Prologue

Tina

Jeez. Giving birth is hard. No. That's not the right word. It's brutal. And it's taking forever. I've been pushing for so long that I'm starting to wonder if this baby has decided she likes it in there. “Can't this go any faster?” I gasp. The nurse beside me gives me the same frightened expression she's been wearing for the past hour. She always looks like she's about to cry. “Just keep pushing,” she says in that tiny, trembling voice. I glare at her. “What exactly do you think I've been doing?” My voice comes out higher than I intend, but I don't care. I want this over. I want to leave this hospital. I want my baby in my arms. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, I hear the words I've been waiting for. She's here. My baby is born. I expect congratulations. A smile. Something. Instead, the room goes strangely quiet. The doctor looks at the nurses. One of them takes my baby, quickly wrapping her in a blanket. “Wait,” I say. “Where are you taking her?” Nobody answers. Then they rush out. Just like that. The door swings shut, leaving me staring at it. My heart starts pounding. A few seconds later, the nurse returns. “Um... madam?” She looks pale. “There's a little problem with your baby.” I push myself up despite the pain. “What problem?” She opens her mouth. Nothing comes out. “What happened?” I demand. “The doctor will explain. I'll be back.” Then she disappears.

I sit there, completely confused. Something is wrong. I know it. The room suddenly feels too quiet. Then the door opens again. The doctor walks in with Livien behind him. My husband looks terrified. His glasses are crooked, and he keeps pushing them up his nose. He looks at me, then quickly looks away. “What is going on?” I ask. The doctor doesn't answer immediately. That makes it worse. “Your baby's powers are unstable,” he finally says. I stare at him. “What?” “They're putting her life at risk. We believe the safest option is to remove them.” For a second, I don't understand what he's saying. Then I do. “Remove them?” “Yes.” He pauses. “We need your consent.” He glances toward Livien. “Your husband has already given his.” I turn to Livien. “You did what?” “Tina—” “No. Seriously? You gave your consent?” My voice breaks. “You agreed to them taking our baby's powers?” Livien's face changes. “What was I supposed to do?” “Say no!” “And then what?” he snaps. “Watch her die?” The room goes silent. I stare at him. He looks exhausted. Frightened. Nothing like the calm, controlled man I know. “We don't have time,” he says quietly. “They need an answer now.”

A doctor places a form in front of me. A pen rests on top of it. I stare at them. My hands begin to shake. “No,” I whisper. “I can't.” But the doctor doesn't move the paper away. Livien doesn't say anything either. He just looks at me. And suddenly I realize what they're asking me to choose. My daughter's powers—or my daughter. There is no good answer. If I refuse, she could die. If I agree, I could be taking away something she was born with. Something that belongs to her. My eyes fill with tears. “Bu... but...” I can't finish the sentence. My mind is moving too quickly and not quickly enough at the same time. I pick up the pen. My hand trembles so badly that I almost drop it. I look at Livien one last time. He doesn't stop me. So I sign. One simple movement. My name on a piece of paper. That's all it takes. I push the form back to the doctor and immediately regret it. Tears roll down my face as I stare at my signature. I have no idea whether I've just saved my daughter's life. Or whether I've just made the biggest mistake of mine.

Chapter 1

Petals

Hey, my name is Petals, and I'm a fifteen-year-old girl who has an ALMOST perfect life. There is just one teeny, tiny, insy-winsy little problem. I don't have powers. Everyone does. Literally everyone. So, sad, right? But don't worry. My mom never lets me feel bad about it. She always tells me I'm special. Right now, I'm getting ready for school when I hear her familiar voice from downstairs. “Petals! Get ready soon!” she calls in her high-pitched, impatient voice. Her power is lightning, so apparently impatience comes with the package. “Coming, Mom!” I shout back. I grab my bag, hurry downstairs, and find Dad sitting at the dining table, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. He looks exactly as composed as usual, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Morning, Dad.” “Good morning,” he replies quietly. That's Dad for you. His power is mind manipulation. Great, right? Super cool power. Yay. Except I don't have any. I stuff breakfast into my mouth while Mom taps her fingers against the table. “Hurry, hurry, hurry. Chop-chop!” she says. “Mom, I'm eating as fast as I can!” “You can eat faster.” “I'm pretty sure that's physically impossible.” Dad lowers his newspaper just enough to look at us. “She's trying,” he says calmly. “Thank you, Dad,” I say, grinning. I chug down some water, grab my bag, and hurry toward the door. “Bye, Dad!” I call, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. Then I hug Mom. “Bye, Mom.” “Have a good day. And don't be late!” she calls after me. “I won't!” I shout as I run outside.

