Marie’s wings unfurled from her back as she took a step back, Luc’s body going cold as distance stretched out between them. She wanted nothing more than to close the distance, lean against Marie or wrap her arms around her, soak up every touch she’d missed over the past month.

  Marie held out her arms, and Luc raised an eyebrow.

  “Come on,” Marie said.

  “Do what now?”

  “We have to get back to the fight,” Marie said. “When I took off to find you, they weren’t exactly doing well.”

  A sigh slipped from Luc’s lips even as she stepped forward, letting herself get scooped into the stronger girl’s arms. Luc had created this mess, she needed to clean it up before she could cozy up with Marie.

  Carrying Luc bridal style, Marie took to the skies, flying back toward the school. In her head, Luc began to plan out tools to help with the fight.

  Her stomach dropped as they neared the football field and she saw just how still it was. Either Maisey had gotten overrun and the monsters had taken off, or someone else had already shown up to clean up after them.

  Marie set down at the edge of the field, landing on one of the only solid patches of land left behind. Luc slid out of her arms, bile rising in her stomach as her eyes landed on Rainbow Blade and Beverly the Mage.

  It’s over, Luc thought. They’re going to kill me.

  She swept her gaze over the rest of the field as her heartbeat sped up, wondering if there would be any escape. Giant mole and earthworm bodies littered the field, sliced open by Rainbow Blade’s signature weapon. It glowed on her back now, illuminating the pale faces of Tobias and Maisey sitting on the bleachers behind her.

  Luc slumped at the sight of them. At least they were safe, though she had no idea why Tobias was here. Then again, he had charged in to help her once armed with nothing but a shotgun. He wasn’t exactly afraid of a fight.

  Marie stepped forward, partially obscuring Luc from view.

  “Is everyone okay? Has the breach been contained?” she asked. Her voice rang out strong and clear through the field, commanding in a way Luc hadn’t heard from her before.

  “They are, and it has,” Rainbow Blade responded, jaw tight. She stepped forward, rigid as she closed in on Marie. “Nice of you to care now that the damage has been done.”

  “Hey, Marie had nothing to do with this,” Luc snapped, pushing past Marie’s wings to face Rainbow Blade. She didn’t need Marie’s protection, not when that protection could get Marie consequences she didn’t deserve.

  “The commissioner will be arriving shortly to determine that,” Rainbow Blade said.

  Luc shot a glance at Marie, raising an eyebrow as shock registered across her face. She’d never heard of the commissioner responding to events before, but he probably did have more to do than just approving job listings.

  Judging by the look on Marie’s face, this wasn’t a good thing, but she couldn’t imagine he’d crack down hard on his daughter. Luc and the rest of them… They were fair game. Especially Luc, at the moment.

  Well, she’d already kissed her shot at Mage Academy goodbye. How much worse could it get?

  “Sit down,” Rainbow Blade ordered, pointing a finger at the bleachers where Tobias and Maisey were sitting. “And be quiet. After how promising you were, I cannot believe that you would do this…”

  She shook her head, muttering something as she walked away, giving them the space to make their way over to the seats. The older magical girl began to pace as Luc and Marie sat down.

  Fingers pressed against Luc’s own, and Luc turned her hand over, letting Marie entwine their fingers.

  “Don’t worry,” she said, “I’m sure my father will work everything out.”

  Luc nodded but kept her mouth shut. She was grateful for Marie’s confidence, but she wasn’t exactly the commissioner’s favorite person at the moment.

  Beverly the Mage approached on silent feet, ignoring the pacing magical girl behind her. If it was possible, Luc’s stomach dropped further, splattering against the ground into a puddle. The mage held her reversed shield in hand, the magic attractor she’d built that started this mess.

  Why hadn’t it broken before the mage arrived?

  Beverly stopped before them, eyes surveying the four, lingering on Luc longer than the rest. She tensed as the woman held out the device. Now up close, she could tell that it had broken, it just hadn’t shattered like she’d anticipated.

  “Who built this?” Beverly asked.

  Luc swallowed her hesitation as eyes darted at her. “I did, ma’am.”

  “Ugh, don’t ma’am me, that makes me feel old,” Beverly said. “You built this yourself? What did you use?”

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Luc nodded. “With a hot plate, a light bulb, and a fish tank? And some wires, of course.”

  “No mage tech? No… outside assistance?”

  “No.” Luc shook her head. Why was she asking all these questions? It was clear the device was cobbled together at best.

  “You should not be able to do that,” Beverly said, looking back down at the device. “I’m going to hold onto this for now. We’ll wait to see what the commissioner has to say.”

  She walked away as Luc slumped, digging her knuckles into her forehead. What had she done?

  Marie squeezed her hand and leaned close, brushing their shoulders together. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “Wait,” Maisey leaned forward. “Does this mean you’re back together?”

  Despite the situation, Luc cracked a smile and nodded. “We are.”

  “Yes!” Maisey exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air. “My girlfriends are back together! I have the best plans.”

  Tobias shook his head as he reached up, pulling Maisey’s hand back down in her lap. “You are never going to be in charge of the plan again.”

