It was around an hour later, and Lady Sophia Worth was beginning to get very excited indeed.

"So," she said, the thrill in her voice impossible to hide. "I want to get this absolutely clear. You're saying that there are certain people in the world, mostly girls, who are suddenly able to do amazing things? Create heat or lightning from nowhere, control water, even read minds?"

"Well, it's not exactly 'reading minds', more—"

"Never mind that." Sophia frowned at her hands. "And because normal people obviously have trouble dealing with this sort of thing, you're trying to create a kind of safe haven for this sort of person?"

"Yes," said Fin. "In a word, a home. Although it's also my intention to help those with these abilities learn to control them and use them in various ways—"

"So not just a home," said Sophia, her eyes gleaming, "but a school. And in order to create this school, and to protect those who live there, you have to find this statue?"

"That's right," Fin said. "Rather a succinct summation."

Sophia had her hand on her chin, frowning in thought. "Tell me again about the girls you've gathered," she said. "I want to know about all of them. Their abilities, I mean."

Fin chuckled. "I must say, you have a remarkably adaptive mind."

"I know, I'm clever, could you please just tell me?"

"Very well. All of these abilities stem from energy, the conscious or unconscious manipulation—"

"You already told me that."

Fin smiled. "So I did. Selene, then. She has the ability to manipulate her own energy, semi-consciously altering her own perception. She sees and hears far better than any normal person. As well as this, she is able to alter her perception so that all else appears to slow down. Taken together, these abilities help to make her a remarkable archer."

Sophia was nodding. "Okay. The next one, then, Ashley. She controls heat?"

"Her ability is almost unconscious. She sends heat throughout her entire body, focusing on her hands. This heat makes her limber, more supple, stronger and faster ... and, of course, when she hits someone, they are burnt rather severely. Her sister Maya has control over water, though she sees this as more of a toy or trick than anything."

"Water," Sophia repeated. "How strongly can she direct it? With how much, what's the word ... force, I suppose."

Fin smiled again. "Presently, she is more skilled at subtle, precise manipulation, rather than violent force. However, she has been training hard towards a more practical use—"

"Okay, I get it. Lina, then. You said 'physical energy' before, what did you mean by that?"

"The ability to manipulate the body's energy, in turn shaping flesh and bone. I believe she's been using this ability her entire life, though she doesn't realise it, to make herself stronger than most normal humans could ever hope to be. She's never been pushed to use this strength before. I think she'd surprise herself."

"And healing," Sophia said. "Right?"

"Yes, though due to some form of trauma she's loathe to use it. If only I could have found her sooner..." Fin trailed off, then shook his head. "It doesn't do to dwell on what may have been. Given time, I believe Lina will come to accept herself, and her abilities. Until then we will keep her safe. Penultimately, we have Ada. Her energy is attuned to lightning. We used to call her kind of energy user a 'spark'. Already she is exploring some of the uses for this, she has a sharp mind and a scientific approach to matters that I find admirable, and her control is remarkable. Given time, I believe she may be the most powerful of all of us. With one exception."

"You, do you mean?"

"Me? My abilities are barely worth mentioning. I can see the energy of those like us, read emotions and intentions and send images to those susceptible to that kind of thing, no, my abilities are weak, inconsequential."

"Then who? Selene, Ashley, Maya, Lina, Ada ... did I miss someone?"

Fin was smiling at Sophia.

"What?"

"Although it was your powerful scream that brought us rushing to your aid," Fin said, "I had, in fact, already noticed you—or rather, your power."

Sophia stared at Fin.

"I ... I don't have a power," she said, although already suspicion was beginning to rise within her.

"Your ability," Fin said, "is that of raw energy manipulation. That's where all of these powers come from, the manipulation of energy, energy that everyone and everything possesses. You can sense energy, you can alter energy, you can drain a person of their fear and you can give that fear to another, you can—"

"Wait a moment, just wait," Sophia said. Her head felt tight. "I can't ... I can't do anything like that—sensing energy, you said, I can't do that, I've never ... I think I need a moment to collect myself."

"But only a moment," Fin said. Sophia looked at him, confusion on her face. "Your innate energy is stable, utterly balanced, to the point where upsetting it for any great length of time would be nigh-impossible."

"What does that mean?"

"Not more than a day ago you were the victim of a horrific assault. Even before that, I can only guess how you got those wounds on your arms, but I imagine it wasn't a particularly pleasant experience. And yet here you sit, calmly talking with me, accepting these preposterous notions of energy and girls-with-powers with barely a batted eyelid."

