Chapter 38

One second there's a flash of light, and the next I'm falling down the canyon faster than I've ever done before. As I bring myself under control it takes me a couple of seconds to realize that I'm still holding onto Victoria, and she's started shaking violently, and blood is seeping out of her eyes and nose.

"Selene, goddess of the moon! I need help, Victoria's shaking and bleeding from her eyes." There's a sickening sound, and then blood starts pouring out of her mouth, "I think she's just bitten through her tongue."

Selene's voice comes back to me, "Keep going Berenike, I'll come and meet you just keep talking to me."

I start dropping down the canyon again as Victoria's shaking gets worse, "What do I do?"

"Just keep talking to me and moving towards the sea like you are. As soon as I can I'll be right with you."

"What happened? What's going on?"

"I'll talk to you about it once we've made sure that Victoria's safe ok? For now you need to keep moving towards the sea, I just felt you pass me so I'm going to teleport to you. Just don't stop."

I try not to look at Victoria's face as the world shifts around me again, and again. And then Selene's standing beside us, and she takes over. "Taylor, Victoria is dying, I need to know if you trust her?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can't read her mind, as it's gone but her soul is still there. I need to know if you trust her."

As the world shifts around us, I think back to the last week, and Emma. Can I trust someone after knowing them for less than a week? I don't know, but… "I don't know, but I think I could trust her. She's a good person at least."

Selene nods, "That will have to be enough. Taylor, even taking her to the sea might not be enough to save her."

I look Selene in the eyes, "But it might save her."

The world shifts around us again, "Yes."

I nod, "Then we take her. What do I need to do?"

"I'm holding her soul in her body, I want you to feel what I'm doing and try and take over."

I'm vaguely aware of the streamers that appear in the sky as we shift to the next world, and I reach out for Victoria with my magic as I try to feel what Selene's doing.

It takes me almost a minute as we switch worlds once more, but suddenly I can feel the same resonance that I feel when Victoria calls me. My eyes widen as I look up at Selene and she smiles at me, "That's it, you've got it. I'm going to start healing her body, you need to keep her there until her magical body finishes forming. But don't leave it too long otherwise you might be permanently bound together."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

Selene doesn't answer as we shift over to the shore, and I can feel the sea just on the other side as it pulls at my body and clothes. I almost let go of Victoria's soul, and would have if Selene didn't say, "Berenike."

When Victoria's magical body finishes forming, it wasn't a gradual thing like I imagined. Instead it was more like a reverse soap bubble popping. One moment there's nothing and the next the resonance changes and I can feel the… skin forming as I snatch my magic away from it. Not quite fast enough apparently, as it feels like a tiny bit of me is bitten off.

I watch transfixed as a full moon, with the silhouette of spear standing in front, of it glows on Victoria's forehead.

As Victoria's soul isn't trying to leave her body anymore, I focus on trying to understand what Selene's doing and quickly withdraw in confusion as she seems to be focusing on me and two other things as well as Victoria's spine and the base of her head. Instead, I focus on the feeling of my body slowly evaporating, and trying to stop it.

After a couple of hours, Selene sits back heavily, "Berenike, I have done everything I can. Please take us home, I'm exhausted."

With a great deal of relief I grab the three of us in my magic, only to freeze as something that looks like a vaguely human shaped living tree just appears standing next to us. It's magic spreading out around in a suffocating blanket that is just as bad as when Selene gave me my spear.

Selene steps in front of me, and the feeling just disappears. In a tight voice she says, "Berenike, take Victoria and go. I'll catch up when I can."

I hesitate, my spear appearing in my hand like it did when I needed it earlier. Selene calls back, "Taylor! I can't fight this and protect you, go!"

Something in her voice, or the fact she used my other name, causes me to retreat through the veil between worlds with Victoria. As I'm retreating it feels like the sea is bowing inwards towards Earth Bet, and I'm racing an incoming tide.

I quickly hurry up my pace and climb the canyon as fast as I think I safely can.

