

Book I

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Advertencia Anti-piratería del FBI: La reproducción o distribución no autorizada de una obra protegida por derechos de autor es ilegal. La infracción criminal de los derechos de autor, incluyendo la infracción sin lucro monetario, es investigada por el FBI y es castigable con pena de hasta cinco años en prisión federal y una multa de $250,000.

Seasons Within

Second Edition

Copyright © 2016 Alejandra González Iturrioz

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from the author.

This story is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity and are used fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real.

Cover design by Ibet Sakoda

Cover illustration by Joanna Haber

Fire Symbol by Donovan De León

Map by Omar Medina *

www.leleiturrioz.com

ISBN-13: 978-0-9963788-7-1

To:

My Mom

My two amazing brothers,

Jorge and Alvaro

My Dad.

(Group hug!)

City of Nádúr Noc

# Chapter 1

The Dream

DUST. Everything was covered in dust and ashes.

Nádúr Noc, the main city of Terra, was once beautiful and full of life. Not like that night, the night the darkness descended from the far land of Ifreann.

Now, the round city of Nádúr Noc was dark, burned, and destroyed.

Trees were no longer big and full of different bright green and golden colors. The river Enosi, a stream that surrounded the city with its calm crystalline water, was now a rapid of blood and death. As for the sky, once bright and blue, it was now filled with dark smoke so thick, it made it nearly impossible to see the remains of the Zansèt Palace; a magnificent castle in the middle of the city made of pearls, flowers, rocks, and vines.

On that night, there was no music and laughter. The only things anybody could hear were screams and the desolate pleas of the inhabitants. Fear, pain, and unimaginable loss.

This city wasn't the ruins of any ordinary war; it was the ruins between the light side of nature and the darkest of evils. Beasts and other horrendous creatures destroyed everything that they came across, killed everyone in sight. Soulless creatures who lived to torture. Answering to no one, no one except Him, the one who owned the darkness. The one who hell itself was afraid of.

On the outskirts of Nádúr Noc, across river Enosi, four of the elite warriors of Terra stood above the city on a grassy knoll. They watched as their sacred city burned to ashes. One of those men was Hans; a tall, muscular, man with electric blue eyes, bushy blond beard, and a bear's claw scar down his neck and chest. Hans was no ordinary warrior. At the early age of twenty-seven, he was an outstanding earth wielder and the youngest leader the Elder Clan ever had. He was also the one in charge of ensuring the survival of their one last mission.

That night, Hans carried a brown forty pound bundle. The cargo's value was far greater than all the riches of the world, as it was the world itself that depended on its survival.

"We are late," cried a taller bald warrior.

"We are, but we can still make it," said Nobu, a shorter, more muscular Asian man with two Koi tattoos on his left shoulder.

"Look at it." The bald warrior pointed out at the ongoing war.

Houses burning, people running, beasts and fire destroying everything at their will. His body might've been rock solid, but his hand was shaking. "It's impossible to reach the palace. There has to be another way."

"There isn't. Our only hope is getting to the castle," Nobu explained.

Hans looked around in all directions. In addition to surrounding the city, the river Enosi had ten equally spaced creeks that flowed from the river's bank, inwards, to the central plaza. "We'll go through one of the river's creeks to reach the plaza. From there we'll have a short distance to the palace," he said. "Get ready."

As the warriors prepared to cross the waters into the city, the fourth warrior asked, "Is it true? Is He really here?" Each syllable trembling with fear. There was a moment of silence. The answer was obvious, as was the dread of speaking it out loud.

Finally, Hans stared at his entrusted cargo. "He was the first to arrive. He needs to make sure we don't succeed." Hans gave Nobu a nod. The soldiers descended the hill, and in the stealth-like manner they were trained for, ran through the tall grass until they reached the Enosi's river bank. Nobu walked to the water's edge and raised his hand in the direction of the thrashing bloody water.

The water began to churn, eventually opening to create a hollow circle between the bottom of the river and its surface. Once the waters were under his control, Nobu walked down the water cave into the river followed by Hans and the rest of the warriors.

As they walked undetected inside the water tunnel, the beasts continued shattering the bodies of all in their sight. The thick smell of iron and blood clung to their lungs as they choked their last breaths.

With a calculated pace, the group of men arrived at the base of the central plaza. Nobu slowly moved his hand through the air allowing a small portion of water to leak into the tunnel around their feet. Hans checked to make sure the dry bundle was cradled securely in one arm, preparing himself for his swimming ascent. The creek flooded, lifting the warriors up as the water levels rose towards the plaza's ledge.

With the water almost at the top, Hans and the rest climbed up to the central plaza. A place where there were once dozens of jewels encrusted on the floors, smiling people, and flowers all around, was now replaced by corpses, blood, ruins, and stench. A place that separated the bank of the ten creeks and Zansèt Palace. Halfway between the creek's bank and the castle stood a burnt tree. Engraved in its trunk were a mix of symbols from every culture known to mankind.

This was known as The First Tree.

With silent ease, the men crept onto the dry land and darted behind some nearby ruins. In the market, the screams were louder, the smell of death grew stronger. People ran in every direction but it was useless, the smoke was so thick, and the beasts were so used to the darkness that their prey never stood a chance.

In the middle of the chaos lay the decaying castle. Its flag, half burned, still waved Nádúr Noc's emblem of the four elements etched on the First Tree.

Out of nowhere, a twelve foot tall, black spider jumped from one of the ruins and landed a few feet away from the group. In all the universe there had never been an abomination like the Skuggor. With red eyes that could see movement even in the darkest place and three scorpion tails so hard and thick they were almost impossible to penetrate, Skuggors were nasty creatures of darkness preying on every living thing. They enjoyed ripping apart their victims and were so fast it was said they could outrun any being ever created.

Undetected by the group, an unusually large Skuggor leaped and grabbed the fourth warrior tearing him into pieces with its tails and teeth. The team ran without looking back, but the beasts were faster. Another creature jumped out of the ashes, only this time, Nobu opened his palm and water flew from his pores. The water spouted and formed three pointy solid daggers. Nobu flicked his hand and shot the daggers into the beast's eyes.

A chilling hiss flew closer to them. "Draak!" screamed the bald warrior with gushing terror seconds before he was taken away. The Draak were horrifying beasts which preyed from the sky. At the height of twenty-five feet, the dragons were made of bones with spikes on their arms, tail, and at the top of their enormous bat wings. Draaks were the most feared creatures. They were also known as death's whisperer since the last thing their victims heard was a soft whisper right before the Draak's claws punctured their skin and took them away.

Hans moved away, lifting his hand and summoning two thick roots from the earth. The roots grabbed the Draak's leg, smashing it against the ground. The beast stood up as if nothing happened and attacked a villager.

"Stay on route!" screamed Hans as he sped up the pace towards the castle.

The warriors' lungs filled with ash, their feet were drenched in blood, but they kept running to the castle.

A third Skuggor ran in their direction and jumped, aiming for Hans. The Skuggor was about to reach him, when SLAM, a ball of fire hit the beast throwing him off target. The Skuggor turned its focus to a young villager with his shaky palm pointed at him. Its red eyes glowed with molten fury as he growled and ripped the young villager's body apart. Another life lost, a willing sacrifice made to ensure the survival of their precious cargo.

With the extra time given by the sacrificing villager, Hans stopped and passed the brown bundle to Nobu. "Whatever you do, don't let them near."

Nobu took the bundle. There was a moment of hesitation, then Hans placed his left hand on Nobu's left shoulder. "Agnosco," he said. Nobu placed his right hand on Hans's right shoulder creating an X and repeated the same words, "Agnosco."

Hans smiled and moved his hand away. "Run, my friend, run."

As instructed, Nobu ran. Hans waved his right palm in both directions and smiled at the beast. The ground cracked until vines and roots climbed out and reached Hans' hand. With a slight movement of his wrist, the vines lifted, creating a tall, thick wall between the warriors and the beasts. Nobu hugged the bundle and ran faster until he heard the horrifying whisper of a Draak followed by the gushing screams of Hans. The vine wall came down with a loud crack, and Nobu knew it was over. The blood in his veins went cold, and his feet stopped moving. There was no way to escape the Skuggor. No one ever had, no one ever would. Not in that realm.

Defeated, Nobu knelt down and unwrapped the bundle. A small six-year-old girl with gray eyes and tangled bright red hair blinked at him.

"Hide here. I'm going to go the other way to draw the Skuggor away from you. When they are gone, you run as fast as you can to the castle." Nobu passed his hand over the girl's hair. "Do you remember where the special entrance is?" The girl nodded. "Good." He smiled, but his eyes remained sad and worried. "No matter what you hear, do not stop running."

Nobu kissed the girl's forehead. "And when you see her again, please tell my daughter I love her," he whispered in her ear before hiding her between the bodies of two fallen villagers.

After quickly making sure the girl wasn't visible, Nobu stood up and ran the other way luring the Skuggor away from the little girl. Once all the creatures were gone, the girl raced toward the castle. Within minutes, the Skuggor had killed Nobu and went on the hunt for her.

She could see it, the secret entrance to the Zansèt Palace, but there was no way to reach it in time. She sat on the ground letting the roots of the First Tree reach out of the concrete to create a barrier around her in order to shield her. She knelt down in the protective fort of roots and caressed one of them. "Thank you" she whispered.

She cleaned the dust off her face with her fists so she could focus better. She was only a child, but there was something about her that felt like an old spirit. To keep herself undetected, she concentrated on her breathing. It was as if she understood everything around her; she was calm and steady, ready to fight if it came to that. She wasn't afraid, she knew what she had to do and acknowledged the fate she would face if discovered.

Pounding footsteps startled her. The sound came from the castle's direction and grew louder and louder as they neared the girl's hiding spot. The First Tree's roots grew bigger to provide her with more coverage. This is it, He found me, she thought. She raised her left palm at the intruder's direction and narrowed her eyes for a better aim.

Shining on her wrist was her birthmark, a Five Fold symbol.

At the moment she was about to attack, a nine-year-old boy, with fierce green eyes and messy light brown hair, stopped her. "Watch it, kiddo! It's me." The girl lowered her hand. Edan knelt in front of her. Trying to calm her, he covered her eyes with his hand and pulled her into a hug with his other one "I'm right here." Edan moved his hand from her eyes, allowing the girl to look up at him. Her strong cold features vanished leaving a scared child who needed someone to hold her.

"That's more like it," he said with a reassuring smile. "Now let's go. She's waiting for you, and we don't have much time out here."

Edan picked up the little girl. He held her steady, her face gently pressed against his chest and he ran as fast as possible. Four of the Skuggor noticed the movement and changed direction. Even at top speed, they couldn't catch up with Edan. They couldn't sense him either.

Edan wasn't running straight; he was bolting in different directions and changing his route as much as possible. It wasn't until he stopped stone cold that the girl knew something was wrong. She prepared herself to fight the beasts, but there were no beasts attacking them. It was Him; the feared one. He stood in front of the thin, muscular boy. The dark figure talked, but the words were muffled since the girl's ears were covered by Edan's chest and arms.

For the first time in her life, the girl couldn't understand what was happening. She'd heard the terrible stories about Him, stories that could send chills of terror to the bravest warrior. And yet, Edan was there, standing without shaking or even blinking his eyes. By the rhythm of his heart and the movements of his body, the girl knew Edan was affected, but it wasn't fear, it was something else, only she couldn't tell what.

Edan whistled a high pitch note. A nearby Skuggor lost control and charged them. Edan grabbed a small crystal with a black powder out of his pocket, back-kicked it towards the Skuggor and, without letting her go, he ducked.

The crystal broke on impact releasing the black powder into the Skuggor's eyes. The beast leapt over Edan's stooped body and attacked Him, giving the boy a small window of time to escape and run to the castle.

Speeding up his pace, the boy arrived at the main gates of the Zansèt Palace and closed them before anyone or anything could get in.

Unlucky for the boy, it took Him a matter of seconds to snap the beast's neck and take off after them. Edan hid behind a column and placed his finger against his lips. The girl remained quiet as instructed. Edan moved against a wall and opened a secret compartment between a series of branches and trees.

They walked between roots and dirt, eventually reaching a room that was not yet touched by darkness. It remained pure and utterly breathtaking. The place was made of petals, vines, precious stones and water. Screams of the torture and death happening outside could not be heard; blood could not be seen. It was the true essence of an intact Nádúr Noc.

"Tanya?" Edan called out. A woman with soft flowing black hair and wide gray eyes came out of one of the doors, ran to the girl and hugged her. "My baby!" She covered the girl with kisses. "My beautiful girl. Thank you, Edan." She smiled and kissed the girl's forehead for a second time. "You are finally here; you made it." Her face changed from happiness to a type of pain so strong that only a mother who'd lost a child could understand. "You made it, but we won't. I'm so sorry."

Tanya moved her hand and branches grew out until they reached her hand. Out of the branches, a small box fell into her palm. Tanya opened the box and took out a vintage silver locket with an engraved "G" in the middle.

Tanya walked behind the girl and opened the chain. The girl moved her hands in circles, and a small gust of wind made her hair curl up into a bun. Tanya clasped the necklace and caressed her neck.

A loud thump was heard against the wall. The screams and cries were now audible inside the room. That only meant one thing: He found them. He was getting closer. "Edan!" Tanya gasped. "Quick!" The little girl's hair fell back down her back, and Tanya lifted her into her arms.

Without wasting time, Edan moved his arms in circles, creating a beautiful bubble of blue fire. The girl clung to her mother's neck. "Sweetie, let go," begged the mother.

"I can't. I don't want to."

"You have to, for all of us." The little girl lowered her arms, and her mother kissed her goodbye before she placed her inside the fire bubble. A heart-breaking moment between a mother and her child, knowing that would be the last time they would see each other. Tanya kissed the girl's nose and gently pressed the locket against the girl's chest. "Never take it off," she said while the fireball closed up.

Once it closed, everything went dark; everything went silent...

Everything...until an alarm clock blared like crazy.

# Chapter 2

A Much Too Ordinary Life

TWELVE YEARS LATER (Present Day, Earth)

THE ALARM BOOMED and sounded until a hand with the Five Fold symbol birthmark reached out of a big blue bundle of blankets and slapped it off the nightstand. "Shut up!" whined the girl inside the bundle as she moved around to unwrap herself, revealing a red-headed eighteen-year-old. Her pale skin contrasted the deep blue sheets, and her wavy bright red hair fell like a waterfall over her shoulders down to her waist.

Her name was G, or at least that's what everyone called her. For twelve years she had been living in the Truckee children's home in Northern California. She had no memory of who she was, where she came from, or how she got there. She only knew that, for some strange reason, she had the same nightmare every night and that no matter what she did, or what she tried, she could never take off her necklace.

The girl opened her gray eyes and stared at the ceiling as she caressed her silver necklace. Her finger ran over the engraved "G" on the locket over and over again.

Sometimes it's dangerous not knowing who you are, what you're capable of, and what future awaits for you, especially when the darkness that slaughtered your entire family and world is about to find you.

* * *

G was still lying on her bed when her worn-out cellphone vibrated. Instead of answering it, she covered her face with her pillow. The noise of the vibration and the light were making her head hurt. As far back as she could remember she had suffered from migraines. When she was little, it was bearable, but the older she got, the stronger the pain became.

G hugged the pillow and turned around, making her hair slide from the back of her neck.

For a second time, the phone rang. G picked it up without looking at the caller ID. "Hey, Priy."

"Wake up, loser!!!" Priyam screamed.

G cringed in pain over the loud shriek, wiggled to her other side and peered at the empty bed next to hers. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"I needed to get your present before your doctor's appointment."

"Priy-" G complained.

"I know," Priyam interrupted, "you hate anything related to birthdays, but it so happens that I don't care."

"Whatever." G remembered the time Priyam crafted a fake driver's license and drove herself all the way to San Diego just because no one was able to take her to Comic-Con. There was no point in arguing with her. "Still, my doctor's appointment isn't until 9."

"It's 8:30," said Priyam. G felt a rush of anxiety course through her veins, leaving her skin tingling.

"No, it's not. I set my alarm for 7." G covered her head with the blanket to block the sunlight.

"You mean the one you smashed while I was leaving the room?"

G quickly looked at her nightstand...nothing. Peeking down to the floor she found it; the alarm clock shattered to pieces. "No! No!"

Priyam laughed over the phone. "I'll meet you in front of the coffee place in five minutes." G hung up and dragged herself to the closet.

Their room was divided in two. Priyam's side was full of color, fabrics, _Lord of the Rings_ collectibles, _Star Wars_ posters, computers, computer gadgets she used for her hacking and programming side jobs, and Hindu decorations. G's side had no decorations except for a wooden closet, dozens of pots with different kind of plants, a bunch of books and a huge window next to her bed.

Outside of the window, surrounded by a fluffy white coat of snow, was the First Tree, only this time it wasn't in her nightmare. It was alive and full of leaves. Over the years, one of the branches of the First Tree grew through her window, into the wall and across half of the ceiling over G's bed. It looked like a protective cocoon, giving her side of the room a rustic, whimsical feeling.

Throwing on her jeans, a t-shirt, and an olive green duffle coat, G left the room and rushed outside.

Truckee was small, even by small-town standards. Some of its best-selling points were the always welcoming town folks and that the town was completely immersed in nature. The place was a mix of houses, roads, and acres of forest. Next to G's children's home was one of the forest sections and, right across it, downtown. Being in a hurry, G took the shortcut through the forest.

A faint crying growl caught G's attention as she skipped over roots and forest shrubs. She stopped a moment of hesitation and looked towards the noise.

From the time she was little, G'd had an extraordinary gift for getting into trouble. When she was eight, she broke her leg after falling from the neighbor's roof while trying to save a crying baby bird; another time, the orphanage had to be evacuated because G shoved a beehive inside the house to keep the bees warm and out of the freezing snow; and last year, it took two nights for the fireman to find her after she got lost trying to help a wounded coyote find his pack. Stop wandering around! Miss Brown, the manager of the children's home, used to scream. But as always, G ignored the old lady's sermon and walked into the forest.

The cry became louder and louder as she walked. And then the noise was gone. G stopped and closed her eyes to concentrate on finding the noise, but this time she didn't hear the growling, it was more like...breathing, heavy breathing, and it was coming from something right behind her.

G slowly turned to face the source of the breathing and found herself a few feet away from a full grown wolf. Damn you, Miss Brown, she thought.

In a flash, the wolf growled and swung its massive paw towards G. Luckily; she managed to duck before it hit her. Instead, the sharp claws smashed against a tree. Chunks of bark, small tree limbs, and leaves fell on top of her.

G seized the moment to escape. She bounded back, sprinting as fast as she could away from the wolf. Suddenly, she stopped. Something was wrong... Why isn't the wolf following me? It couldn't have been protecting anything because there were no cubs or nothing around them to protect. There had to be another reason.

G clenched her fists, took a big breath. "Don't," she told herself. "Just keep running..." But the pain of leaving a potentially harmed animal was stronger than her fear of the animal itself. Against all common sense, she returned to where the wolf was.

For the second time, the wolf saw her and growled. This time she didn't react to it. Instead, she walked slowly towards the wolf in order to see what the problem was.

Clinging to the wolf's bloodied foot was a metal trap. G's head pulsed with anger. She couldn't understand why people would do this to animals.

Ignoring her pain, she took a step forward. The wolf growled. "I'm not going to hurt you," she said as she reached one of her hands towards the wolf. Without lowering her hand, she kneeled down next to the trap and studied it to open it. She touched the metal, and the wolf moved its leg.

"Stay still, you stubborn wolf," said G with a soft voice but the wolf growled louder.

With delicate movements, she pulled the strings to release the trap. G took hold of the metal and raised its teeth out of the wolf's leg, then closed it back so it couldn't happen again.

Now released, the wolf stretched and turned to face G. She smiled and, out of instinct, lifted her hand towards the animal. To her surprise, the animal pressed his forehead against her palm. Without fear, G slid her hand to the wolf's head and leaned her forehead against the wolf's. She felt nothing except the freedom of the animal and herself. She knew it was impossible, but in a way, she felt like the wolf understood her, the same way she understood the animal. The moment was pure perfection, at least until she remembered Priyam was waiting for her.

"Be careful," she whispered to the animal and continued on her way.

G ran across the street, shaking away all the dirt and debris on her clothes and in her hair until she reached Priyam Singh, a seventeen-year-old East Indian with glasses and long black hair, who was staring at her with amusement.

Priyam took a piece of bark from G's hair. "What was it this time? Missing cat? Sick dog? Hurt fox?"

"Trapped wolf," G said, running her hands all over her messy coat.

"Wolf...Getting exotic, aren't you? Chai frappe?" Priyam handed her friend a cup of spiced tea.

"You're an angel!" G hugged Priyam and took a sip of her delicious treat as they both walked to the doctor's office.

On their way, G rubbed her forehead. A painful expression crossed her face. She squinted her eyes, and her mouth twitched at the sharp pain.

"How is it today?" asked Priyam. G shook her head. The pain was already killing her, and the wolf trap doubled it. "That bad?"

"Worse. Not even Bobby helps now."

"I still think you need to change that name," Priyam laughed.

"What's wrong with Bobby?" G cradled her chai.

"It sounds like an uncle with a beer belly, not exactly the name for a tree."

"Well, Bobby likes it." G smiled since this wasn't the first time Priyam complained about Bobby.

At age six, after waking up alone in the forest, G was sent to the orphanage. Prospective parents would ask about her background, and when the caretakers told them there wasn't any information, the smiling couples with their fancy cars and big dreams moved on to safer choices. The way G hid in the corner away from the other children probably didn't help either. She could still feel the sting of the last time she asked a child to play with her. The little-dimpled girl with curly blonde hair pointed at G's strange birthmark and stuck out her tongue.

G had no name, no identity, no family and no friends. She only had herself and the enormous tree that kept getting inside her room no matter what anyone tried to do.

Every day, G used to cuddle against the First Tree. To everyone else, the First Tree looked like a regular tree, but to G that tree was different. She couldn't tell how, but the leaves seemed detached from the branches. They floated around the tree creating a breathtaking illusion. It was there, leaning against the tree, where she felt safe, relaxed. She felt like she was home. She used to close her eyes and dream about distant lands with golden trees, singing people and magic. A place where she knew who she was and was loved for it.

G fantasized that the woman in her dreams was her mother. Since G didn't have a father figure, in her dreams or real life, when she turned seven she decided to give her tree a male name.

"Stuart? Or what about John?" she spoke to the tree....Nothing. She'd spent four days trying to pick a name, but none of them felt right. "Bobby," she whispered... and just then, a subtle breeze hit the top of the tree making a few of its leaves fall on G's lap. "Bobby it is! Hello, Bobby!"

"Who are you talking to?" said a pitchy voice.

G turned around and saw Priyam for the first time. Six-year-old Priyam was quite similar to her current self, except for the uneven ponytails and the thick plastic glasses that covered most of her chocolate brown eyes. Priyam looked at the tree then giggled. "Are you talking to a tree?"

G nodded shyly. Over her years in the orphanage, G learned that her unusual behavior was considered a problem, especially when making friends. Like the time everyone made fun of her for reading a book to the house dog, or when she tackled one of the neighbor's kid after he stepped on some flowers. But to her surprise, Priyam didn't run away. Instead, she smiled.

"You are weird!" Priyam said as she took out a chocolate cookie from her oversized jumper's pocket. "I like you." She extended her hand so G could grab the cookie. "Here, eat it all."

G took the cookie, and Priyam sat next to her. "My name is Priyam, and my mom and dad are dead."

G choked on the cookie. She had never met someone as direct as that little girl.

"But you also live here so yours might be too, right?" Priyam asked lifting her eyebrow.

"I don't know," said G.

"Interesting..." Priyam whispered to herself. "And you are?"

"G"

Priyam giggled for the second time. "Your name is G?" G nodded, and Priyam took her hand to shake it. "Nice to meet you, G."

"This is Bobby," said G.

"That's a horrible name."

"G!" shouted seventeen-year-old Priyam to snap G out of her trance.

G shook her head and smiled at her friend. "Sorry, I spaced out."

"No kidding." Priyam stopped walking. "We're here. Are you ready?"

"You're not coming?"

"No, thanks. Every time I see your doctor it makes me wanna punch him," Priyam said, grinning ear to ear.

"Fair enough. See you in fifteen then," said G opening a big glass door before walking into the hospital.

* * *

Doctor Murie turned off the machine and checked the results. His sky blue eyes read the unusually long paper while his white eyebrows frowned. G slid her sweaty hands across her jeans. She hated how clammy they turned every time she got anxious, or in this case, scared. After coming for check-ups every two months over the last twelve years, G had become an expert on reading his expressions. She was positive this wasn't going to be a day with good news.

The blonde nurse helped G to stand up and escorted her to Doctor Murie's office, "I'm sorry G, there is nothing we can do. The gray mass is covering your entire brain now." Doctor Murie gave the test results to G so she could see it for herself.

G understood what she was reading, but she couldn't understand how the tumor could've doubled its size in a few weeks when it took it years to grow a few inches before. "But last month it was only half the size."

"It's growing faster than anything we've seen." Doctor Murie placed his hand on G's trembling shoulder, "I'm sorry G, there's no way we can operate now."

G felt the room spinning as if she'd just chugged five shots of tequila. "I don't understand," she said while holding the results.

"Neither do we. With that amount of gray space covered you shouldn't be alive, and yet, you are here with a perfect response from all of your organs and-"

"-my crappy memory?" interrupted G.

"You have an outstanding memory; it's only your childhood you can't remember."

G took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She wasn't as scared about the results as much as she was bothered by not knowing the reason this was happening. Another unanswered question in her life. G faced Doctor Murie, "What can I do?"

"There is nothing you can do." His upper eyelids dropped as he stared directly at his shoes. "We don't even know what that grey space is...I'm sorry."

G left the office and walked outside the hospital where Priyam sat waiting for her. "How did it go?"

"They don't know what it is anymore."

Priyam scoffed, "Anymore? G, they've never known what it is. It literally took them twelve years to get to the same conclusion they had in the beginning."

G said nothing. Her friend was right. "You seem worried."

"I am."

Priyam patted G, "Don't be."

"But the doctor said there's nothing he can do now."

"I honestly think your doctor is an idiot."

"You think everyone is an idiot," G pointed out feeling her shoulders relax.

"True, but your doctor takes the cake." Priyam grinned to calm her friend down. "Trust me; you are perfectly fine. Besides the migraines and the fact that you can't flirt to save your life, everything about you is in perfect condition."

G gave Priyam a friendly nudge. "Geez, thanks."

Priyam opened her bag and began rifling through it. "Don't thank me, until you see your precious little gift."

"Priy, how many times have I told you, today is not my birthday," G complained. Priyam ignored her and took out a small box wrapped in crumpled newspaper, taped with a dozen kids' Band-Aids.

"Well maybe it's not, but your brain can't remember when it is, so this is better than nothing."

G took the gift and opened it to reveal a pair of gold aviator sunglasses that had a small moon connecting the rims to the sunglasses' temples. G was extremely happy causing Priyam to smile at her achievement. "You've been whining about how the light affects your migraines, so I took it as a hint."

"It wasn't."

"I can take them back," suggested Priyam.

"No! I love them. Thank you," G said as she tried them on. "How do I look?"

"Classy!" Church bells range in the distance. Priyam checked the time. "Ready for school?"

"Am I ever?"

* * *

Once inside the Truckee High school grounds, G leaned her bag against her locker and searched for her medication so she could take the sunglasses off without feeling the excruciating pain the light caused her. She placed the sunglasses on their case and took out a bottle of water from her locker. While opening the bottle, G thought again about the doctor's appointment. She knew Priyam was right about her being healthy since she could still function and her life could be called normal to some extent.

"Oh no... not this early," whined Priyam.

G turned around and looked at Synthia Kearney, an eighteen-year-old whose face already looked older than a college senior and dressed in clothes two sizes too small. Synthia was barely 4'8" tall, but her eight-inch clear high platform heels elevated her to be a few inches taller than G. Whether it was pouring rain or the streets were covered by ten feet of snow, it was always a hot summer when it came to Synthia's clothing options. Like a pair of obnoxious lap dogs, Alma-Loo and Diana followed Synthia everywhere. Two brunette wannabes with a little more sense of the weather changes.

"Hangover on a Wednesday?" giggled Synthia. "Oh, sorry," she said flicking her plastic, platinum blonde extensions with the back of her hand. "I forgot you don't have friends to go out with." Synthia and her two minions giggled in a high pitch tone.

G ignored Synthia and proceeded with taking her medicine, but Priyam couldn't let this moment pass. "She does have friends, but they all left in search of the rest of your skirt."

Synthia gasped, pressing one hand against her bony chest. "My outfit is perfect."

Priyam smirked with delight at Synthia's reactions. "It is perfect, if you're a streetwalker."

Like most of Priyam's comments, it took Synthia longer than it should to react. "You are so dumb..." She rolled her dark brown eyes. "Why would I walk on the street when I own a car?" She placed her purse on her shoulder and teetered away followed by her two shadows.

"Did you hear that?" Priyam laughed, her glasses almost falling off her face. "She's not a street walker because she owns a car. I swear that girl needs to stop bleaching her hair with such strong chemicals."

"She might not be bright, but you have to admit her immune system is amazing. I can't believe she hasn't died of pneumonia yet," said G.

"Oh, _now_ you say something?"

G took her sunglasses from the locker and placed them in her bag in case the light got brighter. "I don't know what you mean."

"Two minutes ago she was bitching at you, and you stood there silent."

G closed her bag and hung it on her shoulder. "I'm peaceful."

"Is peaceful the new word for pushover?"

"I'm not a pushover. I just think you do a better job sending her away," said G as she closed her locker.

Priyam grinned. "And I'm proud of it."

Walking down the hallway, G kept looking at everyone. Some were excited, others angry, and others sad. Some played around with their phones; some took pictures of each other and others texted nonstop.

Everything in her life, except Bobby and Priyam, made G feel like she was missing something. She viewed the rest of the people around her like they all had everything figured out, everyone except her. While they all talked and wished to be skinny, date an outrageous number of people, have lots of money to spend on useless stuff and be prom queen, G hoped for something more. She wished for the knowledge of who she was, for a family, for incredible adventures and for the brave and loyal love she sadly finds only in her favorite books.

But no... people around her valued the size of their jeans more than any personality trait. And they call me weird... she thought. Well... they probably call me that for other reasons. She acknowledged that unlike them, she could understand things in animals that no one understood, she could feel the plants and the flowers. She could sense when the snow was coming, when the spring was starting. Always making her wonder where she truly belonged. She felt like her life in Truckee, in that school and everywhere she went, wasn't real. She felt as if she were living inside of one of the video games Priyam loved to play. As if she kept waiting for her life to begin. As if she were in a constant state of pause.

Halfway down the hallway, G and Priyam noticed there was too much commotion among the students. "What's going on?" G asked one of the overly excited seniors.

"Hot new teacher," she giggled.

"Poor woman," Priyam said while tying her black hair in a ponytail.

"No." The senior student smiled like a kid in a Christmas toy store. "It's a male teacher."

Priyam stopped cold. Those were rare creatures at that school, and like always, she needed information. "What's his name? What class?"

"Mr. Blau. Twelfth-grade chemistry."

"Yes! We are going to have our own Ezra Fitz!" cheered Priyam.

G grinned at the mention of PLL's character; her friend was definitely a bottomless pit of pop culture references. "Since when do you care about what teacher you have?"

"Since the word "hot" is attached to the word "teacher," Priyam explained, even though she thought the answer was obvious. "We should go soon. I don't want to miss out on a good desk."

They arrived at the classroom and noticed a bunch of girls already took the whole front row. "Guess you weren't the only one with that brilliant idea," teased G.

Mrs. Smith, a skinny woman with frizzy brown hair, entered the classroom and saw all the girls sitting at the front with the exception of G and Priyam. "I assume everyone knows," she said starring at the giggling girls at the very front, "but for those who don't, Mrs. Hale left the institution for personal reasons. In her place will be our new teacher, Mr. Blau."

"What personal reasons?" G asked Priyam, finding it strange that someone like Mrs. Hale would leave her class without a single word. "That woman almost had her baby in the classroom because of her dedication to the school."

"Who cares? It's not like-" Priyam couldn't finish her sentence. Her complete attention focused on the new teacher walking into the classroom.

Mr. Blau, a tall, toned man in his early twenties, with light brown hair, a Greek nose, and piercing green eyes, walked into the classroom and everyone went silent. G knew the rumors mentioned the teacher was hot but this was ridiculous. Between the intimidating presence and stuning sharp features, his expression was cold and calculating.

There was a contrast between his youth and demeanor. His face looked young, but his manners and clothes gave him an elegant old vibe. His posture was flawless, and so was his body. The fabric of his pants and fitted vest, framed his body, while the rolled up sleeves of his shirt accentuated his lean, muscular arms. A stylish black leather forearm cuff covered up to a few inches below his left rolled up sleeve. Something about that bracelet made G think of one of the blacksmiths Priyam loved to flirt with at the yearly Renaissance fair.

Mr. Blau glanced at her classmates and stopped on G. His beauty was breathtaking.

G felt like a powerful magnet was pulling her towards him, but unlike everyone else, it wasn't his looks that were enchanting her, it was the strange feeling of familiarity and need she had for his approval. She felt like she knew him, and more than that, she felt like he knew her too. The real her, whoever that was.

"I- I will leave you to your class," the teacher stuttered as Mr. Blau walked closer to where she was standing. "Any other questions feel free to stop by my office," she managed to say before leaving the room.

"Thank you, Mrs. Smith," spoke Mr. Blau in a thick British accent.

"Oh, damn..." Priyam gasped and looked at G as if she'd won the lottery, but G was still holding eye contact with Mr. Blau.

Mr. Blau's masculine jaw clenched as he looked away from G's stare and walked to the whiteboard. "As you were previously told, my name is Mr. Blau." He wrote his name on the board.

Synthia raised her hand and bent down slightly to show more cleavage. "Can I call you Blau?" she asked with a sultry voice.

Mr. Blau turned around and faced her. His face was emotionless. "Does it only say Blau on the board?"

Synthia flicked her hair and giggled. "No."

"Then no," he responded in a cold tone while taking a book out of his briefcase. "Can someone tell me what page and topic you reached with Mrs. Hale?"

Being the know-it-all she'd always been, Priyam raised her hand, but before she could answer, Synthia jumped in. "So, are you like from another country or what?"

Mr. Blau placed the book on top of the desk. "I'm sorry Miss, are you hard of hearing?"

"Oh, not at all," she giggled for the second time, creating annoying waves of pain in G's headache. "I like pop music. What about you?"

Priyam choked while G and the rest of the class froze. Even though they'd just met Mr. Blau, they all realized that messing with him was a terrible idea. Synthia, as always, was oblivious.

Mr. Blau walked closer to Synthia and bent so his hands could reach her desk. "Are you in the right class? You _are_ fully aware this is 12th-grade chemistry, right?"

"Well-" Synthia said.

Mr. Blau lifted one of his hands to shut her up. "Answer yes or no."

"Yes, and yes," she giggled.

Mr. Blau straightened up and pointed at the door. "Out of my class."

"What?! Why?!" she whined while the whole class stared at what Priyam would call 'a magnificent show.'

"Why, you ask?" Mr. Blau walked to the door and opened it. "Because I refuse to teach a high school class to a person who acts like they are in kinder. Now leave."

Priyam faced G beaming with excitement. "I love him!." She whispered.

"Why? He's a dictator!" G whispered back. She knew Synthia wasn't the brightest, but she couldn't believe how rude the teacher was to her.

Throwing a temper tantrum, Synthia grabbed her purse and stomped out of the classroom. Mr. Blau closed the door and walked to the middle of the class and faced G. "Page and topic," he asked her.

"Page 107, principles of chemical equilibrium," said G. For a second, Mr. Blau raised his thick eyebrow.

"Start reading," he demanded and turned to write on the board.

G felt a pinch of curiosity and nerves as if she knew something was about to change.

# Chapter 3

1014-12 Sierra Ave

1014-12 SIERRA AVE looked like an ordinary house. In fact, it was a typical house...at least in the neighbour's eyes.

The house had a very convenient location. It was right across from the high school and a few minutes away from the main street. It was painted with soft tones of orange and a wooden fence that protected a garden. Pretty normal, one might think.

But what was unknown about the place was that markings of light made from unique rocks covered the entire house, that there were more than ten secret exits, and that it was soon to be the home of six occupants who were not entirely human.

On the inside, the house was impeccably clean with a few hanging crystal artefacts, unique weapons, and runes making the place look like a Bohemian market with a severe case of OCD.

Mr. Blau opened his eyes and focused on the empty calendar hanging on his bedroom wall... December. Even though there was nothing written on it, he couldn't stop staring at it, as if time had just stopped.

Despite there being no school that day, Mr. Blau was wearing his leather forearm cuff and an elegant shirt with long sleeves that made him appear uptight. The same look he wore every single day. He was resting on the bed but still looked rigid, as in a perpetual state of stress.

Mr. Blau gazed at the window as if he sensed something was coming. He grabbed the Rondel crystal dagger hidden under his bed and within seconds, he was next to the window's edge. Trying not to move the curtain too much, he took a peek.

As his clenched jaw relaxed, he left the crystal dagger on the table next to him and walked out of the room.

Mr. Blau opened the main door and saw Willow Thénardier, a girl in her late teens with wavy pale blonde hair, a freckled straight nose, and sporty clothes. She'd been scattering seeds throughout his garden. Once finished, she lifted her left hand, which had a circular tribal mark of a tree with a leaf engraved on the back of her wrist and dozens of light blue flowers grew.

"You haven't even unpacked, and yet you are already decorating?" Mr. Blau asked.

"It's "Terra's Wolfsbane'," she explained to Mr. Blau with a flirty grin on her lips. "I thought the house needed a little more security."

"It doesn't, Willow," he corrected her. "Besides, 'Wolfsbane' is known for being poisonous."

Willow flicked her hand, and the flowers bloomed to their final stage. "So? They are beautiful."

"We can't kill the neighbors."

"They're poisonous only when you eat them." Willow walked to Mr. Blau. "They just paralyze you when you touch them."

She stopped walking a few feet away from him. "It's been so long, Edan." She closed her amber eyes and hugged him wishing that at least for once, he would hug her with the same intention she had. He didn't. "And you are as proper as ever." Turning on her heels, she smiled and went inside the house.

Willow took off her jacket, revealing a flowy crop top. Her floaty tank top moved showing the Sakura tree tattoo she had on her ribs. The tattoo looked like a watercolor painting. It started at the front side of her waist, slowly curving around the side of her ribcage up to the middle section of her chest except for one branch that managed to cross her clavicle up to the lower part of her neck. "Have the others arrived?"

"You are the first," said Edan, "but the rest should be here any minute."

THUNK, a loud noise was heard from outside. Edan and Willow peeked through the window at the same time. "Idiot," he hissed while Willow smiled utterly pleased with herself.

Edan opened the door to Shui Yan, a petite Chinese woman in her early twenties wearing a silver Celtic choker with a blue teardrop. She was dragging an unconscious body out of the flower field. It was the body of Veter Jankovic, a massive twenty-four-year-old Viking looking wrestler with a dark brown man bun. "I warned him," said Shui as she dropped his heavy foot to the floor and stared at Edan with her deep black eyes.

"Of course you did."

He walked outside to help before the neighbors saw they were dragging what looked like a corpse inside his house. Edan stood next to Veter's body and lifted him. Damn, was he heavy.

"The others?" asked Shui. Her silky blue ombre hair shifted back and forth tickling her hips as they both moved Veter.

"Willow is here. You are the second ones to arrive," he replied.

As they dragged what felt like a truck, Edan realized someone was watching them. He looked left and saw G staring at them, her eyes wide open, almost unable to blink. Edan turned away pretending not to notice her as they finally reached the inside of his house. Flipping hell... he thought.

Once inside the house, Edan and Shui left Veter on the floor next to the wooden stairs. Willow walked to Shui and hugged her. "Shui! How you been?"

"Good," she said and hugged her back. Like Willow, Shui had a tribal circular mark over her left wrist, only hers wasn't a tree with a leaf, but a drop of water surrounded by two waves. "I see your plants are getting stronger."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Willow passed her hand playfully through her hair. "The house needed some extra protection."

"And you knew Veter wouldn't resist," said Shui as she placed her travel bag on top of the kitchen counter.

"True," Willow grinned. If there was something she loved as much as her flowers, it was getting back at Veter. "But I didn't know you guys were coming together."

"Neither did I." Shui took a small pouch out from her bag.

"That's because you weren't supposed to," said Edan, placing a couple of colorful vegetables and a thick piece of meat on top of the kitchen counter. "You must be hungry from the trip. Sit down; food will be ready soon."

Twelve years prior, Edan and the rest were sent to Earth to take care of their princess when the time was needed. The parliament gave them three simple rules: to find their princess at the appropriate time, not before nor after; to never use their powers to hurt humans; and on gathering day, to arrive alone to prevent unnecessary attention.

Shui blushed. She knew that their gathering there and arriving together was already breaking two rules. Something she hates doing. "I'm sorry. He appeared in front of my place before I left."

"Traveling to China to do nothing but escort you," Willow scoffed in disagreement. "Sounds like him."

Shui gave the small pouch to Willow. "Yes, he's always been completely irrational."

Willow opened the pouch and saw a bunch of seeds; her heart fluttered with delight. "Shui!"

"There are mostly healing herbs and some other poisonous plants you might find useful." Shui glanced back at Veter's unconscious body. "Try not to use them on him."

"I'll do my best." Willow smiled mischievously and placed the pouch in her box of seeds.

SWISH! The main door opened, and a fluffy ash brown sugar glider with a white stripe on its back glided into the house, landing on Veter's face. It bent slightly down, then stretched out lifting its arms as gymnasts do after finishing their circuit. "Great landing, Icarus!" cheered Donovan Bär, an eighteen-year-old Latino with electric blue eyes, a chocolate brown undercut hair and a black leather jacket hanging from his forearm. He stood clapping next to the main door. Donovan had a tattoo of a white eagle on his back. The head of the eagle was right on the nape of his neck. The wings extended from his shoulders to his wrists so every time he moved his arms the eagle looked like it was flying.

Donovan walked inside, and Icarus jumped next to Edan's food. "No animals inside the house," he said.

"And yet, you are still here," laughed Donovan as he pulled Edan into a powerful bear hug. "Good to see you, my old friend."

For the first time, Edan smiled, a refreshing, carefree smile. After years of not seeing his best friend, they were finally together. "Likewise."

Donovan let go of Edan and ran to the food. "Yes! I'm starving!"

"Wash your hands first," said Shui with a soft motherly tone. "You probably pet animals all day long."

"Baby girl!" They hugged. "How's everything?"

Icarus jumped and crawled up to Shui's shoulder. "Everything's good," she said while tickling the sugar glider.

"Veter! Wake up man!" screamed Donovan, but Veter stayed motionless. "Is he really that tired?"

Shui walked to the kitchen, grabbed a ceramic teapot and wielded the water from a nearby jar inside the teapot. "He's not sleeping; he's unconscious."

"No way," Donovan grinned. "What happened?"

"Willow," both Edan and Shui said at the same time.

"Oh, man! Why do I always miss the best parts?" Donovan laughed so hard he could barely breathe, his arms clenched around his stomach. "Is that why the flowers are blue?"

"Hey! It's not my fault that giant man is obsessed with that color. Besides, Shui warned him not to touch them," said Willow with a hint of pride over her work.

Donovan softly kicked Veter's foot. "Is this man-child taking good care of you?"

"More like the other way around."

"No... Fourteen years and you haven't given him a chance?" Donovan looked at her with wide eyes. "Poor guy, he sure is persistent," he said causing Shui to blush. "Yo! Willow, can we wake the man up?"

Willow threw some leaves into the ceramic teapot and served it. "Why? I like him more when he's unconscious."

"True, but I can always ask Icarus to convince you," Donovan smirked.

After years of knowing each other, Donovan had a few good ways of making Willow talk, one of these was her fear of rodents or anything that resembled one.

"Don't you dare allow that rat next to me!" she squealed and shivered with disgust as Icarus jumped closer to Willow to mess with her. "Fine! Give him this," she said as she took out a small bottle and threw it to Icarus.

The sugar glider took the bottle and gave it to Donovan. "Thank you Willow, you shouldn't have," sang Donovan as he poured the bottle in Veter's mouth.

Like magic, Veter coughed violently and woke up. "That was brutal!" he said in a thick Serbian accent, scratching his long crooked nose with the back of his hand. "Who knew those little flowers would knock me down?"

Donovan chuckled. "Apparently, Shui warned you."

Veter moved his fingers through his bushy dark brown beard. "Now that you mention it, I do remember her saying something about it." He stood up and shook hands with Donovan. "Glad to see you lad. Icarus." He gave a friendly nod to the sugar glider and then turned to the kitchen. Veter had the same tribal circle on his left wrist; only his was a wave from the air element. "Good morning, babe," he smiled at Shui. Instead of answering she merely lifted her thin eyebrow and walked away, something that made Veter want to chase after her even more.

"Bummer, you're still alive," teased Willow.

Veter stared at her with a sour face. "Blondie," he said, then looked around. "Who's missing?"

"Hunter," said Edan.

Veter walked to Edan, but instead of shaking his hand he stood in front of him and placed his right hand over Edan's right shoulder, a sign of honor and respect. "Agnosco, Kapetan," he said.

Edan mimicked the same gesture placing his arm on Veter's left shoulder creating an X with both of their arms. "Agnosco," he said. "Good to have you back from your nap."

"And a glorious one," Veter joked.

After finishing their greetings and their food, Edan and the rest walked to the main living room. Veter sat down and took out a cigar.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," Edan said. "For the last twelve years our future queen was safer kept away from us, but after her Eighteenth Spring, she will be in more danger."

"What about the necklace?" asked Shui. "Is something wrong with it?"

"Nothing is wrong with the necklace, but her powers are becoming too strong to be contained." Edan paced to the middle of the room. "A few weeks ago, Hunter was able to track her essence."

Willow gasped and covered her mouth with shaky hands. "From where? For how long?!"

"From the Amazon, and only for a few minutes."

"From the Amazon!" Willow screamed. The distance from the Amazon to Truckee was extremely far, especially to be able to sense someone. "Does He know?! Has He found her?!" she asked. Fear flooded the room. Even though they were sent away before the war in Nádúr Noc, they'd all heard the stories. They all knew what He was capable of.

Edan squatted making eye contact with her. "Calm down Willow. He is powerful, but He's not a tracker. Hunter is. The best one to be exact. There's no way He could have sensed her."

Donovan crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. He looked calm, but his muscles remained tensed. "How can you be so sure He hasn't sensed her?"

Edan stood and paced across the room. "Because if He had, this place would be crawling with dark beasts or Darklings by now. The town is clean."

"What's the plan, then?" asked Donovan.

"We stay here. We take turns watching over her, and we keep her safe for the time that we have left," said Edan. "I know I'm asking you to change the plans the elders set for all of you, but we need to make sure that nothing happens to our future queen until her Resurgence."

Donovan took a step forward. "I'm in."

"Me too," said Willow.

Shui lifted her hand. "Count me in, Edan." Veter stood up from the couch. "You already know that wherever you lead, I will follow."

Edan gave everyone a thankful nod.

Hunter, with his messy black hair covering most of his face, took a step forward as a gesture of joining the team.

Veter jumped at the sight of Hunter. "Shit!!" Veter screamed. "How does he do that? I didn't see him walk in!" He looked around for answers. "Did any of you see him walk in?" They all shook their heads.

Barely fifteen years old, Hunter was the youngest of the team. With black eyes, an intense stare, a skinny body that was mostly covered in scars, the fact that he never talked and had an unknown past, Hunter was a stray wild animal.

Though everyone stared, Hunter kept his cool way, as he carved a piece of wood with a knife.

"And he already has his knife out!" Donovan clapped with amusement. "This guy's a ninja!"

"Let him be," said Edan as he grabbed a bag that was leaning against the couch and placed it on top of the table.

He opened it to reveal a bunch of crystal daggers like the one he had in his room. Edan took the crystals out and passed them out to his friends. "We don't want to attract any attention to this town, so try not to wield your elements," he explained as everyone took a crystal. "If anything goes wrong, use the crystal to defend yourselves. Make sure to take it everywhere you go."

"No way!" Donovan took one of the daggers and showed it to Veter. "I haven't seen one of this since my days in Terra, have you?"

"I brought one with me, broke it by accident a few years ago," he smiled showing the dimples in his cheeks.

"Edan," Willow walked closer to him, "does us coming here earlier mean that we could also go back to Terra earlier?"

"I'm afraid not," he said handing one of the daggers to Hunter. "We are here earlier for her protection, but we need to wait for the year to pass before we can remove the locket."

"Do you miss it?" Willow placed her hand gently on Edan's back. "Being in Terra?"

"Some things I do, Terrians...memories," he said trying to keep his head from hanging low. "Other things I guess I'm better off without. You?"

"I miss my family the most," Willow said. She sat down on one of the couches. "And the market stand I used to take you to."

Donovan sighed next to Willow. "I miss my family too. Mayra and Dean must be so grown up by now."

"Of course they are, it's been twelve years." Shui patted Donovan's hair like a mother would with her child.

"My baby sisters must be eighteen now," Veter said. Being the oldest of nine kids, he was very protective of everyone around him. He leaned closer to Shui so she could pat his hair just like she was doing to Donovan. Shui shook her head and proceeded to pat him too.

"The triplets? Already eighteen?" Donovan lifted his eyebrow and Veter glared at him.

"Don't you dare think about touching my sisters, you animal."

"I would never!" He laughed.

As they continued to talk about their memories in Terra, Edan's mind strayed somewhere else, trying to prepare for what was coming.

# Chapter 4

Wicked Week

Monday...

G WAS NESTLED DEEP under her fluffy comforter when Priyam woke her. "Coma girl! It's time for breakfast, and Miss Brown needs something from the market." She handed G a few rolled up bills. "Can you take care of the market while I take care of the kids?"

"This early?" G whined and crawled further into her bed.

"Sorry 'little Annie,' but it's a hard knock life, as they say, so unless you want to find another place to live and give up our scholarships, then yes."

G moved her hand out of the sheets and snatched the bills from Priyam's hand. "I'm on it."

"Atta girl!"

* * *

At the supermarket, G began placing all the items on the list in the cart: diapers, baby food, cold medicine, vegetables and colorful cereals, when she saw Mr. Blau looking over some pots and pans. He seemed calmer than in class, more relaxed and somehow younger. His facial expressions, without his usual frown and constant eye rolling, led G to think that he enjoyed cooking. Enjoyment... she thought a word I never thought I would use to describe him. After all, every day at school, his face was in a constant glare.

G was lost in thought when the church bells rang. Damn, I'm late! She grabbed the last items, paid for the groceries, and ran to the forest to take a shortcut.

As usual, on her way through the forest, G was followed by an animal. In this case, it was a small golden-crowned kinglet that flew up to her shoulder. "Oh, hello, chubby bird," she greeted him, continuing to think about Mr. Blau and what she had seen the day before on her way back from the library; him and that beautiful woman with a gorgeous blue ombre hair, dragging a knocked out giant man. "Who are they, little bird? And why are they here?" she asked while the puffy white and yellow bird remained seated on her shoulder. "Also... was that his house? I never pictured him in a house, I mean... it's not like I thought he was homeless, but he's so stiff and angry, yet he lives in a house full of beautiful flowers? What's that abou _–_ AHH!" G tripped on a tree's root. The bird flew away as she closed her eyes preparing for the impact... but nothing happened.

G opened her eyes and, for a second, saw herself floating mid-air. "Ah!" G gasped inhaling the smoke from a vanilla cigar. G stayed still, afraid of moving the wrong way and falling from whatever was holding her. "Are you ok, little bird?" she asked as the wind pushed her backwards. Don't fall, don't fall... she chanted over and over again until she was back on her feet.

Unsure of what had happened, but still incredibly excited, G smiled at the bird. "Stay there! I'm gonna get Priy."

G ran to the orphanage, stormed up the stairs, and threw her bedroom door open. "Priy!" she screamed. Priyam almost fell off the chair she was swinging on.

"Geez, G!" Priyam sat down correctly. "Scare much?"

"You need to come with me."

"I'm in the middle of this level."

"Then pause it. You need to see this!" G insisted while Priyam kept playing. "Priy! I'm serious."

Priyam closed down the screen of her laptop and faced her friend. "It better be super incredible."

