ow on earth do you know that?"
"I started my 4th thesis on them."
"Have you finished the other 3 yet?"
"No, shush, let me remember... Um... There's 4 of them, and they're Incan in origin - were supposed to be the keys to the Gods. They were ancient in the late... 16th century, I think, and were lost during the invasion by the Spanish. The Incans hid them, and they went missing, and were never recovered. Where's Leo, I want another look at his."
"Do you think his acts funny in water, like mine just did?"
"Probably," Kat replied with a grin. "I'll just have to shower with him to find out."
"Kat!" Jade exclaimed, and Kat laughed.
"I'll look up my notes when I get home. I think I have a book on them too, I'll find out."
Jade nodded decisively. "Ok, Good. I have other news."
"Oh? What's that?"
"I got promoted. I'm a Major."
Kat squealed, and threw her arms around her sister's neck.
"Congratulations!"
Jade laughed, and returned the hug.
"Thanks."
Kat went quiet for a moment, thinking about something, then smiled.
"I'll have something for you when you get home."
"Not another cushion, I hope," said Jade without thinking.
Kat looked hurt. "No, it's not another cushion."
Jade laughed. "Let's go and have dinner."
The girls went back out to the boys.

***

After dinner, Kat and Leo walked home. As they walked, Kat told him about her thesis, and the relationship between it and the amulets he and Jade were wearing.
"Did yours act funny when you were in the shower?"
Leo shrugged. "I didn't notice. I'll look in the morning."
"Ok. It's good about Jade's promotion, isn't it?"
"Yes," Leo replied. "It means that she'll be home more often."
"I figured that would be the case. That's why I decided to give her what I did for her birthday early."
"What you did?"
"Yes. I'll show you. Come upstairs with me."
Leo and Kat entered the house, and he followed her up the stairs, past the doors to his and Jade's room, past Kat's room, to the furthest door. As Kat opened the door, Leo put his arms around her waist, then followed her in.

The room was slightly larger than Kat's bedroom, but didn't have any nooks. The carpet was pale cream, and the walls were the same colour. Around the room, about chest height, were Japanese characters, painted in black and red, and above these, at various positions, were Japanese prints. In the far corner was a low double bed, with a hand-made oriental style quilt.
Next to the bed was a bedside table with a Japanese lamp. There was a desk under the window with another lamp, and a filing cabinet next to it. By the door was a single bookshelf which was empty, and behind the door was a small cupboard. Next to the cupboard was a built-in wardrobe, and there was a large area of empty space in the centre of the room, which had a red and black oriental rug. Leo looked at Kat questioningly.
"See, she can use this cupboard for her alter," said Kat, opening the little cupboard, "and she can meditate or exercise or do her push-ups or other army stuff on the rug..."
"You decorated it?" Leo surmised. "And it's for Jade?"
Kat smiled. "This was her room when she was living here. When she joined the army, she moved into the other room, because it was simpler, and she didn't like this one anymore. It was pink."
"Pink?? Jade???"
Kat laughed. "She used to like pink, when this room was decorated at age 5."
"I can understand why she moved."
"Yes, well. Jade complained when I got my new bed, but her room isn't big enough for one, so I've been redecorating this for her birthday. Was thinking now that she'll be home some more, she might like to move back in properly..."
Leo smiled, and hugged Kat close.
"It's a lovely idea, I'm sure she'll love it."
"You really think so?"
"I do. Now, let's go get some sleep. It was a long plane trip, and I'm tired."

