“You’ve got to be crazy,” the lady said to me as she picked up her winnings. “No one hits the same number twice in a row.”
“Maybe I’ll get lucky,” I replied.
The woman laughed as the dealer spun the wheel again. When the roulette ball landed on the number seven, the lady standing next to me almost dropped her drink. I did my best to look excited.
I was paid a total of six thousand one hundred and twenty-five dollars, so I handed the dealer a hundred dollar tip. I now had a profit of sixty-three hundred dollars, minus my hundred dollar tip. When I added that to my previous winnings, I had a total of seven thousand four hundred and twenty dollars.
I was still in a daze as I walked back to Wade. “I don’t know why I did that. I can’t believe I actually lost control of my senses.”
“I think you got caught up in the atmosphere. It just goes to show that even a mighty Ivarr can’t resist the chance to show off once in a while.”
“I’m giving this money to the people who financed our trip.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
We spent the rest of the evening driving up and down the Las Vegas Strip. The dazzling light displays were enough to take your breath away. If I lived to be a hundred, I doubt that I’ve never see the equal of the Las Vegas Strip at night.
* * *
We were up early the next morning. We stopped at Denny’s for Belgian Waffles and we were back on the road at eight o’clock. We headed west on Highway 95 to Tonopah. The scent of the Warlock twins was becoming stronger with each passing mile.
We were about five miles past Tonopah when I pulled the car over to the side of the road. “My senses tell me that we’re very close.” I pointed north. “This is where the Warlock twins are hiding.”
We unloaded our swords and shields and then I morphed into the Changeling Princess. We traveled in Mist form for twenty minutes heading due north. When we floated down to the ground, I reached out and placed my hand on a transparent surface that caught the reflection of the afternoon sun. “This is a domed force field,” I said.
Wade ran his hand over the dome. “This dome is similar to the one in Chicago, but much, much larger. I’ve never heard of a Warlock who could build this type of force field. Are we going to burrow under the field to get inside?”
“No, because they’re going to know we’re here as soon as we come up on the other side. I’ll just cut an opening with my energy beam.”
I analyzed the strength of the domed force field. I wasn’t surprised when I discovered it was only one tenth the strength of my own force field. The Warlock twins were in the minor leagues when pitted against the powers of an Ivarr.
I narrowed my energy beam and cut an opening big enough for us to step through. “It must be thirty degrees cooler in here,” I said.
“How about that,” said Wade. “Nothing like having air conditioning in the middle of the desert.”
The first thing I spotted was a twelfth century castle with a drawbridge. As we were walking toward the castle, the draw bridge was slowly lowered to the ground. Racing out from within the castle walls was a large group of strange-looking Demons. They were extremely tall and they were armed with swords and shields. They reminded me of the Demon we encountered in Cincinnati.
We opened fire with our energy beams on full power. The Demons kept coming, so that told me we were dealing with Heat Demons. I refocused my energy beam and hit the Demons with continuing blasts of ice cold air. The Demons looked like they were moving in slow motion, struggling frantically to cope with the frigid air. Wade joined in and began blasting the Demons with energy bolts. It looked like a combination of Christmas and the Fourth of July as the Demons exploded, leaving thousands of icicles spread all over the desert floor.
I spotted a strange-looking creature that looked like a cross between a dinosaur and a dragon. It had the body of a T-Rex and an extended neck with the head of a dragon. Its long tail had six protruding spikes, similar to a Stegosaurus tail, another dinosaur that lived during the Jurassic Period. This creature looked like a killing machine that had just stepped out of a science fiction movie.
I had two choices. I could carve this monster up with my sword or blast it to pieces with my energy beam. I didn’t do either one because my warrior instincts had taken over. I was going to fight this creature on its own terms. Within seconds, I morphed into a fifteen-foot tall Tyrannosaurus Rex.
I moved forward, my eyes blazing with anticipation as the monster cautiously moved backward. It was like a cat and mouse game to see who would attack first. The monster was cagy. If I moved forward, it turned sideways and cocked its long spiked tail to defend itself. We played this cat-and-mouse game until I suckered the monster with the false impression that I had lost my balance. When the creature lunged forward, I pivoted to one side and grabbed it by its long neck. You could hear the bones crack as I bit down as hard as I could. The monster let out a muffled cry as I separated his head from his body. When it fell to the ground like a rag doll, I lifted my head upward and gave a blood-curdling roar to announce my kill.
I looked down to see that Wade was fighting off against two vicious animals that looked like dinosaur raptors. Wade pivoted on one foot and sliced off the heads of both raptors in one clean sweep. I morphed back to the Changeling Princess and picked up my sword and shield.
“That was quite a demonstration, Wade. I’m really impressed.”
“You morph into a real life Godzilla and you’re telling me I looked sharp? You know what, Janis?”
“Spit it out, Wade. I know you’re going to say something cute.”
Wade stared at me and paused. “Now I forgot what I was going to say.” We both laughed.
