The front door opened as Francesca returned with Elliot in tow.

“Theo, get your butt out here!” Francesca ordered. She hauled Elliot over to us. Her nose wrinkled at Theo’s room. “We are going to wait outside, so you two talk and get over whatever nonsense is bothering you.” She released the sullen Elliot to hook her arms around me and Mot to take us outside.

“Do you think this is the best idea?” I asked, worried things would get heated again without anyone to keep Theo in check.

“Yes. Now be quiet so we can listen.” Francesca hadn’t fully shut the door and now crept close to eavesdrop.

I only joined her to make sure things didn’t escalate. Mot remained a few feet away, fine letting us be the snoopers.

“It’s my fault Maddie overexerted herself,” Elliot said. “I’m the one who cut down the tree that fell on you. I accidently used too much power and did stage-three air slicing instead of simple air manipulation. I wanted to show off and it was the stupidest thing I could’ve done.”

“It’s my fault for bringing us there,” Theo countered, heated, but not alarmingly so. “It’s my fault for getting hurt.”

“It’s my fault!” Elliot said.

“No, it’s MY fault! But it is your fault the magic tower almost took Maddie away!”

“If they had taken her, that means she would become a great elementalist. Why is that a bad thing?” Elliot demanded.

“Because she’s my sister, you idiot!”

Elliot “oomphed” at what I assumed was Theo shoving him, hopefully nothing more, before saying calmly, “I won’t apologize for summoning a healer for Maddie. It’s what needed to be done to help her. Would you hate yourself more for her to waste away in bed or to thrive at the magic tower?”

“Is that even a question?! Of course, I want her to be healthy and happy, but that isn’t at the magic tower. It’s here with us!”

“And she is here! Healthy by the looks of it! I don’t want your thanks for doing something to save your sister. I did it to help her, because you want to know who’s to blame? Me, you, Mot, all of us! It was a stupid accident and I didn’t want Maddie to pay the price.”

The three of us outside held still in the beat of silence that followed.

“You’re right,” Theo said. “It’s Mot’s fault too.”

Mot actually grinned at that, able to hear them just fine with the cracked door and the boys’ volume.

“Do you still hate me? You want me to go and never come here again?” Elliot asked.

“No, you dummy. But you better never drop a tree on me ever again,” Theo said, a little sulkily, but I could tell they had patched things up. I knew it wouldn’t take long for Theo and Elliot to get back to being buddy-buddy. With me being safe and home, there wasn’t any further reason to be cold to him. If things had turned out differently that would be a different situation, but we had all lucked out.

Francesca shoved the door open. “Now that you boys are friends again, we should have that picnic. I’m sure we can scrounge up something to eat.”

Theo frowned at her. He and Elliot stood in the living room outside his room. “Were you eavesdropping on our private conversation?”

Mom poked her head out of her room. “Today is a day of forgiveness, I’d say.”

“Mom? You too?” Theo said in light outrage.

“What? You thought your voices don’t carry? You kids can pack some of that pie I baked for your picnic. Just promise to use your magic responsibly.”

“We promise,” the five of us vowed.

Elliot caught my gaze and gave me a tentative smile. I grinned at him, glad they had made up. His smile broadened.

I packed us some food with Mot’s help, excited to get a second chance to finish the birthday plans.

We trekked a little bit away to a big tree. Mot sat beside me and Elliot surprisingly claimed my other side. Francesca sat beside him, unsurprisingly, leaving Theo standing between our cousin and Mot.

Instead of raising a complaint for Mot to move, he sat down and shoved a bite of pie into his mouth.

“We should play a game!” Francesca suggested as we ate.

Mot perked up in interest. “What game?”

“Truth or dare. Maddie should go first. So, what do you pick, truth or dare?” The glint in her eyes made me think either choice would embarrass me. She was crafty, putting me on the spot like this.

“Truth,” I said, hoping it to be the lesser of two evils.

“Would you date someone here?” Francesca asked with a wicked grin.

Theo coughed as Elliot froze and Mot’s eyes widened.

