Over the next couple of weeks, so many changes are implemented. Whether or not the war is much sooner than we all thought is unknown, Sam hasn't disclosed it, but things are finally happening.

After returning my mother's spell book, I got to work in Curtis' secret chamber of hidden magic. I studied everything; compared spells, made potions that blasted through pillars and sent my hair red, danced with a thousand ghosts buried deep inside journals going back centuries. I tried to interpret my mother's bizarre wiccan language, but she had a tongue of her own and she made sure that no Elder—especially Amara—would be able to practise her spells. Because of my blood, the spells opened to me, and I've spent hours upon hours searching for a way to kill her, with no success.

At California's night I return to the refugee camp. Transportation stars are no longer necessary since I discovered the spell to master my own portal. I even have my very own colour—green. I've worked various guard posts, from the woods to the beach, to miles outside the camp, to sitting right on that bench until dawn, watching David's tent.

In the morning, he always speaks to me. It's getting harder to honour his father's wish of keeping my distance, but I can't help it. The people, and the Slayers, are becoming used to seeing me and it's beginning to feel like a home. Helping them is my main objective of the day, whether I'm there or at the castle.

At the castle, tensions are high. Arguments are breaking out every day, the unit is exhausted and stressed, but mostly they're bored. Bored of waiting for an order that never comes, bored of having to pretend that they're saving the world just for it to be destroyed moments after.

Sam remains busy, as always. Recruiting a Slayer army to fight for him is easy, but not having any information to give them is wearing him down. When I returned most days to sleep on the balcony, I caught glimpses of him, tossing in his bed, sweat dripping from his forehead. He hasn't had a peaceful sleep for a long time and his dreams are plagued with horrors. I wish I could see what was going on inside his head, but I'm not ready to explore that part of him yet.

Today, after waking up on the balcony, because I still feel uncomfortable sleeping in his room, I'm surprised to find a blanket wrapped around me. It's the same blanket that Sam lays against the wall, and the blanket that I usually bring outside. I must have been too tired earlier to do that. Sam must have placed the blanket around me before he headed out, and it's the first time he's ever done it. I gently fold the blanket as I smile.

Over the last couple of weeks, something has changed between us. Every day he is showing a little more that he cares that I'm here, and I don't know how to react to it. He used to treat me as though I was invisible, most of them did, but now I'm slowly becoming a part of their strong and unbreakable team.

I take a shower and I change my clothes, before heading to the chamber for practice. I spend hours going over the same incantations, with no luck, and after another failed attempt at translating a spell, I leave the chamber with only one thing on my mind today. I go in search of Sam, because I know it's the only thing on his mind too. I follow the sound of groans towards a training chamber, and I find him inside, shirtless and sweaty, punching his life away at a hung-up bag.

I stand in the dim doorway, crossing my arms as I observe him move. Effortless, quick, merciless, like a predator. I know he sees me, even when he's not looking.

"Another failed spell?" he mutters.

"How did you know?"

"Your hair is white."

I reach up and touch the ends of my hair. "Oh."

"I kind of like it." He carries on punching, his eyes scorned into that bag.

"It'll fade in a few days," I say, stepping inside the chamber. "You know why I'm here."

He stops moving, holding the bag steady with one hand. He takes a deep breath as he gently looks over.

"Call your unit off," I say. "It's not going to work. You know it's not going to work. Use us instead, and take me with you."

He sighs. "Theresa-"

"I know, they've been training for this, they're trained for this. And true, they'll be royally pissed off with you, but you need a witch to get through that spell. One hundred humans, Sam. You can save them, really save them."

"If you use magic outside the castle, then Amara will sense it. She'll have wiccans there in seconds, before we've even breached anything."

"Only if I use a spell," I say. "I have other ways. Ways that you know about but have never pressured me about. Her magic is the same magic that bound me powerless in her dungeon, and I broke through that."

"You haven't used that power in a long time, there's no telling what it could do to you. And if the humans see it, do you think they're going to forget all about it back at the camp? You'll be exposed."

"I don't care. I can't just sit here and do nothing while that team fails! No matter their training, they can't get through Elder magic. You say you're all about protecting the humans, so prove it. Your unit knows what I am, they don't. Call them off."

He takes a deep breath and grunts. "Fine. I'll round the team up, be in the kitchen in ten minutes."

He charges past me and vanishes around the dark corner of the hallway. I feel relieved that I've been given the chance, but now I have to live up to it. Before I leave, the candlelight begins flickering. A small gust of wind enters the chamber, blowing my hair behind my shoulders.

Vienna's transparent body stands in the middle of the room. My head fills with ache.

"What are you doing?" she demands. "The world is about to fall into chaos and you're occupying yourself with rescuing a few measly humans."

"I'm getting him to trust me," I say. "That's the plan."

"No, this is something more," she says, walking closer and closer. I stiffen as she stands just in front of my face, her hand hovering at the side of my cheek. "Your emotions are clouding everything. You're torn. I can sense it."

"Of course I'm torn," I hiss. "He isn't the monster you think he is."

