Shaw was startled awake by the sound of a door slamming. She bolted upright in bed, looking around for Root. At some point, she must have fallen asleep. Seeing that Root wasn't in the room, she scrambled out of bed and out the motel room door, sighing with relief when she saw her putting a bag into the back of the car.

The sun was setting, almost gone over the horizon, and the lights in the parking lot cast an orange glow over Root. It mixed with the red of her magic, making her look unreal and barely human. Her bag, book safely inside, was on her back. Shaw put her hands on her hips.

"I caught you!"

Root looked up at her, blinking with surprise. "I wasn't running. Just getting ready."

"Ready?" Shaw repeated. "Ready for what?"

"Our next drive." Root frowned at her, closing the trunk. She started toward Shaw, walk so light that she seemed to float. "Unless you don't want to come with me anymore."

Rolling her eyes, Shaw waved Root off, turning around to go back inside. "Don't be an idiot."

The boys were already awake, all gathered on the other bed, looking at Harold's computer. They hadn't seen any sign of their parents in the church, which was worrying. Shaw guessed that Harold was trying to track their phones again. She dropped back onto her bed, pulling out her ponytail.

"Parents?" she asked them.

Harold nodded. "Their phones still say they're here, but obviously they're not. I think Greer must have just left their phones there in case we traced the signal."

"I'm sorry," she muttered. Retying her ponytail, she glanced at the door as Root entered. "So, where are we going?"

Root's eyes swirled and she crossed her arms. "You don't have to come with me, you know. I'm sure it's been hard enough on you already."

"We've come this far," John replied before Shaw could. They looked at him. "No point in going back now. Besides, I think it's been harder on you."

Her eyelashes fluttered and she nodded. "Ok. Thanks."

Shaw gave her ponytail one last tug and let her hands fall to her lap. Root still hadn't answered her question. Shaw had expected her to be exhausted, and defeated, but she seemed as determined as ever. The dark cracks in her skin pulsed in time to her heartbeat, dangerously fast. If she had a say, Shaw would make Root rest for another day. They could all use it.

"We're going to Reyhemer's Hollow," Root told them. "There's a talisman there that I need."

"What kind of talisman?" Lionel asked. "Like the Seal of Solomon?"

Root smiled at him. "Just like that. We're looking for a witch's talisman, though. Made for protection, but used for power."

Shaw sighed. "We're stealing it."

"Yes," Root confirmed. She winked at Shaw. "Afraid of a little breaking and entering?"

"No." Shaw stood, stretching her hands over her head. "Well, let's hit the road. I guess we don't need to spend an actual night here. Harold can do some research on the way. I'll go check out and you guys can finish packing the car."

She checked out easily, and made it back as they were putting the last bag into the car. Climbing into the driver's seat, she put Reyhemer's Hollow into her map, doing her best to spell it right. It worked, telling her the drive was about three hours. She looked at the time. They'd get there at midnight. At least she'd gotten some sleep.

Root climbed into the passenger seat beside her, putting her bag at her feet, face unreadable. She just watched Shaw as the boys climbed into the car. Lionel took the back seat again, and Harold and John sat in the middle row. Harold opened his laptop immediately, a soft beep sounding as he connected to his mobile hotspot. Shaw wondered if Greer could track that and decided it didn't matter. They were heading for him anyway.

"All set?" Shaw asked the car. Everyone said yes and she put the car into reverse. "Great."

The car was quiet for a while, the only sound Harold's typing. Root's eyes were still glued to Shaw's face, like she could read her thoughts. Shaw wondered if that was possible. If she could, then she'd know that Shaw wasn't interested in leaving her. Shaw sighed, sitting back in her seat and getting comfortable.

"So, what does this talisman do?" she asked Root. "You said protection?"

"It was made for protection," Root corrected her, "but it's only power now."

Shaw looked at her for a second, trying and failing to get a read on her. "You need more power? It seems like you can barely handle what you have."

Root's eyes narrowed, and Shaw recognized the way her red eyes flashed. She was angry at what Shaw had said, and probably going to snap at her. It was too early in the drive for a tantrum, so Shaw held a hand up.