My two best friends are already walking toward me. Trisha spots me first and waves dramatically. “Finally! We were starting to think you were never going to show up.” I laugh. “I almost didn't. I was running late.” Nancy snorts. “You? Late? I'm shocked.” “Very funny,” I say. Trisha laughs. Her power is gravity, which means she can make things heavier, lighter, or even manipulate how they move around her. Nancy's power is fire. She can literally create flames with her hands. Pretty cool, right? Having friends like that is awesome. “So,” Nancy says, leaning closer, “did you hear what happened yesterday?” I immediately look at her. “What happened?” “You didn't hear?” Trisha asks. “Apparently someone in the senior class accidentally set off the training alarm during combat practice.” “Wait, seriously?” I ask. Nancy nods eagerly. “Apparently the whole hallway started floating because Trisha's cousin lost control of his gravity.” Trisha rolls her eyes. “Don't look at me. I wasn't even there.” “Still, that sounds amazing,” I say. “Amazing? Petals, you have a very strange definition of amazing.” “Well, at least something interesting happens around here.” We all burst out laughing as we continue toward school, talking over one another and catching up on every piece of gossip we can remember.

By the time we reach school, the halls are already crowded with students showing off their abilities in little ways. Someone lifts a stack of books without touching them. Another student sends a tiny spark dancing between their fingers. I try not to stare. I drop my bag into my locker and pull out my books. “Okay, we separate here,” Trisha says. She points down one hallway. “Gravity specialty class.” Nancy points toward another. “Fire class.” Then they both look at me. I sigh dramatically. “And I get boring old combat.” Nancy gives me a sympathetic smile. “Hey, you're still the best fighter out of all of us.” “Exactly,” Trisha adds. “You don't need powers when you can beat everyone without them.” I grin. “Finally, someone appreciates me.” Nancy laughs. “We'll meet at lunch?” “Obviously.” Trisha gives me a quick hug before heading off. Nancy follows, calling over her shoulder, “Don't get yourself knocked out!” “No promises!” I shout back. I turn toward my classroom and adjust the books against my chest. I may not have powers, but I'm actually good at almost everything else. Combat. Strategy. Speed. Reflexes. Everything. Still, sometimes I wonder what it would feel like to have something inside me that everyone else seems to have. Something that makes me different. Something that makes me belong. I shake the thought away and keep walking. After all, my mom says I'm special. And I believe her.

Chapter 2

Petals

After school, I head back home with Trisha. Nancy has to stay behind for extra practice, so I wave at her before leaving. “Bye, Nancy!” I call. “Bye! See you tomorrow!” she shouts back. Trisha walks with me for a while before we reach my house. “See you tomorrow, Petals,” she says. “Bye, Trisha.” I wave as she heads off. I walk inside and notice Dad isn't back yet. Mom is sitting on the couch watching TV, tapping her foot impatiently. The TV is already playing at its highest speed, and somehow she is still tapping like it isn't fast enough. Sometimes I wonder what the world looks like to her. Do we all move like sloths? It must be torture. “Hey, Mom, I'm back.” She turns toward me. “Oh, darling! How was school?” she asks in her usual ridiculously fast voice. “Fine, Mom. Same as normal.” “Good, good.” I head upstairs to do my homework. Most of it is combat theory, strategy, and new techniques. Nothing too difficult for me. Once I finish, I head downstairs for dinner. Dad arrives just in time. “Welcome home, Dad.” He gives me a small nod before heading upstairs. I sit down and eat while Mom suddenly disappears somewhere. I have no idea what she is doing. I finish dinner, head upstairs, and get into bed. As I lie there staring at the ceiling, I find myself wondering how Mom and Dad ever got together. Mom moves at a hundred miles an hour, while Dad barely seems to move at all. Somehow, they make it work. Eventually, I turn off the light and close my eyes.

