Azriel could not believe what was being said to her by the boy. I'm not a witch was the only thing that Azriel believed was keeping her sane. The little brown-haired boy then remarked, "if you are not a witch tell me how Billy broke his arm when you wished it to happen?"

"It was just a coincidence", Azriel replied.

"Coincidence???? Coincidence? Are you really that daft? Are you an idiot? There are no such things as coincidences because everything happens for a reason. And to think anybody would believe someone as dumb as you could be our savior," the little brown-haired boy replied.

Azriel just stood there dumbfounded with her mouth slightly agape. "I-I'm not dumb or an idiot or daft. I am not a witch because my mother wasn't a witch and my father isn't a witch."

"Your father is not a witch, that part is correct, but your mother on the other hand was an extremely talented witch. Supposedly you are the chosen one and all that whatnot."

Azriel did not know how to process that her beloved mother who had passed away not too long ago was a witch. A very powerful witch at that.

"Are you angry?" the boy asked after seeing that her face had twisted into that of a scowl.

"Yes, I am angry, but not because my mother was a witch. I am angry because I never saw the signs. She literally always had sage burning, and put salt on the doors and windowsills. She made me say weird 'prayers' at night. She always knew when I was lying, and if I lost something she always knew where it was'' said Azriel lost in thought.

"So then you are admitting you are an idiot? Is that what I am hearing?" the boy jokingly remarked. "Also my name is Nathaniel so you can stop referring to me as the little boy or the little brown-haired boy, speaking to the fact that I am a year older than you."

"What?" was all Azriel could say because she had thought that he was only 12 years old.

"It's a spell that I learned when I was younger, your mom was actually the one that taught me how to do it. The spell makes me appear younger so as to not frighten you but in actuality, I am 17 years old."

Azriel was still quiet because she found herself now lost in her thoughts. He is 17. He can't be 17.  My mom taught him a spell. Did she teach him other spells? Wait, what was his name again?

"Yes, I am 17. Yes, your mother was the witch that was expected to teach me all about magic and witchcraft, but that was before her sudden demise. My name is Nathaniel, Nathaniel Browning." After he said that it seemed like he had changed, he got taller and seemed to actually look as though he were 17.

Wait a second, did I say all those things aloud? I swear I didn't. Azriel thought to herself. "No you did not say it aloud I can hear your thoughts."

"You can hear my thoughts?!?!" Azriel wailed.

"Well I mean I did just tell you I could, and you know that I answered your questions that you had not said aloud," Nathaniel remarked rather sarcastically.

Azriel was going to reply to his sarcastic remark, but then she caught sight of what he looked like and she couldn't help but gasp at his sheer beauty. Before she could even stop her mind from roaming, his face had now shown a smirk confirming that he could actually hear her thoughts and that he knew exactly how she saw him.

"Stop reading my thoughts!" Azriel yelled sheepishly, her cheeks glowing red with embarrassment.

"Well, you are not so bad looking yourself...But I have seen better", Nathaniel remarked smugly.

"I'll have you know I do not need validation from a guy. And most definitely not a 17-year-old British boy who has to do a spell that makes him appear like a little kid." Azriel snarkily replied, mocking Nathaniel's British accent.

"Are you sure? Because last time I checked, poor Billy got his arm broken because he called you ugly and told you to stop eating." Nathaniel barked out, obviously taking offense to her previous statement.

Right as Azriel was coming up with a rebuttal, a loud ring split through the air. Azriel then checked her phone because Nathaniel was looking at her rather displeasingly. The phone that had been ringing was not Azriel's, but actually Nathaniel's. He then started to fumble with the phone as he tried to pick it up.

"Yes, Headmistress Langston.....Yes I know, I will...We will be on our way soon. This one might be the most annoying one to date." Nathaniel said begrudgingly. Who was this mysterious headmistress and why did Nathaniel immediately change his tone, Azriel thought.

"I am not annoying! And I am NOT going anywhere with YOU!" Azriel yelled, swiftly walking away.

"Wait, STOP!... I shall call you back headmistress, it seems as though our new student is running away, or at least trying to." After Nathaniel had spoken this and said his goodbyes to the mysterious headmistress, he hung up and tried to gain on to Azriel, wondering how somebody so small could walk so fast.

Finally catching up to her Nathaniel groaned out, "How can somebody so tiny be so fast?!?"

"I am not tiny, I'm literally 5 foot 6 and a half," Azriel said pointedly.

"Are you sure?" was Nathaniel's only reply as he held onto her, walking along and pulling her with him in the direction of her house.

"Yes, I am sure." Azriel snapped.

"I'm pretty sure you are not. I am sure that girls who are 5ft 6" are not as small as you are," Nathaniel sneered.

"How are you gonna tell me how tall I am? Not everyone is a giant like you. How tall are you actually? Like 6'1, 6'2?"

"6 foot 4 actually," Nathaniel said after stopping.

Azriel being too caught up in their meaningless argument now looked up to see that they were standing in front of her house.

"You can't go in there."

"Why not?"

"Because my dad is here," Azriel said pointing in the direction of a car that was parked inside of the driveway.

"I still don't understand why I can't go inside." Nathaniel insisted.

"I can't have boys inside."

"I'm actually really good with parents. I lay on the charm so thick you could spread it on toast like jam." Nathaniel said deviously as he speed-walked to the front door of Azriel's house. Before Azriel could even stop him, he had already rung the doorbell and Azriel's father suddenly appeared in the archway.