"Okay," she said quickly. "You're doing great. Just trying to learn about what we're stealing."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child," Root spat. She clenched her fist, storm clouds gathering overhead. "I'm more powerful than you'll ever be."

Shaw shrugged, keeping calm. She didn't want to give Root any reason to get angrier. "That's true. You're much stronger than I am."

"I am." Root nodded sharply. Some of the tension left her body. "I am."

She lapsed into silence and Shaw focused on the road. It was so easy to set Root off now. Maybe leaving her alone was best. Shaw didn't think knowing what they were after would really help her anyway. She would just do what Root said, get to the end of this situation, and then figure out where to go from there.

"The Hex Hollow Talisman," Root started quietly, "was made in the '20s by a witch."

Shaw took a deep breath, nodding. "Yeah?"

"Yes." Root looked away, out her window. The storm clouds hadn't cleared and a wet breeze blew across the car, leaving small droplets on the windows. "That was the last time someone wanted to harness this power. She tried to stop it."

"What happened to it?" Lionel asked from the back seat.

Root didn't answer for a few seconds. She took a shaking breath. "She hid it. The man who tried to summon the magic, Reyhemer, was a local witch doctor. She saw that the power was going to be too much for him and sent men to his house to get his human heart. With it, she made this talisman. It left him with the power, which kept him alive, but took away its agency. It was locked it deep inside of him. He couldn't get to it, and it couldn't control him. When he died, it left this world, unused."

Shaw frowned. His 'human' heart. Did that mean Root had two hearts inside her now? Was that what she meant when she'd said it would win her? Would the talisman free the magic inside of Root? She was already unstable and the magic was already controlling her, at least partially. This seemed like something that the magic wanted, not what Root would want.

"Where is it hidden?"

"In his house," Root answered. "Right under his feet."

"So…" Shaw glanced at Root again, and back to the road. "What would happen to you if you got it?"

"I'd be more powerful," Root answered, still not looking at Shaw. "I'd be able to kill Greer."

"But what about after that?" Shaw gripped the steering wheel, hating that she sounded worried. "It's not going to go away, is it?"

Root finally looked at her, smiling sadly. Her eyes dulled, the bright red looking dirty and dim. The cracks in her skin darkened again, getting wider. They looked painful and deep. Shaw wondered if they hurt.

"I'll be ok," Root told her. "I was born for this."

"Maybe this isn't a good idea," Harold interrupted. He closed his laptop. "I mean, Shaw is right. What if you can't handle it?"

In an instant, the car was sweltering. Sweat dripped down Shaw's back and face. She swiped her forehead, trying to keep the sweat from her eyes. Beside her, Root seemed to vibrate, the car shaking from her movements.

A sign passed above them, announcing an exit in a mile and Shaw slammed the gas, racing toward it. Root was practically burning through the passenger seat and Shaw didn't want her to do anything while they were on the highway. A hand shot past her into the back seat and Harold gasped.

"You think I'm not strong enough?" Root hissed, her voice crackled like electricity, burning almost as much as the heat from her body. "You think I can't control it?"

Shaw looked in the rearview mirror, watching John and Lionel pulling at Root's arm, shouting in pain as they touched it. Root's skin was red hot, more cracks than skin now. The exit came up and Shaw took it, jerking the wheel and pumping the brakes.

"Root," she yelled. "Stop it!"

"I'm going to kill him," she growled. Sparks danced through her hair, like blinding flashes of light. "I'm going to tear him to pieces."

Shaw stuck her hand out, pressing it into Root's chest. It grew hot, almost unbearably hot, and she grit her teeth against the pain, pushing back against it. The heat tried to climb up her arm, but Shaw refused to let it in and shoved back with all her might.

An almost-black light flashed and Root gasped. She flew backwards against the car door and it opened from the force, sending Root flying out into the dark night. Shaw slammed on the brakes, pulling over to the shoulder and throwing the car into park. She jumped out of the car, running around to the side and saw Root standing somehow, glaring at her with blood colored eyes.

