An hour had passed since Amy and Brad had claimed a table on the second floor of the public library. Brad slammed shut yet another book, pushing it across the table.

"Good. Now you can check this one." Amy handed him another.

Brad threw his hands up to defend himself. "No, not another one...Please, not the book!"

Amy giggled and put the book on top of the pile that had accumulated over the past hour. "Fine, but we only have to find this last bit of information and then we're done the lab."

"Liar," Brad accused, grabbing the book. "We have to type it up."

Amy shrugged. "That'll take what, fifteen minutes? I type quickly."

Brad pried open the book while Amy took notes. Quiet voices trailed across the room, but Amy was more aware of the silence coming from Brad. Wondering if he was actually reading, she looked up.

What Amy saw between the stacks a few feet away surprised her: a perfect, athletic body and a long blond ponytail.

What's she doing here?

Amy reminded herself that Brad's business was his own. Besides, the girl was completely immersed in the massive book she had propped up with her clearly well-defined arms. Perhaps she just happened to be at the library. Perhaps it was coincidence that of all the sections in the library, she was in the section about light.

No way. That's too coincidental. How many people read up on light refraction in their spare time?

"I don't believe this." Brad sounded annoyed. "Jesse's here?"

Amy spun around, just in time to see Jesse duck behind a bookshelf a few metres away.

"I don't believe this," she echoed.

Brad looked disappointed. "Apparently you have a fan club."

"That consists of what—one fan?" Amy pointed over Brad's shoulder. "I could say the same for you."

Brad looked behind him and his jaw dropped. "What is she doing here?"

The girl was now using the book to cover her face as she peered over the top at Brad. Jesse looked just as obvious, his wavy hair visible from around the corner. His eyes popped when Amy made eye contact and he yelped, jumping back and causing several books to fall on top of him.

Amy grimaced. "I'd better see if he's OK."

Brad nodded. "Let's both meet back here in five, shall we?"

Amy was burning with curiosity but didn't dare ask Brad about the exact nature of his relationship with that girl. "Sounds good," she said, half-truthfully. She tried not to think too much about why the mystery girl would be here as she hurried over to Jesse. "Hey, are you okay?"

As soon as she saw him, she felt her focus shift—Jesse was sprawled on the floor, not moving. She heard her panic in her voice. "Jesse!"

Jesse groaned and sat up slowly, books sliding off his abdomen as he rose to his feet. Amy felt a sense of relief at the sight of his crooked grin. "Never better. It was nothing."

That's exactly what I told Brad after I fainted a second time. Amy knew better. "It hurts," she stated simply.

Jesse nodded. "It does."

Amy started laughing. "Here—let me help you put those away." They both reached for the same book and Amy jerked her hand away when they touched.

Jesse chuckled, though he sounded apologetic. "I'm not from another world or anything. I won't bite."

"Don't you mean, 'I'm not from another planet or anything'?" Amy gently placed a few books back on the shelf before reaching down for more. "What brings you to the library?" she asked, still suspicious of him.

Jesse wiped his hands on his jeans. The shelves were dusty. "Actually, I, uh, came to talk to you."

"What?" Amy froze, the books halfway to the shelf.

"Yeah, uh, I know what happened to you on Friday." He cleared his throat. "I know you've been having visions."

"WHAT?!"

Amy dropped the books, cringing as the sound broke the silence of the library.

"Teenagers!" one woman complained. "No respect!" She made a big show of gathering up her books and stomping off to another study space.

Jesse gathered the books back onto the shelves and gently grabbed Amy's hand, leading her to a corner at the other end of the floor. Amy thought briefly of Brad, remembered the girl, and pushed the thought aside.

"I know about the visions," Jesse repeated.

"What do you mean by visions?" Part of Amy was glad to have a name for them. The other part—the part that was deeply rooted in the real world, she reminded herself—wasn't sure where this was going, and didn't like it. "What visions?"

Jesse lowered his voice. "I know you're confused, but I need to know what they've showed you. I need to know what you know."

Amy eyed Jesse's hand, which was still on her arm. He looked sheepish. "Sorry." He took his hand away but Amy could still feel his warm grip. "Who's sending you these visions?"