She blinks. "Don't tell me you feel for the creature? Will you still feel for him when he stands beside his creators and rips your heart out?"

I glance at the floor.

"Your heart is so strange," she whispers. "I don't understand it. Now is not the time to become conflicted. If it doesn't happen soon then Amara will be forced to intervene, the Malachi will die, it's your choice on the how. Choose wisely."

The moment she leaves I turn and charge through the castle. Today isn't about the dead, it's about the living, and that it is my only priority right now.

When I reach the kitchen, a few of them are already there. Milasia is the first person I see, she nods at me, and I nod back. It's strange having this mutual respect thing going on with her, but since that night at the camp, something has changed. Her love for killing witches hasn't yet gone, but her need for killing me is long behind.

I stand at the counter with my arms crossed as the others talk among themselves, wondering why they've been summoned. As more arrive, including Sophia, it becomes a restless wait for Sam.

"Megan, do you know what's going on?" Anna asks, leaning over the table with eagerness.

Megan sits at the top, giving a gentle shrug. Her eyes suddenly look at me. Megan is so beautiful that sometimes it's hard to look away from her, she's certainly a woman that knows her worth.

"I think I know," Sophia mutters, grinning at me from across the room. I smile.

Sam enters the kitchen a moment later, wearing a black shirt and dark pants. He carries with him a large scroll which he dumps on the table and rolls outwards. Everyone at the table leans forwards, their eyes moving from one part to another. On the paper is a large sketch, drawn with pencil and with many notes scribbled around the edges. It's a drawing of the compound where the humans are being held, marked with every guarding point, exit, tree and pathway in a mile radius.

"Is this a Red Camp?" Jo asks.

"I thought Tex's unit was tasked with that today?" Curtis says.

"Tex's unit isn't equipped for this," Sam says. "We are."

"Because of the witch," Megan says.

Myself and Sam stare at her, and a moment later every pair of eyes is on me.

"Theresa has certain skills that we need," Sam says. "She believes she can breach the shield."

"And she can't tag along with Tex's unit to do that," Sophia says. "Every other operation has failed because of these shields. Because of these Red Camps, hardly any humans have been saved in the last few weeks."

"We get to kill some witches and rescue humans? Well, I'm sold," Milasia says excitedly.

"There will be no killing today if we can help it," Sam says. Everyone, including me, feels the impact of shockwaves. "This is a rescue mission first and foremost. By all means defend yourself, but anyone caught needlessly killing will answer to me."

"Bloody hell," Curtis mutters.

"Time's are changing my friends," Sophia says. "It appears we are the beginning of a revolution."

"How many guards will there be?" Megan asks.

"Tex stated ten," Sam says. "They're positioned in twos." He begins pointing along the paper. "Two here, at the main gate. Here, here, here and two will be monitoring the woodlands."

"Can I take the woodlands?" Megan says, grinning to herself. "I enjoy a woodland hunt."

"Need a partner?" Jo says.

"If it's you, cousin, absolutely. We'll have some fun with these wiccans."

"Megan and Jo will position themselves at the woods," Sam says, continuing to point. "Milasia and Clara will come in from the left. Myself, Theresa and Sophia will be at the front, taking the gate head on. The rest of you will come in from the back, here, splitting apart to the right, decide on the teams depending on the danger. Once Theresa has breached the shield, we'll have minutes to infiltrate the compound before Amara becomes alerted. We are leading the humans back through the woods to this river." He trails a finger along a zig-zagged line at the bottom of the paper. "There, Tex will be waiting with around ten boats to take the humans downstream. More Slayers will be waiting at the bottom of the river, from there it's a day's walk back to the camp."

"So, after we get them out, we then have to lead a hundred humans through a woodland, down a river, and protect them for a whole day?" Megan says.

"There isn't any other way," Sam sighs. "Transportation will kill them."

"There is another way," I say. "It seems like a lot of effort and danger when I could simply create a portal."

"And risk exposure?" Megan says. "How the hell would we explain that to Tex?"

"Megan's right," Sam says, glancing back to me. "The portal can be used in extreme circumstances, but for now we stick to the plan."

"Extreme circumstances like something goes wrong and Amara ambushes us," Milasia mutters.

Sophia shudders. Everyone knows deep down there's a risk of that, even I know there could be a risk of that. Vienna has already warned me that she's going to take things into her own hands, what if today is the day she does that?

"Unless there's a Slayer in Tex's unit feeding information to witches, then there shouldn't be any reason that this mission doesn't go well," Sam says. "I need you all on your game today. Eyes sharp, instincts high."

"If we pull this off, the celebrations will be spectacular tonight," Mabel says.

"It's been a long time since we all worked together like this," Sophia says softly. "As a unit. A team. I trust you all."

"Let's do this then," Megan announces, bouncing her fist off of the table. "It's late morning in California, daylight attacks are my favourite."

"Yes, they're very underrated, aren't they?" Mabel says.

"Alright," Sam says, looking right at me. I take a deep breath. "It's time."