FENIX

I was tired, sweaty, and gross. We had been moving boxes from the library's basement to the foundation's hallway for an hour. The job was so boring for an overexcited mind like mine A lot of things had happened in a short time so my poor brain couldn’t process them.

I took one more heavy box and started to climb the stairs. Lucas and Atticus passed by my side to get more boxes. They moved them as if they were empty. Meanwhile, one box was making me wish for a sweet death. I should never have dropped my self-defense classes.

I had to take a break halfway. My legs hurt as if I had a million nails stuck in them. My first job in the library wasn't helping me with my physical self-esteem. Lucas and Atticus passed again, this time, with three boxes each. There is no trace of fatigue and sweat in them. Lucas looked at me, stopping and nudging Atticus, who was incredibly concentrated on his task. Both approached me.

"Hey, dude if you need to stop, don't worry we can take this," Lucas said with a friendly smile.

“Yeah, whatever you need,” Atticus snorted before keeping his path carrying boxes. He barely looked at me throughout our short conversation. I guessed I would be annoyed in his case. I had been a true pain in the ass through the interrogation. I didn't try to make a fool of him, but I can understand why he was mad.

I followed him with my eyes when he was leaving, seeing Rosemary sitting at a table with a book. She had taken some books and hadn’t moved her princessly ass since her mother left.

"Yeah, I need to stop, maybe I wouldn't need it if everyone was helping," I said while I pointed to Rosemary with my tired arm.

"I know, but who is going to say anything to her," Lucas said, rolling his eyes.

"I’m going," I said with confidence and headed to her.

Maybe, my physical self-esteem was trash at that moment, but my confidence in myself was in the air. I mean, I got my goal, I had my contract and I only needed to be drugged, kidnapped, and interrogated. A true success if someone asks.

"You can help with this," I said. She continued turning the pages of his book in silence. "I mean, this is your fault and your mother asked you to do it."

"I have better things to do than carry boxes. This is a job for strong men like you," she said sarcastically, without looking at me.

I should have refuted that bullshit but my inner nerd took possession of me. "What do you read?"

"Nothing useful." She closed the black book and pushed it towards me.

"Criturae ultra velum,” I read through the concealment spell. “Creatures beyond the veil. Does it have information about elementals?"

She raised a brow and looked at me. It took me an embarrassing amount of time to realize that that had been a test of my abilities. If I could read the real book.

"A sheet with general information about their skills, use in alchemy, and types but nothing about how to destroy one," she said and looked at the ceiling with a frustrated growl. Totally out of character if you ask me.

"I have an idea, we can..."

"Shut up! You are driving me crazy," she yelled at me. "Your pretty fancy eyes don't turn you into a witch. I can make this on my own. I'm the next leader of my coven, I win by myself."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Wow, do you really see everything like a competition?" I said trying to stay calm after that reaction.

"Of course Fenix,” she said with a laugh. “Life is a competition in which the most powerful obtain their position in the world. My mother is one of the most powerful demonic witches and is the mayor; Atticus' father is the son of a primordial and is a powerful lord vampire, and for this, he is in the council. You are a human, the unique difference with other humans is that you are aware of how weak and insignificant you are.”

"You're so snobbish," I started to yell, using all my willpower to not use another term that was floating in my mind. "Yes, I know I am weak but today, I saved you from your own error, and thanks to me we have an opportunity not to lose our Town."

I got up and turned around to go. I didn’t need any of her bullshit. But I was angry and with too much overconfidence to let it go. My grandmother had taught me to be more intelligent than that. Rosemary was after all someone who could make my life harder. I turned back, sitting in the chair in front of her and resting both hands on the table.

"By the way, if you wanna see your life like a competition, good for you, but you should learn to differentiate who is the rival, in this case, the apocalyptic monster. And now I'm leaving, I have things more useful to do than to be your punching bag" I got up.

"Argg, wait. What is your idea?" I looked at her, raising a brow and crossing my arms. She sighed heavily.

"Okay, I'm sorry Fenix. Maybe I use you to relieve my stress. Can you tell me your idea, please?"

I doubted for a moment. It wasn’t the best apology in the world. But to her, it seemed like a big effort.

"Apologies accepted. In the old part of the library, there is a section about alchemy that no one uses. You know, because alchemists are losers wasting magic to try to make a yellow shiny metal."

Then something unexpected happened, both shared a knowing smile. She got up and approached me.

“Lead the way, maybe some of these losers’ work can be good for something!”

ATTICUS

I left the boxes where Dorotea had told us. The short woman had disappeared since she explained to us what to do. Carrying the stupid light boxes didn’t even count as work. If I had wanted to, I could have gone home. Elizabeth wouldn't have a problem, after all, that was a way to keep Rose out of trouble not me.

But, I wasn’t going to leave Lucas and Rose alone. Especially the first who was grounded by my fault. If I hadn’t known that Mr.Garcia wasn’t going to listen to me, I would have spoken with him. I was trying to think of a way to make up for it. But my mind rapidly drifted to other matters.

The truth was that I couldn't stop thinking about Rosemary accepting her error in that way. She may be maturing or maybe she likes Fenix. Shit not, I don't have any problem with him but he is nothing like her type, a wimpy human couldn't be her type, I thought.

I almost crashed into Lucas who was hidden behind a shelf looking between two books.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Look for yourself," he answered without moving.

I did it and I shouldn’t have done it. I felt my mouth suddenly dry.

"Well, Rose has a new unexpected minion." I laughed nervously, trying to make sense of the situation. Rose was sitting in a chair while Fenix was sitting on the table. Both were talking like old good friends, passing books one to another and discussing ideas.

Lucas moved his head slowly, looking at me. "Not bro, he was to ask her to help us with the boxes. I thought he was joking, you know who was so crazy to fight with Rose. When I realized they were yelling at each other. But suddenly, she apologized for being mean and asked him for help."

I felt like Lucas would kick me in the pit of the stomach with each one of his words. The image of me smashing Fenix’s crane crossed my mind. She's smart, pretty, and brave; she could have anyone, why he? I thought.

I moved instinctively toward them. It was my anger that was at the wheel. Lucas followed me some steps behind. I didn’t know if he sensed my anger, but having him there, the last barricade fell. He could stop me before I seriously injured Fenix. I knew that I would feel guilty after but I was letting my feelings take control over me.

"An infernal choir can expel it. But again, to make it work the elemental has to be moveless and the barriers must be small to support its power. How do we catch him in the barrier, they're chaotic beings?" Rose was saying.

He put his hands behind his neck staring up at the ceiling. "I dunno," he saw me and got up energetically."Atticus you can dominate non-human beings, can't you?" he said with a smile on his lips.

His question and friendly expression caught me by surprise. I couldn’t do more than look at him disconcerted and say "Yes.” The anger didn’t disappear but my common sense took enough control over me. “I think. I trained with animals before humans."

“Then, can you dominate an elemental?”

I stayed quiet for a second, thinking of an answer. Both Rose and Fenix looked at me expectantly. The second showed it more clearly.

“I’m not sure. My power is based on blood, and I don’t know if this thing has blood.”

"Domination is a skill that is transmitted,” both stopped and looked at each other when they noticed that they were saying the same. “through the air, using some kind of hypnotic waves,” they ended up saying in perfect synchronization.

Rose got up with a face of satisfaction. "Blood is not a requirement. Great, we have a plan. Lucas, we go in your car," she ordered.

Fenix followed her and looked at us, "Let's go, guys, we go to catch an elemental," he raised his arm in a sign of emotion.