I was eight years old, and already I hated the water.

  It wasn’t that I couldn’t swim—I could. The guardians had made sure of that. But every time my feet left the ground and touched the cold, slippery pull of the ocean, all I could think about was how I wasn’t supposed to be there. I was built for the sky, not the water. My wings didn’t belong here.

  “Come on, Zoe!” Bay called from the middle of the lake, her voice echoing across the surface. “It’s not even that deep!”

  I stood ankle-deep at the edge, wings pulled in tight, arms crossed, and stomach twisting. Bay, three years older than me, always seemed fearless—confident and strong, like the water itself listened to her.

  She swam closer, her silver-blue eyes sparkling. “You’re not going to melt. Just try it. I promise I won’t let you sink.”

  “I don’t like it,” I muttered. “My wings feel weird when they’re wet.”

  Bay floated onto her back effortlessly, her long dark hair fanning out behind her. “That’s because you’re not used to it. You’ve gotta give them a chance to stretch in a different way.”

  I took a step forward, the cold climbing my legs, then another. A splash and a wave. Suddenly, I slipped. My wings caught the drag of the water and pulled me under faster than I expected. I flailed, disoriented, panic rising like the water in my lungs.

  Then strong arms wrapped around me.

  I broke the surface, coughing and gasping as Bay hauled me to shore.

  “Hey, hey—breathe,” she said, pulling me to sit beside her. I was shivering, wet, and more embarrassed than anything. My feathers clung uselessly to my back.

  “I told you I hated it,” I said miserably.

  Bay just laughed gently and reached out toward the water. With a wave of her hand, it rose like a curtain, swirling and twisting into gentle shapes. Glowing fish made of liquid light danced in the air. Ribbons of water flowed between her fingers, alive with her emotions.

  “It listens to me,” she said, watching the display with soft eyes. “And when I listen back, it calms me down. Makes the fear feel… smaller.”

  I looked at the water again, not with hatred—but wonder.

  She nudged my shoulder. “You don’t have to love it, you know. But it doesn’t have to scare you either.”

  That night, I fell asleep with damp feathers and a strange sense of awe. I didn’t love the water. But I understood Bay a little more.

  And I trusted her completely.

  The hotel room was dim, the curtains drawn tight to block out the morning light. Helena was still sleeping soundly in the other bed, her breaths even and steady. I sat up, legs crossed, and stared at the peeling wallpaper across from me.

  Thalos had contacted me while I was awake.

  So maybe I didn’t need sleep to reach the others.

  I closed my eyes and focused, heart beating fast as I summoned the memory of Bay—her strength, her calm, the water dancing around her hands like it was part of her. I held onto that feeling, the trust, the connection.

  And then, I felt it.

  Not like a jolt or a vision—just a slow pull, like I was slipping into another space without ever leaving the room.

  Bay appeared before me. She looked older, sharper, her long dark hair braided over one shoulder. Her silver-blue eyes locked onto mine.

  “Zoe?” she asked, confused.

  “It’s me,” I said quickly. “I’m not really there. This is… something new. I’m reaching out to you telepathically.”

  Bay took a slow breath, nodding. Her voice was cautious, tinged with concern. “Okay… what’s going on?”

  Her eyes searched mine, and I could tell she sensed something was wrong even before I spoke. It hit me then how much older she looked—not just in years, but in weariness. We’d all grown up, and none of us had done it easily.

  I hesitated, my chest tightening as the words formed. How was I supposed to say this? How do you tell someone their only anchor to the past—the only adult who truly knew them—is gone?

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  “Guardian Thalos is dead.” My voice cracked, and I couldn’t stop it. Saying it out loud made it more real. “He was killed by something powerful. Helena and I found his body. It was too late.”

  Bay’s face went still. Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came. The shimmer in her eyes deepened, and she looked away for a second, like she was trying to hold herself together. When she looked back at me, her voice was lower. “Are you okay?”

  I almost laughed at the question. Of course I wasn’t okay. None of us would be.

  “No,” I said honestly. “But we’re moving forward anyway.””

  Bay’s expression darkened instantly. “What?”

  I took a trembling breath, blinking back tears. “We’re going to gather everyone,” I continued, pushing through the lump in my throat. “Where are you and Phoenix?”

  “We’re on the Oregon coast. Small town. Quiet,” she said. “We’ve been laying low.”

  “Good,” I said. “Helena and I are coming to you next. Something bad is coming for us. We need everyone.”

  Bay gave a single, serious nod. “We’ll be ready. And Zoe…” She paused, her voice softening. “Thanks for coming to me. It’s good to see your face again, even like this.”

  A lump formed in my throat again. “It’s good to see you too.”

  She gave me a small, sad smile. “Be careful. Both of you.”

  The connection faded gently, like fog lifting from the edges of my mind, and I blinked as the hotel room slowly came back into focus.

  Helena blinked slowly, frowning. “Zoe… you were just sitting there, staring at the wall. For ten minutes. You didn’t move. It was kind of freaky.”

