Aurora sat at the table with her new friends, they were enjoying a nice dinner that Fayza had prepared for them. Tonight would be her last night in Accensamque Gemmas, she spent a total of five days here and she was having the time of her life. Whether it be meandering about the library, having Arzit throw different projectiles at her in order to "test" her skills, or watching Alejandro turn diamonds into tequila-which he insisted they drink- she enjoyed herself thoroughly.

"Has anyone died by revealing too much about the city?" Alejandro asked unwittingly. He was the newest member of the federation so naturally he would be curious.

"Yeah." Fayza nodded casually not thinking much of his question.

"Really?"

"It doesn't happen that often." Lujain explained rubbing her chin. "However, there are some people who can't keep their mouths shut."

"You're one to talk," Fayza snorted. "You brought a complete stranger down here-no offense Aurora-"

Aurora held up her hands as if to say "fair".

"That's because I know nothing will happen to me, if I knew I would die for so much as whispering the existence of this place I wouldn't even bother leaving the city! I'll deal with the vitamin D deficiency, thank you very much." Lujain snorted.

"Where did you guys get branded?" Aurora asked looking to the three alchemists bashfully.

Fayza inched closer and lifted her hair out of the way revealing her right ear. Aurora leaned over and saw right behind her ear was the Ouroboros, it wasn't crimson like Arzit's; it was black.

"Since we're not of the original tribe our brandings are black, it shows that we are members of the federation."

Alejandro stood from his seat and began to remove his shirt.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Aurora gasped, as his toned chest came into view.

"You said you wanted to see!" He laughed.

She looked up and found that his branding sat on his right pectoral.

"Hey I got mine in the same place!" Lujain exclaimed excitedly and proceeded to unbutton her shirt just enough to slide it off her right shoulder exposing her bra with the Ouroboros sitting on her right pectoral just above her breast.

"Oooo, kinky." Alejandro winked.

"Baby you know it!" Lujain returned the gesture.

"Ugh, will you two stop being disgusting." Fayza scuffed.

Lujain chucked shaking her head. "It's all just good fun, sorry Alejandro but I prefer older men. You're like what 21?" Lujain asked while buttoning her shirt back up.

"Sì!"

"Yeah sorry buddy but your my little sister's age."

"Oh come on you're not that much older than him? Lulu you're like what 24?" Fayza interjected.

"Yes, turned 24 this past September."

"What's a three year difference?"

"In my book an eternity…"

"Why did you decide to get it done there?" Aurora asked, bringing them back to the original topic at hand.

"I thought it was a good idea, also not many people are going to see it so that just eliminates the risk of someone on the surface asking me about it."

"Oh…"

"So do you have any tattoos?"

"Ugh…" Aurora began to blush.

"Oh my god! You have one don't you?!"

Aurora didn't honor her accusation with a response. She would prefer not to show them her hip. It was embarrassing enough that Draco had already seen it. Aurora had intended for her tattoo be hidden from all eyes and the only people that new about it were Ramona and Malvina. But alas, thanks to Wyatt's doggedness, she ended up getting trashed and subsequently Draco got a good look at it.

"I want to see! Veamos aquí!"[1] Alejandro seemed to be a bit more excited than he was a moment a go.

"No!" Aurora crossed her arms.

"Das not fair!" He exclaimed. "I showed you mine, now you show me yours!"

"Yeah, come on Aurora! Let's have a look."

"Guys, I would really prefer not too…" She groaned, but finally gave in after realizing that they weren't going to give in. She stood up sighing and shaking her head and revealed her ink stained hip.

"Why a scorpion?" Fayza asked.

"I figured it fit, my astrological sign is Scorpio."

"Oh, I like this." Alejandro nodded in approval.

"Great, now that we got that covered…" Aurora sat back down.

"Ever think about getting more tattoos?" Lujain asked.

Aurora paused for a moment, "not really, why?" She said carefully.

"Nothing, sometimes I contemplate getting another tattoo but I'm not sure what it would be."

"It should be of my face." Alejandro suggested with mock earnest.

"Yeah, you can put it on your right ass cheek." Fayza interjected eliciting laughter from everyone.

Aurora looked around the room. It was amazing how she was able to make new friends in this outlandish place in such a short amount of time. She had an inkling of where she wanted to go next but her mind wasn't entirely set on her next excursion. One thing was for sure though, she was definitely going to keep in touch with these three.

XXXX

Aurora stood outside the high iron gate looking up at the multiple towers that protruded from the vast Victorian building that was Metis Academy. The last time she was here she was a newly graduated student, her parents came to that ceremony…Oh well who cares, best not to think of them, for once she was finally doing what she wanted and hell she was having a darned good time!

Stepping forward she pressed the button on the intercom that was built in the brick wall that the gate was hinged to.

"State your business." Said a lazy voice.

"I am here to see Madam Laveau." Aurora spoke holding down the button.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No-I'm a former student…"

"Name?"

"Aurora Pontellier."

"One moment please."

