Author’s Note: I wasn’t sure how I wanted to go about introducing this part of the back story into things. This way works, though it does it from a distance…

“No! No, please, no…” Enya thrashed around on her makeshift bed, tangled up in the blanket, still screaming as she threw herself about. Oceana leaned close to her, trying to catch hold of the other woman’s arms and get her still.

Sherwin knelt down on Enya’s other side, reaching for her. “Shh, now, Enya. It’s all right—”

“Move,” Cress ordered, pushing past everyone and sitting down next to her. He put a hand on her forehead, and the thrashing stopped, reduced to shudders as she sobbed. She did not open her eyes, but she was calmer, and Oceana sighed. She knew that no one else could do what her brother did, and the way Enya had been screaming had already woken everyone, but she’d been hoping to stop things before he got drawn into it. He shouldn’t do this, not after all he had done, but he would never turn his back on any of them, even if he should.

“I killed them,” Enya said, anguished. She pulled away from Cress, shivering. “I killed them…”

He drew her into his arms, holding her against him. Oceana winced, not liking how much contact he had with the other woman. Sure, it would keep her calm, but that much physical contact would drain him that much faster.

“This is familiar—and not in a good way,” Sherwin said, backing toward the door. Oceana nudged Terra, sending her close to him. Moira was already on the move, knowing as Oceana did that having the rest of them stand there would only make things harder for Cress. He was already pushing too far, and they had to try and stop this from becoming worse. Last thing they needed was him killing himself because Enya had a nightmare.

Sherwin shook his head, leaning against the wall. “Poor Enya. She’s just as bad as she was when it first happened.”

Terra studied them, a dark look on her face. “This isn’t good. It took him the better part of a week to calm her down last time.”

“Are you kidding? You think a week is bad? Others might not have come back from that at all.” Sherwin frowned, looking at his sister and then Terra. They said nothing, but Oceana did not expect them to, not in front of her. Sherwin had missed the point. If this was anything like the last time, it might just kill Cress. He didn’t have a week’s worth of comfort in him. “Damn. I’d forgotten how hard this was to watch.”

Terra’s eyes never left the others. “So much pain… How can he stand it?”

Oceana shrugged, trying not to let it show, didn’t want them all knowing how much it bothered her. “I figure he flushes it away, makes it easier for both of them.”

Moira sighed. “This is going to mess up the watch schedule.”

“I can stand watch with Terra,” Oceana said. She saw them looking at her and shook her head. “You and Sherwin have the harder job, listening for signs of their approach. I don’t. I’m fine. You two go some rest.”

Moira glanced toward Cress and Enya, frowning as she did. “He will need you later, Occie.”

“I know.” She already knew the cost her brother was paying, and she’d help if she could, but she was almost as helpless as the rest of them. She didn’t understand why Cress was so good with emotions, why he was able to do what he did and soothe all of them. The sound of water was used for relaxation, baths could be soothing, and water cleansed, but why did that mean that he had to be the one that embodied all of that? Why was he the only one who could alter moods? They could all irritate each other, but they didn’t relieve pain like he did.

They weren’t burdened like he was.

“Come on, Terra.”

“She can scream, can’t she? No wonder she lives alone,” Sherwin said, rubbing at his ear. He should be deaf, having heard the scream while listening for signs of an approach, too focused on his sense of hearing—his eardrum could have burst if it had been an explosion. At least his watch was already over because he wasn’t up to doing that again.

Oceana stopped in the doorway. “Wait. The town. Did they hear her?”

Sherwin held up a hand. He closed his eyes, grimacing. He put his hand on his sister’s arm as he tuned in to the wind. “At least one of them did. Damn it.”

“They blaming it on the wind?”

Moira’s lips set into a thin line as the building shook around them. “They will.”

Author’s Note: The team can work together. Sometimes.

“I’m keeping this one.”

“Go ahead. It’s not like I want your cooties.”

