Arko Cade & The Magic Hunter

Atrium Magicae

I bid my goodbyes and reset her gramophone, then caught my friends a floor down by the bedchambers.

Hugo crouched as he leaned against the doorway to Scarlett's bedroom, clearing his throat a few times rather awkwardly before asking, "Where are you going?"

It's always a little funny to see Hugo around Cat. He's carried an unsubtle torch for her for all of his life, and so gets fidgety and uncomfortable whenever she's close. Unfortunately, the confidence to let her know of his true feelings had eluded him completely for just as long, leaving them unaddressed and unrequited.

"Nowhere," Catarina answered much too fast, switching out of her sandals for a pair of borrowed sneakers. She'd taken the liberty of assisting Scarlett with some packing.

"Like, Nowhere nowhere, or just nowhere?"

"Just nowhere."

"She's kidding." Scarlett saved, albeit without any actual effectiveness, as Hugo's eyes narrowed.

I stood back for a while, watching it all unfold, fingers feeling so cold that I stuffed them into my trouser pockets. Scarlett caught my eye in her peripheral, then immediately looked back at Hugo and said, "Lend Arko some clothes."

"Clothes?"

"A sweatshirt, a hoodie, something."

Hugo turned, realizing I was there. "But you're already dressed up."

"Something comfortable he can disappear in," Scarlett interjected before I could say anything. She looked at my shoes, some delicate leather things which couldn't be suitable for running. "And some trainers, too."

"Don't you have trainers?" Hugo asked, nose all scrunched up.

"Left them at home." I shrugged.

"Just conjure up a portal then and go get them. My feet are bigger than yours." His gaze darted between us three, entirely suspicious. "Really, where the fuck are you going? Why have you packed a suitcase?"

"Bugger off," Scar hissed, eyes rolling so far back into her skull that they were white, "It's none of your business. Kitty, grab the tampons, won't you? They're in the cupboard under the sink."

And at that, Hugo shuddered, attention averted enough to stare at me despite yelling back, "Does Beau know where you're going?"

Suddenly, Scar screamed, "Beau!"

"What?" Her brother then shouted back from the adjacent room, the echo bouncing against the cavernous ceilings despite the thick wall between them.

"I'm leaving."

"Where to?" Beau asked, unexpectedly.

"Not far."

"Just be back before dinner."

"See?" Scarlett smiled, "One of you cares about me."

"It's me. It's definitely me..." Hugo ran his hands through his hair desperately, "This is your sixteenth birthday all over again."

I grimaced, "That was your fault."

"You all ran away from your designated chaperone."

"Well, when the designated chaperone maxed himself out on Magimortium by the dessert table, there wasn't much else to do, was there?"

"Your father's going to have my head." Hugo winced but persisted, shooting Scar a threatening look that only seemed to crack as he appealed nervously, "We both know I can't let you go off alone."