The Iron Witch

One

It all started with a party.

That's what Donna Underwood would tell herself in the days that followed. If only she hadn't let Nav talk her into going with him, then maybe everything would be different. Maybe things wouldn't have gotten quite so bad.

But Donna was a total pushover when it came to her bestfriend, Navin Sharma. All be had to do was gaze at her mournfully with those big brown eyes and she'd gladly follow him into hell.

Or in this case, into a strange house filled with a bunch of kids who thought she was the world's biggest freak. Which was pretty much the same thing.

It was hardly her idea of a fun way to spend Saturday night in Ironbrige, especially not when most of this crowd was still attending the high school she had been kicked out of last year.

But Navin was determined to attend the "hottest party" this side of Thanksgiving, and he had been equally determined that she should go with him.

This would be more than just a regular gathering, he'd assured her gleefully; it was a major event organized by some guy who'd graduated from Ironbrige High and already dropped out of college.

His parents were disgustingly loaded--and on vacation--and the party had been talked about for weeks. Apparently, everyone would be there.

Which was exactly what she was afraid of.

Once inside, Donna grabbed the first opportunity to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. She found a dark corner of the living room and leaned awkwardly against the wall, fiddling with her silver scarf.

With her embroidered blue jeans, black and silver T-shirt, and long, black velvet gloves, she looked a lot more sparkly than she felt.

It didnt help that she'd already begun the day unsettled and jittery, woken by the familiar weight of cold dread. The dreams always left her that way.

Earlier that evening, she and Navin had jumped off the bus at Central Station and set off in the direction of the Grayson townhouse.

As the city closed in around them, all energy and iron, Donna had felt the thump power beneath her feet. Her adrenaline spiked, and her accompanying rush of blood left her light headed.

Her iron-laced hands and arms throbbed in unison to the beat of the city's heart. And she knew that if she wanted to, she could shatter the bones of Navins hand without breaking a sweat.

Donna was marked by magic. And not just any magic, but an ancient alchemical magic that had lain hidden behind legends for centuries.  Yet knowing what she could do did not make her feel powerful or special, like she was.

All it did was make her feel completely and utterly alone.

But she wasn't alone tonight; she was letting Navin pull her through the streets while trying to pretend she wasn't completely terrified.

Her fingers curled reflexively inside her favorite gloves as she resisted the temptation to flee.

"Stop being so cranky, Underwood. You're just nervous." Navin could barely keep amusement out of his voice. He patted the back of her head before releasing her.

Donna scowled. "What the hell have I got to be nervous about?" Navin gave her his best "duh" look. She punched him playfully on the shoulder, harder than she intended to.

Her gloves might hide her tattoos--those strange symbols she refused to show even to Navin--but they did nothing to hide how strong she really was...just one of those many secrets she was forced to keep.

"Oow! Take it easy, Wonder Girl." Navin rubbed his biceps, then flexed it to show off his impressive lack of muscle.

"Sorry." Donna couldn't resist grinning. Navin was such an idiot sometimes...

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Hey guys! Im so sorry I took forever to update this...but I'll update more..soon.

-Jazz