xxxvi. wake-up call.

Wake up.

Colette gasped as her eyes shot open. It was still night and she was surrounded by papers. Some were still wet from her tears. She hadn't been asleep for long. Marisol's voice rang in her head as she stumbled to her feet, patting herself down. She was dry, a stark contrast from being soaked in the Cosmos.

Despite not having eaten, she felt energized. Adrenaline rushed through her body. She needed to send a signal or she'd be brainwashed tomorrow. She'd never see Marisol again. She took a deep breath. Mr. Schultz had always told her to control her magic but she had to ignore his advice this time. The only thing she would focus on is making the brightest flare she could.

She steadied herself, her hands in fists at her side. She concentrated, reaching inside of herself and looking for a spark. It only took a second to find it, the warm feeling of magic burning like a tiny flame in her chest. She concentrated, growing the flame and letting it course through her body. Her veins started to glow faintly through her skin. Her body felt hot. Sweat began rolling down her forehead. Still, it wasn't enough. She could feel it getting harder to breathe as she continued to push herself. Her body protested against her efforts, threatening to give out.

She thought of New York, she thought of Nevada, but most of all, she thought of Marisol. They hadn't had enough time together. Colette had found someone incredibly special. Nobody else had ever made her so happy. Cesar was going to take that from her. Her veins glowed brighter, a red-hot map of thin lines piercing through her skin. A faint glow surrounded her and her body was scorching. The burning sensation made her nerve endings feel like they had been ignited. She felt like she was standing in fire. The heat was suffocating.

She was in so much pain, but she wouldn't stop. She was going to see Marisol again: the girl who found out her biggest secret, the girl who loved pumpkin spice lattes, the girl who gave up her ordinary life to protect someone she hardly knew, the girl who loved her.

Colette's vision flickered in and out, black spots blooming at the sides, threatening to take over. It was only when Colette was about to collapse did she scream, unleashing the energy from her body into the sky. She fell onto her knees as the heat rushed upwards and blasted through the ceiling. The building shook as a huge red flare burst into the sky, hot and blinding, exploding like a mushroom cloud above.

The ceiling bursted open, debris and ash beginning to fall from the impact. Colette barely had enough energy to roll out of the way as large chunks of hot rubble crashed onto the floor. Dust filled the room as she crawled over to the bathroom and shut the door, locking it. She wasn't sure it would do much good against magic as strong as Cesar's, but she had to buy herself any time she could get.

She leaned against the door, sitting against the tile floor. Her body felt empty, as if she had burned through every ounce of energy she had ever had. Her head was pounding and despite the coldness of the bathroom, heat continued to overwhelm her body.

She heard a door slam open. Several sets of footsteps entered the room. She could hear their muffled voices through the bathroom door.

"She's not here!" said an unfamiliar voice. Rapid footsteps followed, as if somebody was running around the room. "She must have escaped."

Colette held her breath. She couldn't let anyone hear her. She forced herself to stay still.

Cesar's voice came up next, angry and loud. "We underestimated her. I didn't think she was capable of something like this." His footsteps got closer and Colette could only clutch her hands together as they shook. His footsteps were right outside the bathroom door. When the footsteps finally stopped, they were replaced by the sound of a window sliding open.

"She must have done this as a distraction," Cesar said, "She's making a run for it. Send everyone you can to look around for her. If she finds a way to rat us out, we're doomed."

"But what if we can't find her?"

"With all of you guys, you will be able to. Something of this magnitude would even make me tired. She's weak. She couldn't have gone far."

"What will you do, Cesar?"

Cesar sighed. "I will stay here, in case some pests decide to show up."

"Anything else?"

"Yes," he said, his voice lowering, "Colette is to be captured alive. Anyone else you find that doesn't belong, make sure to kill them."

Colette's heart stopped in her chest and she had to put a hand over her mouth to stop herself from gasping. Nausea swirled in her stomach. It was only until she heard Cesar's footsteps retreating and the door closing that she allowed herself to gag, coughing uncontrollably. She grabbed onto the sink, using it to steady herself, evening out her breath. She just needed to wait until someone showed up to rescue her, then she could come out of hiding.