Her wild hair moved in an invisible wind. The cracks in her skin pulsed so fast they seemed to crawl over her body with a life of their own. She panted angrily for a moment before screaming, her teeth bared.

Shaw took a step backwards despite herself. In all her anger, Root had never looked this out of control. She was so bright, and hard to look at, the light inside of her blinding. Taking a deep breath, Shaw held her hands up, like she was trying to calm a wild animal. She supposed that's what Root was right now.

"You're ok" Shaw breathed, taking a tiny step forward. "Root. I didn't mean to."

Root screamed again. Thunder boomed above them, and a bolt of lightning struck the ground on the other side of the road. Shaw looked around quickly, glad to see that the exit they'd taken was deserted, just a small road that led to mostly forest. Although, the trees would make it easy for Root to start a fire.

"Ok," Shaw tried again. She moved forward. "You're right. You're so strong. Harold shouldn't have doubted you, Root. It's going to be ok. Just calm down. Don't listen to the magic. Root, come on. You don't want to hurt me, do you?"

Root shot a hand out, and pain pierced Shaw's side. Her hands moved to it, finding the spot wet. Looking down, Shaw lifted her shirt. The scar from her shovel wound had opened again, and blood poured down her side. She put pressure on it with her hands, willing it to stop bleeding. If she died, Root would never get herself back under control.

The side door to the car opened and John jumped out. He took his shirt off, moving to Shaw's side and replacing her hands with the cloth. It stung, the sweat that had collected when the car heated up getting into the wound. She hissed with pain, keeping her eyes on Root.

Another flash of lightning came down just behind Root, and Shaw flinched at the light. Root didn't move at all. She looked truly possessed now, nothing left of her old self. Shaw found herself at a loss for what to do again. She was only one person, and Root was so powerful now. If all of this hadn't proved that Shaw was on her side, what would?

Slumping, Shaw nodded, tired. She spread her hands in defeat. "You win. I give up. I don't know what to do. Go become powerful. Kill Greer. Do whatever you want. I'll leave you alone."

Root froze, the pulsing light under her skin slowing. She blinked, confused, and lifted a hand. It stopped, and dropped again. Shaw smiled at her.

"Yeah. It's hard, right? When you only have anger, it's about your choices. Your decisions. I chose to love you. I chose to follow you." Shaw sighed, shaking her head. "I'm choosing to leave you now. I don't know if it's the right decision, but… I don't know what else to do. I don't want to die, Root. If that's still your name."

Root's light dimmed and she took a small step forward. Thunder rumbled above them, and Shaw winked at Root, trying her best to look relaxed and casual. She seemed to be getting through somehow, reminding her that she was a person, and that Shaw was with her. Trying again, Shaw shrugged, the movement pulling painfully at her side.

"It's ok if you just want to be angry." She gestured between them. "I'm angry, too. Greer fucked us up before we even had a chance, and our parents let him. That's really shitty. And Hanna dying must have been hard. You were scared that I'd leave, too, huh? Or die?"

Root nodded, her eyebrows drawing down. She looked like she was trying to focus on Shaw, trying to leave the cloud of anger she was in. She took another step forward, lifting her hand. Beside her, Shaw could feel John trying to keep still as he held pressure to her side. He knew what she was doing.

"Look," Shaw breathed, "I'm here. For now. I want what's best for you, and I promised to be there for you. I keep my promises, but it's really hard. I know it doesn't seem like it, but all of this is hard for me, too. I'm angry. I'm hurt. It's just a little different, but just because it's different, doesn't mean it's not real, right?"

Sighing, the anger seemed to leave Root, her hair settling back on her shoulders and the red of her eyes fading to their normal bright red. Shaw took a breath in relief. She wasn't sure what the blood red color had meant, but it couldn't be good. At least, Root was back to her normal magic color.

Root stepped forward again, and froze. Light pulsed in her cracks, racing through her. She gasped, dropping to her knees, and reached out to Shaw with both hands, desperately stretching toward her.

