***A 4,000-word chapter set to Josh Groban? Yes, please. BRING ON THE CHEEEEEESE.

Me: *crying* We've come so far! Getting closer and closer to that final chapter...

AND I'M JUST NOT READY :(

But don't worry, some of my favorite parts of this book are still yet to come! <3***

***(Skylor's POV)***

I survey the interior of the sea vessel. It appears we've packed everything necessary – provisions, clothes, weaponry. With good weather, we'll make the Dark Island by tomorrow night. I'm not holding my breath – Kai and I met with the police commissioner this afternoon, and he informed us that we're likely to face stormy weather. And that's especially bad for some of the places we'll be sailing through.

Nya and Jay retrieved Harumi from Kryptarium Prison a few hours back, and PIXAL and Zane Harumi-proofed the ship – we hope. I personally don't trust her, so I have no clue why Kai's team thought taking her along was a good idea. I mean, she totally was willing to kill them all for a power-stealing staff back in February.

She also used to skinny dip with Kai, but that definitely has nothing to do with my uncertainty about this.

Speaking of Kai...

I turn to where he's standing beside me and notice an unpleasant look on his face. He's been acting funny all day.

"You okay?" I frown.

He looks at me as though just remembering that I've been right next to him the whole time. "Huh?"

"I don't need to read your mind to see you're not feeling well. Everything all right?" I brush my fingers over his arm.

He rubs his temple. "Just a major headache I've had all day. I don't know where it came from."

"Do you need some rest?" I ask. "The others can take turns watching Harumi while I stay with you."

He nods, his expression as glum as it's been all day.

I lead the way down to the living quarters of the boat, settling down in an easy chair. Kai immediately flops into the room's bed, exhaustion weighing down on him.

I wouldn't be surprised if he falls asleep within the next few minutes.

I pull out my phone to text the others that we're ready to leave the dock once everyone else is. I don't want to keep Kai away from rest any longer than necessary – he's not feeling well at all.

"Skylor?" he asks, eyes closed.

"Yeah?" I set down my phone and focus my full attention on him.

"That feeling hasn't gone away."

I know exactly which one he's talking about. "You mean you're concerned that something is about to go really wrong."

He nods. "Nya told me recently that Sunny texted her to ask why she hasn't responded to her messages. She apparently sent Nya a birthday gift through the monastery mail and wanted to know if Nya had received it or not."

I choose my words carefully, knowing this is a touchy subject for him. "Kai...there's nothing wrong with your aunt sending a birthday present for Nya and wanting to make sure she gets it. It's not like she's asking Nya to meet her in some remote location. It's probably just a gift card or something."

Kai scowls, opening his brown eyes to squint at me. "She's not a good person, Skylor. She doesn't just send out birthday gifts without some ulterior motive."

"How do you know?" I shrug. "People change. You last saw your aunt...what, seven or more years ago?"

"Yeah, well...Sunny hasn't changed. Psychotic people like her don't just get over themselves." He winces at a pain in his head.

I thread my fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp. "You could try talking to her in Nya's stead."

"She's an evil witch, and I don't just 'talk' to witches." He closes his eyes. "I can't shake this feeling, Skye. Something's wrong."

"Want me to read your mind and see what I can figure out?" I ask gently.

"Please." He releases a pained breath.

"Clear your mind." I place my hands on either side of his forehead, focusing.

I sift through a number of images – strangers on the street, villains he's faced, Nya as a child – until I see a woman who has the chocolate hair and tanned features of Kai. She looks similar to Kai's mother, but her expression is sterner than any of Kai's mother's in the memories he's shared with me.

I watch as Kai's memory of Sunny comes to life in my mind, and I begin to view everything through his eyes.

"Kai," says a woman's voice, "I want you to meet my sister and your aunt. This is Sunny. She's an interior designer in Shintaro."

"Don't treat me like a baby, mom," Kai's voice says. I can hear his eyeroll. "I'm twelve now."

"Be respectful," his mother chides. I can hear the laughter in her voice at Kai's assertion that twelve is so old.

"I see motherhood is treating you well," Kai's aunt says skeptically.

