“What’s a Curizan?” Mud mumbled around a mouthful of food.
Adaline glanced around the table at the row of curious faces. “A Curizan is a species that can harness the energy around them.”
“What does that mean?” Droplet asked.
Adaline frowned. “I can think of something I want, like-like a fork.”
She paused, thought of a fork… and it appeared in her hand. A ripple of startled gasps echoed around the table.
“She’s a witch! She’s from the Isle of Magic!” Spree exclaimed.
Adaline shook her head and frowned. “I’m not a witch. I don’t do magic. I create things from the energy molecules that surround us.”
“But… you turned to mist like us,” Breeze said. “Can a Curizan do that?”
Adaline shook her head again. “I-I’ve been trying to stay strong, but…” Her throat closed. She shook her head, wiping at her face. “Something’s happening to me. I can’t control it. My body—it’s shifting. Changing. I can’t hold the energy. I can’t teleport. I feel like I’m coming apart, and I don’t know how to fix it.”
She looked up at Dew with wide, pleading eyes.
“I’m scared.”
Dew leaned forward and gently patted her hand. “Tell me—how did you come to fall from the sky?”
Adaline bit her lip. “My cousins and I are on school break. We were just trying to have a little fun. Phoenix—my cousin—she created a portal. We’ve done it before. Only this time, a bee startled us and it… corrupted the thread. Sent us spiraling.”
She set down her cup, her hands trembling slightly.
“Bálint—my friend—he was with me. We got separated from the others. Then… from each other.” Her voice broke on the last word. “I lost him.”
Tears welled in her eyes before she could stop them.
Silence settled like a blanket over the room.
Dew rose and circled the table, resting a gentle hand on Adaline’s trembling shoulder.
“You’ve come to the right place, child,” she said softly. “The mist chose you for a reason. And the fact that you’re already beginning to shift… means you belong here more than you realize.”
Adaline’s breath caught.
“I just want to find him,” she whispered. “And understand what’s happening to me.”
“You will,” Dew said.
“Maybe she is like Princess Gem. Maybe she can do lots of different things,” Breeze said.
“Princess Gem? You mentioned her before. What can she do?” Adaline asked.
“She can control all the elements,” Droplet said in a wistful voice.
Dew bowed her head. “You would indeed be very powerful if you can do that.”
“We can test it out after lunch,” Mud exclaimed with growing excitement.
Adaline swallowed and looked at the fork in her hand. She suddenly realized that it felt different from when she had created items out of energy before. It wasn’t an inanimate object or just a thing. It was if the metal in it was speaking to her—and she understood.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Golden ribbons of late afternoon sun pierced the pale mist, illuminating the village clearing with a dreamy glow. The fresh scent of wood smoke mixed with pine from across the lake. Adaline stood on the soft moss, the warmth of the late afternoon sun pressing gently against her skin and keeping the slight chill in the air from making her shiver. The others were gathered around her in a loose circle.