The ground in front of the castle was covered with the bodies of Demons and dinosaur parts. The pathway to the castle was clear, so I decided it was time to move on. I kept a sharp lookout for more creatures as we crossed the drawbridge. When we entered a large, barren courtyard, the first thing we encountered was a barrage of steel pointed arrows. The arrows bounced off the force field I had thrown up as a precaution.
The next thing we encountered was a small whirlwind that quickly became a small tornado. Wade called on his power of the elements and conjured up a tornado twice as large. Wade’s tornado absorbed the smaller tornado like a vacuum cleaner sucking up dirt.
I suddenly sensed an electrical charge building up in the courtyard. The charge got stronger and stronger until it took the form of a human shape. I fired a quick energy blast, but it had no effect. I resorted to telekinesis, stopping the creature dead in its tracks. I was about to build a force field around the creature when a rain cloud appeared over its head. The downpour that followed quickly dissolved the electrical creature.
I gave Wade a thumb up. “Way to go! You’re thinking on your feet.”
My attention was drawn to a door opening directly in front of me. I watched with interest as two young men stepped outside wearing devilish grins. Both men were about five feet tall with deformed bodies and huge humps on their backs. They had hair down to their shoulders and their faces were twisted so badly they barely looked human. They were the most evil-looking humans I’d ever seen. There was no doubt that these were the Warlock twins, Ezra and Ezell.
“You are capable adversaries,” said one of the twins. “Now it’s time for you to die.” The twins joined hands and their eyes took on a deep red glow.
I felt a force trying to enter my brain and realized that the twins were using mind control. I blocked the brothers’ thoughts and Wade did the same.
The twins looked perplexed. I doubted that anyone had ever been able to stand up to them before. You’ve got some surprises coming your way, I said to myself.
I countered with an energy bolt, knocking the twins off their feet. They had surrounded themselves with a force field, but it wasn’t any stronger than the force field they’d used to build their dome. The fear on their faces grew in intensity as their force field slowl
y dissolved. I looked at Wade. “Let’s get this over with.”
We opened fire with our energy bolts and watched as the Warlock twins exploded into clouds of black smoke. Wade was holding his nose again and I tried not to chuckle.
“Janis, those were the foulest-smelling Warlocks I’ve ever come across.”
“I can believe that. The stench was so bad it even got to me.”
“I think we should check out the castle to see if there are any hostages.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
We searched every room in the castle, but we didn’t find anyone. We did find several rooms that looked as if they were intended to be rejuvenation quarters. We were lucky we got there in time before the Warlock twins took any prisoners.
We have to destroy this entire facility,” I said when we returned to the courtyard. “I don’t want a single trace of this castle to remain after we’re through with it.”
We put our energy beams on full power and started in on the castle’s foundation. The walls began crumbling as block after block fell to the desert floor. When we were done, all that was left was a huge pile of rubble. We worked together, using our power of telekinesis to spread the huge blocks evenly over the ground.
The next thing we did was to destroy the force field dome. We focused our energy beams like a flashlight to speed up the process of dissolving the dome. When we were finished, I covered Wade and myself with a small force field for shelter. I left several tiny openings so that the dome would not interfere with Wade’s power to control the weather. I watched as Wade went into extreme concentration, conjuring up a powerful wind storm. The sand was blowing so hard we couldn’t see anything outside of the force field.
When I dissolved the force field, I looked around, the castle and all the remains of the hideous creatures were buried under the sand. It was as if the Warlock twins and their castle in the desert had never existed. Our job was finished.
We were getting ready to leave when the sky darkened above us. I felt as if I’d been touched by a benevolent force that brought peace to my mind. I looked at Wade and I knew instantly that he felt the same way. I heard a voice speaking in a soft, but commanding tone.
You have done well my children. You have performed your duty without questioning your purpose. I am very proud of you.
“Are you the Supreme Entity?” I asked.
I am known by many names, but you may address me as the Supreme Entity.
“Are we being prepared for a great battle?”
That is correct. The great battle will take place when the Portal of Darkness is opened.
“What is the Portal of Darkness?”
The Portal is a pathway to another universe. Some of its inhabitants are evil creatures who will try to invade your world. The Portal opens once every five hundred years.
“When is the Portal due to open again?”
In approximately one year of your Earth time. You will be summoned when the time is near.
“May I ask a simple question?” asked Wade.
Of course, what is the question?
Why is evil permitted in our world? A world without evil would be a much better place.”
That is a very intelligent question, my young warrior. All sentient beings are given the freedom of choice. It is this choice that determines how they will live their life. If you remove their choice, you take away their freedom to make a decision.
Wade bowed. “Thank you for answering my question.”
Before I depart, I want both of you to know that I am going to increase your powers. When you return home, it is your responsibility to develop those powers to reach their maximum potential.
The sky returned to normal and Wade and I stared at each other. “That was really profound,” I said.
“That’s putting it mildly. I wonder if anyone’s going to believe us when we tell them we talked to the Supreme Entity.”
“I think they will because we have no reason to lie. Besides, it makes sense that he spoke to us to give us encouragement.”
“I feel honored.”
“So do I. I just hope we can accomplish what’s being planned for us.”