Ignoring her injury, Shaw ran forward, closing the distance between them. Root threw her arms around Shaw's shoulders, nails digging into her back. Shaw held her close, grasping at the sides of her shirt. Her skin was still too hot to touch, but that wasn't going to stop them.

"Please," Root gasped into Shaw's ear. "Don't let me get the talisman."

"I won't," Shaw promised. "I won't."

"Get it. Meet me in the church where we were born."

Shaw stiffened. "What?"

Root sighed, and pressed a kiss to Shaw's cheek, her lips burning. "I love you, too. Remind me of that."

Then, she was gone. Shaw's arms dropped to the ground heavily, into the place where Root just was. Heat lingered there, quickly dispersing into the now dark night. Without Root's light, Shaw could barely see her own hands. She felt heavy, the pain of her wound growing.

"Come on," John said softly. He reached a hand down to her. "I'll drive."

Shaw nodded and took his hand, letting him lift her up. They walked back to the car and Harold went to the back seat with Lionel, so Shaw could lay down. She did, staring up at the roof of the car. After a moment, John appeared beside her, wearing a clean shirt. He gestured for her to sit up and she did, carefully.

Handing her a shirt, he put a first aid kit on the floor, opening it. She pulled her shirt off, grimacing in pain. Tossing it out of the car, she sighed. Root should be here with them, not off by herself where she could only get worse.

John bandaged her quickly and helped her put the shirt on. It was giant, probably one of his, and a bright white. Not something she'd usually choose. Giving him a tired smile, she laid down again, closing her eyes.

Despite her stress about Root, Shaw knew she was going to fall asleep. Her side would heal in a couple days, and she'd have a nasty scar since they couldn't stitch it up. She didn't mind. If things went wrong, she'd have a permanent reminder of Root. The car door shut, and she heard the ground crunch beneath John's feet as he walked to the driver's side. Knowing he'd wake her when they arrived in Reyhemer's Hollow, she let herself drift off.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Shaw looked up at the wooden house in front of them. It was larger than she'd expected, but just as old and spooky. She'd expected some ramshackle cabin, but this was a two-story house with an attic. It seemed to glow under the full moon, illuminated even in the middle of the night. Grimacing, she turned to the boys.

"Thoughts?"

Lionel gave her an incredulous look. "No way in hell am I going in there. I want to save Root, but that house is 100 percent haunted."

Shaw glared at him, but she nodded. "Fine. Stay here." She gestured to Harold. "You, too. No offense, but you can't move quickly."

He gave her a grateful smile. "I'm aware of my limitations. Lionel and I will stay in the car. I can try and track my parents' phone again."

"Great." She turned to John. "You game?"

"Always." He squared his shoulders, trying to look confident. His hands trembled. "I'll get my gun."

He went back to the car, walking across the unkempt, brown yard to the dirt road where they'd parked the car. Harold and Lionel followed him, but Shaw stayed where she was, looking back up at the house. Her instinct was telling her to go inside, almost pushing her feet forward, but she fought against it. She needed back-up. Root would be lost forever if Shaw died.

She looked around at the sprawling fields that surrounded the house. Everything looked blue in the light of the full moon, eerie and empty. There was nothing else out here, but this old, wooden house. The isolation added to her unease. Was this fear? It wasn't the same as when she was worried about Root, but she still didn't feel entirely calm. The quiet inside her felt heavy, something clawing at its edges.

Root had told them that the talisman was created to lock away Reyhemer's magic, and keep him from reaching it. Was that what she needed? Would the talisman unlock her magic and make her like Root? Shaw licked her lips. Would it release her emotions? She wasn't sure that she wanted that. Despite her limitations, she liked who she was, and she knew that Root loved her the way she was.

At least Root didn't have the book anymore. She'd left it behind in the car when she'd disappeared. Shaw still couldn't read it, but now it couldn't cause Root anymore harm. Maybe if they were seperated, Root's magic would be weakened and she'd be able to think more clearly. Shaw could hope. She'd locked it in the trunk of the car, deciding it was best not to bring it near the talisman, just in case.

