Maverick and Zephyr had teleported to us, unable to find the exit. I was starting to lose hope that there was an exit, but alas, we finally found it.

  I had to shield my eyes as we exited the cave, the midday sun blinding me, as the heat and humidity greeted me. We had wound up in a forest, the trees much shorter than the ones to the east, allowing adequate sunlight to peer through.

  “According to the map, the Falor Ghula should be just up ahead,” Zephyr explained.

  I couldn’t help but tense. We would be facing another version of the creature that had nearly killed me.

  How had my life come to this? One moment Matt and I were talking about our future, and the next, some egomaniac kidnaps me to another world and reveals I have magic. Then I go back to my world to prevent its destruction and somehow nearly get experimented on! Then everyone I’ve ever known and loved thinks I’ve gone clinically insane, and now I’m facing a giant magical creature that wants to kill me, all thanks to an empress with bad interior design!

  “Ella!”

  “What?” I snapped back, still wound up from my thoughts.

  Someone elbowed me to the side, and I realized I had nearly been licked by a rather large frog, emanating that same purple glow.

  I froze in place, my mouth sputtering. What a time to zone out. More large frogs and moderately sized birds came to attack us. I stood back watching the others fight.

  I’m so useless! I should be helping them fight! I’m an Ethereal for Pete’s sake! I could probably reach from here… But what if I miss and hit Aidan instead?! My magic is so unpredictable…

  Maybe if I just—

  Oh. Everything is dead. That makes things easier… I guess…

  “If you never take risks,” Finn wrapped his arm over my shoulder, “you’ll always regret it. Trust me, I’d know.”

  “You have me curious now.” I gently pushed his arm off me.

  “That’s a story for another time.” He smiled at me before increasing his pace to catch up with the others.

  The ether in the air pricked my skin. We were no doubt close to our target. I shivered, not knowing if it was due to the sudden chill in the air or my fear.

  It wasn’t long before we saw it—a giant deer-like creature covered in purple mist.

  “Haven’t we seen this before somewhere?” Marge asked, her arms crossed as she looked lost in thought.

  “Hm, I think we have,” Zephyr agreed. “The mural back at the village, correct?”

  “We’re not fighting the same creature Avaline fought hundreds of years ago…right?” I asked, also recalling the mural.

  “Honestly? Who even knows anymore.” Marge shook her head. “Lava waterfalls, rock storms, Aidan awakening one of the strongest Talents you can have? It wouldn’t surprise me if this thing was Avaline’s mother and she has an emotional attachment that prevents her from killing it!”

  “It would surprise me.” Maverick shrugged.

  A blast of light erupted above the creature’s head, momentarily blinding all of us.

  “Dammit,” Aidan mumbled. “Why didn’t that work?”

  “Because we need to weaken it first, idiot.” Maverick facepalmed.

  “W-well, the light should have weakened it.” Aidan crossed his arms.

  “You’re going to weaken it with light so that you can use…light?” Finn asked.

  “Shut up! It made more sense in my head.”

  “…It really didn’t.”

  The creature let out a loud screech before charging at us. I barely managed to dive out of the way in time. My lungs stung as my heart raced—my breaths coming out in heavy bursts. That was close… I glanced down at my hands, which were starting to ice over.

  “Ella!” Finn ran over to me, gently pushing me back as he stood defensively in front of me. “Maverick, can you create a shield or something for her?”

  “I could, but my magic is the strongest here. You three would be on your own to weaken this thing,” Maverick explained.

  “Three?” Finn raised an eyebrow.

  “Zephyr and Ella won’t fight, in case you forgot.”

  I didn’t miss his choice of words.

  Finn cursed some Meridian curse I didn’t understand under his breath. “Let’s kill this thing fast, then.”

  Maverick nodded before closing his eyes. Water poured down from the sky like a waterfall, carefully weaving between the trees and submerging the deer and partially us. I coughed, trying to get some of the water out of my lungs and nose. Ugh, I doubt anyone brought tissues.

  “Uh, why didn’t that work?” Marge’s voice was panicked. I wiped the water out of my eyes to see that the purple mist still remained.

