I woke to the cool wind on my face and a warm heat source on my back.

  Maryanne: That was a trip!

  Strength: Yeah it was!

  Mark: Let’s not do that again.

  Jessica: Yes! We should!

  Roy: Shouldn’t someone check on the dude?

  Jack: The subconscious is in an uproar! We’re lucky we’re still six!

  I shook my head and used my arms and knees to prop myself up and crawl forward. The hand on my back slid off, and I remembered Jonah. I propped myself on my knees, and looked back. His face was cut up. I followed a drop of blood down his cheek. His arms were just as cut up. In fact, his robes were more like rags now. Good thing we had spares. I looked at myself and blushed. My dress was hanging on me by a few threads. I decided to heal Jonah and change. We would be having a long talk about being slightly drained! I felt empty. Could I even heal him? I had to try. I managed to summon some healing power and heal his worst wounds. Maybe he didn’t know that would happen?

  Maryanne: Maybe he didn't, he still should have warned us of what an anchor does.

  Strength: Yeah, if he had the decency!

  Mark: I agree

  Jessica: Dude did fail to tell us that could happen

  Roy: He could have hurt us

  Jack: I don’t think that was his intention. Why don’t we ask him when he wakes?

  Good idea Jack. I would be asking him about that debacle as soon as I changed and he woke.

  It took another hour before Jonah began to stir. He groaned and slowly cracked his rainbow eyes open, He shuddered and rolled over retching. Black sludge fell from his lips, and as it did, his eyes dimmed back till they were silver-gray and green once more. I walked over and patted him on the back as he got rid of the vile stuff. He wiped his chin with his ruined robes and sat back. He gripped his chest. He glanced at me with a worried look in his eyes. Maybe he truly didn’t mean for that to happen.

  “Are you ok,” he asked.

  “I should knock you into next week. What was that?” I screamed.

  “I didn’t think that your matrix was so strong as to lead the spell. That’s what it did. Instead of just anchoring me, your magic fought off the black magic and cleansed me. You became the focus of the spell. I’m sorry. Like I said I had no idea your matrix was that strong beforehand. I knew it was solid and pretty strong but I had no idea it would become the focus,” he said somewhat amazed.

  I crossed my arms and hmmfed. “You’re not kidding me? You really didn’t know that would happen?” I asked suspiciously.

  “No, I didn’t know. I should have anticipated it but I didn’t and I’m sorry. Are you alright?”

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  “I’ll be fine with some rest. Hope we don’t have to fight,” I muttered, uncrossing my arms. “You might want to change though. The spell did a number on your robe. I’m amazed you haven’t noticed the back breeze.”

  “I wear pants although those probably didn’t fare well either did they?”

  I shook my head, smirking. “You’re wearing the punk version of fashion around here,” I said.

  “Is it that bad?”

  “You would be seriously scolded by my mom. A few holes are fine. Looking like you lost a fight with a paper shredder is not.”

  “This was your magic’s fault”

  “Hey, don’t blame the messenger,” I said.

  He smirked and slowly got up, shuddering slightly.

  I placed my hand against his arm. “Are you ok?” I asked and he nodded.

  “Yeah,” he muttered, stumbling slightly. I caught him and he blushed slightly.

  “Thanks.”

  “Mmhm,” I said, leading him toward the fire pit. I lit the fire and sat him down beside it before pulling the big pot out. “Since you can’t hunt we’ll be having soup that the oracle made. She said to keep it stored til we needed it. Well, we need it,” I muttered, taking a red silk and chanting. A space pocket opened. It was cold in there! How did she do that? I remembered her ability to twist dimensions. That would be handy right now. I could just bend the dimensions and get us home. I took the soup and threw it in the pot to cook. I glanced at Jonah who looked sleepy.

  “Ah ah! Eat first. Or I’ll feed you,” I muttered, while stirring the food.

  “What are you going to do? Arriana isn’t around and I threw up again,” he said, yawning. He swayed where he sat. Good thing the soup was ready. I poured it into a large bowl and stuck a spork in it. “Here, Eat, then you can rest,” I said.

  He glanced at the food, picking up the spork and spooning some soup into his mouth.

  “Happy,” he muttered, swallowing and choking on the soup.

  “Very,” I replied and ate my portion of soup. We ate in silence. A few seconds later I realized he was asleep. I smiled and brought out the blankets and wrapped them around his sleeping form. I picked up his empty bowl and doused the fire. Then I brought out my blankets and slept beside him. It was a quiet night and even my voices were silent for once, letting me sleep.

  We trekked past a lake and stopped to clean ourselves. Jonah could hear a village close by. As the days passed some abilities came back. His hearing and shadow abilities were the most prominent but unlike before they were his abilities now. He could become a shadow for a shorter period so when he used it he was usually running. We had evaded another patrol of fire brigade soldiers. Those guys did not give up!

  Maryanne: The fire witch is a serious threat.

  Strength: Yeh, she is!

  Mark: We need to be careful.

  Jessica: I thought she was back in Saphiros?

  Roy: Not if her troops are still searching Sapherine for us.

  Jack: No one wonders how her troops know we are going this way?

  Maryanne: Good question.

  Strength: You don’t think?

  Mark: I’m thinking we might have been double-crossed.

  Jessica: No way!

  Roy: The oracle wouldn’t!

  Jack: Or would she? She knows about everything. Why not offer us a way home right away instead of leading us on this wild goose chase? Jonah heard her talking to someone and defer to him. She deferred to someone. She’s under management and who do we know has the ability to hire oracles?

  Mark: The council.

  Jack: Exactly

  I listened to Jack. He made sense but the oracle had been nothing but kind to us. Why would she betray us halfway? I wouldn’t believe it until I was truly double-crossed. Jonah seemed to be walking in his own world today, That was the second tree he almost walked into. I knew being around villages could be hard on his hearing but he seemed almost dazed.

  “Are you alright,” I asked.

  “Yeah. I heard something strange, that's all,” he said, rubbing his temples.

  I glanced at him. He seemed to be doing that lately. Did he have a headache? I asked and he chuckled, shaking his head.

  “It's almost like radio static,” he muttered. “I think I’m hearing voices, “ he said, chuckling and passing me as I came to a sudden stop. That spell didn’t transfer my illness, did it? I hoped not!

  “Myra? We’re almost there,” he said, smirking.

  I try to smirk. “Here we go,” I said instead.

  He nodded and straightened his back. “Yeah, ready?”

  I nodded and tried to act like a scared mouse, rounding out my shoulders and hunching forward. My eyes grew bigger and wetter as if someone killed my pet. It was like putting on dead skin or old skin that didn’t fit.

  “Yes, master,” I said.