Lauren whirled and ran back into the house. Just then, Lisa burst from the back door of the Harrison's house with Mark giving chase behind her. Oblivious to the strange phenomenon revolving wildly in her path and only wanting to get away from Mark, she sprinted across the lawn separating their houses and headed for Diana and Ric, still standing transfixed in awe on the back porch next door.

Mark, seeing her heading directly for the whirling petals, felt a sudden chill and immediately forgot his anger. He picked up his speed to a full run and grabbed Lisa's arm tightly to pull her away. As he did, however, the strange wind whipped out misty tendrils and caught them both, and they found themselves helplessly trapped within a wall of swirling wind.

Ric acted instantaneously, as if by sheer instinct, and charged towards the trapped pair as the wind began to fold inwardly, pulling them into oblivion along a dark path that had opened below their feet. Mark stretched his hand out of the twisting mass, and Ric grabbed it. With muscles straining against the force of the wind, the man braced himself and tried to free the trapped pair by sheer brute strength. It was not enough. The powerful man could feel Mark's grip slipping rapidly.

Lauren dashed out of the house again, nearly breaking the door behind her. In her hands were the two swords from the living room Diana had marveled over earlier. She raced past Diana, who still stood motionless, like a department store mannequin, her eyes wide and mouth open.

"Alaeric!" Lauren cried out and threw him his huge sword. Even in her shock, Diana was awed by the accuracy and length of the throw.

Ric caught the massive weapon one-handed and held it above his head, shouting something in a language Diana had never heard before. Even as the shrieking winds began to slow and calm, Mark's hand began to slip away.

"Lauren! They're drifting. Blood me, anchor the place!" he shouted, desperately trying to maintain his hold on Mark's wrist as the winds suddenly ratcheted up again. Lisa could still be heard screaming inside.

Lauren grasped Ric's arm and cut it with the edge of her own sword, chanting in the same language. A streaming trail of his blood swirled into the vortex and wrapped itself around Mark’s arm. Still straining mightily, Ric kept trying to pull Mark back from the path below his feet. Soon, he felt he was being dragged into the maelstrom himself and shouted for Lauren to help him.

She grabbed his waist and pulled. Ric’s arm, now dripping blood profusely, entered further into the vortex before she could wrest him away. Ric finally lost his hold on Mark, and the small whirlwind closed in on itself, disappearing into a cold mist. Lisa’s scream abruptly stopped, and there was silence.

Lauren, pulling back on Ric, lost her balance, and they fell together, sprawling on the grass. The wind was gone. The petals were drifting slowly towards the ground. The moon was bright, and it was once again a still June night, except for the sound of Ric's rasping breath.

In a shaky voice, Diana asked, "Wh-What happened? Wh-Where are they?”

Slowly, Lauren looked up, not recognizing the girl for a moment. Then realization washed over her, and she sighed as she started to rise. "This is going to take a while to explain. I have to get Ric bandaged. Come inside now. Before he bleeds to death on your lawn.”

Diana shoved her back down, her face a rictus of hate and fear. "I asked where Mark and Lisa went!" Her voice, high-pitched and shrill.

Lauren fell atop of Ric, and his wound was ripped open further. He cried out in renewed agony.

Before Diana could inflict any more damage, Lauren shot back up and grappled her from behind to bring her to her knees, locking her in an iron-like grip. Unable to break free, the girl's agitation eventually lessened, and Diana began to cry quietly. Lauren, sensing no further struggle, left her and went to Ric, still clutching his arm as blood flowed between clenched fingers.

"We will explain, woman!" he grunted breathlessly. "But don't challenge us again!” Lauren helped him to his feet, glaring at Diana. Blood dripped in a scattered pattern on the ground.

"Come inside," Lauren said over her shoulder as she helped Ric back to their house. "We must talk." Then without caring if the girl followed or not, she turned to Ric and helped him to his feet. "Come on, cousin. I have to get you patched up. This place might prove very bad for those of our blood.”

Inside the kitchen, Diana watched quietly from a chair, still gripping the arms angrily as Lauren washed the cut on Ric's arm, and he grunted more.

"Oh, don’t be such a baby.” Lauren sighed as she rubbed, "The infections of this world could kill you. I have to make certain to clean it properly. I don't need to lose you too.”

Diana watched them warily. Each time she felt compelled to speak, a quick look at Ric's strained and pale face, and then the great sword leaning against the armchair dripping blood, silenced her.

Eventually, Lauren finished her treatment of the wound and wrapped a crisp white bandage around it. "I hope this will control the bleeding,” she said worriedly. "What the hell was I thinking, letting you use the blood anchor like that?!"

"You didn't have a choice! We needed an anchor. Otherwise, how could we follow them?"

"Well, if you die, at least it will be for a good cause," Lauren remarked bitterly. "And how am I supposed to follow them if you're dead?”

"Well, I'm not dead yet,” Ric snapped back. "And with any luck, I'll get you there before I drop. How's that sound?"

"And how do-"

Diana spoke up in a soft, plaintive voice, "Um, look...could you two please tell what is going on? Where are my sibs?"

Lauren and Ric looked at her curiously. "Sibs...?"

"Mark and Lisa! My siblings! My brother and sister!"