“Cooties? Nice, Cress. What are you, five?” Sherwin shook his head. Enya giggled, though, enjoying Cress’ joke far more than she should have. She smiled, taking another bite of her sandwich, still trying to bait him, and Sherwin had to admit he’d missed that. She used to be good at getting a reaction out of the poster boy for elemental control, the one who never seemed bothered by a thing, never had trouble with anything he wanted to do with his element. No, it was nice to see him doing something more than ordering them around, being human again instead of so perfect all the time.

Sherwin settled back against the wall, picking up his own sandwich. “I didn’t sense anything out there. We should probably keep checking, though.”

“In shifts. Everyone needs to rest, but you, Moira, and Terra will have to keep watch.”

“Cress—”

“If Occie or I could sense them coming, I’d have one of us do it, and don’t think we won’t be helping, but the three of you can use your attunements to give us some advance warning. We can’t. Enya can’t. So while one of the three of us will back you up during your watch, one of you has to be guarding at all times. Terra and I have the last watch—we’ll be headed off to get some sleep in a minute. I know you’ll say you want Enya with you, but I’d rather she was with Moira. You’d be too distracted.”

“Hey—”

“He’s right,” Moira said. “All you’d do is talk old times or try and flirt with her. Enya can stand watch with me. Sorry, Occie. You’re stuck with my brother.”

“It’s fine,” Oceana told her, her eyes darting towards Terra. No one would say it, but Cress had already taken the worst partner for himself. Maybe he could keep her calm, but Sherwin didn’t envy him that task.

“If you don’t mind, Moira, I think we should have second shift. I… I tend to wake in the night and have trouble falling back asleep, so that would fit my schedule best.”

Moira grimaced. “You still have nightmares?”

“Yeah,” Enya said, shoving the sandwich away. Her nose wrinkled, and her hand went to her mouth, trying to hold back her nausea. Cress put a hand on her arm, and she let out a breath, just about collapsing on him. “Thank you.”

He shrugged, moving his hand back to his sandwich and taking another bite. After chewing, he pointed to her discarded food. “If you’re not going to eat that now, wrap it up. Occie can freeze it for you. She’s gotten pretty good at that over the years. I still seem to turn everything soggy and cold, not frozen.”

Enya nodded. “I think I’m done for now. I shouldn’t have brought up the memories. They always take my appetite away. The way that it smelled—No. I’m not going there again.”

Sherwin stirred up the air, sending it swirling around her, hoping to help clear the smell of charred flesh from her mind. He knew it wasn’t real, but everyone knew what Enya’s nightmares were about. Even with their parents to help them, Cress and Occie hadn’t put that fire out in time.

She gave him a slight smile. Sherwin smiled back. Maybe there was hope yet.

Author’s Note: Oh, those complicated team dynamics. Too many frayed nerves, a bit of overreaction… It’s a mess.

“Here,” Oceana said, tossing her brother a shirt. Cress caught it and shook his head, causing most of them to laugh. Enya frowned, having forgotten their sense of humor. Sure, it was warped, and they’d gotten worse while she was away, but they’d been like this before. She shouldn’t be surprised.

“’Save water, drink beer,’” Cress read, rolling his eyes. “Very funny, Occie.”

She grinned. “I knew you’d like it. Come on, put it on. It should fit, and it is preshrunk cotton.”

He grimaced, walking to the back of the room. She watched him, frowning, wondering when he had gotten so self-conscious. He’d never been that shy around them. They didn’t have much in the way of personal space most of the time, and they’d all grown up together. They couldn’t be squeamish.

“Where’s the food?”

“Someone’s hungry,” Sherwin said, taking out the plastic container with the first sandwich in it. He set it in front of Terra, and she grabbed it, going over to the corner. Moira took the next one, settling herself on the floor by the door.

“When you have a chance, one of you needs to check our perimeter.”

“Cress, no military terms. We’ve been over this. We’re not half that organized.” Sherwin picked up his sandwich and gave it a wide grin before turning to Enya. “Someone might be showing off for you. I’m going to have to step up my game.”