Amy heard a giggle and wondered if it was the mystery girl. She had to get back to Brad. And their lab report. "What do you mean who's sending them?"

"Is it Don? That guy is dangerous—he could hurt you!"

Amy's heart started racing. Don was the guy from her dream.

What in the world is going on?

"Is it Don?" Jesse repeated frantically when Amy didn't answer. "Is he sending you these visions? Please, Amy, this is important!"

Amy snapped out of whatever meltdown she was pretty sure she was having. "Stop!" She backed away, her hands up, palms out. "Please. I...I can't do this right now. I have to go."

Jesse looked thunderstruck. "Amy, please, I'm just trying to hel—"

Amy felt horrible but she turned and raced back to her table, her ponytail flying as she dodged between people. She stopped abruptly when she saw Brad and Blondie bent over their table, deep in conversation.

Brad's head snapped up. "Amy?"

"I gotta go," she lied, grabbing her things. The blond girl seemed puzzled. Next thing Amy knew, she was running out of the library. At the moment, she didn't care that people were staring at her as she raced through the turn stiles and out the door. She kept running and only stopped when she reached the car and was backing out of the parking lot.

~*~

Amy peeked into her father's office beside the kitchen. He was bent over his desk, surrounded by stacks of paper, clearly focused on his work.

Amy raced to her bedroom and immediately dialled Carley's number.

"Hello?"

"Carley! Thank goodness, I need to talk to you. How are you?"

Carley laughed. "It's OK, no need to be polite right now. Tell me!"

Amy told Carley about meeting Brad at the library and seeing the mystery girl hiding nearby.

"No way." Amy could picture Carley shaking her head. "Are you serious?"

"I'm serious," Amy insisted.

Carley scoffed. "Well, what was she doing there?"

Amy sighed. "I never found out because...Jesse was there too."

"What?" Carley paused. "I should seriously consider hanging out at the library more often."

Amy laughed, then grew sober when she remembered what had happened next. "Get this. Jesse thinks I've been having 'visions.' He started asking me who was sending them."

"Sending them? Maybe he can help you interpret them!"

Amy rolled her eyes. "Carley, they're not visions. They're dreams. But how does he know about them?"

"Be serious for a moment, Amy."

"What! I am serious—"

"They do sound like visions."

"Carley, people can't just see the future—"

"Who says it's the future you're seeing?" Carley sounded excited. "Yes, that's it. Amy, if these visions are of the present, then that means..."

Amy sighed. The stress of the past hour was starting to get to her. "Carley, I'm sorry, I think my brain is fried. Can we talk about something else, anything?"

Carley groaned. "Things are finally starting to get interesting around her. Fine." She cleared her throat. "So, are you going to ask Brad to the dance?"

"What?" Amy felt like she'd been saying that a lot lately. "No, I can't do that. He might say no."

Carley laughed. "Or he'll say yes!"

"Oh no. Brad." Amy closed her eyes and slowly lay back on the bed. "Brad and I didn't finish the lab report. We haven't even typed it up yet and it's due tomorrow."

"Aw, Amy." Carley sounded sympathetic. "I know that's got to be killing you. Marcus and I finished it in class."

"At least one of us has." Amy eyed her watch. "Listen, I have to go take care of this."

"Of course. See you tomorrow."

Amy said good-bye and hurried downstairs to grab her backpack. Her dad was making a peanut butter and pickle sandwich—one of his odd combinations.

"How was your meeting at the library?" her father asked.

Amy leaned against the entryway. "It was okay."

"Anything unusual happen?"

The unusual thing is that you're asking me that question, Amy thought. "Why?" she asked, avoiding the answer.

Her father turned to her, resting his palms on the counter behind him. "Brad called while I was on the phone with a client. He asked me to tell you he needs help finishing the lab because you left abruptly. What's going on, Amy? That doesn't sound like something you'd do."

Amy felt relieved. So that's what he meant by 'unusual.' She pushed off the wall and leaned against the counter facing her dad. "Don't worry about it, Dad. You know me—I'll get the lab done. I'll call Brad right now."

