On the day that changed everything, they were slumped across the comfortable couches in Kareena’s living room as usual, though today their conversation was anything but.

“You know that’s when I’m holding my birthday party. Eighteen is a big deal, especially for me,” Veronica threw a cushion at where their friend Zevesh was sitting opposite her. Her lip pooched out as she tried to guilt trip him. “You can’t miss it, Zee.”

Kareena nudged her friend. Veronica pulled her short legs up to her chest, wrapped her arms around them and dropped her chin to her knees. Her mousey brown bob hid her face.

“It’s not my fault,” Zee countered. He lowered the book he’d been holding and leaned back into the sofa. His t-shirt rode up, hinting at a strip of brown skin. “I told you last week, my stupid cousin has been sent to stay with us and now he’s somehow my responsibility. Attending a party won’t help.”

Veronica glanced to the floor as she hugged her legs tighter. She looked tiny and lost, her skin blending into the cream sofa.

“I heard your cousin got sent away for hurting his tutor,” Kareena tried to change the topic. She hated it when Veronica got upset. “How are you supposed to be responsible for stopping that kind of thing?”

“Magic?” Zee clicked the fingers of his left hand. Orange sparks fizzed upwards like miniature fireworks.

“Urgh,” Veronica threw herself flat onto her back. Her soft cotton dress pulled up over her knees. “You two and your magic. Like it’s the answer to everything.”

Kareena felt the familiar flush of disappointment. Her own grasp of magic was like a feeble torch compared to Zee’s super bright nuclear glow. Then there was Veronica, born into a magical family with no talent of her own. Kareena shouldn’t feel bad, not really, not compared to Veronica.

“The way my parents were talking about him, you’d think cousin Rajesh was the second coming.” Zee mimicked his father’s lilting second generation British-Indian accent. “Oh, he’s the best caster I’ve seen. The way he can control energy.”

“You’re just used to being the strongest of all the families,” Veronica said from her position lying back staring up at the ceiling.

“Cousin Zevesh is the strongest? Really?” A new voice interrupted.

Kareena twisted in her seat to stare at the newcomer, obviously Rajesh. A touch shorter than Zee, but then, most people were, he had the same thick dark hair, the same annoyingly attractive cheekbone/jaw combination, and the same flawless skin a shade darker than her own. What was different to her best friend was the sneer on his face and the deep red magic spikes circling around his hands. The red spikes formed into daggers.

“Zee!” Kareena shouted at the same time as the newcomer let the spell go.

Zee stretched with boundless grace from his lazy position into a battle stance. He crossed his arms to protect himself as the magic hit him. The daggers melted into his skin, blood welling up in the wounds.

“Huh,” Rajesh tilted his head. “You’re not quite as awful as I was told.”

“Yeah, well you’re much worse of a dick than we were told,” Kareena launched off her couch towards Rajesh, poking him in the chest. “Battle magic is not allowed in my house.”