Basil awoke with a start. His heart was racing and the clothes that he wore were drenched in sweat. Everything was quiet again. So quiet that he wondered if everything he had experienced was just a beautiful nightmare. He hoped that it wasn't. He wished that she was real so that he could experience listening to her sweet voice one more time. He went to rub the sleep from his eyes and realized that he was holding something. It was, of course, the coin he had been given earlier. Undeniable proof that something amazing had happened to him. At least he knew for sure that he wasn't crazy.

He looked around from his prone position. Apparently, his mom and sister had been able to move him into his room. He looked at his nightstand, which was piled high with books and notes, to check the time. 5:30 AM. Basil decided to get up because there was no way that he'd be able to go back to sleep after the night he had. When he sat up he felt a phantom pain in his shoulder and a twinge in his leg. His shoulder was sore, but when he looked down there was a purplish bruise. He guessed that was better than an open wound. His leg was a different story though. It looked like his mom had cleaned and treated it while he was unconscious, but it still hurt like hell. He swung both his legs off the bed, gingerly testing his injured leg to see if it could take weight. It hurt, but it was bearable, so he stood and hobbled over to his dresser with his coin in hand. Once there, he picked out a clean t-shirt and threw it on before leaving his room. He sluggishly made his way down the hallway until he reached the kitchen and family room, placing the coin in the pocket of his loose sweatpants as he went.

When he finally made it to the kitchen he could see his mother and sister passed out on the family room couch sharing a blanket. He didn't want to wake them up. He was sure that they had both been up multiple times last night to check on him. Instead, he decided to start making breakfast. Nothing could wake up Birdie faster than bacon. He made coffee first before moving on to eggs and toast. He had to take a break to rest his leg before he started on the bacon. He saw Birdie move and stretch out of the corner of his eye not two minutes after he dropped the first batch of bacon in the pan. She walked over to the cabinet, blindly grabbing for a coffee mug. Basil wanted to laugh. His sister was not a morning person. Also, her hair looked like a giant tumble weed precariously placed on top of her head. He would turn to tell her good morning but, honestly, until she drank her first cup of coffee she'd be about as responsive as a zombie. So, he kept cooking bacon and Birdie sat at the island drinking her coffee and staring at nothing. It occurred to him that they both had probably had rough nights.

Basil finished the food and proceeded to pull plates and forks from the cabinets. He set the table, squeezing his sister's shoulder lightly when he passed her. She stood up and joined him in bringing the food to the table. Birdie then went to poke their mother until she woke up. Meanwhile, Basil practically threw himself into a chair. His leg was killing him. He'd have to have his mom check it after they ate. Birdie came back to the table with their mom in tow. He grinned at the pair. His mom's hair looked like Birdie's.

"What are you smiling at?" his mom asked him. "You nearly got your leg chewed off last night."

"Have you seen your daughter's hair," he replied. "She looks like a tree monster."

Birdie's eyes grew wide as she felt on top of her head while their mom laughed.

"Oh my god Basil, it's just a bun," Birdie responded with a glare. She then started to pile her plate high with bacon. He was glad he decided to cook the whole pack. Basil tucked into his food too. Everyone ate in silence. He guessed that they were all starving after last night. Using too much magic can take a physical and mental toll.

He waited until everyone was done eating before pulling the golden coin from his pocket and placing it on the table. Birdie just started at it, not understanding what it was or why he had put it on the table. His mother had a very different reaction. She visibly paled as she looked at the coin. She then reached out to grab it, but stopped just short of picking it up. It was as though she was afraid of it. Her fear didn't stop her though. After that brief pause she picked it up and held it close so that she could examine it. His mom retreated within herself for a moment before nodding in resolve.

"Where did you get this?" she asked him.

"I...I dream walked last night mom," he expressed. "I met a girl about my age. She gave me this and said I would need her soon. Mom, I heard her. I could hear her in my head."

"You dream walked to California?"

"How did you know I was in California?" Basil asked.

"This coin tells me that you met L-a-r-u-e," Mapiya replied, having to spell out the individual letters in Larue's name. Basil would have to think of a name sign for her later.

It was then that Birdie decided to cut in. "What is dream walking?" she asked. "Basil was here all last night. I checked on him like five times."

"It's a gift, just like your fine control over the air," their mom explained. "Basil's soul can leave his body and travel to other places. It's a special gift, but very dangerous."

"Yeah, Larue shot me with an arrow last night," Basil supplemented, pulling down his shirt to show off the bruise on his shoulder. Mapiya and Birdie both gasped and moved closer so that they could get a better look. "She also shot a bear."

"Well, at least she couldn't truly kill you," his mom replied with a sigh.

"Didn't stop her from trying. She got super upset when she saw my – our – tattoo. She tried to choke me. Then she said something about her father."

"Wakinyan. He is her adoptive father. They are...at odds right now," Mapiya clarified. "She knew that you bore the mark of a Thunderbird. What she didn't know was who's mark you had."

"Why doesn't she get along with him?"

"That's her story to tell Basil." Mapiya became very sad. Everything was happening so quickly now. "But she was correct, you do need to go to her. You both do."

"Why should we go to California just because some girl in Basil's dream says we should?" Birdie asked indignantly.

"Larue is one of the few people that can help you hone your gifts. She is also the child of a Thunderbird, but mostly, you will need her to get you to Wakinyan."

"Why do we need to go to Wakinyan?" Basil asked. He was confused as to why he and his sister needed to go to a man that they'd never met.