She rolled her eyes. “You had your chance and blew it more than fifteen years ago. I’m not thirteen, and your lines are more than a little stale.”

“Regardless of how I phrased it, I need someone looking for any signs that we’ve been found. There isn’t enough water here for Occie or me to track anything—not that I can—and so one of you is going to have to do it,” Cress said, reaching into the bag and removing the last sandwich. “Someone thinks this is funny, then?”

“No, we got enough for everyone. I swear.”

Enya shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”

He shoved the sandwich at her. “Eat it.”

“Cress—”

“Don’t argue. I might have to flood the room, and then no one will get to eat.”

She sighed, opening the box and taking out the sandwich. He watched her until she took a bite. Oceana shook her head, turning to Terra. “Where the hell is it?”

“Excuse me?”

“You got rid of Enya’s sandwich, didn’t you? I am done. Even if I felt sorry for you because of Stone, any sympathy I might have had is completely gone now. This childish stuff stops, now, or I will remind you of just how dangerous water can be.”

“I didn’t do anything to the sandwich. I didn’t even go with Moira and Sherwin to get them. I didn’t see any sandwiches until Sherwin took the first one out.” Terra shook her head. “I may be angry and messed up—I am—but I’m not that petty or that childish. I didn’t take her sandwich, damn it.”

“I know we bought enough sandwiches for everyone,” Moira said. “I had to grab one because Sherwin couldn’t decide what Enya would want. We know everyone else’s tastes, but not hers. It was on the top, so… It must be in the car.”

“I’ll go. I should have known something was wrong when mine was on top,” Sherwin said. “We grabbed hers last. It should have been right on top for you. Sorry.”

“Stop and get a read while you’re out there,” Moira told him. “Cress is right. We need to know if they saw us at the store or someone noticed us coming back. We can’t afford to be anything less than vigilant. That bastard is going to hunt us until he takes us all, and I refuse to let that happen.”

“We all do.”

Author’s Note: Oceana wanted to tell part of the story. I didn’t object, even if I was surprised.

“We should stop.”

“Oh, really? Who are you to give us orders, Enya? No one besides Cress has seen you in years,” Terra said, and Moira glared at her from the driver’s seat, something she could ignore as though she’d never seen the mirror. Enya was doing her best not to look at it, and Oceana understood. The rest of them, they had broken mirrors, and they didn’t care. They weren’t scared.

Then again, most of them hadn’t killed anyone, either.

“Terra, if you wake my brother, I’ll drown you myself.” She’d been doing her best to keep Cress under, trying to get him to rest and restore, but Terra was bound to push too far again. She always did. She and Enya had never been friends, would never be friends. Sometimes Oceana thought the team would be better off without Terra, but now that Stone was gone, they were stuck with her. They had to have someone who could control earth.

“We are not going to fight. Not in the car. That’s suicide. Too many tempers, and we’d kill each other in a second,” Sherwin said, shaking his head. “I just got tempted to quiet you all with a gust of wind, and that would have been—Well, you know what it would have been.”

“We need to stop for Cress’ sake,” Enya said, sinking down in her seat, as far away from the rest of them as she could get. “Even if he’s resting, we’re all so tense we’re draining him. He can’t rebuild like this, not even with Oceana’s help. He needs to be alone, where no one can draw on him for a while. You’ve got to get me the hell away from him because I’m doing the most damage right now.”

The guilt. Enya would drown in it if not for Cress’ ability to flush the darker emotions out, purging everyone but himself. Oceana sighed. “She’s right. I am just holding things back, not fixing anything. It’s a stalemate, but if we keep fighting, it’ll get worse. I can’t counteract that, and he’s been doing too much ever since Stone died.”

“There’s a motel off the road up ahead. Crappy thing, abandoned years ago, but that has never mattered to us,” Moira said. “Trouble is, people will still notice us heading there and not coming back.”

