TO GET TO the Alpha Plane, we had to travel from one plane to the other in order. That meant we had to pass through the most perilous plane first: the Beta.

I knew of a Gate which we could use ( one I had been encouraged to travel to in order to escape the war ) about an hour's walk from the Underground. It was guarded by a small coven —or at least it had been at the time. I was not sure if the females had survived.

I locked up the Cotton Candy and parted with it reluctantly, my hand lingering on the door handle. I hoped that the next time I saw it would be soon.

"Come on, Purple," Georgia sighed, feigning understanding as to why I was so distraught. "You're the one who said that we needed to get going."

I nodded halfheartedly and sighed, before walking away. Maybe the pain would fade the further we went.

It did begin to dull a few streets on; with Adam flanking my right with a hard, cold expression on his face, while Georgia trudged a few paces behind us, staring at the leaning steel endoskeletal ruins either side in vague awe like a tourist.

It was dusty —but I tried to ignore it. I kept my gaze ahead and levelled, intent on pausing to assess the mess only when we had the opportune moment to do so. Now was not even close to that moment.

I had to concentrate on safely getting these humans to the Gate. Weavers know what lurked in the shadows to jump at us along an unfamiliar path.

No one spoke.

To avoid on-route conflict we all kept our thoughts to ourselves. For the humans, it was beneficial.

For me, whose mind was as rarely empty as Adam insisted that his own was, it was a way to ensure torture. Thoughts about what could go wrong plagued me; taunted me the most. And underlaying those, as though they were not enough on their own, I worried about the Dreamcatcher Authority.

What would they do when word eventually reached them of my magic and gifts?

I surprised myself by feeling no sense of terror about being put to death. Perhaps it would be some kind of blissful release instead of a punishment.

And before my thoughts could wander anywhere else, Georgia broke the silence with, "What does one of these Gates look like, exactly?"

I glanced back at her out of the corner of my eye. "They look as those who built them dictate. The ones on Earth resemble your round doorways of metal. In the Alpha Plane, the grandest Gates are carved out of solid diamond, and tower for miles. Some are round; some mimic regular doors. All are guarded."

"Guarded?" echoed the teenage girl, clutching her backpack straps more tightly.

I tilted my head. "Do you think that we wanted humans to discover pathways to and from our worlds?"

"Point taken," she huffed.

Adam gave me a curious look. "And when us humans did find the Gates, what did you do?"

I swallowed nervously as I looked ahead of me again. "...They were slaughtered," I stated flatly.

The conversation died; completely fell to uneasy silence.

I tried not to be stiff, but I knew what they were considering. Was I leading them to a trap?

"It has been a good number of years," I almost chuckled; my voice wobbling, "since they killed a human for approaching a Gate. I am not even sure if the coven that guarded this particular one is still there."

"How can we take any chances?" Adam grunted.

"You will simply have to trust me," I said, clenching my fists. "I am the one with the magic."

That fact seemed to suffice.

The street then opened up into a large cul-de-sac, with giant piles of rubble surrounding the only building to have survived right in the middle, at the back. Thick vines of ivy curled around pillars of concrete and steel, blossoming with wild flowers.

I halted. "This is it. The Gate is inside."

Adam drew his black semiautomatic pistol and held it out in front of him as he scanned the area.

Georgia walked right up to me, unconcerned. I then saw why: fraying yet flying defiantly in the wind, was a blue flag with the Earth in the center.

"...It looks like this place has already been sieged," the teenager murmured.

"Then let us go in," I prompted, marching that way. "We have nothing about which to worry."

Despite that, we walked into the building with unsteady caution. The vines continued along the walls, overtaking the man-made concrete. The interior was absolutely deserted; not one thing left to indicate its purpose. The emptiness was eerie.

Then Georgia tripped over an exposed cord of wire.

Everything happened too fast —arrows of light and fire shot through the musty air, missing us by a hair. Before we could process that, regular arrows of solid metal joined them. None of them seemed to hit me.

But I drew a breath as I then whipped around to find my travel companions pinned to the ground by those metal arrows, squirming in their hold.

"Who goes there?" demanded an even and deep feminine voice. It was filled with authority and power.

Figures emerged from behind pillars and chunks of fallen concrete; rough, bereft of sustenance and clad in black and grey. The art on their faces were more the shape of swirled ivy, in red and gold.

