When they got back home, Dara had worked late into the night, writing down everything she remembered about making a compass from school. There was no convenient library to go to. She didn’t even have her little bookshelf full of reference books.

I may need to start writing all of this down. Dara looked over at the pad of paper Millie had given her. That wouldn’t be enough.

Another thing to spend money on.

She stretched, blinking her eyes to work the strain out from having to have spent hours with the unnaturally steady illumination the LED lights provided.

They aren’t like the lights back home. Not even the right color. Dara shook her head. Millie was asleep, and it was late.

And she needed to think. Dara walked outside, closing the door behind her. The backyard was dark, a little breeze ruffling the leaves and branches of the trees in the back.

Dara looked up at the house and then held out her hand.

It didn’t take long, not here, not when she didn’t have any other distractions, to harden the air under her feet, each step carrying her up a little further, until she stepped onto the roof.

With a sigh, Dara let the working lapse. The roof was made of some odd material, not stone, and not wood, but it was still warm from the day. She sat down on it and looked around.

Everywhere she looked, there were bright lights. Further away, Dara could see the light of the other cities, Anaheim, Orange, reflected from the clouds in the sky.

And these aren’t the only ones. Dara had seen pictures of the other cities, spread out all over the world. She’d never dreamed that there could be so many people.

And out there, somewhere, were the rest of the shards of the gem. The gem that Dara needed to get back home.

And for all she knew, somewhere out there was the thief. Did he come out long ago? Is he dead of old age now? Or did he appear when I did? Dara shrugged and leaned back against the chimney, the brick’s warm against her back.

Oh, don’t forget that the woman who rescued you is about to lose her house.

“Right,” Dara said to the empty air. “First thing, keep us from ending up homeless. Second thing, get the material I need for the compass. Third thing…” She fell silent. I have no idea what the third thing is going to be. So I’ll just stick with the first two things. That’s enough, for now.

With that, Dara cast her working again, walked back down to the ground, and then headed inside to get some sleep.

Tomorrow, she figured, they were going to have a long day.

End of volume one.