“Okay…what do you think will happen?”

He knocked on the metal exam table. “You can’t phase through things that aren’t living, or else you should have phased through your seat. But since I was able to phase through you, I'm curious what will happen if you touch something alive.”

I reached out, but hesitated, thinking about the twelve dim lights in the room with us. I clenched my fists, gathered my nerves, and moved into the Unseen.

The plant didn’t disappear like Glass did, but its color became saturated. I focused tight in front of me, unable to suppress the fear of death all around, trying my best to not confront it. I touched the plant. My fingers phased through, but the leaves were so hot, I whipped my hand back.

“So?” asked the doctor, when I was visible again.

“It nearly burned me.” I held my stinging hand to my face, but it looked normal.

He scrutinized the plant before writing another note in the journal. “Looks like you can’t hurt or damage any soul you touch in that state, but the reverse might be true. Be careful getting too close to these lights, for now.”

I wrapped my arms around myself. “Not a problem. The idea of touching another soul is beyond creepy to me.”

He replaced the notebook with a smaller notepad from his desk and wrote down some kind of prescription. It read:

To the office of Dr. Gold-and-Silver.

Remember that favor you owe me?

-Glass Of-the-City

I blinked, reading it over again. “No offense, Dr. Glass, but I have no idea what this means.”

He smiled. “Gold-and-Silver is one of my colleagues. We studied together in the City. He's one of the only doctors I know that specializes in the development of powers connected to the Unseen Dimension. As a matter of fact, he’s in the Divine Pantheon.”

“Pantheon?” The phrase was familiar to me, although I couldn’t quite remember what it meant.

“I warned you against playing hooky,” he chastised. “Hundreds of people in the Wilds and Wind have Divine Varieties like yours, but only a select few wield the first ten gifts from the Goddess of Creation. Dr. Gold-and-Silver has one of these rare abilities, which is why he’s the one I trust the most. I’d really like you to meet with him.”

The note was heavy in my hand. “Will he be able to help me understand this power?”

“Without a doubt.”

“Let me guess. The only way I can meet with him…”

“Yes.” He jabbed a finger at the black heart of the forest. “You’ll have to meet him in the Savage Wild.”

Chapter Three

Up the Mountain

Against a midnight sky, Willow was bright. He basked a smile in the moonlight while we sat on my roof, a ritual of ours since we were six years old. The two of us would talk late into the night about anything and everything.

Three days had passed since the kerfuffle with the Fruit, and tomorrow I’d be leaving for the Wilds to meet with the Divine specialist. My three friends would be accompanying me, a decision my parents were uncertain about after my near-death experience. Ultimately, they concluded that since I was almost seventeen, I should have the privilege of traveling without them for the first time. Naturally, I was terrified.

“Everyone else seems afraid of the Wilds,” I told Willow in a low voice. “Why shouldn’t I be too?”

“People fear it because they don’t understand it,” he answered.

I hugged my legs to protect my body from the cold night air. “They do keep to themselves though, like they have secrets. I’m not surprised people are wary.”

“The greatest truths are found in the deepest secrets,” he said, staring at the moon.

“Huh?” I raised an eyebrow, trying not to laugh at his proverbial way of speaking.

“Never mind. It sounded cooler in my head.” He brushed some rogue blond hairs from his face, only for them to fall again. “Is that why you’re on the roof tonight?”

“I have many reasons for being up here,” I sighed. “I’ve never been anywhere so far away before.”

There was another reason too, one I kept to myself. In my dreams I saw the blue and gold light. In my heart, I knew it was him. Willow was the only one brilliant enough to have a soul like that.

He stretched to the sky, the large, waning moon creating a halo around his head. “I’ve traveled all over the continent, and the most important thing I’ve learned is that the more you experience the world, the better you understand others and yourself.” He sat closer to me. “Even if we meet difficulties along the way, it's nothing more than an opportunity to learn.”

The sound of an opening window made me flinch. Willow jumped off the roof.

“Badge?” Mama Robin poked her round face through the window, framed by thick dark hair. “What are you doing out here? You need rest for tomorrow.”

“Sorry mama. I needed to clear my head.”

“Did Willow need to clear his head too?”

I laughed, and so did my friend from below. He flew back, looking sheepish. “I didn’t mean to keep him up Ms. Robin, sorry. I oughta go catch some z’s myself.”

She shook her head and beckoned inside. “Now Willow, you must stay here tonight. I don’t know how you can stand living in a tent so often.”

“Nomads have no roots,” he answered with a shrug. “We don’t sleep as well in beds, I’m afraid, but I appreciate the thought. Give Ms. Puma my best!”

He flipped from the rooftop and sang, “See you in the morning!”

Robin giggled. As soon as he was out of earshot, she asked, “Are you sure it’s a good idea to take him with you?”

I pushed her aside as I climbed back inside. “Don't be like that. Willow’s much more useful than me when it comes to traveling. Sometimes he seems like an idiot, but it's mostly an act.”

Puma entered the room, hands on her hips and brow furled. “Tsk. Just as I suspected. You need to go to bed, son, or tomorrow is not going to be easy.”

I grumbled and tried to push them both out. “Why is everyone in my room? Give me a break!”

Robin was not so easily moved, but she mussed my hair and joined her wife at the door. “We have something we need to give you. Here.”

She handed me a roll of paper, a single gold sheet, heavy and cold in my hand. It was a piece of technology from the City called a golden scroll. Writing on one leaves an imprint on its pair, so two people can communicate regardless of distance.

“Really?” I ran a finger across the smooth edge. “These are pricey, aren’t they?”

Puma winked. “Don’t fret. We borrowed this from Glass.”