  “I don’t understand. That should have worked.” Maverick blinked.

  The deer shrieked again, indicating it was going to charge. Finn harshly grabbed my wrist as the two of us soared up above the trees. I momentarily screamed when my legs lost their balance as they desperately tried to find solid ground. We floated in the air for a moment, and I could make out the others running out of the way, the monster barely smaller than the plush deer on my bed back home.

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  We slowly descended back onto the ground, the monster carefully eyeing us.

  “If you keep using your magic to do fancy tricks like that, you’ll run out of ether!” Maverick snapped.

  “Whatever it takes to protect Ella,” Finn replied. “You said it yourself, you’re too valuable to be used as a shield. So I’ll sacrifice my ether instead to protect Ella.”

  My heart sank into my stomach. “You don’t need to protect me!” I shouted back.

  “You don’t actually mean that.” Finn squeezed my hand.

  “Can you guys stop arguing who protects Ella? At this rate, there won’t be an Ella to protect!” Marge shouted back.

  A flash of light briefly appeared in front of the creature before fading out.

  “How many times do we have to tell you that that isn’t going to work?!” Maverick explained.

  “Well, your stupid water plan didn’t work either!” Aidan shouted back.

  “That doesn’t mean your light magic is going to randomly start working all of a sudden!”

  “Less fighting each other and more fighting that!” Marge frantically waved her arm around, pointing at the deer that just missed swiping at her.

  “I think Marge has a point,” Zephyr added.

  “Oh, shut up! You’re not even fighting!” Maverick rolled his eyes. I couldn’t help but notice Zephyr’s fists clench as he glanced away.

  “Maybe Zephyr and I should get out of here,” I suggested. “We’re only distracting you.”

  “Maybe you should.”

  “And leave them both defenseless in a cave? I don’t think so.” Finn’s grip on my hand tightened.

  “Zephyr, can you at least use your illusions to distract this thing away from us—away from me?” Marge asked as she continued to assault it with her yo-yo. Every time it disappeared, she’d just summon a new one.

  “I can. Take a few steps back,” Zephyr instructed.

  Marge took a few steps back as five more Marges appeared, each running around sporadically. The deer seemed to be focused on them rather than us.

  “We need a plan,” Maverick said.

  “How about I—” Aidan was cut off.

  “You’re not hitting it with light magic!” I could’ve sworn Maverick was ready to wring Aidan by the neck.

  “—use a different element,” Aidan finished his sentence, glaring at Maverick.

  “Oh. Be my guest.” Maverick shrugged.

  Aidan summoned a large ball of fire, almost half the size of my body. It collided with the deer, distracting it from the many flailing Marges. Unfortunately, the fire only made it angry and didn’t dissolve the mist.

  “Well, we know it’s not fire, water, or light.” Marge shrugged.

  “Ella,” Finn said gently and quietly to me. “Why don’t you try to use your magic from here? Maybe wind?”

  “W-what if I miss and hit Marge instead?” I frowned, glancing down at my hands, half expecting them to be iced over. For once, they were normal, behaving the way hands are supposed to. Maybe this was a sign?

  “It’s wind magic—worst case scenario, you send her whirling up in the air. She can catch herself.”

  I nodded hesitantly. Right… From right here I could— “What if it starts going after me?!” I asked.

  “That’s what I’m here for.” He gently petted me on the head like I was some sort of cat. Hmph!

  …His plan was promising, though.

  I took a deep breath, feeling the energy within me. I relaxed every muscle as I pictured my body weightless, practically feeling myself levitate off the ground. Once I was satisfied, I pushed my hands out in front of me. A cyclone appeared, quickly making its way to the Falor Ghula. Maverick’s eyes widened as he dove out of the way just in time. The cyclone collided with the deer, making it spin around a few times, but the purple mist still remained.

  “I can’t believe that didn’t do anything.” I fell to my knees, feeling slightly lightheaded.

  “You did great!” Finn reassured me. “It just wasn’t the right element.”