John appeared beside her and handed her a handgun. She tucked it into the back of her jeans, not bothering to cover it with her shirt. There was no one out here to say anything. Giving John a tight smile, she started toward the house.

The porch creaked under their weight, loud in the silence of the country. They walked up to the front door, and Shaw tried the handle. It was unlocked, but she had to push it with all her strength to open it. It seemed impossibly heavy, and the hinges screamed from disuse. She winced and gave it a last shove before walking inside. It was pitch black and she pulled her phone out, turning her flashlight on.

It barely did anything. The house was empty, and the light couldn't reflect on anything. She stepped further in and the light hit a wall. Another light lit a set of stairs and she looked over her shoulder to see John holding his phone up as well. This house was filled with the same bad energy as Root's house. Her skin crawled at the feeling.

Her instinct tugged at her feet, trying to pull her down into the ground. She rolled her shoulders back, skin crawling, and shone the light around the room. There were a few doors, but one seemed to call to her. Hurrying to it, she pushed it and it swung open easily, as if it weighed nothing. There was another room on the other side and she took a deep breath before walking inside.

"Did you hear that?" John asked nervously. His light swung around. "I swear I just heard a voice."

Shaw looked over her shoulder back to the living room. He was standing with his back to her, scanning the room slowly with his light. She listened for a moment, but the house was silent. A wind blew through warped wooden walls.

"No," she breathed. "I didn't hear anything."

He glanced at her with wide eyes and then jumped. "There it is again!"

She didn't want to discount him. The house was definitely full of magic. "Well," she tried, "what is it saying?"

"It sounds like you," he whispered. He pulled his gun out and pointed it at her. "It's saying that you're an imposter."

"John," Shaw warned him, eyes narrowing, "don't be an idiot. Why is a disembodied voice going to tell you the truth? I'm standing in front of you."

He hesitated, adjusting his grip on his gun. "I don't know. It sounds just like you."

She could see a faint red glow about him now. Her stomach turned, knowing that Root was near. They had to find the talisman before she did. Shaw took a deep breath.

"Does it know that you're wearing Lionel's striped underwear because you didn't pack any?" she asked. "Or that you're the little spoon? Or that the three of you want to be spies?"

He blinked, and the red light dissipated. Sighing, he lowered his gun. "Ok, you're right. Sorry." He smiled at her, raising his eyebrows. "You wouldn't want to be a spy?"

"Maybe," she snorted. Her stomach was still hurting and she knew they weren't out of trouble yet. Turning back to the new room, she took a deep breath. "I'm kind of thinking about a quiet life after this."

"Yeah," John agreed. "That would be nice."

She walked further into the room and her light landed on a shimmering patch of floor. The wooden floorboards ended in splinters, revealing a basement flooded with water. Shaw's instinct was practically screaming in her mind telling her to go down there. She shook her head.

"I'll be damned. I need that bathing suit after all."

Ten minutes later, Shaw was back in the room wearing her bathing suit. John stood beside her, holding her dry clothes. They stared down into the water for a moment, trying to decide if this was really a good idea. Shaw shrugged and handed him her phone.

"If I'm not back up in two minutes, take the others back home."

"We're not leaving you here, Shaw." John frowned at her. "If you don't come back up, I'm going in after you."

Shaw thought again about how she'd just stumbled into this group of friends. Harold had walked her to class that first day, Root had sat in front of her, and then they'd just fallen into friendship. Maybe they'd all ended up in this place because of Greer, and their parents, and the magic, but they became friends on their own. Shaw knew she was incredibly lucky to have met them all.

Harold and John had been keeping Root alive since middle school, and Shaw was just stepping up to the plate. They loved her. Shaw pulled out her ponytail, so she didn't have to look at John. They cared about Shaw, too.

Quickly tying her hair into a bun, she gave John a thumbs up and stepped into the water, sinking into the basement. It was warm, and comfortable, like the lake in the forest before Root had boiled it. She could hear the voice now, her own, telling her that John would try to drown her. It told her that this was a bad idea. She should leave.