Back in the forest and next to the bird, G placed her feet behind the root she tripped on the last time. "Check this out," she said as she let herself go, only this time the wind didn't carry her. G's body slammed into the floor, and Priyam burst out laughing. "You were right. It _was_ amazing," she managed to say between breaths. "Though you could've shown me that incredible trick back at the orphanage."

G sat down and searched for the current she felt last time... it was gone, and so was the smell of the cigar.

"I don't understand..." she whispered.

"Neither do I, but it was glorious." Priyam mocked her one last time before heading back

Tuesday...

G woke up to a chirping sound coming from one of Bobby's branches. She took a bath, and when she came out the same bird from yesterday was standing on her nightstand.

"Hey, birdy!" she greeted the animal while picking out clothes to wear.

Outside, G walked to the main street to pick up a video for Priyam's movie night. While walking down the street, G heard a soft waggle and heavy breathing following her. She turned around and noticed a brown street dog was following her. Three blocks later, the dog was still tailing her. Another day, another animal following me... _At least this one is a dog._ To her surprise, when she turned at next corner, the dog turned too. Maybe he's hungry... G walked into the meat shop and bought a pound of beef to feed the dog like she always did with any stray animal, but when she walked outside, he was gone.

Not thinking too much of it, G continued her walk to the video store.

On her way, G saw the reflection of a small spotted animal in the stores' windows and realized she was now being followed by a cat. Only this time the cat was smoother in covering his tracks. Poor cat, it must be the meat... G turned around and gave a piece of meat to the cat who happily ate it.

"Good boy," she praised him. "Now go to your house." As if it was following orders, the cat ran across the street crossing in front of Mr. Blau. G spied on him for a brief moment before he walked inside a café and sat with a strong man with beautiful blue eyes; another man G had never seen before in town.

Finally, with the video in hand, G walked back to the orphanage. This time she went through the forest. On her way, G sang and goofed around when she heard a twig snap next to her.

She turned and saw an elk hiding among the trees. G slowly turned back around and walked silently so the animal wouldn't get scared. To her amusement, the animal started to follow her. Every time she looked back, the elk did a terrible job pretending it wasn't following her by "hiding" behind a tree, chewing some grass, and even pretending to be looking at the sky. Ok... this is getting a little weird... She kept walking slowly and noticed that now, not only the elk was following her, but a fox and a beaver had joined him.. How did a beaver get here?

Feeling freaked out by the Dr. Doolittle experience, G ran to the orphanage and closed her bedroom door.

"Great! You got the video," said Priyam as she took off her glasses and pushed her computer out of the way. "Popcorn is ready."

Without answering, G ran to the window to see if the elk was still outside. Not only was the elk still there, so was the dog, the cat, the bird, the fox, the beaver, and a group of wolves!

"Darn!" she yelped as she ducked down.

"What's happening?" asked Priyam. G pointed at the window.

Priyam jumped out of bed and took a sneaky look. "No way! Is that an elk? And wolves?" she asked amused. "G, what's up with Noah's ark? Did you do this? I told you to stop feeding stray animals, or they would follow you home."

"I only fed the cat, and I don't know if it was me. Maybe...?" G was so confused. Why were these animals following her for no reason? "They all started to follow me this morning."

"Never a dull moment with you." Priyam took the video from G's hands and put it in the computer. "Come on, let's watch it. I'm sure they won't come in," she said with a chuckle.

G walked to Priyam's bed, and they both watched the movie, oblivious to the fact that Icarus was watching over them from one of Bobby's branches.

Wednesday...

The day was warmer than usual; the sun was out, the wind wasn't cold, and there was no sign of snow. It seemed strange not having to wear a sweater at this time of the year. It was so warm, one of the teachers decided to hold class outside so they could enjoy the weather.

G was leaning against a tree taking notes while the teacher lectured. G loved being outside, being in nature. There, on the grass, with the sky above her and the smell of fresh air, was where G felt the most comfortable.

"I'm so hungry," whispered Priyam as she played around with her computer.

"You're always hungry."

"I say we sneak away and go to the cafeteria," Priyam proposed while pretending to take notes. "I already know this subject so I can help you prepare for the exam."

"What if the teacher finds out? I don't think we should go," said G.

"My treat."

G shoved her notebook inside her bag. "I'm ready."

Priyam chuckled, packed her computer, and they both snuck around through the trees.

While walking among the trees, G had the strange impulse to look toward the main building. There he was, Mr. Blau staring at her from a distance. G stopped and stared back. This was the third day in a row she'd gotten a glimpse of him. It was as if everywhere she went he followed, or maybe it was the other way around.

SNAP!!! One of the tree branches moved and slapped G right in the face. "Damn it!"

Priyam turned and saw G with her red cheek and confused expression. "What happened?"

"I don't know. The tree branch just slapped me. "

"You walked into a tree branch?" Priyam laughed.

G rubbed her red face. Pounding pain ran through her cheek and down her neck. "I didn't walk into it, it moved by itself."

Priyam raised her eyebrows and smirked, "It moved by itself?"

"Yes, I was looking at the building and it snapped against me."

"Your cheek looks puffy; we can put some ice on it in the cafeteria."

G followed Priyam, and for the second time that day, she had another urge to look at the main building. G saw Mr. Blau still looking at her but this time his face was different, he looked concerned and... angry? Why would he be angry?

Just to push Mr. Blau's buttons, G lifted her hand and waved at him. He shook his head in disapproval, turned around and strode away. G grinned at his childish reaction.

SNAP!! Another tree branch slapped G knocking her to the ground.

Priyam ran towards her; she couldn't stop laughing, "Seriously G, how are you still alive at this age?"

Thursday...

The school hours seemed like weeks to G. The more she looked at her watch, the more it seemed to be slowing down. She couldn't wait for tomorrow so she could confront Mr. Blau. For the past week, things were off, there was something that kept nagging at her.

G knew she was always getting into some sort of trouble, like her encounter with the wounded wolf or other weird situations, like thinking she heard whispers from a plant, but the past week was something else. Aside from the odd people she'd seen all over town and the way nature behaved with her, everything appeared to be related to Mr. Blau.

And Mr. Blau, well... he was unusual all around. Just a few days ago, she caught him moving a half dead person into a house. But even more than that, he was simply too different from anyone G had ever met.

Unlike the rest of her teachers, Mr. Blau wasn't obsessed with G's birthmark, crazy necklace or her famous shady past. He didn't find her strange, and he sure did his best to avoid speaking to her for more than a few minutes. Every time she was near Mr. Blau, G felt some kind of powerful wave inside her. Like a magnet, as if they were connected, as if he knew her. The more she looked at him, the more questions she had, especially since Mr. Blau was on a mission to either ignore her or treat her like a child. At the same time, when at a distance, he was always watching her.

What's his problem? And where did he and the rest of the strangers come from? She kept asking herself this last question, hoping their origin had something to do with hers.

After school, she offered to clean the orphanage's kitchen for Miss Brown, thinking the housework would keep her busy enough to not feel the anxiety of facing him tomorrow morning. But she was wrong.

Whether sweeping, doing the dishes or cleaning the pantry, all she could think about were the different ways to approach Mr. Blau and how it would play out.

# Chapter 5

The Red Dagger

"THIS IS BULLSHIT!" screamed Priyam, causing the entire library to look at her.

"Sorry..." G mumbled to the unwanted audience. "What's bullshit?" she whispered.

"I finally got Hugo to give me the Renaissance tickets, but he wants a date in exchange," said Priyam as she punched at her phone's touch-screen.

"And you didn't see it coming?" laughed G.

"No! I thought he was smarter than this." She turned off her phone in frustration almost hurting her finger with the force she used to smash it against the button.

"You talked to him for weeks, he probably misunderstood you." G looked at her watch, her heart pounded faster with each passing minute bringing her closer to talking to the mysterious teacher.

Rolling her eyes, Priyam threw her phone to the open side of her bag. "Three weeks! Every single day I talked to him I made sure I started with the phrase: _Where are my tickets?_ How can anyone misunderstand that!?"

G chuckled. She took a fast glance at her watch and went back to reading her book, but she couldn't concentrate on the words. There were too many questions, too many thoughts. "Priy, have you noticed strange things lately?" she asked.

"No, because nothing strange ever happens in this freaking town... except for you, of course." She winked.

"Thanks... How about new people? Have you seen the new people around? " G whispered.

Priyam looked around and leaned closer to G. "It's tourist season," she whispered back, not really sure of why they were even whispering.

"Well, yeah. But...don't you find them a little weirder this year?"

"Yes, and I blame Hipsters."

G looked for the millionth time at her watch and began to shake her leg. She dried her sweaty hands by rubbing them on her jeans, but the sensation of trapped energy was still there. She had previously checked Mr. Blau's schedule. She knew he was going to be in his office, but she felt uneasy with the idea of going. What if he's with someone else and I can't talk to him? What if that someone else is Synthia...? I seriously hope not...

"What's going on with you?" asked Priyam.

"I need to see Mr. Blau," she said sheepishly, thinking that once she admitted it to her best friend, she might find the courage to actually go for it.

"Get in line," smiled Priyam, and her previous frustration vanished into the memory of Mr. Blau and his sexiness.

"I'm serious: there's something about him," G explained.

Priyam sighed, leaning her head against one of her palms. "His accent? His body and intense stares?"

"No. I feel like there's something more going on with him."

"Besides his accent, his body and intense stares?" gasped Priyam faking shock. "Like what?"

"I don't know. Something strange. Something... different."

"He _is_ pretty smart for a twenty-one-year-old."

"Yeah I guess- Wait, how do you know he's twenty-one?"

Priyam turned her computer around, and G saw Mr. Blau's face and resume. "I hacked into the school's files. I even found out he was only sixteen when he started college. How freaking cool is that?"

G took the computer and read his profile. She was usually against Priyam using her computer to hack and spy on people, but this time she was not just in favor of it, she was also very grateful. G checked all the pages that mentioned him. Lots of languages, he graduated early from Oxford, tons of offers and merits. "He makes me feel anxious and stressed but calm at the same time, and he is strange," said G as she cyber-stalked him.

Priyam bursts into laughter. "Sweet little child..." said Priyam patting G's hair. "That means you have the hots for him."

"No, I don't! He stresses me out. Yes, he's handsome, but his attitude is worse than how good his looks are. He's one of the meanest people I've ever met," snapped G as she brushed away Priyam's hand.

"Yes, you do have them. It's been so long you probably forgot how to recognize them."

"I'm serious! I'm not attracted to him. Something wrong is going on, and I need to talk to him. How about if you come with me?" G asked making the biggest puppy eyes ever.

Priyam's eyebrow lifted with curiosity, but she felt something was off. She remembered how G once begged her not to look over the orphanage's window when a guy she thought was cute used to walk near Bobby. She was sure G wouldn't invite her willingly to stalk a guy, no matter how gorgeous he was. "Why would I do that?"

"Synthia is probably going to be there," G admitted. "And I know how much fun you have annoying her."

Priyam scoffed, "Used to have fun, now it's become insanely boring."

"What happened?"

"She's too dumb to understand my sarcasm... or anything else. It's like talking to a lamp with tacky taste." Priyam grabbed the books in front of her and placed them in a cart next to their table.

"Come on! I really need to talk to Mr. Blau, and she keeps stalking him," G begged her. She couldn't go another week with the kind of stress the bizarre occurrences were causing her.

"Oh, do you, little minx?" Priyam teased G.

"Please? I need a distraction." G made the sweetest face she could think of in order to convince her.

"Fine. I'll help. Only if you tell me all the dirty secrets later."

"There won't be any dirty details." Priyam turned around and faced her with a know-it-all expression on her face. "Fine..." G relented. "I'll tell you all the dirty secrets later."

* * *

G walked to the second floor and hid next to a locker. She could see Mr. Blau's office door, but she wasn't sure if the coast was clear, not until she heard Synthia's screams.

Nerves pulsing through her, G tipped-toed to the door and walked into the office. On the inside, G found Mr. Blau at a bookcase in the corner arranging some old books. Her heart pounded, she felt her breathing increase. She was afraid of him but eager for the truth. Edan glanced at G, sighing in a way that implied annoyance. "What do you want, Red?"

"G," she said and closed the door behind her, trying not to make noise.

"Excuse me?"

"My name is G, not Red."

"What kind of a name is G?" he mocked.

Feeling off, G took a strand of her red hair and tucked it behind her ear. "What kind of a name is Blau?"

"That's my last name."

This is going nowhere. Why was it that instead of answering my questions, this man was creating more? "What's your first name?" she asked unsure why the name wasn't even on his records.

Mr. Blau scoffed with amusement. "As if I would tell you, now if you'll excuse me."

"I just got here."

"Well, I'm busy." Mr. Blau continued with his task of arranging the books as G stood there staring at him.

He turned around and ignored her as if that would magically help him make her disappear. Unlucky for him, she wasn't going anywhere. "What?" he asked tapping his shoe on the wooden floor.

"I have questions," G said as she walked to his desk.

Mr. Blau grabbed a book and glanced at her with a bitter look, his mouth twitching from one of its corners as if he ate something sour. "I don't do tutoring."

"It's not about class."

Mr. Blau chuckled making G feel like punching something. "Why would you expect me to answer your questions when I don't answer questions I'm actually being paid to answer?"

"I'm willing to give it a try." To prove her stubbornness, G sat down on top of his desk. Just when Mr. Blau was about to reject her, Max, one of G's classmates opened the classroom's door.

Mr. Blau slammed the books on the desk and pointed at the classmate. "Out." Without a word, Max, timid and shy, turned around and ran out of the office. Mr. Blau turned to his book task. "Try."

"How old are you?" she asked already knowing the answer.

"Why would you care?"

Douche... "Well your face looks around twenty, but your choice of clothes and stuck-up attitude makes me think you're in your mid-thirties," she baited him.

"Are all your questions going to be this juvenile?"

Ignoring Mr. Blau's sarcasm G continued. "Why are you here?"

"As you must already know, this is, in fact, my office."

"I meant in Truckee."

"I got a job," said Mr. Blau as he extended his arms around him, pointing out the obvious.

"You are an Oxford graduate with a specialty in four languages, and you end up teaching chemistry in this school? I don't believe that's the reason you moved here," she said pointedly, regretting letting him know that she already knew all those details about him.

"I don't care what you believe, and stop looking into my files."

"I didn't have to," she lied, hoping he wouldn't notice. "The department head can't shut up about you," G said to cover the fact that she'd been researching him as much as she could.

"Humans..." Edan whispered against his teeth.

G slid off his desk and walked closer. She noticed Mr. Blau stiffen. He seemed calm and composed, but there was something about his movements that made G think he was nervous. Nervous about what, she couldn't tell. "Why did you agree to hear my questions when you refuse to answer them?"

"Because I wasn't expecting your questions to be this half-witted." He flashed a cynical smile.

G stood in front of him and pointed at a bunch of books. "Give me those."

"Why?"

G snatched the books away from his hands. How stubborn can this man be! "It's called helping."

"Why would I need the help of someone who can't even reach the bookshelf?" he asked with a mocking tone.

G kicked a small bench and stood on top of it. She placed the books she snatched in their place and turned to Mr. Blau to get another batch.

Mr. Blau held the books out of G's reach. "If I give them to you, will you shut up with the questions?"

"Maybe," she said.

Mr. Blau passed her the books, and she smiled victoriously. "Who was the dead man you were carrying the other morning?"

Mr. Blau coughed. His hand pounded his chest trying to regain composure. "He was not dead, he was... inebriated," he said feeling his blood boil with anger. "And besides, do you have any self-preservation instincts? Some common sense?" He let go of the books he was holding causing them to slam on top of the desk. "What if he was dead? What on earth would you be here talking to me?"

G laughed. It was the first time she'd actually seen Mr. Blau show an emotion other than annoyance and boredom. His face changed so drastically that she wanted to see more. "So, who was he?"

"Shut up!" he said irritated at her for missing the whole point.

"But-"

"No," he snapped trying his hardest not to smack some sense into her head. "You said you would shut up if I gave you the books."

"I said _maybe_ ," she smirked. Mr. Blau was being as obnoxious as ever, but at least he was talking to her. "Where are you from?"

Mr. Blau stood quiet, he kept moving his books and tried to ignore her, but in the end, once more, he gave up. "England, obviously."

G felt a knot in her stomach, she knew her next question would make her look like a freak, yet, she couldn't hold it back, not anymore. "Where are you _really_ from?"

Mr. Blau flinched at the question and accidentally hit the pile of books from the shelf making them fall on top of G.

"Watch out!" he screamed. But it was too late, G was already falling.

Mr. Blau jumped over the desk, tackling G to cushion her fall. G opened her eyes and realized she was sitting on top of Mr. Blau cradled in his arms.

Her back was against his chest, and his arms were around her. Suddenly, G had a vision.

The image was unstable. She saw herself around the age of three. She was running, not remembering why or when, just that she needed to escape. As she ran, the lights shut down behind her. Hiding between the shadows was a man running towards her. He was dragging one of his legs while running, but he still ran fast, catching up to her. His skin was as white as the snow and his neck, face, and back were covered by stripes made from black symbols. His teeth were black and his eyes were yellow.

G reached a hallway with a dead end. She turned around to lift her hand, and the man threw a curvy red dagger with black crystals directly at her face. Out of the shadows, the six-year-old version of the boy from her dreams slid by her side and hugged her the same way Mr. Blau hugged her in the office. The boy lifted his arm, and the red dagger cut his right forearm instead of her face. He stretched his hurt arm directly to the attacker, and a wall of blue fire shot from his palm.

"Are you alright?" Mr. Blau asked. He was shaking, his eyes studied her nervously. He carefully stroked G's hair. So careful, as if she was made of delicate porcelain.

G, still in her daze, looked at Mr. Blau's arm and saw the same scar the little boy would have had. She moved her hand and caressed the scar. "A red dagger with black crystals," she whispered.

Mr. Blau froze. "What?" His features turned from a caring person to the same cold Mr. Blau she'd become accustomed to. His body went rigid, and his jaw clenched.

"What?" G snapped out of her dizziness. She couldn't remember how she got there, why Mr. Blau was hugging her, and why the hell she was caressing his arm.

"What did you say?" asked Mr. Blau.

G tried to remember what happened, but she couldn't. She could only remember up until the moment she slipped. What happened? Why can't I remember anything? Was it the tumor? "I... I didn't say anything," she said hoping Mr. Blau didn't know anything about her tumour.

"Leave," whispered Mr. Blau.

"But..."

"Get out of my office... NOW!" he yelled.

G stood up and ran for the door. Her mind was spinning trying to figure out what was going on.

* * *

Edan leaned against the desk. He had trouble breathing. Edan heard the office's back door open. "Don't you think you're being a little too hard on her?" said Donovan from across the room.

"No," said Edan as he composed himself. He placed a hand on the desk and pulled himself up.

"You say that now, but when she finds out who she really is, she will whoop your ass," Icarus squeaked. "I agree with Icarus, she's very sharp. She's starting to get suspicious about us."

"She might be," Edan agreed. "But she's irrational, impulsive and has no notion of danger whatsoever."

"She's not that bad."

"Not that bad?" Edan asked slamming his hand on the wooden desk. "She came to confront me about a dead body she assumed I moved into the house, Donovan! How is that not completely irrational and mental?!"

Donovan pressed his lips as hard as he could to suppress his smile. "Stop. You worry too much, Edan."

Edan looked at Donovan as he sat down in one of the office chairs. "She remembered the first time the palace was attacked." Edan looked at his forearm where the dagger's scar was.

It was then that Donovan understood the gravity of the situation. Edan had every right to be terrified. "That's impossible," he said.

"I'm telling you what I saw and heard," Edan said. "She remembered the dagger. She remembered the bloody crystals on it."

"But the necklace?" he asked while Icarus jumped to the nearest bookshelf.

"She's getting stronger, and no necklace can stop her," said Edan. "Not even if Hans forged it."

Donovan reached out to pet Icarus. "Have you told Mor?"

"No," Edan replied, heat rising in his body. "She isn't picking up."

Donovan chuckled. "She never picks up. Why don't you just go to her?"

Edan knew Klog Mor would have answers, but he also knew the danger in leaving G alone, especially now that her memories seemed to be resurfacing. "I can't, I'm afraid of what could happen if I leave my post."

"Nothing's going to happen," he assured him.

Edan wasn't as sure. The situation was so fragile that any false move could cost them and he wasn't willing to bet on it. "She still has one year left. I'm not going to risk it," Edan explained.

"You won't." Donovan stood up and walked towards Edan. "Even if you leave, there are still five of us here... So, what are you going to do?"

"Nothing. We've come too far to lose everything."

Donovan nodded, "I'm on it." He gave a high pitched whistle, and Icarus glided back to him.

"Donovan." Edan stopped his friend.

"Yes?"

"Double the guard. She is a disaster."

Donovan smiled delightedly. "I'll let the others know."

# Chapter 6

The Broken Necklace

PRIYAM SLAMMED HER BOOK against the classroom's table. "That's it. I freaking hate math."

G highlighted some of the information from her notes. "You love math," she said while continuing with the mundane task.

"Yeah, that was before I had to quit my life and study half a book for next week's midterms."

"You already know the book," said G without looking away from her notes.

"Would you just let me complain?!" Priyam moaned and stretched out. "It's Friday, and we're stuck here in the library without food or water or love."

G faced her antsy friend. "Would you rather study at the orphanage?"

Priyam snorted and placed her legs on top of the chair next to her. "There's no such thing as studying or anything that requires concentration or quiet time, at the orphanage."

"Then stop complaining and read."

"You are no fun," she said peeking at G's notes. "Why... What are you doing? Mr. Blau explained this today."

"I had problems understanding it the first time," G lied since she had avoided the class completely. It'd been a week since her talk with Mr. Blau, and it ended so awkwardly, she still had no idea how to face him. Unluckily for her, the school's principal, concerned about G's attendance, had already talked to Miss Brown. There was no way G could afford to skip more.

"Now that I think about it... you haven't even been to his class lately. First, it was a stomach ache, then a headache, then... wait! Are you avoiding Mr-"

"Do you want food?" G opted to distract Priyam before she could realize there was something odd about her behavior. "The cafeteria's still open. You can go there, get the food, and I'll go to the machine downstairs to get some chips since the cafeteria never has any."

"Best idea ever!" Priyam took her purse, and they both left for their missions.

G went downstairs and bought half of the machine's chips and some candy. Her mind was clouded by Mr. Blau and the many other questions she had. Why is he so damn difficult?

G had trouble speaking to any guy. They found her strange and didn't know what to say to her. The first boy she liked refused to talk to her: he said no girl of twelve years old should have a tattoo. Try explaining to him that I don't even know how I got it, she thought as she caressed the five circles under her right wrist. When she was fourteen, her first date broke it off after seeing her helping a mistreated school plant to calm down. But the plant was in a panic, it needed talking to. And at fifteen, her awkward first kiss was interrupted when a dog attacked her date (aka, the principal's son) after he groped her more than she wanted.

Since then, G made an effort to avoid contact with guys. But this time was different. She wasn't looking at Mr. Blau for romantic purposes, she just needed information. It shouldn't be this hard.

POP! A light bulb above her exploded. G gasped and dropped the snacks on the floor. Damn it... She bent down to pick them up, but the place was too dark to find them. She took her phone out of her back pocket and turned its lights on. Leaning closer to a package of cookies, her hand slipped on something warm and sticky. What the... G looked at her hand and found it was smudged with what appeared to be blood.

Her senses tingled. Something was wrong. The school was too dark, too empty and too... quiet. She wiped her hand on her jeans and walked cautiously through the corridor. "Priyam?" she called in a loud whisper. No one answered.

A painful wave passed through G's head. She cried out, but the pain was gone in an instant. Disoriented, G scanned her soundings. She noticed that an odd amount of light bulbs were broken. She walked next to a fallen bulb. Bits of glass cracked under her shoes. She headed directly to the last flickering light. The more G stared at the darkness, the more she felt there was someone there. Someone staring back at her.

A chill went through her as if her body was begging her to run, but her instincts told her it wasn't wise to turn her back to the darkness, at least not yet.

The smell of something rotten made her gag. She stopped right in front of the ledge between the light and the pitch black darkness. Then she saw them. Two eyes, red as rubies. Her head hurt again, but this time it was more like sonic waves against her skull. Not now, not now... she begged. The pain only increased.

G could hear the soft growling of an animal, but her head was hurting too much for her to react. The beast took a step forward. G saw it clearly this time: it looked like a six-foot werewolf walking on fours, but its fur was made of thick rusty needles protruding from his rotting skin. The needles vibrated each time G made any type of movement. She could see the bleeding pierced flesh, the spikes coming out of its elbows and its sharp claws.

G tried to move, but her head pounded again, only this time stronger.

Stressed, she jerked her head and the flickering lightbulb exploded. The horrendous beast took a step back and snarled... RUN!! Screamed a voice inside her.

Not wanting to find out what would happen if she stayed, G ran as fast as she could until she reached the street. Without thinking about it, G lifted her arm and pointed her palm to the darkness yet nothing happened. G stared at the back of her hand, confused by her own instincts to raise it.

A loud growl, followed by a terrifying cry, came out from the beast's direction. For some reason, G felt safe again. The adrenaline that had been pumping through her body slowed down, making her body shake and her legs gave out.

As she fell to the ground, G's headache multiplied by the second. This headache wasn't like anything before. The pounding of her head created waves of pain as if the pressure of her brain would make her whole head explode.

"G!!" Priyam ran towards her, "What's happening?!"

G heard her best friend, but she couldn't answer. She grabbed her head and bit her lip just so she could feel pain somewhere elsewhere. Her teeth pierced her lip and blood began to flow. The taste of iron grounded G for a moment, but the headache zapped once more.

Before Priyam could reach G, Mr. Blau appeared from the darkness. "Gaia!" he called out running to her. He knelt in front of her and covered her eyes with the palm of his hand while hugging her with his other. The pain left her body the moment he touched her. "Are you ok?" He noticed the blood on her knee. "Is this yours?!"

"No, it's not." G opened her eyes and saw Mr. Blau caressing her cheek. She was so confused, not over the beast or her headache but by the fact that Mr. Blau was petting her face. – Is that... blood on his neck? G thought as she lifted her hand to clean it. The moment their skin connected, Mr. Blau flinched and G saw the image of the little boy in her dreams. They both had the same light brown hair, same cut on their forearm and same worried green eyes.

Mr. Blau stroked her hair slowly. "You?" she whispered while looking at him. "In my dream..."

In a matter of seconds, Mr. Blau snapped out of his 'nice guy' trance and let go immediately making her head hurt again.

His face went pale and the hand that had stroked her hair began to shake. "Miss Singh, please take your classmate to the campus health center." And with that, he left.

G placed half of her weight on Priyam as she helped her make the walk across campus. For the first time, G was glad her headache was so strong. It kept her from thinking about what had just happened with Mr. Blau.

* * *

Back at the house, Willow paced nervously around the living room. "He should already be here," she said checking the window once again. "I'm getting worried."

"So? You're always worried," Veter pointed out while smoking his usual vanilla cigar.

"It's not funny! He said it was urgent." She wrinkled her freckled nose while moving her hand to fan the smoke away. "Can you please stop smoking? You're killing the air here."

Veter lifted his hand and flicked it towards Willow forming a whirlwind. The whirlwind spun and hit Willow making her fly off the ground.

Willow screamed. Before hitting the ceiling, she pointed both hands towards the floor. A tree's root pierced the foundation and curled around Willow's waist. Once the whirlwind passed, the root pulled Willow back down to the floor.

"Too much air?" asked Veter, while he and Donovan burst into laughter.

Willow climbed down off the root and fixed her pale blonde ponytail. "Why do you have to be such an idiot?!"

"You should both stop messing up Edan's house or he'll kill you," Shui said while cleaning her transverse flute. "Veter, put out that cigar and stay still."

"I love it when you're bossy." Veter smiled as he stubbed out the cigar in an empty coffee cup. "Don't you love it when she's bossy?" Veter asked Hunter, who was sharpening his knife with a stone.

Hunter glanced at Veter through the strands of hair that covered half of his face and without saying anything he returned to his knife.

"I know man, I know," said Veter.

SLAM! The front door swung open and Edan walked inside. "Sorry for being late. I ran into some complications." His shirt was slashed and bloody.

"Is that blood?" Willow ran to Edan and checked his neck.

Edan took a look at his shirt and noticed it was, in fact, slashed and bloody. "I'm fine. It's not that deep."

"Sit down, I'll fix it," said Willow as she opened a big, reddish-brown carved wooden box full of seeds, flowers and nuts. She took one small round seed and placed it in a clay pot with dirt. She lifted her hand towards the pot and a plant grew.

"What happened?" asked Donovan.

"Two Trackers were following her," he said.

"Two single Trackers left you like that?" Donovan lifted his eyebrow in a smug way, teasing his friend. He knew there was no way two Trackers would leave Edan so beaten.

"I couldn't do much without exposing myself. She was right there."

Shui stopped cleaning her flute. "He knows where she is?"

Edan stared at Hunter looking for confirmation. The teen shook his head. "No, He doesn't. As far as we know, the Trackers made a lucky guess," said Edan.

"This was a close one," Donovan said sitting down next to Edan. "How long until He does?"

"We don't know. Hunter was able to sense these two Trackers but hasn't caught any signs of another yet."

"Lift your head," demanded Willow as she placed the already ground plant on a table next to them. Edan sat down and lifted his head. Willow cleaned it and smudged the plant's paste into the cut. "It will burn... a lot," she warned him, but Edan didn't even flinch.

"Is it true?" asked Veter. "About her memories coming back?"

"Yes," said Edan.

"Are you kidding?!" Willow stopped spreading the paste on Edan's wounds. "What are we going to do, Edan? She still has a year until her Resurgence, and at this rate she won't make it."

"She will," said Edan with a convincing tone. "Her powers are growing faster than we thought, but as long as she has the necklace, it will be fine." Edan turned to face Veter. "Veter, you are on guard now."

Without a word or hesitation, Veter grabbed a brown rucksack, winked at Shui and left for G's house.

Willow took the grinder and pointed at Edan's destroyed shirt. "Your shirt."

Edan unbuttoned his shirt so Willow could put the paste on the rest of his wounds. Willow slowly trailed the corners of his chest with her eyes. Her breath became uneven, her skin flushed. She tried to open his shirt wider but he quickly grabbed her hand. His expression was cold. "Don't," he growled.

Edan let go of Willow's hand, and she returned to applying the paste, thinking how she'd never seen his bare back before. Almost no one had.

"What do we do now?" she asked, trying to diffuse the tension.

"This doesn't change anything. We keep doing what we're doing," responded Edan. "We take turns watching over her; and Hunter will continue tracking anything that gets past the border."

"Done. You can go change now," Willow said as she finished putting the paste on Edan's cut. He stood up, but before he walked away, Edan grabbed her by the arm. "And Willow...stop slapping her with the trees."

Willow smirked at the memory of G being smacked on the face by a branch. "Fine," she said and he left.

Edan strode to his room closing the door behind him. Once inside, he bent over and leaned against his dresser. With his eyes closed, he ran his hand over his left shoulder and then pulled his shirt to cover more of his body.

He looked up and focused on the empty calendar. Ripping off the December sheet, he stared at the word January. It had been almost a month since they'd arrived in town, and yet so many things had happened: Trackers, G getting into trouble, constantly snooping around and challenging him, her headaches increasing. "How are we going to make it for a year?" he whispered to himself, hoping things would start to go smoother.

He walked to his window and looked outside. A few blocks away, right next to the forest, was G's orphanage. The house only had a few lights on, but being able to see her place was good enough to give him a sense of peace.

He knew Veter was watching over her, but he couldn't stop himself from checking on her as well. Every night, Edan stared out his window hoping she was safe for at least one more day.

* * *

That night, for the first time, G had a different dream.

She was walking through an underground tunnel; the place was dark, full of mud and vines. G walked for what seemed like hours, but still, she couldn't find a way out. The more she paid attention, the more she realized there was something about the place that looked familiar. It wasn't the consuming darkness or the place itself, it was the vines and the mud that reminded her of her previous nightmares.

With caution G bent down to take a closer look at the vine, but before she could get all the way down, the vine lifted by itself and helped G stand up. Perplexed, G moved her hand. The vine followed as if G was the one directing its movements.

Testing it, she placed her palm in front of the vine. It wove around her fingers, tickling as it moved. G laughed but her laughter was muffled by a thunderous bang behind the muddy wall. She turned around and tried to walk towards the wall, but the vine moved to try to stop her.

Pushing the vine aside, G reached the muddy wall and lifted both of her hands towards it. As soon as her fingers touched the mud, it crawled all from her hands until it reached her elbows.

Alarmed, G took a step back and saw how her muddy arms shrank into the arms of a six-year-old. She raised her head and noticed she wasn't in the tunnel anymore, but in the middle of the war zone she dreamt of every night.

She looked again at her muddy hands recognizing what part of the dream she was in. "The boy," she whispered, and the boy with the green eyes ran and enveloped her in his arms. He knelt in front of G, covered her eyes with his hand. "Relax, I'm here," he whispered into her ear.

G felt safe next to him, but she knew they were in danger, at least until they reached the palace. She broke the hug in order to run for the shelter, however, the boy wasn't in front of her anymore. It was Mr. Blau holding her now, and she wasn't six years old anymore.

In her dream, G felt a rush of embarrassment. She was muddy and covered in ashes, while Mr. Blau looked flawless in front of her. She ran her muddy hands down her muddy shirt with the hope of straightening it a little, but when she flicked her palm across her chest, her body turned into flames. For a moment she panicked... Calm set in once she realized the fire wasn't burning her, it was only drying the mud. The flames extinguished and the mud crumbled revealing a beautiful forest green bustier.

G swung her body causing the mud to fall off in bits and pieces. Her clothes continued to change. The bustier had long sleeves that looked like golden green leaves hugging her arms and it was cropped a few inches below her chest. The mud around her waist fell revealing a thick green metal belt in a V shape with the fivefold symbol engraved at the very front, cinching in the top of a breathtaking and flowing long skirt.

Mr. Blau smiled and offered his hand to help G walked through the vines. Before she could reach him, she tripped on a root and fell to the ground. The moment her body touched the mud, the dark warzone turned into a beautiful spring of crystalline water. In the center was a gentle mound housing the First Tree with the four elements floating around it. G looked at her hands and realized they weren't inside the mud but inside the shimmering lake. Next to the tree, on the grass, with her arms inside the cold water, G felt safe.

Lifting her hands, a big bubble of water levitated until it reached eye level. It then molded itself into a gorgeous water mirror. In there, G saw her reflection. She looked like a forest nymph wearing the dress. After staring at her reflection for a few moments, G noticed that every time she had a pounding pain in her head, a wave of light emanated from her head and rippled through the cave. Sometimes the light was blue, sometimes white, sometimes red and sometimes green.

She closed her gray eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, her reflection and the water mirror were gone. Instead, she was facing the same beast she saw that morning at her school.

She tried to run but couldn't. Her skirt was pinned down by the red dagger, the same dagger she saw cutting Mr. Blau's arm when she was a child. She tried to wiggle her way out only to find it useless. The creature crept closer. G screamed, but no sound came out of her mouth. She closed her eyes and prepared herself to be attacked, but a whirlwind surrounded her like a protective shield.

The beast wailed. Opening her eyes, she saw Mr. Blau taking the red dagger out of the dead beast. The wind stopped and he walked toward her. He pulled her into his arms, then, slowly moving his face to her ear, he whispered, "Gaia."

G woke up. Her body was shaking, her face was covered in sweat, her head hurt like hell and the necklace felt heavier than ever. She rolled onto her side and checked the time... 5:39 am.

G crawled out of bed and leaned against one of the First Tree's branches that hung next to her bed. "I dreamt about you again," she whispered to the tree stroking a branch. "Any ideas why? You know... I dreamt about him too, Mr. Blau... Do you think he'll help me understand all this?" G smiled at the silly idea of Mr. Blau being nice and useful to her. "Yeah, not likely."

G tried going back to bed but it was useless, she couldn't sleep. Her mind kept repeating her dream and the previous day's events. She tried to remember the name Mr. Blau had called her, but no matter how much she concentrated she couldn't remember or hear it.

Deprived of sleep and fueled by her astonishing stubbornness, G decided to face Mr. Blau once again. This time she wasn't going to back off, at least not until she had her answers.

* * *

After school the next day, Mr. Blau, seemingly oblivious to his encounter with a very decided G, was putting essays in his suitcase when she walked inside, slamming the door behind her. Mr. Blau flinched at the abrupt noise and turned to face her. "Couldn't you slam the door harder?"

G cut to the chase. "We need to talk."

Mr. Blau proceeded to clean his desk. "I'm not interested."

Ignoring his terrible disposition, G walked to the desk. "I don't care."

"I'm busy," he said while picking up some books from his desk.

Exasperated, G placed her hands on top of the books and shoved them back onto his desk. "You are always busy."

Mr. Blau stared at G, his eyes narrowed, his lips pinched. "A quality you should consider working on," he said swiftly snatching the books away from her grasp.

"Are you always this-"

"Assertive?"

"Infuriating," she said.

Mr. Blau took a few seconds to think. "Yes, in fact, I am. Is that all?" But he knew better than that, G wasn't going anywhere until she got what she came for. "What do you want?"

G smiled victoriously. "Yesterday, you called me by a different name."

He felt a chill down his spine. The campus wasn't the place to have that conversation, nor was it the right timing. "I didn't, now leave."

"Yes, you did," G responded emphatically.

"Why are you so bloody difficult? _"_ he murmured and took a deep breath. "You hit your head. People with concussions tend to see or hear things. Now, if you would please be so kind as to exit this classroom."

G didn't listen, instead she walked closer to him. "You know me."

"Of course I know you, I'm your teacher. I would be doing a poor job if I didn't know my students by now, especially a tediously stubborn one such as yourself." Mr. Blau was clearly uncomfortable by G's proximity. He took a step back and returned to cleaning his desk.

"No, I mean you know me from before."

"Impossible," he scoffed and frowned his eyebrows. "Thanks to your previous obsessive questionnaire, you know very well that I recently moved here."

G moved forward and pinned Mr. Blau between her and the desk. He had nowhere else to run now. "Say my name."

"Excuse me?" mumbled Mr. Blau. His usual perfect composure switched for a second to a nerve-wracked state. And she saw it... hesitation.

"Say my name," she demanded again.

"G," he answered.

G tilted her head to study Mr. Blau's reactions. "My other name."

"Other name?" He crossed his arms in order to create a more needed boundary between them. "Is someone having multiple personality issues?" he mocked.

"Say it!" she said rubbing her head in frustration. She could tell he knew what she was talking about, but she couldn't understand why he wasn't telling her the truth. What the hell was he hiding?

Mr. Blau took her stress as a chance to escape the situation. In a fast movement, he grabbed G by the waist and spun her so that she was now the one against the table and he was the one pinning her. "Like I said," he pressed closer to her, "I don't know what you mean. Now please leave." He took a few steps back in order to give her enough space to exit and pointed at the door. Unwilling to move she remained standing there. "What are you waiting for?"

"I have a question about today's class," she lied.

"Are you serious?!" he snapped.

"Yes."

"Well, I don't care."

"You're the teacher!" Her head throbbed, something that happened more frequently after talking with this stubborn man for even a few minutes.

"Exactly. And I already taught class today. If you didn't pay attention, it's not my bloody problem."

"You have an anger issue," she said, her headache increasing.

"And you must have a hearing issue, as I've been asking you to leave and you are still here," he said as he pushed her outside the office.

"But-!"

"Goodbye!" He slammed the door and turned the lock.

G leaned her head against the door. "Dammit!" She was so close and she knew it. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the name he called her. She could see his worried face, feel the warmth of his arms, but she couldn't hear anything. The more she focused the bigger the headache became. It was as if something inside her brain was fighting to get out.

"So... you do like the teacher?" said Synthia. "That's so adorable of you to think he likes you back."

G lifted her head and stared at her underdressed aggressor. "I don't like him. He's our teacher."

"Then why are you stalking him?" she asked while playing with her platinum extensions.

"I'm not," she said, her head pounding with pain.

"Then what were you doing in there?" Synthia whined.

Fighting... she thought, but she wasn't giving Synthia the pleasure so instead, G smirked and bit her lower lip. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"He wouldn't!" she yelped followed by a frown.

G chuckled at Synthia's reaction. "Let's say he's very... assertive." G was sure Synthia wasn't bright enough to understand that word, but quoting him to get her worked up felt like was sharing an inside joke with him.

"Leave him alone," Synthia demanded with a cry that scratched G's headache.

"I would, but it's none of your business." Having enough for one day, G walked away.

"It is my business." Synthia followed G and pulled her by the arm.

G slapped her hand away. "Back off."

"Or what?" Synthia squinted her dark brown eyes in a menacing way. "You will faint from another headache?"

"I didn't faint," said G as she walked to the school's rear patio.

"Nice trick by the way, Mr. Blau was all over you."

"Unlike you, my life doesn't revolve around who I'm hooking up with next." G lifted her head and looked outside. The sun hit her eyes causing her headache to double. She felt like her entire body was going to explode, and the angrier she got, the worst she felt. "Now. if you'll excuse me, I have a life to get back to."

"Don't you walk away from me." As G turned around to leave, Synthia grabbed her by the necklace and pulled.

"Don't touch my necklace!"

"You mean this cheap old thing?" Synthia tightened her grip and pulled over and over again. She pulled the necklace so hard G almost fell to the ground.

Suddenly... the chain snapped. For the first time in twelve years, the necklace was off her neck

# Chapter 7

Fire

G FELT AS IF PLASTIC wrap covering her body snapped and a sonic wave flew outward from her body. The blast blew all the snow within a mile radius, creating a perfectly dry, snowless circle. G fell backwards in slow motion. Rather than hitting the ground, her body levitated in the air.

Her eyes closed, her body bent backwards and her bright red hair floated as if she were underwater.

The birthmark under her wrist shone with a golden color. Time stood still. It was as if she could breathe for the first time.

Her ever-present headache was completely gone. All she could feel was an empowering sense of freedom; a need to expand her mind.

She concentrated on the grass a few yards from her, and even if she wasn't touching it, she could feel it on her skin and smell it in the air.

Farther... whispered a voice inside of her.

G took a deep breath and by releasing it, her mind expanded even more. She could feel the people in the street, the forest, the animals, the leaves, every single snowflake hitting the ground, and for a brief moment she felt connected to everything. She could smell the flowers and the fresh air in the mountains. She felt the sunlight on her face, the goosebumps on her skin from the cold fresh air caressing her back. Every single living thing surrounding her became a part of her. She understood them and they understood her.

A small memory of her necklace snapping away from her neck woke G from her trance. Untamed rage filled her. Her body straightened and her eyes opened.

G's body became warmer and warmer. She looked at her hands; they were shaking so fast she could barely see her fingers. Suddenly, her hands were covered in an aura of hot red flames.

Deep down she knew she should be freaking out, but her mind was blank. Calmed, cold and calculating, G lifted her hands. Elbows to her waist, she turned her palms to the sky and the aura of flames slid from her hands to her arms and to the rest of her body entirely. Her hair lifted into the air.

Everyone who saw her erupted in terror, not understanding what was happening. People screamed, students ran.

G began to descend slowly. When her toes touched the ground, five unique flames came out of her feet and burned the Five Fold symbol onto the pavement, just like the one on her wrist.

Once the symbol was complete, the flames came together and exploded. The fire lept out of control, people were screaming and everything was in chaos. Synthia screamed in excruciating pain as a horizontal line inside a circle burned into her chest.

The students ran in every direction; in fear, confusion and disbelief.

In one quick movement, Edan jumped the school's fence; he landed on the grass and, with a flick of his wrist, a blue whirlwind of fire wrapped G's body and made her lose consciousness. Before hitting the ground, Edan caught her and checked her vitals. "Donovan!" Edan screamed at the sight of his friend running towards him.

"Icarus already left. The others will be here any second now."

"Take her to the house," said Edan as he passed G into Donovan's arms.

Donovan left and a tornado surrounded the school. Veter moved both of his hands in circles as he molded the tornado into a wind bubble that surrounded the school preventing the fire from spreading. His body was rock solid, planted in the earth without moving an inch. "Your turn," he said with a huge childish smile.

Edan waved his hands and the fire G had made extinguished. "Veter, Get the Marked One!" Veter ran and grabbed a passed out Synthia.

Hunter arrived. "Skuggors," he signed to Edan. "We need to leave"

Edan pointed at the students who were still screaming in panic. "Willow, take care of them."

Willow lifted both of her hands and at the same time all of the screaming students fainted. "Done."

"Stop killing humans!" Veter snapped.

"I made them faint." Willow threw a bunch of seeds, pointed her hand and watched as dozens of white flowers grew.

"Beautiful," Veter mocked her. "Why don't we add some roses next time we're in a hurry?"

Willow scoffed and rolled her amber eyes. "Shut up, Gigant. They're Silenes, a hallucinogen."

Veter threw Synthia over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Are you insane?" he snapped at Willow. "These are humans! Rule number two."

"Both of you! Shut up and run!" ordered Edan.

Veter ran while carrying Synthia's unconscious body. "Can somebody please explain to blondie that those were humans?"

"Could you please relax? Nothing happens if they burn, it's the roots that make you hallucinate moron. Besides we need something to discredit whatever they remember or say," she scoffed. "Why does everybody keep thinking I'm going to kill humans?!"

"Not the time! Two minutes!" screamed Edan. "Veter, get her out of here now." A massive growl was heard. "How many?" Edan asked, and Hunter lifted two fingers. "Crawlers? Draaks?" Hunter shook his head. "All of you, stick together! Don't run in a straight line. We will meet at the house. If you can't make it before it gets dark, meet us at the first camp." With that, they all ran in one direction while Edan took another path.

Two Skuggors crept to the spot Edan and the rest had been standing. Their intense red eyes saw the team dividing. Each one followed a target using their eight thick legs to climb and crawl through the trees and rocks with impossible speed.

The first Skuggor followed Veter, Hunter and Willow. The three of them ran as fast as they could, trying to avoid running in a straight line until the Skuggor caught up with them. The dark beast attacked Veter first.

He snarled and used one of his three scorpion tails to jump and attack Veter, but he changed his trajectory before receiving the hit. He turned around, punched the wind and a huge fist made out of air hit the Skuggor on its side. The Skuggor smashed against a tree shattering it like a twig. Not two seconds later, it was back on its eight feet like nothing ever happened and proceeded to go after Veter.

Ever since they were chosen to be The Six, Edan had shown them tricks on how to outrun a Skuggor and how to detect other dark beasts, but this time, Veter couldn't hold it off much longer. The Skuggor was too fast. Every time he switched directions, Synthia's body rolled on his shoulder making it almost impossible to fight with his full strength.

Willow wielded the tree branches against the beast's body to slow it down, but her branches snapped at the strength and speed of the bloodthirsty monster. Willow tried again, only this time she wielded thick vines and held them at the other end.

Instead of hitting the Skuggor, it caught the vine with one of its thick scorpion tails, pulling so hard that Willow was catapulted into the air and smashed against a rock. She screamed in agony when her shoulder cracked.

Hunter ran to her while Veter made a tornado around the dark beast, trying to give them time to get away, but the Skuggor moved too fast.

The beast made a third attempt to kill Veter. It swiped its left scorpion tail but, seconds before hitting Veter, a tree's root curled around the tail and pulled. Veter saw Willow moving her unharmed arm forward, wielding the root to drag the creature away from him.

Veter tried to wield the wind but the dead weight of Synthia interfered with his movements. "Hunter!" Veter screamed.

The teen ran in Veter's direction and he handed Synthia off. The tension was palpable. "Get out of here," he barked. Hunter ran away carrying the Marked One.

Veter and Willow worked together to try and kill the Skuggor. It seemed impossible: the creature was too strong, too fast. They ran towards a bunch of rocks and started climbing.

The Skuggor cornered them, smacking Willow with its right tail. She fell to the ground. Veter stepped in front to protect her. The Skuggor gave an ear-splitting screech then attacked.

CLASH! A water wave slammed against the Skuggor milliseconds before impact, pushing him far away from Veter. Invigorated, Veter turned around to see Shui pointing her hands at the water wave. "Nice work, babe!"

Willow was still on the ground, but Shui wielded water, making the rocks slippery enough that the Skuggor had trouble climbing up. Veter took advantage of its lack of speed and created another twister. Not able to run, the Skuggor was caught inside the tornado. "Now, babe!" Veter screamed. Shui pushed her arms towards the Skuggor, shooting three waterspouts in its direction. Veter moved his hand and, with the wind, managed to freeze the water creating ice picks.

The ice picks stabbed the Skuggor leaving him close to his end. Veter lifted his hands and lowered them as fast as he could. The tornado mimicked Veter's movement and slammed the Skuggor, annihilating it against the rocks.

Veter ran to Shui and Willow. "Are you ok?" Concerned over the one he loved the most , Veter took Shui's face between his palms and gently moved her head in different positions to make sure she wasn't hurt.

"Yes," Shui replied, placing one of her hands on the back of Veter's to calm him down. "You?"

Veter caressed her cheek with his thumb and smiled mischievously. "Is somebody worried about me?" Shui blushed and moved her gaze away from his.

Nauseated by their behavior, Willow gave a loud fake gag. They looked at her. "Can you two stop being disgusting so we can go back to the house?" She turned around. The movement of her shoulder made her grunt in pain.

"Wait, your shoulder is dislocated," said Veter as he walked to Willow and slowly felt around to assess the injury.

"Did Edan reach the house?" Willow asked Shui almost out of breath.

"The house? I thought he was with you." Shui lifted her eyebrows confused by the question.

"We got separated," Willow said.

"I didn't see him at the house while I was there."

Willow panicked. It took three of them to finally kill the dark beast... and Edan was alone. "We need to go help him!"

"Relax, blondie," said Veter as he grabbed her arm. "Kapetan can handle it himself." Veter pushed and pulled her at the same time snapping her shoulder back in place.

Willow screamed. Veter suppressed a smile while Willow punched him in the chest with her unharmed arm.

Veter flinched at the surprise hit. "What was that for!?"

"For enjoying it too much," she said and walked away. "Let's go back to the others."

* * *

By then, the second of the Skuggors was still trying to catch Edan, but he was too skillful to get caught. Besides, he liked taunting the beasts.

SWOOSH! The Skuggor leapt out in full attack mode. Before it could catch him, Edan switched directions and the Skuggor overshot his target.

Using the trees around him, Edan catapulted himself from one of the tree trunks to another and vice versa in order to gain height.

Once he was high enough, Edan jumped to the next tree, pushed with both legs and backed flipped, stretching his arms like an Olympic diver. Unable to predict his movements, the Skuggor continued his trajectory. Edan leaped in a handstand and landed on top of it.

A few inches before his palms would have made contact with the beast's hard skin, a blast of intense blue fire came out of them and completely incinerated the Skuggor. Edan landed on the ground with both hands stretched and pushed himself to his feet.

Flicking away the ashes on his clothes, he heard a soft growling. Edan closed his eyes and concentrated on the direction of the noise. He opened his hand and a blue flame aura covered it entirely. He steadied his breathing, stood in a stronger position and remained immobile.

To his left side, a Tracker jumped from between the trees. His bloody jaw opened ready to bite, while his claws spread wide prepared to stab. Edan opened his eyes and slammed the beast with a fireball before it could come any closer.

The beast fell backwards, but it was still alive. The fire burnt its arm and now it was more eager to fight. Edan faced the Tracker, but at the moment he was going to attack, another two Trackers jumped in.

Edan flicked a long, thick stick from the ground into the air. He caught it and snapped it in two with his knee.

His hands turned to fire. The flames crawled over the sticks until it covered them completely. "Your turn," he taunted the monsters.

Like a pack of wolves, the three Trackers rumbled and bounded towards Edan.

With precise movements, incredible fighting skills and hard swings, Edan fought all three Trackers at the same time.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the house, Hunter guarded the main entrance while Willow sat at the white kitchen's limestone counter with her bag of seeds. "Here, use this one," Shui said passing her a wooden bowl full of rich black soil.

Willow took out some seeds and planted them. She passed her hand over the bowl causing the plants to grow tall.

Shui took the bowl, cut the plants, placed them in a grinder and worked on them. "Try adding a little more water," suggested Willow as she held her injured arm.

Shui flicked her hand and the water from a nearby glass floated to the grinder. "Take off your shirt and lay down there. I'm almost done."

Following instructions, Willow took off her shirt and lay down. Her Sakura tattoo and her mint green colored sports bra looked pale next to the dozen of cuts and bruises on her body.

Shui wielded water over Willow's upper body to cleanse it. "Cold!" Willow shivered. Shui evaporated the water.

"Don't move," she warned Willow as she smudged the green paste over Willow's cuts. Willow moaned and flinched in pain.

