I bolted upright in the truck, gasping for air. Micah and Fletcher stared at me with wide eyes and worried looks, as I let out sobs of terror. They tried to console me, to convince me that I was alright, but I was still recovering from the nightmare and didn't hear what they said.

"I killed him!" I panted. "I killed that boy!"

"What are you talking about?" Micah asked, his face filled with concern.

"They didn't know anything! Why would I do that? They didn't know anything!" I exclaimed, wiping the perpetual streams of sweat and tears from my face.

The sight of Micah and Fletcher hovering nearby, trying to calm me down, helped bring me back to reality. Despite how real it felt, I was not the deep-voiced man on the throne who was brutally murdered people for information. I was Alexis Thompson who, until recently, had no idea this type of power even existed, let alone how to use it. Reminding myself of this helped ease my hysteria.

After several minutes of sobbing, I was finally able to tell Micah and Fletcher about the nightmare, leaving no detail out. I mentioned the young family who shook with fear. I described the powerful feeling of sitting on the throne, and my pleasure at watching the family tremble, completely at my mercy. I explained that I murdered the boy in cold blood by using dark magic on him.

"It's like I was there, but I wasn't. It wasn't my voice or my body that conjured the spell, yet I could feel the power coursing through me as though it were my magic," I admitted, remembering how natural the darkness seemed.

Worst of all, I remembered feeling pleased watching the pain I inflicted on the child and his family. "It was obvious that they didn't have any information. If they did, they would have given it up to save their son. I just don't understand why he would still kill that boy... why I would kill him."

"It was just a bad dream, Alexis," Micah said reassuringly.

"It wasn't a dream, though. It was... more. I could feel the cold metal of the chair beneath me, the heaviness of the gold ring on my finger, the magic that flowed through my hands as I took that boy's life," I said, shaking my head as though I could shake the memories from my mind.

As I spoke, I found myself feeling increasingly more embarrassed and ashamed to repeat the dream. I feared that they would laugh at my eccentric dreams, or worse, would grow frightened of the dark thoughts forming in my head. What if they decided they wanted nothing to do with me, that I was becoming too much like my parents, and that they should leave before it was too late?

"That's impossible, Alexis. You haven't moved from this truck. We've kept watch all night," Micah reassured me.

Fletcher, on the other hand, didn't look so sure.

"I need you to tell me everything one more time, down to the smallest details," he said earnestly.

I shook my head, and my pupils dilated in fear; I didn't want to relive those events again.

"I know that it's hard," Fletcher said, grabbing my hand and rubbing it comfortingly. "But it's important."

I took several deep breaths, bracing myself, before delving back into the dream. I gave an impressive amount of detail, down to the color of the stone in the ring, and the fog rolling in on the green hills beyond the window. I knew the metallic smell of the iron throne, the sounds of the guards' armor as they shuffled. What sort of dream would linger in my memories so long and with so much clarity?

"What is it?" I asked, seeing my own anxieties reflected on Fletcher's face.

"I think you're right; this wasn't just a dream. I think it was a vision. Many people don't realize this, but visions come in many forms. You can have visions of the future and the past like your mother did, but very rarely, a witch with the gift of sight can also see through another's eyes.

"This doesn't happen often, but it can if there is a very strong magical connection between the two individuals. I think this dream that you seeing something happening through another person's eyes in real time. Specifically, the eyes of King Casimir," Fletcher said.

Lexi gasped and Micah lets out a low, angry hiss at the idea.

"But, why would I be seeing through his eyes? I've never even met him," I murmured, panicking. I didn't like the idea that I could relive the traumatic events I just saw.

"Whether you've met him or not is irrelevant. You two are linked. You share a destiny, each with the goal of destroying the other. Sharing a fate with each other would cause a pretty strong supernatural connection."

"So, hypothetically, if they have this bond with one another, does that mean that the King could have the same ability?" Micah asked, scrutinizing me from the corner of his eyes.

Understanding what Micah was asking caused my fear to intensify. The idea that the King might be able to get into my head, to see what I was seeing and doing at any given moment, made me all the more paranoid. For all I knew, he could be watching us at that very moment.

"It's a possibility," Fletcher confirmed. "The King is very secretive and doesn't flaunt his gifts like many in the magical community do. If he doesn't have the gift of vision, it's unlikely that he can access this form of magic. But without knowing what his powers actually are, we can't be sure," Fletcher explained.