The voice felt safe, and familiar. It was quiet for a moment, and Shaw shook her head, trying to get her bearings in the dark water. A soft red light wrapped around her, and then the voice sounded like Root. It asked for her help, asked her to go home. Root begged her to get back in the car and drive away.

Shaw ignored the voice. The only good thing about Root being so angry right now was that Shaw knew she would never beg. Root had never begged for anything. She really was the strongest person Shaw knew, and getting this talisman was the right thing to do. The red light dimmed and Shaw looked around the flooded basement.

A line of light caught her eye and she swam to it, keeping her hands moving in front of her to avoid running into anything. When she got closer, she could see three long wooden boards nailed to the wall, white light peeking between them. Reaching out, she gripped one as best she could, lifting her feet to rest on either side of it and pulled.

It gave a little bit and she pulled again. After a bit of tugging, it stuck in place, not moving at all anymore. She glared at it before remembering Norway and how she'd snapped her ziptie. Closing her eyes, she found that quiet place inside of her and let it fill her. Yanking backwards, she ripped the board from the wall, shooting back into the room.

She dropped it, opening her eyes. There was a window underneath, still mostly covered by the other two boards. A strange white light streamed through into the room. It was impossible light; there was nothing on the other side of this wall but the ground that the basement was sunk into. Still, something shown through.

Her lungs started to protest and she turned around to swim back up. Something sparkled against the far wall and she swam toward it, squinting against the darkness. The light from the window to nowhere was hitting the wall, forming a fuzzy picture. Her lungs tightened and she swam up to get her breath.

Bursting through the surface, she gasped, sucking in air. John was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the floorboards, shining his light into the water. He stared at her expectantly.

"Was that Root's magic?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm ok, though."

"Did you see anything?"

"Yeah," she breathed, treading water. "There's a window. I'm going back down."

She took a deep breath and dove back down into the dark water, heading straight for the window. It didn't take her too long to pull the other boards down, and then the light from the window was pouring through, straight to the wall. Taking a moment to surface and take another breath, she swam to the wall, looking at what the light was shining on it.

It was still out of focus, a smattering of blurred dots and lines. Annoyed, she swam upwards again. John had put her clothing down and he leaned forward when she emerged.

"What?" he asked, eyebrows drawing down. "What's wrong?"

"The window is shining light on the wall, but it's really out of focus," she told him. "I can't see it. It's too dim."

He looked around the room, eyes landing on something at the far wall. "There's another window there." He pointed above her head. "It's boarded up, too."

She turned in place and saw a window that lined up with the one underwater. Hurrying to it, she tried to find purchase to climb up and get to it. The water lapped up against the wall, leaving her nowhere to stand. Her hands slid useless against slick, wooden walls.

The red light appeared again, filling the water. Something grabbed Shaw's ankle, pulling her downwards. She scrambled to grab something on the walls and keep herself above the surface, but the pull was too strong. Then, she heard Root's voice again. It told her to hurry. It told her to open the window.

The voice stopped and Shaw was suddenly yanked underwater. A hand reached into the water above her and she grabbed it, letting John pull her up. Her helped her back onto the floorboards and she fell onto her back.

"Well," she panted. "Fuck."

The room darkened again as the light disappeared. Something didn't feel right about the magic. It was definitely working against them, but something about it was different. The last voice had felt like Root, the real Root. It was an encouraging voice. A thump sounded on the outside of the house and John jumped.

"What was that?" he asked, shining his light on the wall.

"I don't know," she answered, "but let's not stick around to find out. I need to get that board off."

She climbed to her feet and stared up at the window. After a moment, John lowered his phone and moved to kneel beside the wall. He held his clasped hands out flat.

"Try jumping. If you miss, you'll just land in the water."

Nodding, she went to him. Carefully placing a foot in his hands, she measured the distance to the window with her eyes. The last time they'd done this, he'd been boosting her out a window and she'd landed on Harold's shovel and almost died. Hopefully this time would go better.

