All Mikey could remember was the speed of Demean and Dahmir's combination being too fast for him to keep up with, watching Faith be knocked down, and struggling to get up.

The twins stomped on his feet, spinning their hands to make a fist of cyclones. He started to panic, and that's when he heard Faith's scream.

Heat exploded around him, dragging the brothers into a spiral of flame. Faith approached him with her grimoire floating from behind, quickly covering his body in a warm light and getting him to stand.

She let him watch as her Vine spell smacked them up into the wall, grabbing their legs and slamming them into the same locker they threw him onto, including lighting the vine on fire and smacking them far across the hallway. Dahmir struggled to move his feet.

Angered, Demean started running in place, charging a large ball of electricity and kicked it at both of them, but she put her hands together to make a triangle, converting the burning aura coating her black skin into a fireball, promising she wouldn't let them destroy her love as she shot it.

Watching the flames and lightning race through the hallway, he gasped, unsure who would win.

Act Two: Roots of Rage

Two days ago.

Faith stared at her book, turning the pages. One hand held the earth spell, the other channeled the water spell, planning the image of a sword fostered in ice.

"Come on!"

It merged...into a wooden sword so heavy, she spun around trying to stop it from crashing into the ground, flailing into the kitchen. Her mom stopped her with a foot stomp, using her open mouth from the pain to make her swallow cold milk and eggs.

"We're getting better at making sure you don't destroy anything. Your old guidance counselor would be proud."

"Speak of the angel," her dad said. "He's sending us a link to a meeting," heading to answer it. The three of them huddled at the meeting screen to