***

Kat awoke early the next morning, to Midnight licking her face. She got up, showered, and collected her notes for her most recent thesis and put them on her desk. Then she went to wake Leo. He was doing one-handed push-ups. Kat watched from the doorway for a while, until he looked up and smiled at her.
"Good Morning," he said.
"Morning," Kat replied, moving over, and laying on his back.
Leo was still doing push-ups with Kat laying on him when Jade entered the room. She watched in a sort of astonishment for a while, before bursting out laughing.
"Well, it's... different!"
"It's good for him," Kat replied without looking up.
"Because it makes *so* much difference," teased Leo, finally stopping and rolling over.
"I figured you'd stop sooner and we could have breakfast."
Jade laughed. "Oh dear."
"You're home early," said Kat, getting up off the floor.
"Yeah, Darryl had to go in to Uni for half an hour, so I came home. He's coming back over here after."
Kat nodded.
"So, where's my present?" asked Jade teasingly.
"Up there," Kat replied, pointing up the hall.
"In your room?"
"No, although my notes on the amulets are there. Your present is in your room."
Jade pulled a face.
"Ah well, if I have to go in there, it can wait until after breakfast."
"Haven't you eaten?" Kat asked in surprise.
"Well, yes, but there's always room for more!"

***

Darryl hurried through the almost empty building to his supervisor's office. He'd received a call early that morning telling him to come in and collect something for his thesis, and he wasn't really happy about it. He would have much preferred to spent the morning in bed with Jade. His supervisor's office was empty and locked, and Darryl looked around in irritation. He saw one of his lecturers and asked after his supervisor, only to be told he hadn't been in today, and had gone away for the weekend. More than slightly irritated at being the victim of a prank call, Darryl walked down to the lockers. He may as well collect his book while he was here, and it would mean he wouldn't have to come in on Monday.

Darryl twisted the dial of his lock, and collected the books he needed, but just before he shut his locker, his eye was caught by a metallic glint. Darryl pulled it out, and looked at the strange amulet curiously. It looked somewhat like the one Jade had been wearing last night, but he had no idea how it had gotten into his locker. He put it in his pocket, and left the building.

***

After finishing breakfast, Kat, Jade and Leo had headed up to Jade's old room. Kat took a deep breath, then opened the door. Jade stared in astonishment.
"Well? What do you think?"

"Well, like I said, it starts in a month. Sarah and I will be having a stall at the hotel, and booking private sessions for healing. We don't really *need* help, but we thought it would be nice to spend some time together. Jade, do you still play with the tarot cards we gave you for your birthday?"
"When I was 9?" asked Jade, amused. "Yes, I still have them. Why?"
"Well, if you'll to tarot readings at the stall for a couple of days, it'll attract people."
"Sure, no problem."
"Not every day, mind. Sarah and I want you to have a holiday."
"Sure."
Jade had always had a knack for reading the cards. She'd claimed when she was little that the words just seemed to come into her head. Sarah and Marc had decided not to question it, and after cautioning her not to do it at school, made her runes and bought her a tarot deck. The tarot had quickly become her favourite, to the exclusion of all others.
"Kat."
"Mmm?"
"We want your help with energy and cleansing."
Kat sighed.
"Yeah, Ok."
"I'm sorry, honey," said Sarah. "But I don't think I'll be able to keep going for two weeks without your help."
"And it's not like I have anything else to offer."
"Kat," Marc reproached, gently.
"Sorry."
Marc frowned. He knew that it bothered Kat that she didn't have any discernible talent. She could *do* everything, but it was forced - not natural, like Jade's divination, or Sarah's healing. Leo had reached over and was twining her long hair around his fingers, and Kat seemed to be calming down. Marc was surprised. When Kat had been little, he and Sarah had always been the ones to calm her down. Sarah was an Water talent, and he was Earth, and both had been able to tame Kat's temper. Jade, however, merely seemed to antagonise her. That was before Kat had become proficient at meditation, and learned to control herself. Marc supposed Leo had some sort of talent in either Earth or Water - although it could be merely that he loved Kat and she knew it. Marc gave up speculation, and returned to the conversation.
"So we're leaving on Thursday?"
"Yes," Sarah confirmed. "And early."
Leo sighed.
"Another early flight," he muttered. "The whole fuckin' world's against us, I swear to God."
Kat laughed, and took his hand.
"You, my dear, have been watching too many movies."
"It was a long flight."
"Thursday morning, hmm? Well, I suppose I'd better decide what I'm taking." "I'll help," Leo suggested, with a grin.
Jade laughed as they left the room, and smiled at Darryl.
"*ONE* suitcase, Kat!" Marc called as they left the room.
Kat waved over her shoulder, and vanished up the hall.