"Hurts?" asked Veter with amusement.

"What do you freaking think?!" spat Willow through clenched teeth, clearly in excruciating pain.

Veter took an apple from the counter. "That's the spirit," he grinned and ate half of his treat in one bite. "Can I help?"

"No," said Shui and Willow at the same time. "Go irritate the others," hissed Willow.

"Can't, they are busy with real stuff," Veter joked.

Donovan walked down the stairs towards the kitchen. He used his fingers to comb the top of his undercut hair to one side, charming as ever. "I see I missed all the action."

Abruptly, Edan burst through the door. "Where is she?" he asked.

"Upstairs, in your room," clarified Donovan. "She's still unconscious, but stable."

Edan looked at Willow's bruised body. "What happened?" he asked.

"I landed on some rocks," explained Willow.

Edan walked closer. "Let me see," he placed his hands on her stomach and his palms radiated heat to relax the muscles. "Tell me if it's too hot," he said moving his hands over her chest and arms. Willow's body burnt hot, not because of Edan's fire but because his hands were touching her skin. If only he could feel it too. He couldn't.

"We are lucky. Only two of them saw us," murmured Edan clearly unaffected by touching Willow's body.

"There were more?" asked Donovan.

"Seven more," Hunter signed.

"We're not prepared for this," Shui admitted. "We should leave."

"We can't, they brought trackers." Edan moved his hands over Willow's tattoo and radiated more heat. "Don't know the number for sure but I killed three."

"Three?!" Willow gasped. The news, along with Edan's firm hands, made her shudder. "We're sitting ducks."

"Don't worry," Edan said while guiding her body back down. "In here, we are protected by the light marks. It's only if we leave that we're in trouble. Outside, they will find us within seconds."

Donovan sat down next to Hunter, who was participating in his favorite hobby... carving a piece of wood. "What's the plan?"

"We wait here." Edan stopped warming Willow's shoulder and turned to Hunter. "Hunter, hide the Marked One and find a safe route."

The teen nodded, placed his knife on a strap around his leg and walked upstairs to get Synthia.

"I can go too, Kapetan," Veter offered.

"No, I need you here in case we run into problems," said Edan staring in the direction of his room upstairs. There was worry in his eyes.

"You want me to go check on her?" teased Donovan. "I don't think she will be calm if the first thing she wakes up to is your face."

"I wasn't planning on going," he lied and walked away.

# Chapter 8

Your Name Is...

G OPENED HER EYES to an unfamiliar ceiling.

She saw an empty calendar, a plain white dresser and the rest of a white unfurnished room. Basically, there was nothing in this room that hinted at where she was. Ok, so... I'm definitely not in my room... no reason to panic, she thought with a cynical tone.

But if she wasn't in her room, where was she?

G closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on what happened, but she couldn't remember how she got there. She tried and tried, but she was only able to remember how the necklace broke, how her body and mind felt free for the first time, and how she turned into flames.

"FLAMES!" G jolted upright. Frantically she ran her hands all over her body, checking for burns or any sign of being lit on fire. There were none! Am I imagining all this? Is this another weird headache hallucination?

For the first time since she could remember, G didn't have a headache. She swung her head... nothing. She hit it with her fist... nothing.

She thought about Mr. Blau, how much he irritated the hell out of her... nothing!

G couldn't believe it, no matter what she did, her headache was gone. She gasped. "I'm dead!"

She crossed her legs and gave the room a second inspection. It looked like a room in a mental institute with a military regimen of keeping everything ridiculously clean. I seriously hope this isn't heaven...

Trying not to make any noise, G stood up and opened the dresser. In the first drawer G found some crystals, maps and knives. Besides that, there were no IDs, personal belongings, wallets or anything that could tell G a single thing about her whereabouts.

The second drawer gave her the clues she needed. The clothes were the same grey and blue pallet. They were so perfectly ironed and folded that G knew exactly whose room this was. The only person she knew capable of being so anal was... "Mr. Freaking Blau," she muttered facing the closed door next to the dresser.

G opened the door and peeked outside. She could hear people arguing downstairs but she couldn't understand what they were saying. Kneeling down next to a dozen colorful hanging crystals, she crawled down the stairs, wishing with every step the wood wouldn't creak.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Shui used her element to boil water for her tea, Willow was trimming the tips of her wavy hair with some scissors and Veter pretended to be busy with his cigar while Donovan and Edan were caught up in a heavy discussion, oblivious to the fact that G was now spying on them.

Donovan leaned both hands against the cold kitchen table. "I say we tell her everything."

"We will tell her nothing," ordered Edan emphatically.

"She needs to know the truth," reproached Donovan.

"No, she doesn't."

"Seriously!?" he yelled. "Anyone?!" He was looking for the support of his friends, but they all turned their faces away. "Wimps," he muttered and glanced back to Edan. "Then please, enlighten me, what are we going to tell her?"

"We aren't going to tell her anything." Edan glared at Donovan with conviction in every word he was saying. "I am going to tell her what's necessary."

"And you don't think this is?" asked Donovan while the rest of the team kept quiet.

"No, I don't."

"But-" Donovan tried to explain but Edan cut him off cold.

"Knowing what you can become can gravely affect your actions. We can't afford her to change her path."

"She won't change!" Donovan was now visibly angry. He clenched his fists trying to control himself.

"Having the pressure of fighting to avoid becoming something like that will change her essence. She can't know!" Edan smacked the table with his hand and everyone jolted.

"She can! Not everyone is like you!" Donovan blurted out, regretting it the moment he said it.

There was a heavy and sad vibe among the group. Willow tried to hold Edan's hand but he moved it away from the table. "Trust me, I know that," he whispered.

Donovan lowered his head. Shui placed her hand on his back. "How do you want us to hide what happened?" she asked Edan.

Hunter opened the back door and walked into the kitchen, immediately sensing G behind the stairs.

"We need to-" Hunter interrupted Edan by grabbing his arm and pointing at the stairs.

Edan stood up and walked toward G's hiding spot. He passed the wall that divided the kitchen and the living room to find her on all fours, glaring back at him with her eyebrows lifted and her teeth biting her lower lip. "Oh, hello!" she said in a casual tone.

"What are you doing?"

G looked around trying to come up for an answer. "I'm looking..." she smiled at him and lifted her hand... "for a ring."

"You don't own any rings."

"Very stalker of you. And yes, that's why I'm looking for one," G continued her fake search.

"Are you done?" he asked and she stared back at him. "Or are you planning to stay in that position for the rest of the night?" he said and she swore she heard a hint of amusement in his voice. He offered his hand to help her stand.

"Who knew you were a gentleman Mr. Blau." She took it and stood while fixing her wrinkled shirt on her way up.

"It's called being civilized... and my name is Edan," he added walking to the kitchen.

G followed Edan and saw Donovan, Veter, Hunter and Shui smiling at her. Willow was the only one not smiling.

Veter stood up, excited to meet her properly. "Moja Princeza! So great to see you again! I know you don't remember us but I'm Veter."

G lifted her eyebrow Ve– what?... she thought trying to make sense of the Viking-looking man's name. Donovan perceived G was confused with what Veter had said. "Veter. It's pronounced like better but with a V," he whispered so only G could hear.

"Oh..." she smiled and extended her hand. Veter gasped like a teenager meeting his celebrity crush before giving it a good shake. "Great work with the fire!" Veter said. Edan coughed clearly disagreeing with Veter's statement. "A little out of control but very strong form," the massive Viking man added.

"You're not... scared of me?" she asked.

"Why would we be?"

"I turned into flames and burnt down half of my school," she pointed out.

"More than half," Veter corrected her. "But don't worry, we fixed it," he smiled proudly. "Besides..." Veter lifted his hand and a small tornado formed on his palm.

G couldn't believe it. She poked the tornado with her finger and watched the cool wind linger over her skin. G giggled and looked at Veter. "I'm a wind wielder and the one in charge," he said.

"In charge of security, your majesty," corrected Donovan.

"At least I'm in charge of something," he gave a loud chuckle. "That creature over there is Donovan, the animal whisperer and master of martial arts. Stay away from his claws though. That rat he's carrying is Icarus, our messenger."

Donovan hugged Icarus and rubbed the little guys head. "He's a sugar glider."

"Keep telling yourself that, man." Veter patted him on the back before pointing at Edan. "I assume you already met the charming Edan."

"Lucky me," she added.

"He is our leader and his element is fire."

"Fire, like me?" asked G.

"No, no one is quite like you." Veter pointed at Shui and she bowed her head to G. "That hot little thing is Shui, she wields water... and me." He winked at G making her chuckle.

Willow scoffed, rolling her eyes. "As if she would like you back."

"Willow..." Veter pointed at Willow, "...the blonde that looks like everything smells like shit, is an earth wielder."

"I heard you," she said as she scanned G from head to toe with a shrug.

"You were supposed to," said Veter. "And finally..." Veter guided G in front of the wild teen, "...this kid is Hunter."

"Hi." G leaned closer to the boy but he stood quietly staring at her.

"He doesn't talk." Donovan walked towards the kitchen. "We have no idea why since there's nothing physical that prevents him from talking. He just... doesn't."

"Hunter?" G repeated his name. "What does he do?"

"Well... He is a _hunter_ ," Veter responded to the obvious.

"Seriously? Your hunter's name is Hunter?"

"Yes. We take pride in having come up with that name, too," added Donovan, who was now eating some of Edan's food.

"No offense, but why would you guys need a hunter? There are more restaurants than people in this town," G pointed out.

Edan flicked his tongue as if he was bothered by G's existence. "He is not going to kill our meal," said Edan. "He is an expert in tracking and hiding. And trust us, we need him more than anything, especially now that your locket was broken a year before time."

"My necklace, where is it?!" she asked as soon as she remembered it. It'd been wrapped around her neck for as far back as she could remember she never had the need to keep an eye on it or worry about losing it.

"Gone," said Edan, anger dripping off the word.

G held her head between her hands. This is insane... Half an hour ago I woke up in a strange place and now I'm surrounded by people who claim to control the elements. And not just that, they keep calling me weird names like 'Moja Princeza'... which I assume it means "something princess" and "your majesty." G looked at Mr. Blau. His eyes were focused like laser beams at her, as if he was ready to jump in case she snapped. But she wasn't going to. Why not? she questioned herself. How am I not completely freaking out...Not even after being surrounded by strangers with crazy tattoos and talking sugar gliders, who seemed to know Mr. Blau... Edan, she thought. They all know Edan, but more important, they all know me.

"Edan..." G mumbled under her breath. A name she'd heard before. The name, the green eyes, the strong features... This time, G was sure that he was the boy from her nightmares. "You are him, right?" She walked closer to Edan. "The boy from my dreams?"

"I am," he admitted.

G couldn't decide if she was feeling relieved or simply angry. All her suspicions about him were on the right track and she wasn't losing her mind. Why had he lied to her? "How can that be possible? You being in my dream?"

"Because it's not a dream, it's a memory," he clarified.

A memory... That war was real? G couldn't wrap her mind around how that war could have existed. The place, the castle, the people, the way they fought; there was no place on earth like that. "I'm sorry, I'm so confused." She felt dizzy, the floor spinning under her feet. She was filled with an overwhelming sensation and her vision became blurry. Leaning against her shaky hands, she sat down next to Shui.

Shui warmed another cup of tea and passed it to G. "Tell us what you don't understand so we can help you."

"To be honest, everything." G took a sip. The warm honey taste made her feel more at ease. "Who are you? Where did you come from? How can you all do these things with fire and wind? How do you know me?"

"Our group is called The Six and, like you, we are all from Terra," said Donovan.

"In what country is that city?"

"No, we are not from Earth," explained Veter.

G knew her next question was beyond stupid but after a lifetime of watching crazy movies with Priyam, she needed to be sure, "Are we... aliens?"

Veter slammed the table with his huge hand. "Who said alien?"

Hunter lifted his hand excited, Veter and Donovan took out some bills and gave them to Hunter. "Damn you," murmured Veter. Willow sighed at their childish behavior.

"I apologize for them; and no, we're not aliens," said Shui. "We are from a place called Terra. A place that is shared in this universe by what you know as planet Earth. What affects Terra affects Earth and vice-versa."

G leaned forward, her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of what she was learning. "Earth and Terra are the same planet?"

"Yes. Just with a different essence," said Shui.

"Why are they separated?" asked G while Hunter stood up and left through the back door, happily counting his money.

Donovan sat down in front of G. "A war, long time ago."

G had a flashback of her nightmare: the castle made of pearls, the people controlling the elements, the horrible beasts. Now she understood that the place she saw didn't look like Earth because it wasn't Earth, it was Terra. "Was that the war I dream about?"

"No," said Donovan. "The war in your dreams was twelve years ago, started by a very dark wielder in order to find you."

G felt the air get sucked out of her lungs. Yesterday she was a semi-regular high school student. Today she was a being from another realm with a price on her life. "Who?"

The Six turned towards Edan as if they were looking for permission. Edan took a second, pondering if telling G, or anyone, His name was a good idea or not. "They call him Azazel," he said and everyone flinched at his name.

"Why does Azazel want to find me?"

Once again, The Six looked at Edan for permission. "He doesn't want to find you, he wants to kill you," he said. This time, Donovan shook his head against his answer.

"Why?!"

Edan glared at G. "Does it matter?"

"How can that not matter?" she rebelled.

"As you can see," Veter jumped in to prevent them from fighting, "in Terra we can manipulate elements. Mostly everyone, when they turn five, starts developing one element, just one. Edan has fire, Willow has earth, Shui has water, and I have wind," Veter smiled. "You have them all."

"Not only are you the only one who can you manipulate all the elements and animals, but you are also the only one who can create them," added Shui.

"Me? That's crazy."

"It obviously feels that way to you now because you are weak and untrained," said Edan while his eyelids raised in a stare "But you will get there."

A small part of G was afraid of this being true. Another part was more afraid to lose this new identity. If this was true, no matter how crazy it sounded, it meant she now knew who she was. And who she was, was special. Who she was, was a girl with a place she belonged to. "What if you got the wrong person?" she offered, biting her lower lip.

Shui took G's right hand and flipped it over revealing her Five Fold symbol birthmark. "You have the birthmark of our queen."

"I'm your queen?"

"You will be, one day," said Shui, smiling with reverence for who G would become.

"No, you're wrong. I can only do fire and that was my first time."

"Fire was the first to come out, the rest will come later," said Shui.

"No. I can't be. I'm absolutely regular," G protested. "I don't have a past. I have a tumor and have some weird luck with nature-related things."

"You don't have a tumor, the mass in your brain was just your power being contained by the necklace," Shui explained with a soft tone, one G imagined a mother would use in a delicate situation. "Nature follows you because it recognizes you, not because of any luck."

G stared at the warm cup of tea. "I don't even have a name."

"Actually, you do. You are known by many names; Toci, Isis, Anu, Nerthus, Mother Goddess, Mother Nature, and many others," said Donovan.

Edan's intense eyes locked with G's. "We know you by the name of Gaia."

Ja-ee-ah...she let the sound of her full name roll around in her head. She touched her neck where the locket with the engraved 'G' used to be. She trailed a 'G' on her skin with her index finger. For twelve years she'd never known or heard her name, not until today.

G of Gaia...

Gaia was still lost in thought when Icarus glided back into the house. He squeaked in Donovan's ear. "Edan, we have a problem." Everyone looked at Donovan. "The Marked One's still alive." 

# Chapter 9

Cutting Ties

THE TREE'S LEAVES SMACKED HER FACE and the snow wet her clothes. Gaia shivered, wishing she had grabbed a warmer sweater, but there was no time for that. She had run so fast after Edan and Veter that she forgot to bring something warmer with her.

She picked up her pace trying to keep up with them. A strong wind hit Gaia's bare shoulder and made her gnash her teeth. "Who's alive and when has that ever been a problem?" she asked. No one answered her.

"How is this possible?" Veter asked Edan. Veter seemed calmed as always, except for his rough voice that gave Gaia a reason to feel nervous. "She's human: the mark should've killed her."

"Whatever the reason, it didn't," said Edan.

"Who is alive?!" Gaia asked again. This time Edan turned around and faced her.

"It's none of your business and you are not coming with us. Go back to the house." Edan stopped. "Why did Willow and Shui let you go?"

"I ordered them," Gaia admitted.

"You ordered them? Get back to the damned house and stop ordering irrational things. You are not queen yet!"

"I'm not going back," she rebutted.

Edan tried to fight back when he suddenly became aware of Gaia's lack of warm clothes. He looked at her shoulders and noticed her body shivering, "Next time, make sure you are ready to go before you go ordering people." Edan took off his grey coat and let it fall on top of her head. "Put this on and stay here." Gaia slid the coat over her head and shoved her arms into the sleeves. It looked so big on her.

Edan turned to Veter. "Don't let her pass. I'll handle it."

Edan walked behind a big rock and saw Synthia trying to fight Hunter. "Move away, you freak!" She hit him with all her might but Hunter barely flinched.

Hunter, who was standing a few feet from Donovan, saw Edan's expression and jumped in front of Synthia in order to protect her.

"We have to," said Edan but Hunter didn't move. "Hunter, move!"

"No." Hunter refused with a single hand gesture.

Synthia saw Edan and tried to run to him, Hunter pulled her back for her own safety. "Mr. Blau? What is happening?! Who are these people?"

Edan got closer and Hunter stopped him again. "You don't know what could happen if we let her live." Edan tried to reason with the teen but he shook his head, set on his decision. "What about the consequences?" asked Edan.

"I can live with the consequences," Hunter signed and placed his hand on his chest.

"I know you can, but I can't." Edan closed his eyes and pointed his hand towards Synthia. "I'm sorry, Hunter, but I'm not risking it."

"Synthia?" Gaia gasped at the sight of Synthia's white skin covered in dirt and noticed the circle with a horizontal line horribly burnt to her chest.

Edan turned and saw Gaia. Irritated, he turned and glared at Veter. Edan was unmistakably angry; Veter had disobeyed him and let Gaia pass.

Synthia took advantage of everyone being distracted, ran and tackled Gaia. "YOU!" she crawled on top of Gaia and slapped her. "You did this to me!"

"Princeza!" With one hand, Veter snatched Synthia away from Gaia. Donovan helped her stand up.

"Did I?" Gaia gasped for breath. "Did I do that?"

"No. She did it herself." Without second guessing his actions, Edan stood in front Synthia and lifted his hand. A ball of fire formed on his palm. "I'm sorry," he said and he meant it.

Finally understanding who was supposed to be dead and why they didn't want her to come, Gaia leaped in front of Synthia. "STOP! What do you think you are doing!?"

"Killing her," answered Edan without lowering his hand.

"Yes, I can see that!" Gaia couldn't understand why nobody was doing anything about it. "Why?!"

Move... he begged in his thoughts. "She has to die. She has the mark of Theta."

"So what?!"

"The mark is a curse," explained Edan. "Your locket was going to open a year after you reached your Eighteenth Spring, but out of her stupidity, she broke it, releasing you before time. Ultimately every act of selfishness comes with a price."

"Death?!"

Veter coughed. Trying to be discrete, he whispered to Gaia, "Thanatos literally means death."

"Oh...Still, killing her is not OK."

Edan lowered his head and squeezed the back of his neck trying to release some tension. Even though it needed to be done, he hated what he was about to do and Gaia wasn't helping. "She has put you in danger."

"It was just a necklace"

"No, it wasn't. It was a shield," shouted Edan, shocking everyone. "By hiding your essence the locket was also hiding you. Now that your essence is free, Azazel can track you down. We have Hunter, so that's not much of a problem, but that mark is like a having a bloody tracking device."

"He can sense it and he will find it no matter where it goes." Veter placed a hand on Gaia's shoulder, trying to move her. "She needs to die."

"No she doesn't!" She slapped Veter's hand away. "We can leave her here."

"Are you serious? And let him find her?" Edan lowered his hand and walked inches away from Gaia. "What do you think he is going to do to her when He finds her and sees she's not with you? Shake hands and leave?"

"No..."

"No! He is going to make medieval torture feel like a vacation. And right before killing her he will extract all of her memories and see everything she's lived. Including this talk!" Edan pushed Gaia away and placed his hand directly to Synthia's chest.

"What? No!? Please don't kill me!" she begged, her eyes dripping black and orange tears from the excess of makeup.

"You should have thought about it earlier when Gaia was telling you to back off." Edan was about to fire when a rock slapped him in the face.

He turned around and saw Gaia with another rock. "I said no!" she yelled. "I understand it's a risk, but if we kill her, then we're no better than He is." Gaia walked to Synthia and took her by the hand. "We are taking her."

"No!" he refused.

Without fear, Gaia took a step closer to Edan. "Edan! I said we are taking her, so we are taking her."

Excited by the events, Donovan tapped Veter's back. "I told him she was going to whoop his ass." They both smiled at the show.

Hunter, proud of Gaia, stood next to her, shielding Synthia from Edan. "Don't do it," Hunter signed to Edan.

"I agree with them," said Donovan.

Edan threw his hands up in surrender. "Fine! You have twenty minutes to pack your stuff and say goodbye."

"Twenty minutes!?" Gaia's gray eyes opened wide. "What girl can pack in twenty minutes?"

"You want to bring the Marked One, so yes, we need to leave and fast."

"Ok, I'll be fast, but you're coming with me," she commanded him. "I don't trust you alone with her."

Edan wanted to refuse but after her constant questions and acts of defiance, he knew Gaia was too stubborn to let him stay. "Take her," he said pointing to Synthia, the Marked One. "Follow Hunter's safe trail, and go back to the camp house. I'll see you there once we're done."

"Yes, Sir," they all nodded and parted ways.

* * *

Gaia and Edan walked to the orphanage. The street lights shone too bright for them to use the roads so they snuck through the forest to avoid being detected by any dark beasts; and yes... awkward, couldn't even begin to describe the moment.

Edan studied Gaia's forced movements and frowning expressions. "Odd," he murmured.

"What's odd?" she asked curtly. This man was an expert on inciting her irritation.

Edan gave Gaia a last look before he answered. Always needing to be sure before speaking his mind, "You look angry."

"I'm next to you," she flashed a mocking smile. "What's odd about me looking angry?"

"Irrelevant to that fact, after all that happened, I imagine you would be shocked or baffled, not angry."

Gaia stopped cold and glared at Edan. "Well, I am angry!"

"Why?" he asked. Gaia couldn't tell if he was serious about not knowing or if he was making fun of her.

"Why?!!" she chose the second option. "Besides you almost killing someone I know, all those days I asked you about me and interrogated you about your past, and you treated me like a crazy person... all that time you knew?"

"Of course I knew." He looked around to see if they were being followed. The forest wasn't safe now and Gaia's screaming wasn't helping. "We should keep moving. The longer we take... the more dangerous it will get."

Gaia refused to walk. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?"

Edan covered her mouth. "You are too damn loud." he hissed between his teeth and scanned their surroundings. "I didn't tell you because you weren't supposed to know."

Gaia grabbed Edan's hand and moved it away from her mouth. "According to who, was I not supposed to know?"

"It's according to 'whom', and the correct answer to your question is me."

"And just like that?" she screamed. Edan's green eyes opened wide. Gaia realized she was in fact being too loud. "You decided not to tell me anything about me and my life?" she whispered with fury.

Edan smiled to fuel her anger. "Yes. Just like that."

"Who died and named you king?" she hissed.

"Your mother," he said, and they both became quiet. This was the first time Gaia had ever heard someone talk about her mother. The flawless face of the woman in her dreams flashed in Gaia's mind. She hoped Edan was talking about her.

Edan took a deep breath in order to relax. "And she didn't name me king, she named me your guardian."

"Well..." Gaia mumbled and obediently continued her way to the orphanage. The thought of her mother trusting Edan gave her peace and frustration at the same time. She hated the idea of Edan ordering her around but she wanted to believe her mother had good reasons to name him guardian. Even if she found him annoying as hell, there was something impressive about him, too; something she would never admit to him, especially not now. "And that makes you my guardian?"

He nodded. "And your teacher."

"Not anymore. I don't know if you've heard but I kind of burned the school down," she said with a little hint of humor.

"I meant for your power. And if you don't start walking now, I swear I will knock you down and drag you all the way to your room," he growled.

"Seriously?"

Edan grabbed her by the arm. "Yes, I will."

"I meant the teaching part."

"Oh, yes." He let go as he calmed down a bit. "What did you think we were sent here for?"

Gaia walked once again. "You're going to teach me how to learn my powers?"

"Not learn them, wield them," he corrected her.

"What's the difference?"

"Learn is to acquire knowledge or skill. You already have those skills, you just need to wield them."

"I already have the powers?"

"Indeed."

"And you will teach me how to wield them?"

"Only one. Fire, to be exact." Edan guided her to the main door.

Gaia took out a key and unlocked the door. She stopped before opening it and turned to face Edan. "I'm sorry," Gaia pointed at his red cheek, "for throwing the rock at you."

"Don't be, you throw like a toddler," he said and leaned against the wall. "I'll wait here. Try to hurry up."

"I'll try," she opened the door and walked inside.

Gaia ran to her room and pushed the door open. "Priy! Are you here?"

Priyam threw her computer on the mattress and jumped off her bed. "Where the hell have you been!? Are you ok? And what was that?!!" she asked incredibly fast.

Gaia sprinted to her window and checked that Edan was still waiting for her outside. "We need to talk," she told Priyam.

Priyam paced around the room. "You turned up in flames! Of course we need to talk."

Gaia took a deep breath and smiled. After all these years of investigating and trying to figure out where she came from, she was able to tell her best friend those five words she always fought to find. "I know who I am," she said.

It took Priyam a moment to digest the news. She heard perfectly what Gaia said but the idea of Gaia knowing her identity felt like a dream. "You remembered?" she asked excited.

"No," Gaia smiled. "I found people who knew me from before."

Priyam dropped down on her bed. "No way," she gasped.

Unable to contain her emotion, Gaia paced around the room. "It turns out that my real name is Gaia," she said.

"Gaia," Priyam repeated trying to get a feel for it. "Mmmm... it suits you."

"Thanks." She smiled at her ecstatic friend. "Also... I'm not from Earth, I'm from a place called Terra."

Priyam's brown eyes opened wide. "Like E.T.?!"

Gaia flipped her hands in the air with total agreement of Priyam's question. "See! That's what I said too, but they made it look like I was stupid to think that and-"

"G! Focus." Priyam interrupted Gaia by snapping her fingers. "Terra?"

"Yes." She took a deep breath to calm down and sat next to Bobby. "Terra is a place on this planet that is here but at the same time is not here."

"Super clear," Priyam said cynically.

Gaia walked around the room packing her stuff while telling her friend everything that had happened that day and all the crazy new information she learned. She talked about Azazel, about her true nature, her quest, and the fact that her tumor wasn't really a tumor but the machine picking up the shadow of her powers locked up by her necklace.

She knew it sounded crazy and it made no sense whatsoever, but Priyam kept listening and never once doubted her. Gaia felt lucky to have a friend weird enough to believe everything that she was babbling about instead of offering to send her to a mental institution.

Gaia pushed her clothes to the bottom to make more space in her suitcase. "And thanks to the mark that got imprinted on the ground and the one on Synthia's chest, Azazel is coming here and now we have to protect her."

Priyam passed Gaia some of her clothes to pack them. "Why don't you leave her?"

"See, that's what I thought at first, but if he finds her he will torture her for information about me and then kill her." Gaia continued packing her stuff.

"So, why don't you leave her?" she teased.

"Priy!"

"I'm just saying, girl is crazy."

Gaia placed some books inside the suitcase and tried to close it. "Crazy yes, annoying definitely, but by no means am I leaving her to die."

"Fine..." Priyam leaned against the suitcase helping Gaia to close it. "I know I've been helping you for like twenty minutes, but why are you packing?"

"I need to go," she said and took a deep breath. After all the excitement, fear and crazy amount of changes, the fact sunk in that she would have to leave her best friend and only family. Her chest clenched with pain at what she would be losing. "And I don't think I'm coming back," she said trying her best not to break down.

"No problem," Priyam took out an already packed suitcase and a yellow envelope from under her bed.

"What are those?" asked Gaia.

"Ever since we saw _The Hobbit_ , I've kept a suitcase packed and a letter to Miss Brown explaining we're leaving," smiled Priyam.

"You're kidding."

"You know I never kid when it comes to _The Hobbit_." Priyam wrote Miss Brown's name on the envelope and left it on the bed. "Where are we going?"

"What? You can't come."

"But I will." Priyam smiled and took out a yellow jacket.

"No, it's dangerous." Gaia stopped her with her hands. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"Adventures are always dangerous. Besides, I can manage," she said.

After all the things Gaia has seen in real life and in her dream; the beasts, the fire, the killings, she shuttered in terror. "You can't. You can get hurt."

Priyam cracked a smile. "Says the girl who trips every five minutes."

"That has nothing to do with this."

"Look, the one tiny bit cool thing about being an orphan is that I can literally leave in situations like this. Don't you dare take that away from me," said Priyam as she emptied her drawer into her _Firefly_ backpack.

"I know, but if you leave with me, you might not come back either."

Priyam chuckled, "Come back to what? My school is burned thanks to you, next year I will become legal so I'll have to find another place to live and they closed the only movie theater in town. Ten snowboarding stores but just one damn theater and they freaking close it! You are not only my best friend G, but you are also the only family I've got. I'm not going to lose you, too." Priyam shrugged her shoulders, "Besides, this town is full of ridiculously polite and cheerful people. You would be doing me a favor."

"Fine." Gaia took her suitcase and walked to the door. "If Edan starts giving me crap, it's all your fault."

"Who's Edan?" asked Priyam as she followed her.

"Mr. Blau."

Priyam gasped. "Alaric Saltzman is coming with us?!"

"Unfortunately," she murmured. "And please... stop comparing Edan to TV teachers."

Gaia and Priyam walked out of the orphanage to find Edan waiting against Bobby. His face twitched at the sight of Priyam holding a suitcase. "What is Miss Singh doing here?"

Ignoring his question, Gaia walked past Edan. "Her name is Priyam."

Edan followed her. "I know who she is. What I don't know is, what's she doing here?"

"She's coming with us." Gaia gave Edan her suitcase and walked away.

"Her, too?" he asked holding the heavy luggage.

"Yes," Gaia smiled.

Edan turned in front of Gaia making her stop. "This is not a pajama party."

"I know," she said, "and I don't mind."

"Of course you don't." Edan took Priyam's packed bag. "What is this?"

"My computer."

"Then what is that?" he pointed at the bigger bag.

"Chocolates, marshmallows, nuts, candies and other snacks. What else could it be?"

"You are joking, right?" The girls smiled. Edan hung the bags on his shoulder and walked away. "She's not joking," he muttered as the girls followed.

# Chapter 10

Home-Based Tree

AGES... Gaia thought as she dragged her feet. We've been walking for ages!

That day, the more they walked, the denser the forest became. The trees grew taller and thicker, the air smelled fresher and the weather got colder. From time to time, Veter and Shui wielded their elements creating a snowstorm that erased any type of footprints or clues that could help someone track their location.

Gaia rubbed her mittens against each other. She slid them over her legs but it made no improvement. She tried again and again until Edan walked towards her and grabbed both of her hands. The warmth was instantaneous, not only on her hands but throughout her entire body. "Keep walking," he said and left to the front of the line.

"Thank you," said Gaia, almost sure he did it out of 'leader obligation' rather than kindness.

"Was he being nice?" Priyam whispered as if she was reading Gaia's thoughts.

"I don't think he knows that word," joked Gaia.

Willow pulled Synthia and intentionally crashed into Gaia's shoulder. "Because you know him so well," she said and continued walking in front of them.

"Wow, two minutes guarding Synthia and she's already turned into a bitch," whispered Priyam.

"I don't think it's because of Synthia." Gaia laughed out loud, "She's not contagious, you know."

Priyam smiled mischievously. "Thank Nature, nobody wants the T-virus spreading all over."

"Speaking of thanking, I know I said you couldn't come with us, but I'm glad you did anyway. Thank you for that."

"Please, walking around in an endless barrage of trees for longer than I've ever walked in my life while freezing my butt off next to you? Wouldn't miss it for anything."

"I'm serious."

"So am I." They both smiled.

Synthia tripped on her broken heels and fell face down. Her knees hit the ground, and her hair got tangled on a branch "How long until we get to the hotel?" she whined.

Willow took her by one of her elbows and dug her out of the muddy snow. "We're not staying in a hotel."

"Maybe not you." She pushed Willow away and untied her hair. "So not cool."

Gaia felt bad for Synthia. Priyam chose to be there but Synthia didn't. She was there, cold and looking terrible, which seemed to be torture for her. Not to mention she was forced to leave her life behind. What about her parents? Gaia's and Priyam's situation weren't quite common, but Synthia's life was different. She was leaving a family behind. They must be very worried... Gaia felt that opening up to Synthia might be a terrible idea but there was nothing else she could do now and she wasn't going to leave her behind. "Synthia?"

Synthia glared at Gaia with disgust, pushing her out of her way. "What do you want, loser?"

Gaia checked to see if anyone besides Priyam was close enough to hear them and took out her phone. "Priyam told me we shouldn't use it for tracking reasons, but if you need it, I can lend you my cell phone."

"Ick... why would I need that crappy old thing?" she squeaked and kept walking.

"It's been almost four days since the school fire, maybe you should call your parents. Let them know you're ok."

"Like they would notice I'm missing."

Gaia looked at Willow, who was more preoccupied with trying to talk to Edan than with guarding Synthia. "I'm pretty sure they would."

"They won't. My mother will be too high on her meds to notice anything. My father keeps himself busy spending his hordes of money on his lovers." Synthia brushed her messy extensions with her fingers as they walked. "They never care what I do as long as I stay quiet."

"I'm sorry."

"Why? I love it. Last time I ran away my dad gave me a car when I came back. Imagine what he'll give me after all this?" Having semi-fixed her hair, Synthia pinched her cheeks and pouted her lips. "Mr. Blau! Wait for me!"

Gaia stared baffled at Synthia's reckless flirting. "Priy... Did that just happened?"

"I don't want to even acknowledge this conversation."

Veter walked towards them. "Hello, ladies."

"Ugh, Veter!" Priyam shivered at the sight of Veter's lack of warm clothes. "You make me feel colder just looking at you." Priyam hugged herself and rubbed her arms, making herself feel slightly warmer. "Seriously, there's a human thing called hypothermia, you should research it."

"This is nothing," he said as he ran his hands over his light T-shirt and brown leather vest. "You should see the mountain I grew up on. Now, that's cold."

"I think I'll pass." Priyam's teeth clenched in horror.

"Veter, the sun is about to set, shouldn't we be finding shelter now?" asked Gaia as she noticed that the day was beginning to look greyer.

"No need," he smiled. "We are here." Veter gave Gaia a small bow and returned to Shui's side.

Gaia and Priyam looked to the road Veter had pointed to and saw nothing but trees. "Is it me or does it look the same as the past thirty miles?"

"Maybe... fewer rocks?" Gaia looked around for a good place to camp when she saw a golden tree. Taller and thicker than the rest, the golden tree lifted up, digging out its roots creating an arch that seemed like a door. Hunter walked into the root's arch and disappeared.

"Priy!" Gaia grabbed Priyam's shoulder. "Do you see that?" She pointed at the golden tree.

"What" she asked and looked in the direction Gaia was pointing. One by one, The Six, Synthia and Edan disappeared the moment they walked through the arch. "Oh, my! Please tell me this is Nature's version of platform 9 ¾!" Priyam gasped with excitement. "G, if it's a dream... don't wake me up."

"Trust me, it's not a dream."

The two friends walked to the golden tree and stopped. They searched for ways to describe what was happening or what was beyond the arch but everything looked the same to them. "What happens after we cross?" asked Priyam.

Gaia shrugged her shoulders. "No idea."

Priyam touched the soft golden root but nothing happened. "Where will this take us?"

"No idea," replied Gaia.

Priyam took a step back from the tree. "I'm glad you like traveling well informed," she joked.

"Try asking them questions," said Gaia. "It's like getting information from the sun."

Priyam walked and stepped right next to Gaia. "Well then, I guess we'll find out now."

Gaia looked at her friend with a conflicted expression. "Sorry your life got weird since you met me."

"I'm not. Weird is interesting." Priyam smiled and stretched her hand towards Gaia. "Ready, G?"

Gaia took her best friend's hand and smiled back. "As ever."

The two friends took a big step forward, crossed the arch and walked into the top of a beautiful, sunny hill.

The ground was no longer covered in snow, the air wasn't freezing cold, and there was a big clearing without any trees. Beneath the hill, there was even more open space without trees and, next to it, a gorgeous lake. The smell of fresh air and the warmth of the sunlight hitting their faces made Gaia feel relaxed and at home.

"Watch out!" screamed Edan as he lifted his hand and incinerated a flying rock with a ball of blue fire.

"Sorry!" Veter apologized as he kept moving his hands in a circle carrying a group of rocks with the wind. He lowered his hands and they all fell in order around a big flat rock.

"Can you be a little more aware of your surroundings?" Edan scolded them. He took a moment to assess the situation. "Since it's obvious neither of you can help, why don't you sit down there and let us work?"

Priyam and Gaia looked at where Edan was pointing and saw Shui preventing Synthia from taking her Celtic choker while the underdressed teen whined about every single thing.

Priyam snorted and gave little pats to Edan's back. "Great offer Fireball, but I'll take my chances with the rocks."

Gaia laughed at how funny Edan's face looked with his deep frown, wide eyes and lips pressed together into one thin line. She couldn't tell if it was the nickname Priyam gave him, having someone touch him or a combination of both that made him cringe that way. Without a word, Edan bolted like a cat that'd been splashed with water.

"We better move from here," Gaia said searching for a better place to sit when she saw Willow wielding roots and vines into small bungalows. Next to her stood a tree whose leaves floated around its branches. A tree that Gaia was more than acquainted with.

"Bobby?!" Gaia ran to the tree and placed her hands on its trunk. The feeling was overwhelming. She knew it was strange, but for her it felt as if she just found a member of the family she thought lost forever.

Twisting his eyebrows, Donovan took a look at his friends to see if anyone knew what Gaia was talking about. "Bobby?" he asked. They all shrugged their shoulders.

"She's talking about the tree," said Priyam as she walked between Veter and Hunter. "I know... worst name ever," she added before anyone had actually complained.

Gaia slid her fingers across its rough warm surface. She trailed the carved symbols the same way she'd done ever since she was little. A small piece of familiarity. She lay down between its roots and leaned her head against the trunk.

From her cocoon of comfort, Gaia watched how everyone used their elements to create rooms or furniture.

Hunter climbed the trees like a monkey and placed traps and marks with the crystals that were made by the elements. It was clear that he was not only used to climbing, but that he felt the most comfortable swinging and jumping between the trees.

Shui walked around evaporating the small remaining clumps of snow. Watching the snow turn so fast into vapor and fly around all of them was something incredible to witness.

"Where have you been all my life?" Priyam beamed with happiness. Gaia turned around and saw her talking to Veter as he smoked a cigar and moved his hand to control an air bubble that was holding Synthia and her screams inside.

Donovan helped Willow build the bungalows next to Gaia and the First Tree while Edan sat at the dining rock table preparing their next move and options.

Done with their work, Veter, Shui and Priyam walked to Gaia. She lifted her head smiling. "How? This tree was in Truckee."

"And before that, it used to be in Terra," said Veter as he placed both of the suitcases on the ground and stretched. "This tree goes wherever you go, Moja Princeza. It follows the essence of nature."

"The day you were born it grew in front of your house, that's how we knew you were Mother Nature's next reincarnation." Shui smiled at the memories of that day. "Edan was the first one to see it," she whispered trying not to let Edan hear her.

"You guys were there?" Gaia asked excited.

"Edan and Willow were there," said Shui as she sat down next to Gaia. "He was three-years-old back then."

"People? Or whatever you call yourself in Terra..." coughed Priyam and they all looked at her. "Don't get me wrong, I dig the idea of a magical walking tree, but isn't it... dangerous? Couldn't anyone see a giant and super recognizable tree and know she's here?"

"Good question, but no," said Donovan, sitting next to them. "Only innocent souls can see greatness in mundane things. A corrupted being, or any other person who's lost the power of being amazed, could never see a tree for its true beauty. They would see paper, money and furniture; anything but the fact that this tree or any other living creatures sharing the same planet with them," he said and stood up. "Anyway... Welcome to the tour!" He opened his hands like a magician at the beginning of a show.

Gaia took a look around her, the place was enchanting. The camp was divided in two; the upper part of the hill and the lower terrain after the skirts of the hill. On the upper part, right on the highest point, there was Bobby surrounded by all the bungalows. Ten feet away from the bungalows, there was a big storage room with a wooden table carved from an already dead tree. At the opposite side of the storage, there was a big dining table made from a large plain rock and a small kitchen made of rocks, stones, plants and a small waterfall.

On the skirts of the hill, there was a large empty space of land, followed by a field of flowers already fenced, along with a gorgeous lake. Donovan walked towards one of the bungalows and ran his fingers through the flower curtain that served as a door. "As you can see, our cabins are on top of this hill."

Priyam glared at the rustic bungalows. "Isn't it kind of stupid to have our houses in plain view on top of a hill instead of hidden in the massive forest?"

"It would be, if we were in plain sight."

"But we are."

"That's how you see it from here. From out there, across the golden tree, you can only see a hill full of snow." Said Donovan.

Priyam and Gaia looked up and noticed for the first time that the snow falling from the sky never touched the ground. It all melted halfway, as if there was something preventing the flakes from reaching the ground. "Are we in an invisible dome?" asked Gaia.

"Exactly."

"Like magic?" Priyam clapped excited.

"No, like nature. Greatest camouflage in history." He winked and continued walking around the bungalows. "The one next to the First Tree is yours. Edan asked us to build it next to your Bobby." He leaned closer towards Gaia. "He thought you might like it," he whispered making Gaia feel happy and confused about Edan doing anything just because she might like it.

"We can build you another one if you want your place separated."

"Don't," said Gaia. "We're used to living together."

"Alright. Next we have Edan's. In front of yours we have Shui's, next is Veter's, then Willow's and finally mine. And that one made of stone is the Marked One's."

Priyam and Gaia walked toward the bungalow Donovan had pointed to last. Instead of being made of wood, stones and flowers like the rest, this one was constructed of pure rock and metal. Gaia felt cold just looking at it. "That's Synthia's?"

"Yes. She needs special security due to her-"

"Disgusting scar that connects her to the evil guy?" Priyam smiled.

"That one." Donovan ran his hand over the smooth cold rock. "This metal helps us to block her a little bit more."

Gaia counted the bungalows and there was one missing. "What about Hunter? Where is his cabin?"

"Oh, he sleeps in the trees."

Priyam thought about splinters and bugs. She couldn't help but shiver. "Why?! That sounds so uncomfortable."

"Well, he grew up in Moonstrand, one of the five cities of Terra." He leaned closer to them. "There, they like sleeping outside."

Donovan guided Gaia and Priyam a few feet away from all the bungalows, to a big storage room with a solid wooden table on the outside. "Here is where we store our weapons and ammunition."

Gaia took a light silver dagger that lay on a table outside the storage room. "Why do you guys need knives and guns if you can control the elements?"

"Not everyone can." He smiled looking at Priyam. "Besides, some earthling artifacts might come in handy; after all, humans are masters in destruction. No offense."

Priyam's chocolate brown eyes glared at Donovan. "How is that not offensive?" she whispered to Gaia.

"The main entrance is a few feet from that crooked pine tree." Willow ran up to them as they were looking at the opening. "Donovan, Edan needs Icarus for a moment."

"I... I'll be right back, meanwhile..." Donovan looked around to see what he could come up with when Hunter walked in front them. Donovan took Hunter by the shoulders and pushed him next to the two girls. "Hunter will give you ladies the rest of the tour."

Gaia stared in confusion at Priyam. They both knew Hunter spoke in sign language and they had no idea how to understand it.

Against all the odds, Hunter walked and they followed. Without talking, Hunter pointed at sections from the camp and trees. Gaia and Priyam had no idea what was happening so they did their best to figure things out for themselves.

Hunter pointed at a big rock with a plain surface surrounded by mounds of tree roots that looked like stools. "Eating area," he signed.

"I assume this is where we eat," said Gaia.

Hunter nodded and continued pointing at random stuff while Gaia and Priyam tried to guess their use.

After half an hour of touring, Hunter pointed at a rock on the floor. Light gray in color, it was half covered with grass. Gaia and Priyam stared at the rock trying to figure out its use. Priyam shrugged her shoulders, "No, no idea, you?"

Gaia looked at it closer. "Maybe it's a weapon or something secret."

"What if it is sacred? Like a Kodama or something?"

"What the hell is a Kodame?"

"It's Kodama, and they are tree spirits."

Hunter nodded and bowed. He lifted his hands up and down numerous times while making circles with them.

"I think we should bow too," said Gaia and they both mimicked Hunter.

After a few minutes of giving their respects to the sacred rock, Gaia turned to Hunter. "Hunter, where are the bathrooms?"

He pointed to the whole left section of the forest.

"That's... an extremely general area," said Priyam.

"Is he pointing at the forest?" asked Gaia.

Priyam shrugged her shoulders. "I think he is," she said.

Gaia glanced at Hunter and smiled at him. Then she looked at Priyam, "Is it in the forest or is the bathroom the forest?" she whispered.

"I'm not sure."

"It's in the forest," said Edan. Gaia turned around and saw him walking closer to them. "Hunter, I'll take it from here," he said to the teen.

Hunter lifted his arms and gave small taps to his forehead. "Good thinking, they are really lost."

Edan chuckled; his smile and carefree expression made Gaia feel nervous. "Yeah, it was pretty moronic to put you as a guide. And by the way, that's a simple rock," he said pointing at the rock they'd just spent minutes giving their respect too. "Hunter was messing with you. Too bad you are too bloody slow to notice." He laughed at them and waved at Hunter.

Gaia gritted her teeth and scowled at Edan's back. "Oh, how I hate him."

# Chapter 11

First Try

"GET UP!" Edan barked throwing a change of clothes on top of Gaia's lap.

Confused and sleepy, Gaia crawled out of her bed. She yawned and looked at the dark sky through the window of her bungalow. "What time is it?" she whispered, trying not to wake up Priyam, who had fallen asleep hugging her computer.

"Five," he said.

Her eyes opened wide. "In the morning?"

"Yes."

Uncomfortable being in her baggy shirt and nothing else in front of Edan, Gaia hugged the sheets against her chest. "Is He here?" she asked. "Did Azazel find us?"

"Of course not," he said.

Gaia relaxed a little after confirming they hadn't been found. "Is someone dying or is a bungalow in flames?"

"No, why would they be?" he asked nose scrunched up, eyebrows close together in confusion.

Gaia let go of the sheets and smacked her hand on the bed. "Then why are you waking me up at this freaking hour!?"

Edan took a look at outside to see if someone heard her scream but the coast was clear. "For your training."

Still tired after hours and hours of walking over the past few days, Gaia sunk back into her covers. Her arms hurt as she pulled the sheet over her head. "Can't we train another time?"

"You took off your necklace one year too soon; you're weak, untrained and you know nothing about wielding, but sure, let's take all the time you need." Edan walked closer to her bed and kicked it. "I'm certain that He will wait for you to get ready."

"A simple 'no' would've been great," she said, sitting back up.

"There's no such thing as simple with you." Edan pointed at the clothes hanging on the side of the bed. "Now get up and get changed."

Gaia took the clothes and offered them back to Edan. "Here, I have my own clothes."

"I know, but you have to wear that," he said taking a step back so she wouldn't reach him.

Gaia looked at the glossy fabric and snorted. "Not a chance," she refused.

"It's fireproof," he said.

"I don't care if it makes me immortal." She threw the outfit back to its owner, "I'm not wearing that thing."

"Fine." Edan took the outfit from his shoulder and folded it. "Don't blame me when your clothes burn and you end up naked," he warned her.

In a matter of seconds, Gaia snatched the clothes back. "Do you mind? Or is watching me change also part of the ritual?"

Edan's mouth curved in disapproval of her comment, as if the idea of seeing her getting dressed was something he would ever want to experience. "Five minutes. Don't be late," he said and left the room.

Gaia got out of her bed, closed the door made of vines and flowers and changed, trying to make as little noise as possible since Priyam was miraculously still sleeping on her bed.

Once ready, Gaia took a final look in the mirror. Her entire figure was outlined by the leathery fabric of the jumpsuit. Her waist was pronounced by a metal belt with a circle that resembled the markings on Willow, Shui and Veter's wrists, only this one was a circle made of squares and a flame growing from an infinity symbol.

Gaia took a spin, she was sure she looked like a fan coming out of a vampire convention. This look was far from her usual Boho dresses and pastel lace tops.

She shuddered in panic. No way. I can't go out like this... Gaia thought over and over again, but she knew the only thing worse than wearing that outfit was ending up naked in front of Edan and his smug face. Gaia could feel her face turn red at the mere thought of it. She untied her hair so the red waves would cover some part of her clothes.

She shook her head, softly slapped both of her cheeks and held her head high. "You are Mother Freaking Nature! You can turn things on fire and... stuff. This is nothing." She let out a deep sigh. "Let's do this." She jumped a few times, gave herself some needed courage and walked outside.

A few feet from her bungalow, Gaia ran into Veter. His shirtless body hung upside down and his hands floated a few feet above the ground in a handstand. "Top of the morning, Moja Princeza!" he said as he kept on his shoulder push-up routine. His elbows bent and stretched effortlessly while his feet and body stayed in their floating state. "Interesting choice of clothes."

"Good... morning Veter," said Gaia as she realized the nerves over Edan looking at her dressed in such a ridiculous get-up made her completely forget that there were at least six more people here who could see her in that outfit also.

"Kapetan is waiting for you at the gathering point." He pointed to the left as he continued doing his push-ups with one hand. "You do remember how to get there, don't you?"

Gaia glanced all around to prevent Veter from seeing the heat of embarrassment flushing her face. "Through the kitchen, down the hill next to the lake?"

"Right on!" Veter switched hands and slowed down his pace. "Tell Edan to be back before sundown."

"I will," she replied and took her leave as quickly as she could.

Gaia snuck through the camp. Relax... it's five in the morning, no one else will be awake... She turned around and crashed into Donovan. "Crap!" she screamed and punched him in his bare chest.

"Good morning to you too, my future queen," said Donovan as he combed the top of his hair with his fingers.

"What are you doing here? And why is everybody half-naked?" she asked while he jogged in place. Gaia noticed the bear claw tattoo he had on his chest and wondered if she had ever seen it before. She couldn't remember where or why, but she felt like she was being protected.

"I'm doing my morning jog," he said bouncing gracefully, "and I like the breeze on my skin."

"It's freaking January! Cover yourself, people."

Donovan stopped jogging and gave Gaia a good look. "Funny you comment on my choice of clothing."

Gaia crossed her arms over her chest in a failed attempt to hide her body. "This wasn't my choice."

"Sure it wasn't," he said.

As she tried to flee the scene, Hunter jumped off a tree and landed right in front of them.

"For the love of all!" she jolted. "It's five in the morning! Don't people sleep in Terra!?"

"I didn't know dominatrix were in season," said a feminine voice.

Gaia turned around and saw Willow sitting on a rock smirking with contempt. "What? Everyone in Terra who learns to wield fire uses something like this," she explained to them but wished she hadn't. She didn't have time for this.

"True," said Willow as she tied up her pale blonde hair in a ponytail. "But everyone else is five years old when they use it, not your age," she mocked.

Not being a morning person, having to dress like this and operating on an empty stomach, made Gaia beyond infuriated. For the past two days she'd been with The Six and Edan. Gaia could tell Willow had the same amount of attraction for Edan as she had a dislike for her. "Well... Edan said he likes it," said Gaia trying to sound convincing. Willow's face turned sour confirming Gaia's assumptions. A small victory. "Now, if you'll excuse me," she said and left before anyone else arrived.

Tired, embarrassed and wanting to hide, Gaia made a beeline out of the gathering spot until she reached the training ground's forest line. Even though she already had it pointed out to her during the tour, this was the first time she'd actually walked down there.

Gaia's lungs filled with fresh air and her body shivered with excitement. She came out of the trees taking in the magnificent landscape. It was a large space of flat grounds slightly covered by snow and surrounded by trees. On one of the corners, Gaia could see the frozen lake and, next to it, without a single piece of snow, the flower section that Willow prepared. At the back, immense mountains full of snow decorated the scenery making it one of the most breathtaking places she had ever seen.

Where are you?.. _._ she thought as her eyes scanned the place. She walked towards the lake but stopped as soon as she saw him.

