Chapter 14: A cup of undercooked mudcake

"That's just ridiculous," Vida snorted and shoved a large chunk of mudcake into her mouth. "I'm not giggling schoolgirl, I'm just happy we're all together again. It's nothing wrong with that."

"V, you were singing 'row, row, row your boat' this morning! Last night, it was love songs. The cheesy ones!"

Madison could tell by the tone in Nick's voice that he was getting frustrated. Telling their friends had not gone the way they had expected it to. Instead of listening, Vida had gotten defensive. What Chip and Xander, they didn't know because Vida hadn't let them speak.

"Why is it so wrong if I sing? It's not you guys have done anything to make this weekend fun. Seriously, why did you all come if you're not interested in hanging out? I had other things I could have done while waiting out this storm. Pardon me, if I put them on hold to be with you guys . . ."

"Sis," Madison interrupted diplomatically. "What Nick is trying to say it's not our fault we're behaving the way we do. The storm is affecting our elements."

"And of course, you would believe him," Vida snapped, "Have you forgotten he left you there on the street . . ."

"Cut it, V." Xander gave Vida a sharp glare, turned to Nick he added: "Talk. How is the storm affecting us?"

Nick explained the things he had noticed since he came to house last night. Madison listened in awe. She had forgotten what a dedicated leader he could be when he needed to, his attention to details. She hadn't realised how sad she had seemed to the others. To her, she had only wanted to listen to the storm.

"I wish I could make you watch yourself with my eyes. I've seen the changes in all of you since I got here last night, perhaps even before then."

Madison knew Nick said that with her mind. She didn't dare to meet his eyes. He must have thought she was pushing him away.

"You're not yourselves, and I don't blame you. There is something about this storm. Maddy says she has felt it coming for days which have me wondering if the storm is magical."

"Magical?" Chip repeated. "You mean, like, we could have our powers back?"

"I don't know, Chip," Nick replied truthfully. "Maybe and maybe not. We lost our powers during the final battle - I, for one, do not need to have them back – but we have never been separated from our elements. The elements are a part of us, just as we are of them. Our powers, as I see them, was only a temporary deeper connection with our elements to protect the magical world. When the threat subsided, so did our powers."

Madison glanced at Nick. Why didn't he want to have his powers back? Did she want her back? In the months since the final battle, she hadn't thought about it once.

Next to her, Xander poked his mudcake thoughtfully with the spoon. By the looks of the dark gooey mass, it was undercooked as usual when Vida made it. More of a batter than actual cake.

"Let's say you're right and it is the storm causing our strange behaviours – yes, yours too, V," Xander said with a glance at Vida just as she was about to open her mouth to protest. "What can we do about it? What will happen to us when the eye of the storm hit?"

"We don't know," Madison said. She felt it was time to give Nick some back up. "As far as we can tell, our 'symptoms' will get worse the closer the eye of the storm gets."

Xander groaned.

"You're telling me this soreness will get worse? I can't barely move as it is. What will happen if a tree snaps outside, will my leg snap too?"

Madison and Nick looked at each other. That was a disturbing possibility they hadn't thought of.

Sighing, Xander threw up his hands in surrender and said: "Well, if things are getting worse then I should probably go and lie down before I break myself."

They watched him loom away with his head hanging low. Madison felt pity for him. He had been looking forward to this weekend as much as the rest of them had.

"We should probably keep an eye on him," Nick whispered to her.

Madison nodded. The idea of Xander's bones snapping kind of freaked her out.

"Come on, guys, let's regroup in the living room."

"Just a sec," Chip said, "I . . ."

Pang!

Without warning the lamp above their head shattered in a million of pieces and the whole house turned pitch black. It happened so quickly; Madison barely registered what happened.

When Chip had told them to wait, he had raised the hand he held spoon with a little too high and accidently touched the lamp. An electric jolt had flashed in the short moment of contact, which had short circuit the whole house.

Standing in the darkness, Chip looked at the spoon with wide eyes and hair standing in every direction.

"What the . . ."

Footsteps echoed behind them and Xander returned to the kitchen.

"Hey, guys, the power just went out . . ." He trailed off when he caught the shocked faces of his friends standing in utter darkness, surrounded by a sea of shattered glass.

"Do you believe me now, V?" Nick wondered.