?

  Loud chirping came from Indigo as she circled around the group of elementals before heading to the counter.

  Then the bells rang yet again, as a second set of elementals entered the shop. The first was a long, black, ghostly dragon, who shifted into a humanoid form.

  The next was a see-through winged creature, which again became solid and now stood on two legs. Last, but not least, was a walking tree, though this one did not change.

  The two elements made of moss and vines suddenly stood straighter.

  “Welcome to the shop,” I said, breaking the tension.

  All the focus turned toward me.

  “How can we help you today?”

  “Ah, one of the stone and light.” Branches from the tree reached in my direction. “We welcome your presence and insight.”

  “Clans of distant worlds, welcome.” Ember turned toward the dragon and bowed again. “My the fires burn bright.”

  “The fires smolder and smoke.” The once-dragon shook its head. “Those of my ilk seek to relocate.”

  “Relocation is extreme,” whispered the humanoid with wings. “The tiny ones will struggle.”

  “Our fires are going out, a new surrounding is our greatest hope.”

  “Ugh, Cat?” I whispered.

  “I warned you,” he replied.

  The dragon and air elemental continued to argue with each other, while the tree crept closer to the moss and vine elementals.

  I sipped my coffee, feeling rather useless. Then I tried something new after setting my mug down. With a pulse of energy, I touched the petrified wood in my bracelet. A burst of gold rolled forward like a wave of water, cresting over everyone in the room.

  The tree twitched, but the rest didn’t notice.

  Bonds flickered into place between most of the elementals. Yet, a dark shimmer coated part of the dragon. The bond between it and Ember flickered.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, staring at the dragon. “Sorry, I don’t know what to call you.”

  “I am Smoke-of-the-Burning-Mountain,” He replied. “I wither, but hope to save my clan.”

  “And you?” I asked, directing my question to the winged air elemental.

  “Gusts-of-the-Burning-Mountain.” Her wings flickered in my direction.

  “What’s the problem with Smoke’s clan leaving?”

  The bickering would not solve the problem, but maybe constructive conversation could. I didn’t know anything about what was going on, but sometimes asking questions from a place of ignorance was the best way to bring the truth out. It worked in class, at least, so maybe it was worth a shot.

  “The smallest embers might burn out during the time of travelling.”

  “Better to lose a few than to lose them all,” whispered Smoke. “The mountain grows cold, the world begins to shiver.”

  The ice elemental nodded. “My people feel drawn to travel to your world, the change will not stop. This is a turning of the great wheel.”

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  “If we can provide something to keep the embers warm, would that help?” I asked.

  Eyes burned into me from both Smoke and Ember.

  “You would help the destroyers?” asked Gusts. “The ones who burn and ravage the worlds?”

  The golden outline on Smoke grew brighter, and I felt like this was the right track.

  “Do you destroy all who cross your path?”

  “Volcanoes erupt, creating our clan, or lightning strikes, creating those like Ember.” Smoke bowed to Ember.

  “If they came to your world, would they survive?” I asked Ember.

  Ember paused, and stared at me for a moment. “Our world is young, and we are the first. It is lonely. The moss came next and now the leaves, but it will be many thousands of thousands of years before other life forms.”

  “Then yes, I will try.”

  “Warmth stone?” Indigo’s eyes grew wide. “Warmth stone!”

  She shot off the counter and darted toward her hideaway. It magically shifted into view right before she hit the wall.

  “It sounds like Indigo has an idea…”

  “Warmth stones are for dragon hatchlings,” added the Cat. “They require dragon magic.”

  “We warm stones, but they will not last between the worlds,” said Ember, unable to hear the Cat.

  Indigo flew out of the wall with a book clutched in her hands. “Found it!”

  She dropped the book on the counter before she landed.

  It opened to a page with writing I couldn’t understand around a hand drawn image of a red glowing stone.

  “I don’t know if we have one in the shop,” I replied.

  “I make, help them!”

  The Cat stared at Indigo, but didn’t argue with her. He turned to me. “There is some crystal in the storage room.”

  I stood, but before I could move the stone counter rippled and a massive round crystal appeared next to Indigo.

  Gasps came from Ember and Smoke, and both took steps back.

  “Are you sure you can do this?” I asked Indigo quietly.

  “Yes, dragon magic, I have practiced.” Indigo scooted closer to the crystal and touched it with both her front claws. She sat back on her hind legs, and her wings tightened around her body. Her tail stuck out, helping her stay upright.

  Magic gathered around her, then sank into the stone, making it flicker a strange purple color.

  Golden light shimmered near her claws, and stretched from the stone to Smoke.

  I blinked, and the light vanished. I didn’t know what to do with myself, and resisted tapping on the counter. Dragon magic wasn’t something I understood, and I had no way to judge whether or not this was outside Indigo’s skill level. And no way I could help, without risking messing everything up.

  Yet, it wasn’t like I could stop her, either. She was definitely more like a teenager than the very young one she had been when she’d first come into our lives.

  The purple light within the crystal darkened and flared brighter. Subtle at first, warmth emanated from the stone, slowly increasing in intensity.

  Indigo’s tail flickered twice behind her. Then, as she opened her eyes, her tail drooped.

  “Will work, tired though…”

  I caught her as she slumped over, cradling her in my arms.

  “We have nothing to trade for this,” rumbled Smoke. “It is worth too much…”

  “I will cover the cost, my friend,” answered the tree in the back. “Go, move your tiny ones quickly.”

  Smoke stared at me until I nodded. Claws reached out and gripped the crystal before he hurried out of the room.

  Gusts followed him.

  “Our people will travel to their world,” said the ice elemental. “We leave before the time of warming, though some always stay behind.”

  Ember bowed his head, as well as the great Tree.

  Then the ice elemental left as well.

  Vines and the moss-creature muttered something to the Tree, then they also hurried out.

  “Worlds shift and grow,” said Tree.

  “It is the flow of time,” added Ember. “May your fires burn even brighter.”

  Then it too left, leaving only the Tree.

  Its roots crept closer to the counter, and the branches stretched tall overhead. Taller than I’d first noticed, but Betty simply accommodated it in the way she always did with such strange creatures.

  “The tree of light flows through you. May this help on your journey.” A branch reached out and set a small pouch on the counter. “It will help roots grow deep.”

  I left the pouch where it was as Indigo fell asleep in my arms.

  “Good luck on your world. It grows cold, after all.”

  The tree laughed as it crept to the door. “I worry not about the temperature.”

  As soon as the door closed, the shop shifted into the normal warm and inviting space.

  “Elementals…” grumbled the Cat.

  “Is Indigo going to be okay?”

  “She needs rest, like you do if you use too much magic. Food will help as well.”

  “Food?” My eyes grew wide thinking of the quiche. “The quiche!”