Edan was laying down on a flat rock looking at the sky. For a small moment, Gaia thought he looked his age instead of a bitter old man. His lips were relaxed and parted, his body wasn't as stiff as usual, and his hands danced in front of his chest while blue strings of fire followed the same enchanting rhythm.

Intrigued by the unusual scene, she took a step closer, accidentally stepping on a branch. Edan's body abruptly went rigid and he stared at Gaia. For a second, she saw what looked like surprise and something else on Edan's face...his green eyes were darker than usual and his chest moved following his erratic breathing, a look that made Gaia's body feel on fire. Just as quickly, his face changed to his typical glare. "You are late."

"Thanks to your stupid outfit!" she said blushing as she tried her best to cover it with her hands. "And why is everyone awake at this damn time?"

"It's called being productive," he said in a snarky voice. "Not that you would know."

Gaia couldn't help but notice that unlike everyone else, Edan was wearing a shirt, a long sleeved one to be exact, with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. Only this time he wasn't wearing the thick leather bracelet he usually wore. She thought Edan would have a tribal mark of fire, like everyone else had with their element, but there wasn't one. Instead she could see three runes burnt into his skin forming a line from his wrist to his forearm. Closer to his wrist was the Raidho rune, followed by the Thurizas rune and almost at the top of his forearm was the Kauno rune.

Unconscious of her actions, Gaia's stare traced the figure of Edan and she found herself wondering what his body would look like under that fancy shirt. How would his muscles and skin look against the cold white snow? "What?" asked Edan.

Gaia snapped out of her daydream and faced Edan. She was so distracted by her own thoughts she failed to filter her words. "Just wondering why you're wearing your shirt," she asked causing Edan's eyes to open wide. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Sure you didn't," he said and Gaia blushed yet again. Good one G... Feed the narcissist's ego more.

Edan walked to the center of the flat grounds and motioned for her to follow. "I assume you bumped into everyone."

"I thought being shirtless in the morning was a Terra thing," she said as she followed him.

"It's not," Edan stopped abruptly in one place. "Don't expect it of me," he said.

"I wasn't..." she responded not understanding why deep down she felt disappointment.

"Assume position," he instructed, and his command felt more like a massive change of subject than an actual order.

"Excuse me?" she asked, not knowing what he was talking about.

"We are already behind schedule," he hissed. "Get ready to attack."

Oh! Fighting, of course... She made the best boxing/wrestler/terrible girly pose she could come up with.

"What is that?" he asked cringing away as if he witnessed someone scratching a blackboard with their nails.

"Boxing."

"No, it's not. And even if it was, we don't need that stance. Put your dominant foot forward," he ordered.

Gaia looked at her feet. They both looked the same to her. "I don't know which one is my dominant foot."

"Of course you don't," he sighed with exasperation. Edan walked towards her. "Stand straight," he said and she did.

Edan moved behind her and pushed her. "Ah!" Gaia gasped and took a step forward. "Hey!" she squeaked once she regained her balance.

"Shush!" He squeezed his hands gesturing to shut up. "The leg that took the step goes in front. Rotate and hands to the side."

Gaia moved her left leg in front and placed her hands on her waist. "Like this, is fine?"

"It would be, if your posture wasn't so terrible." Edan kicked Gaia's left foot with his until it moved to the position he wanted. "The stronger your foundation is, the stronger you are." He placed himself behind her and pulled her body against his. He centered her waist with his hands and pushed her lower back straight with the palm of his hand.

Gaia's body couldn't help but react to his touch... and she hated it. She shivered; goosebumps crawled through her lower back to the nape of her neck.

Edan took a few steps back and opened his arms. Her back felt cold at the absence of his body pressing against it. "Lift your arm, point your palm at my chest, and hit me."

She lifted her hand and concentrated on hitting him with a ball of fire, but nothing happened. "I can't do it."

"Trust me, you won't harm me," he assured her with undeniable confidence.

"Charming... but what I meant is that I don't know how to make the fire appear."

Edan lowered his arms. He stared at her with one eyebrow higher, hoping she was kidding. "You already did it."

"Once," she said.

Edan crossed his arms. "Then do it again," he commanded as if it was the easiest thing to do.

"How?"

"Think!" he yelled with impatience.

Gaia closed her eyes and tried to recall any clue she could find to solve this problem, but her thoughts were blank. "No, nothing. Maybe if you-"

"Shut up and concentrate on your releasing day," he interrupted her. "Remember what happened and tell me what you need to wield?"

Still with her eyes closed, Gaia took a deep breath and tried to recall everything that happened that day; her sense of freedom, her ability to expand her conscience, her shining marks, her necklace...the thought of losing her mother's necklace made Gaia flinch. She then remembered how everything started after that. "I need to be angry," she said and opened her eyes.

"Absolutely wrong," he said rubbing his forehead. "You need to _feel_. Your emotions are more connected to your capabilities than you think."

Gaia laughed hard. "Seriously?" she asked and tried to breathe. "That's the trick? Feeling?"

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, it's just, how can you wield fire when you are the most emotionless person ever?" she asked still out of breath.

"Because I'm that good. Now stop being a smartass and try to hit me." He walked back and assumed his previous position with his arms open.

Gaia attempted to feel, but it was harder than she thought. Besides the thousands of feelings she had right now, she couldn't grasp onto one strong enough to fuel the fire. "It's not working."

"This is a joke." Edan gave up and lowered his hands. "I can't believe you are Mother Nature. Do you know how many people gave their lives for you?" he snapped at her.

The comment made Gaia want to vomit. She was a kid when that happened, but no matter when or how, all that blood was still on her. She knew it. She had relived it every night for twelve years. "I didn't ask them to," she said, trying to convince herself.

"Of course you didn't. You have no idea what it is to have any type of responsibility," he continued and walked closer to her. "Spoiled brat."

Gaia took a step back. She felt as if the air was being sucked away. "Shut up."

"Or what?" he said and one of his lips corners lifted on a smug smile. "You'll throw another rock at me?"

"I'm serious," Gaia said, her hands beginning to shake. Her eyes felt heavy and her chest burnt.

"So am I," he said. "I can't believe I signed up for this nonsense. What would your family say now?"

"I said, SHUT UP!" Gaia's body was instantly covered in an aura of flames. The fire was bright red. It felt alive and powerful. Full of anger and energy, Gaia opened her palms and the flames expanded from her body in a 360-degree wave throwing Edan against a tree.

Edan laughed, only this time it sounded authentic. "That's what I'm talking about!" He clapped excited.

Gaia's anger vanished in seconds. She ran towards Edan who was still smiling on the snow. "Are you insane?!" Gaia bent down to check for wounds. Her anger was replaced by a sense of protectiveness. "I could have killed you."

"Darling, please," he smirked as if he was untouchable, something that Gaia agreed with from time to time.

Gaia brushed away the snow that had fallen from the tree into Edan's hair. "Why did you do it?" she asked.

"When you get angry, you lose any little control to the point that your body reacts by instinct. That's why the fire comes out when you lose it." Edan sat down and placed his hands on Gaia's cheeks.

"Close your eyes," he said.

Gaia felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. She wanted to run away, but his hands on her face, his body leaning against her and his sweet aroma was making her feel dizzy. "For what?" She swallowed down her nerves.

Edan softly smacked both of her cheeks at the same time. "Just close your bloody eyes and lift your palms." Gaia did what he ordered and he lowered his hands. "Aside from anger, tell me what you felt before the fire came out."

"I felt... hungry," she said.

"That's good, that's the need you felt to use your powers. What else?"

Gaia swung her head slowly trying to relive everything that happened before the flames. "I felt my skin vibrating, as if my body was weightless."

Edan placed his palms under her hands. Gaia moved them away from his touch, but he took them back and placed them in the same position. "And then?"

Her chest fluttered and she remembered. "My chest began to feel warm."

"That's where the fire comes from." Edan placed his two main fingers on a spot a few inches below her throat. "Center of your chest." He moved his hand away and stood up. "You need to learn how to control that center without having to get angry. Remember, you are not trying to control fire, you are trying to control yourself in order to wield the fire." Edan walked back to his position in the middle of the training grounds. "Assume position," he said and Gaia stood up.

For the next several hours, Gaia and Edan trained. Fail after fail, Edan pushed Gaia to create a faster, bigger and stronger fire. Training and trying, failing and falling, they kept at it until before sundown. Gaia felt how her strength faded, the problem wasn't getting the fire out of her, but keeping it alive and strong for longer than a few seconds.

Gaia pushed her hands forward and flames flew towards Edan. He evaded the hit by swinging his shoulder to the opposite side. The ball consumed itself before hitting a tree.

Gaia lifted her shaky hands again and tried to keep a strong position. "You can stop now. It's getting dark and we should go back to the camp," Edan said and walked away.

Gaia followed, her body aching more with each step. "Slow down!" Gaia bent and hugged her sore ribcage. Her head pounded and her hands burned. "It hurts," she said while fighting for breath.

Edan stopped and went to her. "Where?" he asked with concern and placed his hand gently on her shoulder.

Gaia looked up and saw his glistening eyes searching for any wounds. "Are you... worried about me?" she asked. Edan's face turned white.

He snatched his hand away and rubbed the back of his neck. "Where does it hurt?" he asked with a harsher voice.

"Everywhere."

Edan stared at Gaia. "Take your clothes off," he said.

Gaia looked at her hands thinking perhaps her body was on fire. She could feel the heat, the rapid palpitations on her chest and the vibration in her body, but her skin wasn't on fire. Her fingers shook even more than before. "Wow!" she clapped trying to cover her nerves. In all her eighteen years she'd never been naked in front of a man and she'd never been asked to strip in such a direct way. "Does that work on Terra girls? Because on Earth you would need to do better."

"Please..." he scoffed with such discontent that Gaia felt her chest clench. "I'm not... courting you," he said as if he was afraid of the word. "I need you to take your clothes off so I can relax your muscles with heat." He lit his hands on fire to prove his point.

"Don't want to," she teased to avoid showing Edan that despite his 'twisted and hateful personality,' he'd managed to hurt her feelings. Am I so terrible for him to react that way?

"Just take them off!" He corrected his posture and smirked, "Or is it that you're not wearing underwear?"

"Of course I'm wearing underwear!"

"Then there's no problem. Take your clothes off and sit down," said Edan and he stood next to a big rock.

Gaia saw the rock and refused to lay down, she kept walking instead. "It doesn't hurt that much anymore."

"So bloody stubborn!" Edan threw Gaia like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder.

"Put me down!!" she begged. He ignored her and laid her on the rock.

"You move and I swear I'll knock you down."

Gaia stayed motionless while Edan warmed up his palms. Once hot enough, he placed them on Gaia's arm over the clothes. "Just try to relax," he rubbed Gaia's arm and she snatched it away.

"Agh," she yelped, "that was not relaxing at all."

"Don't be such a baby." Edan took back her arm and continued with his routine. "It only hurts at the beginning."

Edan massaged Gaia's back and she relaxed. Once calmed, the feeling was incredible. Her muscles stretched and shivered with pleasure, her skin felt alive, and the pain dissipated. Gaia bit her lower lip trying to suppress any type of sound from coming out of her mouth. "I guess it's somehow tolerable," she said, hoping to sound casual.

"I could've worked better without the clothes," Edan said without realizing the effect he was having on Gaia.

"Not a chance." She closed her eyes trying to concentrate on anything else. Even though her suit was fireproof, she felt like her skin was burning everywhere he touched. "You know, I love how the dome looks when it's snowing outside."

"You mean when the snowflakes melt midway in the sky?"

"Yes." She looked at the sky and saw the snow falling. "How does the dome work?"

"We have crystal daggers forged in the four elements. With them, we make symbols that help us control our surroundings, whether it be to camouflage or to change the weather or anything else we might require." He moved his hands lower and Gaia bit her lip.

"How long do they last?"

"They last two days; but I think with you here, it's different."

"Why?"

"It's been more than two days and they are stronger than before. It's like you keep them alive all the time."

"Oh..." she looked once more at the snowing sky and closed her eyes. "Donovan told me no one can see what's inside of the dome from the outside but what happens if they walk through it?"

Edan pressed his fingers against her arm and moved them in circles. "They won't reach the dome. Willow made an earth rune that changes the trees around the dome so anyone who comes too close gets lost and never reaches us." He moved his fingers slowly on to her shoulder sending chills down her spine. "Besides, Donovan gave instructions to the animals to scare away any humans they find walking close to us."

"Smart," she whispered almost dozing off.

After what, for Gaia, seemed not enough time, Edan finished relaxing her muscles and they both returned back to the camp. Not knowing if it was the unusual contact with Edan's hands or the nervous silence they shared on their way back, Gaia's heart pounded like crazy the entire time.

Finally arriving at the table, Gaia felt Edan relax and they both parted ways. The table was almost full. There were all types of food that resembled a renaissance wedding reception. The meat still had the deer's figure and was hanging from two spears. At first, it looked unpleasant to Gaia but the smell was intoxicating. The sweet and sour mix with herbs and the honey smell that came from the fruit bowl in the middle of the table made Gaia feel like it was Thanksgiving. The veggies and fruits looked a lot like the ones she'd grown up eating, only these had brighter colors and bigger sizes, pure and untouched by the chemicals and hormones humans put on their crops.

There was an open space between Willow and Synthia, one next to Priyam and Donovan, and one on the left corner where Hunter was missing.

Priyam took a large piece of meat and passed it to Donovan but Veter snatched it on the way with one big bite. "Veter! I cut that for Donovan," Priyam yelped.

"No need. He's a vegetarian," Veter said with his mouth still full.

"You are?" Gaia asked and sat down between Donovan and Priyam.

"Since I was seven. It's weird eating something that speaks to you," Donovan said.

Priyam choked once she got a look at Gaia. "Nice clothes, Trinity! How's life in the _Matrix_?" Gaia looked down.

Damn it! With all of her thoughts on Edan, she'd forgotten that she was still wearing that horrible thing.

"Did you steal that from Synthia's closet?" said Priyam continuing with her teasing.

"Please, like that would fit me," whined Synthia while Edan sat down next to her and Willow. "I wouldn't be caught dead wearing that."

"As if your outfit is any better," Priyam poked back and Donovan choked on his food.

Veter laughed and hit Donovan on the back. Donovan stopped choking and joined Veter.

"Mine has class," snapped Synthia.

"Yours has a fish net," Priyam pointed out.

Gaia noticed a blue silk scarf Shui lent Cynthia to cover her scar. "You don't need to hide it from us. That seems uncomfortable."

"Also, that Theta mark is as close as you'll get to your dream sorority," Priyam said between chews.

Gaia glared at Priyam in complete disapproval and Synthia was about to argue back when Hunter jumped from one of the trees on top of the table to his seat, splashing some water onto Willow, Edan and Synthia.

"Argh! This is, like, so annoying," Synthia stood up and cried. "It's so messy and wild and disgusting. Why do we have to live like homeless people?" she turned to Gaia. "And why does she have to be near me?"

"Is it too late to change our minds?" Priyam asked. "You know, leaving her behind and let her meet her destiny?"

"No, it's not," said Edan before taking a bright red apple to his mouth.

"Yes!" Gaia slammed the table with her hand. "Yes, it is. We made our choice and she is staying."

Synthia stood up and stormed away from the table.

"I'll check on her," said Shui, who got up and followed Synthia. Willow took a glass made out of a precious stone and served wine to Edan. The glass shined with different colors until the wine reached the top.

Edan took the glass of wine and drank it. "Thank you," he said smiling. Gaia felt a stinging sensation in the pit of her stomach. Why does he never smile like that when he's with me? she asked herself, not understanding why something so trivial bothered her so much.

Remaining quiet, Gaia and Edan exchanged awkward looks. Gaia was still in pain and still shaken up by the muscle relaxing session he gave her. As for him, he was his usual pretentious self.

"How was your first class?" asked Donovan, trying to cut the silence hanging in the air like a dense fog. Edan and Gaia remained quiet.

"That bad?" he said hitting the nail on the head.

Gaia nodded, bad couldn't even begin to describe how painful and stressful it was. "Tough luck you got fire first," Veter said eating half of his bread loaf in one bite.

"What do you mean 'tough luck'?" asked Gaia frowning unsure. "Isn't that how it goes?"

"No, for every reincarnation it's different. Depending on the person, the elements express themselves in a certain order," explained Donovan while passing the warm sourdough bread to Hunter. "It usually starts with water, since it's calm and pure. You are the first reincarnation to have fire first."

Gaia knew that being different and doing things your own way was usually a good thing, but something told her this wasn't the case. "Then why did I get fire?"

"Probably because it's the most unstable element," Edan said and took another sip of Willow's homemade wine, smirking at his own comment.

Gaia smiled instead of yelling at him. "Fire is the only element you have, what does that say about you?"

"That I'm composed and completely in control," replied Edan with a wide smile.

And to think he was so nice back on the massaging rock...Wanting to use her hands in any way that could leave him unconscious, Gaia ripped off a piece of bread. "Let me get this straight, for me it means that I'm unstable and messy but for you it means you have control?"

"Correct," he said with a smug attitude and took another sip of the wine. "I'm glad there are things you do understand."

That's it!.. _._ "Ha!" Gaia forced out a mocking laugh, and leaned towards Edan across the table. "There's nothing about you that I understand."

Edan slammed the wine cup against the table and mimicked Gaia. "Likewise," he said leaning closer to her, taunting her, making her angrier.

Donovan moved slowly towards Priyam and whispered in her ear, "Are they always like that?"

"I hope so. I find them really entertaining," she whispered back.

"I didn't know we would get such a difficult bratty reincarnation of Mother Nature," Edan said. He placed his hands over the table and leaned even closer.

Gaia pushed the bowl of fruit, placed her hands closer. She moved forwards trying to win against Edan. "Maybe it's all thanks to a certain difficult trainer," said Gaia. Once her stress toned down, she noticed how close she was to Edan's face; and by his wavering eyes and faint blush, she knew he just realized it too. Like two released rubber bands, they both sat back down and watched everyone staring at them with an amused expression.

"What?!" Edan and Gaia screamed in unison.

"Nothing," they all said at the same time and looked the other way.

# Chapter 12

Him

BACK IN TRUCKEE, Max, Gaia's classmate, finally got the courage to ask his childhood friend on a date.

To both his, and many others' surprise, not only did she agree to go, she was happy he felt the same way as she did.

"Eight years?" said one of Max's friends in shock. "It took you eight years to tell her you like her?"

"Yes." He beamed with happiness, his smile wide creating dimples on his cheeks. "I guess I'm very patient."

"You're crazy, that's what you are." The friend patted Max's back as the blue sky darkened.

The two guys looked up and watched as dark grey clouds took over, slowly emitting a strange acidic smell. The temperature lowered dramatically.

Max felt a cold breeze that chilled him to the bone. "Did you feel that?" he asked his friend but by his trembling hands and watery eyes, Max knew he was feeling it too... Despair.

From the woods, a man in his late forties emerged and walked onto the college grounds, the grass he stepped on instantly dying. The man moved with undeniable elegance and control. His face was covered by the black hood of a cloak that looked like an expensive long trench coat.

Besides the unusual way he moved and hid his face, there was something about this man that made him disturbing. It was his aura. It was as if everything around him paused in time or was no longer alive.

That man was Him, Azazel.

Three creepy men with white slimy skin that resembled a slug, black teeth and long pointy nails followed Azazel, their joints bending in awkward ways. One of them, with a thick black mark made by symbols around his eye, was called Jinn.

Jinn and the other two wore hoodies but their pale faces were still visible. Distinct dark lines made of symbols decorated their faces. Their dusty yellow eyes scanned their surroundings while avoiding eye contact with any of the students.

They all followed their master until they reached the Five Fold symbol that Gaia burnt after having her necklace ripped off. Only now, the symbol wasn't a burnt mark on the ground but a beautiful symbol made of soft grass and dozens of daffodils.

Without uncovering his face, Azazel bent down and stroked the green grass. While his long fingers flickered over it, the grass and flowers died and rotted in a domino effect with a whooshing sound. Azazel breathed heavily.

The black symbols on his neck turned crimson red. Images of Gaia floating in fire and The Six helping her raced through his mind. Images of Edan. Images of the broken necklace. He saw how the circle burned on Synthia's chest while her sidekicks Alma-Loo and Diana cried.

Azazel moved his hand away from the grass and glared at a section of the forest. "The Marked One," he hissed with a deep, soul-crushing voice. "Find her."

A dozen growls and horrifying cries came out from the forest. They muffled in the distance as the Trackers ran to find their master's prey.

Azazel stood up and looked around. In the distance he saw Alma-Loo, who he recognized from the visions he had. "Go," he commanded Jinn.

"You heard him!" Jinn walked towards the school building. The other two men followed.

Azazel placed both of his hands in his coat pockets and followed Alma-Loo, but on his way, Max crashed against him. Books and papers flew everywhere. "I'm so sorry, Sir," said Max as he readjusted his glasses and bent down to pick of his books. "Are you alright?" he asked.

With his face still covered by his hood, Azazel flicked with disgust the place where Max touched him, whispered some muffled words and kept walking.

The student jolted at his words and dropped his books. His eyes turned lifeless, his face went pale. His bubbly happy attitude was replaced by a shadow of numbness. Max stood up, turned and walked towards a busy street.

"What is he doing?!" yelled a woman who saw him about to step in front of a moving car. "Stop!!"

The car managed to dodge Max. It was then that his friend saw him. "Max! Get out of the way!" screamed the boy. Max didn't move. Instead, he looked at his friend as he stood there in the middle of the street.

The boy ran as fast as he could as cars tried to dodge Max. His friend reached for his hand and, for a second, saw the fear inside Max's eyes before a car couldn't swerve in time and hit him head-on.

Horrified, students and teachers ran to help the dying student while Azazel kept following Alma-Loo into the forest.

Alma-Loo continued to walk home, so focused on her phone that she failed to notice how the trees next to her withered. The bright brown limbs went dead. The green leaves turned black.

A twig cracked, she shifted her gaze from the screen and looked behind her... nothing.

She turned back around and found Azazel standing a few feet from her, hidden by his cloak.

"Ugh!" she yelped. "Creep much?"

Ignoring the man, Alma-Loo walked passed Azazel. He continued to follow her, only this time, Alma-Loo noticed the dead trees and the rotten smell. Hearing hundreds of screams coming from her school, she picked up her pace. The chilling pleas and cries made her heart pound.

"Stop," hissed Azazel. Alma-Loo stopped as if she had no control over her body. "Kneel," he ordered and she did. "You hear them? Your friends," Azazel asked as he paced around her. Alma-Loo lifted her gaze and saw his smile. Dark lines made by strange symbols showed from the inside of his shirt's neckline to his face. His eyes were still covered by the cloak.

Alma-Loo tried to move. Azazel gave a disturbing laugh. "No need to try," he said squatting in front of her. "I can bend you at my will." He leaned closer and whispered something in her ear. Alma-Loo stopped breathing.

Her eyes shut and her hands shook with terror, unable to do anything to stop his command. "Breath," he said and Alma-Loo choked as air rushed into her lungs.

"Stop," she cried. "My father is rich. I can give you anything you want."

"Is he?"

"Yes; he owns most of the land around here."

"He owns the land?" he asked in a grim tone. "It is interesting how your kind takes everything as if it was theirs to claim." He leaned closer, whispered again. Alma-Loo stopped breathing. He moved closer. "Breathe."

"Please..." she gasped. "What do you want?" she asked between sobs.

Azazel caressed her cheek. "Your memories."

He lifted his hand and took Alma-Loo by her neck. As he squeezed, the life of Alma-Loo drained out. Her skin turned grey and dry. The symbols from his neck glowed a crimson red. The images of Synthia, Alma-Loo and Diana making fun of others surged through his mind. Images of Gaia falling from the stairs. Of Gaia and Synthia being taken away by The Six. Azazel let go of Alma-Loo's corpse and smiled with contempt, "Found you."

# Chapter 13

The Five Fables

EDAN STARED AT PRIYAM'S FINGERS as they danced over the computer's keyboard. She was moving them so fast that if it wasn't for the information appearing on the screen he could've sworn she was pressing them randomly.

Priyam clicked 'enter' and a screen with the American Government's seal opened. "Done!" She swung on her rock to face Edan. "I managed to place alerts in all the nearest towns so we can have extra security and trace everything we need," she said clearly proud of her skills.

"You can trace Him or any dark creature?" asked Shui in amazement after finishing preparing tea. Fragrant steam of flowers and herbs filled the air.

"If they appear in the news, any other mentions across the internet, or the government secret files, yes."

Shui took a couple of bamboo cups and filled them. "If you are tracing Him, can He trace you back?" She offered a cup of tea to Priyam.

Priyam took the cup and blew on it. The hot steam made her glasses foggy. "Does He work at NASA or SKYNET?"

"No," said Edan as he checked all the information on the screen.

"Then, no." She grinned and took a sip of her tea. "Geez! Great tea, Shui," she said. Shui bowed her head thanking Priyam for the compliment.

Edan pulled the computer closer to him and played around with the keyboard when by accident he clicked on the desktop icon. A picture popped up of Priyam and Gaia posing in their bikinis. Edan's hand quickly moved to change it back but it froze on top of the button. His eyes were mesmerized by the image of Gaia in an olive green bikini.

"What do you think, Fireball?" asked Priyam not paying attention to what Edan was looking at.

Edan panicked thinking he was busted staring at Gaia. His face blushed crimson red, his palms turned sweaty and, on an impulse, he slammed his hand over the screen and closed the laptop. "What if he did?" he said and cleared his throat. "Work at NASA or SKYNET?"

Priyam took a second to answer. "Not even then," she smiled wickedly. "And Edan... SKYNET is not real, it's from _Terminator_."

"What's a Terminator?" Edan asked.

"Seriously?"

"I'm not from Earth."

"You weren't born here but what did you do for the last twelve years?"

"Train and stay on guard," he said like there was no other thing he could be doing. "Where's Gaia?" he said casually hoping Priyam would wait until after he left to open the computer again and flash that picture of Gaia in her bathing suit.

"I think I saw her with Hunter around the hill," she said. Without explanation, Edan walked away as fast as he could. "You're welcome!"

Edan ran towards the hill and saw Hunter helping Willow carry the wheat they'd just cut. "Hunter, where is she?" he asked. The teen pointed at the trail down the hill.

Around the bottom of the hill, Gaia jogged and concentrated on her feet. She paid attention to how the bottom of her shoe interacted with the green grass, how the fresh air smelled, how her rapid heartbeat warmed her and how calming the absence of noise felt in her soul.

For the past weeks she had been feeling pressured at her fire lessons and anxious about how they all, with the exception of Willow and Synthia, looked at her as if she would eventually become their savior even when she didn't believe it herself.

Everywhere she went stress followed. Everywhere but in that part of the camp. There she was free to be herself, to make mistakes, to run, to cry and to feel anything without guilt or disappointing anyone.

"You're doing it wrong," said Edan as he walked the last part of the hill.

"Good morning to you, too." Gaia panted for air, hating him for destroying her happy place.

"I'm serious," he walked closer and pointed at her legs. "You're jogging too fast on uneven ground. You will fall or get tired if you don't slow it down." He scanned her with a stern look. "Knowing you, you will achieve both."

"Yeah?" Gaia looked around and saw the uneven parts of grass and knew Edan was right, but as always, she preferred not to agree with him. "What else is wrong with me?"

"So far, your jogging," he said and continued walking towards her direction. "But the day isn't over yet." He smiled at his snarky comment and she jogged away up the hill. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"Ignoring you. I'm sure you'll get used to it eventually."

"Brat."

A few nights before, Priyam and Gaia had gone online and looked for strange and fancy ways to describe Edan's annoying personality. This was the perfect opportunity to put her new vocabulary to use and she thanked her brain for actually remembering one of the words. "Haranguer!" she said, praying she'd pronounced it right. "Why are you jogging with me?"

"Making sure you don't kill yourself," he said. "How did you know it? That word?"

"What are you talking about? I've known it since forever." Edan lifted his eyebrow in a doubtful expression. "Fine...I googled it, it suits you."

"You were searching for names to call me?" He smiled at her.

Gaia glared at Edan as she kept her speed. "No, to-" Gaia took a wrong step and fell. She rolled down part of the hill and smashed into the ground.

With two jumps, Edan was next to Gaia. He checked to make sure her neck wasn't broken and pulled her into his arms. "Are you ok?" he caressed her head.

Gaia opened her eyes and stared at Edan. Gaia laughed out loud. She couldn't shake off the image of herself bouncing like a crazy person all over the hill.

"Stop laughing!" he screamed with desperation and a hint of worry. "Are you ok?" he asked with a sweet voice.

"Yes," she whispered.

Edan's body relaxed and he smiled. "Good," he said and continued caressing her wavy hair. "Does anything hurt? Do you feel dizzy or confused?"

"A little confused," she said, not understanding why Edan was caressing her so gently and how she'd ended up in his arms. She tried to recall but everything was still blurry. Gaia felt her throat tingling at the memory of her head bouncing over and over again while Edan chased her in a panic, but she held back her giggle to avoid breaking whatever inexplicable moment Edan was having.

Realizing he was hugging her while caressing her hair, Edan pushed Gaia away from him. "Of course you are confused you reckless girl."

"And...he's back."

Edan stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants. "If you want to run on uneven terrain like that, make sure you know how to walk first," he said and walked away using the same path Gaia had fallen down.

Cracking her neck and testing the mobility of her arms, Gaia stood up to follow Edan. "Ouch..." She flinched at the sudden sharp pain in her left foot. She pressed it again against the ground and the pain hit her harder. Damn it! She looked at the hill and almost cried at the idea of hiking all that with that type of injury.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," she said and kept walking on her injured foot. "Just learning my lesson," she mumbled to herself.

Edan took another look and saw how Gaia was limping. She was very good at pretending she was fine, but Edan could see the slight hunching movement she made every time she rested her weight on her wounded foot. He shook his head and let go a deep sigh. "I swear you'll be the death of me." He knelt in front of her, took her foot and removed her shoe and sock leaving her bare foot resting on his thigh. With soft movements he caressed her foot as his hand warmed up careful not to hurt her. "Does this hurt?"

"No," she managed to say without gasping. She closed her eyes trying to concentrate on anything other than his fingers sliding softly around her skin. Gaia leaned against a tree to hold her balance so Edan could slip her sock back on.

Once Gaia had her sock on, Edan put her shoe inside his back pocket, bent down and placed his hands tightly against his ribs. "Here," he said.

Gaia moved her arms towards her chest and froze. She'd never taken a piggy-back ride before, but she'd seen this pose in movies when the main guy tried to help his crush or when a kid was hurt and his parents wanted to help them. "What are you doing?" she asked concerned.

"It's so you can jump on my back and I can carry you."

"Oh no, I know what it is. I just don't know why you're offering to carry me," she admitted still not understanding why Edan was nice enough to carry her up the hill, especially after warning her she was bound to fall.

"Does it matter?" he said, feeling stressed about being in that position and not having her climb up.

"Maybe..."

He stood up and walked away. "Good luck hiking the hill on that foot."

"Wait!" Gaia tried to reach him with her hand but he was too far for that. "Come back," she pleaded, but he kept walking. Argg!! Why me!? Why him?... she cursed herself. She didn't want to ask him again but she knew the only other way up the hill was to crawl. "Please?" she said as soft as she could.

Victorious, Edan turned around and walked towards her. "Who would have known?" he said and bent down. "You do have manners."

"From time to time," she smiled and prepared to climb on top of him.

Gaia stared at his back. The idea of touching it made her more nervous than she could've imagined. She couldn't take her eyes off it, how wide and strong it seemed. Only able to see the back of his head, she wondered if his face was as warm as hers. Seeing him waiting in silence for her to touch him was overwhelming.

Gaining a little bit of courage, Gaia moved her hands as if she was afraid to touch a hot pan. Just do it, she thought. Her shaky fingers slid over his wide back and every one of his muscles tensed making her feel like she was hugging a statue. Her heartbeat went crazy, and she hoped he would confuse her palpitations as her being out of shape. She leaned her entire weight against his body which made no sign of being affected by it.

In one movement, Edan cradled Gaia's legs and stood up. "Your arms," he demanded.

"What about them?"

"Wrap them around me," he said in a voice lower than usual, sending chills down Gaia's body.

"Oh... right." Gaia slid her hands around Edan's back towards his neck. Her hands slightly moved Edan's shirt. She noticed a black oval on his neck, like a birthmark. "You have a freckle on your back," she said, passing her thumb over it.

Edan's whole body shuddered in a mix of panic and chills. "Stop." he froze almost dropping Gaia. His body temperature dramatically lowered, and Gaia could see his skin turning whiter than usual.

"I'm sorry." She snatched her hand away from the black oval, placed it on his shoulder and felt how uncomfortably rigid his body was. "What happened?"

"I... can't balance you when you sit like that," he lied, and she knew it since she'd seen him carry logs triple her size without stopping to take breaks. "Lean closer," he said.

"Like this?" She moved until her cheek touched the back strands of his brown hair. The tickling sensation made Gaia feel warm and cold at the same time.

"Closer."

Gaia leaned so close that her chin rested on his shoulder. His smell, the way his skin felt against her and the feeling of his hands on her legs was exhilarating. "Like this?" she asked dizzy by this sudden proximity.

"Yes," he said and began his walk.

Edan hiked his way to the top and ran into Hunter. The teen shook his head in confusion at the sight of Gaia clinging to Edan. His eyes went from Gaia to Edan. "Having fun?"

"Ignore him," said Edan as he made a small adjustment of his posture so Gaia wouldn't slip. "What is it?" he asked.

Hunter circled on top of his shoulder "Donovan is having problems with the Marked One."

"Where is he?" Edan asked and Hunter pointed left. "Appreciate it," he added and then walked towards the First Tree.

Gaia swung her head over his shoulder as she watched Hunter walk away. "What happened?"

"Donovan needs help with something with the Marked One. I'll be right back." Gaia could tell Edan felt indecisive about letting her down, but once he did, Gaia sat on top of the First Tree's roots. "Here Bobby, now she's your problem," he said and left to find Donovan. Gaia warmed hearing him say the name she gave the First Tree.

Gaia tried to stand up by clinging against the First Tree. She placed her hand on the trunk and pushed up when she noticed a side of the tree she'd never seen before. It had five carvings, each one on top of the other. Gaia moved her fingers through the carvings. The first one was a small growing plant, right underneath it was an apple, then an ant, a lotus flower, and finally a group of five rocks standing on top of each other in perfect balance. "What is this?"

"You've lived with the First Tree your entire life and never once saw them?" Willow teased Gaia. "Such incredible power of observation."

"This side used to be against a wall."

Shui arrived with a small wooden box and some bandages. "Edan said you needed these." She gave the items to Veter and sat down next to Gaia. "Which one is your injured foot?"

"This one." Gaia lifted her leg. Shui softly pulled it and rested the foot on her thighs. She pushed up the fabric from Gaia's yoga pants and wielded water to clean the foot. "You like them? The five symbols?" she asked while applying some of the homemade medicines from within the wooden box.

"They're beautiful."

"Those are the Five Fables of Terra," said Shui, taking one of the bandages from Veter. "They rule Terra and our way of living." She rolled the bandage around Gaia's foot and ankle keeping it steady.

"What are the Fables?" Gaia asked hoping for someone to tell them to her, but bracing for every possibility. Edan, who had returned with the Marked One, glared at both Gaia and the First Tree and rolled up his shirt's sleeves. "I guess if you will be the queen of Terra you should learn them."

"Yes!" shouted Priyam jumping happily while Gaia was still registering the fact that Edan agreed to let her know important information about Terra. "Fireball, get the fire started," clapped Priyam.

Edan flinched at his nickname. "Fire for what?"

Priyam and Gaia stopped cold and exchanged glances. "For the bonfire, of course," said Priyam.

Edan lifted his hand to feel the wind but thanks to their light markings and constant manipulation of the elements, the weather felt very comfortable even if it was still snowing outside the camp. "Are you cold?" he asked thinking it was due to the fact that humans tend to be more affected by the seasons.

"No, for the stories."

"The Fables," Willow corrected her.

"Same thing," said Priyam.

Still puzzled over the need for the use of fire, Edan leaned closer to Gaia and Priyam. "Why do you need a fire for that?"

"Seriously? Fire, s'mores, stories?" she proclaimed. Everyone stared at her as if she was losing it. "I guess it's a human thing then. We sit around a fire pit, eat delicious s'mores and tell stories." Willow opened her mouth and Priyam lifted her hand to stop her. "Sorry, _Fables_."

Willow moved her hands and a root came out making a small stool. "Sounds stupid," she retorted as she sat down on the root.

"Thank you, boring person."

"Terrian," Willow corrected her for the second time.

"Ugh! I'm not eating s'mores," Synthia whined from afar. "Do you know how many calories those things have?"

"Great! You two are out," Priyam suggested, more than happy to brush off the annoying ones.

"What are smurffs?"

"S'mores: melted marshmallow with chocolate and graham crackers."

"Where are you going to get that?" Willow asked.

"Please...I'm always prepared."

Veter stood up and lifted his strong hand. "I'm in!" he said and hugged Shui next to him giving her no chance to refuse the activity.

"Me too, I could use some earthling comfort food," said Donovan and Hunter followed. "Edan?"

Edan looked at the group, half in and only a few claiming to be out, but even so, they were all sitting or standing in a circle. "I guess," he said mostly concentrating on Gaia's happy expression. "Where do you want your fire?" he asked Priyam.

"Around there," she said pointing to the middle area in front of them.

"Great..." Edan patted Priyam's back and sat down between Willow and Synthia. "Ask Gaia to do it."

Priyam swung on her heel and faced Gaia. "G! You heard the boss: ignite!"

"But I hurt my foot." Gaia tried to find a way out.

"Good thing you don't need your foot to wield fire," said Edan with a big smile.

Damn you...Panicking, Gaia stared at everyone as they all stared at her. "Traitor," she said glaring at Priyam, trying not to choke on her nerves. Gaia limped towards the center. Veter levitated a few pieces of cut wood and moved them to the middle. She leaned down and pointed her hands towards the dry wood. Don't fail me now... Don't fail me now... she prayed since this was the first time she was wielding fire in front of everyone.

"Sometime today," Willow said.

Synthia giggled, "You are, like, so bad at this." Edan glared at them both.

"You could try if you want to," Gaia hissed and concentrated on her flame. Her hands turned on fire and it softly moved around the wood not making enough heat. Please... Please... she begged when a subtle current of wind blew between the wood and made the fire grow faster. "HA! You're welcome." She smiled victoriously at Synthia and Willow who both had their arms crossed and their lips twisted into a sour expression. Gaia sat down and, without letting them see her, she mouthed the words 'Thank you' to Veter, who happily moved the hand he used to wield the small current, back to his cigar.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Fable tales of tonight!" said Priyam excited as she circled the fire until she reached her seat next to Gaia and Donovan. "Veter, if you will?"

"The first Fable is known as the Fable of the Vine. Donovan?" Veter pointed at him and sat between Shui and Hunter.

"The Vine Fable speaks about Terra's first rule: Nature has its own will." Donovan leaned closer to the fire. "Long ago, there was a man and a tiger searching for a place to live. They walked for days and days until they arrived at a hill. At the top of the hill the man saw the perfect place to build his home. The only problem was, there was a vine tree already growing on that spot. Not respecting Nature's will, the man cut the vine and built. But not the tiger, the tiger didn't try to change Nature. He paid attention, he listened and he chose a warm cave that Nature itself provided for him. As time passed, the man's house grew bigger and bigger, but so did the vine. Eventually, one night, the vine grew so dense underneath the house that the cement foundation broke and the house fell down, killing the man in his sleep." Donovan lifted his hands in a carefree manner. "The teaching shows us that the tiger never tried to change Nature or to control it. He never obsessed over something that wasn't happening or that would or wouldn't happen. Instead, he used what Nature provided and lived free from worries trusting that Nature always had something else planned for him." Donovan stood with flare and bowed to his audience.

Moved almost to tears, Veter clapped. "Lovely job, mate. Lovely job." He ate an entire s'more in one bite.

Gaia was so into the Fable that she never saw Edan getting up to grab a blanket and walk behind her. "It's getting cold," he said, covering Gaia with the blanket and then walked back to his seat. Gaia's cheeks turned red and warm. She could see Priyam smirking out of the corner of her eye but chose to ignore her. She was too busy enjoying the soft fabric of the blanket.

"The second Fable is one of my personal favorites," said Veter, unaware of Edan's gesture towards Gaia. "The Fable of the Apple: Never take what you don't need." He blew into the fire: the flame grew taller making Gaia and Priyam excited; Edan glared at him and his childish actions. "Once upon a time, there was a man living in a cabin. He wasn't rich, he wasn't poor. He had everything he needed and nothing more. But life had other plans. The man got sick and he began to die. He was sad; he never had the courage to tell the blacksmith's daughter his feelings and that was something he would always regret. He prayed to Nature and, as always, Nature answered. The next day the man was walking across the valley when he saw a big apple tree with golden fruit. Enchanted by its color, the man ate one of the fruits and, to his surprise, his illness was cured. The man realized that the apples had the properties to give life back to someone who was about to die. He knew the fruits could save many men, women and children from the plague, but he didn't care. Wanting them for himself, the man took all the apples and locked them in his attic. Fueled by good luck and a new chance at life, the man went to the blacksmith's house and proposed to the daughter. Joy filled his heart when she accepted... But once again, life," Veter smacked his hand on the floor, "had other plans...and the man's wife fell gravely ill. The man remembered the apples and went to his attic to get them only to find they were all rotten. He went back to the tree but since he had taken every one of them, the tree was now fruitless. That night, the man had to watch his wife die as a result of his greed." Veter took Shui's hand and place it between his. "Greed, it's a very dangerous thing. It confuses people into claiming things that weren't theirs to own in the first place."

Intrigued by the story, Priyam looked over the crowd in order to find Synthia. "Where's Synthia?" she asked Gaia who was on her third S'more.

"She left a while ago," she said placing a fresh marshmallow on the fire. "Why?"

"I feel like she should hear this."

Gaia laughed and turned her treat to the other side before it burnt. "You are horrible," she said and offered her friend a piece of chocolate.

"Baby." Veter let go of Shui's hand. "Want to go next?"

"The third Fable is the Fable of the Ant," said Shui. "It stands for our third rule: We are not one, but many." She smiled softly but her eyes seemed a little sad, as if she remembered someone she loved and was no longer with her. "There was once a colony of ants who had a mantis for a neighbor. Each day the mantis made fun of the ants, for working together instead of apart. He prided himself on surviving alone, not relying on others to build up a home. Though the ants tried to show him their way of life, the selfishness of the mantis found it impossible to understand. One day, Nature made it rain for weeks; the water rose, the river near the colony overflowed and flooded everything in its path. The ants, working together as always, climbed one on top of the other. They joined their legs and pushed themselves up until they built a bridge made by hundreds of ants. The ant bridge swung until it hit a twig and they managed to save themselves, luck that the mantis didn't have since it had no one to help it." Shui took a small break and slid her hands through her straight blue hair. "We sometimes forget about others. We concentrate so much on our ways and on our thoughts and opinions that we don't worry about the rest. Nature didn't create us all to fight to be the best, to separate us from the rest and live just for our sake. It created us to enjoy all of this together. Not only Terrians or Humans but trees and animals and everything else. We are all part of this world just like the world is a part of us."

Willow leaned closer to the fire. "The fourth Fable is the Fable of the Lotus."

"What does that stand for?" asked Gaia.

Edan looked to the ground. "Not all good comes from light, not all bad comes from darkness," he said in a low tone. His lack of usual overconfidence made Gaia feel like he didn't believe in this one. She sensed he sounded the same way she did whenever someone told her she would become nature itself and defeat Azazel.

Due to Edan's silence, Willow jumped in. "This Fable is about a powerful young man from the parliament and a boy who fell from the dark mountains," she said. "Many years ago, there was a young man that came from a very well-known family. He was one of the strongest earth wielders in history, and he soon grew to become one of the youngest politicians in the parliament of Terra. His ideas were incredible but his methods were far too radical. The parliament grew scared of him and the young man was asked to leave his post. Infuriated, his strengths became his weakness and his bright ideas turned dark. As for the boy-"

Edan placed his hand on her leg and Willow flinched. "Let's stop here," he said and removed his hand.

"What? Why?" Gaia asked too preoccupied with the story to notice Willow placing her hand on Edan's knee. "What happened to the boy?"

"You don't need to know," he said.

"Yes, I do," she cried, hating to be left hanging in the middle of a story or sentence. "You said you would tell me the Fables," she reminded him, hoping he would agree to let her know. But that didn't happen.

"We already told you what it stands for," he said, and with a movement of his wrist, he put the fire down. "Let's go."

"You can go, I'm not leaving," she said and crossed her arms. "I haven't even heard about the fifth one."

Edan pulled her up by the arm. "The Fable of the Five Brothers: Balance is true Nature's freedom," he said and softly pushed her towards her bungalow. "Now go to bed. You look tired."

# Chapter 14

Animal Talk

WEEKDAYS, WEEKENDS, DAYS AND HOURS, they were all blurry to her now. Within a month of their arrival to the camp, time stood still. Life was measured in daylight and darkness, in classes and meals, training and sleep.

Becoming more accustomed to the Terrian's time schedule and forced by Edan to exercise, Gaia started waking earlier.

She took a small top, her leggings and a pastel pink sweater that hung lower than her hips.

"Morning, loser," Priyam opened her arms and Gaia smiled.

Ever since they were little, Priyam used to open her arms like that to invite Gaia to lay down with her in the bed. "Morning, Priy." Gaia walked towards Priyam and laid down next to her.

"Going to take a jog? I don't envy you... at all."

"Trust me, I hate it too," Gaia yawned. "But my cardio is terrible and apparently I need it to improve my wielding."

"How's the foot?"

Gaia rotated her foot a few times. "Like new."

"G..." Priyam sat down looking at Gaia in the eyes. "I know you're finding yourself in here and I couldn't be happier for you but... how are you handling everything? The pressure and the death threats and all those crazy things?"

"I'm surprisingly fine." Gaia rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "Sometimes I do feel strange, like I'm trying to fill the shoes of a greater version of me than I can reach. I guess it took us so long to find a family, I'm just scared to let them down."

"Twelve years and you haven't let me down." Priyam took hold of her hand, "And if you do, you know... screw everything up, I'll always be here."

"Thank you. How are you coping? You ok?" Gaia asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because this is different, this is huge. This is not just another adventure to the Shire or Wonderland or any of your movies. We could die. This is scary, Priy."

"I know it is. And I'm terrified. But what else am I going to do?" Priyam smiled at Gaia. "Like you said, we have a family now."

Gaia hugged Priyam, knowing what she meant. If Priyam had been the reincarnation of Nature and she needed to go, Gaia was sure she would have followed her also. After a few minutes of chatting, Priyam fell back asleep, like she did every morning. Gaia slid off the bed, covered Priyam with a blanket and left to train.

Luckily for her and her sore muscles, Edan was gone for the entire day with Synthia. He'd been trying to find a way to counter the tracking on her curse.

After jogging for half an hour, she took a detour. She jogged down the hill when she heard a loud grunt. A bear? A dark beast? She looked around to see if someone was near her in case she needed to backup, but there was no one in sight. Curiosity got the best of her. She ignored all self-preservation instincts, jogged backwards and saw it, the source of the noise, a figure near the cliff.

Gaia got closer and noticed it wasn't an animal but a man. He was laying down on his stomach, legs stretched on the grass and massive arms hanging from the cliff. The smoke of a familiar cigar floated around the man's head.

Gaia smiled and walked until she reached Veter, but even standing behind him he was too concentrated on his mysterious task to notice her. "Ahem..." she coughed to get his attention.

Veter jolted and dropped his cigar down the cliff. "Shoot!" He moved his hands and the wind returned his cigar. He caught it and faced Gaia. His light brown eyes opened wide and his mouth clenched as the intake of his breath revealed his fear of being caught doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing.

"Moja Princeza!" He lay frozen with a ridiculous downwards grin like a child who'd been busted.

Gaia bent down and tilted her head. "What are you doing?"

Veter smiled innocently. "Relaxing?"

"Mmm..." Wanting to know the truth, Gaia walked closer to the ledge so she could see what Veter was looking at.

"Stop!" he said before she could reach the cliff. "Get down and crawl here."

"Crawl?"

"Yes," he said and nodded his head to the edge hinting to Gaia there was something down there that could spot them back.

Gaia kneeled down and crawled next to him. "What's going on?" she whispered as she peeked down.

Veter pointed to the left. "You see those blue flowers?"

Gaia took a better look and there they were. A few yards away next to the lake inside a wooden fence was a small field of gorgeous and exotic pastel blue flowers of the size of her fist. "The ones over the fence?" she asked trying to remember why they seemed so familiar to her.

"Those," Veter smiled with excitement. "Pay attention." Veter held the cigar between his teeth. He then softly flickered his fingers and a flower shook. The flower detached from the stem and levitated. Veter pushed his finger forward and the flower slowly floated to the right over the field.

A few feet away, in the middle of the field, Shui was sitting on a rock in lotus position. Her elbows bent and pressed against her ribs, her hands facing each other creating a delicate circle. Her fingers were moving as if she was doing pottery mid-air, and in the middle of the circle there was a spiral of water circling its own axis. What Shui was unaware of was that she was now surrounded and covered in dozens of pastel blue flowers.

"Awesome!" Gaia chuckled. "Veter, I've always wanted to ask you... Are you two dating?"

"One day. Hopefully."

Gaia smiled as she saw Veter wield the floating flower and gently place it on Shui's shoulder. "She's going to kill you."

"Nah!" Veter stared at Shui with the same gentle and loving way Gaia always saw him look at Shui. "She just pretends she doesn't like it," he said. "On the other hand... Willow is going to kill me."

"Why would sh-" Gaia finally recognized the origin of the flowers and gasped. "Wait!... Are those Willow's camellias?"

"Great job on your botany lessons!" Proudly, Veter clapped and smacked Gaia on her shoulder. "And yes, they are."

"Veter! Of all the flowers in the world, you had to take those?"

"It's like the humans say... two birds, one stone. I get to shower my baby with gifts and piss off Blondie." He smiled mischievously. "What do you think?"

"I think..." Gaia took another look at Shui and returned his smile, "...her left side could use some more flowers."

Veter moved the last flower and stared at his creation. How beautiful and peaceful Shui looked even from this far away. He scratched his bushy beard deep in thought. "You're right. It doesn't look balanced." He wielded the wind to carry another flower. "May I ask you a question, Princeza?" Gaia nodded. "How do you stay so calm? I know it's been more than a month since we told you about who you are and everything, but you didn't seem to be scared by it, even in the beginning, and you immediately believed in us."

"Did I?" She wondered herself why she was this relaxed and at peace with all that information.

"Yes, you were all like... 'coolio chill people! I totally believe in all these crazy shenanigans.'"

"Coolio chill?" Gaia laughed. "Who talks like that?"

"Humans?"

"No, they don't. Seriously, where did you guys stay all those twelve years? A cave?"

"Well... Shui was sent to Sanya, China; Donovan had Los Angeles; Hunter got the Amazon; Blondie was sent to Quebec; our Kapetan got London; and I got Novi Sad, Serbia."

"And you learned nothing about humans in there?"

"Can't speak for the others, but I did." Veter lifted his thick eyebrow. "Probably nothing you would find useful, but I did."

"I bet. But I guess you had a point, about me being all coolio chill." Gaia closed her eyes and thought about that day, when The Six of them dropped all their unbelievable information on her and how she felt intrigued but comfortable with it. "Honestly, I always felt like I didn't belong anywhere. When you guys came along, even though what you said was super crazy, I somehow felt like I'd finally found my way."

"I'm glad you feel that way."

"So am I."

Veter pointed his fingers at another flower. "Too bad you can't wield wind yet, you would be a great help here," he said as the new flower levitated.

Gaia turned around and laid down on her back. She crossed her arms under her head using them as a pillow as she stared at the gorgeous blue sky. "That would be fun," she said.

"Then... nothing yet? Any chill spots? Random impulses to push the air? Tingling sensations in the back of your neck?" he asked.

"Back of the neck?"

"Yes." Veter sat down and took a puff from the cigar. "Wind's in the back of the neck, fire in the chest, water on your hands, and earth on your feet," he explained as he gestured the body parts he was talking about.

"No, not yet," she sighed. "I'm still stuck with fire."

"Don't worry, Kapetan will get you ready in no time." He smiled but Gaia rolled her eyes. "I sense disagreement."

"You sense right." Gaia sat up. "No offense but why do you follow his orders?"

