I never found it hard to avoid people till I met Ace, he was just different, I wondered when he would get rid of his long hair and his stupid ego always raining on my day, when I see him, Adal and Brianna having fun... I just wished I was them with no care in the world.

"Get the things honey" I snapped out of my thoughts and kept on moving, my mom had made it my priority to leave the town.

"Did you talk to Ace?"

"No, we barely talk" I drop the groceries and head outside "That's good, I mean the lesser his around the faster we can get over this part of our lives"

"I hope it's comfortable for you" I murmur, she ties her blonde hair with a ribbon and keeps on moving.

"Michelle, can we talk? In the car?" I didn't answer but still entered the car with her, she started the car and didn't even bother locking our house, the next thing I knew, she was driving out of the neighbourhood to the road that separated Jules from Hods then she stopped the car.

"Why are you acting like this?" She says " All I asked was that we should leave and you're acting moody around me"

"I'm leaving my friends behind what did you expect?"

"Or is it Ace you're worried about?" I face the window and sigh "Does everything have to be about Ace?"

"No, but you always find a way to put him in our lives"

"I'm not! You just brought him up yourself" I roll my eyes at her.

"Honestly Michelle, I don't want you to end up like me... Has Ace even told you he loves you?"

"I don't know, I had all my memory swiped out so how do you expect me to know?" I paused for a bit and wondered if he ever did, you're such a fool Michelle. I obviously couldn't tell my mother no because that's exactly what she would say to me.

*
  On our way back home, she stopped at Archie's house and told me to go ahead. And I did just that, I couldn't stand her and I wanted out of all this drama. Few minutes later, I was in front of our house, I open the door and see Cassie crying by the side of the wall.

"Cassie? What are you doing here?"

"I didn't know you were coming home now, I'm sorry, I just needed time to think" She wipes her face "To be alone"

"Do you want to talk about it?" She nods and sits on the couch, I close the door to avoid cold from entering the house and join her.

"It's Adal" She says

"What did he do?"

"He didn't do anything... I'm just scared for him" She sobs "I know he's willing to give up his life for Aorin but I don't want him too, the war is near and I don't want him dead Chelle" She smiles a bit "I know it's dumb but, I have this feeling that he won't be here anymore or next year... And I really don't want to lose him, and when I tell him not to go on with this, he says he has to do it for Aorin, for Ace and I can't help but feel that his demise is near"

"Hold on, since when did Adal matter? I always thought you liked Leo"

"Leo is just a friend" She says "But Adal is everything to me"

"Honestly, you can't help it. If it's what he wants then you can't stop him"

"But, I have feelings for him and I don't want him dead"

"Think of it as being selfless" I remember my mom, how she begged me and how I'm willing to leave Ace for her.

"Me being selfless will end up with him dead Chelle, how will you understand that? Tell me, if it was Ace's life... would you allow him too?" I don't answer and she stands up surprised "You know what? I was so wrong to come here... You're telling me to be selfless when you can't be, I'm leaving" She wipes her tears and carries her bagpack.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to think, I need to know where I actually stand in all this" She transforms into a crow and flies away,  what have I done? How can I tell her to be selfless when I can't be?. I run my hand through my hair and curse.

"Relax Michelle" I shiver at his voice, I look around but he isn't here "I can't fix a thing"

"You remind me of me"

"How?"

"I tried to fix everything and everyone ended up hating me"

"You were always hated"

"Come on Michelle, that's their part of the story"

"Why your part then?"

"I was just a young wizard in search of peace"

"And then you turned into what?"

"A killer in the public's eye" I feel his hand on my head "And a hero, in the covens"

"Witches?"

"You're not the only witch in the world Michelle, you're just among the rarest, most clueless and determined" He says softly as he voice slowly fades away" My dear daughter, you'll always be the villain in this story..."

   I couldn't shake him off, he was right I always would be, I scribble his last words on a paper, carefully pasting it on my wall.

"Michelle?" I turn around and see my mom she looks nervous "What are you doing?"

"Dad dropped by" I pull the paper from the wall and hand it to her, her expression changes from nervous to calm "He's right, we'll always be the villains and that is why we must leave befo-"

"Hey Mrs Holly" Adal invited himself in along with Brianna and Ace, my mom squeezes the paper and waves at them.

"What are you boys doing here?" She hands the paper over to me giving me a warning look 'Be careful'.

"We just stopped by, we're heading back home soon"

"Four days" Brianna adds, she's got her curly red hair dyed to brown and her eyes look deadlier than ever "Then we train and head for war"

"War?" My mom holds my hand tightly and releases it "I thought Aorin was finally safe"

"It is but some people are trying to bring chaos and we won't allow it" She takes a step towards me and smirks "Right Chelle?" I ignore her and looked at Adal who clearly were searching my house, I walk to Ace and pat him.

"What?"

"Can we talk?" I say, remembering my mother's last words when we were alone, I knew for sure that if we left Ace would be the first to find us so I needed to make sure he didn't. We walked towards the fence separating both houses and I couldn't hold myself any longer "What were you looking for?"

"Evidence..."

"Evidence of what?"

"Rumours have it that your mother is trying to bring Jalledin back"

"And you believe them?" He rolls his eyes "I don't, but you can never be careful"

"And what if she is?" I ask again "Are you going to lock us up?" I knew the answer already "So you just came to search us?"

"I came to see you. " His head turns sideways to mine "You're acting strange"

"So, if I stay on my own it means I'm strange, thanks" I start poking at the fence going over what my mom said earlier today "Ace... Aiden... Do you love me?"

"Yes." He answers immediately and I decide to clear my curiosity "So... can you tell me the fate of my mom and I when all of this is over?"

"You know that's impossible, many things could happen. But if you both aren't involved in anything then I don't see a reason why you both should be in danger" He reaches for my hand but then I shift away "What if... Assuming she was." I continue "Or I was, what would you do?."

"Your mom is a citizen of Aorin by marriage and you are by birth, look, why are you asking me all this?"

"Because your people see my family as evil doers, so do you..."

"No, I don't"

"You see my parents as it, if you didn't know me I'm pretty sure I'd be dead by now"

"But you're not involved in all this, so you're safe " He says once again "And even if they hate you, it doesn't matter. No one can hurt you as long as I'm here"

"But you are hurting me still, indirectly. You can't promise to keep my mom safe"

"You guys should come in" Adal calls from the house "You need to taste this" And the conversation is over, I look at Ace one last time before going in, he doesn't understand me. I wondered if he was lying when he said no one could hurt me if he was around, did he even know Jalledin was back? I pick up the drink my mom and I made earlier, Ace would definitely hate me after this and I wouldn't blame him for it.