  “I know,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “It’s something new. When Thalos contacted me, I was awake. I think I can reach the others like that—almost like I’m stepping into their minds. I don’t really understand it yet, but it works.”

  Helena nodded slowly, then tilted her head. “Who were you talking to?”

  I nodded, my throat still tight from the conversation. “I contacted Bay. And before her, I reached Xandor.”

  Helena straightened slightly, her tired eyes sharpening with interest. “What did they say?”

  “Xandor and Peter are in Florida. They’ve been in contact with Hector and Damian, who are up in Boston. Bay and Phoenix are on the Oregon coast.” I paused, letting it all sink in. “We’re scattered, but we’re alive. And they’re ready.”

  I continued explaining, brushing my hair out of my face. “We are going to Oregon next to meet up with Bay and Nix. Xandor and Peter will head to Boston to connect with Hector and Damian. Once everyone’s together, we’ll all meet where the twins are.”

  Helena raised an eyebrow. “And where exactly are the twins?”

  I gave her a sheepish shrug. “I still need to reach out to them.”

  She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get to it, mind-walker.”

  I took a deep breath and closed my eyes again, letting Helena’s teasing fade into the background. I focused on Ella—her laugh, the energy she radiated, her light. I tried to recall the way she used to shine, how her golden presence could warm up an entire room.

  The shift happened faster this time. That gentle pull returned, and I let it guide me.

  Suddenly, I was standing in a dim room, faint rays of sunlight filtering through dusty windows. Across the space, Ella turned and looked at me, her expression morphing from confusion to cautious recognition.

  “Zoe?” she asked, stepping closer. “Is that really you?”

  “It’s me,” I said, smiling despite the heaviness in my chest. “I’m reaching out—telepathically.”

  She looked around, trying to understand. “You’re not really here, are you?”

  “No. I’m still at the hotel. But I had to contact you.”

  Her brow furrowed. “What’s going on? Do you know where the others are?”

  I opened my mouth to explain, but something in the air made me falter. There was a strange feeling—like static just beneath the surface of this space. Something felt… off. But I brushed it away. Probably the distance. Or my exhaustion. I pushed forward.

  “Thalos is gone,” I said quietly. “He’s dead. He was attacked. Helena and I found him.”

  Ella’s face fell, all the light draining from her features. “No…” she breathed.

  “I’m so sorry, Ella.”

  She took a shaky breath, blinking fast. “Where is everyone? Are they safe?”

  I nodded slowly, though I could feel the edges of my focus fraying. “Everyone else is safe. And we’re all coming to you.”

  Even as I said it, my limbs felt heavier, my mind sluggish. I couldn’t keep this up for much longer. I’d reached out to too many in too short a time. My abilities were stretching thin, like a thread pulled taut and ready to snap.

  I glanced again at Ella, taking in the sight of her now. She had grown, her dark brown hair cascading over her shoulders in waves, glowing faintly like she carried sunlight in her veins. Her sun-kissed skin was dusted with faint freckles across her nose, and her eyes still held that fire I remembered—soft but fierce, like embers ready to ignite. Even in the dim light of wherever she was, she looked like a beacon.

  I wanted to stay, to say more, but the mental strain tugged harder, threatening to pull me under.

  She looked down, her jaw tight. “And me and Leander, what should we do?”

  “That’s why I reached out,” I said. “Where are you?”

  “We’re in northern Texas. Tiny town, middle of nowhere. No one’s noticed us.”

  “Good,” I said. “Stay there. We’re coming to you last. Once we’re all together, we’ll figure out what to do.”

  She nodded slowly. “Okay. Just… be safe, Zoe.”

  “You too,” I whispered, the connection already starting to pull away. I could feel myself drifting.

  She reached out as if to stop me, but I was already gone.

  Back in the hotel room, I opened my eyes and exhaled shakily. My chest felt tight, like I’d just run a mile.

  Helena was watching me, waiting.

  “Texas,” I said. “They’re in Texas.”

  Helena nodded, her brow furrowed with thought. “Then in the morning, we head for Oregon. We need to get to Bay and Phoenix first.”

  I nodded, grateful for the clarity. My whole body ached with fatigue.

  “But right now,” she added gently, “we both need rest.”

  I let out a long yawn, stretching my arms over my head. “Agreed,” I murmured, already crawling back under the covers.

  As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out. Sleep wrapped around me instantly, and with it came a flood of dreams—half-formed visions of the people I loved.

  I saw flashes of Helena’s red hair whipping in the wind as she ran beside me, the shimmer of Bay’s power rising from ocean waves, Xandor’s grin lit by starlight. I saw Peter’s steady focus, Damian’s quiet loyalty, Hector’s protective stance. In all of them, I felt urgency—movement, danger, uncertainty.

  The dreams weren’t linear, just moments and impressions. A city skyline. A rising tide. Shadows moving through firelight.

  Even in sleep, my mind couldn’t let go of what lay ahead.