* * *
Graduation was drawing near. Wade was taking me to the Junior Prom and we were going to meet Bruce and Sherri at the dance. Dad remained silent when I told him I going to the Prom with Wade. I figured it was time to have a talk with my mom.
“Be truthful with me, Mom. Do you think dad’s upset because I’m going to the Prom with a Witch?”
“You must understand that all Changeling fathers are concerned if a member of the family is dating outside the Clans. Your father is concerned with the Clan’s survival, but he also realizes that there aren’t any male Changelings your age in the Charlotte area. And don’t forget that he dated a Witch in high school.
“Dad’s really a great guy. I guess there are times when I don’t appreciate him enough.”
“All children go through that stage.”
“I think you’re wonderful too, Mom.”
“Now we’re getting too serious. Let’s concentrate on what you’re going to wear to the Prom.”
* * *
It was Prom night and I was giving myself a final once-over in front of my bedroom mirror. I was wearing a knee length formal with rows of white lace and pink taffeta trim. My shoes and hand bag were both white. All that was missing was the pink rose wrist corsage that Wade was bringing with him. I had a pink rose for him to wear on the lapel of his tuxedo. I felt like a fairy princess as I twirled around in front of the mirror.
How do I look? I asked the kitties.
Real pretty, said Missy.
I agree, said Izzy.
Well, if I have approval from both of you, I must really look good.
I walked slowly down the stairs and into the living room. Mom and Dad both rose to their feet to greet me. “You’ll be the prettiest girl at the Prom,” said my dad.
“No doubt about it,” said my mom.
“You’re both big fibbers, but I really do feel beautiful tonight.”
The doorbell rang and my dad answered the door. I took a deep breath when I saw how handsome Wade was in his light grey tux. As far as I was concerned, he was going to be the best-looking guy at the Prom.
Wade slipped the corsage over my wrist and I pinned the pink rose to the lapel of his tux. “I’ll see to it that Janis is returned home at a decent hour,” Wade assured my parents.
“No one is going to be watching the clock tonight,” joked my father.
“That’s right,” said my mother, “but don’t leave yet. I want you kids to wait right here so I can take some pictures.”
* * *
We stopped at Wade’s house because his aunt also wanted to take pictures. “My, but aren’t you beautiful tonight, Janis!” said Miss Wilson. “You look like a princess.”
I was beaming. “I feel like a princess, too. And Wade’s going to be the best-looking boy at the Prom.”
Miss Wilson smiled. “I’m sure of it.”
Miss Wilson took several pictures before we headed for the Prom. Wade and I were in such a good mood, it would have taken an earthquake to wipe the smiles off our faces.
* * *
The ballroom was filled with swirling colored lights. The live music sent chills up my spine and the atmosphere was pure magic. I looked around and saw Sherri rushing toward us.
“We’ve got a table on the other side of the room. Follow me.”
Bruce stood up like a gentleman as we seated ourselves at their table. “I was afraid they were going to hire one of those old fuddy-duddy bands,” said Sherri. “This band really rocks.”
“I agree,” said Bruce, “but I’m afraid some of the guys here will feel self-conscious after seeing Wade dance at Peyton Park.”
I interrupted. “Don’t worry, Bruce, I’ll slow him down. I can’t dance like his cousin Darcy.”
“Who can?” said Sherri. “I got goose bumps watching Darcy in the dance contest. Some people have all the talent.”
“Don’t belittle yourself,” said Wade. “You haven’t had the training Darcy’s had. Her parents were professional dancers and she’s been dancing since she was old enough to walk.”
I thought it was really sweet that Wade made up a story to make Sherri feel better. He had a kindness about him that was really special.
The band played a slow tune and Wade escorted me to the dance floor. I rested my head on Wade’s shoulder and breathed in deeply to savor the moment. When the dance was over, the band went into a rousing rendition of “What’d I Say?” Wade stood there snapping his fingers.
“Let’s not try to show off,” I said. “And you won’t be dancing with Darcy.”