"Wouldn't trade it for anything in the world," his mom replies. "It's been a while, hasn't it? I don't think you've seen Kai since he was a baby at the hospital. And you've never met Nya."

"I've been busy," Sunny responds. "How old is she now?"

"Ten," Kai's father asserts, protectiveness for his daughter in his voice. "And she's away for the weekend, so you unfortunately won't get the chance to meet her." He doesn't sound like he thinks this is an unfortunate case at all.

"Shame," Sunny muses, pushing her way past Kai and his parents into the small blacksmith's shop.

Kai's mother quickly follows behind her. "I totally deep-cleaned the house in preparation for your arrival," she says, for lack of anything better.

"I see. The whole place is...very retro." Her tone is judgmental.

"You would know," Kai's mother replies. "You are the one who majored in interior design, after all."

"I would know even if I didn't major in that," Sunny laughs. "But retro suits you, old lady."

Kai's father's voice comes out as an overprotective growl. "Don't call her – "

But his wife just chuckles along with her sister. "She's joking, Ray. I know you're intent on thinking she's the brat she was twelve years ago, but you're wrong. She's grown up a lot – we both have."

Ray harrumphs, not responding.

Sunny trains her eyes on me – or rather, on Kai. "Your mom and I used to get into it all the time. Is that the way you are with your sister?"

"Nya's cool. Most of the time, that is." I feel Kai shudder.

Sunny just laughs. "I'm sure whatever disagreements you have with your sister can't be like the ones your mother and I had. Isn't that right, Maya?" She aims a pointed look at Kai's mom.

"Those are unimportant now," Maya answers. "Now, tell me how – "

"'Unimportant'? I don't think so," Sunny chuckles humorlessly. "You only consider them as such because you're the one who inherited dad's powers. You never hid under your blankets in fear that your sister would blast you into next week for whatever you did wrong. You never – "

"That's enough, Sunny," Maya says curtly. "Do you really want your nephew to be exposed to petty disagreements of the past? Let it go."

"'Let it go'? I think we have too much history for me to just 'let go'. Remember when you and your friends were upstairs in your room for a slumber party? Remember when your precious little sister wanted to join you? But when all your friends were gone, you said I'd 'humiliated' you. And how did you punish me? Do you want to recount that?"

Maya huffs. "I've apologized, okay? Ray, I think there's something you and Kai forgot at the grocery store this afternoon."

But Sunny's on a roll. She trains her eyes on me. "Kai, you don't wind up wet towels and smack your sister with them, do you? Or hold her underwater until – "

"I'm sorry, okay?" Maya yells. "Sunny, I've spent more nights than you know unable to sleep because my memories haunt me. I was a bad sister, but I got better. Remember how after my rebellious phase, I'd take you out to the park every weekend? And once I got my license and a part-time job, I'd buy you ice cream from the truck whenever it came by and – "

"Do you have powers, Kai?" Sunny asks me.

"I-I...don't know." My gaze shifts to Kai's parents.

"I see you've misinformed your kids," Sunny hmmphs. "You want your past to remain a mystery, I suppose. But I think you're – "

"Enough!" Ray exclaims. "You forget, Sunny, how you made your sister's life hell once you hit your high school years. Leave the past in the past, and don't act like you know how to raise my son."

"Ray," Maya hisses, "leave with Kai now, please. I'll just finish this up with Sunny, then send her on her way."

"I'm staying for the weekend, remember?" Sunny grabs my hands. "Whatever they tell you, elements aren't innocent. They hurt people – they demonize the elemental holder. I should know."

"My parents aren't demons," Kai's voice argues.

"Then that's because they passed on their power to you, and you're a demon in the making. You don't want to know all the horrible – "

"You're crying," Kai's tired voice says from next to me.

I blink away the rage I feel. "Oh, uh...sorry. You were crying in your memory, so your emotions translated into my own." Dang, that was...tense.

"So you see why I don't like her," Kai sighs, his words little more than a mumble.

