I picked up Missy and Izzy and hugged them. The important thing is that we’re a family.
I agree, said Missy.
Yeah, said Izzy. We’re a real family.
CHAPTER 30
Two days had passed before I picked up Wade for a trip to the mountains. The Supreme Entity said we’d been granted new powers and I was curious to find out what they were. I was experiencing an itch down the center of my back and I didn’t have the slightest idea what it was, although I was sure it had something to do with my new powers.
When we reached the retreat, we parked the car and unpacked our swords and shields. Standing at the edge of the woods, Wade looked disappointed when I reached for his hand. “What, no Changeling Princess piggyback ride? 1 was looking forward to that.”
I glared at him. “No, Wade, traveling as a Mist is a lot faster.
“But it’s not nearly as much fun.”
I morphed into a Mist and we flew to the clearing. I was surprised when we got there so quickly. It was obvious that my faster speed was one of my increased powers.
I also discovered it took less time for me to build the force field targets. My mind was working twice as fast, so I assumed this was another power enhancement from the Supreme Entity. I morphed into the Changeling Princess and fired my energy bolt at a target. There was a loud explosion and the target turned bright red.
Wade stared at the target. “What was that? Your energy bolt hit the target like a bazooka.”
“It appears my energy bolt has increased in power. Let’s see if your power has increased too.”
Wade fired his energy bolt and it was as powerful as mine. Wade was beaming. “I want to try something different.”
I watched as Wade went into deep concentration. Suddenly, a stream of flames flowed out from his eyes like a high-powered flame thrower. Wade blinked and flames disappeared.
“You have the power to control fire,” I said. “I bet you could hurl fire balls just like the dragons do.”
“It appears so. The hardest part was keeping the flames concentrated in a small area. I think I could set these entire woods on fire if I put my mind to it.”
“That tells me you need to practice. We’ll schedule that in with every practice trip.”
Aside from the itch down the center of my back, I was suddenly aware of a tingling sensation running through my entire body. I looked at my arms and saw that the pores in my skin were opening and closing, almost like they were trying to breath. I looked at my legs and saw that the same thing was happening. My entire body turned to a deep red for about five seconds and then everything returned to normal.
“I think you just went through some kind of a transformation,” said Wade. “Do you feel any different?”
“Yes, I, I feel invincible.” I took my sword and ran it across my arm. I didn’t feel any pain and my sword hadn’t left a scratch. Wade, I think my body has been enclosed by a skin-tight force field. I want you stick me in the stomach with your sword.” I sensed Wade’s hesitation, but he did as I asked.
I felt the tip of the sword, but it was like I was being tickled. “Harder!” I shouted.
Wade put more force behind his thrust, but the sword couldn’t penetrate my skin. “Now try to slash my stomach.” Wade hesitated, but did as I asked.
I stood there beaming because the sword hadn’t penetrated my skin. “I guess the only explanation is that I really am indestructible.”
“That may be true, but your toga isn’t.”
I looked down and saw that my toga had a large slash across it. “I guess I’ll have to make another toga.”
Wade came up with a suggestion. “I think you should morph back to Janis French and see if she’s invincible too.”
I did as Wade suggested. I still had all my Ivarr powers, but I wasn’t invincible. “I wonder why the Changeling Princess inherited this new power and not me?”
“Maybe the Supreme Entity has a special fondness for the Changeling Princess. He may have been impressed by your ingenuity and decided to reward you. I have to admit, the Changeling Princess is magnificent beyond description.”
I was collecting my thoughts when I sensed another tingling sensation running through my body. I felt light as a feather and I had an irresistible urge to soar into the sky. I raised my arms and felt my body leaving the ground. Before I knew it, I was a mile high and still climbing. I stopped and stared down toward the ground. The only logical explanation was that I had been given the gift of flight. When I returned to the ground, Wade was waiting for me with the biggest smile I’d ever seen.
“That was really cool, Janis, and you didn’t even have to morph into the Changeling Princess. The gift of flight is an amazing thing.”
I put my arm around Wade’s waist. “Let’s take a little trip.”
I sensed Wade was holding his breath as we lifted off the ground. It was a million in one chance that someone might see us, but I played it safe and made us both invisible.
I circled the area and began picking up speed. I had no idea how fast I was flying, but I knew it was super-fast. Wade was breathing hard when we floated down to the ground.
“You know, Janis, sometimes hanging around with you is about as much fun as falling out of a tree.”
“What you’re saying is that you’re never going to get used to flying.”
“Zooming through the air like a sack of potatoes is not my idea of flying.”
“Would you like it better if I strapped a saddle to my back?”
