“We wouldn’t be abandoning them,” Five says, his voice level. “At least, we wouldn’t be abandoning them any more than we are by sitting out here having this pointless discussion. The humans will take care of them, just like they are now.”

“Absolutely,” my dad says. “We’ll do everything we can.”

“We need to figure out why this is happening,” Marina says. “If not what’s causing the nightmares, then what Ella did to knock out John.”

“Did you guys notice the way her hand glowed when she touched him?” I ask. “It was like a Legacy or something.”

“What kind of Legacy does that?” Nine asks, pointing towards the bedroom.

“John thought she used some new Legacy to scare off Setrákus Ra in New Mexico,” Marina says, thinking this through. “We never had a chance to test it.”

“Or it could be her telepathy gone crazy. Maybe she got in his head and lost control,” suggests Eight. “She’s only just started getting her Legacies. Who knows what she might be capable of?”

I think back to our time in Paradise, remembering how much work it took John to control his Lumen over those first few weeks. It seems like Ella’s telepathy would be an even more difficult Legacy to master. I notice Five nodding his head slowly as if he’s remembering something too.

“Back when I first developed my Externa, I had problems changing my skin back to normal,” Five says. “Albert used this prism thing from my Chest and it helped, I don’t know, relax me somehow. I was able to change my skin back.”

Six points at Five. “There you go. Another argument for going to the Everglades, to get whatever that was.”

Nine nods in agreement. “I can’t believe it, but you actually might be on to something, Five.”

Five holds his hands up. “Well, wait, I don’t even know if it would work on Ella. Or how it works.”

“I still don’t think we should leave them like this,” says Marina.

“Actually, I think separating all of you from John and Ella is a good idea,” my dad says. “Who’s to say this couldn’t start spreading somehow, especially if it’s related to her telepathy? We can’t afford to have any more of you in a catatonic state.”

“How do we fight this?” Nine asks gruffly, his brow furrowed, probably having exhausted all the possible ways to punch out a nightmare. “I mean, if Setrákus Ra can just put us into some dream coma, how are we supposed to fight back against that?”

“He’s come at us with these dreams before,” says Eight. “We woke up, no problem.”

“It’s different this time,” Marina insists.

“Last time Johnny woke up,” Nine says. “That means this shit got stronger.”