Chapter 25 #2
Dew listened as Breeze launched into an excited explanation, with Mud chiming in enthusiastically, about how they’d seen a ‘hole in the sky,’ and how Adaline had appeared like a ‘falling sunbeam,’ and how she’d glowed even when she was asleep. Dew’s brows drew together in concern.
“Let’s go inside,” Dew instructed. “It will be more comfortable.”
Adaline silently followed the excited group along a path to a cottage set along the lake’s shore. The cottage was just as magical inside as it was out. Sunlight streamed through crystal-paneled windows, catching flecks of mist that drifted lazily along the wooden beams.
The walls were decorated with paintings that moved as if the images inside them were alive.
Depictions of forests, waterfalls, and swirling fog moved the longer she stared at them.
She blinked, her eyes wide as wonder curled through her.
With a soft shake of her head, she turned to take in the rest of the cottage.
A cozy fireplace crackled with lavender-blue flames, and a gentle breeze stirred the embroidered curtains, though the windows remained closed.
Dew moved with a quiet, practiced grace as she set out simple bowls and platters—fresh bread, thick wedges of white cheese, strips of dried fish wrapped in leaves, and bowls of golden fruit that smelled like honey and citrus.
“My husband is out fishing,” she said. “He won’t return until evening. For now, we eat. Then… we talk.”
She sent the children to wash and soon the five of them were seated around a low, circular table. Adaline sat stiffly, her back straight, trying not to fidget as she nibbled at a piece of bread.
“So,” Dew said gently, pouring a sweet-smelling tea into earthen cups. “Where are you from, Adaline?”
She hesitated. “Earth. Originally.”
That earned a brief pause and a raised brow.
“Earth? Yes… I’ve heard of it. Princess Gem’s mate, Prince Ross, hails from this faraway kingdom.
He helped save our people. It is an honor to meet you; it's not every day one encounters another person from a faraway kingdom.
You mentioned that you were from there originally.
Are you also from a different isle here?
Adaline shook her head and swallowed. “No. I-I live on another world—far away from here. It’s called Ceran-Pax. It’s the Curizan homeworld. My father took me and my mother there when I was seven. We… we’ve lived there since. I’m a hybrid—half human, half Curizan.”
“What’s a Curizan?” Mud mumbled around a mouthful of food.
Adaline glanced around the table at the row of curious faces. “A Curizan is a species that can harness the energy around them.”
“What does that mean?” Droplet asked.
Adaline frowned. “I can think of something I want, like-like a fork.”
She paused, thought of a fork… and it appeared in her hand. A ripple of startled gasps echoed around the table.
“She’s a witch! She’s from the Isle of Magic!” Spree exclaimed.
Adaline shook her head and frowned. “I’m not a witch. I don’t do magic. I create things from the energy molecules that surround us.”
“But… you turned to mist like us,” Breeze said. “Can a Curizan do that?”
Adaline shook her head again. “I-I’ve been trying to stay strong, but…
” Her throat closed. She shook her head, wiping at her face.
“Something’s happening to me. I can’t control it.
My body—it’s shifting. Changing. I can’t hold the energy.
I can’t teleport. I feel like I’m coming apart, and I don’t know how to fix it. ”
She looked up at Dew with wide, pleading eyes.
“I’m scared.”
Dew leaned forward and gently patted her hand. “Tell me—how did you come to fall from the sky?”
Adaline bit her lip. “My cousins and I are on school break. We were just trying to have a little fun. Phoenix—my cousin—she created a portal. We’ve done it before. Only this time, a bee startled us and it… corrupted the thread. Sent us spiraling.”
She set down her cup, her hands trembling slightly.
“Bálint—my friend—he was with me. We got separated from the others. Then… from each other.” Her voice broke on the last word. “I lost him.”
Tears welled in her eyes before she could stop them.
Silence settled like a blanket over the room.
Dew rose and circled the table, resting a gentle hand on Adaline’s trembling shoulder.
“You’ve come to the right place, child,” she said softly. “The mist chose you for a reason. And the fact that you’re already beginning to shift… means you belong here more than you realize.”
Adaline’s breath caught.
“I just want to find him,” she whispered. “And understand what’s happening to me.”
“You will,” Dew said.
“Maybe she is like Princess Gem. Maybe she can do lots of different things,” Breeze said.
“Princess Gem? You mentioned her before. What can she do?” Adaline asked.
“She can control all the elements,” Droplet said in a wistful voice.
Dew bowed her head. “You would indeed be very powerful if you can do that.”
“We can test it out after lunch,” Mud exclaimed with growing excitement.
Adaline swallowed and looked at the fork in her hand. She suddenly realized that it felt different from when she had created items out of energy before. It wasn’t an inanimate object or just a thing. It was if the metal in it was speaking to her—and she understood.