"If he can see through Alexis' eyes too, then he probably knows where we are. He could be sending soldiers to capture us as we speak," Micah said, looking out of the truck windows as though the Malin could be about to pounce.

The idea made me want to vomit. The last thing I wanted was to be the reason we were all apprehended.

"If he knew where we were, he would have already sent them," Fletcher said, easing my terror a little.

My mind was reeling with the realization that someone else could be in my head even at that moment.

"We don't even know if he has the same ability, and even if he does, he may not realize what is happening yet. He would probably assume it was just a dream like Lexi did. He doesn't know who she is, or what she looks like, so we should be safe for now."

"Would I know? If he were in my head, would I be able to tell?" I asked timidly.

"I'm not sure," Fletcher admitted, his eyebrows furrowing in thought. This seemed to make Micah just as anxious as I felt. "I've never actually met anyone who has experienced this. Like I said, it's very rare. I've only heard of two other instances in the entire history of Kapanathy, and neither of those situations were as dire as this one.

"For now, let's just lay low," Fletcher suggested. "Once we get to Kapanathy, there are witches and incantations who can help. The only problem is that we have to get there before we can utilize this knowledge."

"Well, let's get moving then," Micah said, gathering our bags without hesitation.

I began folding our blankets and stuffing them into the satchels, careful not to look at Fletcher or Micah more than what was absolutely necessary. I didn't want to take the chance of King Casimir learning that they were protecting me, and them being punished by association.

We put our packs on, stopping only long enough to look at the map. After checking to make sure that we had everything we could salvage from the truck, we turned west and began our journey on foot.

We walked for several hours in the warm August sun, as I continued to wonder what happened to the red-headed boy's family. Were they still alive, or did they suffer the same fate as their son? What a monster this man must be to get joy from such a violent act. Was I really ready to face someone this ruthless? Was everyone else's faith in me justified, or was this just some last ditch attempt for survival because they'd failed to beat the king themselves?

As we traveler, Fletcher and Micah discussed the best route to Tueri, and their contingency plans for my training when we got there. I purposely tuned them out, not wanting to give the King any more intel than necessary.

One thing I did hear, however, was that Micah was convinced he could talk the protectors into letting Fletcher stay in Tueri. Fletcher wasn't so sure.

"It's been almost twenty years since everything happened with Brianne," Micah said. "Things are different there now. There are new members on the Council.

"Besides, everyone's biggest worry is King Casimir, and trying to find any means possible to destroy him. They already believe that Alexis is the one chosen to defeat him. If we explain to them that your knowledge, training, and companionship are essential to her ability to win, they'll welcome you with open arms."

"I think you're overestimating their capability to let bygones be bygones," Fletcher said.

"I'm sure there's something we can do. Alexis needs you there, don't you?" Micah asked, looking at me for words of encouragement. But I had only been half listening to their conversation.

"Lexi, are you okay?" Fletcher asked. "You haven't said a word all morning."

"I'm fine," I muttered, looking at the ground.

Fletcher gave me a knowing smile. "You can't avoid talking to us just because you think the King might be able to hear."

I refused to look at him. "We don't know the extent of this connection yet. If he has the same capability that I have, it could turn out really bad for us. The less he's able to see, the less he knows about us. I don't want to take any chances."

"That's just a risk that we'll have to take, Alexis. I, personally, will never get tired to kicking some Malin ass," Micah said with a crass smile. "If it does happen, we'll deal with it. It's what I was trained for, remember? You just do your thing and let me do mine," Micah said, winking at me with one of his emerald eyes, causing my heart to do a salsa dance in her chest.

I saw Fletcher eyeing me, a small smile on his face, as my face turned a deep scarlet.

"Look at me, Lexi." he said, but I didn't budge. "Look at me," he said firmly, placing his hands softly on either side of my head and tilting my face upward. "This stops now. I agree that we shouldn't divulge more information than absolutely necessary, but you can't just walk around pretending we don't exist. We are a team, through the good and bad. If something happens, we will deal with it together."

He smiles, and I returned the gesture, though my stomach was still twisting in nervous knots.

"Besides, if I were to guess, the King already knows that we're helping you," Micah said.I'm sure the Malin soldier that got away has reported back to King Casimir by now."