Bouncing a couple of times, she leapt forward and John pushed her upwards with surprising strength. Her fingers managed to land on the windowsill, and she hung there, swinging from her jump. The antagonistic voice returned, whispering that she was going to die here. It reminded her that Root had almost drowned, almost died, getting her magic.

"Shut up," Shaw muttered. "I'm not going to die."

With a groan of effort, she got her forearm on the sill, and lifted herself up enough to get her fingers around the board. This window had only one wide board, so she only had to get it right once. She lifted her legs to the windowsill, her feet slipping on the thin shelf. Grabbing both sides of the board with her hands, she pulled, using her weight to help her.

The board came off too easily and Shaw fell backwards, tossing it aside before she hit the water. Pain shot through her stomach and she felt her bandage peel away. She kicked her way to the surface to get her breath, pressing one hand to her wound.

The full moon shone through the window, stars clear around it. Shaw looked into the water, saw the glow of the light on the wall and took a deep breath. She swam back down, keeping her hand against her side. The dots and lines made sense now, a star chart shining onto the wall. She stopped in front of it, slowly drawing patterns in the water to keep herself in place.

The chart showed familiar constellations and clusters, Canis Minor, Libra, Orion. Something was missing, though, and she leaned forward, trying to figure out what it was. Her lessons with her father came back to her, and she realized that this was why he had taught her about the sky. This was her puzzle to solve.

Her eyes landed on Ursa Major, the Big Dipper, and followed it upwards to Ursa Minor. There was the mistake. The North Star was missing. It was her favorite, because even though it wasn't the brightest, it was the most useful. It pointed to true north, steady and reliable. She took her hand off her wound and touched the empty space with a bloody finger.

The water heated rapidly as the star chart glowed red, lighting the water with dark light. It was the same color as Shaw's eyes, and her magic. Something pushed against her finger and she pulled it back, watching as a crystal heart emerged from the wall. It was dark, dark red, but still bright and warm. It hung in the water in front of her.

The red light of Root's magic swirled around her and she knew she had to take this talisman before Root got to it. She reached out, thinking about the pain she'd felt the last time she'd held a crystal heart. Bracing herself, she took it carefully, but there was no pain. Soft, calm heat ran through her veins, filled her bones, raised the hair on her neck. Knowing what she had to do, Shaw moved it to her chest and it entered her easily.

White light filled her mind and she suddenly found herself in a different place. She was standing in the driveway of a house she didn't recognize, watching as her parents strapped her into a carseat. Walking around the car, Shaw saw another kid on the other side and looked into the window. It was Root, already strapped in.

Her younger self was fighting against her parents, angry and upset. Root reached across the car, putting her tiny hand on Shaw's forearm, only for it to be snatched away. Even at five years old, Shaw had a glare that could kill.

Her parents finally got her strapped in and they got on the road. Despite being in motion, Shaw watched the scene continue. Root was crying, trying again and again to hold her best friend's hand, but the younger Shaw refused. She turned away as much as she could, staring out the window.

The memory was coming back now, feeling like the nightmares that she had most nights. Root had pulled her hair at breakfast, ruining the nice braid that Shaw's mother had done for her. It had made Shaw so angry, that she hadn't spoken to Root for the rest of the morning. She was only a year older, but it felt like a long time.

Root started screaming, her little four-year-old legs kicking against her carseat. Shaw's father turned around in his seat to give her a calming smile. He held his hands up, speaking slowly. The words were jumbled, lost to time. Whatever he said didn't work, and Root kicked her feet into the back of his chair.

The car flipped, tail coming off the ground like it weighed nothing. The roof crunched as it hit the asphalt. Shaw could remember it now. No one had gotten hurt, but Root's parents had shown up and taken her away. That was the last time they saw each other. Shaw's parents had moved her to New York, and they'd started taking trips abroad. They'd take trips for eight years, until the day they left Shaw behind and never came home.

The memory ended abruptly and Shaw gasped. Water filled her lungs painfully, and she struggled to swim upwards. Hands closed around her upstretched arms and hauled her upwards. When she'd surfaced, she started coughing. The hands pulled her out of the water, laying her on her side so she could get all the water out. After a moment, she could breathe again and she sat up slowly.

