I floated in the calm violet haze. Around us, space flew by. Stars and planets. I watched a planet remarkably like my Earth come into focus. We descended down, down, down, splashing into a lake’s bottom and slowly floating upwards. Halfway up, the shield popped and although I was ready for this, my body was not.

  The whoosh of hot to cold paralyzed my body for a few seconds. Water entered my open mouth and I choked. There was no air and my lungs began to burn. I began to panic. I felt something wrap around me and grab my hand. I glanced up and found Jonah making a move on my scarf.

  Of course, the water shield! I sluggishly moved my fingers up to the sign and tapped it. He immediately mimicked me but with glowing fingers. A bell-like shield, gelatinous in consistency, encircled us.

  I collapsed to my knees gagging. I took in big gulps of air. I could breathe again.

  Jonah held my quaking form, rubbing my back, as we slowly floated in the water. I coughed it all out of my lungs, calming myself.

  “Ready to try again?” he asked, brows furrowed and a frown starting to show on his face.

  I shook my head. “Give me a minute. That wasn’t…what I was expecting.”

  He nodded but held me closer. I sighed. I wouldn’t complain that was scary. Feeling water rushing down your esophagus instead of air. Feeling your lungs expand and hold nothing, it hurt and was far scarier than sharks could ever be.

  Worse though, was the fact that my water powers didn’t work. Maybe they didn’t work like that?

  I stood and nodded to him. This time, I took a deep breath and held it as the shield vanished. I floated for a minute before swinging my arms and kicking towards the surface that sparkled like diamonds from below.

  I was a good swimmer at least. Several bubbles escaped me as I swam for the surface as some fish brushed by me.

  I wasn’t an expert on fish but I knew there were no three-eyed fish on Earth at least not where we lived. I surfaced and drew a big breath, before gazing around me. The trees were a brilliant sapphire blue and the roots were as big as the trees but there were scorch marks on them.

  In fact, everything looked kind of dead.

  “Are we in the same place?” I muttered, treading water as Jonah sputtered to the surface.

  He took in the sight before us. The brittle trees, the flambeed ground, even the sight of what looked like misplaced land shifts. Dunes of mud appeared and seemed to disappear, in random places.

  “Things must have changed further than we thought,” he said, shaking water from his ears.

  “Come on. Let’s get dry at least.” He kicked up water as he swam past and I grinned.

  “You need swimming lessons.” I followed swift as a dolphin, surpassing him and reaching the shore first.

  Maryanne shook her head: He can’t swim, can he?

  Strength rolled his eyes: How did he make it up then?

  Mark sighed: His overinflated head floated him to the surface.

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  Jack shook his head: He isn’t so bad bro. He helped us breathe again.

  Mark: He took us to that portal!

  Strength: He didn’t know what would happen!

  Mark: I find that unusual since it is his element. He had to have some knowledge of what that portal was capable of!

  Maryanne: Maybe he did, but he didn’t know that the portal was going to destabilize at that moment.

  Jack: Give him a break, Mark.

  Mark was ticked off that we were here again and I couldn’t blame him, but Jonah was not to blame.

  He was here too and I’m pretty sure he didn’t want to be here again, at least not yet. I slowly waded out and tried to steam dry myself using my fire powers as would be usual for me six months ago.

  I neither heard Roy nor felt any drier and that worried me. Jonah was glaring at the sky. I hadn’t glanced at it and remembered that Hunter’s Night was measured by the sky. In a few hours, we could have hundreds of monsters on us in the pitch dark.

  I glanced up and sure enough, a shimmering was blocking the rays of the sun and the sun seemed to be shining weaker.

  “How long do we have?” I asked. Worried now that none of my powers were returning and we were about to be knees deep in Morgans. Anything? I asked my voices.

  Maryanne: Nothing.

  Strength: Nope.

  Mark: I feel empty.

  Jack: Bro, we are empty. Nope, here neither.

  Now, I really worried. All I had were runes and a sword I made with runes. I didn’t want to become a liability on this journey.

