~Lukas's POV~

How did Jesse figure out her power? That seems hugely unfair. She can read minds and speak in them, and I have no clue what I can do. Meanwhile, she doesn't even know what her mark is.

I don't know how, either, she answers. I just started picking up your thought-voice, and when I tried to answer, it worked.

So you're going to spy on my every thought now? I ask angrily. So no one can have any privacy?

No, she answers. She sounds hurt. Why would I do that?

Because you can. Whatever I think or feel or - or anything - you can pick up now. And you don't even know where your mark is!

Hey, I didn't ask for this, she shoots back. There's anger in her voice, loud and clear. I didn't ask for the flint and steel. I didn't ask for everyone to die. I didn't ask for you to judge every move I make! Her voice cuts off, and she speeds her pace, leaving us behind. "I'll scout ahead," she says, without looking back. Then she crests the next hill and disappears.

"A lovers' quarrel," Elle snickers. Then she hisses, "Ow! Magnus!"

I roll my eyes and keep walking, listening to the others talk. Olivia and Axel come up next to me.

"You know what's up with her?" Axel asks.

Yeah. "No, I don't," I lie.

"Oh. Okay," he says, and we keep walking in silence.

After a while, we reach the plains. The sun is setting once again. I begin gathering dirt, but Olivia says, "No, Lukas. We need to shelter underground, dig out a cave."

I shrug and help them punch out a hole under the ground, and everyone files in after us. I peek my head out, but there's no sign of Jesse or anyone else, other than the tree houses behind us.

I feel a pang of worry, but ignore it. She can take care of herself. Besides, she'll be able to hear anyone coming.

I can't help but feel that something's going to go wrong for her. I don't regret what I said earlier, but I do think I could have said it better. A lot better.

<Jesse's POV>

How dare he accuse me of wanting to spy on thoughts?! I didn't ask for these powers! I never wanted any of this!

I draw my sword and spin it in a circle. With a yell, I throw it at a lone tree. It buries itself in the bark up to the hilt, and I pull it back out.

"Stupid boys," I mutter, continuing to speed walk. I slowly speed up, until I'm running full speed across the plains. I lose myself in the beat of my feet against the mostly level ground. My worry about the Hunters, fear for the others, anger at Lukas, is all channeled into energy.

A tear is ripped from my eye, but I can't tell if it's from the wind or something else.

The sun falls, and I keep running, careless of the monsters. I just dodge around them, occasionally using my sword to cut through one. All I can think about is to keep running, no matter what.

A few hours later, I slow to a stop, panting. I've never run so far so fast in my life. I collapse on the ground. "Slime blocks," I gasp, trying to calm my racing heart.

When I stop feeling light-headed, I pull out a carrot and eat it. I finally realize the time, and mutter, "I need to sleep." I punch a small hole in the ground, light it with a torch, and close my eyes. Sleep finds me instantly.

|???'s POV|

The girl in the red armor would be perfect. She's alone, and, it seems, unarmed.

I pull out my bow and check my arrows. "Poison, no. Nausea, no. Night Vision? Definitely not." I search through a few more, and pull out a Blindness Arrow and a Weakness Arrow.

After a moment's pause, I nock the Weakness Arrow and fire it at the girl at quarter draw, then put the bow and other arrow away.

She groans and says something in her sleep. I pull the arrow out, and place it back in my inventory, then pick the girl up and sling her over my shoulder. For good measure, I take the torch, too. The hole can stay. It won't matter.

I turn and head into the dark oak forest she fell asleep next to. She mutters, "Go away, Lukas." I roll my eyes and keep going.

Time to give the Chief a treat.

~Lukas's POV~

As I wake up, my eyes wander over the others, still asleep. Where's Jesse? I wonder, then remember yesterday and groan.

I could have handled that conversation a lot better.

I can see the sun rising. Other than the forest behind us, there's nothing but plains in every direction.

"'Jesse come back?" Magnus asks me from behind. I hadn't realized he was awake.

"No, not yet," I answer.

"That's too bad," he says, and comes even with me as I dig a staircase outside.

We stand in silence and watch the sun rise for a while, and then he says, "Elle thinks you and Jesse are together, you know."

"Together?"

"You know, like, you both like each other? Like Mom and Dad do?"

"Don't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, okay?"

He nods.

I sigh. "Honestly, I don't know. I know I like Jesse, but I can't tell if she likes me, or knows I like her. And now that she's disappeared, I don't-"

LUKAS!

I grab the side of my head and fall to one knee. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Magnus swaying from side to side, clutching his head in his hands.

LUKAS, ARE YOU THERE?!

Yeah, I answer weakly.

Stop yelling at us, Magnus adds.

Sorry, she says, quieting.

Where have you been?! Do you have any idea-

Lukas. Shut up and listen.

<Jesse's POV>

I can't believe that worked. I actually managed to contact Lukas, even from... wherever this is. All I remember is a voice saying, "She'll do well," an arrow digging into my arm and being removed, and silence.

