DAVID'S POV.

Chapter VIII

I looked up, and saw Afni get out of her bed. Even though I wanted to close my eyes and go back to sleep, cross back over to the real world, I watched her for a few minutes. She went to the window, opening it, and sitting on the ledge. Sighing, I closed my eyes, and rolled over. I really didn't feel like seeing her in pain right now.

Morning had come and gone by the time I woke up again. This time, though, Christopher was the only one still sleeping. I dropped my feet to the floor, and looked over by the door to see April glaring at Afni, who stood outside the door, talking quietly to Jalil. She was making small motions with her hands, and her hair was dangling in her eyes. He seemed very involved with this conversation. I walked over to April, and looked out the window.

"What's your problem?" I asked her. She looked at me, just realizing I was there.

"Her. There's something very strange about her. I mean, I understand that she's been here longer than you, or me, or any of us, except Janet and Cossette, but how come everyone seems to like her? She is way too phony, if you ask me." I shook my head.

"I don't know, April. I knew her very well, when we were still one hundred percent in the real world. But…I'm not sure what has changed since then. Hey, where are Cossette and Janet?" April blinked, changed her expression from hate to happy.

"They said something about bringing the horses over here. Why don't you wake Christopher up? He might not want us to leave him here." I rolled my eyes, and walked over to the bed, clipping my sword around my waist. Lifting my hand, I punched his shoulder, hard, jarring him from a sound sleep. He looked at me, pissed off.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Come on. We're getting out of here, and we weren't gonna wait for you." He yawned, stood, and headed out the door. I turned around. April and Jalil had already gone downstairs. Christopher was just now running after them. Afni, however, stood in the doorway.

"You coming?" she asked. I smiled, and walked over.

"Yea, lets go." As we headed down the steps, I looked over at her. My ex-girlfriend was now a sorceress and a warrior, all in a world different from our own. When we were going out, I knew her so well I scared her sometimes. And vice versa. But now…After all the time she says she's spent here, I'm not sure I know her at all.

Her hair, once perfectly black, was now blonde. Probably that because of all the time she's been in the sun. I mean, here, how can you not be? Afni's green eyes weren't as happy-go-lucky as they used to be. Now they seemed serious, and hurt. I reached out, to touch her shoulder, but she pulled away, and hopped to the bottom of the steps. I followed her outside, and we all climbed onto our horses.

Cossette led the way, North still, to reach Jeminna. Behind her rode Afni and Jalil, and behind them were me, April, and Christopher, and Janet rode in back. April looked over at Christopher and me, and then glanced at Afni.

"What do you think of her?" she asked, emphasizing "her" with a jerk of her thumb towards Afni.

"She's really different. I mean, sure, I understand she wants to go home as much as we do…but she hasn't been here much longer than us. How did she do all of this stuff, get accepted by everyone, and manage to become three things she thought of as horrifying in the real world?" Christopher asked.

"What three things?"

"Sorceress, warrior, hunter. I mean, David, didn't she think harm to anyone was worse than the acid in the science room?" he pondered. Even though I really didn't want to answer, I did.

"Yea, but if she had to do something, she'd do it. I mean, I saw her threaten her own mom with a baseball bat…" I looked up at Afni. She slouched her shoulders a bit, turned her head, and looked at me. She knew. I bit my tongue when I realized she'd heard us. She heeled her horse, turned it to the right, and went behind us, to Janet. Jalil moved up to Cossette, and they started talking. I heard Afni talking to Janet behind us.

"Janet? Do you think I'm…odd?"

"What do you mean by odd?" She sighed.

"Like…do you think I'm too strange to be liked by everyone?" she asked. Janet was silent for a moment.

"Yeah. I guess I do. I mean, one minute, you seemed angry at me, and the next your offering me a place in your group of friends…"

"They aren't my friends. The only ones that seem to like me are David and Cossette, and even there, I am not sure. I guess I wasn't meant to be known personally…" I turned my head to see her drop back even farther, trailing the group. Shaking my head, and turned back around, and continued to follow Cossette.

The sun was dropping, and Cossette pulled us over for the night.

"If we are up by dawn, we will be able to reach Jeminna by nightfall. Afni? What can you get us for the meal?" she asked. I looked over, and saw Afni shrug.

"I don't know. I'll see what I can do. I'll be back. Entertain yourselves with these." She waved her hand, and there were drinks around us. Drawing her sword, Afni walked into the trees, disappearing from our sight.

"Where is she going?" Christopher asked.

"Probably off to catch dinner," Jalil said. Christopher scratched his head.

"But why didn't she use her magic?"

"Don't ask us. How are we supposed to know?" Janet responded. April shrugged.