"The message that I received yesterday was an order from my brother telling me to go North, but I cannot leave the south. The same is true of my other brothers M-a-h-p-e-e and T-a-k-o-d-a, who cannot leave the east and west. The message I sent last night informed Wakinyan that you two will go in my place. You will need Larue's help to get you to him. If you two went on your own, Wakinyan might kill you for trespassing, regardless of the mark you wear."

"Whose gonna stay with you mom? Who will keep you safe," Birdie sniffled. Basil was pretty sure Birdie was about a minute from a meltdown. "How are supposed to convince Larue to take us to Wakinyan. You literally just said she hates him."

Mapiya pulled Birdie into a tight hug. "I know how to take care of myself dear, I've been doing it for years. Larue will help you, trust me."

Basil took his mom's words in stride, but it didn't stop him from feeling overwhelmed. A week ago, he and Birdie were two gifted 22-year-olds helping to run their mom's flower shop. Now he was dream walking and strongly considering going on a potentially deadly-trip North. He wanted to laugh, but didn't feel that this situation called for laughter.

"I cannot force you to go," their mom said. "I am asking you to go because I need you to and the sooner the better. Will you go?"

Basil and Birdie looked at one another. They had never left Arizona. They had never wanted to leave Arizona. Yet here they were, about to make a decision that would follow them until the day they died. Basil had already come to a decision, but he searched his sister's eyes for her answer. He wished that he knew what she was thinking in that moment. He wished he knew what his sister's voice sounded like. What his own voice sounded like. What it would be like to comfort and coax Birdie with his voice. But he couldn't do that. All he could do was stare at his sister, hold her hand, and wait for her answer. Birdie didn't disappoint him. It was her love of knowledge and exploration that led her to her answer. With a nod it was done.

"We'll do it," Birdie said with resolve, looking at their mom. Basil nodded in agreement. Birdie acknowledged her brother with a shaky smile.

"I guess we're finally going to Cali," she told him.

***

The twins spent the rest of the morning quietly packing for their trip while their mom cleaned the kitchen and packed them food for the road. Basil had no idea what to bring, so he decided on only the essentials: jeans, plain white t-shirts, socks, underwear, and toiletries. He also packed his journal, the only thing that made him feel sane. It was filled with all of thoughts that he could never say out loud. All his things fit in a single large backpack. He didn't know if that meant he was practical or if he had little to his name.

After packing Basil hopped in the shower. He could tell Birdie had been in there right before him because, like always, her long black hair was everywhere. He stood under the hot water for much longer than necessary, watching it fall from his hair to the shower floor. He wondered what water sounded like when it hit the ground. Ever since his encounter with Larue he wanted nothing more than to hear again. To know what sounds the world made. When he finally stepped out of the shower the bathroom was filled with steam. His leg wasn't bothering him anymore. His mom had redressed his leg and put some sort of medicinal hippy-ish salve on it. The wound looked weeks old rather than hours. Basil went through the motions of drying off, dressing, brushing his teeth and fixing his hair.

He went back to his room to grab the bag he had packed and pick up his black steel toed boots before walk out to the kitchen. His mom was waiting for him there, but Birdie hadn't come out of her room yet.

"Here, take this," his mom told him, placing two envelopes in his hand. The first had Larue's name on it. The second had he and his sister's names. He opened the second letter to find a stack of fifty-dollar bills. There were at least two hundred bills there.

"Mom, where did you get this?" He asked. They weren't exactly struggling for money, but they didn't have cash like that either.

"It from our rainy-day fund. I want you to take it," she replied. She opened his backpack and placed the envelopes in there for him. She also looked to see what he had packed. His mom seemed satisfied, but a small frown graced her face. She walked towards her bed room and out of sight for the moment. Birdie walked into the kitchen while their mom was still in her room. She was dressed similarly to Basil, but had on a long black t-shirt as opposed to his short sleeved white one. She too had managed to pack all her things into a single large backpack. Birdie's hair was done it one of those fishtail braid things. Basil thought it looked cool.

Their mom came back with two black leather jackets in hand. She handed the smaller one to Birdie and the larger one to him. He eyed it for a moment. It was old; he could feel how soft and warn in it was. He slid the jacket on and Birdie did the same with hers. Birdie seemed pleased with how it looked. Their mom looked at them both with nostalgia.

"That one's mine," she told them, pointing a Birdie. Then she walked over to Basil and fixed the lapel of his jacket before patting his chest and stepping back. "This one was T-a-k-o-d-a's. I never got to give it back to him."

"We look badass," Basil replied with a grin. Rather than reprimanding him for bad language, his mom just laughed.

"You do," she responded. "Now, do you have the coin and everything you need?"

Basil patted his pocket, indicating where he had put the coin. Birdie told their mom that she had everything she needed. They picked up their bags and started to leave the house. Their mom followed behind with a bag full of food. When they got to the beat-up old Ford, they put everything in the back rather than the bed of the truck. Basil hopped in the driver's seat and Birdie got in on the passenger's side after both of them gave their mom hugs. Mapiya stuck her head through Basil's open window to look at the pair.

"I want you to stay safe," she told them. "Only use your gifts when necessary and keep your tattoos hidden. Don't tell anyone that you are my children, unless you come across one of my brothers. If someone asks, say that you are my followers."

They nodded in understanding.

"I love you and I will always be with you," she said. Her eyes were wet with tears.

"We love you too," Birdie replied.

With that Basil turned over the car and started to drive away. He felt a tear slide down his face when he looked in the rear view mirror to find his mother waving to them from the end of the dirt road.