He rolled his eyes, clearly irritate that he'd let the man get away.

"If he even survived, that is. I did get a good stab in," Micah said, a proud smirk on his face.

I remembered seeing him in my dream the precious night and I know that Micah is right, but it wasn't at his hand. I shuttered when I recalled his cries of pain echoing through the King Casimir's chambers.

Day after day the three of us walked, stopping only when absolutely necessary. Even when we tried to rest, to care for our painful injuries, Micah would guilt trip us to the point that we'd push past our discomfort just so he would shut up.

Past the snowy tops of the South Dakota mountains, the vast expanses of the Wyoming plains, and the canyons and sand dunes of the Utah desert, we continued our journey. We walked until our feet were covered in blisters. We walked until our muscles spasmed from overuse. We walked until we finally collapse from exhaustion every night, just to wake up and do it all over again the next day.

As the days passed, I found myself growing more and more resentful of my travel companions. Their constant presence and unrelenting reminder of my significance to Kapanathy's future were wearing on me. This pressure, along with my continuous fatigue, were wreaking havoc on my mind. Time seemed to slow down, and it felt like the distance between us and our destination continued to grow. At this rate, it felt as though we would never make it to Kapanathy.

I wanted nothing more than privacy, to have just a few minutes to myself without Micah and Fletcher, but that was impossible. In fact, the closer we got to the barrier, the more tightly they clung to me. Their paranoia and determination to protect me were beginning to make me feel suffocated.

I wasn't sure how much longer I could take it before I snapped. I was thankful when, after what felt like an eternity, we had finally made it to California, with the end of our journey almost in sight.

I had felt excitement when we first started closing in on Kapanathy, but that was quickly diminished. As we stood in the midst of the Mojave Desert, I realized that I had never been so miserable in my life. The bright sun beamed down from high overhead with an intensity like I had never felt before. Heat radiated from all around, smothering us with its density. Sand was an annoyance from which there was no escape, as it continuously nestled itself into my clothing and every orifice of her face. Even the nights weren't cool enough for us to find comfort.

I had long ago rolled up my blue jeans to turn them into shorts. I had taken off my blouse, now walking in my tank top. I decided to use my jacket, which had no proper purpose in a place like this, to make an improvised hat to shield me from some of the sunlight. It helped, but the bright rays were still able to get to my arms and legs, causing them to burn and making my skin tender and raw.

Water was already becoming a scarcity. Although we had tried to ration our supplies to ensure there was enough to finish the journey, the overbearing temperatures caused rapid dehydration, and we found ourselves drinking much more often. No matter how much I drank, though, it was as though I had a thirst that couldn't be quenched.

I was acutely aware of Micah drinking less and less as our supplies decreased, and I wasn't sure if I was more grateful or angry that he was going without just so the rest of us would have more.

The walk itself was an entirely different battle. The previous weeks of exercise had helped adapt my muscles and stamina for physical exertion, but this was a new test altogether. Walking on the sand felt like the equivalent of treading water- never sure where your footing would hold, and a constant battle of trying to keep your legs moving forward. Each minute of walking in the depths of the Mojave Desert felt like an hour of walking in the forests of my small hometown.

Although we were slowly gaining ground, Kapanathy seemed further away than ever. At this point I had all but accepted the fact I was going to die in this desert- sunburnt and dehydrated. But, somehow, I continued forward, more so out of habit at this point than in any actual attempt to reach our destination.

Just as I was convinced that I couldn't take another step on my wobbling legs, Micah abruptly stopped walking. I was distracted and had too much built up momentum, so I practically ran him over.

"We're here," he said, beaming at me. I looked around zealously, but all I saw was desert and cacti.

"This is it?" I asked, looking at Micah questioningly. "This piece of desert is the infamous Kapanathy?"

"Don't you feel it?" he asked enthusiastically.

"Feel what?" I snapped, concerned that the heat had finally gotten to Micah's head.

"The pull. Any time a magical being comes in contact with the barrier, there's an instant connection. It's as though that person and Kapanathy can sense each other, and Kapanathy is eager to welcome you inside," he said, putting his hands up to the air and inhaling deeply.

"I feel it too," Fletcher said with a smile. "Give it a try, Lexi."

