“That doesn't make any sense. Mum explained everything to me. Quatura control the elements, but nothing else.” I could feel panic rising inside me. “That could have come from you two, couldn't it? I wouldn't do something like that on purpose. I don't even know how to do it and…”

Julian grabbed my shoulders. His hands were so warm they gave me goose bumps.

“Hey, calm down. All we know is what we saw and felt.”

I couldn't help but stare at him, only this time my gaze was searching for help, less scrutinizing.

I wanted an explanation for all of this.

“I think you should ask your mum, just in case.”

I would, someday, when I wasn't mad at her anymore and my curiosity outweighed my frustration with her.

I leaned on the railing, stunned.

All this madness seemed to have just become reality and now the fear that I would never get out of here was back.

I would stay in Blairville. Forever.

There was only one way to get out of here.

“They have a potion that makes you forget all sorts of things.”

Julian sped around to me.

“Which I hope you'll keep your hands off.”

I looked away again.

“Bay, you should probably stay away from all that Quatura stuff.”

“I don't know what to do at all,” I pressed out in a weakening voice.

I pulled the pen out of my jacket pocket and started scribbling on the soft paper.

Talking to Mum about other powers.

“Apparently you use the notebook just for yourself too,” Julian remarked in a calm voice.

“That's how it turned out. He's hardly going to control what we do with it,” I said, but immediately regretted my words. Alarik had been so passionate about it.

“Hey...,” I said, addressing Julian. “Do you have a book partner?”

He looked at me slightly puzzled as I pressed my notebook to his chest.

He pushed it back, which hurt me slightly.

“I don't want your notebook, strange neighbor,” he laughed as if it were a joke.

I was about to turn away from him to hide my disappointment when he pulled something out of his jacket pocket.

“Let's take mine. I haven't used it yet.”

He handed it to me and I took it, speechless.

Julian had a talent for surprising me.

“Wow...” I said with a dry expression. “You've just really screwed me over, you know that?”

His grin widened.

Playfully annoyed, I snatched his notebook.

“Don't break it,” he joked, as if that was how I handled books.

A few cold raindrops hit my nose and I looked at my cell phone clock.

“I've got literature history coming up, could you give me a ride back?” I asked Julian, who looked up to where the intertwining towers of clouds were making ominous thunderous noises.

“We should get back anyway, before the storm takes us out of traffic.”

Once we were back on the road, I remembered one more thing I'd been meaning to ask him all along.

“Do you think I should apologize to Emely?”

Julian continued to look at the road.

Light rain was pattering on the windshield and the sound of the windscreen wipers calmed me down a little. Eyes on Fire by Blue Foundation played softly on the radio.

“Don't worry, I'll talk to her.”

“She doesn't like me, does she?”

Julian laughed. “She doesn't like Quatura in general. It's even worse with Ruisangors. But it's in her blood.”

“In her blood?”

“According to the legend of the indigenous Senseque of Blairville, the Esadowas, the goddess of the moon created them to free humanity from the plague of Ruisangors. And it really seems like these two species were created to hate each other to the death.” I looked thoughtfully at the radio, which was switching to another soft indie song from a local band. “But with you, it's just mistrust, believe me.”

“That's not the only reason...” I said, barely audible, thinking about how she always watched me when I talked to Julian.

“What do you mean?” he asked with interest. He seemed to have absolutely no idea. Maybe I was just imagining it, but I usually had a feel for this sort of thing.

“I think Emely is a bit jealous,” I said.

Julian laughed, “Emely? Jealous? No way!”

“What makes you so sure?” I asked, seriously interested.