"I do. And I see why that much hatred would take her a long time to dissolve. But...don't you think that she could've changed dramatically, especially after your mom's death?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since then – she was traveling abroad at the time my parents got in their accident. It took the Ignacian government forever to get hold of her, and that's why Nya and I were able to escape her custody. She had no idea where we'd gone...until recently, apparently. Nya said she started getting mail from her through the monastery in December at Christmastime. They exchanged phone numbers in March." He groans from his headache.

I slide my palm over his face, closing his eyelids. "Get some rest. I'm not sure what exactly it is that's bugging you, but I'll keep an eye on things in the few hours it takes you to rest."

"I don't like this," he mutters.

"I know, but I promise I'll take care of things. Just rest until your headache's gone."

He mumbles a 'thank you' as he relaxes, ready for the pain in his head to cease.

Huh. I wonder what he's so disconcerted about?

***(Nya's POV)***

I watch Harumi as she sits innocently in her wooden chair, staring at the wall in a very bored way. We've been at sea for over three hours now, I can't get Nadakhan's disgusting kiss off my mind, and I'm overall fed up with the time this journey is going to take.

Harumi's made no effort to talk to me, and I will make no effort to talk to her, either. We hate each other.

Seliel's with PIXAL right now, and Jay's on deck with Zane. He's probably talking the nindroid's ear off while Zane just nods along, perfectly able to balance steering the sailboat and listening to Jay's chatter.

It has to be a lot more interesting than this.

I continue to stare at Harumi as low rumbles sound in the distance. Sounds like thunder – and thunder does not mean good things.

I feel the boat lurch, and I frown. Something must be happening on deck.

"Turbulent waters?" Harumi asks, finally deeming me worthy of a conversation.

I cross my arms. "Like you need to know. Whatever's going on, I'm sure we can handle it."

The boat suddenly rocks violently, and I almost lose my footing. I reach out my arms and steady myself with the wall.

Harumi's chair tips, and she goes sprawling to the floor, helpless with her bound arms and legs.

I rush over before she can find something on the floor to use as a weapon, then drag her toward the sea vessel's wall, standing her up against it.

She huffs. "If you didn't have me tied up, this wouldn't be a problem."

"If we didn't have you tied up, we'd have a host of other problems." I grab the wall as the boat lurches again.

A resounding crack of thunder signals the fast-approaching storm.

"That's...not good," Rumi muses, seeming amused by the predicament.

"No, it's not," I snap. "I'm surprised it came on so suddenly."

"Bad omen?" Harumi suggests, laughter bubbling up from her throat.

I scowl. "You're nuts."

"Nope," she giggles. "Just...nervous."

"And what, you think that's funny?" I cross my arms right as the door slams open.

I turn to see that it's Zane. He's dripping wet.

"What's going on?" I demand. "And...did you leave Jay alone?!"

"He is helping Seliel off deck," Zane quickly explains. "It is storming badly. PIXAL and I cannot be exposed to electrical shock because of our conductivity, so we must stay down here."

I blanch. "But...who's steering this thing?!"

"That's precisely what you're going to do," Zane informs me. "Make haste, and best wishes."

I run out of the room, yelling behind me, "I don't know how to steer a boat! I can drive, but I've hardly ever been on a boat! Gosh! Skylor, get your butt out here!"

I clomp up the steps to the deck, nearly slipping on the wet wood. I use my power to correct my footing before running over to the ship's wheel-thingy. Gosh, I don't even know what any of this stuff is called!

I grab onto the spokes of the wheel, holding it steady with all my strength. The wood creaks under my grip, and I feel a splinter dig into my palm. I shove all my weight up against the device, though, and hope for the best.

Skylor comes running up on deck. "What the – "

"Skye, can you steer a ship?!" I exclaim. "I'm having a really hard time making this work!" I groan as the wheel fights for control.

"I can try," she replies, wrenching the wheel out of my grasp. "Try to make the waters less rough! I'd help, but I have a feeling this is going to take all...my...focus!" She grunts as her elemental power causes metal to cover her hands up to her shoulders, giving her an iron grip on the wheel. Her forehead scrunches in concentration.

"Got it!" I yell. I hold out my arms and begin to steady the waves that toss the boat wildly, my muscles struggling against the force. I raise my arms against the will of the waves, parting a clear path for the sea vessel.

