“You can’t be a volunteer when someone suggests you,” said Kiyo.

I sighed. “Stop being contrary and just do it, please? I’ll be guiding the water, so you don’t need to worry.”

Alea seemed impatient with our delay. “While you debate, I’m going to send Spots ahead to scout.” She crooned more nonsensical words to the bird and then set him free. He took off, powerful wings carrying him over the water. He flew in a straight line over Dorian’s bridge, cleared it, and then soon vanished out of view.

“There you are,” said Dorian. “That’s where the land shifts. We’re almost there already. Wait just a moment, volunteer.”

Kiyo rolled his eyes. Dorian and Kellum resumed their bridge-building, stopping when they reached a point that was just past where Spots had disappeared. To our eyes, the bridge ended abruptly in the lake, but those on it would cross into the next kingdom before reaching the water.

Dorian admired his work and then nodded to Kiyo. “Well, then, go ahead. Try it out.”

Kiyo hesitated only a moment, as though trying to decide for sure if Dorian had done all of this as part of some elaborate ruse to drown him. Finally, deciding this was a necessary part of the mission, Kiyo set out and stepped onto the bridge. Jasmine and I both were connected to the water and were using our combined strength to make sure the bridge didn’t sink. Between us and the earth wielders, the bridge didn’t budge. Kiyo relaxed slightly and walked out the rest of the bridge’s length. Just before he reached the water, he vanished. A couple seconds later, he reemerged.

“It worked,” he said.

“Well, of course it did. No need to sound so astonished,” chastised Dorian.

“The Yew Land’s on the other side,” said Kiyo. “You can’t even see the water from there.”

“Go there and wait for us,” I said. Kiyo gave me an incredulous look. “There’s nothing you can do here! And we can’t have extra weight on the bridge.”

Reluctantly, he agreed and vanished once more. Slowly, single file, the others began to cross as well. I was a little nervous when the horses stepped out, but those of us who were working magic here were strong enough to keep everything steady. In fact, before long, the four of us were the only ones who remained since we were needed to maintain the bridge’s integrity.

“Go on,” Dorian told Jasmine and Kellum. “We can hold it without you, enough to cross right after.”

Jasmine looked reluctant to go, but Kellum didn’t have to be told twice. He seemed nervous at being left alone with us. The two of them hurried over and disappeared into thin air, just as the others had done. Dorian held out his hand.

“Shall we, my dear?”