The deck swayed under Skye's feet, so she grabbed the railing. In front of her, sunlight danced on the water, and beneath the boat, the waves crashed. A gust of wind brushed Skye's skin and blew her hair onto her face, so she tossed it back and inhaled the fresh, salty, air. Then she watched the shore become smaller and smaller as the boat drifted further into the sea, and soon, all that was left of the sandy beach with the clearing of forest was a tiny strip of land on the horizon.

After some time, the boat sailed into a cloud of mist, the fog thickening so much that Skye could barely make out the outline of the boat's cabin through the haze. She shivered at the drop in temperature accompanying the fog before hearing some footsteps behind her. Then she jumped, but when turning around to see who it was, Skye let out a sigh of relief and annoyance. "Ivan?"

"If I were you, I'd go indoors," he advised. "Everyone else is inside the cabin. You're the only one on the dock."

"Oh hell no," Skye shot back. "It smells like vomit in there."

"But you don't look like you're handling the cold all that well," Ivan noted. "You're even doing that thing where you rub your hands to keep them warm. Just go inside and ignore the vomit, I'm telling you."

Skye shook her head. "Nope. Can't do that. I'm going to stay outside."

"Even if the fog monster comes out, wraps you up in seaweed, and eats you like a burrito?"

Skye rolled her eyes. "Haha, very funny."

"Well actually…" Ivan paused. "Look behind you."

image [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/e2w1ar42agg9t8o9j7h6k/Untitled54-3.png?rlkey=2w9riih58j5yw4vh12rpc71ax&st=a47ae8ub&raw=1]

Skye turned her head and saw a giant squid bobbing back and forth on the water's surface. Its tentacles were stiff and it moved more like a pencil hanging from a string than an actual sea animal. It even levitated a few times. Anyone who didn't know about Ivan's illusion-casting may have been unsettled, but to Skye, the squid was nothing more than an unconvincing display.

"Oh no! What a nightmare!" Skye said mockingly.

Ivan laughed. "One of these days you're going to run into a real fog monster and assume it's fake."

"And what will happen then?" Skye asked.

"I'm not saving you, that's for sure."

***

A ramp extended from the boat as soon as it docked itself, and the group disembarked. Skye followed the group from pier to gravelly shore, kicking pebbles with her feet as she stared at the ground. The howls of a nearby wind barrier echoed around her, the barrier itself so large she couldn't detect where it began or ended.

Elliot the wind mage parted the barrier, guiding them through an open space in some swaying trees. While trudging through the forest, Skye made her way around some logs and mud puddles, almost falling over them a few times. Thankfully, she managed to avoid dirtying her clothes, though her shoes got muddy by the end of the walk.

At the end of the forest stood a town's market square, a cluster of buildings surrounding a brick path. The brick path encircled an open space. In the middle of the open space stood a statue of a robed woman, a familiar sight throughout Cloudgate. Skye recognized the statue as a shrine to Blanche, goddess of auras and mother of all spirits. Save for a few people strolling along the path and another leaving an offering at the foot of the statue, the square was nearly empty.

"Wow." Skye exclaimed under her breath. "Avriya is beautiful."

"Looks average to me," Ivan commented. "Every town on Cloudgate's east coast looks like this."

"Enough chattering, let's get to business," said Juliana, tapping her cane to get the group's attention. She picked up a brisk pace, leading her followers away from the square and through an alleyway, and after making a right, Juliana led them down Avriya's Main Street, stopping by a five-foot gate. She opened the gate to a courtyard formed between three large buildings, a fountain rising from its center. There was no water in the fountain, as it got shut off for the fall.

"Welcome to Silver Run Academy," Juliana said as she sat on the edge of the fountain. "It's the only school in Avriya so we teach all grades here. Yes, I am the principal. Yes, we have dorms, though not everybody who attends this school will sleep in one. But even if you can't get a dorm, there are plenty of houses nearby. That way, none of you will have to worry about not having a place to stay again."