Although convinced that they were delirious, I reached my arms out
in front of me, but I didn't feel a "pull". I tried again, concentrating harder this time, hoping to sense something, anything, to save me from thinking about the alternative.

When once again nothing happened, I began to panic. I had just traveled across the entire country with two men I barely knew... What if this had been a hoax all along? What if Micah and Fletcher were both insane, and they had made this entire story up? What if there was no Kapanathy, and I was now stuck in the desert without food or water?

"I don't feel anything," I said, dropping my arms, defeated. A look of disappointment crossed Micah's face.

"Try closing your eyes," Fletcher suggested. "Put all doubt that you may have about Kapanathy's existence from your mind, and focus on passing the barrier. Let your need to enter Kapanathy consume you, so that it is all you can think about. You are one with the barrier, and the barrier is one with you."

The whole thing seemed a bit ridiculous to me. How was I supposed to put all skepticism of its existence from my mind, when I was standing here, staring into the empty desert?

But the pleading look on Micah's face melted my heart. With a sigh, I closed my eyes and tried to focus.

I emptied my mind of all thoughts and emotions, concentrating solely on the magic inside me. I allowed it to consume me, centering my everything around it as I focused on Kapanathy. I thought about the wonder that has filled my mind since the moment Micah mentioned it, about the things I was prophesized to do there, and the people who were eager to meet me. I picture myself standing in its midst, magic flowing all around me.

Suddenly, I felt it- the pull that Micah and Fletcher had mentioned. It was like a tight, clenching inside of my chest, but not in an unpleasant way. It was as though my heart was finally whole. I opened my eyes and smiled at Micah. He smiles back, knowing that I had finally found the magic inside myself.

"Now, remember," Micah said. "We have to be particularly careful from this point forward. The Malin are more prominent in Kapanathy, meaning there's more of a chance of us being caught. If they spot us, they will not hesitate to attack. We have to use discretion until we make it to Tueri. At that point we should be safe."

Fletcher and I nodded. My stomach did nervous jumps as I thought about the battles we may soon be facing.

"And remember, Alexis, one of the conditions of us staying in Tueri is that we cannot interfere with the training processes. That includes the punishments. There are no exceptions."

"Yes, yes, I get it," I said, rolling my eyes. "Can we get on with this?" I asked impatiently, my throat burning from thirst. "What happens now?"

"There are a few ways to enter Kapanathy. One way is to use a spell that unlocks the invisibility enchantment long enough to walk inside. Normally this is what we would use, but the Malin would sense the shift in the barrier.

"Instead, we are going to enter another way, one I've never tried, but have heard is effective. I'm not entirely sure you're going to like it, though," Micah said, and I eyed him skeptically. With a sigh, he answered my unspoken question. "We must convince the barrier that we're meant to enter Kapanathy. The only way to do that without actually using magic is with our blood. The barrier will sense the magic within, and automatically open for us."

"Okay, so how do we do that?" I asked hesitantly.

"Using this," he said, pulling out his small hunting knife. He gaged my reaction out of his peripherals. When I finally understood what he was suggesting, her heart accelerates nervously.

"I'm not sure about this," I murmured. "Is there really no other way? Can't we just, like, knock or something?"

The semblance of a smile formed on the corners of Micah's lips. "It's the only way, Alexis. We've already traveled so far to get you here. We just have this one small step left," he said pleadingly.

"Fine, but you first," I muttered, postponing it for as long as possible.

I watched as he used the blade to fearlessly make an incision in his left palm. His blood poured out quickly, soaking his hand with deep crimson in a matter of seconds. I felt my stomach do a nauseous somersault. I concentrated on not passing out, as Micah wiped the edge of the knife on his shirt.

"Your turn," he said, as I looked at the knife in horror.

Knowing I would never be able to cut myself, I held my hand out to Micah, and turned away, mumbling to myself about ridiculous magical rules. I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to watch as he sliced her palm. A small squeal of protest left my lips, as the tip of the knife scraped across my skin, bringing a line of red blood to the surface.

Micah wiped the blade on this shirt sleeve once again, before passing the knife to Fletcher, who cut his palm with ease.

"Together?" Fletcher asked, looking from me to Micah.

"Together," we said.

Then we lifted our hands to the area where we could feel magic radiating through the air.

Thank you for reading! If you are enjoying this story so far, don't forget to vote! :)

© Dawn Norwell