"What do you want? I don't want to buy any cookies or donate to no charity—" Azriel's dad had declared before stopping in his tracks seeing that in his presence was a boy and his daughter.

"Hello, my name is Nathaniel Browning. I was quite acquainted with your late wife. I do not know if you know but if you don't here it is.... Your wife was a witch and not an ordinary witch at that. She was one of the most powerful witches. Our school would like to take your daughter away to teach her how to use her magic the right way and not do harm to others."

Azriel's father stood there dumbfoundedly while he tried to process what had just been spoken to him by the boy.

"Most people usually just say Hi my name is.... And then they wait to be greeted....or at least that's what we do in America" Azriel's dad said making a lame excuse of a joke.

"Dad, I'm sorry, he's the new kid from school and I think he might just be crazy," Azriel said trying to relieve some of the awkward tension that was in the air. Azriel then pushed past Nathaniel and walked into her house leaving Nathaniel behind her outside.

"I am not crazy. Everything I just said was true and—"

"Dad I—" Azriel tried to interrupt but was interrupted herself.

"I know what you are saying is true because my wife never lied to me and she definitely never hid anything from me. She told me she was a witch long before we got married," was all her father could say as The corners of his mouth drew downwards into a frown at the thought of his late wife. "I know who you are Nathaniel, my wife was your teacher up until she passed away." He quickly said turning his frown into a smile that seemed forced.

"YOU KNEW MOM WAS A WITCH BUT NEVER TOLD ME!?!?!" Azriel spat angrily at her father.

"I'm sorry that you had to see that. She's not as pretty when she's angry. Well, I know your name so it seems you should probably know mine. Hi, I am Jackson, it truly is a pleasure to meet you. I have heard so much about you, Nathaniel." Jackson replied trying to avoid the question his daughter just asked by changing the subject entirely.

"Actually, I think she looks prettier when she's angry," Nathaniel said as he made himself comfortable on the couch of their living room.

Azriel just stood there, visibly fuming as the two guys sat there talking about her as though she wasn't right there in the room with them.

"Well, obviously you say that because her anger isn't directed at you," Jackson said coolly.

"Am I still here or did I somehow turn invisible?" Azriel wondered.

"Nope, sadly you are in fact still here. Usually, people are hospitable towards their guests and they show their hospitality by getting their guests ... oh I don't know... a drink. I would prefer something sweet," Nathaniel countered, adding a wink at the end of his statement.

"Yes, Azriel, your mother and I taught you manners. Go and get this boy some of the lemonade that Mrs. Wilkins brought over," said Jackson.

Azriel begrudgingly walked into the kitchen and got a glass of lemonade, but instead of handing the glass to Nathaniel she took a sip of it and sat down across from him on the opposite couch.

"I thought you were getting that for me," Nathaniel said nodding towards the drink in her hand.

"It's the 21st-century, women don't have to serve men to show hospitality. The sheer fact that you are in my house should show my hospitality." Azriel chided.

"Anyhoo, what were you going on about a school to teach Bunny magic?" Jackson said to ease the tension whilst simultaneously changing the subject.

"Oh....Yes, the school, we would like to have 'Bunny' at the Ashlyn Benedict Preparatory School. It would truly be an honor to train alongside our savior as she blossoms into the wonderful and powerful witch I am sure she will become." Nathaniel said.

"I didn't say that you could call me Bunny, so don't even think about it. Also, how do you even know that I want to go to your weird British people school full of people I don't even know? Where would I stay?" Azriel said matter of factly.

"It is a boarding school, so all students live on campus. You seem fake enough to make friends quite easily. And why would you not want to go to our school? You will be treated as though you are better than us all even though you obviously are not...well maybe Charles, since he eats out of the trash." Nathaniel said in the same tone.

"I'm not fake and I'm pretty sure I'm not better than all the kids at your school because I don't know them, but I know that I am better than you and, if I'm being honest, that's all that matters. Also, what did you do to make them send you here to 'collect' me anyway? Or is that the only task they can trust you with? Babysitting a 16-year-old girl? Maybe it's because you are the one that is a daft idiot. They probably didn't trust you enough to send you all by yourself, and that's why they sent that other guy along with you." Azriel said feeling proud of herself for getting all that out and not falter, and also because she finally got the handsome boy to shut up.

"What do you mean someone was following you?!?!" was all Nathaniel could manage to get out.

"Oh wow, your own people don't tell you things—"

"No, 'my people' trust me. Nobody even knows I am here right now with you. So whoever was following did not come from the school, they have to have been a huntsman!" Nathaniel snapped.

"A huntsman? Wait a second does that mean that you didn't see the serious-looking man with the scar on his left eye following us but I DID?!?! How did they trust you? Why would they trust you, if you couldn't even see a guy following us when he was 10 feet away?" Azriel continued.

"A huntsman is a human person who kills witches. Most kids only hear about them in bedtime stories when they are being bad. A hunter is not someone who should be taken lightly, Bunny," Jackson finally spoke.

"I—"

"Now you see how important it is for you to come to our school. Huntsmen do not and I repeat DO NOT play around especially now with the fact that you are of age." Nathaniel said in a tone that said he could not be told otherwise.

"Bunny, going to school would be safer for you. I am the parent so I am the one who is supposed to do right by you and I believe going to school is what will be best for you and it is what your mother would've wanted," Jackson said trying to plead with his daughter to go to the school.

Azriel knew it must be the best option or else her father wouldn't have mentioned her mother as a bargaining chip. Azriel then agreed glumly.