"Again." That word stuck with Skye because it reminded her of one of Cloudgate's harsh realities: the one where too many aura-havers had no family and no home. Skye was one of the lucky ones who had both of those, but why was that luck wasted on her? She had nothing with which she could compensate, while the aura-havers on the street could've been infinitely more talented, more intelligent, more worthy of success than she was.

So many people would disown their children had they found them to be cursed, but Maia and Cole weren't those types of parents. Despite their misfortune of having not one, but two, children with curses, they stuck with Skye and Ivan all the way through. The Everson parents wanted their children to be safe and happy, so they did everything they could to give both siblings a "normal" life, if something like that existed. But still, despite her parent's efforts, Skye felt anything but normal. She doubted that a regular life by aura-free standards was attainable for someone like her, because even if she could pass for an aura-free person like Ivan, Skye would still live in fear. But Skye's greatest fear wouldn't have been getting found out as an aura-haver, nor was it discrimination— no, her greatest fear was losing herself to her ice. Hurting those around her. Becoming the type of curse-bearer feared by aura-havers and aura-free people alike. Nobody with a "normal" life by aura-free standards worried about that. No regular, happy person's greatest fear was becoming a monster.

I don't want to be afraid of myself anymore, Skye thought. And I don't want anyone to be afraid of me. I want to live at Avriya, attend Silver Run, and train under Juliana so I could protect people and use my aura for good. If the mages of decades ago could do it, then so can I—

"Hello! Earth to Skye!" Ivan called, bringing his sister to the present. Skye jumped.

"How much of the speech did you miss?" Ivan asked.

Skye shrugged. "I don't know?"

"Did you hear the part about calling your parents?"

"No?"

"Damnit, Skye," said Ivan. "You're such an airhead. Anyway, we're calling Mom and Dad. Then we're visiting Luka."

"Are you going to tell them where we are?" Skye asked. "I think I really want to live here..."

"Bad idea," Ivan stated. "We can't let them in on a secret as big as Avriya's. Not over the phone and not when we are Blanche knows how many miles away from them."

Skye gulped. She was so enthusiastic about leaving Maplesprings and Springs High behind, but now it may never happen. Maybe she deserved this. Maybe she deserved to have her dream life escape her before it even began. It's what she got for being so naive.

***

After waiting in the courtyard for a short while, a woman who looked to be in her mid twenties walked over to Skye and Ivan. “Hello,” she greeted Ivan. "My name is Hyacinth. You said you wanted to call home, right?"

"Yeah," he replied. "So where's my phone?"

Hyacinth dropped Ivan's phone into his hand without saying a word.

"Thanks," said Ivan, about to dial. "And by the way, where's Luka? You know, Luka Archer, seventeen years old, able to control plants…"

"In the garden behind the second building, most likely. He spends a lot of time there," Hyacinth answered. "But he doesn't talk that much. Sure it's him you wanna see?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. But I'm making this call first."

"Alright. And remember, do not tell your parents about Avriya if you aren't sure whether they'll breach confidentiality. We trust your judgement, but I will be listening," Hyacinth reminded Ivan, who was dialing Cole Everson's number. Ivan nodded and pressed call.

"Hello?" Ivan greeted, holding the phone up to his ear. "It's me and Skye. We're safe, so don't worry about us—"

"Where is Skye?!" Cole boomed from the other end of the line. "Skye, talk to us so we know you're there."

"Hey," Skye murmured into the phone. "It's me."

"Ohmygod… ohmygod… my babies… my darlings… I was so worried for you… I thought I was going to have a heart attack…" Maia gurgled between rounds of sobbing. "What happened? It's been five hours and not one call or text… I've heard the news. Every single one of you… gone. All we know is that Skye's group was last seen exiting the building at 3:30 pm. According to reports, one of them had fainted, so they all had to leave to get medical help. None of them have been seen since then."

"So I've heard," Ivan responded. "Many aura-havers have gone missing recently, especially during their tagging appointments. Worrying, isn't it?"

