“Despite everything, I’m always here for you, Xander,” I said honestly. “We’ll always be friends, have a bond. No one can take that away from us.”
He cupped my face. Our eyes met and held for many long seconds before the bubble formed around my head, cutting him off from view.
When my vision was fully obscured, I allowed a single tear to trail down my cheek before I sucked in some deep breaths and got myself under control. Xander led me until we were back in the water.
The world on this side of the overlord pod was colorful, like it had been built on the edge of a reef. There was an abundance of brightly colored creatures as well, and I could imagine swimming through this area for hours. In fact, there were a lot of Royales doing just that as we moved past. They all saluted Xander before going back to their frolicking. I noticed that not all of them used their tails; there were plenty of legs around, kicking in lazy motions.
Callie let out a huge sigh that drew my attention. “I swam with them,” she said, “Best. Day. Ever!”
I laughed, because she wasn’t usually the chirpy and cute type.
“The stream is this way.” Xander said, moving to the front of the group. “You’ll know it when you see it.”
We sure as hell did.
“Oh my God,” I breathed.
My eyes were watering again, and this time it had nothing to do with Xander. This was pure emotion; the beauty before me almost hurt my eyes. The stream ran like a rainbow through the water, swishing and turning, the colors so vibrant that I felt as if I could run my hands through them and they’d be stained in bright hues.
“Xander, why have you never brought us here?” Chase asked. He sounded as awed as I felt. I was sensing that House of Leights, with their tree gods, might be into the more spiritual side of life.
“Because it’s sacred, and we are not allowed here except with express permission from the overlord,” Xander told him.
No one argued. When a firm hand pressed against my spine, ushering me forward, I sucked in a deep breath. “What should I do?” I whispered.
Xander’s palm was warm as it caressed my back. “Go,” he whispered. “Swim. The legretos mix perfectly here, and the colors are brightest right in this spot. This is where you were born.”
There was no way in hell they got my mother under here without some sort of hardcore drugs. She was not big on sacrifice, that was for sure. I guessed duty forced her hand. No wonder she was so ready to bail on me when I was old enough to look after myself.
My stomach started to roll as I moved forward, gliding because I didn’t want to kick and disturb the amazing rainbow. I gave myself a quick pep talk. “It’s going to be fine, Ava. You got this. It’s just rainbow water, and you need this map to save the world. You’ve always wanted to save the world, remember. Like … a masked vigilante.”
“You’re going to be fine, Avalon.”
I snapped back to reality, letting out a groan as I realized they’d all heard me. I’d totally forgotten about that. “Right, I know that.”
One day I’d stop making a fool of myself in front of people I cared about.
The brightness started to overwhelm me when I got closer. I shut my eyes for a moment, moving toward the sacred waters.
I didn’t expect it to feel different, but it was icy cold, shocking me enough that my eyelids flew open. A kaleidoscope of bright colors filled my vision, and it took longer than I expected for my eyes to adjust. Reaching down, I lifted my shirt up to find just my normal tanned skin.
“Lift it higher, Ava!” Emma shouted, and I winced as her voice echoed around my bubble. I wasn’t the only one, either. “Oh, sorry,” she said at a much lower decibel. “I just thought I saw something on Ava’s back.”
Turning, I kept my back to them while I lifted my shirt all the way up and over my head. “Anything?” I asked.
There was an extended pause, and I was just pulling my shirt down again, planning to turn and make sure they hadn’t all been eaten by a meglam, when a warm body pressed against my spine, the heat very noticeable against the chill of the waters. “I got you, Avalon,” he whispered. And for that instant in time, I let myself believe that he did.
“What does the map look like?” I asked him.
His hand traced across my back, almost reverently. “There isn’t a map. It’s a circle of eight figures, and there are coordinates right in the center. Spread across the center of your back.”
“Eight,” Maya repeated. “That’s the eight of us. We’re joined, and only together will we find the stone. That’s what it means, right?”
“Are we all in the stream?” I asked.
“Yes,” Xander said. “When we moved closer to you, the coordinates appeared.”
Emma let out the hugest of joyful sighs. “God, that makes me so happy. I knew we were eternally bonded. The eight of us. We’re the best family anyone could wish for. I promise I will always have your backs. Always.”