Ric covered his face with his good arm and sighed. "They've been caught up in a trap meant for us, I suppose. We'll do our best to get them back as soon as possible.”

"That's not good enough!" shouted Diana, getting up from the chair. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? A trap meant for us...just who the hell are you?”

Ric looked over at Lauren. "No, I suppose that's not a good explanation after all. Only I don't know exactly how to go about this. I guess the best way to explain what you saw is told in our legends.”

Rising slowly, he walked to the front hall and retrieved an octagonal crystal from the hallway table. Then he opened a drawer and pulled out a book-sized box that looked a lot like a Kindle. He dropped the crystal into the box and handed it to Diana. "Listen to this. Uh... It'll give you an operational framework so that you understand, um...things. When you've heard it, we'll try to explain what happened.”

Suspiciously, Diana took the box from him and sat down. Ric touched her hair gently and looked at her with great sadness in his eyes. "I am so sorry this happened.”

Then he touched the top of the box. "Begin."

A light, alto, non-mechanical voice spoke as pictures formed on the surface of the box.

"Far beyond the limitations of space and time, in the folds of eternity, the Creator sat in the garden of his wife, Divine Wisdom...”

When Diana had heard the entire creation myth, she put down the box and looked at Ric and Lauren, her expression cold and distant.

Lauren met her stone gaze. "What you saw this evening was one of the Creator's paths. Someone was trying to lure Ric and me onto it. Deliberately manipulating the energies of the paths. And that means someone was looking for us in particular. Unfortunately, it snared Lisa and Mark instead. Somehow we're going to have to go after them and bring them back.”

"Are you serious?" Diana was aghast. She stood up, shaking in rage. "You’re telling me fairy tales, and my brother and sister are missing?"

"Your mythology is my reality," Lauren replied coldly.

Ric said gently, still in pain, "Sit down, girl. Lauren and I are not lying to you. Sometimes a myth explains notions that are difficult to comprehend. Your world has very few paths leading here, so you get few visitors from the coreworlds, and this edgeworld easily seals... That's why we were exiled here.”

"Exiled?" Diana asked, confused. "Edgeworld? What the hell are you talking about?"

Lauren looked over at Ric grimly. "It's a long and complex story. For now, just understand that our King was obligated to send us into exile for a rebellion in which we had no part. This place is on the edge of the universal pathways. Only those very skilled in pathfinding can locate such a hidden place.”

Ric nodded. "Perhaps it was someone very skilled, someone, like a master sorcerer?"

Lauren looked alarmed now. “A master sorcerer would be a dangerous opponent.”

"But, what are you going to do about getting Mark and Lisa back?" Diana demanded. "I really don't care about all this mumbo-jumbo. All I want are my brother and sister returned safe and unharmed. Right now!"

"When Lauren slashed my arm, my blood dripped onto Mark. It's a rather primitive rite of associative magic, but we were pressed for time. We'll be able to follow my blood and, in turn, follow them onto the path.”

"What if they’re not there?" Diana half-believed them. After all, she'd watched the maelstrom suck her brother and sister into oblivion.

"Then, we'll search for them,” Ric answered, looking at his bandaged arm. "Lauren, I'm still bleeding a lot. We'd better go soon before I'm too weak to give you a focus point. Association is chancy at best. We'll only be in the vicinity of their arrival as it is.”

Lauren shook her head, "You need some rest. Otherwise, you won't make it at all.”

Diana was staring at Ric's arm, horrified at the crimson bandage. Somehow this blood, more than the story or even the disappearance, made her believe what they were saying, even as she tried desperately to think of rational explanations for the evening's events.

"I am going with you,” she announced.

Lauren and Ric exchanged a long, silent look. Then Lauren nodded to the determined young woman. "Alright, I wouldn't want you to stay here alone in any case. If they came here once looking for us, they might come again. If you got caught without any sort of anchor, you might wander the paths forever lost, and we could never find you.” Lauren paused. "My only concern is that I don't know how long this is going to take. I hope not too long, but it may take weeks.”

"I'll leave a letter for my parents. They won't believe it. I hardly believe it myself. But at least I'll tell them what you've told me.”

Almost under her breath, Lauren murmured, "You'd be amazed to know what they'd believe.”

"What?”

Lauren put a comforting arm around her and shook her head. "Nothing. Anyway, we'll leave tomorrow. We have to gather supplies, close the shop, and I want Ric to get some rest. I suggest you stay here tonight.”

Diana agreed, and the two went into the kitchen. Lauren made some tea and snacks for everyone and served Ric, seated in his chair in the great room. The big man was concentrating on his cut arm and did not join in the planning of the supplies. Once the list was made, Lauren showed Diana to a spare room.

Before Diana entered the room, she turned to Lauren, "I don't know why I believe you.” Her voice cracked. "M-Maybe because I grew up reading fantasy and wanted to go to Narnia and marry King Peter. Maybe because of what I saw tonight or just maybe because I trust you. I hope you’re right. I hope we can find them soon and come home and forget this ever happened.” She paused, tears welling up now, "I think that I have to trust you. Only I don't know why.”

Diana entered the bedroom and closed the door.

Lauren, her own eyes glistening, said softly to the closed door, "Oh, my dear, if you only knew...”