"I know," Maia said with a sigh. "I'm glad to hear that Skye is with you, but I hope everybody else is fine."

"So do I," added Cole. "But Ivan, you've been away for too long, and for some reason we couldn't track you on our phones. So don't cause us to worry like that again, okay?"

"Okay," Ivan muttered.

"And by the way," Cole added, "how was your study session with Theo?"

"Study session?" Skye asked, but Ivan put a hand over her mouth.

"We kept getting sidetracked but at least it's over," Ivan said nonchalantly.

A puzzled expression crossed Skye's face. What is he talking about?

"Sidetracked?!" Maia yelled. "You abandoned us at HACF for what you said was an urgent study session with your friend, and it took you this long to call us back because you were fooling around instead of studying?! You scared us half to death, Ivan Everson."

"But we got our work done even if it took longer than expected," Ivan replied. "Plus there's no point in dwelling on how much time has passed. Right now, getting home with Skye is more important."

"Do you even know how to get home from where you are?" Maia asked, a hint of accusation in her voice.

"Well…"

"How did you find Skye?" Asked Cole, interrupting Ivan before he could finish speaking. "And do you know where the others are?"

"As I was leaving the building, I saw Skye's group waiting outside. She ran up to me, so I told her I was going over to Theo's house to help him study. She kept begging to come with me, even after I said no. But there was no refusing her. Skye was so scared of getting tagged that she had followed me to his house, and I had no choice but to let her," Ivan falsely reported. "So no, I do not know where the others are. Only Skye."

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Yeah, right. Lie about your sister being difficult while making yourself look good, Skye nearly blurted out, but she bit back the comment.

"Thank goodness you let Skye follow you, or else she would've gone missing as well," Maia replied, her voice heavy with relief. "Anyway, I've decided to call off the tagging appointment. It all seems to be too much for her."

For a moment everybody stopped talking, but then Cole broke the silence. "But what about the school's orders?"

"I know, Springs won't let Skye back in until she has her papers proving she got tagged, but in this case, our daughter's wellbeing comes first," Maia asserted. "Plus, I don't think that sending her to school was a good choice in the first place. We're pulling her out and homeschooling her again, whether you like it or not."

Yesyesyesyesyesyes, Skye thought.

"I guess you have a point," Cole admitted. "But we can't keep sheltering her forever…"

"So Skye isn't getting tagged after all?" Ivan queried, his voice tinged with excitement. "Thank goodness. Also, I'm sorry if it takes us longer than usual to get home. Public transportation's acting up."

"That sucks," said Maia. "Anyway, stay safe, and if you need help, call us."

"And take care out there. We know how far Theo's house is, so use maps if you can," Cole advised.

"Thanks," Ivan responded, "and see you later." Then he hung up the call.

After the call, Skye stared at her brother like he had two heads. "Did you just—"

"Yeah, I bullshitted my way through that phone call," Ivan admitted. "What was I supposed to tell our parents? That I only told them I needed to help a friend study so they could let me out of HACF's waiting area? That I actually followed some old lady with explosion powers to a secret island for aura-havers?"

Hyacinth piped into the conversation. "Don't call Juliana some old lady, that's not nice."

"Wait." Skye said. "So Juliana was an explosion mage this whole time?"

"Of course, why else would she bomb abandoned houses for fun?" Ivan responded.

"Oh. Yeah. That thing you said back at Thunderport." Suddenly, Skye recalled what Ivan had told her about Juliana. So there's this cool grandma on the next aisle, her name is Juliana, she has thousands of grandchildren, and she bombs abandoned houses for fun…

"Juliana doesn't do it for fun as much as she does to practice using her aura," Hyacinth corrected. "She has to find places like abandoned houses, empty parking lots, and other areas where she can set off explosions without harming people."

"And what about her having thousands of grandchildren?" Skye asked.

Hyacinth laughed. "I don't know where you hear these things, but all of the children at Silver Run call her Granny-Ana. So while I wouldn't say she has thousands of grandchildren, maybe fifty or so is more accurate."

