Melody's Whispers (discontinued for a rewrite)

Beginner's Duel

I sat on the corner watching for any potential victims. Customers. The market was dead. No-one was about. It felt like a bad omen. There weren't any other stands around the place. I decided to cut my losses and return to the stand where Luz had been reading her witch book she loved so much. Something she had from the human realm and probably what she was trying to copy by becoming a witch.
"I haven't made a single snail," I groaned putting my mandolin on the table. "What the hell's happening?"
"I don't know, there must be something horrible happening today." Ma's a tad dramatic if you hadn't noticed.
"Luz! Something amazing is happening today!" I turned my head to see Luz's two friends running towards us with a poster in hand, Willow and I think the boy's name was Augustus. Luz calls him Gus. Kinda cute.
"It's the annual Covention." Willow told us holding up the poster. "Student witches get to see all the types of covens before they're placed in one!" Apparently there's a mystery guest. Luz put it as a job fair for witches, whatever that is. Ma wasn't having ANY of that crap. She stood firm.
"I never joined a coven for a reason!" Ma started. "Sure, it's like a fun club for witches, but you're also giving up your magical independence to be part of a crooked system!" Willow and Gus looked disheartened at her. "But uh, you know, no judgment. Or whatever. In any case I haven't been to one since we were girls." Oop she just spilled some backstory tea. And Luz was soaking that right up.
"We?" I hid my smirk behind my hand. "Who's 'we'. You have a mysterious past. Now we gotta go!" Ma still wouldn't budge. "Okay. Then you leave me no choice." Luz looked down at King on the table who held Luz's story book in hand. He began reading from it. It had such flowery content. It really was awful. Ma opened up the portal door to walk away from King. Luz just threw him in after her.
"stop it, stop it! I will literally do anything to stop this!" So that's how you get Ma to do something, okay.

I'm pretty sure these kids forget that we're kinda criminals and our wanted posters aren't exactly for petty theft. I watched Luz and King struggle to stuff Ma's mass of hair into a tiny cowl to hide her identity just a little. I, on the other hand, had been practicing my illusions.
"what do you think?" I did a little twirl. Short hair tied back to a ponytail, coloured black, a Hexside like uniform to disguise me as a Bard track student. "Emira taught me this, how cool is it?"
"wow! You know illusion magic too?" I smiled at Gus.
"I at least try to."
"You realise if we're seen we could go to jail, again," Ma pointed out.
"Maybe this informative event will inspire you guys to join a coven." I couldn't. I just laughed at Willow or maybe just at Ma pulling her cowl over the poor kid's head.
"Willow I'm literally using illusion magic to pretend I'm in the Bard Track at a school I don't attend... legally." Ma messed up my hair as she passed me.
"Let's get this over with," she groaned.

Luz was mesmerised by the sights. Wasn't anything amazing but I suppose to her everything's new. We wondered through the hall. Gus explained how there were nine main covens plus all the tiny little ones, they're kinda mini branch covens, I guess. I'll admit it was good display of what all the covens were about, certainly wasn't my jam however. It wasn't a comfortable experience. I'm pretty sure Ma was spotted by civilians.
"stop chewing your nails, it's not good for them." Ma tapped my hand telling me off. "You good, Mel? You've been quiet since we came in." I nodded my head.
"this takes A LOT of concentration..." I replied. "Feels weird not being the centre of attention though. And not running away from anyone, even better." Ma wasn't buying my positive attitude and brought up the nail biting again. Reminding me of the coat of polish I had on them. I shrugged her off, really trying to ignore her questions.
"you're stressed and using a lot of magic. Don't go over doing it." Luz cut us off asking why we never joined a coven before.
"Mean I'm still a minor I don't have to make a decision for another couple years," I told her. "Though school aged students are encouraged to study only one type of magic to prepare them for a coven you don't HAVE to choose a coven until graduation." I paused to look around. A sense of dread came over me out of nowhere making me feel sick to the stomach. "Some students decide to join covens at events like this..."
"watch carefully Luz," Ma pointed over to an older student signing himself for the illusion coven. "When you join a coven all your other magic is sealed away. From now on that kid will only be able to make illusions. Since I never joined a coven, I can do every kind of magic." Ma flashed a small hint of different magics. "That's why I'm the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles."
"Don't get a big head about it," I muttered under my breath as she began walking away. Her showing different kinds of magic was nerve racking. Was she trying to blow our cover.
"You okay, Melody?" I turned to Willow. "You look a bit pale." I nodded. Not convincing anyone.
"I'm fine. I'll just sleep for the next forty eight hours straight and I'll be right as rain." I really wasn't convincing anyone.
"just relax, okay." I smiled weakly at her. How could I relax in a situation like this?