  “Earth must be.” Maverick crouched down, placing an open palm onto the ground. Chunks of earth rose around us, violently peeling away from the ground, revealing holes of dirt and soil. Maverick stood slowly, as if gravity were calling him back down, before he slowly swung his arm forward, the chunks of earth launching with the motion. The Falor Ghula howled in pain, and the purple mist finally dissolved.

  “Aidan! Now!” Maverick called to Aidan, who wasted no time running up to the beast. He held an open palm out in front of him, and a tiny burst of light appeared before disappearing just as quickly.

  “Uh, Aidan, now’s your time.” Marge’s voice was concerned and desperate.

  “I’m trying!” Aidan called back. Another burst of light, just as weak. It didn’t seem to do much beyond annoy the creature.

  “What the hell was that?!” Maverick snapped, harshly grabbing Aidan by his arm.

  “I’m trying!” Aidan shouted back impatiently. “J-just give me a second!”

  “It’s not going to work,” Finn interjected. “His magic is more attuned to darkness than light. We have to get out of here!”

  Marge, Zephyr, and Maverick all turned to me.

  “W-what am I supposed to do?! I couldn’t even light the cave!” I sputtered.

  “Then Finn’s right—we run.” Maverick beckoned us to follow him. Just as we started to run, the branches of the trees grew, extending left and right, trapping us in a makeshift arena.

  “I-is the Falor Ghula doing that?!” Aidan asked.

  “Probably!” Marge’s arms flailed in a panic. “I just knew pissing off Avaline’s mother wasn’t the right call!”

  “What makes you think this thing is her mother?!” Finn shouted back.

  “Everyone, buy me some time. I need to think,” Maverick ordered.

  “Think?!” I sputtered. I guess having a plan was better than having no plan.

  Before anyone else could respond, duplicates of us appeared—probably Zephyr’s illusions. They were an adequate distraction as Maverick thought in silence, and perhaps darkness, considering his eyes were closed.

  “What are you—” I was cut off by Finn placing a hand over my mouth.

  “Don’t distract him, let him focus.”

  Panic began to rise in my chest as each of the illusions was defeated. Only one was left—the illusion of Marge. This creature seemed to hold a grudge over her after the many times she whacked it with her yo-yo.

  I glanced over at Zephyr, who was visibly getting tired. He had maybe one more round of illusions left. If Maverick couldn’t do anything by then…

  Maverick’s eyes opened with a determination I had not seen before. He held his palm out, using his other hand to steady his arm. To my utter shock, he released a beam of light, more controlled and more beautiful than the light magic Aidan had previously used, killing the Falor Ghula instantly.

  All of us stood there in a mix of shock and something else.

  “So, you really can use light magic.” Finn broke the silence, smirking as he walked over to Maverick and slapped him on the back.

  Maverick unexpectedly flinched at this action. “I told you I could. It just takes extra concentration. And not exactly my cup of tea.”

  I glanced over to Aidan, who was standing off by himself. At first, I thought he was going to leave now that the tree barrier was down, but he was simply testing out his magic. Light kept flickering in and out of existence.

  “Are you okay…?” I asked, tentatively.

  “Leave me alone,” Aidan mumbled.

  I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to do the exact opposite, but Marge’s loud voice caught my attention. “So now we only have two more?”

  My stomach sank. Today had taken everything out of us, and we had to repeat it two more times. I was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep the next few days away…

  “Why don’t we take a break?” Finn suggested, to everyone’s surprise.

  “A break?” Maverick raised an eyebrow.

  “We’re still on vacation, right? Let’s go back to the capital and have some fun. We could all use a break, right?”

  Was he doing this… for me?

  “I agree. We need to rethink how we fight these creatures,” Zephyr added.

  “Maybe it can give us some time to figure out what’s going on with Aidan’s light magic.” Maverick crossed his arms, and Aidan glared at him. “My own light magic isn’t very reliable.”

  Everyone seemed in agreement, so we started walking back. I really wish Maverick’s teleportation magic would start working again soon.

  I glanced over at Aidan, who was still playing with his light magic. I desperately wanted to help him, but I didn’t know how…