Her father looked relieved to hear she wasn't changing her lifelong pursuit of good marks. "Actually, do you think you two could talk online? I told Brad I'd be using the phone most of evening and told him you'd message him."

Amy could only image how angry Brad might be. Online did sound better. "Sure."

Amy's father patted her gently on the shoulder. "Good luck with your assignment, though I doubt you need it."

They both laughed as he headed back to his office.

Amy watched him go, realizing she'd been holding her breath. She couldn't shake the feeling she'd felt when she'd thought her dad knew about the visions.

Shrugging off the crazy vibe, Amy hurried over to the computer and logged into her account online. One windows popped up right away: Brad. Amy's heart jumped excitedly and fearfully, wondering if she was angry. She quickly typed out an apology for running out on him and was flooded with guilt when he told her he had typed up the lab by himself. He joked that it took longer than it would have if Amy had been typing. Her guilt was lightened when Brad asked her to edit the bibliography. At least it made her feel like she had done something more, though Brad pointed out that she had done most of the research and notes that day anyway.

Brad is in the house: so why'd you leave anyway?

Amy: sorry about that. you and that girl seemed busy

Brad: You mean Kiara?

She even had a pretty name.

Amy: I guess so. The girl with the blond hair. Who is she, anyway?

Amy flinched at her new boldness.

Brad: Just a friend. Business associate, you might say.

Amy: Business associate? You're only seventeen years old.

Brad: Listen, I gtg, ok? I'll see ya tomorrow;)

Amy reread the conversation several times after Brad went offline. The winky face made her made warm inside, but it didn't last long when she remembered how abruptly he'd left. She put on her PJs and got ready for bed, pushing aside all thoughts of Brad, Kiara and Jesse.

...Only to find they were first thing she thought of the next morning. Jesse kept signalling to her in English class, which only made her more nervous. She did her best to ignore him, the very idea of the word "visions" making her anxious. She somehow made her way through history and calculus, and finally she was free: lunch time.

Amy and Carley snatched a table in a corner of Le Petit Café, where large plants protected them from the rest of the world.

"Remind me why we're eating where no one can see us?" Amy asked quietly, though she was secretly glad they were hiding from Jesse. Unfortunately it meant they were hiding from Brad too.

"I need to talk to you," Carley said simply.

"Well." Amy said dramatically. "I'm glad we cleared that up!"

They both laughed, but Carley cut herself short. "It's important, obviously. Top secret. Serious business."

Suddenly Amy heard Jesse's distinctive voice as he spoke loudly nearby. She peered between the leaves of a large plant. "Jesse's over there talking to Brad and Eric."

Carley leaned forward to listen.

"Brad, do you know where Amy is?" Jesse asked.

"No idea," Brad confessed. "Why?"

"Please," Jesse pleaded. "I need to find her. Eric, do you know?"

Eric shook his head. "Sorry, no. What's the big deal? You sound worried."

"I am! Amy's life could be in danger. Do you have any idea where she might be?"

"Danger?" Brad repeated numbly.

Eric's brow furrowed. "Did you have too much sugar or something?"

"No!" Jesse replied shortly. "Please, guys, could you help me find Amy?"

Brad looked worried. "She's usually with Carley. But, listen, I've got to go."

Amy peered around the plant, wondering what in the world Jesse was talking about. She watched helplessly as Brad exited the café, a frustrated Jesse close behind.

Amy looked down at her hands and realized she was shaking. Why would Jesse claim her life was danger? Did he know something she didn't? This is too much. The dreams, Jesse's visit to the library, his comments just now about her life being in danger. When she looked up at her best friend, she was surprised to see a serious look on Carley's face.

"Carley, did you hear Jesse—"

"That's what I need to talk to you about!"

"Jesse?"

"Jesse!" Carley leaned forward. "I think he's the one they were talking about in your dream! The first one. Remember? Adam High was mentioned, and then the speaker told Helima to 'send him in.' I think she sent Jesse here to get the Light! See—your visions are of the present!"

