Este

I could feel the flames licking my feet, the smoke choking me. My boots caught fire, and I ran. I didn't know which way to go. The path that had opened before me as I chased after Sarah closed behind me. The fire-spirits, just moments ago my friends, turned dark and angry, closing in for the kill. I pulled my shields tight and called for Sarah. "Help! Please, help me! I am so sorry, Sarah. I couldn't help it."

There was, of course, no answer. I had seen Lucas pulling her away. I was alone again. This time it had gone too far, and all was lost.

The whisper tapped gently at my shield. Your time isn't done, Este. You have much still to do. Trust in me, and I will get you out of there, but you need to open your shields to me and trust.

I knew that voice. It had trained me, taught me. That voice had given me the power to step out of Sarah's shadow, to find my own power. I cracked my shields open a fraction, and the oily, black control slid within—a dark, serpentine power. I could not resist. My throat was burning and my eyes were streaming from the smoke around me.

Do you trust me, Este? Do you really trust me? I will help you. I will make you strong, but you have to relinquish your control to me. You have to obey, Este. Do as I say, and I will protect you!

"Help me. Please, help me. I don't want to die. I will obey. Please, just get me out of here." I used my last gasp of oxygen to call out loud. I could no longer hold my shields. They came crashing down, and I could feel his power wrap around me—a protective, black cloak. The fire reared backwards in the face of such authority. It whispered along the edges as the air around me cleared. My boots still smoked, a melted ruin, my feet inside hot and sore. I bent down and ripped them off, hurling them into the fire. The ground beneath me was cool and soothing.

Come, little one. It is time to go. We will regroup. You were not strong enough, but next time will be different. Come. It is time to go.

I looked back towards where Lucas had taken Sarah, and I longed to follow. The fire immediately roared around me. Smoke rushed towards me. I knew I was helpless. I had chosen, and if I disobeyed, he would let me die, here and now.

I turned my back and followed the path opening before me. I could hear and feel the power of the Creators stilling the fire. Time was of the essence, and I needed to get clear. The basement was still clear of smoke and fire, and I hurried up the earthen tunnel, out beyond the walls of the school. A dark car waited, windows tinted. Inside, his shadow sat. Looking back one last time, I noticed that the smoke had diminished. I reached out for Sarah to check if she had made it out alive. His shields, however, held me locked in, his control over my power now indisputable.

"It is time to go, Este. She is safe. She made it out. It would have been better if you had destroyed her, but you are not ready yet. I thought you were, but we still have some work to do, don't we?" Uncle Larron's smile did not reach his eyes, and I knew that there would be consequences for today's failure.

"I am so sorry. There were too many of them. I could have persuaded her if she had been alone, but the school has given her friendships, a team, and a power base. She is now The One of their prophecy. We should have recruited her earlier. Now, I think it is too late."

I cringed at the anger that was roiling off him. I knew how he hated excuses, and I had just accused him of not acting soon enough. I would pay for this mistake.

"Este, Este, Este." His exasperated smile was worse than his anger. "You know I don't like it when you question me. Come. We have plans to make. It is time to return to Canlyn. Our time in Angel City is at an end for now. It would have been easier if you had succeeded immediately, but your weakness has also shown us their weaknesses. This was just the first part of the plan, to test their strength and will. And, of course, yours. Now that I know whose side you are on, we will proceed to stage two."

I smiled tremulously. I had averted his anger. Exhaustion filled every fibre of my being, and I felt myself drifting towards the blackness. I knew that I was safe now. He needed me still, and he would get me home to Canlyn and Dallamoor Estate.

Shutting my eyes, I heard his voice calling, but the dark call was stronger. I surrendered and floated free.

Este and Sarah

"Esteee ... Esteee ... Where are you, Este? Do you want to come and play at my house?" Sarah's voice echoed.

"Mum, it's Sarah. Can I go to her house to play? Please, Mum, can I go? Can I?" I knew Mum would say yes, but I had to make sure. Sarah was my best friend, and we were like sisters.

"Sure, but just until dinnertime. Remember your manners, young lady, and don't be late."

"Sarah, my mum says I can come over." I climbed up the ladder that stood over the fence between Sarah's garden and ours. Our dads had put it there when we first moved in next door to Sarah. Sarah's brother, Sam, and my brother, Justin, had climbed it before us, but now it was ours. It was much quicker than going out to the front gate and all the way around to the front of her house. Even our mums used it when they wanted to chat or needed to borrow an egg or a cup of sugar. I guess it was what made good neighbours, or at least that is what my dad always said. I pulled the leaves off the hibiscus bush that grew along the fence, wondering what was keeping Sarah.