***

Wednesday evening arrived, and Jade went into her sister's room. She wasn't there.
"Kat?"
"In here."
Jade went through to Kat's almost library.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking for books. It's a long plane trip, and I'm going to get very bored."
Jade looked towards the centre of the room, where Kat had several books piled on her alter.
"You're putting books on your alter?"
"Kali won't mind."
"You worship Kalika??"
Kat shrugged, and pulled another book off the shelf.
"Mmm Hmm."
"And Shiva?"
"Mmm Hmm."
Jade shook her head in astonishment.
"Better you than me. What books are you getting?"
"They're for my thesis. This one's on Incan mythology. I couldn't find any references to the amulets in any of the others."
"Why are you doing your thesis on something that you don't have any information on?"
"Because it was interesting."
"That's what you said about the other 3."
Kat gave Jade an irritated look.
"Sorry," Jade held up her hands in surrender. "I didn't come in here to pick on you. Well, actually, I did, but not about your study. How many suitcases are you taking?"
"One."
"One??"
"One, and my books."
Jade looked at her in astonishment.
"What?"
"Kat, I *know* you. There's no way you have only packed one suitcase."
"Leo helped."
"Did he just."
"Mmm Hmm. He just pointed out that the skimpier the clothes, the less room they take up, so..."
Jade collapsed on the floor in helpless laughter.

***

It was 4:00 AM, and Kat was reading her notes. They'd already been on the plane for 3 hours, and had another 4 or 5 to go. Across the aisle, her parents were asleep, as were Maya and Nicole behind them, and Leo and Jade. Behind Kat, Darryl was reading *his* thesis notes too. Kat yawned, and checked Leo's watch for the fourth time in half an hour. She could never sleep on planes, and the night was going slowly. She twisted around in her seat.
"Dazz?"
"Mmm?"
"Are you wearing your amulet?"
He looked up.
"Yeah."
"Can I see it, please?"
Being careful not to disturb Jade, who was leaning on him, he removed it and handed it to Kat.
"It's heavy!"
"I know. It got heavier the further off the ground we got."
"That's interesting..." Kat flicked through her notes. "Ah... gravity is a manifestation of Earth, and the amulet probably doesn't like being so far off the ground."
Darryl grinned.
"I don't happen to like it much myself."
Kat handed back his amulet, and smiled.
"Try and sleep. The trip will be over sooner that way, and it's better to sleep while you still can."
Darryl nodded, and put his papers back into their folder, then turned off his over-head light. Kat went back to her notes.

Jade woke up roughly half an hour later.
"Good Morning."
"Mmm," Kat replied, reading, notes spread over her section of seats.
"Didn't sleep?"
"Of course not."
Jade shook her head.
"What have you found?"
"Not a lot that I didn't already know. Dazz is afraid of flying. Flying or heights, one of the two."
Jade raised her eyebrows.
"His amulet it really heavy, and it's definitely Earth. The only one we're missing is fire."
"Is all that really interesting?"
"Not really. I've read it all before."
"Take this then."
Jade held out a small pill. Kat raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because it's guaranteed to knock you out. Army standard-issue sleeping pills. Take it."
Kat shrugged, and took it. She packed up her notes, and put them away. Then she settled down in her seat, resting her head on Leo's shoulder. Roughly 15 minutes later, she was asleep. Jade smiled and settled back down with Darryl. It was a quarter to five, she could get another 3 hours sleep before breakfast. They slept.

***

The plane landed in Bangkok at 9:00. In the taxi on the way to the hotel, Kat rummaged through her bag, looking for her sunglasses. Instead, she found an amulet. And on it, were the markings of fire.