Before we could make it five feet a familiar voice stopped me dead in my tracks. A voice I'd recognize anywhere. The voice that helped raised me. My dad.
"You can't keep me away from my daughter! I have rights! Get your hands off me! Stupid Witches."
"Dad?" I turned to look.
"Come along Emery, we have much to go over," Cyrene forced me to turn back around.
"But that's my dad, I hear him."
"I guess I should tell you," she sighs.
"Tell me what?"
"Your father's been showing up here demanding to see you for a few days now. He's started a big protest. The elders didn't only fly in just to talk to you. They came here to get to the bottom of what happened to you. They don't want it to get out to the public. They are going to try and calm the hysteria. You've become somewhat of a hot topic these days."
"I have?"
"People think we are holding you here against your will," she sighs.
"You sort of are," I mutter.
She glares at me.
"I know, I know, if I leave, I die," I roll my eyes.
"Good. I think seeing your father would only stoke the flames. Especially when you are in this kind of state."
"You're afraid I'm going to make everything worse," I say it as a statement.
"It's not just me, we are all afraid you'll say something that will be the nail in the coffin. People aren't happy with us. It's because of stuff like this that we banned awakenings back in the '50s. Too much protest and outrage. Apparently, people don't like being forced to live a lifestyle they didn't choose."
"You don't say?" I once again roll my eyes.
"The point is, tensions were already high as it was without you. Now we technically broke our own rule. Which doesn't look good on us. To make everything worse, we still don't know who did this to you or why. If they will do it again to someone else. There's a lot to unpack here. The people feel betrayed. We promised we wouldn't start awakening people without first discussing it with the proper authorities and having a good reason. This makes it look like we went behind their backs. You have no idea what's at stake here. So yes, we are keeping you from your father, but for good reason. The last thing we need is you opening your big mouth."
I sigh. I mean I guess she has a point, but still. Not cool. Are things really that bad around here? Ro said the school could even get shut down. I mean I don't like it here, but I don't want anyone to lose their home because of me. Not to mention if this school gets shut down I'll just be sent to another school, farther away from home. I'd never see my family after that.
"Maybe... Maybe I can talk to my dad. Calm him down. I know my dad, he's only doing this to get his way. You'll have to give him what he wants eventually. If not he won't stop and everything will only get worse. I promise not to say something stupid; I want to help." I turn to lock eyes with Cyrene.
She narrows her eyes at me and says,
"Twisted lies in disguise? Don't' Lie to the light or find yourself tongue-tied," Then she snaps her fingers in front of my face.
There is a quick flash of white like her snap caused a spark.
"Do you really want to help?" she asks.
"Yes," I look at her in confusion.
What did she just do to me?
"Okay, let's go." She shrugs.
"Okay... what was that?"
"I cast a truth spell on you, I had to be sure." She snaps her fingers again, and there is another flash.
"Really?" I frown at her.
"What? It's gone now," she defends herself.
"Can I do that?" I raise an eyebrow.
"In due time," she pats my head.
I pout.
The closer we get to the main entrance the louder protest chants get. I can hear lots of people screaming,
"Burn them at the stake! Burn them at the stake! Burn them at the stake!"
I cringe.
My dad can be a little... excessive, sometimes.
"Cyrene, what are you doing!? Get her away from here," Asherah says.
She's with some casters, who look to be security guards of some sort. They stand firm with their arms out, a barrier of some kind helps reinforce the entrance gate. My eyes bulge when I see hundreds of protesters with signs, some even have my picture on it. Who the heck are all these people?
"Whoa," I say.
"Get her out of her!" Asherah snaps.
"Relax Ashy, she's here to help. Plus I used a truth spell on her," Cyrene shrugs.
Asherah pulls Cyrene to the side and they start arguing. I walk up to the gate and stare at the crowd. All these people are here because of me? I'm flattered in a way. I guess I'm on the news again, but like mom said, not in a good way. I didn't mean to cause all this.
Now, this is what I would call disrupting the peace.
The chants get silent as people notice me standing there.
"Emery!" Dad runs up to the front of the crowd.
It's obvious he's been roughed up, he looks like a crazy person. His hair is sticking up, he looks like he needs a nap. A nice shave wouldn't hurt either.
"Dad? What are you doing?" I ask.
"I'm trying to get you out of there. The witches won't let me get to you. Every time I sneak in they find me. I've been trying to bust you out."
"Dad, uh thanks, I think. Anyway, I can't leave. Like for real can't. Because of my new powers if I leave I'll die. They are helping me. They are going to show me how to control it so that I can leave. They aren't holding me hostage or anything. I just have to stay here."
"They did this to you! They are monsters! They need to be stopped. Those witches can't just take you away from me."
"Dad, stop! They aren't monsters. Things are just complicated. There is a lot you don't understand going on here. Heck, I don't even understand it yet. I do know this, if you shut this place down I'll just have to go to a different school even farther away. I don't want that, and I know you don't want that. I know this is all really crazy, but I have to stay here now. I'm one of them now. I'm a Caster. They can't change me back, trust me I asked. This is who I am now."
He looks at me long and hard. Like it is just impossible for him to understand. There is this wire in his head that just isn't clicking into place. He can't accept this, I knew it all before he even said anything.
"I'll kill those witches! How dare they do this to you! They're controlling you, Emery, brainwashing you!"
The crowd of protesters starts to get rowdy again.
"No! That's not true!"
"Burn them at the stake! Burn them at the stake! Burn them at the stake!" Dad starts chanting again.
"Dad stop!"
"You're not one of those demons. Don't worry Emery, I'll get you out of there."
"You're not listening to me!"
"Burn them at the stake! Burn them at the stake! Burn them at the stake!"
I clenched my fist. Why won't he listen to me? How can I make him see the truth? Sure I don't want this, but what choice have I? I'd rather be stuck here and get the help I need than be shipped off to who knows where and forced to start all over again!
"You need to leave," Asherah comes up behind me.
"Dad, listen to me. Stop all this!" I demand.
He just starts chanting louder.
"Let's go," Cyrene pulls me by the shoulder.
"Enough!" I shout.
My hands glow so bright that even on a cloudy day like today it looks like the sun is shining bright.
Everyone gets quiet.
"Look, I don't want to be here. That's true, but I'd rather be here than be dead! Is that what you want!?" I look dad in the eyes.
He looks conflicted.
"I'm like this now, I can't change it. This is who I am, I'm a Caster now. No one is holding me against my will. No one is brainwashing me. And the only person trying to get me killed is you! Wake up dad, this isn't a game. This is for real. The people here are trying to make this work for me and for them. You have to try to. I know you don't like it, but this is how it has to be. At least for now. When I can control it, I'll be able to leave again."
He looked at my hands and then I looked down at them. Only noticing the bright glowing then.
"What are you? You're not my daughter," he said before backing into the crowd.
"What? Dad I—"
Before I could finish, he vanished into the crowd. Running away from me.
The crowd slowly dispersed, and I just stood there at the gates.
Did my dad really just say that? Because I'm like this I'm not his daughter anymore? Is he scared of me? Does he think I should burn at the stake? Will he ever look at me the same again?
"Emery, we should go," Cyrene placed a hand on my shoulder.
I shook it off and ran away from her. Ran away from the pain inside of me. Ran away from what just happened.
I just ran.
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