Sarah danced across the lawn as I climbed down the ladder, her hair a bright sun around her face. I wanted Sarah's hair. It was fire and light, power and love. She hated it, hated her white skin and freckles. She wanted to be like me—all brown and ordinary. I turned brown just by stepping outside, but she always had to wear a hat and sun cream. I wanted to look like her. She was a fairy princess, and when we played together, it always felt like magic.

"What do you want to do today?" Sarah asked. "Do you want to play with the Barbies or dress-ups?"

"Can we play the Imagining game?" I asked, hoping she would say yes. When we played her imagining games, it was like real. We could become whatever we wanted, and we had so much fun. Some days, Sarah didn't want to play imagining games. She said she was too tired, and then we just played dolls or cooking with the Play-Doh. Today, I hoped she wasn't too tired.

"I guess so, but not for too long. My head is a bit sore today, and I am kind of tired, but I guess we can try for a little bit." Sarah smiled, and I grinned back at her. Today was going to be perfect.

"Where do you want to go, Este?" Sarah asked. She was always happy to let me choose, but it was her imagination we needed to get there.

"Let's go to the Land of Rainbows. I love it there. Everything has such pretty colours." As I spoke, Sarah began to describe the sky. She described the rainbows above our heads and started Creating our land with her words.

"Can you see the Rainbow Queen, Este? Can you see her? She is waiting for us to visit. But you need to change your dress first, Este. C'mon. Tell me what your dress looks like. You can do this. You know you just have to say the words out loud."

"Sarah, you know I can't use the words. I don't have them in my head. But here, I can draw it." I grabbed the sketchpad that I always had in my pocket, and with my pencil, I began sketching.

A floaty, soft dress appeared on the paper, and then on my skin. I drew more soft layers, and I felt them floating around me.

"Este, tell me what colour it is. We need a colour. You don't have any coloured pencils with you," Sarah whispered.

"It's green, Sarah, soft, grass green." She sighed, and I looked up at her shining eyes and the red-and-gold dress that she had Created with her words. I looked down at the skirt beneath my sketchpad and then stood up, twirling around with joy. "I did it, Sarah, I did it! I made my own dress. You didn't have to do it for me. I used my pencil this time."

Sarah's smile was as big as mine as she reached for my hand. I dropped my sketchpad on the grass and skipped alongside my best friend, down the path towards the Rainbow Queen. Floating on clouds of pollen, we dropped into a curtsy at the feet of the queen. She held out her hands and drew us up off the ground. Her dress shifted from indigo to violet, from red to orange-yellow, and then from blue to green—all the colours of the rainbow.

"Welcome, my princesses. It has been such a long time since you last visited. You are both growing so quickly. Este, you are getting so tall. How many moons have passed since we last saw you here in Rainbow Land?"

Thinking hard, I counted. "Your Majesty, it is nearly six moons since I last visited. I have just had my tenth birthday in our land." I felt really important and grown-up being able to tell the queen that I was now a double digit.

The queen smiled at me and turned to Sarah. "And you, Sarah, how many birthdays have you had?"

"Your Majesty, I have only had nine. My tenth birthday is not for another four moons. Then I will also be a double digit."

We both giggled. Two double digits. It sounded so funny. The queen didn't laugh with us. In fact, she looked sad, when she thought we weren't looking. "So are you girls staying long today? Where in our land are you going to explore?"

"No, Your Majesty, we can't stay too long. It hurts Sarah's head, you see, and she gets really tired when we come to your land," I answered. I could already see that Sarah was looking tired.

"Don't worry, Este. Sarah will be strong enough, for a little while, today. I will help her. And while she has you as her friend, she will always be safe. Remember this, Este: Sarah needs you to be her friend."

"Oh I will, Your Majesty. Sarah and I are going to be friends forever. Sarah and I are going to friends forever ..."

"Este, Este, time to come back. Time to come home. Come on, Este. It is time to come back!" Mum's voice cut through the rainbows and clouds.

"Este, come back now. I command you to wake up!" No, it wasn't Mum's voice. It was Uncle Larron's voice. I tried to resist. I reached for Sarah's hand. I reached for the Rainbow Queen, her eyes sad. Tears ran down her cheeks and glistened with the colours of her world. My world turned grey and black. Cold touched me, and I leaned forward retching as I rejoined reality. Sarah was gone, and so was Mum. Only Uncle Larron remained. Even Justin and Dad had gone. I was alone—alone with Uncle Larron, "the thief" who had stolen my life and my friend.