Now, I can't see beyond a few blocks in any direction. It's like I'm almost blind or something. And mentally, too; I can't hear anyone's thought streams, as I've taken to calling them.

Jesse, what is it? Where are you? Lukas asks. Are you okay?

I'm half blind, but okay. I think it's a potion effect. And where I am... no idea. Some sort of cell, I think.

How did you get a potion effect in the middle of nowhere? And stuck in a jail?

And by the way, Magnus adds, you probably woke up everyone for miles around when you were yelling for Lukas. Couldn't you just sense him, and tune in to him, or something?

I think the ability to sense thought streams is limited to just the surrounding area. I can't sense what you guys are thinking, other than this conversation.

A pause, then Lukas asks, So, if a guard comes, you can't link us to him?

I don't know. I can try, if one comes. So you'll have to stay prepared for that. I'll contact you if anything happens to me.

What's linking? Magnus again. He seems mostly content to just listen. And why're you calling it a thought stream?

Linking is showing someone else a person's thought stream. A thought stream is just my term for the thoughts and emotions someone's having in the current moment. It's like a river.

Can you send us an image of what you see? Lukas asks. Even if you don't see much?

I can try... I open my eyes and imagine pushing the scene in front of me toward Lukas and Magnus. It refuses to move, so I push harder. After several minutes of strain, it disappears, and I collapse, blacking out.

~Lukas's POV~

"What the actual Nether was that?" Olivia half-shouts, barreling up towards us, closely followed by the kids and Axel. "Who was yelling for you?"

"That was Jesse," I answer. My voice cracks with worry. "She's stuck."

"Stuck? Stuck where?" Axel asks.

"She doesn't really know-"

"And how was Jesse talking to you?! Is she okay?!" Axel's practically shouting in my ears, shaking my shoulders.

"Hey, Dad, leave Lukas alone," Magnus says. I shoot him a grateful glance. "I heard her, too. She was talking in our minds."

"In your minds?" Axel asks, letting go of me. "How-?"

"Some sort of special ability. Not sure."

"Is she okay, though? Where is she stuck?"

"She says she's mostly okay, just affected by a Potion of Blindness and stuck in a cell. Her words, not mine, for the most part," I answer.

"We need to go help her! To the Nether with meeting up with your friends. We need to help Jesse!"

An image of darkness and bricks invades my consciousness, taking over everything else.

I stumble, only saved from falling by someone - Axel - grabbing me by the shoulders again and holding me steady. "Hey, man, slow down. You look like you've just been slapped in the face."

The images fades, and I stand back up. I can tell Magnus is having some issues standing as well. Was that the image I asked Jesse to send us?

Terrified, I close my eyes. Jesse? Are you still there?

No response.

Jesse?

Was sending the picture too much? Is she - is she dead?

I choke back a sob, but her voice, quieted by a lot, says, Yeah, I'm here. I'm here, Lukas. I'm okay. Just... passed out for a second.

I thought you had died, and it was my fault, because I asked you to send that picture-

Now you know how I feel whenever someone dies. Her voice isn't getting any stronger.

Stay put. We're going to try to find you. Just stay there, and don't move.

Where would I go? She says, and a hint of bitterness colors her voice.

Just... just try to keep in contact with me, okay? Tell me if you start being able to sense my thought stream.

I will.

"Let's start going," I say. "We don't have any time to waste." I turn and head back into the forest.

"Where are you going?" Olivia asks. "That's where we came from."

"We need to meet up with Ruby and Sammy," I say. "They need to know."

"And they're going to meet you at the old city?" She asks.

"Yeah. So we need to move. They're going to be there by tomorrow."

We pack up and start heading back into the woods.

"Where were we going in the first place, then?" J mutters.

I ignore her. So does everyone else.

<Jesse's POV>

I feel weak. I can barely speak mentally, let alone out loud. All I can hear is the sound of my heart beating steadily, but that's weak, too, even though I'm not moving from my collapsed sitting position against the corner of the room.

I'm trying to make myself sound stronger than I feel, and I'm not sure it's working. Lukas seems worried, and he has good reason to be.

I shouldn't have run off while we were arguing. If I had stopped for a moment to... I don't know... calm down, and give him a reason, I wouldn't be in this situation, most likely. Unless someone was specifically targeting me...

"Hey. Red girl."

I raise my head, weakly.

"Stand up, red girl."

I attempt to sense his thought stream, but I can't. I can't sense anyone's.

"I said, stand up."

I try to stand, but my knees give, and I fall to the ground.

"Grr. I could slap that Seeker right about now..."

The sound of a lever being flipped creaks once, and footsteps come close, grabbing my arms and pulling me up. "You're coming with me." He drags me out through an iron door, and into another room. A hallway?

"Can you speak?"

I try to answer, but all that comes out is a half-hum, half groan.

"Fine. I'll need to ask Ned for a healing potion... But now, it's time for your audience with the Chief."