It was a four-hour drive back to Las Vegas, so we made the decision to spend the night in Tonopah. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders and I planned to sleep in late tomorrow morning.
CHAPTER 29
We decided to drive back to Charlotte on Highway 40. It was a shorter drive and we’d get to see some new scenery. I was looking forward to driving through Arizona and New Mexico.
We stopped in Las Vegas for a luncheon buffet at the Stardust. “Don’t eat too much, Wade. The roadside bathrooms might be few and far between.”
“I promise to control myself and not have a third helping.”
“That would be a first.” After we ate, I pulled my car behind the Stardust and parked at the end of the property. I planned to use telekinesis to wash my car before we headed for home.
“Let me do the honors,” said Wade. “I want to see how much my skills have improved.”
I stood back and watched as Wade moved the dirt from one place to another. After five minutes, my car looked as if it had washed it with a muddy mop. Wade stood back, looking puzzled. “I guess I haven’t got the hang of this yet.”
“I think I’d better finish it,” I said, trying to look serious. As was usually the case, Wade and I couldn’t stop laughing.
* * *
We arrived back in Charlotte on a Saturday morning. It was the middle of August and Wade and I were two weeks away from starting our senior year in high school. The first thing Grandma Pauline did was call a meeting of the Clans. The meeting would be held at my house at three o’clock in the afternoon. I had so much to tell everyone, I wasn’t sure where to start. Our adventures were going to sound like a fantasy.
* * *
All of the Clan members were gathered in the living room. Grandma Pauline got the meeting started by having me walk to the center of the room. “Janis, it’s time for you to tell your story.”
“What I have to tell you is so unbelievable it’s going to sound like I made it up. For starters, we followed the trail of the Warlock twins all the way from Virginia to Las Vegas. We destroyed several Warlock Clans along the way and helped several Witch Clans using a rejuvenation spell.”
“You learned how to use a rejuvenation spell?” Mildred Wilson sputtered out. “That’s a very advanced spell.”
“I should have said that my Ivarr skills picked up the rejuvenation spell. Those skills allowed me to analyze the spell and reproduce it.”
“Please go on with your story,” said Mildred. “I’m sorry I interrupted.”
“Wade and I spent a lot of time in Chicago because it was infested with Warlocks. We destroyed over a dozen Warlock Clans, so the city was in pretty good shape before we moved west.”
“To Las Vegas?” asked Grandpa George.
“Actually, we located the Warlock twins near Tonopah, Nevada, about two hundred miles from Las Vegas. They had a castle hidden in the desert that was protected by Demons. I wish you could have seen how Wade summoned a rain cloud and shorted out an electrical creature that looked like a walking lightning bolt. Wade was fantastic.”
Wade spoke up. “That was a piece of cake compared to you morphing into a T-Rex and tearing the head off that dragon. I thought I was having a bad dream.”
The room was completely silent. The Clan members were staring at each other like they couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
“It sounds like you two had quite an adventure,” said my mother. “Anything else you’d like to tell us?”
I cleared my throat. “I had a problem in Las Vegas.”
“You gambled away all the money?” my dad asked.
“Not exactly,” I said as I removed a large stack of hundred dollar bills from my purse. “I actually won several thousand dollars. If we add this to the expense money that was left over, it totals a little o
ver eight thousand dollars. As far as I’m concerned, this is your money, not ours.”
Grandpa Greer spoke up. “I think you should keep the money, Janis. It might come in handy if you decide to go to college.” Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
“If that’s the way you feel, then it’s only fair that Wade and I share the money.”
“I think everyone here agrees with that,” said my mother, looking around at the others.
Wade and I spent the rest of evening going over the details of our trip. I was pleased that Wade and his aunt Mildred had been accepted by all the members of the Changelings Clans. I looked forward to the day when all of the Clans would learn to live in harmony.
* * *
I spent the next day at home taking it easy. I hadn’t spent any quality time with Missy and Izzy, so I asked them what kind of game they wanted to play.
I like to fly, said Missy.
I like the game where you turn into a mouse, said Izzy.
I don’t see any reason why we can’t do both.
I dressed Missy and Izzy in their capes and lifted them into the air. Missy was doing her “Weeeee” thing and Izzy was obviously having a good time, too. I added a new trick to the flight pattern by having the kitties rock up and down, similar to riding a horse on the merry-go-round. The kitties really liked that.
I floated the kitties back down onto my bed before I morphed into a white mouse and turned invisible. I reappeared across the room and stuck my head out from behind my dresser. Na Nana Na Na, I said in my squeaky little voice.”
It turned into a foot race and I was chased all over the bedroom. If the kitties had me cornered, I’d morph into a puff of smoke and disappear. After fifteen minutes, the kitties were so tired they finally gave up.
I picked the kitties up and set them on my bed. You guys almost caught me that time.
Izzy looked up at me. If we had caught you, we wouldn’t have hurt you.
That’s right, said Missy. We knew it was you and it’s just a game. Besides, Izzy and I are terrible mousers. We’re so out of shape we couldn’t catch a real mouse if it crawled on its belly.
The Changeling Princess Page 15
