Free The Vision by Jessica Sorensen Page A

tired, or maybe it was because the idea that Alex’s ex-girlfriend would try to kill me sounded so ridiculous; yet it was true.
    So we all stood there and had our little laughing moment, until the darkness settled over us again and we had to move on.
    In the living room, we all gathered around the mapping ball, the star-shaped light in the center ill uminating a purple glow across each of our faces as Alex and Aislin and I explained to Laylen what had been going on while he was gone.
    “So what do we do now?” I choked. “Now that…Nicholas is gone.”
    After I had gone to get the mapping ball out of its hiding place, I had asked Alex what exactly happened to Nicholas
    —he didn’t just leave him on the side of the road, did he?
    Alex told me no, and that when one of the fey die, the fey themselves take care of them.
    I wondered if fey had funerals? I wondered how they would mourn Nicholas? Did fey shed tears over death?
    Would they gather and tell stories of Nicholas?
    “We need to make a plan?” Aislin said, twirling her hair around her finger as she thought.
    Alex gave her a duh look. “Thanks for clarifying the obvious, Aislin.”
    Aislin fired a glare at him. “Don’t be rude.”
    “We need to go to the City of Crystal,” I picked up the mapping ball from off the coffee table and turned it around in my hands, “so I can get inside this thing.”
    “You don’t even know how to use it.” Alex said. “Nicholas never explained it to you.”
    “I know.” I gave Alex the same duh look he shot at Aislin.
    “But I do know I need to get the power from that big crystal ball inside the City of Crystal. I just need to figure out how to bring the power back.”
    “Gemma, you need to know exactly what you’re doing before you even try to go to the City of Crystal,” Alex told me, leaning over the coffee table, his eyes stressing the danger. “It’s quite the risk sneaking in there when you aren’t sure how to get the power.” He reached over and took the mapping ball from me, with his thinking face on.
    “Maybe there’s another Foreseer we can ask,” Aislin suggested.
    If only it were that easy. Involving another Foreseer would mean involving another person in what was going on, which was extremely risky. Besides, I was beginning to question what side the Foreseers played on. I mean, look at my father.
    “Maybe you could ask your father,” Laylen said, twisting at his lip ring. “I mean, you’ve been there once, so why can’t you go there again.”
    Alex opened his mouth to argue, but then he looked at me. “Could you go back there? Do you know how?” I considered this. When I had gone there, it was totally by accident. I mean, I didn’t even know exactly what or where the place was.
    “I don’t know....” I chewed on my fingernails. “I’m not sure what my father would even do if I was able to get back to wherever he was. He wouldn’t tell me hardly anything the last time I was there.”
    “Well, you’ll just have to make him,” Alex looked me straight in the eye. “Tell him you can’t fix his mistakes, unless he tells you how and what they are.” I was still hesitant. “I think I need to talk to my mom. I mean, she might know something about all this.” I glanced at the seashel clock hanging on the tan wall. Wow. It was late. I gave Aislin a funny look. “Shouldn’t my mom be here by now?”
    Aislin twisted her golden-blonde hair around her finger, looking on edge. “I don’t know…maybe she had to go somewhere else besides the store.”

    I narrowed my eyes at her. “Nothing’s open this late.” Alex and Laylen gave Aislin a quizzical glance—I’m glad I wasn’t the only one noticing her weird behavior.
    “What exactly did she say on the phone?” Alex asked.
    Aislin quickly shook her head. “I don’t know…I don’t remember.”
    “Aislin,” Alex warned. “What did she say?”
    “I don’t want to tell you!” Aislin cried, throwing her head down into her