"Wow. Just wow." Skye commented. "Ivan, how many lies had you told today?"

"One hundred and counting," Ivan deadpanned.

"That's another one."

***

"Would you like me to walk you to the garden?" Hyacinth offered.

"Sure," said Ivan. "Then Skye and I can go home, right?"

Hyacinth nodded. "That's right."

The trio started walking in the direction of Silver Run's central building. "If you have any questions, go ahead and ask them," Hyacinth offered. "I'll be happy to answer."

"Are you a mage? Do you think I'd make a good mage? What's your life like over here?" Skye asked. "Oh, and by the way, you're really pretty. Just wanted to say that."

"Why, thank you," said Hyacinth, beaming. "And yes, I'm a healer mage. I'm also Avriya's personal counselor and an instructor in aura combat. The work is tough, but I wouldn't ask for anything better," she replied. "Also, Skye, though I'd like to say you'd make a good mage, I don't know a thing about your current skill level. So it's hard to say."

"What's your last name? What are your honest opinions on the people here? Do you have a boyfriend? Are you married? " Ivan probed.

Hyacinth smiled and shook her head. "That's enough from you."

***

Skye peeked through the gates of Silver Run's garden, and her senses were bombarded by a hodgepodge of flora. If this garden resembled anything, Skye thought, it wasn't an orderly collection of neatly-trimmed flower beds for sure. No, a much more accurate descriptor for it would've been something that's half-jungle, half-swamp, and half-abandoned cottage where a witch used to live and grow ingredients for potions that turned children into frogs. Or something like that.

"Luka!! If you're in there, can you come out please?!" Hyacinth shouted from the garden's entrance. No response. The healer mage faced Skye and Ivan, a deflated look on her face. "I don't think he's here," Hyacinth apologized. "I'm sorry."

"Wait," said Ivan, leaning into the gateway. "Let me try something."

Hyacinth stared quizzically. "Try what?"

"Hey! Weed man!" Ivan yelled into the masses of foliage. "Come out or your ass is grass!"

A disembodied voice spoke up from the bushes a moment later. "Ivan?"

"Mind if I stop by for a visit?" Ivan asked.

"Sure."

Skye took in the full view as she followed Ivan into the garden. Seedlings sprouted from cracks and crevices. Tendrils tangled themselves through the garden's gates. Greenery grew, bushes bloomed, and weeds withered in the soil. A lone willow wept over the walkway.

Suddenly Luka sprinted from the direction of some shrubberies. "Ivan," he said with a hint of irritation in his voice, "you should've told me you were bringing your sister."

"Oh, guess I forgot to remind you," Ivan admitted. "Can she stay?"

"Yeah," Luka replied. "But next time, don't bring unexpected guests."

***

Skye, Ivan, and Luka sat under the shade of the weeping willow, and Luka removed his hood, revealing a mess of sandy brown hair and forest-green eyes. "What brings you here?" He asked the Everson siblings.

"Well, we were at HACF and Skye was about to get tagged," Ivan started. "And then I ran into Juliana, who I recognized from our video calls. Then she asked how my work was going."

"Work?" Skye piped up. "What kind of work?"

"Y'know, looking for aura-havers in need and spreading the word about Avriya to as many of them as possible…"

"While keeping knowledge of it away from anybody that means us harm?" Luka asked.

"Yeah. And from Skye," Ivan responded. "But only until today. When Juliana's group infiltrated HACF and took Skye away in their van, I had to explain to her what was going on so she wouldn't panic and ice the vehicle."

"So you were working for Juliana this whole time?" Skye asked, her eyes wide.

Ivan nodded. "Exactly."

"For how long?"

"Since summer."

Skye crossed her arms. "And you didn't tell me until now? Why?!"

"You know why," Ivan said as he side-eyed his sister. "Because of your obsession with mages. If I told you about Avriya earlier, you'd be begging Mom and Dad to let you go here without thinking things through."

