She groaned as she pushed herself upright and brushed the grains of dirt off her clothes. "Why did I ever listen to you, you crazy woman?" she grumbled. "If only I could control my powers better than this..."
I hurried to her side and helped her sit up. "Did you see anything?" I asked anxiously.
She shook her head. "No, nothing except for the sand. I saw a flash, though, like someone stepped into the shadows of a doorway and vanished. I don't understand it. All I did was open a portal and push the sand around."
"Could that have been our baby?" I questioned excitedly.
Aria shook her head again. "Impossible," she insisted, wiping away the tears that streamed freely from her eyes. "Even if it was, it wouldn't be able to survive in Apalach."
As the evening fell and the stars appeared, the
