When the storm comes, my compass always points to me. No matter where I am, it points to me. It reminds me who I am. Who I was. I was reckless with these dangerous powers, and now I’m facing the consequences. I stand before a crowd of Poierks.

“Miss Dawson, you have been accused of gifted ability abuse and endangerment towards innocent lives,” Amir, leader of the Poierks says. “We’ve been given video proof of this. Crimes like this usually go off with little more then 10 years of jail time, but this… this is a unique case.”

“Unique case?” I ask him.

“This is the first case in year—milliniums even— where a Poierk has been stupid enough to grant powers to a mere mortal. A mere mortal that, may I add, threatened the livelihoods of Poierks instead of, say, other mortals. Now _that _combination is… well… it’s an execution at that point. An execution to both parties involved,” he smiles slightly. The Poierks are always delighted to have an execute to kill a mortal. They despise mortals.

I pause before exclaiming, “Wait! Why are you punishing Ariyen? I’m the one who committed the crimes!”

“Did he not grant you the powers to commit these crimes?”

I go silent.

“That’s what I thought. A live execution will be held this evening, 4:00 sharp. We’ll hold you in the prison unt-“

I hear the sound of rushing feet. “I won’t let you do that!” Ariyen shouts. “I won’t let you kill Cam. She doesn’t know how to control those powers, it’s not her fault, she’s just a mortal!”

Ariyen. I realize how my stupidity is about to kill the last person left I care for. My stupitdy just got the last person who still had faith left in me sentenced to death alongside me. I’m a moron.