“If it’s a dirt road, Terra and I can make it look like the dust cloud from the car headed back the same way after getting lost. It’s not perfect, but it’ll do.”

Moira nodded. “All right.”

“That place will be disgusting.” Terra looked back at Oceana. “You think you’ll be able to flush the rooms just a little?”

“What the wind doesn’t throw out we can handle.” Moira drove past the town, taking the turn off for the hotel that had been their base several times in the past. Cress liked to make it rain here, and the locals would be so shocked by that they never paid attention to anyone coming or going. Oceana would have had to burst their pipes, and she didn’t feel like ruining lives for the sake of a distraction.

She combed her fingers through her brother’s hair. She wished Moira would just take over as the leader. Somehow it always fell to her if Cress was gone or incapacitated, and she was as good at it or better. She didn’t even seem to hate it as much as he did. If he could give up a bit of the responsibility, a bit of the burden he carried, maybe Oceana wouldn’t have to watch her brother wander around like the living dead, mostly gone but stuck somehow, trapped with them by his endless loyalty. When he realized what it took to keep them calm, he should have run. He should have found a way to have his own life.

Instead, he’d let Enya walk away, and while Oceana had always understood his reasons for that—if she was pushed, if she fought, people died, and it was better if she never had to do what they did just to survive—a part of her still hated the other woman. She was stuck watching her brother slowly kill himself, and the only other person she’d cared about was already dead.

If not for the damage Enya could do, Oceana would have preferred to leave her behind. Let her deal with her own messes. At least the woman had the sense to know what she was doing and tried to make it right.

Stone was dead. Nothing would be right again.

Author’s Note: This is the scene I was doing before I stopped to finish “After the Flood.” I think I like having that part go first better, even if this has some of the necessary details of “how.” It also might not belong to the overall story, but I’ll see how I feel about it later.

“Wait,” Sherwin said, stopping and grabbing hold of his sister, closing his eyes. Cress watched them in silence, knowing the signs of when they were listening to the wind. Air and earth seemed more attuned to their surroundings, able to hear and feel things at great distance—though Oceana could sometimes sense things from the water. He’d never done that, but he didn’t care if he did or not. He had enough “gifts.”

He’d been the first to break a mirror, and he still cursed himself for that day. He wondered if that was what was behind that saying about breaking a mirror causing years of bad luck, if the ancient beliefs about corruption of the soul were in part based on people like them, people who could tap into the other dimensions and manipulate this world through it. That would mean that he understood half of what he did and why he did it, why he could do it, but he never had, and he didn’t figure that he ever would.

Moira’s eyes snapped open, and she yanked herself free from her brother, shaking her head even as the breeze stirred around her. That expression said scared, but Moira didn’t do scared.

Terra frowned, her eyes darting between Moira and Sherwin. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Fire,” Sherwin said. “Not their kind. Ours. Has a different scent. Doesn’t die out like it should. This one’s been going for a while.”

“Damn it.”

“It has to be Enya, doesn’t it?”

“No, we want it to be Enya. If it’s not her, then it’s someone who can control fire, and you know what that means,” Oceana said, shaking her head. She frowned, biting her lip as she studied Cress. “We can’t do this. You’re too exhausted to deal with a firebug, even if it is Enya.”

“Water isn’t the only thing that puts out a fire,” Terra reminded her, giving her a dark look. “I know that you don’t trust me after what happened to Stone, and I—I don’t know that I blame you for that, but what there are other ways of dealing with one of them than having either of you manipulate water. Sherwin and Moira can cut out the air supply, make it impossible for it to spread, and I can cover the flames with earth.”

“You mean… work like a real team for a change?” Oceana asked, her lips twisted into a smile that was not the least bit friendly.

Cress touched his sister’s shoulder, and she cursed him even as her temper cooled. Terra had made a mistake, that was undeniable, and Stone had paid the price, but that was how it worked between most siblings. Only Enya had avoided that, but no one would pick her path, either.

