I whistled, getting everyone’s attention. “Whether you believe us or not, time is getting short and the council no doubt already knows about this. Line up against the wall if you want to be saved.”

  Pinto glared. “Who the crap are you?”

  I smirked. “The sidekick.”

  He sneered as half the children lined against the wall. I went over and bent down to the chains around their feet.

  “Are these controlled by something?” I asked, standing and walking over to a girl who nodded, touching her chains.

  “Queen Aithne said that–”

  “She isn’t a queen,” said Myra, a bit of fire escaping her control, scaring the kid.

  “Sor–Sorry, don't burn me!” cried the girl, shaking.

  “My! Your fire!” I pointed. She gasped and brought out water, which terrified the kids more. I slapped my head. This was definitely not working out. Good thing My was so perceptive. She immediately changed powers to a swirling gold light that beckoned people closer. Surely healing wasn’t used badly with these kids, right?

  Pinto growled. “What are you?”

  “I–I’m the savior of Sapherine, tasked with saving the slaves, and mine kids,” said Myra gently. The little cherub girl let her run her fingers through her curly hair.

  She smiled. “I like you.”

  More kids lined up, and I asked my question. “Is there a control tower in here that regulates your chains?”

  Pinto nodded. “Now you see why–”

  Myra smiled deviously. “We sent everyone packing. Jonah, can you find the tower?”

  “Sure, I was gonna anyway–”

  “I can–”

  “No time. The council will be here soon. I will take him,” said Noali, grabbing me, and we warped out. We appeared further in the mine where a building stood, covered in a bubble.

  “Looks like they are still going. Gonna need My for thi–”

  “No. This is your test, Jonah Amhram,” said Noali, staring at the bubble building.

  I glared. “It’s Miller and another one? Don’t think I didn’t know that you were testing me now too!”

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  “We are always testing our chosens,” came a serene yet powerful voice, and I gawked as the same woman who helped me with My’s imprisonment by the council appeared, wearing her blue clothes and gloves. Her mocha skin shone like a black pearl in the magenta bubble’s light.

  “You! But you–”

  “I regret what my son did, but that does not take away from the fact that this is your test,” she said soothingly. I almost believed her.

  “I can’t take a base on my own.”

  “That’s what the universal runes are for,” she said, drawing the runes in the air and sending them to my chest. I winced as they were branded into me.

  “Your friend, the Watcher, could call on his various selves to fight. You may do the same as a seer now.”

  “Isn’t that breaking the rules of reality?” I asked, rubbing my chest and wondering what had been branded there.

  “Universal runes create a new reality, and I am permitting you. Do you not want such a boon?” she asked, nearly mocking, and my eyes narrowed. She knew I’d have to accept.

  “What are the power words?” I asked, feeding the still sensitive spot power briefly. It tickled and now I got why My struggled with her application of the runes. They were very sensitive!

  “It will come to you,” she said, swirling into a column of smoke and heading through the barrier.

  “What! I’m! Oh whatever! I beseech this power by Oppolomei’s grace. Split within me as many as needed for this test,” I muttered, feeling the runes pulse, and then a swirl of magenta and silver broke to my sides, forming four other swirls. A bright light formed near me, and I watched as I stepped forward, slightly older.

  My hair was long again, and I was clothed like a prince! On my other side, a man with a beard and my smirk emerged. From his right, a younger me, but not too much younger, and dressed like a rebel, appeared. To the prince’s left was my twelve-year-old self from before I lost my memories.

  “I know I gotta be dreaming cause I can’t have been cloned, at various ages, several times,” said the rebel, blinking.

  “If that’s how you wanna see it, be my guest, moronic me,” sneered the Prince and it was obvious I was back to being a bully. How? I wasn’t sure.

  “Can we focus on why we were summoned to the first palace? I left Lysander and Chamomile alone. My’s gonna have my head,” muttered the oldest and the peacemaker of the group.

  “My?” asked the youngest.

  “You haven’t met her yet, short stuff,” said the Prince, much nicer to little me. He nodded, and they faced me.

  “Well?” said the rebel who was still a Bully too.

  “See that building?” I pointed to the bubble that had running Ether guards. Oppolomei didn’t waste time!”I need a team to get through that building.”

  “And you picked us? Guess we are still narcissistic at this point,” said the older me.

  “Are not!” I yelled angrily at him.

  “I so am!” shouted both the Prince and the Rebel. They began fighting.

  He rolled his eyes. “The visions will begin to change before the year is out. Heed their warnings.”

  “What’s wrong with being a narcissist?” asked the younger me.

  “You’ll end up like dumb and dumber,” muttered the man, smirking and pointing to the prince and the rebel.

  “Hey!” cried the two dunces who were fighting again.

  “Well?” I asked them, tapping my foot against the rocky ground.

  “Sure, why not?” said the eldest, shrugging.

  “I’m in,” said the Prince.

  “Me too,” said Little me.

  “And me,” said the rebel.

  “Cool. I’ll name you then. You, the eldest, will be Wise Man.”

  Wise Man nodded and grinned. “Fitting.”

  “At least it wasn’t grandpa,” muttered the Prince and Rebel.

  You two,” I pointed to the prince and the rebel. Fitting. Those would be their names. “Are Prince and Rebel.”

  “What about me?” asked little me.

  “Young One. Young for short.”

  “My name’s better,” said Prince, shining his nails on his silk sari-like shirt.

  “Ya gay ass, mine is!”

  “Hey! No Queer shaming!” retorted Wise Man angrily.

  I nodded. “Watch what you say around Young One. Let's go. Do everything you can. Rebel, do you know about your powers yet?”

  “What powers?” he muttered.

  The other three sighed, and Prince glowed first silver.

  Rebel laughed. “What, that’s it? La–”

  The wind picked up around him until a gale force sent him flying only for a magenta light to appear and out stepped Wise Man, who caught him, giving Prince, who was tearing up with held back laughter a droll stare.

  Shadows swirled around them, and Prince popped up from nowhere, making Rebel scream. Now he was guffawing. Wise Man sighed and bonked him on the head as I nodded, and he and Rebel shadow warped back to my side while Peince sulked.

  “Funny,” groused Rebel. “How in–” Wise man glared at him, and the gust was back. “Heck! Did you do that?”

  “Long story short we are Kin royalty, the shadow stuff comes later” said Prince, eyeing Young One who nodded.

  “Wicked, how do I–”

  ‘For this mission alone, your powers have been released as well as your knowledge of runes,” said Noali as she walked closer. “Now off with you.”

  “Let’s go,” I said, and we walked towards the building, finally!