When I finally get a couple of worlds away, I look up at the sky and watch as the faint streams of magic pulse in the sky. On the next world I'm sure I can see hair thin streams flashing in and out.

Over the last two transitions, I watch the sky intently, only relaxing when I finally teleport back home.

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I've barely arrived in the valley before dad has pulled me into a bear hug. "I thought I'd lost you, I thought I'd lost you."

Awkwardly, I hug dad back as I lay Victoria on the floor and hold my spear a safe distance away from the two of us.

After a few minutes I lean back and ask, "Where's Selene?"

From behind me, Lacey says, "Wasn't she with you?"

In surprise I quickly teleport behind dad as my spear flashes into my hand. As I look behind me I seen Sarah, Kurt, and Lacey all sitting on the grass. "Where did you come from?"

Lacey chuckles, "We dragged Danny here while he was threatening to gut Lung."

Sarah rubs her wrist, "I for one am very glad that Danny never bothered actually training with Selene. I swear it was like trying to stop a fishing trawler crashing into the docks with my bare hands."

Dad nods decisively, "And that changes right now."

Kurt looks at Victoria and asks, "Who's that?"

I look between Dad and Kurt, "I hope you don't want me to teach you, as I'm not that good. That's Victoria Dallon, or Glory Girl in costume. I was trying to save her when whatever happened. Does anyone know what happened?"

Dad pulls me into a hug again as he says, "You were caught in a bomb. The PRT called, apparently it was a time stop bomb. Like Greyboy, but static."

Sarah stands up awkwardly, "I'm going to let Victoria's parents know she's alive. She is alive isn't she?"

I nod, "She's asleep at the moment, but her mind feels blank."

"How do you know that?"

"I uh," I pause as I realize I can still feel Victoria's resonance in my chest. But it's clearer than I've ever felt a resonance before.

Shaking my head I say, "I'm not sure, I'll need to ask Selene when she gets back. But she'll need to stay here until she's better, one way or another. She needs to learn how to control her magic, as I'm not going to let her just die because she wakes up in the middle of the night or something."

Sarah nods, "I'll ask for a few changes of clothes too then."

I nod, "Probably a good idea. I'd give you Amy's number, but it was on my phone. Do you know where Catlin lives?"

Sarah shakes her head, so dad rattles off Mr Persons' address. Once he's finished, I say, "It's just over the road from dad's house. They should have Amy's number at least. When you speak to her, ask her to have them turn the landing lights on."

Sarah chuckles, "Landing lights?"

I nod, "They have a red and green light on the roof of their house. The Pelham's have two of each. You can see them from the south west corner of the Medhall building."

"Why would they do that? Oh, right flying. Forget I said that."

As Sarah disappears, I turn to the other three and ask, "Sarah's letting people know that we're safe, who's gathering water, who's hunting, and who's grinding grain?"

Dad ruffles my hair, "I can get the water and wood for a fire."

I nod, "Don't forget to take the wood from inside the forest. And be careful, Selene isn't here to keep an eye on you."

Dad laughs, "I don't think you're giving your old man enough credit."

As I look at the other two, Kurt puts his hands up, "Don't look at me, I went hunting once with a rifle."

Lacey shakes her head, so I huff "Fine, you're on grain grinding duty then. I'll show you the grinding rocks, remember, you need to put some force behind it, but not so much that the grain goes flying."

Kurt shakes his head, "Can't we just use magic to grind it?"

I smile sweetly at Kurt, "Do you know how to use magic to grind it?"

"Uh, I figured there was a spell or something to do it."

I laugh, "There might be, but I don't know it. You need to learn how to grind the grain yourself, then you can use magic to do what you already know."

I fish out a shallow woven basket and my second attempt at weaving cloth, the first not being of any use according to Selene. Into the basket I put seven double handfuls of grain. That should be enough to make bread for everyone.

"Lacey, could you grab that wooden tray there please?"

The tray in question is an oval around two feet wide with a slightly flattened edge where it's been pushed up against the grinding stone so many times. I lead the two of them over to the grinding stone and carefully put everything down next to it, before using my ignition power to ensure the surface and stone are dry.