“I didn’t come to the Prom to dance with Darcy. I came to the Prom to dance with you.”
The remainder of the evening was pure magic. I had my picture taken with Wade and then we had our picture taken with Bruce and Sherri. When the four of us left the Prom, we headed to a local steak house to pig out. I was hungry enough to eat everything on the menu.
* * *
It was three o’clock in the morning when Wade walked me to my front door. We stared at each other until I broke the silence. “I had a wonderful time, Wade.”
Wade didn’t say a word as he took me in his arms and kissed me. When we parted, Wade started to speak, but I placed my finger to his lips. “You know how I feel about you, Wade, but it’s too soon to have a serious relationship. We’ll just have to be patient.”
Wade kissed me again and then turned and walked away. It took every bit of self-control I could muster to keep from calling out to him. I felt a tear slip down my cheek as I stepped inside and locked the front door. Life isn’t always fair and you just have to make the best of it.
CHAPTER 21
I was playing with the kitties one morning when I received a phone call from Wade. “We have an emergency that could affect every Clan in Charlotte. If you can stop by, I’ll fill you in on the details.”
“What time does your aunt leave for work?”
“She’s not going to work today.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“Are you going to be home for lunch?” my mother asked when I walked into the kitchen.
“I doubt it, Mom. I had a big breakfast.”
“What do you have planned for today?”
“I’m going to walk over to Wade’s house and visit with Miss Wilson.”
“That’s nice. If you get hungry, call me and we’ll have a late afternoon snack.”
* * *
I had an uneasy feeling as I walked the short distance to Wade’s house. I detected a trace of fear in Wade’s voice and my instincts told me something really bad was brewing. Wade’s aunt was never home at this time of the day and I was positive she had something to do with the emergency. I rang the doorbell and waited impatiently.
Miss Wilson answered the door. “Come on in, Janis. Wade told me he called you.”
Wade patted the sofa, inviting me to sit next to him. Miss Wilson sat across from us in her easy chair. I spoke directly to Miss Wilson. “Wade told me there was an emergency and you’re planning on contacting all the Clans in the area.”
“Yes, the news I have affects all the Changeling and Witch Clans in this area.”
“May I ask what the emergency is?”
“We have a Warlock uprising taking place across the country.”
“Are the bad Witches stirring up trouble?” I asked.
“That’s putting it mildly. There are two evil twin brothers, Ezra and Ezell, who want to control every Witch Clan in the country. These two brothers have powers that far succeed normal Warlocks. When they combine their powers, there isn’t a Clan in the country that can stand up to them.”
“Do you know where they are now?” I asked.
“No, but the last report of trouble I received was in Virginia. If Ezra and Ezell are successful at controlling the Witch Clans, they won’t stop there. The Changeling Clans will be next.”
“Have you taken any precautionary steps?” I asked.
Miss Wilson sighed. “I’ve take
n a leave of absence from my job and I’ve cast a cloaking spell over my house to hide our scent.”
Wade was shaking his head. “I can’t stay cooped up in the house forever, Aunt Mildred. We have to come up with a better plan. Teach me the cloaking spell so I can use it on myself.”
“Only an extremely powerful Witch can use that spell.”
“Trust me, Aunt Mildred; I’m much more powerful than you think.”
I suddenly came up with an idea. “My grandmother, Pauline French, is in close contact with all the Changeling Clans in the area. If she can schedule a meeting of the Clans, can we hold it here?”
“Of course,” said Miss Wilson. “This is the safest place because of my cloaking spell. It will protect everyone under this roof.”
“May I use your phone?”
“It’s right around the corner in the kitchen.”
I called Grandma and told her I had to see her immediately. I didn’t say anything about Wade, but I was going to take him with me. There was no way I could keep him a secret any longer.
Miss Wilson placed a cloaking spell on Wade and we left for my grandmother’s house. It had turned into an interesting day and it wasn’t over yet.
