“Look at how beautifully the gold light shimmers.…”

The fog cleared around the lightning bolt.

“And you’re trying to take even that away from me.” The jaguar stood directly behind Martín. The back of Martín’s neck tingled.

“Beauty is hard to find,” the jaguar said.

Beauty is hard to find.

Martín had heard those very words before!

“I’ve got it!” Martín cried out.

“Yes?” the jaguar said.

“What if we brought you something else? Something more beautiful than the lightning bolt?”

“More beautiful than a lightning bolt? Impossible!”

“It isn’t impossible!” Martín replied. “The lightning bolt just shimmers gold. But I can bring you something that shimmers with all the colors. Something beautiful that is very hard to find… unless you know where to look.”

“Yes!” he heard Emma whisper. “Good thinking.”

“And you know where to look?” the jaguar asked.

“I do!” Martín replied.

Tezcatlipoca walked around them in a circle, pulling strands of fog along with him. Martín held his breath.

“I’m intrigued,” the jaguar finally said.

“So… you’ll give us the lightning bolt?” Martín asked.

“Of course not! First you bring me what is more beautiful than a lightning bolt, and if I like it, I will return the bolt to you.”

Nelli groaned.

“Please…,” Martín began.

“And if you don’t leave now, I may change my mind and just eat you to be done with this once and for all.”

Tezcatlipoca opened his mouth wide, so wide that Martín could only focus on the deep darkness full of glinting white teeth and…

“Martín!” Emma was nudging him. “Grab my hand! Hurry.”

“Take us home!” Emma called out.

A circle of light glowed in the white fog from her pendant, and a new archway appeared. Martín, Emma, and Nelli stepped through it. The archway sealed behind them with a quick snap. It was so fast that it cut off a piece of fog, which drifted up into the branches of a tree in their new backyard.

“Yes! We’re back,” Emma said.

“Phew!” Martín sighed. “That was a close one.”

Earlier that morning, he couldn’t wait to get out of this place. Now he was pretty sure the yard full of dandelions and dried patches of grass was the best place in the whole world.

“Is this your home?” Nelli was looking up at the house. “Does your whole village live here?” Her eyes were wide in amazement.

“No.” Martín giggled. “Just us, and Mami and Dad.”

Nelli stared at him. “Just you? Really? Are you the leaders of your village?”

This time, Martín couldn’t contain his laughter.

“Hardly!” Emma replied. “But we’ll explain later. Come on!”

Martín followed them up to the house. The back door creaked when Emma opened it, and Nelli jumped.

“It’s crying,” she said. “Perhaps we shouldn’t touch it.”

“It’s not crying,” Martín explained. “It’s just old.”

The door slammed behind them, and Nelli jumped again. “I think it’s angry.”

“It’s not angry,” Martín began, but just then Mami’s voice called down to them from upstairs.

“Emma? Martín? Is that you?”

“Yes!” they replied at the same time. “We just came in to grab something,” Emma quickly added.

“I didn’t even know you were outside,” came Mami’s voice. Martín looked at Emma, wondering how they would explain what Nelli was doing there. Fortunately, it didn’t sound like Mami was coming downstairs.

“What is this?” Nelli touched the stove.

“Oh. That’s a stove. It’s to cook. Here, look.” Martín turned on the burner, and a small flame appeared.

“Magic!” Nelli’s eyes were wide. She turned to the refrigerator. “Is this also magic?”

“That’s to keep things cool.” Martín opened the door. “So that your food doesn’t spoil.”

Nelli’s jaw dropped as the cool air rushed out into her face. “You can make things hot and cold whenever you want?”

Martín shrugged. “I suppose so.”

“And what is this?” Nelli pointed at the faucet.

“It’s for water.” Martín turned the knob. A gush of cold water poured into the sink.

“You have a river in your home!” Nelli put her hand under the water, turning it over and over like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

“Come on. Let’s go,” Emma finally said. They tiptoed to the stairs.

Quietly, they snuck past Mami putting things away in the bathroom and closed the door behind them as soon as they were in their bedroom.

Martín began looking through his things. He didn’t have a lot, but it was all pretty messy.

“Martín,” Emma said. “Hurry up!”

“I’m going as fast as I can,” he replied, tossing his dirty sweatshirt over his shoulder.

“Got it!” Just as he found what he was looking for, there was a knock on the door.

“Kids?” Mami opened the door.

“Wait!” Martín and Emma cried out. But it was too late. Mami spotted Nelli.

“Uh-oh,” Martín whispered.

“Umm…,” Emma said.

“Hello,” said Mami.

“Hello,” Nelli replied.

Then nobody said anything.

“Where is everyone?” Dad called from downstairs.

Thunk.

Thunk.

Thunk.

His footsteps climbed the stairs, and a moment later he, too, stood at the door, staring at Nelli.

“Oh, hello there!” He looked at Nelli, then at Martín and Emma. “Is this a new friend of yours?”

Martín swallowed. “Umm, yeah. She…”

“… can’t stay!” Emma said. “We just came to get something.”

Emma shot a glance at Martín, and he nodded.

“Oh. Okay then,” Dad said.

“Nice to meet you.” Mami waved as Emma pulled Nelli down the stairs and back through the kitchen.

The door slammed shut behind them as they ran out to the backyard. Behind the shed and hidden from view, the archway appeared. The three of them grabbed hands.

“Nelli, where is your home?” Emma asked.

“Texcoco,” Nelli replied.

A moment later, they were standing in a torrential downpour, knee-deep in water.