Aurora waited a few moments bouncing on the balls of her feet, kicking the snow absentmindedly. She wanted to visit her old head mistress before she left Boston. Aurora smirked remembering her last memory of her. It was on graduation day and Madam Laveau slapped her on the shoulder and told her to "kick major ass" at college, and not to become too dependent on her wand, God how that woman hated wands.

"Miss Pontellier?" Voice sounded again.

Aurora leaned forward and pressed the button once more. "Yes?"

"Madam Laveau will see you now."

With a soft crackling noise the voice vanished and the gate opened with a loud creak. She stepped inside the premises to find a woman about her age waiting for her.

"Welcome back Aurora." She greeted her with a gentle smile.

"It's good to be back Calpurnia." Aurora walked over to her and gave her a hug.

Calpurnia was Madam Laveau's niece.

"Come, Marie is waiting for you."

"How has she been?" Aurora asked following Calpurnia into the building and up the spiral staircase that lead to the head's office.

"Oh you know same old, same old. Still a crabby hag." Calpurnia let out a chuckle.

"That's not fair, she may be over a century old but she doesn't look a day over 40." Aurora laughed as they climbed up the second set of stairs.

"Regrettably, crabby and vain!"

Aurora shook her head and they moved on to the third flight of stairs.

"Well here we are," Calpurnia began. "I have to get going, the library needs to be reorganized. One of the girls thought it was a good idea practice pyromancy there and, well I'm sure can imagine how that ended.

Aurora chuckled and turned facing forward placing her hand on the door knob, she took a deep breath and entered. Almost immediately Aurora saw a shiny object flying towards her, she dug her heels into the wood floor and threw her hand up and halted the projectile at once. She looked up to find another object flying towards her again she repeated the motion and stopped it as well, a third object was thrown, Aurora wasn't fast enough. Something sharp grazed her face and it hit the door with a thud. She looked back and found a throwing knife stuck in the wooden door, she lost control of the objects that were levitating causing them to fall with a loud clank, throwing stars, what the hell? Aurora felt hot liquid stream down her face, she held her hand to her cheek; she was bleeding.

"You've gotten rusty child." Said the domineering voice of Marie Catherine Laveau.

"Did you really just throw actual weapons at me?" Aurora asked mildly outraged.

"Watch it." Marie's voice had a dangerous edge to it.

This silenced Aurora immediately, she could honestly say that Madam Laveau was the scariest woman she had ever met in her entire life. The extent of her powers seemed limitless.

"I'm just saying, what if one of those had hit me?"

The headmistress smirked. "If you had died it wouldn't have been a big deal. I would have fixed it, no problem."

"Madam, you know necromancy is illegal."

"And since when did I ever abide by the rules of that joke of a government? If you want to go kiss their ass go join The Holy Sisters of Salem." She spat.

Marie Laveau's dislike for the magical government was legendary, says their rules were restrictive and biased. She believed that there shouldn't even be a magical government. But she hated The Sisters of Salem even more. They were a community of witches who were known for bribing government officials and credited themselves for having "superior" magic, but all knew that their magic was stolen from the great Tituba herself, during the days of the Salem witch trails. They had barely scratched the surface of true magical potential. Tituba had never revealed the full extent of her powers to those horrid Muggle girls. The community deserved it after what they've done to her, ripping her from her native home and degrading her become a slave. A powerful witch being reduced to a Muggle's slave, despicable!

Tituba was actually Marie's mentor, she taught her everything she knew about voodoo, concilium, descensum, teleportation, pyromancy, telekinesis, divination, and necromancy. Last Aurora had heard was that she was alive and well and was currently living in her native home of Barbados.

"What brings you here?"

"I thought I'd stop by for a visit."

"Did you enjoy your time in Accensamque Gemmas?"

"How did you know-"

"Do you honestly think that Arzit would have let you her in city without checking out your history?"

Aurora opened her mouth to retort but Marie held her hand up.

"Yes she allowed you to stay, but she came to me for a background check on you. I hope you know that she was planning on disposing you if she saw something she didn't like."

"What?!" Aurora was aghast. "She was planning on killing me-"

"No, even though that is her usual go to method. Just look at all those people who work for her, if they so much as utter a whisper they literally choke and die." She leaned back in her chair. "I actually like her method, considered using it for this academy but killing babies such as yourselves is unethical. Anyway, had you not been one of my former students, yes, she would have killed you but since you are and I assured her that you don't have a loose tongue."

"And if I…uhm didn't fit the bill?"

"Memory modification, and you probably would have been dropped off here.

"I see."

"Let's go." Marie stood from her desk and walked up to Aurora. "If I remember correctly, you used to spend a lot of time at the coffee house down the street."

Aurora nodded.

"Coffee is on me. I want to hear why you ran away from home."

Aurora looked shell shocked. "How did you-"

"Arzit."

"Of course."

"But first-"Marie reached into her pocket for a vial filled with clear liquid, she dabbed her finger with it and gently rubbed the cut on Aurora's face. Aurora felt her skin head up has the skin quickly mended itself.

"I don't want you bleeding on my new floors."

Marie gently grabbed Aurora by the elbow and ushered her out the office. She had much to talk about with her former student.

[1]: "Let us see.