"He's our leader," he said and took another long hit and let go of the smoke. "I'd follow him anywhere."

"But you're older than he is and you're clearly stronger. Why aren't you the Kapetan?"

Veter chuckled, "You honor me with your words, Moja Princeza, though my years and my strength are physical. Anyone can grow old and get in shape if they try to, but not anyone can achieve the kind of strength the Kapetan has. While my strength comes from here," he touched his massive biceps, "his come from here..." he placed two fingers on Gaia's forehead, "and here..." he moved them to her heart.

Gaia lay down on the soft grass again. She closed her eyes and thought of how everyone seemed to show ultimate respect for Edan and his decisions. How even though he was annoying and incredibly arrogant, he always rose to the occasion and helped her. "Is that why the elders named him the leader of The Six?

"What? No." His eyes looked down as if he was sad for something. "The Kapetan isn't-"

"Veter!!" Willow's screams interrupted their talk. "You've got to be kidding me!" she screamed all the way from the flower fields.

Shui opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by all those beautiful flowers.

Veter smiled and took the cigar from his lips. "It appears the mission has been compromised."

"It appears so." Gaia rolled onto her stomach. She saw Willow running furiously towards them. "Run in opposite directions?" she suggested.

Veter helped lift Gaia up and gave a small bow in front of her. "Moja Princeza," he said and they both ran in opposite directions.

"Don't you dare run away from me!" Willow choose to follow Veter. "Could you please tell your puppet to stop messing with my flowers?" she screamed at Shui who was walking up the hill on the other side.

"He's not my puppet, but I will talk to him about his childish actions."

"Don't talk to him," Willow snapped, "slap him!"

Without responding, Shui left for her bungalow. She walked in and closed the door. Once alone, she took one of the camellias from her clothes. She placed it on her dresser next to her flute, softly caressed one of the petals, and smiled.

* * *

Gaia was still running from Willow when she turned around the corner next to the weapon's storage building and crashed against Donovan. "Good morning, your Majesty! Glad to see you all pumped up," he said and pushed her back. "Time for you to learn how to communicate with the fauna."

"What? Why?" Gaia scanned her surroundings to see if Willow was in sight. "I haven't felt any tingling sensation."

"I'm... pretty sure that's a good thing," laughed Donovan not quite understanding what she meant.

"I meant for my powers to come out. You know, fire on the chest, wind on the back of your neck, something, something?"

"Oh, those tingling sensations," he chuckled. "Yeah, we don't need them. For you, talking to animals is a lot like learning another language. The only difference is that all animals speak the same one just with a different accent and the meaning of the words change depending on their facial expressions or body language," he said as they both walked into the dining area. The whole section was empty, with the exception of a few crystals hanging from the trees on top of the table.

Donovan pointed to the first rock and signaled Gaia to sit down. "Icarus," he called while Gaia took her place. "Icarus is going to help us with your first lesson." Icarus landed on Donovan's shoulder and walked to the table.

"First lesson, my Lady," said Donovan overly excited and pacing next to the table. "You know when you talk to an animal and start making that weird voice, like the one you talk to babies with, and animals, they stare at you like you're crazy and you think that it would be funny if they could understand you?"

Gaia had a small flashback of the various times she talked to different animals like that. The cuter the animal was, the weirder her voice became. "Yes."

"Well, they do understand. That's why they look at you like you're crazy." Icarus nodded his tiny head and Donovan pointed at his furry sidekick to prove his point. "Now, what you need to learn is to understand them back. We will start slow. I want you to pay attention to Icarus' way of moving, expressions and body language. Icarus, whenever you're ready."

Icarus walked and stood up a few inches away from Gaia and squeaked.

Donovan sat down a few rocks away from Gaia. "What do you think he's saying?"

"Hello?"

"Not really."

"How are you?" she asked. Donovan closed his striking blue eyes and shook his head. "My name is Icarus?" she tried again.

"Why don't we stop guessing and pay attention to his movements." Donovan signaled Icarus and he repeated his squeaks.

Gaia saw how Icarus moved his tiny hands and how his face lifted up. She tried her best to come up with a phrase that would use those types of gestures but she was completely lost. "He wants nuts?"

"No. Think..."

"I don't know; he's a sugar glider."

"Look at his gestures and listen to the sound of his barks. Are they softer? Are they fast and short? Are they deeper and slower?"

"He barks?" Gaia asked.

Donovan's composure cracked. He threw his hands up in the air. "Pay attention... What could he be saying?"

Gaia glared at the fluffy sugar glider and it spoke. She tried to look at Icarus' movements and his body language, but no matter how much she tried, she could only hear tiny squeaks and nothing more. "He needs to sleep?"

"Do you really think he looks tired?"

"No."

"Then no, he's not sleepy." He pointed at Icarus. "Again."

"He's angry?"

"What about those soft delicate barks made you think he was angry?"

"They were soft?" Gaia asked confused.

"Yes, they were. Give it another try."

"Ah! A pink butterfly!" Gaia gasped at the sight of a gorgeous pink butterfly that flew around Donovan's hair. "Look at its wings"

"Gaia, concentrate on Icarus. What did he say?"

"He likes sugar cubes?" she guessed. Donovan again indicated 'no.' "He hates sugar cubes?"

"What does sugar have to do with this? He's a sugar glider, they don't eat sugar cubes."

Gaia scratched her chin. "I guess I'm hungry." Donovan rubbed his temples.

Averting a major crisis, Icarus jumped in front of Donovan and squeaked. "Icarus is right," said Donovan and Icarus climbed on his shoulder. "Let's take a break. We'll continue after breakfast." Tired and exasperated, he stood up and left Gaia sitting there.

Near the point of giving up on training her altogether, Donovan walked to the weapons section where he found Veter and Hunter working.

"Morning, lad!" said Veter as he helped Hunter sharpen some knives.

Without answering, Donovan nodded and threw his body on top of a big piece of wood. His limbs hung from the wooden corners as if his body was lifeless.

Veter and Hunter exchanged looks. "Stressful day?" Veter asked.

Donovan let go of a deep sigh. "You think?"

"Let me guess... First class? Taking some time getting it?" Veter guessed correctly.

"I wouldn't say she's terrible at it..." said Donovan and lifted his hands. "But she is. She is! She gets distracted by everything. I don't know what to do. How does Edan do it?"

Hunter dropped a knife and moved his hands to his chest and then out. "Hunter's right," said Veter. "Edan pushed Gaia to the point that she has no other choice but to make it happen."

"Yeah?" Donovan lifted his head and glared at Veter. "You got all that from his hand swing?"

"That and so much more," Veter smirked.

"I guess Hunter's right." Donovan lay down again, only this time he was calmer. "How do I do it then? I'm too damn charming for her to feel pressure."

Veter laughed. "It's called softy, not charming."

"Shut up. I'd like to see you train her."

Veter looked at the sky with pride, like a father waiting for his son to be old enough to show him the family business. "So would I... So would I."

"Anyway," said Donovan as he sat on the log. "I'm doomed. Neither I nor my sugar glider are intimidating enough to pressure her."

"Good spirits!" Veter slammed an ax into the wooden table making Hunter jolt and take out a knife from his boot. "I have a great idea," said Veter. Hunter relaxed, placing the knife back to its belt.

Donovan offered Veter his arm. "I'm in!" he agreed without even hearing the idea. They shook hands by grabbing each other's arm at the wrists.

"Mmm, Donovan?" Willow clicked her tongue and leaned against a tree. "Following Veter's advice? Isn't it too early for committing to terrible mistakes?"

"Blondie," Veter smiled. "I knew I smelled something irritating."

"I'm surprised you still have the ability to smell anything other than that disgusting thing," she said pointing at his unlit cigar resting on top of the table. "What's your great idea?" she asked.

"It's more of an epiphany," he corrected his petite attacker. "Where's Shui?"

"Meditating at the lake again," she said as she took off her hoodie, revealing her usual sporty crop top. "Why? Is she part of your epiphany?"

"Not this one." Veter smiled at the mere thought of his other epiphanies that did include her. "I just wanted to know where she was."

"I believe humans call that stalking," she mocked him and sat down on top of the table.

"I believe they call it romantic," he corrected her. "But since you're in love with the Kapetan, you must know nothing about it."

Willow's eyes opened wide. Her mouth fell and her skin blushed as if she was sunburnt. "What?!" she gasped.

"Yes, what?" Donovan said uncomfortably and punched Veter on the arm as a symbol to shut up. "Veter, shall we?" he asked and stood up.

"Absolutely." Veter took the ax as if it was weightless and stood up. "Hunter, you coming or would you rather stay here and braid flowers?" Hunter looked at Willow and then at Veter. He took a smaller knife from the table and stood up. "Atta boy." Veter patted his back with excitement.

* * *

Priyam warmed up some water while Gaia waited at the dining table. "It was horrible," said Gaia placing her head on the cold rock and stretching her arms. "I'm absolutely useless at talking to animals."

"Keep trying. It's supposed to be instinctual so I assume it will come eventually." Priyam poured the hot water into two bamboo cups. "Besides, you can't be any worse at it than you were in History class."

Gaia lifted her head and cupped her face with the palm of her hands. "I am," she cried out.

"You are? I thought that was impossible." Priyam offered Gaia a cup. "Here, take this."

Gaia took it and inhaled its rich aroma. "What is it?"

"Honestly, no idea."

Suddenly, a huge tiger jumped on the table and cornered both girls. He gnashed his sharp teeth and glared at them with hungry eyes. "Shit! A tiger." Priyam screamed and hid behind Gaia. "Why is a Shere Khan in here? Do they even live in this area? This is not a jungle!"

"I don't know," said Gaia as they both crawled on the floor and leaned against the wall without looking away from the tiger.

"What do we do?" whispered Priyam.

"I don't know!!" The tiger roared and both girls cringed with nerves.

Priyam looked around as if she was trying to find something near them.

"What are you looking for?" Gaia asked trying not to move an inch.

"Synthia..." Priyam said as she continued her search.

"Why would you look for her now?"

"Tiger looks hungry," she said trying not to laugh.

"Stop joking about getting rid of Synthia," said Gaia. "Donovan," she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"What if he can't hear?" Priyam panicked as the tiger stepped closer. "Do something!"

"I can't, I told you I suck!"

"Try!"

The tiger growled. Gaia balled her hands into fists. "Ok! I'll do it!"

Veter laughed and peeked through his hideout. His face was beaming and something about his pose screamed 'victorious.' "I told you that would motivate her," he patted Donovan's back, who was also hiding with Hunter.

Gaia felt like the floor beneath her feet disappeared. "You knew about this?" she asked shaking from adrenaline.

"Knew?" Donovan grinned. "We made it happened."

"Do you know how hard it was to find a tiger around here?" Hunter signed and Donovan hugged him.

"This kid deserves a medal." Donovan laughed.

"Hunter!? You're in on this, too?" Gaia asked and Hunter nodded with a smile. "You guys are freaking crazy," she screamed while Priyam laughed at the situation.

"Oh come on... the tiger is not going to do anything," said Donovan mischievously. "Or, is he?"

"Donovan! Stop messing around and help us," ordered Gaia. She took a deep breath and sunk all her weight against the cold rocky wall behind her back.

Donovan petted the majestic animal. "If only you could talk to him."

"I hate you all!" Gaia hissed.

"Priyam seems to love it," said Veter as he lit a vanilla cigar. It was obvious how much he was enjoying this.

"It's called shock. Trust me, she hates you too." Gaia looked at the tiger's teeth and shivered. Some part of her knew it was dumb of her to be afraid in this situation since she knew The Six would never let her be harmed, but it was too damn difficult for her not to freak out when a tiger twice her size was staring at her the same way she looked at sushi. "Please, just do it," she begged.

Donovan sat down next to Hunter on one of the rock chairs. "Don't talk to us, talk to him."

"Agrhhhh" Gaia growled with frustration.

"Remember what I told you?" asked Donovan.

"That we were going to start slow?" she asked as the tiger took a step closer towards her.

"About the animals." He took Gaia's tea and passed Hunter the other one. "About their facial gestures and body language."

"Oh, you mean his leaning towards me while roaring and showing his teeth!?" Gaia asked with cynicism.

"Yes, what do you think he is trying to tell you?"

"That he's starving?!"

Out from the corner, Shui and Willow walked towards the crowd. Veter put out his cigar and moved his hand making a small wind current around Shui. He smiled at how beautiful Shui looked with her long blue hair floating in the air. The sunlight made the blue look even brighter.

Annoyed, Willow pulled a blushing Shui away from the wind. "This was the epiphany? A tiger? You guys are idiots," she said as the tiger growled again, only this time he was louder.

"What is going on here?" asked a deep voice behind them.

Busted, The Six and the tiger turned around and saw Edan and Synthia staring at them.

"Hey, Kapetan." Veter rubbed the back of his neck. "How was taking care of the Marked One?"

"Tedious," he said and looked at Gaia as if he was blaming her.

Synthia punched Edan on his arm. "I'm right here, you know?"

"Synthia," screamed Priyam, "perfect timing." Gaia glared at her friend, begging her to stop with the jokes.

"What is going on here?" Edan repeated, only louder this time.

"We're speeding up Gaia's animal class," said Donovan moving closer to the tiger. "It was Veter's idea."

Edan took a moment to formulate his opinion. "I think it's brilliant." Everyone's face fell flat and the tiger growled. "What is the tiger really saying?" asked Edan.

"That he finds this hilarious," grinned Donovan.

Edan smiled. "Smart tiger." He petted the animal and Gaia gasped in amazement.

"If you'll excuse me," Shui took a small bow and left the dining area.

"And that's my cue to go. Yoga time with Shui," said Veter.

Hunter lifted his arms and bent them awkwardly. "Hunter is right!" clapped Donovan. "You can barely bend your arms."

"I know."

"You are going to end up breaking yourself."

"Shui's outfit? Those poses? Breakaway!" Veter snatched his cigar from the table and waved goodbye to Gaia and Priyam, who were still sitting on the floor. "Good luck, Moja Princeza. Priyam, if he eats you I call dibs on your computer."

"I'm going to kick you, Veter." Gaia slammed her hand on the floor and the tiger growled.

"For that you will need to get out, Gaia," said Donovan. "Concentrate. Block everything around except you and the tiger."

"Fine!" Gaia closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. She made sure she was calm enough so when she opened her eyes, her focus would be completely on understanding the tiger instead of her uneasiness of getting hurt.

This time, the huge tiger wasn't scary. There was something about him: his expressions were remarkably soft.

Gaia moved her hand forward until it reached the tiger's warm cheek.

Once she was calmer, she was able to notice something specific, something that deep down she'd always seen but hadn't paid attention to. The tiger was staring at her; not in a menacing manner or just looking her way... it was as if he was acknowledging her.

Just like all the animals she'd been around since she was little. Like the wolf she helped, like the birds that used to chirp on her shoulder and all the other animals that tended to follow her everywhere. It was as if he already understood her. Gaia caressed the cheek and the tiger growled again.

Like everyone, she heard the growl through her ears, but now, in her mind, she heard the tiger's soft voice. "He said... Ticklish," she whispered.

"Yes, Gaia." Donovan gasped in a low voice trying not to break Gaia's concentration. "He did."

# Chapter 15

Pink And Floyd

PRIYAM SLAMMED HER HAND on the table. "Are you done with the salt?" she asked while Gaia obsessively shook the salt container over her Nacho Cheese chips. "That's gross. Why don't you just lick salt cubes, Seabiscuit?"

"Let me be," said Gaia, placing the salt close to her on the table in case she needed some more later on. "I plan to enjoy myself since Edan isn't here to scold me for everything," she whispered towards Priyam and proceeded to enjoy her treats while listening to Shui play her flute.

The song wasn't anything Gaia had ever heard; it wasn't the usual classical melody, more like an old Celtic lullaby. The sound was so calming it made Gaia feel like she was under a relaxing spell.

"I'm glad he took Synthia with-" Priyam's mouth fell open when Donovan and Veter arrived back from their workout. She pointed at their perfectly toned and shirtless six-packs that were on display. "Seriously! You guys eat every single minute of the day! How is that possible?!"

Veter took a piece of bread and bit almost half of it. "We train five hours a day." He smiled.

"Well... yeah... that, and you cheat." Priyam glared at Veter as he sat down next to Shui.

"How do we cheat?" Veter asked with his mouth full.

"You're from a race that's way better looking than humans."

Veter took a glass of wine and took a big gulp. "We're not better looking than humans."

"Maybe not you." Donovan sat down and stretched like the stud he was. "I totally agree with Priyam."

Veter waved his hand and a strong current of wind knocked Donovan down. "As I was saying, we're not better looking, we just are ... healthier. Our skin and hair look better because our food is natural, with no hormones or any other chemicals added. Our bodies are healthy and strong because we work out constantly, we eat a lot but everything is balanced. We look the same way humans would if they took better care of their body," Veter explained.

Guilty of having terrible eating habits, Gaia secretly ate her last potato chip when SWIF, a two-foot machete flew and stabbed the tree next to Veter, destroying its trunk and their peaceful moment.

"We're under attack!" Priyam screamed and stood up in an attempt to run away, but Hunter grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her down to her chair. Priyam took Gaia's hand. The Six remained calm and, besides Shui's who stopped playing her flute, they all were still engaged in their previous activities.

Gaia looked around, but she couldn't tell where the machete came from or who threw it. She also noticed nobody cared who did. Willow kept writing down all the seeds she would need to get, Hunter kept carving a lance out of a wooden stick and Donovan kept looking amazed at Priyam's computer and all the things she was able to do with it.

Veter laughed like a maniac and punched the air. "Got you."

The air force pushed a man dressed all in black with his face covered in a ski mask. Just before the man crashed against a tree he flipped over in a graceful manner and hit the trunk with his feet. He pushed himself toward Veter while taking out two daggers mid-air. Veter took a plate and used it to deviate the trajectory of the daggers toward the trunk of the same tree the machete was stabbed.

"Stop hurting the trees!" Willow slammed her fist against her notes and glared at Shui. "Tell your stupid match to stop acting like a child!"

Shui, calm as ever, lifted a jar of water Veter's foot had knocked down. "He's..." she said and placed it back after Veter jumped off the table and intercepted a second attacker dressed in black with a ski mask before he could strike with a katana.

"What's a match?" Gaia turned to Donovan and asked him.

"A match is your destined person," he said smiling with the same smile he flashed every time he spoke about women.

"Too slow." Veter jumped again and the three of them engaged in something that looked like a dance. They showed off with incredibly acrobatic kicks, punches and the deadliest weapons Gaia had ever seen.

Gaia moved closer towards Donovan and whispered, "Should we fight?" Donovan shook his head no. "Why isn't anyone freaking about this? Who are they?" she said trying not to raise her voice too much.

Donovan took a sip of his water and smiled. "The twins."

Finally, one of the two men spun around Veter and placed his haladie against Veter's throat. Veter and Donovan clapped and Priyam joined them smiling way too excitedly. The man let go of Veter and hugged him. "Well done, my friend!" Veter congratulated him.

"Long time, you bastard," the man said with a strong Australian accent while slapping Veter's wide back.

The Six, with the exception of Willow and Hunter, who was out with Edan, stood up and walked towards the two mysterious twins. Gaia and Priyam followed. The man took off his ski mask and revealed Floyd Morrissey, a seventeen-year-old boy with light blue eyes, a small button nose and a messy blond Mohawk while two French braids ran from one ear to the other and then to the back of his head ending in two small ponytails. He walked among The Six saying his hellos and stood right in front of Gaia, scanning her from head to toe. "G'Day, you must be their famous queen to be," he said smiling from cheek to cheek.

"Their?" Gaia asked.

"We're human," he said and stretched out his hand. Gaia took it and they shook. "I'm Floyd and that's Pink."

The second twin took the ski mask off and to Gaia's shock, she was a girl. Pink's face wasn't the only thing that resembled her twin. Although her Mohawk was wider, it was also shorter and her hair was pastel pink. "Hello."

"Nice to meet you." Gaia shook her hand the same way she did with Floyd and proceeded to study both twins.

Thanks to the massive fight she saw, she knew they were more than fit enough to be in the camp, but she couldn't get past the idea of Edan admitting more humans to their group, at least not after his reaction with her insistence on bringing Priyam. "No disrespect, but if you're humans, what are you doing here?" she asked while, unnoticed by the rest, Edan sauntered into the dining area.

Floyd slid his arm around Gaia's shoulders letting it rest around her neck. Edan took a step forward. Willow, being the only one who saw Edan's reaction, took his arm and stopped him from going with Gaia. "We're top majestic experts of weapons and fighting... as you clearly witnessed earlier," said Floyd.

"Apologies, he's really up himself." Pink pulled Floyd away from Gaia and Edan relaxed, an action that made Willow pull him closer to her. "A few years ago, we met Veter back in the land."

"The land?" asked Priyam as she took one of Floyd's knifes from his belt to inspect.

"Australia, lovely place," he said and offered Priyam an even more badass double-sided dagger. "Full of things that kill, though," Floyd joked. He took back the dagger, placed it firmly in Priyam's hand and helped her to throw it. The dagger flew fast and steady until one of the sharp ends sunk into a tree's trunk.

"Just like you two," said Willow, clearly irritated about the trees being hurt by their weapons. Edan let go of Willow's hand and took a step back.

Floyd walked towards the tree. "Long time no see, Willow," he said and took the dagger back.

"Don't say it as if it's good news. And stop stabbing the trees." She turned around and left.

Floyd threw the dagger towards his sister's chest. The dagger flew so fast it was impossible for Gaia to see the handle. Her heart pounded with fear, imagining Pink being stabbed to death right in front of them. Fortunately, Pink caught the flying dagger as if it was the easiest thing to do and placed it under her belt.

Still shaking, Gaia turned to Donovan. "Are they always this-"

"Entertaining? Active?" Donovan jumped in. "Yes."

"I was going to say reckless."

Donovan laughed. "Also, yes."

"I know they are friends with Veter, and apparently everyone else, but what exactly are they doing here?"

"They came here to train you," said Edan as he walked closer to the group.

"Train me?" Gaia's head spun around. She could barely deal with her two classes and now she had to learn how to be some sort of crazy ninja! "How many people do I need to train me?" Gaia felt overwhelmed.

"Apparently, many," Edan smiled, the twins noticing him for the first time.

"Boss!" Floyd and Pink screamed at the same time and walked towards Edan. Floyd went for a hug and Gaia gasped terrified, waiting for Edan to disintegrate him.

"Floyd, Pink," said Edan, and beyond Gaia's comprehension, Edan hugged them both. "I'm glad you made it. Now follow me, we have much to discuss."

Gaia exchanged stares with Priyam. "Did that just happen?" Gaia asked Priyam, but she was also too stunned to know what was going on.

"Yes, it did," said Veter as he hugged both of the girls' shoulders. "Kapetan likes the twins. We all do."

Gaia kept looking at Edan as he talked to the twins. He looked carefree and excited.

Is he that nice because they are humans? No, scratch that... Priy is also human and he's not that nice with her.... "I didn't know he liked... anything," she said, causing Veter to burst out laughing.

"You girls stay here. We'll be right back." He tapped them on the back and left with the rest of the group towards the weapon's storage room.

As they all reached the storage room, Gaia remained in the same spot she stood before. She remembered again how Edan looked when he hugged the twins and she felt uneasy. She tried to guess why she was so affected by something that small, but she couldn't come up with any theory that didn't make her sound like a mental patient. She grabbed the back of her neck with one of her hands and took a deep breath. Why do I care what he does? Why do I care what he thinks of me? Is it because I want his respect? Do I want to prove to him I'm better than what he thinks? Shut his mouth? Arghh... What is it!?

"Stalk much?" whined Synthia, disrupting Gaia's pondering.

"Synthia, you are here!" said Priyam. "Right now I was begging Gaia to go and find you."

"You have the worst humor," said Synthia with a squeaky voice that irritated Priyam beyond words.

"I do," she happily admitted.

Gaia saw Synthia's cursed scar and remembered how Edan said he was going to try again to find a way to make it easier to hide her from Azazel. Even though Veter kept telling her it wasn't her fault, she still felt guilty. "What did Edan find out about your mark?"

Synthia turned to Gaia as if she was possessed, her dark brown eyes wide open glaring at her. "You mean the one you put on me?" she yelled at her while taking a step forward, waving her hands like a crazy person.

"You did it yourself," she responded but felt she was saying that to convince herself Veter was right. Ignoring Synthia's swinging hand and how close it was to hitting her, Gaia took another step forward. "You're the one who broke the necklace."

"How was I supposed to know that cheap tacky thing was cursed?"

Priyam arms hugged her stomach as she bent down giggling. "So you only break non-cursed necklaces? How thoughtful of you."

"Whatevs." Synthia rolled her eyes and walked away while bitching under her breath.

Gaia flicked her finger on Priyam's arm and followed Synthia. "Wait, I really meant it when I asked about the mark," she explained. Synthia stopped immediately.

"Nothing, ok!? He found nothing," she squeaked. "Not one of your stupid planet's plants can fix this."

"It's the same planet as yours," said Priyam, who was also following them, mostly for the gossip.

"Duh! The name of their planet is Terra not Earth...I mean, hello!?" Synthia tapped her head with her fingers. "How stupid can you be?" she said and Priyam bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing.

"Isn't Terra, Earth in Latin?" Priyam whispered towards Gaia and she nodded. "Should we tell her?"

"Sure," Gaia joked. "Try explaining that to her."

"Never mind, then."

For a moment Gaia felt bad for Synthia. Her annoying attitude and her constant whining reminded her of one of the orphan kids.

She remembered Miss Brown explaining to her that when people are lonely or scared, they tend to be aggressive in order to protect themselves. She remembered how Miss Brown used to say, 'Sometimes the worst people are the ones most in need of love.' Gaia couldn't help but wonder if it was the case with Synthia. "Want to hang out with us?" Gaia asked Synthia.

Both Synthia and Priyam cringed. "What?!" Priyam screamed at the same time Synthia screamed, "Gross!"

Even though both girls were looking at Gaia like she was a lunatic, she still thought it could be a good idea. "I'm serious. We're the only ones here. Instead of being all alone in that creepy room, why don't you come with us?"

Priyam's jaw fell open. "Ha! Over my dead body," said Synthia.

Priyam turned to Gaia and lifted her eyebrow. "Can we count that as her permission?" she asked with hope in her eyes. Synthia once again flicked her messy platinum extensions that had almost three inches of brown roots and walked away.

"No." Gaia refused Priyam's question and followed Synthia. "Wait Where's Hunter?"

"The weirdo who likes to sign with his hands?" asked Synthia, as she took out from her back pocket a vanilla scented hand lotion Willow made her and applied some to her arms.

Gaia clenched her fist to prevent her hand from punching Synthia. She knew that besides being ignorant of many things, Synthia had a tendency to criticize everything and she wasn't going to let that comment get in her head and start a fight. "He doesn't like to sign, that's how he talks," she explained to Synthia thinking it could help her understand he wasn't doing it just to bother her.

"Then un-mute him!" Synthia whined and dropped the lotion back into her pocket. Gaia's body shook with anger. "It's so annoying trying to figure out what he's pointing at."

Relax... thought Gaia. Ignore her before you do something stupid.

Gaia managed to calm herself down when she noticed Priyam's nervous stare. For a second, Gaia thought her skin was on fire or that she'd done something to Synthia without realizing it. But then she saw Priyam's stare wasn't on her, but behind her. Gaia turned around and saw Hunter right next to them. He heard... she thought. Her heart clenched with pain. "Hunter!" she called out trying to make sure he was ok, but the kid turned around and left.

Hunter's expression tormented Gaia. She tried to hold it down but her control over her emotions snapped. "Enough!" she screamed as she pushed Synthia against a tree. "You can mess with us as much as you want but I swear if you talk badly about him ever again, your chest isn't the only thing that will be burnt," she said and her left hand, lit in flames, lifted towards Synthia's face.

"Gaia..." Priyam placed her hand on Gaia's left arm and lowered it. "Don't," she said and Gaia regained consciousness.

Slowly, the fire consumed itself. "You, your needs and your dumb personality are not the universe." She stopped pushing Synthia against the tree. "The sooner you understand that, the better it will be for you and everyone else," she said, then ran in the direction Hunter had gone.

Synthia bent over to pick up the lotion. "Did I say something bad?"

"Only every time you talk."

* * *

As Gaia ran towards Hunter, fear and sadness crawled all over her. After all this time spent together, Gaia had grown to love Hunter like the little brother she never had. She couldn't stand to see him hurt.

He reminded her so much of herself when she was younger, a strange girl without a past and no way to know who she truly was. She knew the pain behind Hunter's life. She knew how hard it was to live half a life where you don't know your own identity. "Hunter." she screamed again the moment she spotted him walking in the distance.

Gaia ran towards the teen and hugged him. Hunter's body went rigid as if it was the first time someone had ever hugged him. "Hunter! I'm so sorry." She took a step back without letting go of his hands. "She's alone in her way of thinking. None of us think you're annoying."

Hunter let go of one Gaia's hands "She's not the first," he signed.

"Not the first?" She guessed the sign. Hunter nodded as he made another sign. "And she won't be the last?" she asked making him nod with a sad smile.

Gaia placed both of her hands on Hunter's cheeks. "I'm sorry for those small minded people. I think you are brave, funny and the nicest one of all of us."

Gaia felt like breaking after seeing Hunter's lips tremble. He never showed his emotions, especially not like that. He shook his head and bent his arms in front of his chest. Nervously and not knowing if it was his place to do what he wanted to do, he moved his left arm, placed it on her left shoulder and mouthed the word 'Agnosco.'

Gaia felt butterflies in her stomach; she'd seen this movement before. It was in her dream. Hans placed his hand on Nobu's shoulder just like Hunter did to hers. She knew this was a symbol of ultimate respect and honor on Terra, and she couldn't believe Hunter was doing it to her.

Gaia felt happy to return her respect so she mimicked Hunter and smiled. "Agnosco," she said out loud. Hunter's face lighted up with happiness she'd never seen on him before. "What do you say we get out of here?" she asked.

As they walked back to the camp, Hunter signaled his ear and his hand, then he made a flame symbol and pointed at Gaia while making an angry face. "Oh!" Gaia blushed. "You heard me get angry?" she asked. Hunter smiled and nodded.

"You threatened her face." He signed but since Gaia was still learning ASL, he pointed his ear and his hand again. He moved his hand forward and made as if he was burning Synthia's face. Gaia felt like disappearing from embarrassment. "Yes... I did threaten to burn her face if she messed with you again."

Excited, Hunter clapped and pointed at his face. "What was her face like?" Gaia guessed, Hunter nodded and she smirked. "Pretty damn funny."

Hunter stopped walking. "You are like a protective big sister."

"You're going to shoot her?" Gaia asked confused by the movement of his hands shaping two guns hitting each other.

Hunter laughed and made the gesture again, taking one of his hands to his chin and down to the other hand but Gaia was clueless so he kneeled down and wrote it in the dirt.

Gaia read the phrase and felt like crying. She finally felt part of a family. "Protective big sister?" she asked and Hunter agreed. "I like how that sounds." She offered Hunter her hand and he took it.

* * *

Edan walked out of the storage room. "Excellent, I'll check with Hunter to see how low we are on provisions and then we can decide when to form the search team," he told the rest as they all walked outside. Edan walked towards the camp but he couldn't find anyone except Priyam, who was typing on her computer next to the kitchen area. "Where is everyone?" asked Edan.

"Psycho Synthia is in her cave. I did you guys a favor and locked her in there. No thanks needed. And Gaia went after Hunter like ten minutes ago," she answered without looking away from her computer.

"Went wher-?" Edan asked when he heard Gaia's voice in the distance. "Never mind," he walked away towards her voice.

"I never do," said Priyam to herself as she hacked into a government site looking for tips regarding Him.

Edan heard Gaia as she walked to the camp. "No way!" she said with a happiness Edan wasn't personally familiar with. Bothered by it, Edan walked faster towards them. "Where are you coming from?" he cringed when he saw Gaia and Hunter holding hands. He felt like punching someone. "What is that?" he pointed at their hands guessing his sudden anger wich Gaia assumed it came from them being reckless enough to wander around the forest.

Gaia and Hunter looked at each other and smiled. "We just understood each other," said Gaia without letting go of Hunter's hand.

Edan choked at the stinging pain in his chest. "Understood each other?" His green eyes darkened and opened wide. "What does that mean?"

Enjoying whatever Edan was going through, Gaia smiled mischievously. "Why do you care?" she asked. Edan took a step back as if he was being attacked.

"I... don't," he lied.

Ignoring Edan, Gaia brushed her fingers through Hunter's messy dark hair. "See you later," she said and walked away.

Once Gaia was out of hearing reach, Edan turned towards Hunter. "What happened?" he asked in a very intense manner.

"Stop getting angry and tell her." Hunter signed Edan's crazy expression.

"No," said Edan.

Hunter smiled at him in disbelief. "Have it your way." The teen signaled.

"How are we on provisions?" Edan asked, changing the topic.

"Very low." Hunter moved his hand on a low level.

"I'll tell the others," Edan said walking back to the group. His hands clenched into fists. His body's reaction confused him even more than his irrational feelings. Feeling jealous of Hunter... If only she remembered... he thought.

Edan arrived at the storage room where The Six were still talking amongst themselves. "We need provisions." Edan leaned down against a tree while the rest looked at them. "According to Hunter, there's a town a few miles away from here. We can go and gather everything from there."

"Great!" Priyam jumped with excitement and hi-fived Gaia. "Let's go, then."

Edan moved away from the tree and placed his hand in front of Priyam preventing her from passing him. "Exactly who do you think is going?" Edan blurted out.

"We are all going," said Gaia who was now leaning against Priyam.

"No." He pushed them softly to the place they were sitting before. "You, Priyam and the Marked One will stay here with Shui and Pink."

"Ha! The Marked One can stay here. I'm going," said Gaia. Edan wasn't buying it. "Look, we need time outside of here! If I don't have a fun trip to release all my stress, I'm going to go crazy"

"Oh, no." Edan tilted his head. "I'm absolutely gutted."

"Well, you better be. Because if I snap I'll make sure I take it all out on you," Gaia warned him.

Edan scratched his long Greek nose and shook his head. "The Marked One will stay with Shui and Hunter; the rest will go to the town. Step one foot farther away from me and this will be your last 'fun trip'."

"Way to go, Fireball!" cheered Priyam and everyone secretly smiled at the nickname.

"Go get ready," Edan ordered.

Gaia couldn't help but think Edan was acting strange when he made Hunter stay in the camp the moment he agreed to let her go with them.

# Chapter 16

Time Out

GAIA COULDN'T HELP GETTING EXCITED at the sight of new faces all around her. "People!" She smiled at Priyam, who was smiling back at her.

Any other day, her best friend would've been complaining about how crowded the street was, but not that day, their first day outside the camp. "How exciting is this?" she hugged Priyam. She felt free and normal, like a regular teen who didn't have to train with fire, animals or any other type of craziness. Her only thoughts were on going out with her friends, eating and having fun.

"Remember-" Edan walked at the back of the group like a protective father, "-no matter what, always blend in," he commanded everyone as if they didn't already know the plan.

Walking down the sidewalk, Gaia noticed all the girls staring at them. They all kept pointing while whispering and making girly sounds. She looked behind her and saw Donovan with his sleeveless shirt that showed his eagle tattoo, his gorgeous electric blue eyes contrasting with his golden skin and a charm that would disarm any woman in the world; walking next to Donavan was breath-taking Edan, tall and gorgeous with his usual serious face; and Veter with his half-naked muscles covered by something that looked like a Viking's choice of pants, crazy hair bun and his cigar.

The three men were completely oblivious to their effect on their stalkers. "Yeah, we are totally blending," Gaia said between her teeth.

Stop it... Don't care, not today, she scolded herself. Just enjoy the day with your best friend and your new family.

While investigating the town, Gaia and the rest took time to shop for all of the supplies they needed and more. The sun was bright, there was still some trace of snow on the trees, but the day felt warm and perfect to be outside.

Walking towards their next checklist point, the wind blew strong and lifted a girl's long skirt. "Ahh!" she cried, her panties flashing for a moment before she pulled her skirt down.

Bothered, Willow turned around and punched Veter with all her might. "Could you be any grosser!?"

"What?" Veter laughed as he rubbed his arm where Willow smacked him. "You can't prove it was me."

"Damn childish..." she hissed and walked towards Edan.

For some unknown reason, Veter and the guys slowed down their pace. "Hey..." Veter whispered in order to test if she was still listening. "...Blondie," he said a little louder but she didn't react to it. He then turned to Donovan and Floyd. "Who said French cut panties?"

"Yes!" Donovan clapped and extended his hands towards his friends. "Pay up, losers."

Floyd took out a bunch of crumpled bills from his back pocket and gave them unwillingly to Donovan. "That wasn't fair."

"How was that not fair?" Donovan said as he snatched Floyd's and Veter's money.

"You're Donovan. Knowing women's undies is like a gift to you," he said and stopped walking as soon as he noticed Gaia looking at them.

Veter turned towards the direction of whatever Floyd was looking at and froze. "Moja Princeza!"

The three guys smiled at Gaia like a bunch of deer caught in the headlights which made Gaia grin. "At ease, gentlemen; I won't tell it was you."

Veter bowed down and took his cigar off his mouth. "Appreciate."

Still embarrassed at being caught in the act, the guys walked in silence while Donovan, out in the open and not caring one bit, counted his new bills. "French cut?" asked Gaia with a hint of amusement and a lot of curiosity. "Seriously? How do you guys know their names?"

Veter took a big puff of his cigar and stared at Gaia in an inquisitive way. "How do you know their names?"

"What do you mean how? I _wear_ them."

"Well... We _enjoy_ them," added Donovan with a radiant smile to which Floyd was childish enough to high-five for.

Edan, who managed to hear the last part of their talk walked towards the laughing group. "What do you enjoy?" he asked. Everyone, including Gaia, froze without an answer. They all knew Edan was terribly stuck up and this was definitely not a topic to discuss with him. Willow, seeing this as an opportunity to mess with Veter, leaned against Edan and winked at Veter.

"Yes guys, what do you enjoy?" she asked with a victorious smirk on her face.

"Food, Kapetan," blurted out Veter, gladly returning the same smile to Willow, who much to Gaia's surprise, gave a small nod at how well Veter deviated her attack.

"Yes," Gaia said taking Edan by the shoulders and turning him around to face a cottage-like family restaurant. "We were thinking about going to eat in there," she said without letting go of his shoulders.

Keeping his body still, Edan moved his face towards Gaia. "You are always eating," he said.

"You can wait outside." She patted his back and walked toward the restaurant with the rest following.

The restaurant was smaller than it looked from the outside. It was made of mostly wood and it had little white twinkle lights everywhere. The smell of crunchy bacon and delicious french-fries filled the air, making Gaia actually hungry. A tall hostess with a long sharp nose, walked to her with a smile so wide and weirdly stretched that Priyam couldn't help but chuckle.

Noticing the hostess was now glaring at Priyam, Gaia stepped between them and forced a smile of her own. "Table for seven," she said, elbowing Priyam to knock it off.

"I'm sorry, we only have two separate tables of fo-fo-" She stuttered the moment she saw the guys walking in. "Of four, and a table for two," she said as she stretched her pose and moved one of her spidery long legs forward.

"We'll take that last one." Gaia pushed Priyam to the only empty table at the other side of the restaurant, but Edan stopped her by grabbing her wrist. Gaia gave a small slap to his hand, something the hostess and Willow clearly resented. "You'll be right there," she said and pointed at another empty table a few feet from hers. She made it sound like she was complaining to an overprotective parent.

"Try not to choke to death," he said, letting go of her hand and following the hostess.

"I'll try."

The food couldn't have come any slower. The hostess and most of the waitress were fully concentrated on Edan's table, making it more difficult for Gaia and Priyam to get their orders taken or food delivered. That, plus it looked like the mostly female staff was on a mission to keep them there until their shifts were over.

When Gaia finally received her beloved meal, it took her no time to devour her waffles with bacon and a side of fries. She loved the healthy and fresh cut food they served every day at the camp, but the greasy, fattening food that had been on her plate was glorious. The mix of sweet and salty was extraordinary. The moment Gaia got tired of the sweetness of the maple syrup, she took a few bites of her french-fries and she was back in heaven. "You found something in this town?" she asked between fries.

"No." Priyam typed a few more codes on her computer and then gave up. "This town is cleaner than Edan's bungalow."

"Is such a thing possible?" Gaia shook her head at the possibility.

"Yeah, I guess I went a little overboard," said Priyam taking off her glasses. "Take a look." Priyam turned her computer so Gaia could see the screen. Priyam pointed at a bunch of coordinates written on a map from the camp area. "I've been joining Hunter on his perimeter check-ups so I programmed a security border to help him keep his tracking and the camp's security to the top and lower the times he goes around the camp." She smirked like the little genius she was. "Pretty rad, I would say."

"Very cool. Hunter will love it."

"Can I?" Priyam asked Gaia while pointing to her third side of fries, but Gaia didn't answer, she had already closed the laptop and was so busy staring at Edan's table that she just pushed the plate closer to her friend.

Gaia noticed the mass of unnecessary waitresses surrounding the table. Since Veter only had Shui on his mind, he ignored the women and kept goofing around with the twins. Donovan, however, kept them enchanted and giggling with his flirty comments, while Edan did his best to turn them away with his unfriendly stare.

One of the brunette waitresses bent over next to Edan making her best effort to get his attention away from the notes he was making, "Excuse me, would you-"

"Not interested," he said without even looking at her.

The brunette waitress stood still, as if that was the first time a guy had rejected her and she had no idea what to do. She glared at Willow who decided to lean against Edan in a way that made her think he was already taken.

Knowing her defeat, the waitress stood up and walked away towards Gaia's table. She took a napkin and wiped off the red lipstick she had probably applied just to talk to Edan. "Too bad, that hot guy doesn't care about anyone but his girlfriend," she said to what appeared to be a group of regular customers. Both she and the teens made pouty faces and moved their hands to their heart. "Awwwww!" they all said in unison.

"More like ugh." Gaia cringed at the sound they made. Only cares for his girlfriend? Please, more like he has a terrible attitude.

"Would you like to go there?" asked Priyam interrupting her thoughts.

"Where?"

"Edan's table." Priyam moved the fries closer to her and poured some ketchup on them. "You know, the one you keep staring at."

"I'm not- " Gaia was about to deny the obvious when Priyam flashed her omniscient glare. "Ok, I was," she admitted. Not being able to control it, she looked at the table one more time and saw Willow fixing Edan's hair. "Why does she have to try so hard to look like his girlfriend?"

"Why do you care?"

I just freaking do! she wanted to scream but she went for- "I don't. I think it's ridiculous. Especially pretending to be the girlfriend of someone like him."

"You mean gorgeous, strong and educated?" Priyam pointed out the obvious. "Yes, how could she?"

Gaia took some fries and gave Edan a quick last glance. He was completely ignoring Willow. His green eyes were reading his notes while he unconsciously rubbed the back of his neck in a way that looked incredibly appealing. "He's not... that gorgeous."

Priyam laughed, almost choking on her food. She patted her chest and took a big breath. "You, my friend, sounded like a girl on a diet saying that... you know, chocolate isn't that good."

"Well..." Gaia felt vulnerable for reasons she couldn't understand. "I don't want that chocolate."

"You sure? It comes with a cup of tea," she joked around. "How about some hazelnut chocolate?"

"Donovan?" Gaia's lip lowered in disapproval.

"Oh, shut up! Look at those eyes." She stared at Donovan the same way Gaia was staring at her fries a few minutes ago.

Gaia leaned closer and smiled at her friend. "I think you're the one who needs some chocolate."

"I do," Priyam cried. "Every single day surrounded by a race that looks like they designed themselves, who wouldn't?"

Out of the corner, the brunette waitress walked towards them and picked up their empty plates. "Anything else you would like to order?"

Gaia looked at Edan and noticed he was staring back at her. His gaze was strong, just like everything about him. He was a magnet pulling her towards him. He had a way of making her feel powerful and weak at the same time. It drove her mad. By pure willpower, she managed to break eye contact and smile at the waitress. "By any chance, do you have chocolate?"

* * *

Gaia and the rest were strolling around the town when she stopped in front of a colorful sign. "We are going!" she clapped in excitement.

"Going where?" asked Edan.

Gaia pointed to the place behind the sign. It was a small carnival with rollercoasters and a bunch of games and cotton candy stands. The place was brimming with music, happiness and all types of people. "There, the theme park."

"Yes!" Priyam and Donovan cheered.

"No," Edan refused and kept walking. "We are here for provisions and information, not this."

"Boring."

"I don't care. Besides we didn't bring any extra money for that."

Floyd tapped Pink's shoulder, "Trick or two?"

"Right!" she cheered back.

"No bloody way." Edan returned back to the group. Gaia had no idea what 'trick or two' meant but, judging by Edan's reaction, she could tell it was either something crazy or something extremely fun. "We're not supposed to attract attention."

"No one is here," said Pink. "Give the plan a fair go."

"No, it's dangerous." Edan refused. "Besides, we've been out for too long."

"Come on, Edan!" Donovan smacked his shoulder. "Lighten up. It's not going to get dark soon and there are no signs of dark beasts."

Edan looked at Gaia's pleading face. "One round," he gave in.

"Yay! What's trick or two?" Gaia asked Pink.

"A way to get you your park tickets and more." Pink took off her leather jacket and placed it on the ground while Floyd emptied his duffle bag taking out a bunch of knives and swords. Just when Gaia thought they couldn't get more pointy things from that bag, they did.

Edan cringed at the site of all those weapons. He looked around to see if people were alarmed: luckily they weren't.

"Relax," Willow held his arm. "They think they are street performers."

"They better."

"G'day everyone!" Pink climbed to the ledge of a street lamp getting everyone's attention. "My name is Pink and this offsider here is my twin brother, Floyd," she said with a louder than usual voice as people gathered. "We will both be performing some pretty damn good tricks."

Floyd pushed his arms forward as he guided people to stay back in a circle. "Please make some space so we don't accidentally stab you with our knives," he said causing everyone around to gasp. Veter laughed and elbowed Edan who was shaking his head in disapproval. "Just kidding, people!" Floyd grinned wide open. "No one will get stabbed."

Floyd took a large knife from his belt. He showed it to the crowd and threw it at the sky. The knife spun in the air and landed, its blade stuck in the ground leaving the handle pointing up. Pink did front flips, she grabbed the knife with her feet and on one flip, she threw the knife towards Floyd, who caught it before it stabbed his head. The crowd went wild. Gaia and Priyam couldn't stop smiling from the excitement.

Pink and Floyd juggled switch blades between them by throwing them up high.

"You, Sir, the handsome one with an intense frown." Floyd walked towards Edan who was staring at him with killing eyes. "Would you be so kind and light this blade for me?" he asked. Edan's face turned white and his body tensed. "With your lighter of course."

Suffering every minute of it, Edan pretended to take out a lighter from his pocket and light up the blade.

"It's blue!" a little girl with curly hair screamed from the crowd.

"Part of the show people! Part of the show," Pink explained to the clapping crowd. "Do we have a volunteer?"

Floyd walked to Gaia and took her hand but Edan pulled her against him. "Not this one," he warned him. Smiling, Floyd took Priyam instead.

He guided Priyam to the middle of the circle. "Stay there, lovely," he said and, with the already lit dagger, he lit up three more.

Floyd threw them around Priyam's body toward Pink. When she caught them she threw them back at him catching the new ones he had thrown. Floyd and Pink were juggling the daggers so fast the fire looked like it was forming a blue circle around Priyam, who, by now, was ecstatic. Not being crazy enough for the twins, they squatted and jumped, the circle of burning daggers following the two bold performers.

After a few rounds of performances, Pink and Floyd thanked the crowd and collected all the bills and coins they had left on Pink's jacket.

"That was amazing," Gaia congratulated the twins for the incredible show.

"Reckon!" they both said. Pink gave Gaia the bag of money.

"Thanks. Come on, we have money now." Gaia placed her hands on Edan's back, pushed him. The rest followed cheering.

"Stop," Edan commanded. "Pick one of the rides. We've been out for too long."

Pink and Floyd ran towards a rollercoaster and stopped right in front of it. "What a beauty!" they said in unison.

"It's perfect!" Gaia pushed Edan harder towards the line.

Edan looked up and saw the huge red rollercoaster with wild loops and a drop the size of a building. His eyes opened wide as he watched a car with screaming people go through the fall. "Why?" he choked.

Gaia giggled at this new side of Edan. "Because it's fun."

"Says who?"

"Humans," she said with a smile and kept pushing him through the ropes.

"Yes... because they are so reliable."

"Hey!" Gaia stopped pushing him and crossed her arms. "I grew up with them and, despite everything you may think, humans rock." She pushed him again. "Besides, what do you do for fun, Mr. I-complain-about-everything?" she said as they took their place at the back of the line.

Edan faced Gaia and leaned against the line's rail. "I..." he mumbled but couldn't think of anything to say.

"All that?" she sat on the metal bar. "Incredible. Such passion for life," she mocked him while the line of people walked, moving them closer to the ride's cars.

"Unlike you, I don't have time to waste," he said and double checked his surroundings, still uneasy with the idea of staying out of the camp for that long.

Gaia stood up, fixed her red hair and walked side by side with Edan. "Who says it's a waste?"

"You are paying your hard earned money to get into a monstrous machine that only Nature knows if it's stable enough to carry itself-" he said making a few people in front of them shiver with fear and try to find their way out of the ride.

"It is stable people," the skinny ride worker lifted his hands to make sure he had the attention of everyone who heard Edan's comment. "It is stable!"

"-Just to be pushed, dropped, spun and basically feel like you are dying. Who does that?" he continued. Gaia gave him a small push to the end of the line.

Willow walked pass Gaia and stood next to Edan while Donovan, Veter and the rest enjoyed Gaia and Edan's argument.

The skinny ride worker switched the position of his baseball cap. "Welcome to Fun Town! And thank you for choosing this ride," he said with one of those overly cartoonish voices.

"I didn't choose it," Edan hissed sending chills to anyone who didn't know he was actually harmless.

"Sorry, he's chronically unhappy," said Gaia. Edan glared at her. She took a small step closer to the ride worker and whispered, "Maybe if he gets the front that will change."

Scared of Edan, the ride worker unchained the rope and guided them to their seat. "This way, Sir."

Willow stepped closer towards Edan but he grabbed Gaia by the wrist and pulled her with him. "Why me?" she complained as she tried to shake her hand free.

"For your protection," he said without looking back.

A glimpse of Willow let Gaia know she wasn't happy about Edan's decision, something that made Gaia feel like she won something. If only she knew what. "Sure." Gaia couldn't help but smile. She didn't know why, but Edan was adorable and strangely fun to be around. Edan took Gaia's hand and helped her get inside the car. She sat down and Edan sank himself into the seat before he could change his mind.

"Picking the front row!" Donovan clapped excited and jumped with Priyam on the row behind Gaia and Edan. "Bold move, Edan," he teased.

White as a ghost, Edan turned to Gaia. "What is Donovan talking about?" he asked.

"The front is where it feels... best." She tried not to put much emphasis on the last word but Edan knew better.

He let go a big sigh and ruffled his hair trying to mask his anxiety. "You mean worse."

Gaia lifted her shoulders, making her look completely relax about this matter. "Yeah, sort off," she said.

In a subtle panic mode, Edan tried to get out of the car when the safety bars went down to hold him in his seat. "What is happening?" he asked between his teeth.

"It's so you don't fall out."

"Why would I fall out?" yelled Edan as his subtle panic mode came to an end.

"You won't!" Gaia bit her lower lip to prevent herself from laughing. "This is for your security," she assured him.

Edan's knuckles went white from holding the bar as if his life depended on it. His left leg shook and his lips pressed into one thin line. "Are you scared?" Gaia asked. Edan scoffed as if the mere thought was ridiculous.

"Please..." he said with his snobby attitude. "I kill dark beasts with my bare hands and you think this toy scares me?"

Gaia smiled at how childish Edan was being. "Just checking," she said and the ride started to move. Edan grabbed Gaia's hand, locking his fingers with hers and squeezed it hard. She turned to him with a surprised expression. "It's only to keep you from falling," he lied.

"I know." She let him be, though she couldn't tell if it was because she really wanted to enjoy the ride or because she didn't want him to move his hand away. This last thought made her more nervous than the ten-foot drop they were heading for.

The ride was intense. The mix of the adrenaline, the air hitting her face and Edan's hand holding her tight was intoxicating. Each turn, each fall and each loop made Gaia feel weightless. She was floating in the sky and she was in no rush to get down, unlike Edan, who was freaking out.