  Maisey stared forward and sighed. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.”

  “That said,” Tobias reached out with a grin and squeezed Luc’s shoulder. “I’m glad it worked out. Mostly.”

  They fell into silence as they waited, growing tense when a set of bright headlights pulled up outside the football field. Marie jumped to her feet as her father walked onto the field, opening her mouth to speak, only for him to raise his hand and cut her off.

  “Stay there and stay quiet,” he ordered, walking to speak with the mage and the magical girl. Luc couldn’t look away as they spoke, voices too low to make out, her heartbeat roaring in her ears.

  After what felt like hours, their conversation ended, and he approached their group. Rainbow Blade and Beverly followed.

  The commissioner's eyes darkened as they landed on Luc, face grave. “You created this incident purposefully,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

  Luc swallowed hard and forced herself to nod. “Yes, sir. I didn’t know it would go… this far.”

  “What exactly was your intention?” he demanded.

  Luc opened her mouth, but Marie was the one that spoke. “She was doing it for me,” Marie said, standing and glaring at her father. “To get me back.”

  A deep sigh slipped from the older man’s mouth as Rainbow Blade laughed in outrage.

  “Oh my god, you’re fucking stupid,” she said, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead as if she was checking for a fever. “You could have gotten yourself and others killed! You created a problem far outside your ability to handle, not to mention it’s illegal, and one of you isn’t even licensed to use magic!” She threw her hand at Tobias, and Luc’s eyes went wide.

  “You got magic?”

  “Finally accepted it,” Tobias said, his eyes dancing. “And I think it suits me. I’ll show you later.”

  “No, you won’t,” Rainbow Blade snapped. “Because you’re not registered, and you won’t be licensed. None of you will.”

  Time stopped for Luc at the words, even as the commissioner continued to speak, telling the magical girl to walk away. If they stripped away her license, she’d no longer be able to do magical girl work. She’d lose her apartment. Her livelihood. They couldn’t do that to her. She’d have nothing.

  “Marie had nothing to do with it,” Luc said, finding the words on her lips even as the panic set in. They’d strip everything from her, but she couldn’t let herself drag Marie down too. “She came out to help when things got out of hand, and that’s it. Don’t punish her.”

  “I wasn’t planning on it,” the commissioner said, his voice pinched. “As for you three…” He stared at Tobias. “You will register your power, but the three of you will be on probation until you’re able to prove your responsibility. You will be unable to take magical jobs until you’ve earned back your grade one license."

  Luc sucked in a breath. A license was something she could earn back, at least.

  “How do we earn back our licenses?” she asked. Her fingers balled into the legs of her pants, knotting into the fabric. Whatever she had to do, what would do so she could get back to magical girl work.

  Beverly stepped in before the commissioner could say anything. “There is a summer camp you can work at that grants you temporary licensure and will approve you at the summer’s end. And once you have that in hand, you’ll be able to attend Mage Academy.” She stared directly at Luc, green eyes striking. “This skill is too valuable to be wasted on small town magical girl work.”

  Her eyes slid to Rainbow Blade, judgment clear.

  “You have a spot at Mage Academy, if you want it.”

  Luc exchanged a look with Marie. With the commissioner as her father, she didn’t need to worry about getting in. Marie nudged her, and Luc looked back up at the mage.

  “I do.”

  “Good,” Beverly said. “I’ll make the appropriate calls. I do hope you’re good with kids.”

  She turned on her heel, taking two steps before Marie shot to her feet. “Do you think they have a spot for one more?”

  “Marie, that is not necessary,” the commissioner said. “Your license is valid, your standing is good. You’ll get into Mage Academy. Just keep doing magical girl work, don’t go to that… delinquent camp.”

  “I want to stay with Luc,” Marie said, tightening her grip on Luc’s hand, as though someone would try to take her away. Luc did her best not to wince at the supernatural grip.

  Beverly grimaced as she stared at them. “I take it all four of you will want to go?”

  “Yes,” Maisey and Tobias said at the same time, no hesitation in the word. Luc’s heart throbbed as she stared at the pair, Tobias smiling wide, Maisey grinning like a fox. What did she do to deserve friends like these?

  “Fine,” Beverly said. “They always do need more workers. And if you cause trouble… That’s not my problem.” She shook her head as she walked away, taking Luc’s broken creation with her.

  Luc watched her go before turning to Marie, watching the commissioner out of the corner of her eye. He was right. Marie had no reason to go to this camp. She didn’t deserve to get dragged down just because Luc had done something objectively stupid.

  “Are you sure you want to go?” Luc asked. “You don’t have to.”

  “And miss the opportunity to spend the summer with my girlfriend? Not a chance.”

  A smile broke free, unable to be contained as Luc stared at Marie. Girlfriend. She really did have her back.

  Still, she couldn’t resist teasing her.

  “Girlfriend? I don’t remember you asking me to be your girlfriend.”

  Marie’s eyes danced as she stared at her. “Then let me do it properly so you don’t get it twisted: Luc, will you be my girlfriend?”

  Her answer came out in a rush, desperate to get the word out. So long as they were together, Luc would be okay. “Yes.”