Each second in the pitch black bathroom felt like hours, her breathing the only sound. Her body weighed down on her, exhausted and useless. Her limbs were heavy. Her eyes threatened to close but forced them open, staring at the tile floors. She couldn't fall asleep and miss her chance.

She didn't know how long it was before she heard the faint sound of a helicopter overhead. She pulled herself up onto her feet as it got louder. She looked out the small bathroom window. The night was still dark, but she could see a helicopter getting nearer. As soon as the helicopter landed, agents dressed in unlabeled black body armor ran out, holding flashlights and firearms. She could hear another helicopter land nearby. Shouting started among the team members.

Colette was just about to bang on the window when a blast of blue light hit the agents, falling like a deadly comet. When the light cleared, the agents were on the ground, coughing and stumbling to get up. Their vests glowed at the impact. They must have been protected by magic. Colette didn't need to know anything about magic to know that the blast should have been deadly.

Agents began pouring through the trees, all wearing full body armor. They rushed into the house as icy blasts rained down upon them, knocking the soldiers down like bowling pins. Most of them got back up. Several didn't. It wasn't long before she heard footsteps in the house, heavy and running. The house began to shake as fighting broke out inside. Some of the witches with Cesar began to fight as well. Her ears rang with screaming and gunfire.

She couldn't take it anymore. She slammed the door open and stumbled out, running towards the door of her bedroom. It swung open before she could leave, knocking her down and sending her to the floor. Shouts rang from outside of the room. Her vision went black as sturdy hands pulled her up, holding her so that her feet touched the ground.

"I'll kill her," said a familiar voice, "Make a move and I'll kill her." A cold sensation bit at Colette's neck.

Her vision slowly returned, black clearing to the edges. In front of her she could see a dozen agents with guns aimed in her direction. A hand was at her throat, glowing a frigid bright blue. It was Cesar's hand. She could feel him shifting behind her.

"Put your weapons down," he said.

The front-most agent slowly lowered his gun. The rest of the agents behind him followed. Faint gunshots and shouting still sounded from outside the house.

"Tell your forces to stand back," Cesar commanded.

The same agent to put his gun down first spoke into his earpiece. "Stop shooting. Cesar is holding our mission target hostage."

The commotion outside quickly dialed down. The atmosphere became silent. Cesar brought his hand closer to her neck. It sent a chill through her body.

"Talia, are you seeing this?" asked the leading agent.

"Yes, I am." The voice was faint, coming from his earpiece. There was a glimpse on the agent's chest: a bodycam.

"We can't let him kill her," Talia said, "We will reconvene with another plan. Let him go."

Colette wanted to scream at the agents not to leave her, but she couldn't, not with Cesar's hands millimeters away from her neck, ready to take her life.

The earpiece spoke up again, this time, with a more distant voice, so quiet that it could barely be heard. It was choppy, as if passing through several radios before reaching its destination.

"What's happening? Is that Colette? I can't see."

Colette's eyes widened. It was Marisol. The room went silent once again. Talia must have turned off her side of the earpiece. Colette's heart hurt. Marisol was waiting for her and worrying for her.

"Drop your weapons and let me through," Cesar said, "You heard Talia."

The agents all dropped their weapons to the floor, falling with heavy thuds at their feet. Cesar walked forward, his hand never leaving Colette's neck. She walked too, forced to move in her weak state. They were out of the room, walking past the guards and through the hallways. Nobody else moved.

She needed to do something, but her body felt so weak. The agents looked at her with pity. Her hair fell in her face. Her life was over. She'd either die or be brainwashed.

Marisol's soaked form and teary expression floated in Colette's mind like a final goodbye.

"I love you. I love you so much."

The words rang in Colette's head like a wake-up call, setting off alarms. She loved Marisol, and she needed to say it back.

Heat ignited in her chest and exploded throughout her body. Her veins flared through her skin, as if it was mixed with gasoline. Her body was burning, red hot. Her skin started to become red. Cesar screamed, dropping her. The smell of burning flesh wafted through the hallway. Colette stumbled forward, running a few feet before she fell on the hardwood floors.

Her vision blurred as she looked back at Cesar. He reached forward towards her, clothes singed, his face full of rage. He was tackled to the ground by several agents. Her vision went black and her body gave out.