Suddenly Amy felt restored, like her nerves were back to normal. Listening to Carley's theory was like taking a cold shower—it helped her realize how silly it had been for her to let Jesse's comments affect her. "Oh, please." Amy dug into her egg salad sandwich. "Those are dreams, Carley. They aren't real."

But Carley ploughed on. "Amy, hear me out! Jesse wouldn't run around claiming your life was in danger unless he meant it. I think he's right"—Amy opened her mouth to object"—"but I also think he's the reason it could be in danger. Remember the speaker said that Don is capable of killing people? That he's done it before?"

Amy spoke as though speaking to a very slow child. "Jesse's name isn't Don."

"An alias," Carley said quickly.

"And he's after me because...?" Amy shook her head. "No, why am I doing this? Listen, Carley, he thinks my life is in danger. He thinks I've been having visions! He followed me the movies. What am I supposed to do? Half the things he tells me sound like they're coming from some fantasy book, and now you're going along with him?"

"He must think you know where the Light is!" Carley continued, oblivious to Amy's attempts at clearing the air of anything fantasy-related. "Why, I don't know...it probably has something to do with why you're getting these visions." Carley sat back, evidently proud of herself. "I catch on pretty quickly when it's something I care about." She leaned forward again. "You've got to promise me not be alone with Jesse, okay? Hang around with me or Brad or something."

Amy answered by taking a bite of her sandwich. "That's not going to work," she said smoothly, still believing none of it.

"You're right," Carley conceded quickly. "He'd find you anyway. I'll head him off—"

"No." Amy rose to her feet. "Jesse probably wants to talk to me about what happened at the library. I'm going to go talk to him."

"Did you hear anything I just told you?" Carley demanded. "This guy is not just any guy! Who knows what he'd do to you if you were alone?" Carley scoffed. "No offence, but we both know you can't defend yourself—"

"Excuse me?" Amy asked.

Carley's fiery eyes dimmed slightly as she took a deep breath. "Listen, Amy. You're my best friend and I don't want anything to happen to you. Convincing you that this time I'm right is about as easy as getting my dad to let me use the car." Carley swept the remains of her lunch into her backpack. "Obviously, you're completely unaware of how dangerous Jesse is—so I'm going to have to keep him away from you myself. It's for your own good." Before Amy could organize her thoughts, Carley raced out of the café.

~*~ Jesse ~*~

Brad sprinted in the direction of the forest behind the school. Part of Jesse wanted to dash after him and yell at him for being so dense. He needed to get to Amy before anyone else did. Hadn't Jesse sounded desperate enough? Unfortunately, no one but him understood the urgency of the situation. Not only had he made himself look like a fool inside the café, but he was no closer to finding Amy.

Jesse headed for Mr. Hicks' classroom, hoping he'd find Amy at her desk inside. Unfortunately the room was empty. Jesse ventured into the science office. Oddly enough, it was empty too.

Except for one person. He had black hair and blue eyes: a handsome combination. The face lit up with a smile that was anything but happy.

Jesse growled. "Don."

Don laughed, his tone deep and menacing. "Jesse," he said pleasantly, straddling the chair he was sitting on. "So you crossed the border as well. Charming place, isn't it, this 'Adam High'?"

Jesse closed the distance between him. "If you think you're going to lay a hand on her, then keep thinking it—because it's not going to happen."

Don scoffed. "Think again." Three black-cloaked figures appeared behind him. Their faces were sealed by black toques, but Jesse was sure they were Meramibila. "Meet Hajl, Prern and Jakib."

Jesse picked up a textbook. Before Don could blink, Jesse had thrown the book and hit Hajl square in the face. Hajl disappeared. Jesse had scarcely a moment to breathe before Prern did a somersault and launched Jesse against the wall with just one kick. Jesse ducked, avoiding the fist aiming for his head, and kicked his attacker square in the thigh. Prern evaporated.

Don was still straddling the chair, a perfectly calm expression on his face. Not good. A calm Don meant Don knew he was winning. "You have sent them back, but only temporarily." He held up a hand, as though signaling to Jakib to stay put behind him.