One of his hands clung onto Gaia while the other one held the security bar with more strength than he'd ever used. Each turn, each fall and each loop, made Edan feel like he was about to die. He closed his eyes and focused on Gaia's laugh.

* * *

A few feet away from the camp's barrier, Gaia and the rest hiked back home carrying all the supplies and groceries they needed. They took turns staring at a piece of paper. "It's... bloody perfect," said Floyd with tears in his eyes.

"I know." Gaia hugged him from one side.

"I've never seen anything this incredible," added Donovan, who couldn't keep his eyes off the picture Gaia was showing them of her and a terrified Edan on the ride.

"I had no idea he was so afraid of heights," said Gaia.

"He's not, he just has trust issues," Veter whispered.

As they all passed around and admired the picture, it suddenly burned by itself. "Keep talking and I swear you guys are next," Edan threatened them.

"What! No! Why?" they all cried and whined as the majestic picture's ashes blew away in the wind.

"Nobody panic." Gaia took out at least ten more duplicates of the picture. "I bought more." She smiled and everyone except Edan cheered.

One by one, they crossed the golden tree. Gaia was switching the bag of supplies she was carrying to her other shoulder when Edan stopped her. "Wait..." he said and she looked back.

"Is it about the pictures?" she gave him a friendly defiant look.

"Forget the stupid pictures," he blushed. "Here." He took a box from his pocket and gave it to her.

Gaia took it and shook it next to her ear like a maraca. "What is this?" she asked as he stopped her hand from shaking the box.

"Who bloody shakes a gift like that?" He took the box and she tried to snatch it back. "What if it breaks?"

"Is it breakable?"

"No."

"Then? I don't see the problem," she said.

"Just open it," he ordered throwing the gift back at her and nervously lowering his face.

Gaia opened the box and saw a gorgeous silver locket with a turquoise lotus flower in the middle of it. Wow... Gaia thought. "It's beautiful."

"You've had a necklace for over twelve years. It's not the same as the one you had before but-"

"No buts, it's perfect." Gaia said with a warm smile.

Edan took it out from the box and helped her put it on. As he placed the necklace, Gaia felt Edan's fingers moving around her neck. How can these hands be strong enough to kill dark beasts by themselves and feel this soft against my skin? This wasn't the first time he'd touched her. He was always grabbing and snatching things from her, but this was different. This made Gaia feel dizzy and completely present at the same time, as if her neck had a life of its own. What was worse, she swore she felt him lingering. Taking a little bit more than clasping a necklace would take.

"Done," he whispered and gave Gaia the box. "If you open the locket, it's a watch...maybe with that you'll stop being late all the time," he said and walked off without looking back.

"I'll try," she smiled.

* * *

Inside the camp, the group found Shui and Hunter relaxing around a sand garden decorated with trunks and Hunter's carved sculptures of circles and flowers.

"Sweet!" Donovan ran and laid down in one of the trunks next to the sand garden.

"We thought we needed something more relaxing."

"May I?" Willow asked and Shui nodded. Willow opened her bag of seeds and dropped a few of them around the garden. Once finished, she lifted her hands and the plants grew. Tall beautiful bamboo shoots grew next to vines that intertwined into hammocks holding onto the bamboo strong and high from the ground. Gorgeous flowers surrounded the garden making the most beautiful oasis. "Perfect," she said and laid down on one of the hammocks.

"How was the day?" asked Shui.

Excited, Donovan took one of the rollercoaster photos from his back pocket. "You tell me," he said.

Edan gasped "No!" trying to take it away but it was too late, Shui already had the picture in her hand.

"You look very sweet Edan."

"Thanks," he said while killing Donovan with his glare.

"Totally lovely." Donovan winked.

"Don't push it," Edan hissed.

They all laughed when a nasal voice screamed. "Finally!" Synthia walked into the oasis, her white wrecked extensions danced around Willow's borrowed crop top every step she took. "Something with a little more class around here." She moved towards Edan when Pink accidentally ran into her. "Ugh! Move away, you tomboy."

"Who's the bitchy blonde?" Pink whispered near Priyam.

"Synthia. Very friendly creature," she said in a snarky tone.

"Synthia!? Is she the Marked One?"

Synthia tilted her head in their direction and raised her hand to her hips. "I can hear you, you know?"

"I hope you can, they're two feet away from you," said Floyd.

"Another freak? Where are they coming from?"

"From down under," he said proudly.

"Under what?"

Floyd and Pink exchanged amused glances; they couldn't believe they were asked that question. Priyam leaned closer to the twins, "See what we have to deal with?"

"Under the tree," Floyd said and Priyam giggled.

Knowing they were making fun of her but not sure why, Synthia flicked her hair behind her shoulders and walked away. "Whatevs. I'm out."

"Wait." Gaia walked in front of her. "You should stay, hang with us."

"Around the mud? As if."

"Still, you don't have to go yet." Gaia offered her chocolates that Priyam and she bought after the rollercoaster.

"Yes, I do," she moved her hands away from Gaia's offer. "It's called beauty sleep; you should give it a try. Edan, take me to my room," she commanded and waited until Edan stood up and walked her to her room.

Tired, Gaia gave the chocolates to Priyam and sat down next to her. "Maybe we should stop calling her the Marked One."

"Why?" asked Willow. "She _is_ the Marked One."

"Maybe we should cut her hair." Priyam's lips twitched. "I mean... with her dark roots growing and her messy white extensions, she's starting to look like a darker and way more twisted version of Cruella De Vil."

Gaia stared at Priyam with disapproval. "I'm just saying. She looks scary as hell."

Shui gave Veter a cup of tea and sat down next to him. "Besides the haircut, I also see Gaia's point. She might stop being so aggressive if we call her by her given name."

"Trust me, it won't make a difference," said Priyam.

"I agree with Shui." Veter smiled and Willow rolled her eyes.

"You always agree with Shui."

"It's called being loyal," he explained to Willow.

Willow laughed. "It's called being a kiss-ass."

"I reckon she was fun," said Floyd while he sat on the floor with his back against a trunk.

"The Marked One?" Priyam asked surprised and Floyd nodded. "That's cuz you like playing with snakes."

"Probably," he said.

"I'm serious." Gaia felt guilty for forcing Synthia into their insane lifestyle without any friends. "I'm not saying she'll turn into the most likable human but we can at least make her feel more welcome."

"It doesn't matter anymore. Tomorrow I'm taking her to Klog," Edan said walking back from her room and sitting down next to Hunter.

"What is Klog?" Gaia asked Donovan.

"It's not what, it's who."

Willow opened her bag of seeds and took out a few. "I still have more plants we can try."

"I don't think plants will be enough for the Thanatos mark; and if there's someone who might know what to do, it's her."

Willow placed the seeds back in her bag. "Will you take her all the way to Klog?"

"No, one of her men will meet us 20 miles away from here," explained Edan. "I need Willow, Veter, the twins and Hunter to come with me. It's a long way and it will be dangerous. Shui, Donovan, you babysit these two tomorrow."

"On it," replied Donovan.

"It's decided then. We should all try to rest."

"Beauty sleep!" Floyd cheered and Pink pushed his face in annoyance.

As they all said their goodnights, Edan walked to Donovan and took his rollercoaster picture away. "Thanks," he said and held Gaia by the arm. "I'll be gone all day, please don't do anything reckless."

"I'll try," she said.

# Chapter 17

A Glance To The Past

THE SOUND OF MUSIC woke her. Her eyes were still closed as she relaxed with the feeling of the wind and the sun on her face. Enjoying the moment, she tried to recall when she'd fallen asleep outside her bungalow, but she had no memory of it.

Gaia tried to move, but her body wouldn't listen. She tried to open her eyes but nothing happened. Something is wrong...

"I know you are awake," Gaia heard a little boy talk. "You always wrinkle your nose when you pretend to be asleep." Gaia felt a small finger softly caressing the bridge of her nose. "See, right here." The boy pressed his finger on the wrinkles on top of her nose and Gaia opened her eyes.

"Good morning, Red," said the smiling boy.

Gaia took a better look at the kid, his piercing green eyes and scruffy brown hair, his breathtaking features even at an age no more than nine. Edan! she gasped but her voice didn't come out. She realized this was another strange dream just like her recurring nightmare. She could see and hear everything but no matter what she did, she wasn't able to control it.

"I wasn't sleeping," six-year-old Gaia said with her tiny voice. "I was talking to Nature."

"You were?" he asked and little Gaia nodded. "And what did Nature say?"

Little Gaia smiled mischievously and tucked a strand of her long bright red hair behind her ear. "That you should be nicer to me," she said. Gaia couldn't help but laugh inside her head. Ha! My thoughts exactly...

"Well, Nature must be losing it." Edan pulled Gaia against him. "I couldn't be any nicer to you." To Gaia's surprise, he tickled her.

Little Gaia chuckled uncontrollably. "Truce! Truce!" she said between gasps. Edan let her go and they both laid on the grass smiling.

As for Gaia, she felt strange. Seeing Edan and herself getting along so well. It felt like a dream, and if that wasn't a dream but a memory, then what happened between them? What happened to that playful kid?

Edan rolled onto his stomach and lifted his eyebrow. "Will Nature think I'm nice if I take you for some sweets?" he asked. Little Gaia stared at him with her mouth and eyes open with excitement.

"Maybe," she smiled, allowing Edan to help her get up.

While little Gaia and Edan walked toward the market, Gaia in awe at how incredible the city was. Nádúr Noc wasn't burning or destroyed, it was beautiful and full of life.

The round city was divided by four rivers and ten creeks that created four circles. The first and biggest circle was where all the houses, the main library and the arena were built; the second circle was where the parliament was and where all the blacksmiths, jewelers, tailors and any other craftsperson set up their businesses; the third circle offered beautiful market stands, flowers, delicious food that filled the air with the scents of cinnamon and vanilla and a big amphitheatre. As for the fourth circle, Zansèt Palace reigned. The magnificent castle made of pearls, flowers, rocks and vines held court in the middle of the plaza.

Little Gaia walked around the plaza as she was happily greeted by all of the inhabitants. It was clear she was a much-loved child. What wasn't clear was why some villagers were distant, rude or indifferent to Edan. Although he did his best to keep little Gaia from noticing, Gaia could see how hurt he was by their rejection.

A lovely melody played while dancing fountains with jewels turned on in the main plaza. "Is it that late already?" Edan watched the setting of the sun and leaned down to Gaia's eye-level. "Come on, Gaia, let's not keep your mother waiting." Little Gaia took Edan's hand and they walked towards the castle.

_Mom?_ The idea of seeing her mother was nerve-racking, no time soon was soon enough. _Is she the same woman of my dreams? What if she recognizes me? The old me I mean..._

Little Gaia and Edan entered the castle and a tall older woman called him. "Excuse me, Edan, Lady Tanya asked me to-" Little Gaia let go of Edan's hand and wandered around the hallway, missing the entire conversation. That didn't bother her at all since she was taking a small tour of the place she grew up in until she was six.

Paintings, flowers and jewels decorated the walls made of rare vines. A mixture of delicious smells from flowers and herbs gave the castle a feeling like something straight out of a fairy tale.

"Thank you, I will be done in no time," said a familiar voice from behind an open door.

Little Gaia looked through the slightly opened door and saw her. Gaia's chest fluttered with excitement. Her mother was as beautiful as she remembered from her nightmare, only this time she felt more alive and radiant. She was wearing a crystal necklace and a long golden dress that could've easily been used for one of Priyam's favorite big budget movies about fairies and elves. Her long wavy hair fell over her shoulders like a gorgeous black waterfall. Her eyes, gray like Gaia's, moved across a parchment she was reading next to a soldier. Mom... You are so beautiful... she cried and wished with all her might that the dream wasn't near its end.

"Please be so kind as to deliver this to the Fire temple." Tanya signed the parchment and gave it to the soldier.

"Yes, Lady Tanya." The soldier took the parchment and bowed.

"On another matter..." Tanya stopped the soldier before he could exit the room. "Have any of you seen my daughter?"

The soldier turned on his heels and faced Tanya. "Lady Gaia is at the market with that boy." He made such a negative emphasis on the word boy it gave her a strange urge to hit him in the face.

"That boy's name is Edan," said a deep manly voice. "You better start to learn it, soldier." Little Gaia took a step back and saw a tall German-looking man walking into the room. His half-bare chest had the same scar marks she remembered from her other nightmare. No way! Hans... Gaia whispered to herself.

The soldier turned white as a sheet and bowed down for the second time. "My sincerest apologies, Captain," he said with a small tremble in his voice, something that made Gaia feel pleased.

Hans relaxed his angry face and pointed at the door. "Leave us," he commanded. Irritated, Hans closed the door behind the soldier and took a deep breath.

"Give them time, Hans," said Tanya with a sweet voice.

Hans turned and paced slowly around the room. "It's been six years," he said.

Tanya laughed so softly it made Gaia smile. "You were against it, too, remember?" she said and read another parchment. "When Edan arriv-" One of the castle's staff moved a heavy piece of furniture near little Gaia's hideout and she couldn't hear anything. No! Wait.... Edan what?... Gaia tried to get back to the conversation, but little Gaia was distracted by all the movement around her.

Once the furniture was set in its place, little Gaia turned her attention to her mother. "You'll see, give them time," Tanya finished saying. Time for what? _..._ Gaia couldn't help but feel that she had lost the opportunity to hear something truly important.

After a brief silence, Hans stopped pacing. Tanya's face got serious as she sensed something was wrong. "What is it? You seem odd," she asked. Hans didn't say anything, he stayed there, staring at her as if he was afraid to say out loud what happened. "Speak," she commanded.

Hans took a deep breath and lowered his stare, "Azazel...He found it."

"He found what?"

Hans looked up and stared her right into her eyes. "Le Gardien de la Vie," he said.

Tanya fell silent. Neither Gaia nor her younger version knew what that was, they only knew it was clear that it meant trouble. Big trouble.

"That's impossible," she shivered in fear. "Even in the parliament, nobody knows what it looks like."

"He does. And now that he found it, he's coming for her."

Tanya intertwined her fingers so they would stop shaking and took a deep breath. She then lifted her head and talked with no stutter or sign of being scared. "How long?" she asked. Gaia felt insanely proud of how strong her mother was.

"Months, weeks... we don't know for sure." Hans leaned against a desk. "We knew He learned the parliament's secret but we never expected He would find Le Gardien de la Vie. We're not prepared for this."

"Yes, we are. After the last attack, the Elder Clan went ahead with the backup plan," Hans said, handing her a paper scroll. "The necklace is almost done and The Six have already been selected. By now, they should all carry the mark of their temple," he said. Gaia beamed with happiness at the mention of The Six, she wished she could let them know how well they picked.

Tanya took the scroll and read it. "They're just kids," she said after rolling it over.

"And so is she," he said. Gaia knew he was referring to her.

"What will they do alone out there, beyond the barrier?"

"They will live," he said with the same sad happiness she saw in her mother's eyes the day of the war. "The seven will live."

Tanya unrolled the scroll again and wrote on it. "Eight: we'll send seven with her." Tanya pressed her seal on the scroll and returned it to Hans, who took it and read it.

"The parliament will never agree to that," he closed the scroll and shook his head. "Edan is not-"

"Ahem..." someone coughed behind her. Little Gaia turned around and saw Edan staring at her. "I'm pretty sure your mother wants to talk in private," he said.

BWEEP! BWEEP! Gaia was about to complain about not being able to listen to the end of that conversation when an alarm blared.

Edan tensed and carried Little Gaia into the room. "Edan! Gaia!" Tanya ran towards them and hugged both children. "Thank you for taking care of her, Edan," she said. Gaia noticed how her mom's praise affected him in a positive way. His eyes stopped looking sad and his smile was genuine, unlike the one he used for the villagers from the plaza.

"Is He here?" Hans asked a soldier who ran past the room.

"No, Sir; only Darklings and dark beasts."

"It's not safe here anymore. I'll take her to Lakefall until the necklace is forged. Once everything is ready, Nobu and I will return her here."

"I understand. Let me say my goodbyes." Tanya bent down and hugged little Gaia. She gave her a kiss on the cheek and stroked her hair.

"Until then, Mother," Little Gaia whispered to her mother.

"Until then," Tanya smiled and let Hans take the girl.

No! No! Mom! Wait! Gaia tried to fight it but there was nothing she could do. The more they walked away the more stressed Gaia became. Let me go! Mom!!

Gaia fell into darkness, her body was shaking and her ears buzzed.

"Gaia! Wake up!" she heard Shui's voice in the distance. She tried to open her eyes but her body kept convulsing. "Gaia, wake up, now," she heard her closer.

Gaia opened her eyes and saw that the whole room was shaking. The things on top of the shelves bounced and smashed against the floor. "Earthquake?" she screamed confused.

"No, it's you." Shui took her hands between hers. "Relax, take control of yourself."

Agitated and seeing everything out of focus, Gaia looked at Priyam's bed and found it empty. The lack of light let Gaia know that it was still night and her friend should be sleeping next to her.

Her stomach curled in pain thinking something might have happened to Priyam because of her. "Where's Priyam?" She wrestled with Shui trying to get out of the bed so she could go find her.

"Priyam is fine, she's with the others." Shui placed her hands on Gaia's cheeks and held her head still as she looked into her eyes. "Everyone is fine, but you need to relax and control this. Do you understand?" Gaia nodded. "Good. Breathe slowly, in and out, in and out."

Shui led Gaia with one of her meditation breathing sets so she could relax and make the ground still. Gaia concentrated on the gorgeous teardrop that hung from Shui's choker. She didn't know if it was its swinging motion or its soft blue color, but somehow it calmed her. Gaia began to breathe in and out until the bungalow stopped shaking. "I'm sorry," she said as her hands clung to her sheets still dizzy and confused.

Shui sat down closer and hugged her. "It's ok, everyone is safe," she said stroking Gaia's bright red hair.

"Does this mean I can wield earth now?" Gaia asked Shui without moving away from her gentle touch. Somehow it reminded her of how her mother used to do it.

"No, that was your subconscious," she said. "What happened? Do you remember?"

Gaia closed her eyes, clenched her lotus locket and tried to recall her dream. "I had this weird dream about when I was little," she said. "Edan took me around a beautiful city surrounded by water. After that we went to a castle but we got separated. I ended up spying on my mother and a man named Hans when the palace was attacked, and I was taken away to a place called Lakefall... I think." Gaia noticed Shui stopped touching her and that her body seemed rigid. She sat down with a strange expression on her face. "What's wrong?"

Avoiding the question, Shui stood up and took some books from the floor and placed them back on the shelf. "I think you need to speak with Edan,"

"Why?"

"It's started; they are coming back."

"What started? What's coming back?"

"Your memories." Shui placed a flower vase on the shelf. "That wasn't a dream. That happened a month before the city of Nádúr Noc was destroyed."

"That can't be." Gaia lifted Priyam's chair from the floor. "Except for the last war, I have no memory of my childhood."

"When the necklace broke, you didn't only get back your ability to wield but you also got back your memories." Shui manipulated the water on the floor back to its flower vase. "The more time passes, the more memories you will get."

That was good news to Gaia. She would eventually learn all about her past. But she had no patience, it'd been almost two months since the necklace broke and this was her first time recovering a memory. As for the rest, they could take years and she needed some answers soon. "What happened that day?"

"Talk to Edan," Shui insisted and kept cleaning the room.

"No way, Shui." Gaia stopped Shui from picking up more stuff. "You know he won't tell me a thing."

"I know, but he's the one who was there."

Damn it... that was true... The only one who could talk to her about that day was Edan. "At least tell me what was wrong with him?"

"What do you mean?"

"In my memory..." Gaia sat down and hesitated. She worried the topic could be inappropriate to ask Shui, or anyone else, but there was something about how responsible and caring Shui was that made Gaia view her like a mother figure. She felt safe and comfortable around her. "People were very rude to him. Some even refused to acknowledge him. Why?"

"I'm sorry," said Shui with a strange sadness in her voice. "It's not my place to talk about that matter."

That answer alone let Gaia know there was something wrong. Shui didn't deny it and the look on her face clearly showed she felt bad for whatever Edan was going through. Knowing Shui wasn't one of those people who gives away information about others, Gaia decided to ask her about something else instead. She remembered how scared her mother was when Hans told her about Him finding something, only, what was that something? "What is Le Gardien de la vie?"

"Nothing you need to know yet," said Edan leaning against the door frame. "Is anybody hurt?"

"Everything's fine," Gaia jumped in frustrated over all the secrets. "I want to know what that means."

Edan took a second look at the bungalow to make sure everything was good. "Not now," he said and turned around to leave.

In order to stop him, Gaia grabbed Edan by the arm and pulled him. "We've been through this!" she said.

"Exactly, you should know better by now. The past is the past, concentrate on your elements instead." He moved Gaia's hand and walked away.

"It is my past!" Gaia screamed and followed him, but Edan didn't stop, he turned around and smiled at her.

"Too bad you can't remember, then," he said and continued on his way, leaving Gaia alone.

* * *

"Care to join me?" Gaia turned and saw Donovan sitting on the dining table drinking some reddish tea.

"Sure, why not." She sat down across from him and leaned so far forward her forehead touched the cold solid rock of the table top. "Where is everyone?"

"Willow took Priyam and Pink to help her gather the crops." He opened a turquoise bottle next to him and poured some soft blue liquid into a second glass. "Floyd is taking a weapon inventory and Veter left with Hunter to track a dark beast that got closer to the camp than expected." He slid the glass with the blue liquid towards Gaia. "Here."

She lifted her head and stared at the glass as if it was a strange unknown object. "Oh, I'm eighteen."

"Good for you." He pushed the drink closer to her. "Let's toast to that."

"Legal age is twenty-one."

"That's not alcohol. And even if it was, who's gonna card you?" Donovan grinned. "Kidding. It's a Terrian punch that helps you calm the nerves."

Gaia took the glass and smelled it. The fruity scent made her feel all floaty. "Cheers," she said and took a small sip. Her eyes opened wide at the soft, sweet flavor.

"Not bad, right? Shui makes them fruitier and less strong," he said. Gaia took a bigger sip.

He poured himself a little bit more tea and, by the way his shirt moved, Gaia was able to see his bear claw tattoo on the top of his chest. She finally remembered where she'd seen it before. "Your tattoo." Gaia moved her hand towards the tattoo and trailed the lines. "It's been a while since I've had the nightmare of the war so I forgot where I saw it from, but I remembered last night." She lowered her hand and looked at Donovan. "One of the men who saved me from the war had one just like that, only his was real."

"Hans," he said.

"Yes!" Gaia was excited to hear his name. She didn't know him well yet but he was someone important to her; he helped her mother, defended Edan and saved her life. "You knew him?"

"Everybody did." His face lit up with happiness. "Hans was the leader of the Elder Clan and the strongest of the earth wilders." Donovan placed two fingers on Gaia's necklace. "He's also the one who forged your previous necklace."

In her memory, Gaia did hear something about him returning her to the city once the necklace was ready, the thing was, she never thought he was the one to actually make it. Such a strong presence that man had; he was tall, very muscular and the scars made him look fearless. "I always wondered how he got them," she confessed. "The scars."

Donovan grabbed his drink and sat down against the base of a tree. "The legend says Hans had a son who couldn't wield anything."

"Can that happen?"

"It's extremely rare, but it can," he said. "A man with such incredible powers and status, yet his only male child was already five years old and powerless."

"Was he angry at his son?"

"No," he smiled. "He loved his son no matter what. It was the rest of the clan who thought of him to be unfit." He chugged the rest of his tea and placed it on the ground next to him. "One day, Hans and some warriors were doing a research routine. He took his son to show him the trade. It was a normal day until something went terribly wrong. A bear walked into one of the outside areas and attacked a family. The bear was marked by darkness so it was scared and couldn't stop itself. Hans wielded a fortress around the family but before he could move away to protect himself, the bear smacked him with his paw and cut him so deep he almost died." He made a scratching movement on top of his tattoo as he told the story. "The bear was about to finish Hans when the unthinkable happened. His powerless son begged the bear to stop... and it did. The bear could understand the boy," he said and Gaia saw it in his eyes, he was proud. "That boy wasn't powerless, he was one of the few Terrians who could speak and understand animals."

Gaia never made the connection before. Hans was a tall German-looking man while Donovan looked more Latino. But now, on a closer look, their eyes were exactly the same, "Was that the first time you realized you could talk to animals?" she asked, knowing that Donovan was, in fact, Hans's son.

"The very first," he nodded, still remembering all that happened that day.

"I didn't realize he was your dad until now."

"I know. I look just like my mother, with my father's eyes."

Out of nowhere, Gaia started crying. "What is it?" Donovan panicked and took her punch away.

"It's not the fruity drink," she sobbed. She knew those men gave their lives for her, but knowing one of them was Donovan's father and that she was the reason he wasn't with him anymore was too much for her. "I'm so sorry," she curled down towards the table.

"Gaia." Donovan ran and kneeled next to her. "What's wrong?" he asked as he inspected her crying face.

"I... Sorry," she repeated over and over again while her face drowned in tears. "Your father..." she cried. "I killed him."

Donovan cradled her face in his hands and pulled her so she could face him directly. "No, Gaia," he said trying to calm her down. "You didn't kill him. It was never your fault."

Gaia closed her eyes. She couldn't understand why Donovan was being so nice to her after realizing she was the reason his father was dead. "Yes, I did: he died because of me."

Donovan hugged Gaia and caressed her head. "He chose to protect you. We are all going to leave this world, he chose to leave it by saving you and me and the rest of The Six and every Terrian, human and living thing that depended on your survival," he explained with his touching sweet voice.

A second set of hands touched Gaia. She lifted her head and saw Shui smiling at her. "Don't cry, Gaia," she said. "Our fathers died the same way they lived, on their own terms."

Our?... She knew Shui wasn't talking about Hans, so she tried to remember her nightmare again. 'Tell my daughter I love her' she remembered Nobu's message before he died. Hans's son is Donovan and Nobu' daughter is... Shui "Nobu?" she whispered.

"Yes." Donovan continued stroking her in a failing attempt to calm her down. "Nobu was Shui's father."

"How can you not hate me?" she cried again. Her head swam and she shook, a combined result of the sugary drink and the guilt she felt over harming two of her best friends.

"Why would we hate you for our parents' choice of path," she asked and grabbed Gaia by the arm.

"Nobu, your father, asked me to tell you something on his behalf." She took comfort knowing that at least she could pass the message. "He said 'When you see her, tell my daughter I love her.' If I'd known it was you, I would have told you sooner but... he loved you."

"I know he did. Come here." Shui pulled Gaia close and made her rest on top of her legs, playing with her hair to calm her.

For the next hour, Gaia sobbed in Shui's arms until she fell asleep from exhaustion. Once asleep, she could hear voices but she couldn't tell what were they talking about or if it was real or just her imagination. Then, the voices got quiet and Gaia felt her body floating. Strong muscles surrounded her body and cradled her. She leaned her head against his chest and heard his rapid heartbeat. There was something about being carried like this that made her feel protected and completely at peace. She took a breath and fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Priyam finished helping Willow and did a final computer check-up routine. Once done, she packed her stuff and took a detour to the kitchen to look for Gaia, only to find the place was empty. "Gaia?" she called, but no one answered. Priyam took a few cookies and snacks and packed them with her computer. She walked past the storage room and saw Veter and Hunter playing cards. "Hey, have anyone seen Gaia?"

"Kapetan carried her to your bungalow." He wielded the wind and made a card fly to his hand. "She finally fell back asleep," he said and lowered his cards, as did Hunter. "How?" he laughed and slammed the table. "How can you always win, you little ninja?"

"Good job." Priyam gave Hunter a cookie as a reward and left for her bungalow.

Priyam snuck into the room in order to avoid waking Gaia. She slowly opened the curtain but stopped as soon as she saw Edan was there. He was tucking her in. He placed his jacket on top of her and softly brushed away the hair strands that fell on her face. The way he was looking at her took Priyam's breath away.

Sneaky as a shadow, Priyam walked out from the room, face flushed and without having left her computer or anything. She leaned against the First Tree and put her computer down. "So, Bobby, something tells me our baby will sleep like an angel tonight," she said and looked back at her bungalow with a big smile.

Donovan walked out of his bungalow and toward Priyam. "Sup girl? Do you know if Edan is still in there?" he asked as he continued walking to the door.

"Whoa!" Priyam stood up and ran towards Donovan. She didn't want him to interrupt the sweet scene she witnessed at her bungalow "I'm hungry, let's go." She took Donovan's hand away from the door.

"At this hour? Wait, where's Edan? Is he in there?"

Priyam stopped in front of him and placed her hands on his chest. "You have a choice, I'll cook you my curry chicken or you go see Edan," she proposed.

In seconds, Donovan turned around and guided Priyam to the kitchen. "I'm pretty sure that wherever he is, he's fine on his own," he said and Priyam laughed as they walked away.

# Chapter 18

New In Town

THE NEXT MORNING Gaia woke up like she never had before. She felt completely relaxed, at peace and full of energy. She couldn't remember what she dreamt of but she still felt warm and happy. She got dressed, took a box of chocolates she brought from the town and Donovan's grey jacket to thank him for using it as a blanket when he took her to bed last night.

Gaia walked to the table and saw Pink and Shui helping Donovan make armour for Icarus. "Good morning, Gaia." Shui smiled as she wielded water into the hot mini metal chest armour Pink had on her hand.

"Morning. What are you doing?"

"It was Pink's idea. In case we need to go to war, my baby will stay protected," Donovan hugged Icarus.

"Lots of free time, I see." Gaia laughed at the idea of that little sugar glider wielding a sword or wearing a helmet. She turned to Donovan and handled him the jacket and the chocolates. "By the way, thanks for taking me back to my bed and lending me this."

Donovan's blue eyes stared at the jacket and the chocolates and he smiled, a smile that made Gaia feel like he was hiding something. "I didn't take you to bed and that's not mine."

"Oh..." Gaia felt confused. Donovan had to be the one to take her to bed since he was the one who talked to her for hours last night. She tried to remember what happened but after crying like a maniac, she had no memories.

"I'll tell you whose jacket it is if I still get the chocolates," he grinned with no shame at his bribe.

"I'll give them to you as an apology for my behavior last night," she said handing him the chocolates. She played around with her new locket, still feeling uneasy about last night's crying session.

"No need to apologize." Donovan drew in a deep breath letting the smell of chocolate waif through his nose until his attention went directly towards Gaia's lotus locket. "Lotus flower?" he asked with curiosity.

"It's pretty, right?" she passed her thumb over the turquoise flower. "Edan gave it to me the night of the rollercoaster."

"So that's what was inside that box he kept guarding with his life." Donovan smirked and pointed at the jacket Gaia was still holding. "And that, my friend, belongs to the same person who gave you that necklace."

Gaia walked towards Edan's room, his name echoing in her brain. Knowing it was Edan's made her feel completely different. And in there, in that feeling, everything just clicked.

The stares, the angry mood swings, the jealousy that took hold of her when Willow, or any other girl, talked to Edan. She finally understood why she was so interested in his approval and getting to know him better. Why she kept looking for him even if she complained about his personality and how much she got annoyed by it. She had thought that it was her wanting to prove him wrong, to make an arrogant man like him admit defeat and admire her, but now she knew she was wrong. No! No!.. _._ Shut up, G. She tried to stop thinking about it but there was no way back, there were no more excuses and no more pretending. She always knew deep inside the real reason for her behaviour, but instead of fighting it, at that moment she let herself acknowledge her real feelings.

Crap! I like Edan.

Gaia walked in and saw Edan sitting on a chair looking at the wall as if he was daydreaming. Gathering the needed courage to go inside his room, Gaia took a minute before she knocked on the door. He looked so peaceful and friendly, she wished he behaved a little more like the Edan of her dreams. That way it wouldn't be so damn difficult for her to get close to him.

"What is it?" he asked before Gaia knocked. She felt like dying, not knowing how long ago he'd realized she was there.

"You took me to my bed last night," Gaia said nervously. This was the first time she was talking to him while aware of her true feelings and it was harder than she thought it would be.

"Yes. And?" he answered with his usual attitude and sat down properly.

"Well... thank you," she said almost sure this was the first time she'd ever thanked him. Oh, no...will he notice my feelings if I'm being nice to him? Will he notice even if I don't? She panicked, hoping Edan wasn't as sharp when it came to other people's feelings. Well, he is terrible at figuring out Willow's feelings, she thought and a sense of calm washed over her.

"No need to thank me," he said, oblivious to Gaia's internal meltdown.

Gaia offered him back his grey jacket. "And you lent me your jacket," she said.

Edan took the jacket from Gaia's hands and threw it on his bed. "It was cold."

"It wasn't that cold." Gaia walked further into the room and got closer to Edan. "Last night-"

"Where are you getting with this?" he began to get nervous.

Gaia didn't know the answer to that question. Not long ago she saw him as an annoyance and now she saw him as something more, but aside from that, she wasn't clear on what she wanted, what she could have. "I want to understand."

"Understand what?"

"What you are doing." I guess...

"I'm not doing anything." He looked around his room as if being inside of it with Gaia made him uncomfortable. "I think you should get out."

"You treat me like crap every single day, but whenever I get hurt or something happens, you are the first to jump to my rescue." Gaia took a step closer and Edan stiffened. "Why?" she asked looking straight into his nervous green eyes.

"Because you are our future queen," he said, his voice rougher than usual. "Leave now, please." He grabbed Gaia by the shoulder and pushed her gently towards the door. Gaia knew that continuing her questioning would get her nowhere but her filter was gone. She couldn't control it anymore. She took his hand and turned around. "There's something else."

"There's nothing else," he said and snatched his hand back, away from her touch.

"You're a liar."

"And you are my job," he snapped. "This isn't summer camp and I'm not your boyfriend," he said. Gaia felt like slapping him, but she didn't, because the moment she was about to, she noticed a glimmer of hurt in his eyes.

Nonetheless, she was furious; furious at him but more at herself. What were you expecting? She well knew that just because she figured out her feelings, he wasn't going to become nice all of a sudden. He wasn't going to stop having this cold unattached way of treating her or change his bipolar behavior.

She hated when he acted like this and she was too tired to deal with him, so without a word she turned around and walked away. "Where are you going?"

"Why would I tell you? You're not my boyfriend."

"You-" he tried to take her hand when Willow interrupted:

"Edan."

"Damn it," he followed Gaia but Willow stopped him. "Not now."

"Donovan just received a message from Klog Mor," she told him, but Edan's eyes were still watching Gaia running away. "Edan!" Willow yelled and Edan looked at her for the first time since she arrived "She will be fine."

"Call Shui and Veter, I'll follow Gaia."

"The eagle asked for you, specifically," she said, but Edan still wouldn't stop chasing after Gaia. "Edan, stop! She's not a child." Willow raced after him and stepped in front of Edan. "You're our leader, not her babysitter. This place is covered in light marks. Hunter just made his fourth routine check and everything is clear. Let Gaia have her temper tantrum... Right now Donovan needs you."

Knowing she was right, Edan took a last look at the forest Gaia ran into. "Bloody hell," he muttered to himself and followed Willow.

* * *

The forest had never seemed so cold. Gaia ran feeling like she would fall apart if she stopped. She hated herself for making herself vulnerable to Edan but she couldn't stay quiet, not when she had so many questions about her feelings. She remembered Edan's cold apathetic face and her chest tightened leaving her breathless. Why? Why him? Just this morning she barely accepted her own feelings for him and now she couldn't wait to get rid of them.

She couldn't understand why she was attracted to that iceberg of a man who saw nothing in others but flaws and challenges. Why was she so enchanted by a man who was such a perfectionist that being with him for more than an hour was irritating? She found him annoying, controlling, proud, arrogant but also... sweet at times, always thinking of others, constantly complaining about her yet always ready to help her no matter what. He was good, he was loyal and always true to his beliefs and to her.

She hated him. She liked him.

After running for what felt like forever, Gaia reached one of the small towns that rested relatively close to the camp. Tired of running and almost out of breath, she sat down on a bench next to a tree. She lifted her head and covered her face with her crossed arms. She closed her eyes and wished she could stay there and fall asleep until everything was magically forgotten or solved.

Why?... she shuddered. Why did I have to find out how I feel?... And he said boyfriend! She kept asking herself over and over as if the answer would stop making her body feel sick.

"Hello," said a friendly voice right above of her.

Gaia lowered her arms and saw a blond guy in his early-twenties with dimples on his cheeks, hanging upside down staring at her. She lifted her head and watched the man jump over the bench so he could sit next to Gaia. "Are you new here? I've never seen you before," he asked. Gaia remained silent, staring at him. The guy tilted his head, his hazel eyes inspecting her. "English?" he asked and Gaia said nothing. "Español?" Still no response from Gaia. "Français? Duits? Hindee? Afrikaans? Ca-"

"English," Gaia jumped in smiling before he could name any more languages. "I don't talk to strangers."

The guy laughed like a child would. His straight nose wrinkled and his feet swung to keep his balance. "What are you, five?"

Gaia's eyebrows frowned amused. "Says the guy who's swinging his legs on top of a bench."

The guy leaned forward and offered Gaia his hand. "I'm Noah, I live behind that market." Gaia took his hand and shook it feeling excited to deal with human customs again. Enjoying the moment, Gaia failed to notice she sat there shaking a stranger's hand in silence. "Ahem..." Noah coughed and glanced at their shaking hands.

Oh right, my name... She knew Gaia wasn't a typical name and she would definitely get in trouble if people around the village start talking about it, so she said the only name she could think of having beside hers. "I'm Tanya. Just passing by."

Noah leaned closer without letting go of her hand. "Progress, I like it," he said and stood up. "So, 'Just passing by Tanya,' what brings you here?" he asked as he walked to an apple tree that grew a few feet from them.

"Road trip."

Noah picked off an apple and bit it. "Traveling by yourself?" he asked and took another one to offer to Gaia.

"I came with some friends." Not expecting the gesture, Gaia brushed back her hair behind her ear and took the apple from his hands.

Noah rocked from his toes to his heals while looking around them. "Where are they?"

"What are you? A detective?"

"No, I'm bored. Or at least I was." His hazel eyes gazed at Gaia in a way that started to make her feel giggly. "And apparently, so were you."

"Smooth talker," she said thinking how well Donovan and he would get along.

"Not a chance," he laughed. "Unless you want me to be." He threw the almost finished apple at a trash can five feet from them and made it in. "I like your fire hair."

"Let me guess, you love my eyes and my outfit too?"

"Your eyes-" He leaned closer to her, close enough to make her nervous. "Definitely," he whispered and proceeded to scan her outfit. "But your sweater could use some changes." Gaia looked down at her baby pink sweater to see what was wrong with it, when Noah walked back and offered her his hand. "I'm starving, join me."

Instead of taking it like last time, Gaia stood her ground, not knowing for sure how smart going with him would be. Sensing her indecision, Noah retrieved his hand and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Are you always this suspicious of people?"

"Are you always this friendly?"

"Only when it's worth it," he said as he brushed his ashy golden hair and pointed at their left. "The ice-cream place is right there, inside the candy shop."

"Ice-cream and candies?"

"What can I say?" he shrugged his shoulders in a carefree way. "I'm a child with the income of a grownup." Noah offered her his hand again. "Are you coming?"

Gaia took a moment, she knew she shouldn't be going with a stranger, but she also knew that in the short time she'd spent with him, she'd stopped feeling terrible about Edan or worried about getting killed or anything to do with the camp. She took a closer look at him; with his beautiful hazel eyes, beach boy haircut and two moles on his straight nose, he appeared cheerful and harmless. He was definitely good looking. But so was Ted Bundy, she couldn't help thinking.

Going with him might be a bad idea but at least she would stop feeling miserable. And besides, I have powers... I can totally take him. "You're paying."

"I was planning to."

* * *

Back in the camp, Edan was behaving worse than usual. Everything angered him, even the maps and numbers he had spread on the table in front of him. He tried to calm down but his morning talk with Gaia kept replaying in his thoughts over and over again.

A couple of hours ago, Hunter and Veter reported the two almost intruders they saw last night and all Edan could think about was, where the hell did Gaia run to? His stress was so obvious that half of the group asked him, 'What's wrong?' on separate occasions, something that drove him mad.

He warmed his hands and rubbed them against his forehead, he had all this work to do but his mind couldn't focus.

"Where is she?" he asked Donovan, who happened to be passing by.

"I don't know." Donovan looked around, not knowing why Edan was still glaring at him. "Should I know?"

Edan knew it wasn't his friend's fault but he couldn't control his anger. Not until he found her. "Send her here if you see her."

"What's wrong?" Donovan dared to ask.

"Nothing is bloody wrong," he snapped causing Donovan to back away slowly.

Floyd patted Donovan on the back. "Told you mate. Today the boss is as mad as a cut snake."

"English, dude, English," Donovan begged him not understanding a thing he said.

As for Edan, it wasn't just this morning's talk that was tormenting him. After what happened last night he couldn't sleep at all, and having her that morning in his room was worse than he thought. "What was I thinking?" he mumbled to himself and then realized he was being watched by Priyam, who unlike everyone else, found his mood amusing.

"Let me guess... what's wrong?" he asked in a bitter tone.

Priyam ignored his deadly vibes and sat down on one of the rook stools across the table from him. "No, I already know what's wrong," she said and Edan's angry frowned switched to a confusing stare. "G-a-i-a." She said her name the same way an interlocutor announces the title of an epic movie.

"What about her?"

"I saw you, yesterday. In my bungalow. Tucking her in, smiling at her sleepy face."

Edan felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "I don't know what you are talking about," he lied.

"Relax." Priyam laughed enjoying it too much. "I won't tell, not even G, since I assume you have your reasons. I don't get why you play dumb."

Knowing Edan wasn't going to open up about any of his issues, Priyam stood up from the table and took a box of cookies. "You know, G used to tell me all about the nice kid who saved her in her dreams. She used to tell me how sweet you talked to her and how safe you made her feel. Last night was the first time I saw what she meant." She ate half a cookie. "What made you change?"

"I didn't change, she did," he said angrily. With that honest answer, Priyam walked away. "She forgot our promise," he said without anyone there but himself to hear it.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the ice-cream shop, Noah stared with amazement at Gaia as she licked a neon pink and blue ice-cream cone with sprinkles and a candy crown. "I still can't believe you ordered princess bubble-gum ice-cream."

"What? Molly recommended this one."

"She's three."

"And?" Gaia licked the top. "It's delicious."

"It is," said Molly an adorable three-year-old sitting between them. Her pink ribbons holding her brown pigtails hung longer than her hair. She left her pencil on the table and leaned forward to take her knitted Lalaloopsy doll. "Mommy lets me eat it after I finish my chores."

"Which is what you should be doing now," said Noah.

"I'm sorry, Noah." Tara, a thirty-year-old single mother and spitting image of Molly, peeked her head over the counter. "If she's too much trouble, I can send her upstairs."

"What are you talking about?" Noah smiled at Tara letting her know it was ok for her to be there. "She's always trouble." He bent down and tickled Molly.

Gaia looked at him and, for a second, thought of Edan and how he used to treat her like that. "Sounds like you come here a lot."

"I live close by and it helps Tara when I watch over Molly." Noah smiled at her. "You need to learn how to eat. You have ice-cream on your cheek." Noah leaned across the table and brushed his hand across Gaia's cheek, removing the small smudge of ice-cream. Gaia flinched at the proximity. "A Sagittarius girl being shy?"

Trying to prove her point, Gaia lifted her face and looked at Noah. "I'm not shy and I'm... not so sure I'm a Sagittarius either."

"You can't choose what to be; and December fifteen lands on Sagittarius."

"To be honest, that's not my birthday. It's only the date my best friend chose when we met at the orphanage." She didn't know why was she telling Noah all this about her life, especially when she'd always been reserved when it came to herself. "I don't remember my real one."

"You don't?"

"No."

"In other words, you could be forty?"

Gaia's eyebrows lifted as she tilted her head. "Do I look like I'm forty?"

"Nooo!" Molly laughed, and hugged her doll.

Noah sat her on his lap. "Not at all," he said after taking a good look at her face. "How do you know you're eighteen and not twenty-four?"

"Doctors. After all the tests they did on me for years... they can pretty much tell anything about you these days."

"Tests? For what?" he asked.

"Not telling you."

Noah leaned closer to Molly and whispered, "She's full of secrets." Molly giggled.

"I'm not full of secrets." Gaia couldn't tell if it was because she found Noah to be a great pain relief or the fact that he didn't even know her real name, but she was opening herself too fast and too much to someone she barely knew. "You already know I'm an orphan with memory loss, what kind of talk with a stranger is that?"

"Stranger?!" he gasped. "I shared my lemon pie ice cream with you. It doesn't get more personal than that."

"It was a good flavor."

"What can I say?" Noah moved closer to Gaia and smiled, "I have good taste."

"And I have to go."

"So soon?"

"It's been almost two hours," she said panicking at how angry Edan would be. If there was an emergency, he would have sent Hunter to look for me, wouldn't he?

"Two hours? That's the definition of soon."

"Goodbye." She smiled and gave Molly a hug. "Bye Molly."

Gaia walked out of the ice cream shop as Noah followed her, walking carefree with his hands in his pockets. "Will I see you again?" he asked.

"No."

"How about tomorrow?"

"No."

"Perfect. See you at the same time, same place then."

"Ok."

# Chapter 19

Cruel Reality

FOR THE PAST WEEK GAIA had been escaping to the village to see Noah and Molly. Just like the first time they met, they went to have food or sweets and talked for no more than an hour before Gaia had to run back to camp.

An hour or less was the time she was able to steal from each day without making it look suspicious to Edan, Priyam or The Six. She called it her meditation time and, since Terrians had a lot of respect for meditation, no one had a problem letting her work on it alone.

During that week, her world became slightly bigger. She became friends with Tara, the owner of the ice cream shop, and her daughter Molly. Being the small town that it was, Tara let Molly and her inseparable doll play around with Gaia and Noah until Gaia's curfew. Gaia loved Molly, she made her feel like she was back at the orphanage taking care of the little kids, and there was something about a man taking care of a little girl that made him completely trustworthy.

She felt guilty sneaking away from Priyam and the rest, but for Gaia, Tanya was an escape. Gaia was the hero with a suffocating amount of mistakes that constantly lived at risk of letting down... or killed, all the people she loved, while Tanya was a strong traveling girl with lots of free time and good friends.

The more time she spent with Noah, the more she saw him as a breath of fresh air. Always happy, always cheerful, friendly, never dull and, above all, he didn't treat her like a child.

* * *

On the camp, Priyam and Gaia were lying down on the grass looking at the rays of sun gliding through the force field that Edan and the rest had made. It was a strange sensation to be so warm and dry when their surroundings were so cold. It was late February for their neighbors outside of the force field.

"Are we going to talk about it or not?" Priyam asked still looking at the sky.

"About what?"

"The awkward vibes you and Edan are putting out? The hour you go away to 'meditate' every day. And how lately you've been looking happy and sad at the same time."

Surprised, Gaia looked at Priyam. She knew her friend had a sixth sense when it came to her, but this time she'd made a special effort to keep this as hidden as possible, or at least that's what she thought. "How can you tell?"

"Please," she laughed with sarcasm and pointed at herself. "Best friend, over here. I do give you credit for calling it your 'meditation time', since you know they can't bother you while you're at it. "

Gaia looked back at the sky. Saying her feelings about Edan out loud made her feel like it would become real to the world and there would be no way back. Still, as much as she wanted to deny them and pretend nothing ever happened, they were there. "A week ago... I realized... or accepted or whatever you want to call it, that I kinda... like Edan."

"That was expected."

"And I made the stupid decision to go and confess to him. I didn't quite tell him that I liked him but we did get into a fight and I ran away. I ended up in a small town where I met a new guy and I've been hanging out in secret with him for the past week."

"Now that is unexpected." Priyam sat down abruptly. Her chocolate eyes shone with excitement. "What guy? Where? You like him?"

"His name is Noah. I like him as a friend; he lives a few miles from here."

"That's where you go every day?"

"Yes," she said with guilt for leaving the camp behind everyone's back.

"Mmmm..." Priyam took a moment to think. "Can you bring me some supplies next time?" Priyam laid down again and it was Gaia who stood up now.

"Why are you being so calm about this?" she asked amazed. She was waiting for a lecture or maybe some friendly advice.

"Why? Because I'm used to this since you continuously do stupid things. Besides, if I ever do something this dumb and reckless, I know you'll have my back."

"It's not that reckless."

"You _do_ know we are living in a hideout with constant surveillance inside a bubble for you, right? Literally... a bubble! And every day you walk out of that bubble and chill with a strange boy in a lonely town while everyone thinks you're working on becoming one with Nature. Sure... not so reckless."

"What supplies do you need?"

"How ya doing, creatures of the wild?!" Floyd stared at them from higher ground. He lifted his hands motioning them to stand up. "Up you go, time to practice some dangerous stuff."

Gaia stood up and brushed the dirt from her shorts. "Tell me later, ok?" she told Priyam and walked away but Floyd stopped her.

"What, later? She's coming with us."

"She is?"

"I am?"

"Yeah! The boss ordered me to include you in training class. He said you couldn't train elements but this you could do." Floyd offered his hand and helped Priyam stand up. "Who knows, it might be handy."

Priyam got excited; this was great news for her. Finally something more than her computer to work on. "I get to throw knives?"

"Throw them, use them, carry them, you name it."

"This is so exciting!"

"Are you kidding? You, with a knife? That's completely-" Gaia said but Priyam jumped in.

"Dumb? And reckless?"

"Yes," Gaia smiled at her clever best friend. "But I have your back."

"It's settled, then! Follow me, ladies."

Floyd took the girls to the training grounds where Pink was already waiting next to a table full of weapons and a wooden wall with circles and dots of various colors.

"In order to stop using the trees as targets, Willow was so kind as to make us a special target wall. Based on the colors you manage to hit, points will be given or taken away," explained Pink as she pointed at the colors. "The person with more points at the end of the month gets to choose a weapon of her own. Any questions? Alright!" she said without time for them to react. Floyd passed them each a dagger.

"When you throw a knife or any other dangerous object, make sure to stay relaxed and calm, but steady and decisive."

"Relaxed and calm, but steady and decisive," Priyam repeated under her breath.

"Once you feel ready, take the dagger by the blade-"

"The blade?" Priyam panicked.

"Yes Priyam, the blade. It all depends on how far the board is and in this case, we hold it by the blade." Floyd held the blade by pinching it with his index finger and thumb. "This is what we call 'the pinch grip'. You take the blade and pinch it, leaving your thumb in line with the blade," Floyd explained while Pink helped the girls to pinch their blades correctly.

"Remember that the knife needs to be held by the opposite hand of the foot you have facing the target." He placed his left foot slightly forward and took the dagger with his right hand. The girls mimicked him. "Point at your target, bring the dagger backward in a straight line and, once you're ready, throw it," he said as he released the dagger hitting the smallest target on the board.

Following his steps, Gaia released the dagger and it hit on the very corner of the wooden board. "Good on ya, little warrior," Floyd cheered, wrinkling his button nose.

Once it was Priyam's turn, she threw the dagger. Her speed was too intense and the handle crashed against the board making the blade of the dagger bounce directly at Priyam.

"Ahh!" Priyam and Gaia screamed at the same time. By a mere second, Pink managed to catch the dagger before it hit Priyam's face.

"Bloody hell!" Floyd ran towards them and looked back at the target. "Maybe we should back off a little, before either of you kick the bucket."

"Yeah, we should," Priyam panted with her hand on her chest.

A few steps back, Pink gave Priyam back her dagger and moved out of the way. "There, safe distance; off you go," she said.

Priyam threw the dagger and this time, the blade managed to stick a foot away from the target.

After an hour of throwing knives, Floyd took away the daggers and asked the girls to stand three feet away from each other.

"This is called a wooden waster," Pink held a wooden sword. "For safety reasons, it's used in the training of sword fighting."

"It is," Floyd agreed. "But we're going to use these instead." He gave each one of them a sword straight out of Camelot. Gaia and Priyam exchanged concerned glances and wished they had stuck to the wooden ones. "What you lasses have there is called a Bohemian Longsword."

"Fifty-one inches of pure blade." Pink held her sword high and proud. "What a beauty."

"Now, hold your sword the same way Pink is, by the handle. When you are ready, lift your sword to the Ochs position, also known as Finestra." Pink took the handle, drew the weapon up and placed the handle in a horizontal position towards her head. Both of her elbows bent, straight grips and the blade pointed forward. "Now, you ladies give it a go." Floyd gave them the signal and they both tried to lift the sword.

"Damn, Excalibur is freaking heavy," cried Priyam while trying her hardest to lift it barely past her chest.

