Conner eventually crawled up to the front seat, and got himself fully strapped in. I ignored the tingling sensation that shot through my body, as his own briefly brushed mine getting himself situated.

"Why didn't you use your magic?" He asks suddenly

"Hmm" I say taken by surprise.

"Your magic. Why didn't you use it when that psycho was well, you know-" He mimicked someone getting choked with his hands, and I shook the fresh memory from my mind. My eyes stayed focus on the road.

"Magic isn't always the simple option. I was taught to avoid detection. To only use it when necessary, and well it didn't become necessary until I realized what she intended." I took a deep breath. "I can't use magic against anyone who's touching me. I can only use their energy to fuel it."

"Because their emotions surge through you right." Anxiety bubbled in my gut. I had never spoken about any of this out loud before, and it made me want to shrink back into a corner. My grip on the steering wheel was so tight it would take a crowbar to separate my hands from it. I realized he was still waiting for an answer.

"It's deeper than that, though that certainly plays a part. Our magic-" My magic really sense I was the only Faye left "It comes from the elements. Anything organic can fuel it really. Living beings they're just stronger-" I was fighting to find the right words. I hadn't read about this stuff in years. I never believed I would need it, let alone have to explain it. "-Vessels if you will. They connect to every element in some way. It allows them to all amplify at once."I bit my lip. "It's more effective than standing in a river for example."

"Because then, you can only pull from water." He says logically. He was a fast learner. I nodded once

"So I'm guessing it's earth, wind, fire, and water huh?"

"Those are the big ones, because we gain affinities in them, but there's actually seven elements." I let out a chuckle at the realization that we're talking so casually about this. "space, spirit, and time get left out a lot."

"Those are elements?" He asked sarcastically. I shrugged "How on earth does someone draw power from outer space?" I rolled my eyes.

"I don't exactly know much about it. All I know is they all fuel my powers,and that one day, one will fuel my powers more than the rest. At least out of the big four. No one's ever had an affinity for the last three. Probably why they get forgotten so often."

"Magic seems to have way too many rules." He scoffed "If I created this universe you could just be badass with all the elements all the time."

"My mom always said that would be a recipe for trouble. That's why an element chooses us. To keep the balance..." I trailed off. I never talked about my mom out loud to anyone but Maddie. I for sure never talked about her magical teachings. "Probably why the small three haven't chosen anyone." I shuddered at the idea of someone having an affinity for time. Forget trouble, that would be a perfect recipe for world domination.

"When doy ou find out what your affinity is or, whatever." I shrugged my shoulders

"It's a different experience for everyone. I don't know what it looks like or how it happens. You just know when you know." I was hoping this line of questioning was over. Talking about magic out loud was beginning to make me feel like a fish out of water, and I was veering into dangerous territory when it came to the subject of my mom.

'You're acting uncomfortable again." Conner chuckled. "I'm not reading your mind again Beverly. Scouts honor."

"It's not the mind reading thing." In all honesty I had forgotten about that for the time being. "It's just weird. I've never talked about this stuff with someone else before. I feel like I'm-" betraying my mother. I wanted to say, but that answer would inevitably lead to questions about her. "It just goes against my nature I guess." I finished.

"Hey you don't need to tell me about it if you don't want to. You said I'm not like some sort of ancient fairy or whatever. So magic lessons do zip for me" I scoffed.

"The Faye, aren't fairies!" I said annoyed "Fairies don't even exist. You've been reading too many fairy tales."

"They both come from Ireland though! Right O'Bryne?" He said with a wink. Suddenly his face fell and, he awkwardly twiddled his thumbs. "At least you had someone to show you the ropes though. I just woke up one morning hearing my adoptive father's thoughts, and then boom! Out of nowhere men in white cloaks wanted to take me away. I never even knew any of this stuff existed until that moment" My heart ached for him.

"Do you know who your real parents are?" He shook his head quickly.

"The story goes that I was dropped off at a fire station with a note that said I was Conner Lullymore, and that gave my birth date. There isn't any names for parents on my birth certificate, and they never found anyone with the last name Lullymore. No potential newly postpartum patients leaving or checking in at the near by hospitals either. I went straight to foster care. That's where my dad found me." He ran his hands through his hair. "Which makes all this searching that much more confusing. I'd have a clearer starting point if I knew more about my bloodline."

