I blink and look at him. “Sorry, what?”
“Are you okay?”
I nod and give him a smile like I’ve been trained to do. “I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” Then I start walking on towards the Hall of Worship. “We better hurry, we don’t want to be late.”
Charlie is silent but he falls in step beside me. He watches me out of the corner of his eye the entire way to the Hall of Worship, and I watch him out of the corner of my eye too.
When we get to the hall it’s all lit up and for a second I almost can’t walk up the stairs. It looks so much like it did on my wedding night. Every single light had been blazing then, the hall a flurry of activity with people running here and there. The excitement I’d felt that night floods back to me in a rush. My knees buckle but I force myself to keep walking. Charlie silently offers me his arm for support and I take it. We make it up thestairs and are halfway across the great hall when Sunday flags us down.
“I’m so glad you’re here. These humans are trying. I knew I would be at my limit, but I truly did not think I’d be this exhausted by humans. How do you stand them?”
I flick a finger from me to Charlie. “Uh, because we’re human.”
Sunday sniffs. “Yes, but I like you. There are different kinds of humans andthese humansreek of panic and confusion. They’re giving me a migraine,” she mutters, rubbing her temples.
Sunday isn’t wrong. There’s an electric feel to the air, like it’s a tinderbox about to go up in flames at the slightest spark. I can’t put my finger on what’s causing it, but I guess I’m not the only one that’s feeling off. I look over at Charlie and give him a raised eyebrow. He gives me a slight nod that he feels it too and looks around at everyone.
Sunday joins us as we push open the double wooden doors that lead into the meeting room. “They’ve been like this for the past hour,” Sunday tells us and ushers us towards the front and away from most of the townsfolk.
“Like what?” I ask.
“Like they’re ants and someone just kicked their ant hill over.” She looks behind us and frowns. “Even Elijah is as jumpy as a cat. As perfect as he is, sometimes his human nature is too strong,” she says as we sit down in the front row on the left side of the room. In front of us there’s a table and chairs on a raised dais.
The Founders used to sit here when they made their announcements. Buffy and Wrath will take their place tonight and not for the first time I have to pinch myself to remember this is reality and I haven’t lost it. I close my eyes shut and then open them just to remind myself that the Founders aren’t here.
What if it isn’t Charlie that’s losing his mind? What if it’s me?
I grab onto the armrests, my nails digging into the wood. What if none of this is real and I’m still chained in Aguirre’s basement? I pinch myself as hard as I can and take in a shaky breath. I force myself to breathe. It’s more of a gasp than a normal breath but it calms me some. This is real. I’m real. Everything is real.I wouldn’t have the brain power to pull this kind of hallucination off.
At least, I don’t think so…
There’s a shout and I’m pulled out of my spiral to see Elijah waving two green flags over his head directing people to their seats. He has a whistle between his lips and gives it a quick tweet to go with his flag waving.
“Places, everyone! Take your seats in an orderly manner. Tonight we honor our Holy Terror!”
“Justso human,” Sunday says and I don’t explain that Elijah is also all human. Instead, I hum like I understand and that I wasn’t quietly having a mental breakdown.
“I heard tonight is about Halloween,” I say to try and switch the topic from humans. I don’t exactly feel human right now. Am I still human? Sunday isn’t but that’s on account of her being sacrificed as the first bride, at least I think so. Witches are human, aren’t they? I want to tell her about the whole witch thing I have going on now. Sunday is the only witch I know, she’d know exactly what to do but now is not the time. Sunday is a loose cannon. If I told her Charlie made me a witch, there’s no telling what she’d do with that.
No, I have to tell Buffy I’m a witch first.
She’ll know what to do.
Sunday snorts. “That’s what they want you to believe, Meadow. I need you to see through the lies and promise me that when they come for my magic you’ll stand with me.”
My mouth drops open. “When theywhat?”
“She’s being dramatic. Knock it off, Sunday.” Charlie wags a finger at Sunday. “You stop the fear mongering. The meeting hasn’t even started. No one is coming after your magic.”
Sunday rolls her eyes at him. “It’s not fear mongering if it’s real, mortal. You think I’ve been around for as long as I have been and not seen this before? Just because some of these people get scared of magic they expect me to live like a caveman. It’s disgusting.”
I blink. “Caveman?” I ask, not even bothering to try and put together what Sunday is talking about.
“She means they don’t want her doing magic willy nilly out in the open because it’s freaking some people out,” Nina says, dropping into the seat beside me. “I think it’s just jealousy if we’re being honest. You know how people get around here. A real case of the haves and have nots. Class warfare.”
I rub my temples. My lips pull up into a smile and I want to scream. I do not want to smile right now. I have no idea what the hells is going on and I wish I could frown. Just once.
“Class warfare seems a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”