"Of course it's heavy," said Pink. "But like our Nana used to say: 'if you can wield a sword that heavy darling, you can wield anything'."

"Their grandma used to say that?" Gaia whispered at Priyam between breaths.

"It would explain a lot of things."

"And lift! Lift!! Lift!!!" the twins cheered as the two girls barely managed to lift the handle towards their heads.

* * *

Hours after their grueling training session the girls had a chance to wash up and rest their aching muscles. Gaia walked out of her bungalow and ran into Edan. "Gaia... hello," he said as he moved closer to her.

Oh no, not now... Ever since they had the fight a week ago, Gaia had done everything in her power to avoid Edan. Unfortunately, she still had to train with him but, even then, as soon as Gaia finished her class, she would sneak away as fast as she could to prevent awkward moments alone. After her meals she would team up with Priyam, or anyone who was available for that matter, just to leave the table without being followed by him. She looked around for an exit route but it was useless, she couldn't move a muscle after the twins' medieval torture. I wish I had my sword now... Out of options, Gaia turned around and smiled. "Hello."

"Hello," he repeated again and quickly fell into stride with Gaia as she strolled past him. "Where are you going?"

"Massage with Shui, I can't move my arms."

Edan walked next to her in silence. No, don't follow me all quiet! Say something!... Agh, this is so awkward. And you look incredibly nice with that jacket... I hate you.

"How was your fighting class?" he finally asked.

"Brutal." Gaia let go a rather embarrassing grunt as her chest was in way too much pain to properly laugh. "They made us lift heavy swords for an hour and then we had to run five laps around the training grounds while screaming like warriors."

Edan's green eyes opened wide; everyone knew the training grounds were a big open space of land. Floyd and Pink were crazy. "How did Priyam handle it?"

"I don't know, she's unconscious in our bungalow."

"I can help... you know... with the massage," he said and looked away from Gaia, which she was thankful for, since she could feel her face turning as red as a Terrian apple.

Gaia couldn't help but imagine how amazing yet terrorizing it would be to have Edan help her like last time. The time before, her entire skin felt on fire and melted in his hands, and that was when she thought she hated him. This time, knowing that she liked him, it would be unbearable. "I'll pass."

Edan took a step in front of Gaia and stopped her. "Gaia... can we talk?"

"About what?"

"About why you've been behaving so odd?" In his eyes Gaia could see that he demanded more questions. Edan freaking Blau is asking me questions? Is this a dream? Did I crave so much to be around him that I'm hallucinating this talk? she thought, but she knew it wasn't a dream: the pain of the training kept reminding her that this was real.

So then, what was happening? She'd never seen him like this before, wanting to talk, asking questions. It was usually the other way around.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Every day I go to my classes, every day I practice whatever you give me to practice and I still take care of all my chores. What's wrong with that?" She walked away but Edan took her by her arm.

"You meditate for an hour who knows where every day, you barely eat, you stopped engaging with anything other than what you have to do. Priyam calls it your 'searching time.' I have no idea what that means but-"

"But what?" Using all her willpower, she snatched her arm away.

"Is this because of our talk?" his voice was so low, Gaia missed the hint of pain behind his words.

Yes _!_ she cried on the inside. "What talk?"

"That day, in my room. What I said-"

Gaia lifted her hand to silence Edan. "What you said was the truth, so I don't see any problem with that."

"It's not like that. What I said... it wasn't..." he stopped himself. "It was rude."

Hunter appeared out of nowhere and ran up to Edan. His black eyes were wide and anxious. He stared at him looking white as a ghost and Edan understood, something was really wrong. "Where?"

Hunter pointed to the north and they saw a strange cloud of smoke; Dark grey with a menacing aura. "Is there a town in that direction?" Edan asked and Hunter nodded. "Donovan!"

Donovan ran to them. "I saw it. Icarus should be back soon. I sent him to scout the area. Do you think it's Him?"

Edan took a moment too long to answer. Gaia couldn't understand why a dark grey cloud would be so scary, not until she remembered... in her nightmare, during the war, the same heavy, dark grey cloud was crawling along the ceiling of the palace. "Edan," she gasped, her hands were sweaty and her heart was racing. "You think?"

Edan took her by the shoulders to calm her down. "It shouldn't be. We came from the opposite direction, there's no reason for the trackers or anything else to follow us here."

"Should I start the move?" Donovan asked.

"Not yet. It could be man-made."

Willow ran over to Edan, her face turning sour when she saw him holding Gaia. "What's going on, Edan?"

"We don't know yet."

By a miracle, Icarus flew back to Donovan's shoulder and squeaked. The poor animal was covered in ashes and dust.

"It's not man-made," said Gaia. Thanks to her animal language classes she was beginning to understand Icarus.

"The town is getting destroyed by Darklings and beasts. No sign of Him," Donovan added.

The town? Gaia looked in the direction of the cloud for a second time. The first time she saw it, the fear of knowing He might be there blinded her to see the reality of what was really in front of her. The town!! Noah! Tara and Molly... Guilt consumed her. "Edan! We need to help!"

"We can't. There are a dozen Skuggors, Draaks and who knows how many Trackers." A long, chilling growl was heard over the camp. "They're close. Donovan, tell the others, we are leaving the camp now!"

Without thinking, Gaia let go of Edan and ran in the direction of the town. She had barely gotten a couple feet into the woods when she heard Edan running behind her. For some reason it took him longer to react and follow her than she expected, otherwise she was sure he would have caught her by now. Edan was fast, faster than anyone in the camp but she knew the way. She knew shortcuts through the bramble, giving her the advantage.

As she broke through the last wall of brush and arrived at the village, Gaia stopped cold. At first glance it looked like the place was covered in swirling gray snow. Gaia's heart stopped when she realized it was ashes falling from the skies.

Gaia ran to the ice-cream shop to see if she could find Noah or Tara or Molly, but the inside of the place was as scorched as the outside. "Tara? Molly?" She called them, but no one answered.

While walking, Gaia's foot crashed into something. Looking down, she saw two unrecognizable bodies covered with ashes. Next to a small mountain of ashes, Gaia saw Molly's pink hair tie. She gasped in horror. She couldn't breathe. She took the pink ribbon, clenched it to her chest and fell to the ground. Everything around her seemed to be moving faster than usual. She felt like she was sinking and floating at the same time. She was freezing and burning. She looked at the sky through the hole in the ceiling and gasped for air. She couldn't stop the feeling of suffocating. "Molly!" she cried. Her chest felt like it was being crushed in. "Noah!" she screamed over and over but no one came, no one except a Darkling.

His face was white and full of black symbols, his eyes shone yellow and his teeth were rotten. "Look who's crying," he laughed. "King wants to see you."

"You," Gaia hissed. "You did this." She stood up and tied the ribbon on her right wrist. She opened her hands and flames surrounded them until they reached her forearms.

The Darkling ran towards Gaia. She opened her arms wide and clapped them as hard as she could. The flames on her hands formed a huge ball of fire that projected directly toward the Darkling's face. He fell down with the blow but he was still alive. The man laughed with his bloody mouth. He took out a black pointy cone made of glass and iron. "Let's play." He spat blood and charged towards Gaia.

The Darkling jabbed his weapon on and on while Gaia did her best to evade it, but the ice cream shop was full of ashes and burnt tables, making it hard to move anywhere.

Gaia crashed into a table, the Darkling jabbed his cone and managed to stab Gaia on her left shoulder. She screamed with excruciating pain.

Her hands began to shake. She knew she was in deep trouble and that if she didn't do something fast, she wouldn't make it. Think! Think! The Darkling pushed the cone deeper into her shoulder and taking advantage of the proximity, Gaia turned on fire. She grabbed the Darkling's hand, the one that held the iron cone and with her right hand she punched the Darkling in the chest with her palm open.

The Darkling grinned at her punch. Seeing Molly's ribbon hanging from her wrist, Gaia closed her eyes and pushed all the fire in her body to exit out the palm that was in contact with his chest.

As the fire from her body moved towards her hand, the Darkling tried to run away but Gaia was holding him steady, and in a flash he burnt to ashes.

Once alone, Gaia gasped in pain and knelt on the floor. She lifted her hand towards the cone and when she was about to take it out, Gaia heard a horrifying hiss in front of her. A Crawler had snuck inside the ice cream shop.

Crawlers were bloodthirsty snakes with large fangs and two poisonous stingers on their tails. Crawlers had a trail of blades from their heads to their tails; they were known for piercing their victims with their tails, drugging them with a hallucinogen and curling around them stabbing their victims with the blades on their back before eating them. The scariest thing about these beasts was that Crawlers grew each time they ate a victim, so the longer the Crawler, the more dangerous it was.

The eleven-foot snake glared at Gaia with his deep black eyes. Knowing the beasts were usually around five foot long, Gaia was sure there was no way she could win against this beast. She closed her eyes and waited for impact. Instead she felt the room turn into blue fire and the beast cried.

"Gaia." Edan walked behind her and saw the cone stabbed into her shoulder. "Don't move it, you'll bleed out." He ripped a piece of his shirt revealing a small part of a black tattoo on his spine right above his hips. Gaia tried to get a better look but the ink was smudged by a long burn scar. Edan wrapped the piece of shirt around the cone holding it steady.

"Duck!" Edan pulled Gaia against him, bending backwards as a Tracker jumped past them. He pointed his hand at the beast and the blue fire burnt the creature to death. "We need to go. Can you walk?" She nodded and he helped her to stand up. "Use my back for support." He leaned closer. Gaia slid her unharmed arm around his back and gripped his shirt to keep her balance. Edan held her by the waist and helped her out of the store.

Outside, two Skuggors waited. Edan pulled Gaia against his chest. "Edan..." she whispered, scared of what was about to happen.

"Don't worry, I got you." Edan held the back of her head. He leaned closer and whispered, "I always do."

The dark beasts growled and attacked. Even holding Gaia, Edan's movements were flawless and beautiful. He moved as if he knew what the beasts were thinking. Edan fought with the Skuggors until they reached the edge of the forest. He hugged Gaia even stronger and pointed his free hand towards the beasts.

His hand shook, his eyes stood steady and his breathing accelerated. Edan's blue flames grew stronger until they formed a blue tornado. The flaming tornado touched the ground and created a wall of fire between them and the beasts.

Once it was impossible for the Skuggors to get to them, Edan lifted Gaia into his arms and ran into the forest.

* * *

Back at the camp, Donovan and the rest had everything prepared to leave. "Where's Edan?!" asked Willow, pacing nervously. "He shouldn't have left alone. We need to go and help him."

"No," Donovan stopped her. "Those were his orders."

"Edan!" Willow pushed Donovan and ran towards Edan who carried the unconscious Gaia.

"Willow, I need herbs," Edan screamed and ran towards the rock table. "Shui, get me water."

"G!" Priyam ran to Gaia and saw how badly hurt she was. "Here," she said pushing everything that was on top of the table to the ground.

Edan placed Gaia on the table and ripped the top part of her shirt. His hands shook with fear for Gaia. Pink arrived and held his hand, "Go, relax, we'll do this."

Knowing there was much to do before the group moved on, Edan nodded and left the women to care for Gaia.

Once the camp was packed and ready to go, Edan went to check on Gaia. Her wound was properly treated and her color was coming back to normal. "I told you not to be reckless."

Edan tried to take the dirty ribbon off but Gaia slapped his hand. "No! It's Molly's."

Edan stopped cold. "Gaia, who's Molly?"

Damn it... Gaia was so out of it that she forgot she wasn't supposed to know anyone from that town, or any town for that matter. "The baby of the owner of the ice cream place I went with Noah."

Edan clenched his jaw. Donovan took a step forward but Edan lifted his hand and stopped him. "Noah? Who's Noah?!"

"What?"

"Stop playing stupid," he glared at Gaia in a way that made her bones chill. "Who's Noah and how do you know him?"

"We... we met at the village."

"That village?!" He pointed in the direction where they came from. "That village?" Gaia nodded. "You've been there before?" He asked, his voice deep with anger.

"Yes."

"When?" he asked, but Gaia kept quiet. "When!?"

Hunter tried to help Gaia but Veter stopped him.

Gaia looked away from Edan. "Last few days."

"Days!? You went there for days? This is where you've been disappearing to? To be with a man!?" Edan slammed his fist on the table hard enough that the rock cracked. Gaia flinched with pain. "Are you mad!?" he screamed.

"Edan, stop!" Shui jumped in between him and Gaia.

"No _!_ " Edan pointed at the smoke on top of the forest and the horrifying cries. "See! That's what happens when you behave like a reckless child. You are so oblivious to what is happening around you. You think that your actions won't have consequences." He paced in front of her. The others were clearly uncomfortable, but there was nothing they could do. "When are you going to get it?! We are here because our world," He pointed at her, "your world, was shattered in order to kill you. We are here to teach you how to fight back, but instead you go play village life? Are you seriously that irresponsible?!"

"I didn't plan on going to the village! I just got there somehow."

"Why?"

"Because I was running from you!"

There it was again, that pain in his eyes. "How convenient." Stressed, Edan rubbed his face with both hands and pointed at the group. "We are leaving right now," he commanded.

Everyone except for Gaia, who sat still on the rock, moved from their place and did what they were told.

"Where are we going?"

"To see Klog Mor," he said and left to help Donovan.

Gaia closed her eyes, holding her wrist where she had Molly's ribbon. The adrenaline was still pumping through her veins, only now she could feel it... she was alone, hurt and emotionally a wreck.

# Chapter 20

The Village Boy

THE COLD BREEZE HIT HIS face but Edan kept his eyes closed, his body remained motionless against the trunk of a tree, his knees bent, his head slightly leaning back. He wasn't asleep. He hadn't slept since the night before, when they were still at the camp. He took a deep breath and tried to control himself when a small twig cracked a few feet from him.

"Is anyone else awake?" he asked without opening his eyes.

"I think Priyam is the only one left sleeping," said Donovan. He sat down and leaned against the tree next to Edan's, in a wooded area they had chosen as their new hiding place. Since they were on the run, they didn't build any bungalows or anything permanent. Instead they found an abandoned cabin and spent the night there.

Donovan stared at Edan. He knew he was aware of it, even with this eyes closed. "Are we going to talk about it?"

"No."

"Are you still angry?"

"I wasn't angry." Edan opened his eyes and kept them looking at the ground. His jaw clenched as if he didn't want to speak his next words. "I was scared."

Donovan's eyes opened so wide he stopped blinking. "I've never heard you admit to being scared before."

"That's because I've never been before. Not like that." Edan bent his head down rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't stop thinking about it. Of what could have happened if I had arrived a moment later. Of what would have happened if she was there when they attacked the town." Edan looked haunted. His eyes kept staring at a nearby rock. "She was there every day for a week."

"You didn't know she was going there."

"I should have." There was hurt and guilt in his downcast eyes. "I'm supposed to protect her."

"We all are. Even Hunter can't understand how she managed to dodge him." Donovan crossed his arms behind his head and leaned on them. "You should apologize."

"I know." Edan looked at the cabin. The second window to the right was the room assigned to Gaia and Priyam. He took a deep breath. He wanted to see her and yet he feared it too, especially after the face she made when he broke the table, like he was a monster. And he was, at least a part of him. "She probably hates me."

"She doesn't hate you."

"You wouldn't know."

"Oh, I do," Donovan laughed. "You are just too slow to see it... and so is she."

"And who is this Noah?" Edan asked with an absolute dislike for the person. "Noah... Even the name sounds irritating."

Donovan smiled amused, "Does it?"

"Don't start."

"Relax, Edan; I think she's fine. I also think you need to stop waiting for her to remember. Just tell her."

Edan lifted his face and saw Gaia leaving the cabin with Shui while carrying flowers. He stared at her face, her hands, the quirky dance she made every time she was excited about a topic, her long red hair waving in the air, enchanting him. Veter walked out of the cabin and wielded the wind around the girls, making the flowers and their hair float above them. The girls hoped to catch the flowers. Gaia's shirt lifted revealing her stomach. Edan looked away, his face flushing. "You know I can't."

"Fine, it's your decision." said Donovan. "But here's a wild thought... how about you stop being here all frustrated and you go tell her you're sorry?"

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

Edan managed to get the courage to look in her direction again. This time, she was alone and looking a little sad. "Ahem!" Donovan coughed getting his attention. He pointed at Gaia. "Why are you still here?"

Edan stood up and sprinted towards Gaia. His legs and back hurt after spending the entire night against that tree guarding the cabin. After the attack on the town, there was no way he would allow something like that to happen again, and the only way for him to ensure it, was being on top of the situation 24/7.

He tried to walk normally since Gaia was looking at him now. Her hands moved to her elbows and she bit her lower lip. Edan smiled at how easy it was to read her. She looked around trying to find an escape but Edan couldn't let that happen. He needed to talk to her now.

"Gaia!" He sped up his pace giving her no chance to get away. "I'm sorry," he blurted out the second he was in front of her. "About hitting the table in that manner. That was uncalled for."

"It was," she pouted. Edan took a better look at her eyes; they were red and puffy, probably from crying all night. He hated that. "But you were right. It's just that I never saw the danger. I mean, I do have those nightmares and everything you guys have told me but that was the first time it felt... real."

"How is your shoulder?"

"Unexpectedly well. It still hurts, but it's bearable." She rotated her left shoulder to prove it. "I don't know what kind of plants you guys have in Terra but they cured me amazingly fast. They don't even leave a scar."

"Yes, some plants have extraordinary healing properties." Edan decided to give Donovan's advice a try and tell her his thoughts. "Last night, I wasn't angry because you left, I mean... I was." He took a deep breath. Speaking his mind was harder than he thought it would be. "But... I was angrier because you could've been there when it happened. We were sent here to protect you. I can't do that if you run away from me."

Run away from me... Gaia flinched at his words and hugged her arms. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about it, something like that happening in a place that peaceful," she said and cried. "All those people, because of me..."

Edan's mind went blank; this was the first time that he'd seen her cry as an adult. He wanted to calm her but he wasn't as good at relaxing people like Shui was or as funny as Veter or as sweet as Hunter. Not knowing what else to do, Edan hugged her awkwardly and patted her on the head.

Her body tightened between his arms, making him feel he did something wrong. "Why are you hugging me?" she asked.

"Because I don't know what to say or what else to do."

Within seconds her body relaxed and molded into to his. Her head leaned against his chest. He hoped she was too out of it to realize how fast his heart was beating. "Thank you," she whispered against his chest and his arms hugged her stronger.

Veter walked out of the cabin holding an enormous amount of logs. "Hey, Prinze-" a small hand covered his mouth.

"Shhh!" Shui let go of his mouth and pointed at Edan and Gaia hugging. "Let them be like that for a little longer," she whispered and walked away.

Before following Shui, Veter took one last look at Edan and Gaia and smiled. He left the logs on the ground. "Can we hug like them?" he asked her as they walked away.

"No."

"How about later?"

Shui stopped. She turned around, leaned closer and kissed Veter on the cheek. "Maybe," she whispered and walked away leaving Veter alone in the forest.

With his eyes wide open, Veter stared at Shui as she walked away. He could barely believe what just happened.

* * *

That next day, Gaia opened her eyes, checked the locket that Edan had bought for her and let out a deep sigh. It'd been fifteen minutes since she came outside of the new cabin and she was sure Edan would soon be freaking out about her whereabouts. "Time to get going," she said out loud, but her body didn't want to obey. Her skin felt cold yet she wasn't shivering since she couldn't get Edan's hug out of her mind. Feeling relaxed and in contact with her emotions, she placed her hands together, concentrated and formed a ball of fire between them.

The fire burned around her fingers. She tried to make it bigger but no matter how beautiful the fireball it was, it never lasted long.

"Good shape," said a manly voice behind her. Gaia's fire consumed itself. "Could use a little more strength." Surprised, Gaia jolted and fell from the trunk she was laying on. Lifting her gaze, she saw Noah staring back at her.

Noah laughed out loud. "Little overdramatic, are we?"

"Noah?" Gaia stood up. She was happy to see him alive yet angry at him for making her worry that way. "What are you doing here?" she asked, then realized Noah wasn't freaking out over the fact that she was creating fire out of nowhere. "Who are you?" she asked suspicious of him.

Noah's face changed from friendly to serious. Unwilling to take the risk of endangering everyone in the camp by talking to him, Gaia walked away to the house.

"Gaia!" he screamed as he followed.

Gaia stopped cold at the sound of her name and turned around to push him. "How do you know my name?" she screamed at him.

Noah placed his hand on Gaia's shoulder. "You told me," he said with his charismatic face.

"That's a lie!" She shook her hand off his shoulder.

"You doubt me?" he asked, very entertained by Gaia's reactions.

Gaia stopped for the second time and pushed Noah against a tree. She lifted her hand against his chest. "Stop playing around, because if you do know who I am, then you know what I can do to you."

Instead of stopping, Noah's smile grew wider. "Feisty," he said lifting both of his eyebrows with amusement. "I like it." Gaia punched him with her fist in a hook so perfect that Pink and Floyd would cry with excitement. Ouch... she flinched from the pain in her wounded shoulder.

"All right, all right!" Noah spit blood and cleaned his mouth with the hem of his grey sweater. "I know you from before." He rubbed his jaw. "Nice damn hook," he whispered.

Annoyed at being lied to, Gaia took Noah by the chin and looked straight at his face. She was absolutely sure she had never seen him before that day in the village, especially not in a place like Truckee. "You are not from Truckee," she hissed.

"From Terra, Princess," he said emphasizing the word princess. Gaia took a step back, her gray eyes wide open. "Now, have I got your attention?" he said rubbing his jaw for the second time.

"Maybe," she said. She took a few steps and circled Noah wishing her memory would flash some sort of past she'd had with him but there was nothing. "I assume your name isn't Noah."

"You assume right," he said while his hazel eyes followed her motions.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"How about if you hear me first, then I'll tell you everything you want?" he proposed, but Gaia stood quiet, still trying to figure out who this now nameless guy was. "What?"

"I don't trust you," she said coldly.

"Why not?"

"Are you serious?!" Gaia lifted her hand for the second time and turned it on fire. "You pretended not to know who I was for a week and after a whole village burns down, you happen to be the only survivor? How could you possibly think I would trust you after that?"

"I'm from Terra, you know we can handle more than humans do," he said, only this time he was serious. "I tried to save them... there were too many dark beasts."

He was right, there were too many beasts. "I still don't trust you."

"You should." Tempting his fate, he took a step forward and moved her hand away.

Gaia's hand consumed the fire. "And why is that?"

"Besides the incredible friendship you and I can share?" He took a small pause to see Gaia's reaction. She rolled her eyes. "I know a lot about you... things they don't want you to know, things they don't want you to learn," he whispered.

Gaia's heart pounded. Half fear, half excitement. There was something about this guy. Even though her instincts were screaming to run, she couldn't. If he knew answers, she needed to know more. Gaia's stomach clenched when she remembered how she massively failed at getting information from Edan.

EDAN!! _..._ She gasped.

Sensing he was beginning to lose her, the guy took her hand. Gaia flinched and snatched it away. "Look, I'm sorry. I should have not lied to you."

"Why did you?"

"Honestly? Because I'm not supposed to be here. At all. And more importantly, I was forbidden to talk to you," he said, his eyes gleaming with sincerity.

"By whom?" Gaia asked as she slid her hand away from his grip.

"You know who." He flashed a wicked smile. "Same guy that wants to control your life."

"Edan," she said in a whisper.

The guy clapped. "Give the princess a prize."

"Don't call me that."

"Why not?" he said and walked closer to her, so close, she could smell the pine trees on his ashy blonde hair. "After all, you are the princess."

Pushed by her curiosity, Gaia found herself unable to leave. Instead, she crossed her arms in front of her. "Why is Edan against you talking to me?"

The guy laughed out loud. "Why is Edan against everything fun?"

"Are you calling yourself fun?" she glared at him.

"You know I am," he smiled. His wicked hazel eyes staring at her as if they knew all of her secrets, something that scared her and made her angry at the same time.

Gaia cleared her throat and took a few steps back. "Somehow you keep stalling," she said in a casual and unaffected manner. Thanks to Edan, she was now a pro at hiding what she was feeling.

"Somehow you're still here." He tried to get her back to relaxing, but this time she didn't budge, she needed to know who he was. "Fine," he gave up. "Edan and I were once inseparable; you would think we were brothers. We spent most of our young days playing around and taking care of you."

I knew him? Maybe that explains this strange curiosity I feel towards him... she thought. "What happened?

"You know him. He's a bit... temperamental," he said.

Gaia smiled. His words put her more at ease. She couldn't understand how her body could relax that much as soon as she knew this mysterious man knew Edan. "A bit?"

"We had a disagreement and instead of listening to me and sorting things out, Edan decided to part ways. Years of friendship. But his stubbornness and ego got in the way," he explained. Gaia noticed there was a hint of anger and pain in his gaze, though she couldn't tell what exactly caused it.

"Sounds like him," she agreed without a doubt. "And if that's all true, why are you here?"

"To help you," he said, flat out.

"That's sweet, but I don't need help," she said as her defensive mode engaged. She was tired of being treated like a child.

"Of course you don't," he said, and Gaia felt valued, a feeling she hated to like since it made her feel insecure and needy even if she wasn't. "What I meant was that you have questions and I have answers."

Gaia bit her lip and turned around, giving her back to him. She wanted some sort of action that would ground her to what was happening. Is he for real?... What if it's just lies?... What if they aren't? He really knows Edan... She turned around and faced him. "Why are you so happy to give them to me and go against the leader of The Six?"

"Leader or not," he rolled his tongue at the 'or,' "you are my future queen. It doesn't matter what he wants, it's what you need." Once more, the guy took a few steps forward, making his point. "Me... I can help you in so many ways."

She stared at his eyes. "What kind of information do you have?" she asked trying to see any hesitation from his side.

The guy, skillful as he was, there was no hesitation at all. "Admit you trust me and I'll tell you."

"Make me trust you and I'll admit it," she said, not knowing where it came from.

"You win." He walked away and sat down on the trunk Gaia had been lying on before. "For starters, I'm pretty sure Edan hasn't told you... you are still seventeen," he said.

"Because that would be a lie." Gaia felt glad and disappointed with his so-called news. "I turned eighteen on December fifteen, I told you that before."

"Wrong," he said. "You birthday is not until March twenty-first. The first day of spring."

"No way... Besides, even if it was true, how could you prove that?"

"I don't have to." He sat down and stared right at her. One corner of his lips lifted in a smile. "You will prove it yourself, soon."

"What's your real name?" Gaia asked.

"I can't," he said and smiled mischievously. "Unless..." he teased.

"Unless what?"

"Unless we make a deal," he suggested.

"A deal?" Gaia repeated. She never thought she would be making deals with magical strangers. Not in her wildest dreams. "Who are you, Rumpelstiltskin?" she said between laughs.

"No idea who that is, but I assume he is charming and astonishingly gorgeous." He smirked, making dimples on his cheeks.

"Far from it."

"Then? How about that deal?" he asked but Gaia remained quiet. "I'll take it as a no. Goodbye Princess," he said and walked away.

Gaia took a deep breath. Her heart was begging her to follow the guy, but her instincts were screaming to run as far away as possible. Why?... she thought. Maybe it's because he's from Terra or because of everything that's been happening with the dark beasts and danger around them... If only I could ask Edan. The memory of his indifference towards her made her chest hurt.

For the past few weeks she'd been fighting her feelings for that Terrain icicle and she hated being conflicted over something like that. Noah, or whoever this guy was, clearly had information she could find useful. She could use that information to know her past and keep her new family safe. If I agree, Edan will be furious... Crap, why do I care if he gets angry or not? I shouldn't care, should I? It's his job to protect me. Ugh, job. Her heart clenched. I'm his job... She refused to figure out whether she wanted his admiration as a leader or worse...to be more than a job to him.

Nope... don't care if he gets angry. Whatever then... "Wait!" Gaia ran after the guy and found him sitting a few trees away as if he knew she was going to follow him. Stupid Terrians and their smug confidence... "I'm listening to your deal."

"I'll tell you my name, if you... promise not tell the others you saw me?" he said.

"Sure, that doesn't sound sketchy," she mocked him.

"Ok... be my guest, tell them you met me. I'm sure Edan will ban you from meeting with me and he'll gladly tell you all I know about you and your past... in five to ten years." He leaned closer, knowing Gaia made up her mind. "Deal?"

"Deal," she said it fast before she could regret it.

He patted his hand on her shoulder. "Exciting, isn't it?"

"Super." She moved his hand away.

"Should we seal it with a kiss?"

Gaia jolted at the idea of kissing this guy. Absolutely not. "How about a handshake," she proposed instead.

"Earthling customs. So dull," he said in a bored tone.

Not caring if he was against it or not, Gaia extended her hand. The mysterious guy grabbed it, but instead of shaking it, he pulled her against him, locked his arm around her neck, and gave her a small peck.

"Hey!" she complained as she managed to push away from his touch.

"Sorry, princess," he said and softly licked his lower lip. "I don't do handshakes."

"Do that again and this is over." Gaia clenched her fist wanting to punch him _._ "I have to go," she said and walked away.

"Wait." He grabbed her by the hand and gave her a gorgeous orange and yellow marigold flower.

"Charming, but I didn't expect you would be the flower type of guy," she said moving her hand away without touching it.

"I'm not. It will be our 'secret signal.'" He gave the flower back, and this time she took it. "Wherever you see this flower, it means I'm close and that I'll meet you soon."

"Clever." She hid the flower. "Your name?" she asked before she walked towards the camp.

"Pratt," he said with a smile.

* * *

Gaia had just walked into the camp when Edan immediately closed in on her. "Where have you been? This place is full of dark beasts."

She smiled at his concern and hoped he couldn't tell she had seen Pratt again. She promised herself she wouldn't escape like she did to the town, but this was different. Pratt was from Terra and, if he was telling her the truth, then it meant that she could finally get some answers, an opportunity she wasn't going to waste. "Sorry, I fell asleep on a bench."

"What bench?"

"I don't know, we just moved here."

Edan turned around and walked towards the cabin. "Pack a small bag and let's go."

"Wait! Go where?" Are we moving again? No way. My feet hurt.

"We need to leave. Klog Mor is not far away."

"But isn't this place full of dark beasts?"

He grinned. "We better be prepared then."

# Chapter 21

Klog Mor

GAIA STOOD IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING, the smell of patchouli and strong incense burning her nose. Curious about the woman she was supposed to meet, she tried to take a peek beyond the entrance, but the wooden bead curtains and the plants were blocking her view. "Are you sure we're in the right place?" she whispered after a man with the longest and messiest brown beard she'd ever seen came out from behind the beaded entrance.

Edan took a step further in and heard a loud laugh coming from the second floor. "Apparently so," he said turning to the group. "Donovan, come with me. The rest, stay on guard."

Doing what they were told, Floyd, Pink and Veter nodded and assumed position while the rest of the team walked up the stairs across the vines.

"This way," said Edan and stopped mid-way. "Don't touch anything," he warned Gaia as she was about to touch one of the crystal sculptures.

Followed by Donovan, Gaia walked behind Edan up the stairs. The more they climbed, the more the house changed. Flowers, trees, jewels and many other gorgeous things surrounded the upstairs room.

Gaia took a deep breath and felt completely at peace, like being inside a magical greenhouse. On the walls, exotic vines with flowers that looked like bells moved on their own. Gaia walked by them and even though the plants ignored Edan, they caressed Gaia's arms and face as if they recognized her as their mother. "It tickles," she giggled and petted the vine back.

"They are Terra's saucer vine," said Donovan. "Pretentious little flowers. They seem to like you." A vine smacked Donovan on the butt.

"I like them back," Gaia laughed and went through a bamboo curtain towards a bigger room.

In there, she saw Edan walking towards a woman in her late sixties with long curly grey hair, full of colorful wooden beads, and fixed in a messy way around her shoulders covering most of her back. The woman sat on a round chair made of rock with carved runes. With soft blue eyes and delicate hands, the woman wielded a ball of fire that skilfully melted and shaped glass into a star sculpture.

Gaia noticed she had the same tribal mark Veter and the rest had on top of her wrist, only this one had a circle made of stones and a flame inside it. She also noticed a new and strange symbol under the same wrist, a few inches below her palm. None of The Six had that one. At first she thought the symbol was just like her birthmark but this one was darker and Gaia's was in her right hand. She took a better look and saw the symbol was an oval tribal tattoo made of flames and beautiful vines with a white tulip.

"Klog Mor?" said Edan.

The woman lifted her gaze full of emotion. "Edan," she smiled and stood up leaving the fire to work by itself.

"Can Terrians do that?" Gaia asked Donovan, surprised to see an element continue to follow its wield even after the person who wielded it stopped commanding it.

"She can," whispered Donovan.

Klog Mor placed her right hand on Edan's right shoulder. "Agnosco," she said with a proud and sweet smile.

Edan repeated the same movement making a cross with their arms. "Agnosco," he said and gave her a small bow.

Klog Mor pulled Edan into a hug and smiled softly. "Long time no see, my boy."

Edan scowled, "Unfortunately, not long enough."

"Yes, I heard about the necklace. Tough luck," she said calmly as if they weren't talking about one of the worst scenarios that could've have happened.

"Tough luck?" Edan frowned. He was too stressed to deal with this kind of comment and, as always, Klog Mor had no filter.

"Stop frowning!" She flicked Edan's forehead with her finger.

Gaia smiled at how much he sounded like a teenager being embarrassed by his mother and her mind wandered with images of what Edan's true mother was like. She must be beautiful... she thought as she glanced at Edan's breathtaking features.

Everyone had opened up to her about their parents or siblings, everyone except Edan and Hunter. She understood Hunter had an unknown past. She also knew that none of The Six really knew where he came from or what exactly happened to him but they all felt open to talk, unlike with Edan, the man who's everything seemed to be a secret.

"Now let me see her." Klog Mor moved across Edan and walked to Gaia with arms open. "Gaia! Come here, child." She hugged her and to Gaia's surprised she felt comfortable and at home. "I've been waiting for you."

Donovan laughed out loud. "If you were, you should have cleaned a little."

"Oh, Donovan, always something to say, too bad only animal's truly listen." She gave Donovan a kiss on the cheek. "Tell me Edan, what brings you here?" She escorted them to a sand garden inside the same room and signaled them to sit with her.

Edan gave Donovan a signal. Donovan stood in front of the door that connected the stairs to the room while Edan walked into the sand garden and sat down right in front of Klog Mor. Gaia followed. "You already know," he said.

"I do," she grinned with her cherry lips and childlike eyes, "but one can never know an answer for sure, unless the question is asked."

"We need... I need guidance," said Edan looking lost, unclear of his thoughts.

Klog Mor took a moment to read Edan. "You fear they were right. That you shouldn't be the leader," she guessed, and by the stern face Edan made, Gaia understood Klog Mor was right. What she couldn't understand was the guilt she saw in his eyes. Why would he feel guilty about being the leader when everyone clearly accepted him as such?

Carefully choosing his words, Edan sat up straighter. "Her necklace breaking, taking the Marked One, losing an entire year, Gaia not being prepared, none of that was in the plan."

Gaia tried her hardest not to stare at Edan. Ever since she met him, he'd been in control of every situation. He'd been nothing but composed, cold, arrogant and overconfident. Now he was showing indecisiveness. It was a softer side of him, like a child looking for his mom's advice.

Is Klog Mor the one causing it? Is he always like this with her? Or is this some strange case of Terrian sickness? She couldn't tell.

"Of course the plans changed. You must remember, Nature has its own will," said Klog Mor moving her hands. The fire that was molding the star outside the sand garden switched and molded another figure. At first the glass seemed to resist, trying to rebuild the star's spikes, but in the end, it gave in and turned into an even more beautiful lotus flower. "It is in how we adapt where we find the true character in ourselves." She took the flower out of the fire and placed it in front of Edan. "Now both of you men go. The child and I need to talk."

Edan stood up and took a bow. "Until next time," he said as he exited the room with Donovan.

Once alone, Klog Mor clapped in excitement and took Gaia's hands. "Let me take a better look at you," she said and scanned her completely. "Same beautiful face, same fire hair, mm..." She closed her eyes and gave Gaia a little squeeze on her hands. "Different essence," she said and opened her eyes.

Nervous that something was wrong, Gaia pulled her hands away and used them to separate a long lock of red hair and slide it to her chest. "Is that bad?"

"Not all change is bad," said Klog Mor. "But not all change is good. The change in your essence could be good for you, but might not be for others; relativity is everything in the world."

Gaia stood in silence. She had so many questions she needed to ask, only she couldn't tell if it was prudent to bring them up with Klog Mor. Ask her... What if she thinks I'm stupid, or worse... weak...? she feared.

"Ask them," Klog Mor smiled all knowingly.

"Ask what?" Gaia pretended not to know exactly what she was referring to.

"Your questions," said Klog Mor. "The ones you've been keeping to yourself all this time."

A chill ran through Gaia's spine. Can she read minds?... Is she reading mine right now?... What about before?! Does she know what I think of Edan? Ahh!! Don't think of him! Gaia panicked but since she knew nothing about mind reading in Terra, she decided to ask before going crazy. "Can you read minds?"

"No, only people."

Gaia relaxed knowing her unstable thoughts were safe and took a deep breath of courage. "I've heard it many times but I'm not sure I understand what's so important about turning eighteen."

"It's important because your eighteen birthday lands on the Eighteenth Spring. When this Eighteenth Spring is up, you will become of age and begin the process where your elements will fully mature. This is called the Resurgence. Once your Resurgence is in process, you'll be the most vulnerable. But once the year of Resurgence passes, you'll receive complete control of nature, making it impossible to be defeated, killed or changed. You will become nature itself and you will claim your place as such." Her eyes turned sad. "And now, the locket is gone before time."

"He can find me," Gaia finished, and Klog Mor nodded. "I have to run and hide like I've been doing for another nine months?"

"Not nine months... twelve. You are still seventeen and your birthday isn't until March twenty-first."

"What?" Gaia was surprised, not by the fact that she would have to run for a whole year, but the fact that Pratt was telling her the truth. For the first time she felt like she could get the answers she needed to find her path. She wouldn't be lost anymore. She wouldn't hesitate anymore. She would be able to become strong and protect her family.

"Every two hundred years there's a new incarnation of Nature. They are always girls who are born on the twenty-first of March, and they are always picked by the First Tree," Klog Mor said.

"Why are we reborn? Can't nature stay alive all the time?"

"Nothing can stay alive all the time. Just like nature, your essence is born, grows, dies and nourishes the world so it can be ready for the next new life." Klog Mor took Gaia's hands between hers. "I need you to understand something, my child: the reason you were sent to Earth was to prevent Him from finding you. That same reason is why so many Terrians lost their lives to protect you. Azazel will do anything to find you and prevent you from finishing your Resurgence. You must not let him." She slid her hand on Gaia's hair. "Five days from now, the countdown for your survival will officially begin."

Gaia felt a knot in her throat. Not long ago she knew nothing about her identity and childhood. After all these years, now not only did she know who she was, she needed to learn to wield the elements, she was being chased by beasts and she needed to run away for a year from someone who wanted her dead. The pressure felt suffocating.

She wanted to crawl into bed and stay there until everything was fixed. She felt vulnerable and weak. She knew who she was and who she was meant to become but she didn't feel strong enough to reach everyone's expectations. I have to reach them... she thought. I need to... "Why does he want me dead?" she asked, choosing to show Klog Mor a stronger side.

"To understand the cause, you must first understand the man."

"Why is he doing this?"

She shrugged. "Only He knows." Klog Mor smiled at Gaia and pointed at a small cooler behind some flowers. "Honey, could you be so kind and pass me a Corona?"

"Sure." Gaia looked around and saw the cooler. She went to get it and sat down in the same spot she was before.

"Thank you." Klog Mor opened the bottle and took a sip. "Something worries you," she asked Gaia once again, hitting right on the problem.

"What if you made a mistake?" asked Gaia.

"Oh, no, dear, I really wanted the Corona," she said.

"I'm not talking about the beer, I'm talking about me," she admitted in a lower voice.

To her surprise, Klog Mor smiled. She seemed pleased and relaxed, as if a weight on her shoulder was just now removed. "So different and yet so alike. No wonder you keep choosing each other."

Choosing? What is she talking about? "Who?"

"To answer your previous question," said Klog Mor, changing the subject once again. "Can you wield fire?"

"Yes."

"Do you carry a Five Fold symbol birthmark under your right wrist?"

Gaia turned her hand, glanced at her wrist and there it was, her strange birthmark made by four circles united by another one in the middle. Five Fold symbol... she thought finally knowing what the symbol's name was. "Yes."

"Does the First Tree follow you?"

"Yes." Gaia smiled at the thought of Bobby.

"Then there is no mistake, you are Gaia." Klog Mor took another swig of her beer. "Whether you're ready or not to accept who you are, it does not change what you are destined to achieve."

"I'm terrible at controlling fire," Gaia finally admitted.

"That's because fire will always be a wild living thing, you should relate."

"That's easy for you to say," Gaia laughed. "I saw what you did with the flame, you're incredible!"

"Same reason why I am the first of The Six," she said proud and clear.

Gaia's eyes opened wide. "I thought Edan was the first."

Klog Mor took a peek towards the stairs... no one, she then faced Gaia. "Not only is he not the first but he's not part of The Six," she whispered.

"He's not?!" That definitely took Gaia by surprise. "Why?"

"It is not my secret to tell," Klog Mor said which only gave Gaia a bigger need to know the reason.

"I thought he was the leader," Gaia whispered back, hoping Edan wasn't somewhere near.

"He is the leader."

Gaia couldn't make sense of what Klog Mor was saying. "I'm confused," she said as she rubbed her forehead.

"He's the leader not because a bunch of politicians told him to be, like they did with me, he's the leader because the warriors chose to follow him." Klog Mor smiled. She was clearly happy to give Edan her spot as leader.

"I didn't know that about him."

Klog Mor finished her beer and placed it next to her. "He does tend to be a little closed to... everyone, about... well, everything," she said. Gaia nodded in one hundred percent in agreement.

"Klog Mor... Can I ask you a question?"

"After all that's what we are doing, aren't we?"

"Who's Pratt?"

Klog Mor's face turned white. She looked at the door to see if anyone heard Gaia say that name out loud. "Someone you shouldn't mention to Edan or anyone else," she said with a dead-serious tone.

"Were they friends?" Gaia whispered.

"Inseparable. They were like brothers, but life had other plans. It pains me, I miss that boy. Besides, he was really good to Edan."

"Nobody talks about him or about what happened?" asked Gaia not understanding what was so wrong with talking about a loved one.

"No one does. Which leads to my next question, how do you know that name?"

"I... heard the name in a memory," she lied.

"Memories are nothing but a reminder of the past. It would be a shame to waste your life re-living them."

"What is Le Gardien de la vie?"

"Another memory?" she guessed and Gaia nodded, only this time she was telling the truth. "Le Gardien de la vie is the fifth element, it is the artifact that saved the elder Terrians from the Big Flood."

"Is it true, nobody knows what it looks like?"

"Not even me. It was so long ago that its appearance got lost between faded memories."

"What was the Big Flood?"

KNOCK! KNOCK... Gaia turned around and saw Edan knocking the door frame. "Sorry for the interruption." A loud growl was heard a few blocks away. "We need to go."

"Of course you need to, but please, take the blonde demon back with you. There's nothing I found that can help that child, and I'd rather not... deal with her anymore."

Gaia leaned closer to Edan and whispered, "Blonde demon?"

"She's talking about Synthia."

Gaia looked at Klog Mor with amusement. "Wow, you really don't like her."

"Nobody does, sweetie."

"Shui likes her," said Edan after some deep thinking.

"Shui likes everyone," Klog Mor laughed.

"We'll take her back." Edan hugged her. "Thank you for looking into it."

"Gaia!" Klog Mor slid a wooden bracelet from her wrist and gave it to Gaia. "It belonged to me; keep it so you can find me wherever you go. Don't wait for this brute to bring you next time, come anytime you want, my child." Gaia slid the bracelet on her own wrist, next to Molly's ribbon, and hugged Klog Mor. Edan escorted her towards the door. "And Edan..." He turned around and she threw the lotus flower made by glass. "Keep the flower, it might remind you what and who you are."

Edan held the flower, looked at it with hope and took the stairs with Gaia. "What did she mean by that?" she asked, feeling curious since the glass and the necklace he gave her were the same type of flower.

"Something of no importance," he said and placed the flower in his back pocket.

Edan and Gaia walked out of Klog Mor's place and found Synthia already next to Donovan.

"Thanks for nothing, Edan," Synthia complained. "That tree hugger did nothing but bore me to death."

Out of nowhere, Floyd arrived running. His honey-blond Mohawk was messier than usual and his clothes had more holes than they did before. "Sorry to disturb... however, we need to get out of here." Floyd panted with his scratched face.

"Where are Pink and Veter?" asked Edan.

Floyd pointed at the left. "They're holding the line. Before we knew it, we were surrounded by dark beasts." He cleaned the blood from his cheek with the sleeve of his black jacket. "There are four Draaks coming from the next corner. My sis, Veter and I managed to semi-kill one, but the rest are on their way here now."

"Donovan, take the girls to the meeting point and prepare everyone to move to the second camp."

# Chapter 22

The Second Camp

GAIA SWUNG ON TOP OF a fallen tree across the protective shield. The five days Pratt told her to wait were over and she had found a marigold flower next to a fallen tree, yet he was nowhere to be found.

A part of her was still unsure about this whole deal with Pratt, but after confirming his existence with Klog Mor and the fact that she said she missed him before describing him as 'really good to Edan,' made her feel like maybe she could count on him.

For the past two days, Edan and the rest drew dozens of light symbols around the new campsite. To keep tight surveillance, they chose a long space with no hills or anything separating the rooms from the rest of the camp, with the exception of the training grounds of course, so she didn't accidentally burn everything up.

Gaia sat down on a log and leaned her head against one of her arms. It was a small moment of peace from the last two days when everyone had been stressed and constantly on alert for any dark beast attacks. Gaia looked at her watch, she had been waiting for more than fifteen minutes and if that continued, she would be late to Edan's class. "Where are you? Stupid Pratt," she sighed out loud.

"Looking for someone?" said Pratt peeking his head up from where Gaia was staring.

"Pratt!" Gaia stood up and fixed her hair. She looked around to see if anyone was watching them, but there was no one in sight. "Sill want to train me?" she said hoping that getting to the point would make Pratt ignore what he had heard.

Unable to hide his positive reaction to Gaia, Pratt smiled and leaned closer to her. "I thought you didn't trust me," he teased.

"I don't," she said and took a step back.

Pratt paced around her. "You're standing here alone with me. You wouldn't be here if you didn't feel safe." He stopped in front of her. "Come on, you're smarter than that."

Gaia's stomach fluttered. She never once needed someone to tell her she was good at something to make her feel like it was true, but after many weeks withstanding Edan's intense bipolar behavior, Willow's snarky comments and Synthia's... well, all of Synthia, Gaia felt relieved that someone recognized her capabilities and not the lack of power she still had. "Fine, I don't trust you a hundred percent. That doesn't mean I don't want you to train me. Still want to train me?"

"Yes," he said and stepped forward with a smile.

Gaia took a step back to prevent him from getting to her. She looked over her shoulder to see if they were still alone. "I'll let you train me with two conditions."

"Eager to hear them," he said crossing his arms and leaning down against the log.

"First... you need to keep answering every single one of my questions," she said. "But really answer them and not in riddles or any other stressful way."

"Agreed," he said after a second of thinking about it.

"Seriously?" asked Gaia confused. After dealing with Edan and The Six, she'd spent hours of preparation on a speech to explain to Pratt why she wanted and needed her answers. "That easy?"

"Yes." He laughed so cheerfully that he made Gaia feel trusted. "We're not all annoyingly stiff British professors."

"Second... take off your shirt," she commanded.

Pratt smirked and leaned closer to Gaia. "Really?"

"Don't be gross." Gaia pushed him away with her hand. "Darklings have black markings, I want to make sure you don't."

"Very smart of you." Pratt unbuttoned his shirt and gave a slow spin so Gaia could check if there were any.

Gaia studied his chest, besides a long thick scar that covered most of his chest, there were no marks or any other type of red flags she could think of. "Then we have a deal," she said and lifted her hand to seal the deal, the 'human' way this time, and Pratt followed her lead.

"Wait...," he said and moved his hand away. "In fact, I do have something to ask in return."

"You are disgusting," she said.

Pratt smirked and hung his shirt over his shoulder. "I approve of your thinking, but I was referring to something else."

"Oh..." Gaia felt her face turning red from blushing. She felt stupid for assuming something like that.

"You have to promise me you won't tell the others that you're meeting with me. I've had enough problems with Edan and I don't want to add more."

"Fine."

"And I'll need something of yours," he said.

"Like my firstborn?" she blurted out with terror.

"What? No!" He looked at Gaia as if she was crazy. "Something more normal, like a bracelet or a ring."

"Oh!" Damn it Grim brothers... She blushed and searched for anything of hers that she could give to him. The problem was, with her necklace gone, she had no other jewelry to give away. She ran her hand through her hair and felt the rubber band. "Would my hair tie work?"

"Yes. Perfect."

"Is this part of the deal?"

"No, this is so I can find you. If I hold something of yours, I can find you no matter where you are." He placed the hairband on his wrist and took a black rock with an Algiz rune engraved on it. "You keep this one." He gave Gaia the rock. She noticed there was a red dot in the middle of the rune. "Be sure to keep it hidden," he said. "Edan gave it to me so he will know you're talking to me if he sees it."

Gaia placed the rock in her back pocket. "Deal," she agreed, knowing he wasn't a threat. _Klog Mor would have warned me if it was the case..._ Or at least Hunter would have sensed him if he was some sort of mutant darkling who happed to be free of black symbols. Gaia stretched her arm to seal the deal but instead of shaking her hand, Pratt stood there grinning at her. Conscious of his stare, Gaia ran her hand over her face and hair to check if everything was in order. "What?"

"I believe this is the second deal you made with me in this week," he said as he walked closer.

"And?" She backed until she hit a tree with her back.

"And..." Pratt said as he closed in pinning Gaia against the tree. "If you want to kiss me that bad you just have say it. No need for all this 'let's have a deal' charade."

"Dream on," she glared at him.

"Don't mind if I do," he said and took Gaia from the chin. "Should we seal it?"

Gaia smacked his hand away from her chin leaving a burning sensation on her palm. "Like that? Never again."

"Too bad," he said and stepped away. "I thought you wanted answers."

"Are you serious?"

"Hey! You're making deals to get what you want, and I'm making deals to get what I want." Gaia looked over her shoulder for the second time. "What is it? You look nervous," asked Pratt.

"I am. If they see you we'll both be in big trouble."

"Relax, they won't see me."

"Hunter will." She knew it. She'd seen him sense dark beasts more than twenty miles away, and even though Pratt wasn't one, he was too close into camp for Hunter to miss his presence.

"I've been following you guys since you left Truckee. Hunter has no idea." He leaned closer to her, almost touching her cheek. "Trust me, Princess, Hunter isn't the only good tracker in Terra."

Gaia relaxed a little. He was right about not being detected by Hunter, and she hadn't heard anything about someone following them. "Do we have a deal or what?" He pinched her chin lifting her face towards his.

Another kiss... Gaia panicked since she couldn't keep Edan's face out of her mind. No! Get a hold of yourself! This isn't romantic and this is definitely not about Edan or anyone, this is about the answers you need and Pratt has them... Gaia slapped Pratt's hand away from her chin and pushed him by his bare chest against the tree. "Stay there and don't you dare move!" she ordered.

Amused, he lifted his eyebrow. "Bossy," he said and Gaia glared at him. "Alright, I'll stay here and won't move."

Having him under her control was too much fun. She thought about messing with him a little more but she had no time for that, so she stood on her tiptoes and gave Pratt a peck.

She tried not to linger too long and moved backwards, but Pratt snatched his arms up, grabbed Gaia from the back of her head and pulled her back to his lips. "Wa-! " she complained.

Regaining control of the situation, Gaia placed both of her hands on Pratt's chest, moved away from the kiss and smiled. "I hope you liked it," she whispered while looking him straight to his eyes.

"I did," he chuckled.

"Good..." Gaia pushed Pratt with all her strength. "Cuz that was ten deals worth!" she said louder than her usual voice and slapped his hands away.

Pratt laughed. His scratched the two moles on his straight nose with amusement. "You say that now, but in time, you'll admit it was fun."

Never, she took a deep breath. It felt as awkward as her first kiss felt like. Numbed...Just like every single time. "Time!" Gaia remembered Edan was waiting for her. "Gotta go."

"I'll find you in five days, Princess," Pratt said before she was out of reach.