John was kneeling beside her, his shirt soaked through. He shined the flashlight in her face for a second, then put it down to help her sit up. Shaw panted, breathing hard. Her heart was racing, but other than that she didn't feel too different. She still felt calm and quiet inside, no sudden rush of emotions. Laughing, she ran her hands over her face, pushing away stray hair.

"I'm still me," she told John. "I'm ok."

He smiled in relief, sitting back. "Good. I can't handle you being crazy, too."

"Root's not crazy," Shaw said, laying on her back and staring up at the ceiling. "No more than usual, anyway."

"True." He looked down into the water. "I saw Root's magic again. Did it get the talisman?"

"No. I got it. I know why we were split up as kids now." She sighed. "We had magic, then, because we were together. Imagine four-year-old Root with magic. She was a cute kid. I found some photos. I'll show you when we get home."

He smiled at her, leaning back on his hands. "I'd love to see them. I'm glad she didn't get the talisman. I'm not exactly sure what it would have done, but it probably wouldn't have been good."

"No," she agreed. "It would not have been."

"Do you have magic now?"

Shaw held her hands up, looking them over. They looked the same, but Root hadn't been different right away. She snapped a finger and a small black flame danced above her thumb. Grinning, she gave John a thumbs up, and he rolled his eyes at her.

"That took Root forever to do," Shaw bragged. "I'm a natural."

"A black flame." He smiled. "It's very you."

She glared at him, dropping her hand. Thinking for a moment, she made a wind, swirling it under her back and letting it lift her to her feet. When she was standing, she pumped her fist excitedly.

"I'm going to get a soccer scholarship now for sure." Putting her hands on her hips, she smiled down at him. "I can't tell you how good I feel. Like I'll never be tired again. I'm not even hungry."

"That makes one of us," he grumbled standing. He picked up her clothing and handed them to her. "Get dressed, so we can get out of this house. Your eyes are even creepier in the dark."

She dressed quickly, her jeans sticking to her damp skin. Taking her hair down, she looked down into the water. The star chart was gone now, and there was no light from the window. She must have broken the spell when she took the talisman. When she was dressed, he held out her gun, but she put her hand up.

"Keep it. I don't need it anymore."

"Are you sure?" he asked her, hesitating. "Are you faster than the other people with guns?"

Shaw apparated to his other side before his sentence was done. She wasn't exactly sure how it had happened, but it had. She'd thought about it, and suddenly she was somewhere else. It had been easier than thought. Was this what it was like for Root? Root's magic was so volatile and wild.

"Keep your gun," she said, startling him. "The only person I'm worried about is Root."

He nodded solemnly and held the gun loosely in his hand. Picking up his phone, he started out of the room. She followed,picking her own phone up off the ground and fighting the urge to just fly out of the house. Her body hummed with energy and power. If this is what Root felt all the time, then Shaw could understand why it was tearing her apart.

She thought about the difference between them. Root was so emotional, always reacting strongly and impulsively. Shaw wasn't like that at all. It was her decisions that guided her. Being friends with Root, forgiving her, kissing her, loving her. Shaw was pretty sure that Root had liked her from day one, and loved her pretty soon after.

Maybe that's why their magic was so different. Shaw had gotten the calm part of their magic, and Root had the intense, emotional part. If there was a way to split it, let Shaw bear some of the wildness and Root could hold some of the calm, then they'd be ok. She just needed to convince Root to give her her heart.

The irony made Shaw smile as they stepped out of the house and into the night. Lionel and Harold sat in the car, the overhead light on as they used Harold's computer. John started toward them, pulling his gun from where he'd tucked it into the back of his jeans.

Root was still inside her magic, but she responded to Shaw. Maybe she'd respond even more now that Shaw had access to her powers. Looking up at the full moon, Shaw knew that they'd make it. It would take them a long time to be good again, but it would happen. She and Root were two halves of a whole. They were meant to be.