I bit my lip. I had never heard of a Lullymore clan. Not once in any of my mother's books. I didn't know how much of a help I could be without something as basic as a name either. All magic is rooted in blood history, and the only stories otherwise came from Seanchis who died alongside the Faye, in the war. They did not write their stories down. It was their most sacred law. Breaking that law costed them not only their ties to magic, but their lives. It was the magic of their orally shared stories that granted them their immortality.

"I suppose that does give me a bit of an advantage in our world." His eyebrows shot up, and he gasped. "What?" I asked frantically quickly scanning for danger

"Sorry it's just, you said our world." He chuckled "You've been pretty adamant about drawing a line since you found out that I wasn't like everyone else." He smiled widely "Just thought it was funny to see you let down your guard a bit." I shook my head.

"Guards aren't anywhere near down." I said unconvincingly "But if The Alchemists are after you, then clearly our lives merge in this universe somehow." I was done denying it. He may not have been a Faye, but like he said. As long as The Alchemists were our common enemy, we were on the same side. I would probably never trust him, but shutting him completely out would be less than effective if we were in this together.

"For what it's worth I'm grateful they do." He said softly. I ignored the tingly feeling in my gut as the words left his mouth.

"I wouldn't say that yet. We still don't know how much help I'll be."

"Even if you can't help me find out about what I am, I'm grateful." He says sternly "I've been by myself for four years. Running from people I know next to nothing about. Before I knew how to block off everyone's inner monologue, I also had to make do with constant shouting while figuring out how to survive as a fourteen year old kid on the street."

That was the second time he had been willing to share something so personal with me. It made me feel guilty. I knew no matter how good I thought he was, I'd probably never share my trauma stories with him.

"For someone who was on your own so much, you seem to be trusting people pretty easily." I noted "I've been on my own for a while too, and you're the first person I've ever said any of this stuff too."

"Not even Maddie knew?" Her name made me grip the steering wheel even tighter.

"No" I said softly blinking back the tears.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "She seemed like a good person. Like she came from an amazing family. They'll miss her just as much as you do." I laughed softly. I hadn't even thought of Maddie's parents, and how'd they take the news.

Undoubtedly Mr. Zion would throw himself even deeper into his lustful temptation for expensive prostitutes. It was always how he'd prefer to handle stress. But Mrs. Zion, what would she be left with? Now that her only daughter wasn't there to ignore her husband's affairs? I was hit with a wave of nausea at the thought of what she could become.

Gulit spread through my body like snake venom. My muscles locked into place. My brain began tossing me images of Mr. Zion's red aura, and the pale blue of his wife's. They were outlined with the colors of grief and betrayal, when they realize that their daughter's best friend, wasn't even there to see her be put to rest.

"You should pull over" Conner said softly. "I can take over." I hadn't realized that my tears were now making their way softly down my face. I took one hand and dabbed softly at each eye.

"It's okay" I said pulling myself together. "We shouldn't stop unless we have to. It only gives them that much more time to find us. I'm sure things have hit the news now with, whatever explanation The Alchemists used to clean up their mess. It won't be long till we're reported as missing."

"You'll be reported as missing." He corrects "No one will be putting out a missings person report on me. On my own, remember?"

"Technically there's probably been a missing person's report on you sense you were fourteen" I joke. "Be pretty crappy if your adoptive father didn't even try to find you, when The Alchemists forced you to run." He tensed and his lips formed a tight line. For the first time he looked uncomfortable by something I had said. Maybe there were stories he wasn't willing to share after all.

"We've been on the road three hours now." He said quickly. "We'll need to stop for gas and provisions soon."

"Sure," I agreed. I glanced at the fuel gage. "We have a quarter tank right now. We can maybe go another twenty miles before refueling. Then we'll probably be able to make the rest of the way off that one tank." I chewed my lip "I hope you have some cash because-"

"Don't worry about it. I have some tricks up my sleeve." The way he said "tricks" sounded very cryptic.

"Legal tricks I hope" I said seriously. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You don't think I survived as a teenage runaway without breaking a few laws do you?"

"Like stealing gas laws?" I say with a laugh "The twenty first century makes that near impossible."

"I think you're about to find that I can be very persuasive, Beverly." His voice takes a deep and dangerous edge. The way he says my name makes a tingling sensation run throughout my body. "But we have twenty miles. Then you'll see me work my magic."