* * *

Gaia ran to her room. She closed the door behind her and sprinted to her closet almost falling after tripping on a shoe. "Where have you been?" said Priyam as she looked away from her computer.

"Where's Edan?" Gaia asked as she slid out of her shirt.

"G!" Priyam asked hating when Gaia ignored her.

"I promise I'll tell you later." She took a white boho shirt and put it on. "Where is he?" she asked again.

"On the new training field."

Gaia ran her hands over her clothes making a mess of herself. "Ahhh! He's going to kill me," she cried and grabbed a pair of jeans.

Priyam kept working on the computer when Gaia fell to the floor to wiggle into her jeans. "I thought you didn't need to change clothes for the class anymore."

"I don't." Gaia felt stupid for doing it, but something about wearing the same clothes with Edan that she wore with Pratt made her feel uneasy, as if he would know she saw him again. She couldn't handle seeing his disappointed face anymore. "I was just... cold," she lied. Still lying on the floor, Gaia ran her fingers over her lips. Still angry at Pratt's deal kiss.

"Be careful with him," Priyam warned her.

Gaia's heart almost stopped. Her breathing sped up and her hands turned sweaty. Have they figured it out? They saw us! No, he said it was impossible. "With whom?" she asked and stood up.

"Edan, he's been strange all day."

"Oh..." Her body calmed down instantly, knowing her secret was safe.

Priyam closed her laptop and glared at her friend. "What did you do?"

"What are you talking about?" Gaia asked, then bit her lower lip. She hated how Priyam managed to sense everything about her.

Priyam scanned her from head to toes. "What is it?"

Gaia grabbed her red hair and made a ponytail. "Nothing," she said.

"Was it Edan?" Priyam tried to guess. "Is that why he's been acting so strange?"

"No. His mood swings are not my problem or my doing." At least most of the time...

"Was it Donovan? Floyd?" she asked and Gaia shook her head no. "Hunter?" Priyam lifted her eyebrow not knowing if those were answers she wanted like to hear.

"Hunter's like a little brother to me."

Not letting it go, Priyam went back to the interrogation. "Was it someone else?" she asked and Gaia's face turned as red as her hair. "Someone else!" Priyam clapped excited. "Who?"

Gaia ran and covered her mouth. "Shhh!!" she begged her friend to let her go. "I'll tell you everything when I get back from training."

"No, seriously... Who could you possibly know outside from here?"

Gaia smiled and walked to the door. "Later!" she said and fled to the training area.

A few steps away from the new grounds, Gaia stopped to gulp some air. She was in much better shape than she was just a few months ago but running from so far away and with the pressure of being found out, she was panting like crazy.

Taking deep breaths to calm down, Gaia looked around for Edan and saw him lying on the ground next to two bowls of oil with his arms crossed covering his face. Oh damn... he must be furious. She ran as fast as she could, "I'm sorry I'm late!"

Edan moved his arms away from his face and glanced at Gaia. "Not to worry," he said calm and relaxed, something that was entirely new to her, especially now with all the stress over being closely followed by all the dark beasts.

Gaia looked around to see if Edan was talking to someone else or if there was some other reason he was he so calm. "What?"

"I said it is fine," he said and patted next to him. "Come here," he said and closed his eyes.

"No. Why?" she asked without moving an inch.

Edan opened his eyes and propped himself up on his elbows. "Why are you acting like I'm going to murder you?"

"I don't know, are you?"

"No. Why would I?"

Gaia opened her locket and looked at her watch. She was over half an hour late, something that she knew Edan hated. "Because I'm late?"

Edan laughed and lay back down. "You're always late."

"That never stopped you from getting angry."

"Gaia..."

"Yes?"

"Shut up and get down here. I want to try a different way of teaching."

He looked so carefree and so different that she couldn't help but to stay motionless staring at him. "Lay down, now."

Unsure of her movements, Gaia sat down and mimicked Edan's posture. "Like this?"

"Yes," he said content with his results. "I also wanted to say I'm sorry for these past months, I've-"

"Oh, no!" Gaia sprung back up, then sat back down. "Are you apologizing? Should I go get help?"

Annoyed, Edan grabbed Gaia by the hand and tugged her down next to him. "Bloody hell! I'm serious."

"So am I," she said and gave up resisting. She laid down and placed her hands on her sides, looking up at the gorgeous sky.

They both stayed quiet next to each other staring at the blue sky. Edan stole a glance at Gaia, he was surprised to see her that happy next to him. "Why is it so weird, me apologizing?" he asked.

"Well, you're being... nice," she said.

Edan twisted his thick eyebrows. "I thought nice was a good thing."

"Not coming from you. From you it's... confusing."

Edan laughed at her for calling him confusing, especially since there was no one as confusing as she was. "Basically, what you are implying is that it's bad when I'm in my usual mood and confusing when I'm being nice?"

Gaia turned to Edan and smiled. "Something like that."

"You are incredibly difficult," he said.

"Oh, and you are no-"

"Gaia... Let me finish. As I was saying before, these past months I concentrated on trying to make you remember the feeling of fire wielding instead of starting all over."

"From the day at my school?"

"Way before." He smiled in a way that made Gaia's heart beat faster. "You don't know this, but this isn't the first time I've taught you how to wield fire."

"It's not?"

"No. The first time was when you were barely three." He rested his elbows on the grass. "You were smarter, less opinionated and far more likable back then."

Gaia smiled wide. "I bet you were the same frustrating, perfectionist little British kid."

"I wasn't British before."

"I thought you were born like that, you know, Terra's version of it."

"No. Terra has no division on nationalities. Even though we have different colors and physical attributes like humans do, we don't separate each other, we're all the same. One set of fables, one race, one Terra."

"Then how did you get the pretentious accent?"

"I did live in England for more than half of my life." Edan twisted his lips as he thought about it. "You really think it's pretentious?"

"Only when it's coming from you." She smiled more than she wanted to. The more time she spent next to Edan, the more impossible it was becoming to control her emotions.

Edan leaned closer and studied her face. Her hands became sweaty and his eyebrow lifted. "Odd."

"What's odd?"

"I know you meant it as an insult, but somehow it sounded more like a compliment."

Gaia blushed. "It wasn't a compliment."

"I believe you are losing your touch," Edan laughed carefreely. So carefree that it made Gaia want to hear it again. What made him change like this? she couldn't help but wonder. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. This new side of him only made Gaia feel confused and more attracted to him, an emotion that was useless to feel for him. Crap... "I believe we're wasting time."

"Fine, check this out." Edan lifted his hands and a small flame of blue fire appeared between them. He moved his hands with the fire to the bowl with oil and lit it. The fire grew.

"Treat the fire as a living thing, think of it as a wild animal." He moved his hands closer to the fire and it moved on its own uneven beat. "At first it seems untamed and dangerous. All you need to do is show it your respect and stand your ground. You need to calm down since it will connect with your mood. The more stressed you are, the more dangerous the fire will be." Edan moved his hand closer and the flame crawled onto his palm. "Nature always follows a leader, an alpha. Once you learn how to control yourself, nature will recognize you as the alpha. You will be able to tame the wild and when you do, you will gain its trust for eternity."

The fire moved and danced around Edan's fingers and palms. The movement was enchanting. Its soft blue flame cradled and caressed Edan's skin in the most entrancing and tender way. "Beautiful," Gaia whispered.

Edan extinguish the fire and moved closer to Gaia. "Close your eyes," he said. Edan pressed the palm of his hand above her chest. "Feel the pressure here. Try to connect with every feeling you are dealing with."

Whatever Edan wanted her to concentrate on was useless. Gaia couldn't think about, or feel anything, except him. She tried to fight the urge to pull him closer. She wondered how his hand would feel in movement, sliding down her spine or softly tracing up her arm. She tried to remember the last words he said, something about connecting and feeling, but after placing his hand there, everything got blurry. Great G, not even being Mother Nature turns off your awkward teenage side. "Isn't that the opposite of letting go and controlling the situation?" she managed to say.

"True control is not in pushing away your feelings but in recognizing them, embracing them and accepting them as a part of what you are experiencing. Give it a try," he said and moved his hand away.

Accepting what I'm experiencing? She took a deep breath. I'm a mess. I'm a seventeen-year-old who just learned her real name and birth date. I'm not afraid of dying as much as I'm afraid of letting down the people I love, my new family. I'm intrigued by a man I shouldn't be talking to and I might be in love with a man who sees me as his job... but at least now I know who I am. The fire on her hands lit up fast.

"Good." He stepped back and gave Gaia some space. "Now connect with it and take your time."

Gaia opened her eyes and saw how the fire crawled through her fingers and danced around her hands. As she moved them, the fire followed. Unlike the previous times, this fire didn't extinguish, it burnt more clear and radiant than any fire she'd ever seen.

* * *

An hour and a half later, feeling great and in control, Gaia finished her lesson with Edan and walked into her room. Her smile was a massive giveaway that something wonderful had just happened. Priyam peeked away from her computer and scanned her friend from head to toes. "Someone seems happy."

Gaia laid down on her bed and threw her arms around the pillow on top of her. "I've got news."

"I've got popcorn." Priyam closed her laptop and took a big bowl full of popcorn out of a box from underneath her bed.

"How...?"

"Willow's plants," she explained as she sat down on her bed and got into her gossip mode position. "Start."

"I can finally wield my fire," Gaia grinned.

"I'm so proud. Is that what happened this afternoon?"

"No, that..." Gaia didn't know what she should tell Priyam. She felt like her friend would kill her if she knew that after all the trouble that had been caused, she was still meeting up with Pratt, formerly known as Noah. She will find out, she always does she thought and decided to come clean. "This morning, I met with someone."

"Another guy?!" Priyam dropped the buttery popcorn she was holding. "Where did you find him? A tree?"

"He's from the village. He's the same guy I told you about earlier."

"Wait... The village? The place that got burnt?!" Priyam screamed and then lowered her voice. "Are you crazy? That place was like resident evil creepy," she whispered. "Does Edan-"

"No!" Gaia jumped out of her bed and checked from the window of her room to see if anyone was close. "No one knows."

"Wait... the village was miles away."

Here it goes... "He's been following us."

"The guy has been following us?"

"I first met him as Noah, remember? Only his real name is Pratt."

"How is that not creepy?" Priyam panicked the way Gaia knew she would.

"He's one of us...of them."

"Of who? The Six?"

"Not from The Six, but Pratt's from Terra," she said.

"Why did he lie about his name?"

"He was afraid I was going to tell someone here about him. And Edan hates him; they used to be like brothers but something happened. You can't tell anyone."

"I won't" she promised, and Gaia knew she would keep it a secret. "How can you trust him, though? He's clearly lied to you before."

"Remember the wise lady I told you about?"

"Beer Grandma?"

"Yes," Gaia giggled. "Well, she talked to me about him; she said he used to be good for Edan. I also checked for any Darkling's marks; he's not dangerous." The word dangerous made Gaia remember kissing him.

"What was that?! That face, like annoyance, but with something else." Priyam pointed at Gaia's eyes.

"I didn't make a face."

"Liar!" she called her out and Gaia opened her gray eyes wider. "You're doing it again!... Nooo!" Priyam gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.

"What?"

Priyam stood up and paced the floor. She knew what happened between Gaia and that Pratt boy. "I've seen that face before."

"When?"

"When you kissed the principal's son!" she said. Gaia remembered how terrible that first kiss was, not just the kiss but the whole dog biting the poor guy's leg thing. "You guys kissed?!"

"No! Well, yes but-"

"Oh dear! Oh dear!!" Priyam hyperventilated.

"Shut up!" Gaia took another look at the window. This was definitely a conversation she didn't want Edan to hear and misunderstand. "It wasn't like that. We made a deal."

"Sure. I also make out with the people I make deals with."

"We didn't make out... only one of the times. I guess."

"There were more?"

"There was more than one deal," she smiled.

"What about Edan?"

"What about him? The kiss wasn't romantic, and besides, there's nothing going on between Edan and me. He sees me as a child and a damn job, so there's nothing to it. Besides, it's not like I like Pratt."

"Don't you want to be with Edan?"

"It doesn't matter what I want, he won't go near me unless I'm wielding fire, getting into trouble or about to be killed."

"Which is every second of the day."

"True, just not the way I want to." The thought of it made Gaia feel depressed.

"So... Pratt?" Priyam moved closer to the edge of her bed. "Is he hot?" she asked.

"He's not bad."

"Yes! The plot thickens... I hope Edan doesn't find out that you're sneaking away to learn about your past. If he does, you'll be in trouble."

Gaia thought of Pratt and all the dumb and dangerous things she'd done since they met, and for the first time, she pushed her feelings for Edan aside. She wasn't the type of woman who stopped living for a man's opinion and she wasn't going to start now. "I guess I am."

# Chapter 23

Earth

THE TREES SWISHED as they swayed with the wind's rhythm. The sunlight that managed to pass through the leaves created dancing lights and shadows that made Gaia feel like she was underwater. The snow outside the protective dome had melted by then. In exchange, the ground was now covered in green grass that stuck to Gaia's boots as she strolled around the forest of the new camp. After a week she had finally gotten used to their new home, although she truly missed the hill.

She missed how the sunlight shone through the dome and how peaceful it was to do her morning jog around the lower landscape.

Gaia took a bunch of seeds from a hanging pouch she had wrapped around her waist and planted them near a fallen tree. Willow, who was following her from behind, moved her hands and small little plants grew out of the dirt. The plants spun and spun as they grew taller. Their trunks became harder and a bunch of twigs and branches grew out from them. The branches reached out and leaves covered them. Gaia smiled and placed her hands on one of the growing trees. She loved how the plants looked when they grew like that.

Whenever she touched the tree, Gaia's feet tingled. It was as if she was walking over soft grass that gently tickled her with every step she took. Without letting go of the trunk, Gaia closed her gray eyes and an overwhelming sensation ran from her fingers through her entire body. She could see the tree's energy, its soul.

She felt what the tree was feeling and she became aware of its life force. "You are truly beautiful," she whispered to the tree and continued helping Willow with the re-plantation.

"Take the ax, it's your time to chop." Willow lowered her hands and left.

Following orders, Gaia took the ax that rested on a near rock. She hated cutting the wood, especially next to Veter. For each one she managed to cut, Veter had already cut more than a dozen. Gaia took a big swing and slammed the blade against the log. Her hands shook with the bouncing energy. She bit her lip trying to suppress a cry of pain, but Veter noticed it.

"Here Princeza, I'll cut it for you."

Gaia moved the ax away from Veter's reach. She hated being treated like a child. "I can do it."

"Of course you can." He leaned closer to her so Hunter and Donovan wouldn't hear him. "It's just that I enjoy doing it."

"Only because you enjoy it," she said knowing the truth. She moved from the log and Veter cut the wood for her. Amazed, she watched how easily he chopped them with one swing. "You know, Veter, you are pretty perceptive for someone who seems distracted every minute of the day."

Veter laughed, deep and loud. "Element of surprise, Moja Princeza." He turned around and took all the fifteen cut logs, piling them on top of his arms. "Hand those to me, I'll take those too." Gaia placed the last four she had next to her and Veter walked away.

On his way, Veter passed Edan, who was leaning against a rock watching them with his arms crossed. "You shouldn't be spoiling her, Veter."

"I'd say I'll try, but that would be a lie, Kapetan." He smiled and took the logs to their place inside the cabin.

Edan stood up and walked towards Gaia as she picked pieces of wood and piled them up. She was so concentrated on her task she had no idea she was walking over a ditch. Typical... he blew out and his brown hair flitted over his forehead _._ Priyam was right, it amazes me that you managed to stay alive all these years by yourself, he thought.

Gaia took a step back and got closer to the ditch. Edan shook his head and pointed at the hole. "Could you try being more careful? There's a ditch behind you."

"You should help instead of standing there all bossy." She bent down and carried a heavy piece without acknowledging the hole.

"I'm not bossy," he scuffed. "I'm instructive."

"You're a pain in the butt," she said louder than she wanted.

"Excuse me?"

"What happened to 'Edan the nice guy'?"

"You said it was confusing." He smiled, clearly enjoying Gaia's usual reaction.

"You still are." Gaia dropped the wood in a pile and went for another one. "You keep telling me what to do as if I was a toddler. I know I tend to get... sometimes into trouble b-" Gaia stepped on a piece of ground that crumbled into the ditch and fell backwards.

"Gaia!" Edan screamed. She's going to hit her back! Edan jumped and hugged Gaia.

As Gaia and Edan fell to the ground, her hands pointed at a bunch of thick tree roots. Unknowingly wielding earth for the first time, the roots came out of the ground and followed her hands' movement, trapping them inside a hard cocoon.

"Are you ok?" Edan spoke, tremendously close to her.

"Define 'ok'." Terrified of the reality, Gaia opened her eyes and confirmed her nightmare. She was stuck underneath a cave of roots lying on her back with Edan squeezed on top of her. His arms curled around her waist, his face inches away from hers. Gaia tried to move but one of her legs was out of the cocoon, the other was slightly bent by the knee, and both of her hands were stretched up over her head and pinned outside the roots. "What happened?"

"Congratulations, you can wield earth now."

"Thanks."

"Now move them back," he ordered her. She tried as hard as she could to move the roots away from them.

Calm down... Calm down... he chanted to himself. He took a deep breath and felt her heart beat as fast as his. _Is she as nervous as I am?_ The thought only made him more nervous. No, she can't be... Maybe she's hurt or maybe I'm crushing her. Edan placed his elbows against the ground and tried to push himself up to give Gaia more space, but it was useless: the roots were too close to his back leaving him no space to stretch.

"I can't." Gaia gave up trying to move the roots back. After all the training she had to do to handle fire, she knew there was no way she could repeat the same wield she just had. "I don't know how I did it."

"Of course you don't."

"Why don't you burn them?" she said feeling attacked.

"I can't, my hands are caged against your back." He tried to slide them but every time he moved his fingers, Gaia unconsciously arched her back pressing her body closer to his. Calm down... Calm down! "You burn them."

"My hands are outside the vines. I could burn the camp if I'm not careful."

"Bloody great." Growing more nervous and impatient by the second, Edan moved his head around to find a way out between the roots.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm trying to find a hole or anything that can get us out of here." As he searched, Edan misjudged the cramped space between them and accidentally bumped against Gaia's face missing her lips by an inch. _Ahh..._ Edan gasped at her touch unable to think.

He moved away and noticed how her face flushed. Gaia bit her lower lip. "Donovan! Veter!" he screamed out of pure panic. He needed to get out and he needed to do it now.

"Edan... I don't think they can hear us," she said in a soft tone that made Edan's body tense even more.

* * *

Meanwhile, a few feet away from them Donovan, Hunter, Priyam and Floyd were sitting down watching Gaia's foot outside the root cave. Veter arrived after leaving the logs and found all of his friends staring at the same spot. "What happened? Is that a leg?"

"Oh man!" Donovan laughed barely able to tell the story. "You should have seen it. Gaia tripped and wielded the roots. Edan jumped to help her and now she's stuck in there underneath Edan."

"Princeza can wield earth now," he said, holding his tears of happiness and sitting down next to Priyam.

"Wield earth? Edan and Gaia are inside that thing on top of each other and that's all you took from what I just told you?" Donovan couldn't believe it.

All of the sudden, Hunter took out a bunch of bills, slammed them on a rock in front of them and bumped his fists together.

Donovan laughed harder than before. "No way, Captain Hormones! Especially not with her leg like that." He took his bet out and threw them on top of Hunter's. "I bet they end up fighting."

Excited over this turn of events, Floyd placed his bet. "I'm going to agree with Hunter over here, slightly toned down... and bet they snog each other's faces."

"Hey! That's my best friend you are talking about," Priyam complained and everyone stared at her nervously. "She's too shy to make a move; and Edan's too dumb to do it." Priyam took her bills and placed it on top of the pot of money. "I bet they'll stare at each other awkwardly in silence."

"Yeah!" Veter grabbed his bills and wielded the wind to take them with the rest. "I'm with Priyam."

The group stood motionless staring at Gaia's foot. There was no way anyone could know for sure what was happening until the roots went back to normal.

"Now what?" Priyam asked and Donovan stretched his legs to a more comfortable position.

"Now we wait."

* * *

Inside, Gaia and Edan were beyond panicking. The longer they stayed there, the less Edan could hold his arms straight. In a regular situation, he could've held the position for an hour, but in this situation, his nervous energy and concentration were sapping his strength.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You keep shaking."

Edan looked at his arms and saw them trembling. "I'm fine, it's just my muscles reacting to the constant stress of being worked on."

"Oh..." Gaia lowered her gaze to prevent eye contact with Edan. She was too nervous for that. "You can bend them."

"What for? I think it's better this way. I don't want to crush you."

"You won't crush me. Lower yourself." Gaia bit her lower lip again.

"I said no."

"Fine, keep shaking then." Gaia flicked her fingers. The roots crushing her hands were making them feel numb.

For a second time, she stretched her fingers, only this time she stretched them wider and felt a smooth piece of wood next to her thumb. "The ax!" Gaia wiggled trying to push her hands enough to reach it.

"No, wait!" Edan panicked at the sudden movement. "What are you doing?"

"I think I can reach the ax handle." Gaia wiggled more. Exhausted, Edan lowered his head away from Gaia's stare. "Please... stop moving," he ordered against the skin of her neck. Shivers rippled down her spine, finally making her aware of the situation.

Gaia lay as still as she could. In there, close to her neck, Edan felt terrified yet happy. He couldn't wait to leave, however, he couldn't stop wishing they could stay like that longer. Edan dipped his head until his nose touched her neck.

Gaia trembled but she didn't move away. That means 'Go' right? Testing the waters, Edan gave a small peck on her neck.

A gasp came out of Gaia's throat and Edan lost it, he lifted his head and stared at her.

He gazed at her lips; soft, pink lips that whispered his name, "Edan..."

He lifted his gaze and locked eyes with Gaia. Immediately, the air felt different, thick and full of energy, as if a giant magnet was pulling him towards her. For a moment, Edan wished his hands were free to hold her from the back of her neck and pull her closer to his mouth. She's right there... and she hasn't punched you... yet. He looked at her lips once more, they were barely a few inches away from his.

Edan noticed Gaia said something, though he couldn't hear a word since his mind kept focusing on how her lips moved instead of what she was saying. If he was brave enough to kiss her, this was the moment. He only needed to move. In spite of the fact that moving to kiss her seemed ten times more nerve-wracking and brave than anything he'd done in his life. Even standing up to Him.

Don't think... Just close your eyes and kiss her.

# Chapter 24

Supernova

WILLOW WALKED INTO EDAN'S ROOM but the place was empty, just like the training grounds, the kitchen and the storage room. "Where is everyone?" she asked Shui.

"I wouldn't know. They haven't come back from the forest." Shui gave Synthia and Pink soup with veggies. "Would you like some?"

"I'll pass, thank you."

Shui could tell there was something off with Willow since this particular soup was her favourite meal. After the town was attacked, everyone in the camp was in a constant state of surveillance and stress, it was logical Willow was worried about being discovered while separated. "I'm sure they'll be back soon," she tried to calm her.

"Tee-hee! Even I got that one," Synthia giggled. "How dumb can you be Shui? Plant lady here isn't worried about the rest, she's just worried about Edan." She stretched her hands to check her fingernails. "He's probably following, you know, anyone else but you."

"Shut up."

"Synthia, that wasn't nice. You should apologize," Shui intervened while Pink, relaxed as always, took a small tube with a needle inside it from her belt.

"Why do I have to apologize? It's not my fault the truth isn't nice."

Provoked, Willow slammed her hands on the table and leaned closer to Synthia. "Do you want to know your truth?"

"Willow, enough!" Shui raised her voice.

"She started it."

"And you should know better."

Stressed and actually worried about Edan, Willow stood up and left trying her hardest not to punch Synthia in the face. "I'm outta here."

"Bye-bye, unwanted plant."

Pink slid the needle from the bottle and placed in between her thumb and her middle finger with the pointy part towards Synthia.

"I think it's, like, so sad to see her throwing herself to Edan," Synthia whined towards Shui as she kept cooking for the rest of the group. "She kinda like reminds me of Gaia s-" Pink snapped her fingers and the needle flew directly to Synthia's throat knocking her out.

Before Synthia smashed her head on the table, Pink caught it and placed it softly next to her plate and retrieved the needle back to its rightful place.

Shui turned around and saw Synthia sleeping on the table. "What happened to her?"

"Dunno, I guess she was tired." Pink smiled and sharpened her knife, surrounded by the new delightful silence.

* * *

Set on finding Edan, Willow marched back to the forest where everyone was cutting wood, only to discover they weren't working but sitting down next to a pile of money and staring at a strange cocoon. "What are you doing?" she stared at Gaia's stuck foot and noticed the unusual way the roots came out of the ground. "Is that Gaia's foot? I guess she can wield earth now," she said, irritated by the idea of having to train her.

She looked around, everyone was there except Edan. "I can't find Edan, does anybody know where he is?" she asked. Everyone remained quiet, just staring at her, too afraid to let her know what was happening. "What's going on? Where is he?" Veter smiled and pointed at the cocoon. Willow spotted a small part of Edan's shirt stuck on the roots. "Are they both in there?! Since when?"

Priyam checked her watch. "Fifteen minutes. Give or take."

"Are you kidding me? And you're betting on what happens?" she asked. They all nodded. Disapproving of their actions, Willow jerked her hand and the roots instantly grew back into the ground revealing Edan and Gaia staring at each other in silence.

"Yes!" Priyam and Veter screamed at the same time while the rest cursed for losing. Priyam took all the bills from the money pot and hugged Veter.

Hardly reacting to the change of situation, Edan stood up, helped Gaia out of the ditch and scurried away. "Edan!" Willow called out after him, but he lifted his hand to stop her.

"Don't follow me," he said as he made his way into the forest.

Everyone, except Willow, giggled at Gaia. She knew that nothing happened; the thought of it all, however, made her feel fuzzy. Her face blushed thanks to everyone staring at her, so she turned around and strode to the cabin.

Willow and the rest, excluding Donovan, who snuck into the forest, followed Gaia to the cabin.

"What do you think happened?" Willow whispered to Hunter.

"Something good, Gaia doesn't blush like that unless something epic is going on." Priyam finished counting the money and folded half of them. "Here's your half, partner."

Veter moved his hand, the bills floated towards him and he counted them mid-air bragging about his gains to the bet's losers.

"Ughh... Wind wielders," Willow complained still irritated with the idea of Edan and Gaia inside that cocoon.

Veter took the money from the air. "What about us?"

"So full of themselves," she pouted to him. She was angry and she needed someone to take it out on.

"Absolutely," he smiled delighted. "Try wielding something you can't see."

"Try wilding something alive."

Veter clapped. "Congratulations on making flowers."

"Ha!" Willow stopped in front of Veter. "I remember they knocked you out once."

"Exactly, once!"

"Children, stop." Shui ended their fight by standing between them. "All of you go finish your chores. Priyam, you go check on Gaia. She seemed odd when she arrived."

* * *

Out in the forest, Edan paced around a big rock. He couldn't stay still, there was too much going on in his mind to sit down. He leaned his forehead against a tree and kept his eyes opened, for every time he closed them, the image of Gaia invaded his thoughts. "Stop!" he screamed and punched the tree. A blue flame came out of his hands and crawled all over his body.

"What happened?" asked Donovan.

Edan calmed down and the fire consumed itself. He turned around and saw Donovan sitting on a smooth rock, staring at him with amusement. "Nothing," he said.

"It doesn't look like nothing." Donovan smiled. "You told her? No way! She remembered!?"

Edan took a deep breath and sat next to his friend. He rarely spoke about his feelings but in this case, he knew he had to before he burned the entire forest. "Worse. Apparently I kissed her neck and I almost kissed her."

"Kissing necks? That's great!" Donovan beamed up with excitement.

"That's anything but great." Edan stood up and paced again. "This is not good."

"Nothing new with you thinking everything is wrong."

"But there is something new. Recently, she makes me feel greedy and arrogant." He rubbed his hands on his head. "The more I'm with her, the more I want. More contact, more of her attention; and lately I've been arrogant enough to think that she'll be ok with it. Even without remembering our promise."

"I know you know nothing about this, but when a girl lets you kiss her neck, that's a good thing," Donovan pointed out. It was so strange for him to speak about these things with Edan. The only time Edan spoke with him about his feelings was back when Edan was seventeen. "Why don't you tell her and let her decide?" he said, yet deep down he knew the reason for his best friend's silence. "You seriously need to stop treating yourself like a monster."

"You know I'm-"

"I know and it doesn't matter," he interrupted and he meant it. No matter what, Donovan was proud to be Edan's best friend and to serve under his command, just like Shui was and Willow and the rest. He just wished Edan could understand that. "Your past is just that, the past."

Edan stood up in a flash. "Quiet," he said and pointed his ear towards the cabin.

"I'm serious. No matter who you-"

"Donovan, shut up! Do you hear it?" he asked.

Donovan paid attention. Not far away from the cabin's direction, he listened to the rustling sound of dozens of trees. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He heard multiple small whispers, as if a soul or energy was being ripped away from their body. Donovan's eyes opened wide and his breathing sped up. "It's Him," he said with terror. Edan and Donovan ran as fast as they could towards the cabin.

* * *

"I can't believe nothing happened!" Priyam protested as she dipped into her bed and lifted her legs on top of the recliner.

"What are you talking about?" Gaia passed a brush through her red hair as she tried to untangle it from the twigs that got stuck after the fall. "You literally bet that nothing was going to happen."

"I know, and don't get me wrong, I love my gains." Finished untangling her hair, Gaia sat on the bed and Priyam leaned her head on her lap. "I just wish something good would have come out of that unusual, yet awesome, situation," Priyam said. "Willow was burning with jealousy."

"I can imagine." Gaia thought about what could have happened if Willow hadn't opened the cocoon at that exact time, especially since, with her blurry vision, she could swear Edan looked like he wanted to kiss her. And what was that thing with my neck... It wasn't a kiss, right? It felt like one but, him? Please, never... "That would be a miracle," she said out loud.

"What would be a miracle?" Priyam asked, but before Gaia could answer Hunter stormed into the room and pulled them off of the bed.

"Hunter! What's going on?" Gaia tried to read Hunter's expression when she heard horrifying howls close to the cabin.

"They found us." Veter took both girls and they all ran out of the cabin.

Gaia made an effort to focus on what was happening. Ten minutes ago she was trapped with the man she secretly adored while he sort of kissed her neck. Two minutes ago she was about to tell her best friend all about it. Now she was watching everyone she loved run for their lives. "Where are Edan and Donovan?" she asked anxiously as they fled as far as possible.

"Don't worry; they went in the other direction," Shui tried to calm her.

Suddenly, Hunter stopped and the rest followed.

"Why are we stopping?" Gaia asked not understanding what was going on.

"It's too late to run now, Princeza. If we want to survive, we'll have to fight."

Pink and Floyd opened their duffel bag and took out dozens of weapons, while Veter, Shui and Willow prepared.

"OMG! OMG!" cried Synthia. "This isn't fun anymore! What's going to happen to me?"

"Nothing." Veter gave Hunter a signal. The teen took a couple of knives, pushed Synthia between two rocks and stood in front to guard her.

"Here, take this," Floyd said giving Priyam his dagger and a gun. "We haven't practiced with guns, nonetheless, I reckon you'll manage to kill something." To Priyam's surprise, he took her by the back of her head and pulled her until their foreheads touched. "Just try not to dispatch one of us."

"They're here." Willow lifted her hands and two big rocks rose from the ground.

Gaia took Priyam's hand and waited as the ground trembled below their feet. She could hear the dark beasts' cries. She could smell the rotten stench. She could see the black smoke coming their way. This is it... It's finally happening ... at least Edan and Donovan will make it.

Clouds covered the sky, turning everything dark. Gaia looked at her best friend standing right next to her, just like she had through all her hard times. The sister she found, the crazy and most lovable person she'd ever met. Gaia knew she needed to be there since it was her mission to accept all the powers of nature and become Nature itself. Priyam didn't, yet she was, strong as ever, holding her ground. Gaia squeezed Priyam's hand. "Please, don't die," she whispered to Priyam.

"Same goes to you," Priyam smiled.

A loud growl echoed through the forest. Veter pulled Shui by the arm, "I need you to get out of here," he begged. "Take Gaia and run away."

"No, I'm staying here."

"They are too many and I can't fight with you here. I need to protect Gaia."

"We both do!"

"You don't understand." Veter pulled her closer to him. "If it comes to having to choose who to protect, I will always choose you."

Shui curled her arm around Veter's neck and pulled him closer to her. She stood on tiptoes and kissed him for the first time. "I would never leave my match to fight alone."

Veter let go a deep breath. He then pulled Shui back and kissed her deeply. "Took you fourteen years to say it." He smiled as the dark beasts arrived.

The first wave of monsters were Trackers. Small and malicious, always knowing how to find their pray before the others. Willow wielded the rocks and smashed them against one of the Trackers. Pink and Floyd jumped into the middle of the pack and, with crazy skillful movements, they killed most of the Trackers with their blades and guns.

The second wave were Crawlers of all different sizes. They came and attacked everything that moved in their way, be it one of The Six or even a Tracker.

Priyam pointed her gun to the fight and closed her eyes. "Don't hit a friend, don't hit a friend," she chanted and shot. A loud cry was heard and Priyam opened her eyes to see she shot the Tracker Pink was fighting with.

"Not too shabby!" Pink laughed at the lucky shot. "Just don't close your bloody eyes next time."

Full of adrenaline, Priyam turned and saw a Crawler who appeared a few feet from her. She shot its tail, but the Crawler kept moving, only this time it was furious. The Crawler jumped to kill Priyam when a wall of fire grew in front of her and wrapped itself around the dark monster burning it. Priyam smiled at Gaia who had her hand on the ground covered in flames.

"Priy, I told you not to die! Go with Hunter!" she ordered and fought the flailing Crawler.

Gaia kept her eyes on Priyam to make sure she arrived to Hunter safely. She was distracted when a huge tail hit her from the back. Gaia fell to her knees and crept backwards while the Crawler who hit her lifted his tail to pierce her in half.

Gaia lifted her hand to defend herself but before she could attack, the beast burned to ashes in a wave of blue fire.

"Pay attention!" Edan ran across the ashes and lifted Gaia to her feet.

With Edan and Donovan there, the fight seemed to balance up. Edan stayed close to Gaia, moving effortlessly as he killed every creature in front of him.

SMASH! A Crawler jumped in front of the group. Willow wielded the trees, crashing the Crawler and everything around it.

With Edan's help, Gaia burned a Tracker alive. She saw Donovan surrounded by ferocious forest animals who fought against a Crawler heading towards Priyam.

On the far end of the battle, Hunter defended Synthia and Priyam by swinging, jumping and attacking like a wild monkey, killing two beasts with his knife.

Veter and Shui combined both of their elements to freeze and drown the beasts, while the twins looked like they were having a blast using their entire arsenal.

The third and final wave were eight Skuggors and four Draaks. Craving to kill, the feared beasts arrived into the battle zone and the group knew they were done. With effort they would be able to kill the Skuggors, but not the Draaks.

Edan grabbed Gaia by the arm and pushed her towards Veter. "Take her and the rest and get the hell out of here."

"That's crazy. You won't be able to do this alone, Kapetan; there are too many."

"I know, but it will give you time to run."

Gaia understood what Edan meant, he wanted to stay and serve as a decoy so they could sneak out of there in time. She pushed Veter's hand away and grabbed Edan. "No! No way, you have to come with us."

He held her by the cheeks. "I already taught you fire, you don't need me anymore."

Gaia pushed Edan away and slapped him in the face. "Don't you-" All of the sudden, Gaia felt sick to her stomach. She felt everything that she loved in the world was dying and there was nothing else she could do. She felt powerless and full of hate. A cold chill made its way down her spine, she turned around and she saw them. Two light blue eyes viciously staring at her, so light they almost seemed white. The tree next to the man with the light blue eyes rotted, the black lines of symbols he had peeking from the neck of his shirt to the corner of his left eyebrow turned red crimson and she knew, it was Him. "Azazel," she whispered.

There was a fierce battle raging around him, and yet he seemed unaffected by it. As he moved towards Gaia's direction, she managed to take a better look at him. Azazel's face was paler than most people; sharp features, a long thin nose and black hair combed back in a small ponytail with the exception of a few strands which danced around his face with every step he took.

Without being detected by the others, and still staring at Gaia, Azazel walked through the forest. What is he doing? Shouldn't he be attacking me? Gaia followed his trajectory and found what was near him... it was Priyam. "No!!!" she screamed and Azazel smiled at her discovery.

Without thinking twice, Gaia pushed Edan away and ran across the field in order to reach Priyam in time. The fear of losing her best friend suffocated Gaia in a way that was making her dizzy. _STOP IT!_ she thought and pushed her fear away. She gasped for air and tried not to pass out as she ran towards her friend. "Priy!" she yelled. "Run!!" But Priyam couldn't hear her.

"Gaia!" Edan shouted from a distance, not yet aware of Azazel's presence. "Stop! What the hell are you doing?" He tried to follow Gaia but a Skuggor attacked him.

Out of the smoke, a Tracker launched on top of Gaia, causing her to fall backwards. "Argg!" she cried out with pain after the Tracker swatted her chest and scratched her shoulder. She grabbed the beast by the head and pushed as hard as she could to prevent it from killing her. Pinned down and covered in her own blood, Gaia watched as Azazel called Priyam and she followed without a fight. "No!"

Hunter and Synthia noticed him. Synthia immediately ran away but, Hunter jumped to save Priyam. Before they could go far, Azazel lifted his hand and they both fell to the ground unconscious. Terrified, Gaia, still holding the Tracker's head inches away from hers, turned her hands on fire, instantly killing the Tracker. She scrambled to her feet and ran towards Priyam who was now taking out the dagger that Floyd gave her.

At first Gaia thought that Priyam was going to try to stab Azazel, but then her world froze. She saw Azazel whispering some words making Priyam turn the dagger and stab herself. "No!"

Edan finished killing the Skuggor and ran behind Gaia when he finally noticed Azazel. "Gaia..."

Gaia came to a sliding stop in front of Priyam, taking her dying friend in her arms while Azazel looked at her with contempt. "I'm going to kill you!" she hissed at Azazel, who replied with a sinister smile.

Azazel lifted his hand, but before he could harm anyone, a whip of blue fire wrapped around his wrist. "Don't you dare to touch her." screamed Edan as he wield the blue whip.

Azazel shook his hand making the fire disappear.

"Edan, take the others," Gaia ordered him. Her body turned into flames and shook uncontrollably. She wanted to kill Azazel. She wanted to kill everything around her just like he did to Priyam. She hugged Priyam closer to her chest and instead of burning her, the flames covered Priyam's body too.

Edan watched as Gaia's red hair began to wave and turn into hot flames. Her clothes, her skin and the air around her were immediately covered by the fire and created a circle that grew brighter in color. "Take them, now!"

Edan ran towards Hunter and Synthia's unconscious bodies, carrying them both. "Veter, get the rest!"

Veter looked at Gaia, the fireball around her was expanding. All the beasts ran away. "Mother of all, a supernova," he gasped and signaled everyone to run towards him. Once everyone was together, Veter punched the ground and a thick bubble of air grew around them. "Hurry," Edan screamed.

As fast as possible, Willow wielded the trees around them, making a hard shell surrounding the air bubble, then Edan covered the tree's shell with a wall of blue lava and Shui used water to harden it. "Hold still," Edan said, hugging Hunter.

The fireball around Gaia reached its boiling point and within seconds, it got sucked back at her. Once the ball returned to Gaia's body, it expanded into a massive explosion incinerating everything around it. The Skuggors, the Trackers and all the beasts within the explosion became dust and ashes; so did the cabin, the

rocks, the trees and anything in its way.

# Chapter 25

Dawning Of Spring

THE TICKING CLOCK ECHOED IN GAIA'S HEAD. Nausea, pain, and the sense of loss drowned her. She wanted to cry. She wanted to explode everything around. Mostly, she wanted to wake up from this nightmare. The pain from the scratch on her shoulder was the only thing reminding her that everything that had happened last night was real.

Even though her body felt like breaking, Gaia didn't want to move. If she moved it would mean she was awake. She was in no hurry to face reality.

She squinted her eyes as she continued reliving the feeling of her best friend's cold body lying lifeless in her arms. After all those years together, after all the things they'd been through, Priyam was gone.

She would never hear her complain about Bobby's name, she would never find cookies and junk food hidden all over her room... she would never see her. "Priy," Gaia cried out loud.

"What's up?" said a voice that strongly resembled Priyam's.

Not believing it, Gaia sat up in a flash and stared at her best friend eating chocolate on the end of her bed. "Priyam!" Despite the pain on her shoulder, Gaia hugged Priyam as she cried. Full of stress and adrenaline, Gaia punched Priyam's arm. "What is wrong with you?!"

"Ouch! What is wrong with YOU?" Priyam laughed and hugged her friend. "I'm hurt over here."

"I thought you were dead," Gaia sobbed against Priyam's chest.

"Relax, relax," she patted her hair. "I'm not dead."

"How? I saw you stabbing yourself."

"I did, how crazy is that? Luckily, that morning I practiced swords with Floyd, he gave me a vest to prevent me from hurting myself. Never thought it would be that useful."

"Right on." said Floyd across the frame door. "Those turtlenecks work like a charm."

"When I stabbed myself, the vest prevented the blade from going as deep as it would have."

Gaia remembered the sight of Priyam stabbing herself and her stomach hurled so much she almost puked. Vest or no vest, that was something Gaia wasn't the slightest bit interested in witnessing again. "You are forbidden from going into battle ever again." She cuddled around a pillow flinching at the touch of her wounded shoulder. "How are the rest?"

"Do you want to go out and see them?"

"Yes." Gaia swung her legs around the bed when Edan entered the room.

"I don't know if you should get up. You need to rest."

Gaia smiled at his comment. This was officially the first time his annoying commands and rules made her feel like everything was going to be alright. "Good to see you are ok."

"Good to see you are. Running towards Him? What the hell were you thinking?!"

Gaia stood up and Priyam lent her a hand. "Do I detect a little worry on your part?"

Edan caressed Gaia's cheek. Her skin shivered with soft tickles. "No. I wasn't worried. I was terrified."

Nervous by how Edan was looking at her, Gaia's knees gave in. Edan moved fast and caught her mid-air. "Here, I'll help." He leaned down so she could use her healthy arm to hold herself up against his shoulder.

"I don't want to let go of Priy."

"She's right there. We can't have two wounded people carrying each other."

Happily, Priyam opened her arms to Floyd and tilted her head smiling. "Floyd, can you help?"

"Absolutely."

Edan and Floyd escorted the wounded friends outside. Gaia took a look around and didn't recognize a thing. The place was wide open, no trees or mountains or anything around them.

In the middle of the field, there were a bunch of wooden rooms with weapons and crystals hanging from each one of them, a big dining table and a bunch of logs that were being used as seats.

"Moja Princeza!" Veter stood up from the log, hugged Gaia and cried.

"I'm fine, Veter," she said trying to calm him down. "I saw a little of your bubble before losing it, so thanks for taking care of the others."

"We all did our part." He wiped away his man-tears and grinned at Gaia with pride and admiration. "You were very powerful back there."

"You were insane, little lady," cheered Donovan.

"Thank you for saving us." Shui gave Gaia a hug and sat next to Veter holding his hand.

Willow made the grass around her grow taller. "You did alright," she said trying not to sound grateful. Hunter stood in front of Gaia, not knowing if it was acceptable for him to hug her like the others did.

"Glad to see you are ok. You gave me a big scare." Hunter signaled her.

Smiling, Gaia pulled him close and hugged him. The last time Gaia saw Hunter was when her body was surrounded by the fireball and Edan was carrying him towards Veter. "By the way, what was that mega blast?"

"It's called a supernova." Edan helped her sit down on a trunk. "After Mother Nature masters an element she can create anything with it. The supernova is the strongest thing that requires fire."

"We're lucky you didn't blow half of the planet up," laughed Donovan.

Gaia looked around, everyone she loved was there. They had cuts, bandages and bruises, but they all were alive. A few tears ran down her cheek, she made no effort to dry them since they were tears of happiness. For one moment she thought she had lost it all and now everything was perfect. "Where are Synthia and Pink?" Gaia asked, not seeing them in the group.

"Pink is taking care of Synthia," said Shui. "Synthia isn't handling what happened very well."

"It's to be expected." Edan placed a warm blanket on Gaia's shoulders. It's not like it was cold but for some reason he needed to feel she was protected. "She always treated the camp as a spa. I don't think she ever quite understood what was going on, not until yesterday."

"Edan..." Afraid of bringing up the topic, Gaia whispered lower than usual. "What happened with Azazel?"

"He left." Edan lifted his arms in shock after seeing that Gaia had laid down on the trunk placing her head in his lap. Any other day, she wouldn't dare to do that, but after surviving that fight, worrying about what Edan would think about her using his legs as a pillow seemed stupid. "I don't know when he escaped, but he's very much alive."

"Why did Priyam follow him and stab herself?"

"Because Azazel is a Domino." Wanting to make her feel better, Edan lowered his hands and played with Gaia's hair. Getting tired of the show, Willow took her bag of seeds, stood up and left to go to her room. "He uses his element to control people's wills."

"I didn't know that was possible," she whispered against his hand.

"There are lots of things you still need to learn." He caressed Gaia's forehead. She wondered if he was aware of what he was doing.

Gaia closed her eyes and thought of the battle, how Azazel stood in front of her and yet did nothing. She remembered how she felt anger and hate towards Him but sitting there, calm and less worried about Priyam dying, she realized that of all the things she felt that night, she never felt threatened. I should have, after all, He was there to kill me. "Edan... Why didn't he kill me? I was right there and he just... stared at me."

There was a long silence. The Six remained quiet, looking at Edan as if they were searching for his permission. "I don't know," he finally said.

"Princeza! It started," Veter said pointing at the view.

"What started?"

"Spring, Princeza. Spring."

Gaia lifted her head from Edan's lap and saw them: dozens of colorful flowers growing from the grass and the trees. She stood up with Hunter's help and walked towards the small flowers. The air smelled fresh with a hint of perfume. There were more birds than usual and the sky seemed brighter. It was then that she saw it, a beautiful marigold flower blooming in the middle of the field. Pratt... She smiled knowing he survived the blast.

Donovan sat down next to Edan. "You need to tell her about Him," he whispered.

"No." He stared at Gaia playing alongside Veter, Hunter and Priyam with some flowers. "Not yet."

"What are we going to do now?" Gaia asked Edan, oblivious to his previous talk with Donovan.

"Earth isn't safe anymore. As soon as your shoulder and Priyam's wound get better, we will set way towards Terra."

"Terra?" Priyam got excited. "What does it look like?"

"We don't know. It's been almost twelve years since we left." Shui smiled. "But what we do remember was beautiful."

Terra... Gaia thought and was hit by a warm, strong and overpowering sensation.

Suddenly, a strong current of wind hit Gaia, making her hair float around her face. "Veter? What are you doing?"

"It's not me, Princeza" he said with a bright smile.

The wind surrounded Gaia and she began to levitate from the floor. Different types of flowers and petals flew around her, slowly, like dancing. "What is happening?"

"Don't be afraid," said Edan. "It's your Eighteenth Spring."

A sensation of peace and pure comfort invaded Gaia. She felt how all the pain on her muscles and cuts slipped away, how the bright sun made her skin feel warm but the fresh breeze cooled her down, like it happens on a perfect day on the beach. The feeling was incredible.

A few animals arrived at the scene, paying their respects to their future queen. Small balls of light came out of the grass, the trees, plants and the flowers. The small balls of light floated to the sky making it look like they were all surrounded by stars.

Priyam touched one of the balls of light and it dissolved around her finger. "They are so warm. It's beautiful!"

As the balls flew higher and higher, Gaia's bright red hair lifted up on the air and a golden Triskele mark appeared on the back of her neck.

The mark of the queen, the beginning of the journey to her Resurgence.

Gently, Gaia's body returned to the ground and her hair fell like a waterfall on her shoulders. Priyam and the rest ran towards Gaia.

Shui was the first to hug her. "Happy birthday, Gaia."

Priyam cut in, "How about that, you little Goku! Celebrating your real birthday for the first time." Priyam hugged her best friend. "I wish I could fly around shiny stuff on my birthday too."

"That was rad," Floyd cheered next to Gaia.

"Princeza!" Two big arms lifted Gaia from the ground into a big bear hug. "I'm so proud of you," smiled Veter.

"There, there, papa bear," Donovan patted Veter's back and everyone laughed.

Excited and in company of everyone she loved, Gaia turned around and saw Edan's smiling face. 'Happy birthday, Red' he mouthed and Gaia smiled back.

It was March twenty-first and she knew she needed to hold on for twelve more months to be able to survive. Not just for her, but all the ones she loved and for that, she was willing to do anything in her power to ensure their safety. She had mastered fire and earth had already come out. She'd just turned her Eighteen Spring and received the mark of the queen. In no time, she would be ready to defend her friends, her family, her world.

After all, she was Mother Nature.

* * *

Back at the second camp, Azazel stood on the edge of the huge crater Gaia made with her supernova. He looked around and everything in his eye's reach was burnt and dead. "My king... I was only able to find one surviving Draak, the rest of the creatures died in the blast," said Jinn.

"Good," Azazel hissed.

Jinn couldn't understand why his king appeared to be pleased with the results after such a major loss.

"She's getting stronger than I thought she would," Azazel leered at the field of ashes, his teeth showing underneath his thin curled lips. "Such anger, such power."

"Should we do something about it?" asked Jinn.

"We've already done our part." He took Molly's Lalaloopsy doll and placed it on top of a burnt tree, which was already bursting with new green plants growing from the ashes. "Now, we'll let Nature take its course."

# Acknowledgements

Thank you God for giving me the need to write and for creating such a beautiful place for us to live in...and eat French fries.

Also, thanks to: my absolutely crazy/lovable family for being there with me, in the good times, the stressful times, on the "what on earth I am doing?!" times and for under-standing when I'm in my hermit/writing mode. I love you beyond words.

A mi yaya, por ayudarme a realizar este proyecto. Muchisimas gracias!

To Donovan, for your beautiful designs on the tribal symbols and the necklace. To Nora Poshky, Mayra Dean, Ale Ru, Lorena, and Meryl, I'm so grateful for your friendship. I love all of you... and your strange personalities (after all, you give me lots to write about - cheers!)

To my badass Beta Readers, Pao Pavón, Ignacio Villalobos (Tid), and Daniel Wilmot, this book would've been completely different and empty without your notes, your 29 What's App voice messages, your incredible suggestions and amazing comments.

To Adriana González Marquez, my other writing half and partner of coffee break time, your books are an inspiration to follow, thanks for all your support and flow of ideas.

Priyamvada Singh, my crazy source of magic, thanks for lending me your name and random personality, Priyam is by far my favorite character on this book, just like you are on my daily life.

To Joanna Haber – unbelievable artist that turned my terrible drawings and erratic ideas into a masterpiece, and Ibet Sakoda – talented designer that turned the perfect drawing into a gorgeous cover. Thank you both for making my book look so beautiful.

# Giveaways!

Thank you so much for reading Seasons Within!

For a FREE illustrated booklet of Terra's Guidebook, go to my website and download the file.

<http://www.leleiturrioz.com/goodies-giveaway>

T he illustrated booklet contains:

*Terra's Rules

*Terra's Past

*The Five Cities

*The Main Characters

*The Beasts

And other information!

Go to my website and get some BONUS scenes from SPRING (book #2 of SW), Summer (book #3 of SW), and some other giveaways.

About The Author

Lele loved reading books and imagining real

people transforming into characters with

great powers.

When she turned twenty, Lele studied Cinematography and Animation and began to work as a producer for Kraftlogic Studios. A year later, Lele had her fourth heart attack and Pacemaker Surgery.

Maybe it was the morphine... or the SUPERNATURAL marathon, but she saw her attack as a " _You might want to start living your dreams_ " sign, so she opened her bucket list and BOOM! There it was, **#1 Write.**

And so she did. With the love and support of her family, Lele moved from her hometown in Mexico to LA where she interned for Dino De Laurentiis Company at Universal Studios and studied Screenwriting at the New York Film Academy. There, she met talented and incredible artists of all kinds and slowly started drifting towards her first love...books.

A few years later, Lele moved to Canada where she began to write her first series award-winning and best-selling series, SEASONS WITHIN.

Lele moved back to Aguascalientes, Mexico to be near her family. She spends most of her time writing, thinking about writing, drinking insane amounts of coffee with a fellow writer, eating delicious Mexican food, rock climbing, hanging out with her loved ones and practicing MMA.