Pauline looked concerned when she saw Wade standing beside me on the doorstep. She sensed instantly that he was a Witch. Wade introduced himself. “My name is Wade Wilson. I live down the street from Janis.”
“Is Mildred Wilson your aunt?”
“Yes ma’am, I moved in with my aunt a year ago last Christmas.”
We all went into the living room and Grandma looked me in the eye. “Young lady, I have a feeling you’ve been keeping things from me.”
“Sit down, Grandma, and I’ll tell you the whole story.”
Grandma listened with interest, occasionally lifting an eyebrow as I explained my relationship with Wade. When I was finished with the details, Grandma stood up and took a book from her bookshelf.
“This book is very interesting,” said Grandma. “It tells the story of an Ivarr in the tenth century who had a Witch that fought alongside him. It appears that Ivarrs are always accompanied by a companion, but the records are too sketchy to decipher.”
“Those records are accurate, Grandma. I knew Wade and I were connected the instant I laid eyes on him. It was confirmed by a Mist who told me that Wade was destined to be my partner.” Grandma flinched when I mentioned the Mist.
“You actually talked to a Mist? 1 wasn’t sure if there were any left.”
“Take my word for it, they’re still here and they’re still active.”
Grandma leaned back in her chair. “This has been an amazing day.”
I came straight to the point. “Grandma, I have valuable information. Miss Wilson informed me there are two Warlock brothers who have become a threat to all the Clans—both the Witches and the Changelings. She thinks we should have a meeting of all the Clans in the area. I think you’re the perfect person to set up that meeting.”
Grandma thought long and hard before she spoke. “I’ll call Miss Wilson and discuss it with her. I also think it’s time to reveal that you’re an Ivarr. The fewer secrets we have between the Clans, the better. We’ve lived together since the dawn of man and it’s time we learned to trust each other.”
“My aunt has a cloaking spell over her house,” said Wade. “That would be a good place to hold the meeting.”
My grandmother nodded her head. “I agree.”
“One last thing, Grandma. I’ve used my Ivarr powers to develop a new personality. I like to think of her as the warrior side of my personality.” I stood up and morphed into the Changeling Princess.
The look on Grandma’s face told me she was pleased. “You are magnificent, Janis! You remind me of a Greek goddess, the epitome of a strong woman.”
“I call my new warrior “the Changeling Princess.” I’ll introduce her at the meeting and Wade can demonstrate the extent of his powers too.”
Grandma took a deep breath and sighed. “It should be quite an interesting meeting.”
CHAPTER 22
It took three days for Grandma Pauline to set up the meeting. The Changeling list consisted of the Vascadon Clan, the Dustan Clan, and the Aston Clan. The Witches list consisted of Wade and his aunt Mildred, who belong to the Zandar Clan. With the exception of Wade and me, none of the Clan children would be present.
Extra chairs were brought in so everyone could sit together in the living room. I arrived with my parents, but Pauline had me sit next to Wade.
Pauline walked to the center of the room and asked for everyone’s attention. “The first thing I want to do is thank everyone for attending this meeting on such short notice. As I told you over the phone, there is an emergency brewing that affects all the Clans. The emergency deals with renegade Warlocks, so I’m going to ask Miss Wilson to bring you up to date on the latest developments.” Miss Wilson walked to the center of the room.
“As you all know, Warlocks are Witches who have chosen to worship evil with the sole purpose of increasing their powers. Twenty-five years ago, two twin boys, Ezra and Ezell, were born to a family of the Bosdo Clan. As the boys grew to manhood, they showed signs of amazing powers, but it was their obsession with evil that terrified the members of their Clan. They became Warlocks at the age of fifteen and their entire life has been dedicated to increasing their powers.”
“How are these Warlocks a danger to the Changeling Clans?” asked my mother.
