thought to honor your discretion. These powers are her birthright."
I thought back to the energy burst I felt. "What else happened?"
"Well…" Ahi looked at her mom again.
I wanted to strangle her. "Out with it!"
"Akasha had more planned than we thought for little Bee," Ahi said in a rush.
"What?" Chills went down my spine.
"Akasha invoked Bee's powers." Ahi looked down at her feet, biting her lip. "I guess it was just…meant to—"
My warning look didn't cut off Ahi's joke. "…Bee."
I rubbed my temples. Akasha, the fifth element, you fickle, fickle, whore. I quickly tried to recall the description of Akasha that Arianna, the Shade inside Shawn's Athame, gave me. Instead Micah's clear voice rang through my head, as clear as if we were still in Spain, touring a castle. I shook my head violently; there was no time for that now.
"Okay, it's done. So tell me – what are her powers?" I held my breath and closed my eyes. Please don't say all of them, please don't be a Gaia.
"Fire."
I opened my eyes.
Both looked at me.
Ahi repeated, "You have a Fire, Kaitlyn."
The corner of Mama's mouth turned up in a cautious smile. She was proud. She was actually proud.
I stammered, "Power, she has…has a...I mean, my girl…" I rubbed my temples. "You gave my baby the power of fire?!"
My hands went back to the chair. I really wanted to throw it.
Ahi began to pick up pieces of wood. Bee was crying louder now. "Admittedly, not the best power for one so young."
"Take it back." I demanded.
"What?"
"You did it. Now undo it."
"I…I…can't." It was Ahi's turn to stammer.
I stormed toward my bedroom, collected Bee and her blanket, and came back to the kitchen. I held Bee out toward Ahi. "Undo it."
Bee was screaming now; I wanted to do the same.
Ahi stepped back. "It's like puberty, Kaitlyn. It just happens. You can't stop it – you can't undo it."
"You can't force it!" I screamed. Bee cried louder.
Mama cursed at both of us, taking Bee from me to calm her down outside.
Ahi dropped the shards of wood she had collected. "I didn't. Akasha did." She slumped down to the floor, leaning against the cupboards.
I dropped my shoulders and sighed, joining her. "You shouldn't have even done the naming ceremony. It's not my way. I'm not one of you."
Ahi turned to me and smiled.
"What?" I asked.
She picked up a shard of wood, and the end lit up in a small flame. Ahi flicked her other hand at the flame, snuffing it out. She handed me the smoking wood piece. "You are one of us Chica, several times over."
I huffed, twirling the burnt wood in my fingers. "Just one question."
She raised her eyebrow.
"Does this damn island have any fire extinguishers?"
Chapter 14
Kindred Spirits
Shawn, having experienced the trip twice before, landed gracefully on the platform. Micah's boots clipped the edge, sending him somersaulting into the water below. Temporarily disoriented from the spinning fall, Micah doggie-paddled underwater, unsure which way was up. There was no natural light to guide him. Shimmery, gaseous-looking forms surrounded him.
One moved closer, emitting small bursts of blue and purple light. Once level with Micah's face, waves of matter rippled together, until two eyes took shape.
"Aahh," Micah gurgled, waving his hands wildly in front of him to shoo away the creature. The eyes disappeared and it zipped off. Micah resumed flailing in slow motion.
Where the hell is up?
Another form swam closer. This one at least had arms, legs, and a head. She touched Micah's shoulder, beckoning for him to follow. With little other choice, Micah swam after her. Seconds later, their heads broke the surface.
Micah's eyes darted around the cave. More forms of green and even gold floated through the air, staying well away from Shawn and his ledge.
The woman in front of him smiled. "I am Arianna. And you must be Kaitlyn's other half."
Micah looked over his shoulder, "How do you know?"
"Because you're glowing," she said. "Kindred
I thought back to the energy burst I felt. "What else happened?"
"Well…" Ahi looked at her mom again.
I wanted to strangle her. "Out with it!"
"Akasha had more planned than we thought for little Bee," Ahi said in a rush.
"What?" Chills went down my spine.
"Akasha invoked Bee's powers." Ahi looked down at her feet, biting her lip. "I guess it was just…meant to—"
My warning look didn't cut off Ahi's joke. "…Bee."
I rubbed my temples. Akasha, the fifth element, you fickle, fickle, whore. I quickly tried to recall the description of Akasha that Arianna, the Shade inside Shawn's Athame, gave me. Instead Micah's clear voice rang through my head, as clear as if we were still in Spain, touring a castle. I shook my head violently; there was no time for that now.
"Okay, it's done. So tell me – what are her powers?" I held my breath and closed my eyes. Please don't say all of them, please don't be a Gaia.
"Fire."
I opened my eyes.
Both looked at me.
Ahi repeated, "You have a Fire, Kaitlyn."
The corner of Mama's mouth turned up in a cautious smile. She was proud. She was actually proud.
I stammered, "Power, she has…has a...I mean, my girl…" I rubbed my temples. "You gave my baby the power of fire?!"
My hands went back to the chair. I really wanted to throw it.
Ahi began to pick up pieces of wood. Bee was crying louder now. "Admittedly, not the best power for one so young."
"Take it back." I demanded.
"What?"
"You did it. Now undo it."
"I…I…can't." It was Ahi's turn to stammer.
I stormed toward my bedroom, collected Bee and her blanket, and came back to the kitchen. I held Bee out toward Ahi. "Undo it."
Bee was screaming now; I wanted to do the same.
Ahi stepped back. "It's like puberty, Kaitlyn. It just happens. You can't stop it – you can't undo it."
"You can't force it!" I screamed. Bee cried louder.
Mama cursed at both of us, taking Bee from me to calm her down outside.
Ahi dropped the shards of wood she had collected. "I didn't. Akasha did." She slumped down to the floor, leaning against the cupboards.
I dropped my shoulders and sighed, joining her. "You shouldn't have even done the naming ceremony. It's not my way. I'm not one of you."
Ahi turned to me and smiled.
"What?" I asked.
She picked up a shard of wood, and the end lit up in a small flame. Ahi flicked her other hand at the flame, snuffing it out. She handed me the smoking wood piece. "You are one of us Chica, several times over."
I huffed, twirling the burnt wood in my fingers. "Just one question."
She raised her eyebrow.
"Does this damn island have any fire extinguishers?"
Chapter 14
Kindred Spirits
Shawn, having experienced the trip twice before, landed gracefully on the platform. Micah's boots clipped the edge, sending him somersaulting into the water below. Temporarily disoriented from the spinning fall, Micah doggie-paddled underwater, unsure which way was up. There was no natural light to guide him. Shimmery, gaseous-looking forms surrounded him.
One moved closer, emitting small bursts of blue and purple light. Once level with Micah's face, waves of matter rippled together, until two eyes took shape.
"Aahh," Micah gurgled, waving his hands wildly in front of him to shoo away the creature. The eyes disappeared and it zipped off. Micah resumed flailing in slow motion.
Where the hell is up?
Another form swam closer. This one at least had arms, legs, and a head. She touched Micah's shoulder, beckoning for him to follow. With little other choice, Micah swam after her. Seconds later, their heads broke the surface.
Micah's eyes darted around the cave. More forms of green and even gold floated through the air, staying well away from Shawn and his ledge.
The woman in front of him smiled. "I am Arianna. And you must be Kaitlyn's other half."
Micah looked over his shoulder, "How do you know?"
"Because you're glowing," she said. "Kindred
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