  Jonah glanced at me then at the sky. “Probably a few hours yet. My watch reads three thirty, skim that back two hours and it’s one thirty now,” he said, gazing at the scorch marks on the tree and touching the dead leaves. He surveyed the roots, which, looking closer, looked more fragile.

  “A battle was fought in these woods,” he said, poking at the dead leaf and placing a hand against a scorch mark. “These are battle marks and this frailness could only be done if an Earth elemental sucked out the life from the earth to battle another elemental. By the looks of things this was a big battle with th Fire brigade.”

  “Have the council really pushed their luck and angered the Kin or could this be the alliance? Remember we left them hundreds of hybrids before we were taken home,” I said.

  He shrugged. “We were gone awhile. Anything could be possible. We need to reach a village and figure things out,” he said.

  I nodded pointing to the sky. “Before that can of worms, preferably.”

  He smirked and nodded then frowned. “Any powers yet?”

  I froze. I wanted to lie but anyone could see the water falling from my hair to my shoulders or my slight trembling.

  Maryanne nodded. “Besides we don’t lie to good friends”

  Strength scoffed. “I remember doing some serious lyin’ six months ago”

  Mark huffed and whacked Strength with the encyclopedia he was always reading. “That was for our protection.”

  Jack hmmed. “It was still lying bro. Necessary, but an omission of the truth.”

  I shook my head. “None,” I sighed, raking a hand through my wet hair and biting my lip.

  He walked towards me and took my hand squeezing it. “Hey, it’s ok. We’ll find out what’s up and soon you’ll be blasting the council again. We’ll go to the oracle. She’s bound to know something,” he said.

  I sighed and nodded walking over to a large bush and watched as the leaves drifted down to the forest floor. Where it had once been a lush bush, all that remained was a frail framework of branches that couldn’t hold on to their leaves.

  I felt a strong wind blow my hair into disarray and watched as Jonah blow-dried himself before he turned to me smirking and crooked a finger.

  “That is cold, Jonah,” I muttered but approached. He hit me with a breeze that almost knocked me to the ground and laughed.

  “Hey, stop bullying me!” I growled and he chuckled, letting his wind wrap around me til I was the center of the storm. I shivered and crossed my arms watching as my skin pebbled into goosebumps.

  The wind leaked into my clothes and blow-dried them. Soon they were dry and I was shaking from head to toe. My teeth were chattering.

  Maryanne: We’re going to catch our death of cold like this!

  Strength: Yeah! We need warmth fast!

  Mark: I concur

  Jack: Me too, bro!

  Jonah stopped smirking and gave me a worried glance before approaching and holding my hand.“Geezuz, you’re cold! Come here,” he said pressing me to him and rubbing my arms.

  I blushed but I burrowed into his chest as his body heat warmed me little by little. He picked me up and pressed me closer. I blushed deeper. “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Warming you,” he replied. “Better?”

  “I...yeah, thanks. Can you let me go now?” I whispered, twisting in his arms. He set me down and I put some space between us.

  I was the color of a cherry.

  I should be comfortable with him by now but I guess this new situation had thrown my thoughts and feelings in disarray once more. I felt useless.

  Maryanne: We aren’t useless!

  Strength: Yeah!

  Mark: We kinda are right now.

  Jack raised his hand and smacked Mark upside his head: Way to state the obvious!

  “Mark: Oww! Hey! It’s true and ya’ll know it!

  Maryanne huffed and crossed her legs: We’ll find the way. Just you wait!

  I hoped so right now I was a sitting duck in Sapherine.

  I cleared my throat. “We better find a village before Hunter’s Night is upon us. I can’t revert the Morgans without my powers.”

  “Yeah, let’s go,” he said, rubbing his neck and staring at the sky. Bright red splotches were evident on his face.

  Was he blushing too? I smirked. At least I wasn’t the only cherry, but what could he be embarrassed about? I began to walk across the river bank and deeper into the forest where I noticed healthier trees grew. They weren’t quite as brittle but still seemed less alive than before. He followed behind me and we settled into a companionable silence for a bit.