Page 74 of Akarnae

Bear grinned in response and pulled a Bubbler vial out of his pocket, throwing it at the ground. As soon as the iridescent portal was large enough, he picked up his backpack and stepped through it.

Alex waited for him to get clear before she approached the colourful wobbling substance. She’d seen a few Bubbledoors open up in her time at Akarnae, but she’d never used one herself. Nor had she ever been so close to one. It truly was beautiful, with the sunshine glinting off the rainbow-coloured, bubble-like substance.

“Any day now,” Jordan drawled, pulling her from her observations.

“Patience is a virtue, you know,” Alex said.

“I have too many virtues already. I don’t think my personality could handle any more.”

Alex shook her head at his arrogance and stepped forward into the Bubbledoor. She was instantly surrounded by the colourful light as her weightless body travelled across a vast distance at an impossible speed. She almost fell flat on her face when the movement stopped, and she was still trying to get her feet under her when Jordan walked straight out behind her like a pro. No jelly-legs for him, apparently.

“That was so cool!” she said, finally managing to steady herself enough to look around and note the woodland surrounding them. “I wish we had these back home.”

“They’re not hard to make,” Bear told her. “All you need is the proper chemical equation and the right ingredients.”

Alex snorted. “So says the Chemistry genius. Most of the stuff we learn about in Fitzy’s class isn’t even possible in Freya. Before coming here I’d never even heard of—”

“You know the great thing about holidays?” Jordan interrupted loudly. “The fact that we don’t have to talk about anything academy-related. Like Chemistry.”

Both Alex and Bear understood the not so subtle hint and dropped their conversation without argument.

“How far away is your house?” Alex asked Bear.

“Turn around,” he said, grinning.

Alex did so and she couldn’t help but smile at her first glimpse of Bear’s home. The Bubbledoor had delivered them onto a little cobbled path that wound from the edge of a forest straight up to a cottage. Well, ‘cottage’ probably wasn’t the best description, since it was quite a large house. But it was just so homey-looking, with wildflowers in the garden and a half-sized wooden picket fence. Vines grew along the walls of the house, making it look like something straight out of a fairytale. All in all, it was completely enchanting.

“Wow, Bear, this place is amazing,” Alex said.

He shrugged, but she could see his pleased expression out of the corner of her eye. “It’s home.”

“Let’s get inside,” Jordan said. “I’mstarving.”

“You just ate breakfast!” Alex was amazed yet again at the never-ending pit that was Jordan’s stomach.

“That doesn’t mean I’m not hungry again,” he said, nudging them forward.

Bear led the way up the winding path and pushed open a wooden gate that squeaked a little on its hinges. As they approached the house, Alex saw a curtain flutter on the other side of one of the windows. When they were just steps away from reaching the front door, it was thrown open and a blurry missile launched itself at Bear.

“BARNY!” the missile squealed.

Bear laughed and picked up the little girl who had attached herself to him. He threw her up in the air before catching her again and swinging her around in his arms while she giggled madly. When they were both so dizzy that they had to stop, he set her back on her feet and she stumbled over to give Jordan a hug.

“Jordie!” she greeted, just as enthusiastically.

“Hey, kiddo!” Jordan said as he picked the little girl up and squeezed her tightly. She started laughing when he began to tickle her mercilessly.

“Stop! Stop!” she gasped.

“Never!” he cried, cackling maliciously.

“I’ll tell Mummy”—she tried to say between laughs—“that it was you”—she hiccupped—“who broke her favourite vase last year!”

Jordan stopped immediately and lowered her to the ground, raising his hands in surrender. “How do you know about that?”

“I knoweverything,” she said, with the confidence only one so young could exhibit. She then turned and squealed again, throwing herself at a surprised Alex. “We’re going to havesomuch fun together!” she sing-songed as she hung from Alex’s waist.

Not sure what to do, Alex hesitantly put her arms around the smaller girl. “I—um—can’t wait?” she said, looking to Bear for some kind of explanation.

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