"For next time you need to do this, I've just dried off the stone, but you need to make absolutely sure that the stone is dry. Next put enough grain in the bowl of the stone to make a flat pool a few inches across, and start grinding into a coarse flour. Once you've ground that, make sure the cloth is draped over the wooden tray, and scrape the flour onto the tray, then repeat until there's no more grain in the basket."

Kurt groans, "That's going to take hours."

I smile, "You could always do the hunting."

As Kurt begins, I add, "Oh, and try not to tear the cloth, it took a few days work to make it."

Once I'm sure the two of them are dealing with things properly, I check on Victoria before I move closer one world closer to the sea of magic so that I have time to hunt. For a moment, I consider moving another world closer, but I know this area, as Selene and I have been doing our joint hunts here. I hope I can find something small, as I don't think I could take one of those big beasts without knowing I have backup.

As I'm taking time to consider stuff, it all suddenly hits me and I sink to my knees. "Selene, goddess of the moon. How do I do this? I almost died."

Selene's voice comes back, "The same way you always have, one day at a time. I will be back as soon as I can be."

At the sound of her voice I brighten up, "Where are you? What was that thing?"

"It's a sleeper, and I'm trying to put enough distance between us that it can't find Gaia after I go through the veil."

"What can I do to help?"

I can feel Selene's laughter as she says, "Unless you have a large chunk of iron I can throw at it, there's nothing you can do."

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21 April, or is it the 22nd?

It was the 21st when whatever happened happened. I've just sent Kurt back to regrind the grain as there's so much unground husk that the bread would be inedible.

Over food, I told the others about my brief conversation with Selene. I don't understand how they can be so ambivalent about whether she comes back or not. Dad and I would be dead if she wasn't there.

They all just went really quiet when I pointed that out.

Dad, Kurt, and Lacey are going to find an actually abandoned container or car and bring it back here. Well, dad's going to bring it back here and then we'll call Selene about getting it to her, as he's the one with her mark.

While they're gone, I'm going to try and improve my ability to sense my surroundings. I can't be caught like that again. And when they get back, they are going to tell me what happened.

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Day 2

It's weird being here without Selene. I miss her. I spoke to her earlier, as I didn't know how to feed Victoria. I've been wetting her lips to help her keep hydrated. Now I just need to practice teleporting things from one place to another without teleporting myself. Oh, and I need to practice with the diagnostic spell so that I can find her stomach.

Ugh, pre-chewing food is disgusting, but at least I was able to get Victoria to swallow some. I hope she doesn't lose too much more weight before I work out how to teleport food into her stomach.

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Day 4

I'm glad Selene taught me how to do everything by hand. It means there's always something to do when I start worrying again. I'm going to need to go hunting again tomorrow.

I was able to teleport a stone from one plate to another. But it wasn't quite accurate enough, even with my spear. Shit, I'm going to have to either teleport or use the diagnostic spell without the spear.

Just fed Victoria again, but she seems to have put on weight. Her wrists weren't showing the bones when I lifted her up to aid the food going down. How can she be putting on weight?

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Day 5

Dad, I'm going forward two worlds to hunt, if you see this then I made a mistake.

Ok, I found something, and the fire still has hot embers so I was less than 8 hours here. I don't think I could hunt in one of the other worlds, as this was my third kill, the other two seemed to be thick hides with pure magic inside, a bit like Selene when we were trying to find the world she could camp on. At least the meat should last us a week, longer if I make jerky. I'll make jerky.

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Day 6

I've been able to teleport some food into Victoria's stomach. I can't help wondering what's keeping everyone. I know it's only been a few minutes for them, but still.

That was trippy! Something weird just happened while I was practicing with my spear, it was like I could see everything around me, as well as hear it. Once I stop feeling like I'm going to throw up, I'm going to keep practicing.

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Day 7

I really should buy a book on gardening, as I have no idea how to tell if any of Selene's crops are ready to be harvested. I wonder if

Victoria's awake!