Page 50 of Tik-Tok

Tears pricked at her eyes as she folded her arms around him, gripping him so tight that she thought she might be hurting him. She loosened her hold on him a smidge while resting her head on his shoulder. There were so many words she could say, but this said it all, was more than enough.

A throat cleared behind them. When neither moved, it sounded again.

“Not now, Respen,” Tik-Tok muttered.

“We’re here, Captain,” Echo said.

They had arrived. Echo and Respen stood beside each other while a few crew members were scattered across the ship. North released Tik-Tok and pushed up out of his lap. He peeled himself from the wall and rose beside her.

“North’s going to open the portal.” Tik-Tok peered out at the sea, and from his face she couldn’t tell he was worried in the slightest, although she knew he was.

A brownie wearing a green smock freed the anchor into the sea with a loud splash.

Respen stepped up to North and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Whatever happens, you’re one of the crew. Echo and I will be by your side the entire time.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks and she swiped them away. “Let’s begin.”

“There’s no rush,” Tik-Tok said, his lips pursed.

“No use in waiting either.” North moved out from Respen’s grip and turned toward the water. She placed her palms against the handrail.

Tik-Tok came up behind North, his body caging her in as he set his hands beside hers. Perhaps he thought it would prevent North from being torn away. And maybe it would.

“Keep your eyes open the entire time,” Echo told North, coming up on her right while Respen took the left. “There might be another way back if you’re looking for it, if you do get lost. Don’t give me that look, Captain. I’m only saying this in case somethingdoeshappen. So she’ll be prepared.”

“I’ll keep them open,” North whispered, clenching the rail. “I’m ready.”

“If you need to stop,” Tik-Tok said, “then you stop. Don’t force yourself to keep going. Listen to what your body needs and don’t overexert yourself.”

She nodded and looked at each of their faces—faces that had become familiar. These were her friends, and she wanted to do it for all of them.

Exhaling, North settled her gaze on the silver waves, their gradual movements. Her violet magic stirred, as if it could feel the portal already. With invisible fingers, she pushed down inside herself to the swirling pool of purple and snatched it. The power unfurled from her body like a tree blooming with new flowers. As it spun from her and stretched out to the sea, her body shook slightly. Tik-Tok inched closer to her, his chest brushing against her back, keeping her grounded.

The violet tendrils touched down on the surface of the water, and the waves’ light movements kicked up, becoming stronger, forceful, thrashing. The sky above them darkened, thunder booming. Was her magic doing that too?

She kept her eyes trained on the water, squinting at the waves. The magic formed into its smoky hands, their fingers digging into the liquid, then peeled it slowly back. A jagged line opened so deep that there was no seeing an end. Her magic vibrated, erratic. The waves crashed together, the ocean’s surface whole like before. Her heart pounded harder and beads of sweat dripped down her face. She didn’t know if she could truly do this. But she remembered her earlier training with Tik-Tok—she hadn’t gotten it the first time then, either.

North shook her head, finding focus once more as she plucked out the magic from within herself. She kept her eyes wide open this time too, and the waves rose as she pushed her magic out in their direction, their swells growing taller. The ship jostled.

Her body shook harder when her magic dug into the water again. It was as if she might be torn in two.

Tik-Tok’s arm left the rail and wrapped around her waist, holding her in place, grounding her. It gave her a new drive as she concentrated, pushing her power forward. A dip in the silver water formed and liquid around that center started spinning in a circular motion. The slow movements churned, growing faster and faster until the sight before her blurred.

North felt herself being pulled away from Tik-Tok and toward that silver shimmer. Her feet rose of their own accord so she was on her toes, her hair lifting around her head, the waves sounding like the world was cracking in half. Tik-Tok’s grip tightened as her heart accelerated, pounding against her rib cage.

She didn’t know which path was currently being chosen for her, but she kept going anyway, holding onto the magic so tightly that she knew, if her invisible hands could bleed, they would.

With an ear-piercing scream that burned her throat and rattled her chest, she thrust out all the magic she could at the churning center, only this time, more controlled. A heavy, all-consuming force slammed her backward across the ship, colliding with the floor on top of Tik-Tok.

“North!” Tik-Tok lifted her in his lap.

“Are you all right?” Echo asked, crouching beside them.

Everything spun and her body was limp. The magic had reeled itself back inside her, and she was too exhausted to even speak, let alone try to open the portal again.

“She did it,” Respen breathed, rushing to them with his eyebrows up his forehead.

North must have had energy left after all because she leapt away from Tik-Tok and darted for the handrail. Below, the spinning circle was no longer silver, but glowing bright violet.

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