"And why is that a bad thing?" Skye asked.

"Our parents may not hate aura-havers, but I doubt they'll let you go to an invisible island and train with mages just like that. Especially with Cloudgate's ban on magic," Ivan responded. "Plus, how do we know that our parents won't tell anybody about Avriya? Isn't there a chance they'd find the part about keeping it a secret strange in the first place, and not take it seriously?"

"We can explain to them that Avriya is hidden to protect the people who live here," Skye suggested. "And we can tell them that having me practice using my aura is actually a good thing, because if I learn how to control my ice, then I may be able to better suppress it…"

"Our parents, unlike us, are model citizens, Skye," Ivan reminded her. "They're average people, they stick to what's familiar, they're typical rule-followers who don't want to stand out. Sure, they'll question things here and there like any sane person, but they wouldn't dare break the law. Because this island's very existence goes against a lot of laws, I don't know if letting our parents in on the secret will be good for Avriya as a whole. At best, they'll be skeptical about letting you go, and at worst, they'll report Avriya's existence to the higher-ups. And if that happens, everybody who lives here is going to be in a lot of trouble."

"So I should give up on becoming a mage?" Skye asked, a hint of sadness in her voice. "I get what you're saying. It's just disappointing, having everything I've wanted in front of me and losing it all. I hope you understand."

Ivan sighed. "Skye, Avriya's not the paradise you think it is. To most people living here, it's all they have."

"All they have?"

"Most Avriyans didn't ask their families for permission to go here because they didn't have one!" Ivan snapped. "A lot of them are either orphans or they're here because their families didn't take good care of them. Luka's in Avriya because he was scheduled for tagging and had nowhere else to go, but you? Unlike him, you have options! I know you could have gotten tagged as well, but Mom and Dad called off the appointment because they care about you. They want you to live a normal, happy, life because they care about your future. But here you are, willing to risk the security of hundreds of people, a lot of them less privileged than yourself, all so you can live out some stupid little fantasy. It's not worth it, Skye."

Skye exhaled. Wow Ivan, that hurt, she thought. But you're right, I can be selfish sometimes…

By now the sun had set and the first stars were out. Skye, Ivan, and Luka sat in silence for a while, and only the rustling of leaves and the chirping of crickets could be heard. Dusk— it was Skye's favorite time of day, when the air gets cooler and the world winds down and the stars and moon blink into the night sky. Maia may be a morning person, Cole may prefer afternoons, and Ivan may be the type to regularly stay up past 3 am, but to Skye, nothing could match the feeling of watching afternoon slip into evening as the last few traces of daylight lingered behind.

"Hey, look. Fireflies." Skye pointed to three flickering points of light in the dark. But Ivan and Luka paid her no mind.

"You never told me why you came here," Luka reminded Ivan. "Is there a reason or did you just want to see me?"

"I came here because my sister was supposed to get tagged at HACF today," Ivan started, "but Juliana's mages took Skye and some others away from the facility. We got driven off in a van, loaded onto a boat, and now we are here. I followed Juliana because I wanted to accompany Skye while she was getting rescued, though I'd say taken by force is more accurate. I didn't want her to be alone without knowing what was going on."

"These new rescue missions are getting out of hand," Luka remarked. "I remember when the mages simply handed out letters to aura-havers on the mainland. Then those people decided for themselves whether they wanted to go here or not. But now Avriya's doing this instead, because according to their council, sending letters was too inefficient."

"I know, right?" Ivan agreed. "Honestly, there were too many flaws with Juliana's mission. So many things could have gone wrong, and we got lucky that the van didn't explode because somebody's aura went berserk or worse. Plus, you can't force people to go to your island and say that you're saving them, even if you give them the option to leave. And if they leave, now what? Now they have proof that Avriya exists, and can report it to the government or law enforcement if they want to. And why wouldn't they report it after almost getting kidnapped? This plan is a mess if you ask me."

Luka shook his head. "Don't blame Juliana for this mess. Blame Mr Dalton."