The next thing I know, I'm standing somewhere completely unfamiliar. I blink several times. Flowers surround me. Huge trees tower above my head, their branches blocking out most of the sky. Bright, strange plants cover the ground, and everything smells damp and sweet. I stare around in confusion. “What?” I whisper. I was in my bedroom. I was literally just in my bed. “Mom?” I shout. Nothing. “Dad?” My voice echoes through the trees. My stomach tightens. Something feels wrong. Then I hear movement. Something is coming toward me. My instincts immediately kick in. I slowly turn around and freeze. A figure is standing between the trees. She's enormous. At first, I think she's a giant woman wearing a dress made of flowers. Then I realize the flowers aren't a dress. They're part of her. Her long hair is made of vines and colorful petals, and her skin seems to blend with the plants around her. She looks beautiful. Until I see her face. She looks furious. She starts marching toward me. “You!” she roars, pointing directly at me. I point at myself. “Uh... me?” “How dare you!” she shouts. “Do you know who I am?” I shake my head. “I... I don't think so.” Her expression darkens. “You locked me away for years. You thought you could imprison me and simply forget?” “I don't even know what you're talking about!” I stammer. “You have entered my trap now,” she says. “And you will pay for what you have done.” Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet begins to move. Thick vines twist around my legs, and sharp thorns rise from the earth. I struggle desperately to pull myself free. “Wait! Stop! I don't know you!” I scream. She only smiles. The vines tighten, and everything around me begins to blur. My body feels heavy. My vision fades. The last thing I hear is her furious voice echoing through the jungle before everything goes completely dark.

I wake up with a gasp. I'm back in my bedroom. Morning light spills through the window, and I'm breathing so hard my chest hurts. My clothes are damp with sweat. For a few seconds, I just stare at my room, trying to understand what happened. It was a dream. It had to be. A knock comes at the door. Before I can answer, Mom pushes her head inside. “Are you up?” she asks. Then she sees me. Her expression immediately changes. “Petals? What happened?” She steps closer. “Why are you shaking? You're sweating and you're breathing so fast.” I open my mouth, but my throat feels painfully dry. “I... I...” I can't seem to get the words out. Mom sits beside me. “Where did you go?” she asks quietly. I stare at her. I don't know how to explain it. I don't even know if I should. Because even though it was only a dream, I can still hear that woman's voice in my head. And somehow, I have the horrible feeling that it wasn't a dream at all.

Chapter 3

Tina

Oh no. Oh no. Is my daughter dying? What's happening? Why does she look like this? “Petals?” I rush to her bedside, watching her struggle to speak. “Mom...” she tries, but the word comes out broken. “Mom, I...” She stutters again, unable to finish. Panic rises in my chest. “What happened? What the heck happened?” I don't know what to do. I've never seen her like this. Then there's a knock at the door. Livien steps inside. “Is something going on?” he asks. “Yes! Petals is... is... I don't know! Look!” I point toward the bed. Petals looks completely confused, her mouth opening and closing as she struggles to get the words out. Then an idea hits me. “Read her mind.” Livien freezes. “What?” “Read her mind so we can understand what's happening.” His expression immediately changes. “I'm not invading her thoughts.” “But what if she's dying?” I snap. “But, Tina, that's not right.” “Do it! She's our daughter, and something is wrong with her!” He hesitates, staring at Petals. Finally, he sighs. “Fine.”

He focuses on her, and his expression becomes completely blank. Seconds pass. Then a minute. Then another. It feels like hours to me. I stand beside him, barely breathing, holding on to whatever patience I have left. “Come on,” I whisper. “Please.” Finally, Livien blinks and steps back. “What did you see?” I bombard him before he can even speak. “What's happening? What was she trying to say? What's wrong with her?” He looks at me, and the seriousness in his face makes my stomach drop. “Her powers are angry at her.” I stare at him. “What?” “They're trying to kill her.” My heart stops. “They caught her. They tried to kill her, but the protection seal we placed on her powers kept her alive.” I stare at him, unable to process what he's saying. “Wait. Wait, what? What? What? WHAT?” He nods. “The seal protected her, but something is happening to it.”

“We need help,” I say immediately. “We need to go to the wizard.” Livien doesn't argue. “The same wizard who helped the doctor seal her powers fifteen years ago, right?” I ask. He nods. “Yes.” I look back at Petals. She's still sitting on the bed, confused and frightened, trying to speak. My heart twists. Fifteen years. Fifteen years of believing we had kept her safe. Fifteen years of believing the seal would hold. And now whatever we were protecting her from has finally found a way out. Livien looks worried, but I don't have time to ask whether he's scared. “Get ready,” I say. “We're going.” He nods. I grab my things and look at my daughter. For the first time in fifteen years, I realize something terrifying. We didn't take her powers away. We only locked them up. And now they're awake.