Sully kicked his legs uselessly as Kara dropped him. “Whose name is Natty Bumppo,” she said looking directly at Talia.

Talia dropped her chin, not taking her eyes from Kara’s glare, and wedged herself between her father’s legs as five year olds (and dogs) will sometimes do, before she answered, “The man with the funny hair who makes everything still at night.”

Sully looked at his little sister with a slack jaw. Then to his father who had a tear slipping down his cheek.

The witches, now a mere shell of the mothers, began a lamenting wail. Swaying slightly, their eyes rolled back in their sockets so that only the whites showed.

The rage on Kara’s face was evident and Jim moved next to Scott, pulling Talia to shelter her between them. “Kara,” he started.

“Only the Chosen One should speak to the Djinn. How long?” she spat.

“Kara!”

“How long!”

Talia took a deep breath to appear larger between the pillars of Jim and Scott, “Since I was in the baby bed with the sides that go up and down.”