“I’ll let you handle the fire,” Cress told them. “I will go after the firebug myself.”

“Cress—”

“Occie, I love you, but you know you can’t douse them fast enough.”

She sighed. Her control had never been as good as his, and her abilities weren’t the same as his, either. Point, counterpoint. None of them were meant to do this on their own. “I don’t know that I want you do to this. You could push yourself too far this time.”

He put his hands on her cheeks and leaned his head against hers. “That is why I have you, remember?”

“Stop trying to lull me into thinking this is nothing. I know better. We just lost Stone. We can’t afford to lose you.”

Sometimes he thought getting captured or killed would be a relief, but he never voiced the thought. His job was keeping them calm and as united as possible. He stepped back, giving Moira the keys. “You drive. I’m going to rest as much as I can before we get there.”

“She doesn’t know where to go.”

“She will.”

Author’s Note: I was writing a scene I thought needed to go before this one, and then I changed my mind, thinking the dramatic effect of this one going first was better than the other, since it was all about the plans and that would have ruined a bit of the “surprise” here.

I also need to settle on a working title for this one…

“You flooded my house.”

Cress nodded. “No choice.”

She winced, shaking her head as she looked around the room, listening to the water drip from every surface. The flames had left their mark, black, angry patches burned into the wood, and she knew it was only their contrary nature that had kept them from taking the whole thing down, her house and rest of the state with it.

“The monster got out.” She heard herself whisper, shuddering even with most of his weight trapping her to the floor. If he hadn’t been just as soaked as she was, that might have mattered, though it was more than a chill that had her shivering right now.

“I know.”

Of course he did. He’d had to stop it again, and from the way he kept talking, it hadn’t been easy. He hadn’t moved since she came back to herself, and he would have if he could. Too considerate to dump himself on her, too aware of what they’d never been, too much of a goody-goody ever to cross any kind of line, not with her or anyone else. She’d shove him to the side if she had any energy left, but the fire had stripped her as it had the house, leaving nothing behind.

“How?”

“The shift in the air.”

“Sherwin.”

“I knew you missed me,” he said, all smiles and charm as he leaned down next to them. Sandy blonde, always looking windswept and yet perfect, he had a tendency to be smug that she’d almost forgotten about—right until she saw him again and put all the pieces together that made him what he was. Hot air was his specialty, after all.

She would have laughed, but none of this was funny, not after what she’d done. “I didn’t.”

“Liar. I keep telling you—fire needs air to breathe.”

“Just because I fell for that line when I was thirteen doesn’t mean I’ll do it again,” she said, regaining some of her strength. She had to shut him up before he mentioned that it wasn’t just at thirteen or at fifteen. If she’d been any more of a fool, any weaker to what he was…

“Come on, Cress,” Oceana said, taking hold of her brother’s arm. “We’ll get you back to the car. You’ve done enough. Sherwin can carry her.”

Cress used her help and Moira’s to get up again, and Enya got a better look at him, shaking her head in disgust. She’d almost claimed three lives tonight. He could have been one of them. “They were here. Looking for you.”

“Told you you shouldn’t have gone to see her,” Terra said, and Enya glared at her, the moment ruined as Sherwin lifted her into his arms.

“Didn’t ask for your opinion, Terra, and if they’d seen me then, they would have just taken me. Well, they would have tried,” Cress told her, echoing Enya’s thought from earlier. “They’d have had no choice but to try for it. They can’t afford to let that kind of opportunity pass. They need me to be on my own, and even then, they can’t handle what I can do to them.”

“They didn’t know that I had any ability of my own. I was just Cress’ unsuspecting ‘girlfriend,’ no threat at all.”

“Girlfriend?”

“I’d be more concerned about their ability to find Enya and still not know what she was,” Cress said, giving Sherwin a pointed look. “We’re not going to argue again. Enya’s been compromised, and if this wasn’t a trap before, it is now. Move. Everyone in the car, now.”