Este

I wasn't in the car anymore. I was back at Dallamoor House in Canlyn. How had this happened? The last thing I remembered was sitting in the car at the Guild School. Uncle Larron had rescued me. He was angry, but I had managed to slip into the blackness before he could punish me. How had we made it home? Images of a nurse in a white, starched uniform, a stretcher, the hum of the plane, and the silence filtered slowly back into my memory. I had hidden away, but for how long? His voice was calling me when I managed to slip into the blackness, but I could still hear it and feel the oily blackness of his power. I had been safe while we travelled, or maybe he had kept me drugged and under his control until he had me secure in the familiarity of Dallamoor House. Now his demand and his insistent call had torn me away from the safety of the past.

Uncle Larron's rage attacked my shields, and the power pulled me rapidly into the present. The sudden jolt hurled my physical system into revolt, and I retched again as he stepped towards me. He stopped and stepped back. I retched again and this time didn't hold back. Instead, I spewed all over the floor and his shoes. I knew that I would have to pay the price for this, but I also knew he would leave me alone with my vomit.

"Clean yourself up, and get this mess cleaned up. We will discuss this later." Slamming the door behind him, I heard him muttering under his breath as he stomped off down the stairs.

I retched again, but my stomach was empty. Each beat of my heart pounded the blood through the vessels in my brain, pumping pain along with the blood. I dragged myself towards the bathroom. I wanted to lie down again, but I knew that if I did, I would fall back into the drugged sleep that I had endured for who knew how long. I realised that this was how Sarah's head must have felt on the occasions we played all day together.

Stop it, Este! Sarah is gone. Your friendship is done. She hates you. It is all over. Don't think about her. You have your life. You made your choices, and she made hers. Stop thinking about her!

I had held this conversation over and over, but our most recent encounter and her attempt to save me made it hard to disconnect again, especially when the visions were so real. The reek of vomit and fear from my room forced me to find a bowl and cloth in the cupboard. I opened the window and allowed the fresh air to flow in. Nearly retching again, I cleaned up my mess. I then headed for the shower to clean not only my body but also my soul.

Standing under the cascade of scalding water, I analysed my situation. I had succumbed to his total power in the fear of the moment. But I decided that if I went on the offensive, I might be able to deflect some of his anger. Not likely, but it would surprise him. He often had me at such a disadvantage, and now even more I was under his control. I immediately began to feel better. I would take the initiative and attack. He wanted me to be strong. Well, he had better watch out.

Drying myself, I thought about my dream encounter with Sarah. I remembered that day. It was just before the Christmas that I was sent to stay with Uncle Larron, Aunt Marta, and Cousin Judith for the first time—the Christmas of change. Giving myself a shake, I knew I didn't dare think about that now. I needed to stay strong and focussed. I scrubbed my skin, scouring away the memories and the stench of my weakness. I dressed myself in my black uniform. My strong arms and legs looked good in my tight-fitting pants and shirt. I drew my hair back into a formal bun and ran a small line of eyeliner around my eyes. I considered my face in the mirror. I looked strong and confident. The hint of shadows under my eyes gave me a slightly weary look, but my skin, lighter from the months in Angel City, was still brown enough to hide the worst of my exhaustion. I reached for a light-pink lip gloss. Softening my lips, I touched the colour to them. Now I was ready.

I headed for the door. Pausing for a moment, I turned to look back into the mirror. Sarah smiled as she gave me a thumbs-up sign. I knew she wasn't there and I didn't want her there, but my heart still did a little leap.

"Go away, Sarah. Just go away. We are not friends anymore." I said this out loud, certain that if I could say it loud enough and long enough that I could make it as real as the green dress that I had Created on our magical day together.

I knocked on Uncle Larron's study door and, without waiting for a reply, stepped in and advanced on his desk. I seated myself in the chair opposite him, sat back, crossed my legs, and began. "Uncle Larron, we need to speak. I demand from now on that you respect my privacy and knock before entering my room. I obviously had not recovered from the backlash of the attack in Angel City and I apologise for vomiting over your shoes, but the shock and sudden awakening caused a severe recoil of power."

Uncle Larron stared at me. Before he could speak, I continued in a calm, controlled voice. "I suggest that we meet each evening before dinner for a report-in. During that time, you can bring me up to date with the latest information from your sources, and I will update you on anything that I manage to glean from my link with Sarah. I don't want to risk losing the ability to link with her, and your interference is putting that in jeopardy."

I was feeling in control and quite relaxed. I knew I needed to take charge of my life, for if I gave it up now, I would be lost—a puppet forever. "So can you now tell me what it was that you needed to so urgently discuss with me when you came in this afternoon?"