That's when I catch a glimpse of bright orange out of the corner of my eye and mentally facepalm, releasing my grip on the waves. One suddenly smacks into the boat, soaking both Skylor and I.

"What are you doing?!" she yells.

"Grabbing us life vests!" I cry, managing to snatch one off its hook and run over to her. I wrench one of her hands off the wheel, guiding her arm into the vest.

"Not our biggest problem!" she vociferates as another wave comes tumbling toward us. I use my powers to guide it away from the ship, my arms straining to perform their task.

As soon as I've redirected the wave, I snatch her other hand and shove it through the vest's proper sleeve hole before quickly buckling the fixtures in front.

Skylor shoves me away. "Sis, I hate to say it, but there's another – "

A wave comes crashing onto the deck, waterlogging both of us. I barely have time to prepare as thunder rumbles and another gush of water slams into the side of our vessel. Lightning strikes far-off, illuminating the sky that's quickly blackening.

"I seriously hope Jay gets up here soon!" I shout. "The last thing either of us need is to get electrocuted!"

I say this just as lightning zips down from right above and runs through Skylor's form. She shudders, but the power suddenly shoots from her fists and exits her body.

My eyes widen. "Oh my gosh! Are you – "

"Power of lightning," she forces out, grabbing back onto the wheel with all her might.

I sigh with relief, then feel water gush over me, tipping the vessel to the side.

"I don't like this!" I exclaim, trying to still the waters around us. They push and pull at me from every side, and I can physically feel myself begin to drain of energy.

"Just focus, sis," Skylor begs me. "Gosh, I wish I'd read Zane's mind and figured out how to work one of these things! It's been years since I've steered one of my dad's boats around our island! I was a little girl when I learned what I now know about ships!"

***Music Cue***

I release a strangled breath as I hold back the intense waves, knowing my muscles will be strained and tight tomorrow. I'll probably end up tearing a muscle, but that's not as bad as –

I can't finish my thought, as water attempts to inundate the boat again. I swallow back pain as I keep the vessel's path clear so Skylor can steer it straight out of the storm.

"Good job, sis!" she yells from in front of me. "You've got this!"

Yeah. I don't feel like I've got this.

At some point in this horrible struggle against wild waters – maybe five seconds or minutes or hours in – I hear Jay's voice as he comes up on deck. I can't pay attention to the words he shouts at Skylor; I have to fully focus on forcing water away from this boat. The only thing I care about is Jay being up here to redirect lightning and safely help us get through this horrible storm.

Waves continue to ram against the sides of the boat, and my arms ache from exertion with every passing second. I feel like I might lose control, and that's unusual for me. Though I only began to learn how to exercise my elemental power about a year ago, I've become quite deft at utilizing it.

Not today. Not with this much power coming at me at once.

I feel my arms begin to buckle, but I push through the weakness, crying out in anger at my inability, in anger at these stupid waves, in anger at the limpness hanging over me. I will succeed. I must!

"Keep it up, Nya," Skylor yells. "And watch out – there's a big one coming!"

Oh, no. A big one? I thought they were all big ones!

I yowl as the wave lashes against the ship's hull, and my hold on the water breaks. The sea swoops in to swallow us up, and my feeble powers barely keep us from succumbing to its dark might.

I just manage to redirect the water before it can fully engulf us. Tears leak out of my eyes in fat droplets that have nothing on the size of these waves.

My knees tremble as all the strength oozes from my body. Every part of me feels weak and incapable of bearing another burden.

But I have to. This is the only way.

"But I can't," I mumble. Smaller yet inexpressibly formidable waves rise up to take us down. "I can't!"

My voice isn't even a mewl. It's hardly a breath in the whipping winds.

That's when I feel a pair of warm, familiar, and electrically puissant hands on my shoulders, lending me strength against my liquid enemy.

"You can," Jay says softly but firmly. "I believe in you."

The words are quiet, yet they somehow thwack into me like a punch in the gut. The power his body has absorbed from the storm – all the electricity that he's shot back into the leaden sky or appropriated for his own use – it buzzes through me, inexplicably renewing my energy.

Jay...believes in me.

