Broken Spirit: The Next Avatar

Chapter Thirteen: Serefina

                  

I won't lie, there are times that I really miss my bed. But there's something about sleeping under the stars that's very comforting. I feel so close to home. I hope Bridgette's alright, and Mom too, a little. I wonder if she misses me. She probably didn't even notice I'm gone.

The soft sounds of conversation lull me awake. I'm usually an early riser, but today I slept in by comparison. Terra is cooking some sort of mush that I think used to be edible.

"Oh good," she says when she sees me. "I didn't want to wake you, but the fire's almost gone out. Do you think you could—?"

My fingers slide against each other, and a small ball of fire strikes the wood.

"Thanks," she says.

I join their circle. "Did I miss anything?"

"Nah, I just woke up myself," Nadia says.

"We have to figure out our next move," Levi says. "Training is fun, and necessary, but we can't just keep hiding out waiting for the Red Lotus to find us again."

"About that," I say. "I know how they were able to keep finding us. Dante is able to see the future somehow."

"That's impossible," Levi says. "The future is not a set thing like the past is."

"Well, maybe it's just one possible future. All I know is the spirits somehow show him things."

"That's just great," Nadia says. "So nowhere is safe. They could be on their way here right now."

"I don't think he has a lot of control over what he sees. If he did, we'd never have escaped the mansion. Either time."

I can see Nadia itching to ask me about how I escaped. I look away quickly.

"That must be how they knew there were two Avatars," Terra adds.

"With the help of their spies," Nadia mutters. She looks miserable. Levi had told me quietly how they discovered that her parents were members of the Red Lotus. It seems that no one's family is spared from problems.

"At least he can't bend too, like his brother," Levi says. "One crazy bender is bad enough to deal with."

I keep my expression carefully neutral.

"We're all crazy benders, if you think about it," Terra says. "The police probably think we're crazy." She opens and closes her hand, absentmindedly bending a small piece of rock into different shapes. I've noticed her do this when she's anxious, which is basically all the time.

"The Red Lotus is planning something," Nadia says. We all look at her.

I nod. "I overheard them talking about it. Whatever it is, it's happening soon."

"The problem is we have no idea what it is. How are we supposed to find out what they're doing?" Nadia asks.

"Capture one of them and force them to tell us?" Levi suggests.

"Maybe we should contact the world leaders," Terra says.

"They could be in on it!" Levi counters.

"It's just an idea," she bites back.

I ignore them. "Dante is able to see bits of the future. Maybe we can too." I turn to Nadia. "Maybe, if we tap into the Spirit World, we can see what they're up to."

"Have you done that before?" Terra asks.

"I saw glimpses of something last time we meditated at the Air Temple. I-I think it was about this girl Dante loved." I describe the vision I had at the Air Temple, and my dream at the mansion. I leave out the fact that Drake was the one to tell me the story, and act like I learned it from a servant.