"I ... just ... try to keep an open mind?" Sophia said. "And being attacked wasn't so bad, not really, it..."

No, Sophia thought, it was so bad, REALLY, but ... but that was then.

"In a normal person there would be trauma, shock, and a scarring of energy," Fin said. "And yet your energy is smooth and clear, unblemished, one might even say pure."

Sophia frowned as she considered this. She was about to say something more, but was interrupted by the door to the carriage coming open.

"Fin," said Selene, after glancing at Sophia, "I know you must have a lot to talk about with this girl—"

"My name's Sophia. And you're Selene, right? It's so nice to meet you."

Selene stared at Sophia, then looked at Fin again.

"But you said we'd work on my focus, I felt a little off in that fight and I have some questions—"

"Of course, forgive me. Sophia, we'll continue this later, in the morning perhaps."

"Oh. Okay. Yes, that would be ... good."

"Outta the way, Princess. Hey there," said Ashley, looking in the carriage at Sophia. "You hungry?"

Sophia half-realised half-remembered that she was unbelievably hungry.

"Yeah, thought so. Come on, we got a stew happening."

"I'll leave you to meet the others," said Fin, and Sophia smiled at him as she left the carriage. She let Ashley lead her to a large camp fire, its heat comforting. The smell of stew greeted her, and as she sat down she was handed a bowl by a small, smiling girl with thick black hair that cutely framed her face.

"Maya?" Sophia tried. Maya gasped.

"You can read minds!" she said.

"No ... no, not quite," Sophia said, thinking, but maybe I can! "I just ... talked with Fin about you." She blew on a spoonful of stew. "And you're Ashley?"

"Yeah," said Ashley, through a mouthful. "And that sad-sack's Lina."

"Ash!"

"Well maybe if she smiled once in a while. Or said anything. Oh, and Spectacles there is Ada."

"It's nice to meet you," Ada said, after a glance at Ashley at 'Spectacles'. "Uh, what's your name?"

"Oh, Sophia," said Sophia. She ate the spoonful of stew—it was very plain, and the flavour of the meat was odd, but she was hungry enough not to care in the least about either of these things. "Sophia Worth. Um. Thank you all for saving me."

"Wow, gratitude," said Ashley, with a look directed at Lina, who didn't respond in the least. "That's something new."

"I didn't do anything to help," Maya said. "It was Mr Fin and Selene and Ada and Ashley, Lina and me just stayed in the carriage."

"You're a group, though," Sophia said. "You all saved me."

"Yeah, well, just don't make a habit of getting into that kind of situation, yeah?" said Ashley. "Ain't always gonna be someone around to rescue ya."

"I know," said Sophia. "It's clear that I have a lot to learn about life in the real world."

The others all stared at her. Then Ashley leaned over to Ada.

"This kid for real?" she murmured.

"I was thinking something similar," Ada murmured back, her cheeks just slightly flushed.

Maya, meanwhile, was smiling at Sophia, who was busily eating her stew.

"I love your hair," she said. "It's so pretty, and your clothes are so nice, too."

"Yeah, little too nice if you ask me," said Ashley, before Sophia could reply. "You a petal?"

"A 'petal'?" Sophia said.

"Y'know, from good parts."

"You mean ... oh. I suppose I am. Are you from Unity, too?"

"Yeah, me and Maya both are. Not nearly petals, though. Ada's from Rosanth, dunno where Gloomy's from, down south I guess. Dunno about Princess over there, neither."

"Selene?" said Ada. "She's Rosanthian, from the north. Can't you tell from her accent?"

"Never been good with that sort of thing," Ashley muttered. "Where's 'Mr Fin' from, then?"

"At first I thought he was Rosanthian too," said Ada. "But now I don't really know."

Sophia was observing Lina—she was sitting apart from the others, not far, but there was a clear gap.

"Are you okay?" Sophia asked her. Lina didn't respond, just chewed at a piece of bread.

"Don't bother," said Ashley. "She ain't the talkin' kind. Just sits and stares—like I said, real dull."

"But why?" Sophia persisted.

"I think she's been through a lot," Ada said softly.

"Well, so have I, and I'm not just sulking," said Sophia. Ashley laughed.

"Yeah, good one."

"Um, thank you." Sophia looked around at the others. Yes, she thought. Travelling together, searching for a lost artefact, working to build a home—a school—for others like us.

Well, there's absolutely no question.

This is my path.

I've found it.