.

I've taken my blood oath. I am now the protector.

The Mayor grabs the cloth by two corners, careful to avoid the spot where my blood stained it. But the stain is gone. Absorbed but the magic of the cloth. Of the oath.

"We have our new protector!" he announces, holding the cloth high in the air. "This will be kept in a special spot and if the color ever turns dark, we will know that Lumi has broken her oath." He turns and looks at me, a darkness has taken over his once kind eyes. "But she won't, right Lumi?"

"I won't," I whisper.

His eyes brighten once more. "This is Lumi's cloth. Her promise. Her blood." He points to the dagger. "And that is your protection."

I look down at the dagger that I hadn't forgotten about. It no longer has a black handle, but an ice blue one. It's cross-guards are now decorated with snowflakes, each one different.

"You are now our protector Lumi. Do Madam Mara proud."

I nod, a smile taking over my face. I can do this. This is what I had been training for since I was ten. I was the best one for this.

As I walk off the stage, admiring the dagger the crowd clapped, and cheered. I was the protector now.

It was weird. I didn't feel any different. It didn't feel like anything life changing had happened. Was that because my life had already been flipped? Twice?

As I walk through the backstage hands slapped my shoulders, and cheers went up around me. They were all excited for me. I wondered how many of them could do this themselves.

I put the dagger in the sheath that hung at my hip. I hope I won't have to use it.

Tap! Click!

I look up and see Mom, Dad and Amber heading my way. "Congratulations honey!" Mom said as she embraced me in a hug.

"Thanks," I said, wrapping my arms around her.

"We're so proud of you," Dad said as he squeezed my shoulder. I smiled up at him.

"Can I get a picture for the paper?" Amber asked when Mom finished hugging me. She was holding a camera in her hands.

"Sure," I said.

Mom and Dad wrapped their arms around my shoulders as Amber took the pictures. When she was done we left the theatre. Some of the town was still leaving the theatre and some were milling around. When they saw me they cheered again. I put a smile on as we made our way through the crowd.

They all looked so proud. My stomach ached as I realized how much they would depend on me. I couldn't mess this up.

The rest of the afternoon went by fast and pretty typical. We went to get ice cream, Mom said it was to celebrate. It felt like she had forgotten that I was still mourning Madam Mara and didn't want to celebrate. But I had put a smile on and enjoyed it. It had been nice to forget for an afternoon.

***

Later that night I sat at my desk.

What was I supposed to do as the protector?

I'd already been tasked with one thing. It wasn't anything to do with protecting, it was going through all of Madam Mara's files. But by the time we got home from celebrating it was too late to be able to go and get all the files.

So now I was sitting at my desk with a spell book open in front of me. As soon as I could hide in my room I did, and I started to go through all my books looking for a spell.

There had to be one that would let me talk to the dead. If I could find it and talk to Madam Mara I could find out who killed her, and then whisk them off to jail. Sure, the police were on it but did they really have any leads? Besides me and the other students?

The other students!

That was it! If I could find her files on the other students I could talk to them and see if they know anything.

There was only one problem with that. I didn't have her files yet.

I slumped in my seat with a sigh. It's going to take me forever to find this spell but it was the only thing I could do until I got those files. So I closed this book, grabbed another one and started to flip through.

Elemental Explosion

Lava Arrow

Jinx of Hope

Spell after spell flipped by, but none of them were the ones I needed. I slammed the book closed. Maybe it wasn't a spell. Maybe it was a potion.

I got up out of my desk and went over to my bookcase. I trailed my finger over the spines until I found the one I wanted. Advanced Potions. I pulled it off the shelf and went back to my desk.

This one had to be it, or else I'd never get the answers I was looking for.

I started to flip through the book. Skimming over the ones that weren't it.

Repose of Life

Seer

Hex of Mind Control

Riser

I froze. My finger hovered above it. There it was. The spell I had been looking for. Riser.

As I looked over the potion my hopes fell.

Riser

Allows witch to raise the dead.

Cannot choose who to bring back. Zombies do the binding of the witch

Ingredients:

Not listed

Warnings:

Can shorten one's life or end in death

No. No no no no!

This was supposed to help me! But this doesn't let me do anything! How can it not even have any ingredients listed?

I had to ask Madam-

Oh. Right. I couldn't ask Madam Mara. She was the whole reason I was looking for this.

Something starts to run down my cheeks. I wipe it away and my fingers come away wet.

I didn't think I had anymore tears left.

This was my only hope of ever talking with Madam Mara again, and it just went down the drain.