"Mr Dalton?" Skye asked.

"Kai Dalton. He's able to control metal," Ivan replied. "He's the High Mage of Avriya's council, so he makes most decisions involving this place. Of course, the other council members give him feedback in addition to carrying out his orders, but lately it feels like they're becoming his puppets…"

"Kai Dalton?" Skye asked. "Didn't he lead the Cloudgate Crusaders?"

"Yeah, he was a really famous guild leader before Cloudgate's government passed the Boulderland Act, shutting down the mage guilds," Luka responded. "Rumor has it he's still mad about losing his guild, so he introduced an intensive mage-training program to Avriya just to relive his glory days. And oddly enough, Mr Dalton seems to be weirdly obsessed with getting as many aura-havers onto this island as possible. It's as if he's trying to rebuild the Cloudgate Crusaders. No wonder he's planning such high-risk, flawed, missions that involve invading tagging centers. If he keeps this up, all of Cloudgate's gonna know that Avriya exists, and we're gonna be known as the kidnappers who shove children into vans and "rescue" them without their permission."

"I guess even famous guild leaders make mistakes," Skye noted. "Anyway, Ivan's right about whatever happened today being poorly planned. The ride to Avriya was so chaotic, I don't know how nobody found us."

"Actually, somebody almost did," Ivan corrected. "Remember Cayto?"

Skye nodded. "Yeah, I remember him. Didn't Orion fall unconscious so he could take over his mind?"

"And then Orion forgot he was still in the body of another person and entered the van as Cayto," Ivan recalled. "And when the spell wore off, Cayto saw where he was and got so mad. He was screaming at us about calling his dad like a kid on the playground threatening to tattle. It was hilarious."

"I know," Skye said as she held back a chuckle. "Plus, I ran into him while looking for the bathroom at HACF. Turns out he's an aura-haver."

"He's a what now?!" Ivan remarked. "Why is an aura-haver working for a business that traumatizes aura-havers for profit? Sounds dumb if you ask me."

"No, he's not just any aura-haver," Skye added. "He has a lightning aura. Fired off electric sparks from his hands right in front of me, at an aura correctional facility, out of all places. And then he had the audacity to tell me that I should be getting tagged. What a hypocrite."

Ivan shook his head. "Wow. Just wow."

"Oh, and let me tell you something," Skye added. "When I walked in on Cayto, I saw him using his aura. So I told him I was an aura-haver just like him, and then he rudely told me to get out. After that I called out his hypocrisy. And can you guess what he said next?"

"What?" Ivan asked.

"How about you mind your own business and let me do my damn job!" Skye mocked, laughing as she imitated Cayto's voice. "He was trying so hard to sound tough it was hilarious." But I was actually really nervous at the time, Skye thought. I really hate it when people yell at me.

"I'm not surprised that the son of Martin Halifax is such a jerk," Luka commented. "But the part about him having a lightning aura is news to me."

"Wait," Ivan interrupted. "Skye, you said he could generate electricity?"

Skye nodded. "Right."

"And he worked at HACF?" Ivan asked.

"Right."

"And if tags use electricity to shock aura-havers into submission…"

"You're saying that his job could be producing shock tags?" Skye and Luka said in unison.

"Yup," Ivan confirmed. Skye and Luka stared at him.

The trio sat in silence again, and they stayed like that for a while. But this time, Ivan was the first one to break it.

"It's getting late," he noted, "we gotta go now."

Skye sighed. "Sure we can't stay longer?"

"Nope." Ivan responded. "We have to leave."

Luka looked up from the ground. "You should definitely get going," he said, glancing at the gateway. "So goodbye, I guess. See you soon. Or later. Or never again, I don't know."

"Goodbye!" Ivan yelled as he grabbed Skye's arm and made his way down the cobblestone path with her. Skye waved to Luka with her other arm as she followed her brother to the gate, not wanting to go just yet but having no choice. Ivan then opened the gate with a creak, walking her out of the garden and into the cool autumn night.