The Flame Lily Coven.

"Wytches," I said aloud. "You...survived."

One of them; with hair the colour of copper and her skin like honey, sneered, lowering her sleek bow. "The Dreamcatcher is not completely clueless."

"I..." I faltered, unable to find words, while the humans still protested. "I did not realise that —"

"Why have you brought these humans with you, Dreamcatcher?" asked the grave voice of a leader, and when she revealed herself I had to blink several times before realising that I was awake.

She was tall, slender and her skin was as dark as ash; though with a warm glow about it. She had eyes of glittering luminous stars. Her hair, which was straight and cut in a harsh line across the middle of her back was a bright gold. She did not join her sisters in wearing grunge —her style was elegant and regal. Her dress of pure flame flickered to the floor.

"The humans," she repeated, angling her head towards them. Her features were so sharp and defined.

"Please do not harm them," I spoke up, addressing the rest of the coven as well. "They are with me."

The coven leader sucked on her pearly teeth. "You know the law, Dreamcatcher. Humans are prohibited from crossing over. The other lands are the one place where we are safe from them."

"They are not there to misbehave," I insisted. "We are searching for a cure to a magical ailment. A cure which can only be found somewhere in the planes."

"Why have you not sought the spell of a Wytch?" she quipped; one of her perfect brows arching.

"He did," I glanced at Adam. "She even tested his blood. And she told him that the issue is not curable with a spell. It is complicated and dictated by Fate."

"What in Hekate's name could destiny possibly have planned for a human?" she clipped.

"I do not know," I admitted. "But our fates are bound."

The Wytch's eyes then flickered back and forth from me to the soldier, as though she could see the strings that tangled between us. Perhaps it would have been enough to convince her —if not for someone cutting in.

"We cannot allow this," hissed the copper-haired Wytch. "She could have simply gone alone."

There was that possibility —but this was about Adam. The journey felt hollow with his absence.

"It is not for long," I stressed. "Please."

"It does not take even a moment to light the flame of destruction," the coven leader informed me tightly, running a hand over her molten skirt.

I had no response to that.

"Purple!" Georgia cried, "save us!"

"Silence, human," warned another Wytch.

"I am not leaving without them," I stated.

"Very well. Since you seek to violate this which we hold dear, Dreamcatcher," continued the coven leader, "I am afraid that you must be detained indefinitely."

"Pardon?" I spluttered.

"What about the humans?" asked the Wytch with honey skin. "The man has a pistol."

The coven leader flicked her hand in disinterest as she turned on her heel. "Dispose of them," she sighed.

Every Wytch poised her bow and nocked a deadly arrow designed to kill in a single firing.

"But humans are no longer killed for this," I firmly pointed out. "There are laws for that too."

"No one is going to know," was the sly reply.

Georgia screamed —while Adam remained perfectly composed, still and definitely calculating.

"No!" I exclaimed, darting to shield them.

The Wytches hesitated, frowning.

"If you do not move," warned the honeyed Wytch who seemed too eager to fire even if I refused, "we will not restrain our fire. You will burn, Dreamcatcher."

"I have no fear of a few stab wounds," I assured her, a smirk tugging the corner of my lips.

She scoffed —and fired an arrow of flame.

My hand raised as a reflex, and I anticipated the heat of yet another burning...but none came. Instead, ice had come from my hand, and instantly frozen the arrow. It slid to the floor; just a white bit of icicle.

The coven leader paused, and glanced backwards.

All eyes were on it, until another arrow fired. This time made of steel. My hand raised to meet that one as well, though multicoloured mist burst from my palms —and the arrow abruptly splintered into blue and purple and pink shards, which dissolved in the air.

Every bow lowered. Now I had everyone's attention.

"Horseshit," the honeyed Wytch cursed, throwing down her bow. The clang echoed throughout the room. "Her? Of all the possible beings —she is one of them?"

"Lysandra," the coven leader clipped, her eyes two glowing slits. "Do not dare to be so disrespectful."

The copper-haired Wytch curled her lip distastefully.

"What do you mean, I am one of them?" I questioned.

No one seemed willing to give me an answer. The Wytches simply murmured amongst themselves and stared at me in awe and bemusement.

Then the coven leader turned back to me, her smile plastered and wide, as she said, "Welcome, Eve."