“Ezra and Ezell are sending out scouts around the country. When they find a peaceful Witch Clan, a group of very powerful Warlocks move in and take over the Clan. The captured Clan members become slaves and are added to the twin brothers’ expanding empire. When all the Witch Clans are under their control, their next step will be to control the Changeling Clans. Ezra and Ezell eventually want to control every Clan on the face of the planet.”
“I think I’m going to be sick to my stomach,” said my mother.
“You and me both,” said my father.
Pauline spoke up. “If you’ve no objections, Miss Wilson, I have something more I’d like to say.” Miss Wilson took her seat and Pauline took charge of the meeting again.
“What I’m about to reveal will shock and amaze you. Is everyone in this room acquainted with the story of the Ivarr, the mythical warrior with unbelievable powers?”
Everyone stared at each other. “Isn’t the Ivarr just a legend?” asked Barry Dalton, Bruce’s father.
“That has been debated for thousands of years. My research shows that this mythical creature is real. At the beginning of every 500-year cycle, the Ivarr’s powers are transferred to a pre-selected member of either a Changeling Clan or a Witches Clan. My research also shows that the selected person is accompanied by a companion who also belongs to a Clan. The companion does not have the Ivarr’s powers, but this person is extremely powerful.” There was dead silence as everyone turned their attention to Janis and Wade.
“What are you trying to say?” asked George Greer.
“What I’m saying is that 1960 is the year a Changeling was chosen to become the next Ivarr. As you will recall, Janis went through an unusual experience during the midnight ritual of her sixteenth birthday.”
My mother spoke up. “Are you telling me my daughter is an Ivarr? That’s not possible.”
I rose to my feet. “It’s true, Mom. I developed amazing powers shortly after I turned sixteen. Pauline instructed me to keep it a secret until she could verify exactly what was happing to me.” I looked at Pauline. “Should I give everyone a demonstration?” Pauline nodded and I stood up.
There were several gasps as I turned invisible and walked across the room to pick up a lamp from a nearby table. “I see it, but I don’t believe it,” said my grandmother Greer.
I turned visible and instantly morphed into a tiger. I let out a roar and watched as everyone in the room cringed. I morphed back into my human form and then changed into an exact likeness of my mother. Before anyone could say anything
, I morphed into an exact likeness of my father. Everyone was in a state of shock.
“I have another surprise,” I said, as I morphed into a Mist and floated around the room.
“I just became a believer,” said my mother.
“Now I’ve seen everything,” said my dad.
“Now I’m going to have Janis and Wade demonstrates their warrior powers,” said Pauline.
Wade and I stood in the center of the room. I made a small force field target, just like the ones I used at the mountain retreat.
“What’s that?” asked my dad.
“That is a force field I’ve constructed through my power of telekinesis. It’s lightweight and it’s a hundred times stronger than steel. Feel free to examine it if you’d like.”
Everyone in the room crowded around the force field. It feels like plastic,” said Bruce’s father.
“Can you use it against someone who attacks you?” asked Sherri’s mother.
“You bet I can. I can throw up a defensive shield faster than you can blink your eyes.”
I freed the force field from its stationary position and then asked Wade to use his power of telekinesis to place the force field at the far end of the room. Everyone’s eyes were glued on Wade as he focused on the force field and floated it across the room. “I can’t believe my eyes,” I heard someone whisper.
“Wade and I are now going to demonstrate the power of our energy beams,” I said. “Don’t be afraid because the force field will absorb the energy. You’re in no danger whatsoever.”
The first series of bursts were energy bolts. I watched as everyone flinched, then squirmed in their chairs because they felt uncomfortable. If it had been dark inside, the living room would have been lit up like fireworks on the 4th of July. Wade and I alternated between the energy bolts and energy beams.
I dissolved the force field and then directed everyone attention to Wade. “Wade has additional powers and he’s going to give you a demonstration”
Wade concentrated for a moment and then grinned. Suddenly, everyone sitting in the room raised their hands and began waving at each other. Wade broke his concentration and everyone dropped their arms. “You used mind control to do that didn’t you?” asked Sherri’s father.
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