"To be honest, I don't care what she's doing. I can't stand her." Cossette looked over. I rubbed my eyes, trying to keep myself awake.

"Why is that?"

"She's too phony. How can everyone like her? She hasn't been here much longer than us. I don't get it." Cossette shrugged.

"Afni seems like the kind of person who can do what it takes to be liked by people. I wouldn't judge her too quickly, April." Afni came back threw the wood, and headed towards the center of the circle we'd made. Without saying anything, or looking at anyone, she began a fire, and threw the pig on top. I looked at her, as she walked off, and sat in the dark. The pig was done cooking quickly. Everyone grabbed at a piece, even April.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Cossette asked. I lifted my eyes.

"No. Food is not very interesting to me right now. Nothing is." We ate down as much as we could, and when we finished, Afni waved her hand and it was gone. I wiped my lip, and held out my hands to the fire. The temperature had dropped, sending a chill threw the air.

Afni was taking first watch, and I was laying there, curled up, trying to sleep. I was against a tree, with Cossette beside me. Christopher was at my feet, Janet beside him, Jalil next to me, and April next to Cossette. Afni sat off, alone. I opened my eyes, looking over at her. She didn't seem at all effected by the cold. Shrugging, I closed my eyes. As the night lagged on, I began to get very cold, and started shivering.

"David, stop shivering. Here…" I felt something land over me, and opened my eyes. Afni had covered us up in blankets, being kind to us when we were not kind to her. I watched her walk away, and sit back down at the tree.

"Do you want to me to take watch?" I asked her. She shook her head, took hold of her sword, and closed her eyes.

"I'm fine, David. Go to sleep." As I closed my eyes, I heard her begin humming. After a few moments, it began to sound farther away, and I was asleep…

I looked around the room, and found myself in school. Science class, and the teacher was looking at me.

"Mr. Levin? Were you planning on answering me sometime this century?" he asked. I shook my head a bit.

"Sorry. What was the question?" He sighed.

"What is the formula for the speed of light?" I raised my eyebrows, and looked down at my book. After a few seconds, I began to remember what we were doing.

"Oh, the formula for the speed of…light…right…um…I don't know." He sighed, shaking his head, and put a mark in his book.

"You have to pay attention, David." I shrugged my shoulders, and rubbed my eyes.

The bell rang, and I walked to my locker, popped in my combination, and started placing my books inside.

"Hey, man…" I looked up at Christopher.

"Hi."

"You, uh, sleeping?" he asked. I nodded, and pulled out my wallet.

"Yea, I am. Why?"

"Just wondering. Is Af?"

"Why do you care?" I asked, closing my locker.

"Don't snap on me, man. You were dissing her just as much as we were…"

"When?" Christopher had to stop and think.

"Well, okay, so I don't know, but…"

"Then don't include me in this…"

"What's your problem, dude?" he asked, stepping back.

"You hate someone you don't know, Christopher," Jalil said. He walked up behind me, and looked up at Christopher.

"What?"

"I mean, you and April seem to hate her more than anything, and you don't even know her."

"Alright, forget I said anything. It was just a question. I only wanted to know who was sleeping."

"You two, me, April, Janet, and Cossette. Afni won't give up her watch."

"You asked her?" I asked, looking at him. Jalil nodded, and we started down to lunch.

"Yea, I asked her. She said she wouldn't have anywhere to sleep because she's alone right now. I wouldn't do anything to piss her off, either, Christopher."

"I wasn't planning on pissing off a witch, dude. I'm not that stupid." Jalil rolled his eyes.

"Look, I'll see you guys later," he said, and walked off into his math class.

"He's got problems to deal with, doesn't he?" Christopher asked.

"Drop it, man…"

I opened my eyes to see Janet shaking me.

"It's time to move. We eat on the way."

The seven us were up on our horses and heading down the path within three minutes of waking up. Afni clapped her hands, and she fed us a couple of biscuits, while once again, she passed on the meal. After a few minutes, Cossette led us out of the forest. We watched the trees disappear, and get replaced by hills, and ice cream-scoop holes in the ground. There were still trees, but they were more spread out, and distant, so there weren't many.

After about six hours, Cossette stopped us on top of the third, and final, hill as a forest came into view. Holding out her arm, she pointed a finger at the trees.

"Therein lie Jeminna, and all her people."

"People?" Cossette nodded.

"You see, she may be a demigod, but she is a demigod with a fairy mother, and an elfen father."

"So, I take it that there aren't that many fairy-elves?" I asked. Cossette shook her head.

"Quite the contrary. You see, most of the fairy-elves are sized like fairy's, so more of them can belong in a smaller space. But Jeminna is wiser, and more beautiful than those who follow her lead. And, to top everything off, she is an enchantress."