One side destroys

One releases

I am your Gordian knot

Will you release or destroy me?

Follow truth and you shall:

Find me on water

Purify me through fire

Trapped by earth nevermore

Air will whisper to you

What spirit already knows:

That even shattered

anything is possible

If you believe

Then we shall both be free.

"Ohmygood ness! I had totally forgotten 'bout that! Okay, okay, read it again, only slower." Stevie Rae listened closely while Kramisha read the poem again. "It has to be from Kalona, doesn't it? That part about being trapped by the earth makes it definitely from him."

"I'm practically sure it's from him to her."

"It must be, even though that's kinda scary, what with the whole double-edged sword beginning, but the end seems like a real good thing."

"It says, 'then we shall both be free,' " Kramisha quoted.

"Sounds to me like Z's gonna get free from the Otherworld."

"And so will Kalona," Kramisha added.

"We'll deal with that when it happens. Gettin' Z free is what's most important. Hang on! I think some of it's already come true! What was the part about water?"

"It says: 'Find me on water.' "

"And she did. San Clemente Island is definitely on water."

"It also says that Zoey has to 'follow truth.' What do you think that means?"

"I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I might have an idea. The last time I talked to Z, I told her to follow her heart, no matter that it might seem to everyone else in the world that she was messin' up royally, just follow what everything inside her said was the right thing to do." Stevie Rae paused, blinking hard against the sudden urge to bawl. "I-I've felt real guilty about sayin' that, though, 'cause of what happened to her right afterward."

"But maybe you was right. Maybe what's happenin' to Z is supposed to happen, 'cause I'm thinkin' to follow your heart and to hold on to what you believe is right, even when everbody else says you're dead-assed wrong, is a powerful kind of truth."

Stevie Rae felt a flutter of excitement. "And if she keeps doin' that, keeps holdin' to the truth she has in her heart, the end of the poem will happen, and she'll be free."

"It feels right to me, Stevie Rae. Real right, like down deep in my bones."

"Me, too," Stevie Rae said, grinning at Kramisha.

"Okay, but Z needs to know all this. The poem is like a map to the end. The first step, findin' him on water, already happened. Next she has to - "

"Purify him through fire," Stevie Rae broke in, remembering the line. "And then doesn't it say something

'bout earth and air?"

"Yeah, and spirit. It's all five of the elements."

"All of Z's affinities, ending in spirit, which is her most powerful affinity."

"And the one in charge of the realm she's in right now," Kramisha said. "Okay, I ain't gonna say this just

'cause I wrote me a kick-ass poem, so you gotta seriously listen up: Zoey has to know this stuff. It's gonna make the difference between her comin' back and her being killed dead by whatever's goin' on over there."

"Oh, I believe you."

"Then how you gonna do it?"

"Me? I'm not. I can't. I'm into earth. No way can my spirit take off and get to the Otherworld." Stevie Rae shivered. Just the thought gave her the heebie-jeebies. "But Stark's gonna get his butt there. He has

to - that disgusting cow said so."

"Bull," Kramisha said.

"Whatever."

"You want me to call Stark and read the poem to him? You got his number?"

Stevie Rae thought about it. "No. Aphrodite says Stark's head is seriously messed up right now. He might ignore your poem, thinkin' he has other, more important stuff to deal with."

"Well, he'd be wrong."

"Yeah, I agree. So, what we need to do is get the poem to Aphrodite. She's hateful and all, but she'll understand how important it is."

"And 'cause she's so hateful, there's no way she'll let Stark ignore her or the poem."

"Exactly. Text it to her right now and tell her I said to make Stark memorize it for Zoey. And to remember it's a prophecy, not just a poem."

"You know, I seriously question her amount of good sense 'cause she don't like poetry."