"I know," Jesse said, his voice gruff with impatience, racking his brain to figure out what was keeping Don so calm. "They are Meramibila. They are amazing fighters, but they die instantly in a process during which their bodies are transported back to Merama and reborn."

Don raised an eyebrow. "That is not something written in the books. Who told you?"

Jesse eyed the clock. Class began in two minutes. Jesse grabbed a meter stick and swung, but Jakib had already caught his arms, twisting them behind his back. Jesse bit his lip to keep himself from screaming in pain.

Don knelt before him so that they were eye level. "You were right, Jesse. There was no chance that I could 'lay a hand' on her." Jakib covered Jesse's mouth so only his eyes could betray his confusion. "That is, not with you in the way. Jakib will take good care of you; meanwhile, I will introduce myself to Amy as an old friend. She's going to take me on a nice tour of the school while I question her about the location of the Light. After she has told me where it is, I'm going to offer to drive her home in my new car." Don smiled. "They have nice cars here, don't they? But they're nothing like the stallions I'm breeding at my uncle's castle."

Jesse lunged, but as a result he fell flat on his face, crushing the side of his head against the cold linoleum floor. He rolled over in pain, his hands tied together. "That will never work!"

"Who's going to stop me?" Don argued. "With you out of the way, there's no one to warn Amy that I'm not the perfect gentleman I appear to be. Without you, Jesse, there is no one to save her."

"That is your biggest mistake," Jesse warned. He eyed the clock. Thirty seconds until the bell rang. Thirty seconds until Don beat him to Amy.

Jakib had tied up Jesse's feet and hands, which were beginning to bleed as he fought against the rope that bound them.

Don stopped on his way to the science classroom. "And what is that?" he asked.

Jesse shook his hair out of his eyes. "Thinking she needs me to protect her."

~*~ Amy ~*~

Amy took a frustrated swig from her water bottle, trying to organize her thoughts. Carley had just run out of the café to corner a student she suspected was a murderer from a vision. How insane was that?

Amy looked down at her hands and realized her fists were clenched tightly around her sandwich. Egg salad oozed down her fingers. Amy licked it off, realizing how tense the past ten minutes had actually made her. She was confused about Jesse, frustrated with Carley, and annoyed in general.

Amy gathered her things and stepped out from behind the bushes. The café was practically empty. Only the skippers were left.

I'm late! Amy sprinted into the school, to her locker, and down the hall to science class.

Amy froze in the middle of the hall. The door to the science class was open. Mr. Hicks never left the door open—not even after he let the late students in.

The hair on Amy's arms stood on end. She approached the door, her ears straining.

"Our new student—" Amy heard Mr. Hicks say. He must be introducing Jesse to the class. Amy stepped into the room. Before she could say anything, Mr. Hicks blocked her view.

"Amy!" he boomed cheerfully—a little too cheerfully. He should be annoyed with me for being late.

"We have a transfer student who says he knows you very well."

Amy sighed. Not this again. "Sir, Jesse hardly knows me—"

"Not Jesse," Mr. Hicks interrupted. "Someone else."

Mr. Hicks moved aside and suddenly Amy was blinded. It took a moment for her vision to clear, revealing a guy around eighteen or twenty years old. He had black hair and blue eyes. Amy had never seen him before, but she recognized the silver cowboy boots, and the thing that had blinded her in the first place.

Around his waist he wore a flashy belt.

Amy gasped and her books crashed to the floor. "Don?" 

Don grinned, the kind of grin that made the hairs on Amy's arms stick up even more. "I thought you'd be happy to see me," he replied slowly.

Mr. Hicks' smile wavered as he eyed Amy suspiciously.

Amy backed away. She saw Carley jump up from the corner of her eyes. Carley must have remembered Amy's description from her dream.

Don took a step closer to Amy. She forced herself to look at his belt, and what she saw made her gasp. It was covered but its shape was unmistakable.

A knife.

"Maybe you could give me a tour of the school," Don suggested.

Jesse came running from the direction of the science office and Don spun around to face him. "Jesse!"

Jesse's eyes narrowed. "Next time you try to get rid of me, you're going to have to do more than this!"