“Sure, I guess, if they wanted to go on a date,” I said, my cheeks warming in a telling blush as all eyes fixed on me. “Francesca, truth or dare?”

“Dare!” she declared, ruining my plan to shoot the question right back at her. I hoped to barrel past my confession.

Theo slapped the ground, having recovered from his coughing fit. “We should play something else.”

“Don’t be a poor sport. Come on now, Maddie. What should I do?” Francesca baited me.

I nearly told Francesca to confess her feelings to Elliot, but couldn’t bring myself to possibly humiliate her like that. “I dare you to climb the tree.”

She craned her head back to look at the lowest branches. “Okay. Will one of you gentlemen help a girl up?” She stood and Elliot joined her. He gave her a boost onto a branch. “How high do you want me to go?”

“Not much higher. Wherever you feel safe at,” I told her, not invested in the first harmless dare I thought of.

She stepped up a few more branches. “Now boys, don’t be looking up my skirt like pervs.”

Elliot’s face turned red as he averted his gaze. “I wasn’t looking there. If you fall, I’ll have wind catch you.”

“Thank you for your considerateness.” Francesca sat and swung her legs on a thick branch. “Elliot, truth or dare?”

“Dare,” he answered, still flustered at her accusation.

“Catch me!” Francesca pushed off the branch and plummeted.

My breath caught in my throat as a rush of air blasted up to slow her descent.

Francesca landed in Elliot’s waiting arms.

“My hero!” she gushed at him. He set her down.

“That was stupid of you to do,” Theo scolded her as she straightened her dress.

She rubbed her finger in her ear. “Sorry? What was that? Do I hear you doubting Elliot’s skills?”

“Mot, truth or dare?” Elliot asked before Theo could continue chastising our cousin.

Mot took a moment to ponder before announcing his decision, “Truth.”

“Would you be friends with Maddie if she hated dancing?”

“Why isn’t anyone asking me anything?” Theo complained.

Mot pensively stroked his chin. “Hmm, hard to say. I would hope we would’ve become friends even if she hated dancing, but I don’t know if we would be as good of friends as we are now. Is that a good enough answer?”

“Yes or no! What does your gut tell you?” Francesca insisted.

Mot took a moment to stare at me. I held my breath as his face broke out into a smile. “Yes. I think we would be friends even if she never danced with me.” His stare lingered a second longer before he turned to Theo. “Truth or dare?”

Theo sat tall, glad to be included in the game. “Dare, but make it good! Nothing dumb.”

 “I dare you to dance.”

Theo’s mouth dropped open, not expecting that. “But, why? Give me something else to do. Like fight a monster. I bet I could find a monster around here somewhere if I search hard enough.”

Elliot smirked as Francesca and I laughed.

“You can do it here and now, or at town square, your choice.” Mot shrugged, but his eyes gleamed with a mischievous spark.

“But . . . I can’t just dance here to nothing!” Theo sputtered.

“Sure you can.” I stood up and held my hand out. “It’s easy. I’ll help you.”

Theo sulked as he took his time getting to his feet. “This is stupid.”

“I think it’s entertaining.” Francesca stood. “We should all dance!”

Mot hopped up and Francesca helped force Elliot to join us.

Mot pulled out a small flute that he seldomly played around Theo and gave us music to move to.

I held Theo’s hands as I tried getting him to at least sway. He stood rigid as a robot as I wiggled his arms. Francesca danced facing Elliot, who was only marginally better than Theo, bobbing his head. Mot danced around all of us as he played the flute, graceful and joyous where Theo lacked the ability to get lost in the music.

Mot took a break from playing to say, “If you won’t dance with her, I will.” He held his hand out and I took it. He spun me towards him and started the sidesteps of a dance as he held me close. My breath caught at our faces being so near, but I always managed to bottle such reactions or dancing with him would become impossible. He spun me away and to his side. I followed along the steps of the dance as he returned to playing, keeping pace with me.

Theo stopped all pretenses of dancing to glare at us. “Truth or dare, Mot?”

Mot played a long, ending note before bowing to me. I curtsied in response as he tucked the flute away in his vest’s inner pocket.