A month ago, he would've shoved me below deck and said that this was too dangerous and that he didn't want me getting hurt. A month ago, he would've been more concerned about my immediate discomfort than the good of everyone on board.

But that side of Jay has all but vanished in this moment. He's not trying to stop me, he's...

Making me stronger.

My elemental power begins to ascend within me, then to rocket, and then to soar. Whatever strength my body lacks, Jay provides. He moves one arm around my waist to help hold me up, and his other hand stays firmly on my shoulder, lending me support I didn't know I could draw from.

All the energy rising in me culminates as I suddenly spread out my fingers, letting each rain droplet bounce from thumb to index to middle to ring to pinkie finger. Back and forth each droplet travels, dancing, playing, humming with excitement for what's next to come.

And then I clench my hands into fists, commanding all the threatening waves to still. No thrashing waters, no violent uprisings, no lapping tumbles.

Just still.

The wind beats against my cheeks, my body pulses with exhaustion, and I want to fall over and sleep and not wake up until a week from now. My element cries out that each and every ounce of ocean I can reach should obey me. Water droplets climb their way up my face, unable to resist my orders.

But I notice hard bullets of rain no longer assault my cheeks.

And I open my eyes.

The storm rages all around us – behind us, in front of us, to the sides – but the area immediately surrounding the ship is calm.

I did it.

No, scratch that. Jay and I did it.

"Oh my gosh," he laughs from behind me. "Oh my gosh! Look at you! You – you're controlling it!" His hold on me tightens as he lets out a loud whoop.

I chuckle softly, our powers mingling to strengthen me against the threat of the storm. "You're...you're right."

Skylor's body visibly sags at the wheel, and she continues to direct the ship forward. "Keep it up, sis," she says, her voice tired but relieved. "Just a little longer, and I'm sure we'll be out of this."

My arms burn, but they also tingle with renewed power. My eyes want to close so I can rest, but I also can't seem to shut them, given the bursting energy inside that can't help but escape.

I've never felt more alive in all my life.

We stay like that for who knows how long – time passes quickly and slowly for me, this power deconstructing my view of the world and building it all over again.

Before I know what's happening, Skylor hollers, "We're safe! The waves have dwindled. You can let go now."

Let go?

I somehow forget how to do that.

Jay removes his hand from my shoulder so he can wrap both arms around my waist in a hug. The momentary loss of contact is all I need to lose the power of our elemental connection, and my whole body goes limp. If it weren't for him behind me, I'd just fall on the deck and probably never find my way back up.

He hugs me to his chest, though, sustaining me.

"You did it," his hot breath whispers in my ear. "I'm so proud of you. That scared the heck out of me."

I barely have the strength to chuckle, so I just tuck my head against him and be. He plops down on the deck, holding me close against him.

"We did it," I swallow, suddenly noticing the dryness in my throat. It's strange compared to the ample wetness around us.

He runs his hands through my soaked hair, his voice coming out hushed. "I love you so much."

My lips quirk into a smile, then into a grin, and finally a beam. "Wanna do it, then?"

"Do what?"

Confidence surges through me, and I decide to ride off its high before I chicken out. "Wanna be official?" The words tumble out of my mouth like the waves that once threatened our boat.

His breath hitches, and he presses his palms to my cheeks, guiding my face up toward his. He stares down into my eyes.

Their deep blue and the passion I see there pull me in.

"Yes," he chokes out, happiness and care plastered all over his face. "Yes, yes, and yes. And yes." The words break as he runs his hands down my cheeks, to my neck, to my shoulders. They find their way around my back, and his arms just hold me.

I sigh with happiness, lifting one wobbly hand to clutch the neck of his t-shirt and feel the rapid beating of his heart under his drenched clothing. I allow my neck to fall back on his shoulder, my whole being just yearning to be close to him.

All may not be well – we still have to defeat Nadakhan and Pythor and get back Lloyd and Cole.

But life is pretty doggone good right at this moment, if you ask me.

***So. Thoughts on:

1. Auntie Sunny?

2. Why the storm approached so quickly?

3. The action for this chapter?

4. Jaya being back together?

5. Randomness?

Hope you enjoyed!***