Wade didn’t crack a smile. “I know you’re right, Janis. Just give me some time to get used to the idea. I got over my fear of flying around as a Mist, didn’t I?”
“That you did. And that’s why I have complete confidence in you.”
“Not to change the subject, but does the Changeling Princess fly?”
I morphed into the Changeling Princess and flew straight up until I reached a height of ten miles, slightly higher than the flight path of commercial jet liners. I straightened out and turned up the speed. When I reached my maximum velocity, my senses told me I was traveling somewhere around Mach 2, a little over 1500 miles per hour.
I returned to the ground and landed beside Wade. “I can fly pretty fast, but I should be able to fly even faster in Mist form.”
“You’ve got more combinations than a roomful of wall safes. If you increased your height to forty feet tall and morphed into a Mist, you could probably fly to the Moon and back before dinner.”
“That would be something, wouldn’t it? I think we should morph into Mists to see if the speed scares you?”
“I’ll go for that.”
I held onto Wade’s hand and morphed into a Mist. I flew up into the air until I reached an altitude of ten miles and then I sped forward and turned up the speed. I sensed that I’d reached a top speed of two thousand miles an hour before I slowed down. Flying as a Mist was about five hundred miles an hour faster. I had to admit it was a thrilling experience.
I slowed down and made a wide turn before heading back to the clearing. When we floated down to the ground and materialized, it was apparent that the flying hadn’t bothered Wade in the slightest.
“I actually enjoyed that,” he said. “The height doesn’t affect me at all and you don’t feel the wind resistance in Mist form.”
“That’s good, because traveling as Mists is a lot more convenient than driving the car up here. We could be here in a matter of minutes.”
“You’ve convinced me, Janis. Now we can travel to the mountains anytime we want to.”
“Things are looking up.”
We were getting ready to leave when I decided to run a quick test on my height. To my surprise, I grew to a height of eighty feet, twice the height I’d obtained before. Wade added his usual brand of humor. “You’re the best looking eighty-foot babe I’ve ever seen.”
* * *
I called Grandma Pauline the next day and scheduled an afternoon visit. I wanted to bring her up to date, but I wa
s also curious about the itching down the center of my back. There was always a chance she had come across something like that in her research.
Pauline invited me into her house and we sat down in the living room. “I must say, Janis, your life has become pretty exciting for a seventeen year old.”
“I can’t deny that. I still feel like I’m dreaming.”
“What is it you wanted to talk to me about?”
“I just wanted to bring you up to date because a lot has happened.”
“You have my complete attention.”
“Well, for starters, the Supreme Entity has increased the power of my energy beam. The energy bolts are similar to firing a bazooka at someone.”
“That’s interesting. Anything else?”
“I can fly.”
“Do you mean fly like a bird?”
“Yes, Grandma, only much, much faster.”
“How fast?”
“It’s only an estimate, but I’d say somewhere around 1,500 to 2,000 miles an hour.”
“Good heavens, that’s unbelievable! There’s no way you’re going to top that.”
“Oh yes there is, Grandma. When I morph into the Changeling Princess, I become invincible.”
“You mean like Wonder Woman in the comic books?”
“No, Grandma, Wonder Woman isn’t invincible. That’s why she has indestructible bracelets to ward off bullets. With my new power, I don’t have to worry about bullets or any other type of projectile. It’s as if I’m wearing a skin-tight force field suit over my entire body. You couldn’t remove a hair from my head if you used a blowtorch.”
“Oh my goodness, that is something. I’ve never come across anything like that in my research. What about Wade? Have any of his powers been increased?”
“Yes. His energy beam is as strong as mine and he can control fire. I’m sure his power to control the weather has improved, but we need a larger area to do the testing.”
“Janis, you have no idea what it’s like listening to you. It’s like a fairytale coming true right before my eyes.”
“I know, Grandma. I just hope it has a happy ending. One last thing is that I have a strange itching sensation down the center of my back. Have you come across anything like that in your research?”
“No, not really. Stand up and let me take a look.”
I rose to my feet and bared my back. Grandma looked me over carefully and then ran her hand up and down my spine. “I don’t see or feel anything, Janis. Does it hurt?”
“No, it’s just an itch that comes and goes.”
“I have an idea. Wait right here.”
Grandma returned to the living room carrying an old Polaroid camera. “I bought this camera in London, England several years ago. The camera is said to have unusual powers that will film spirits. Let’s take a picture of your back and see if anything shows up.”
I stood perfectly still as Grandma took the first picture. When the picture was ejected from the camera, Grandma gasped. “Janis, you’ve got to see this.”
Grandma handed me the photo and I gasped too. What I saw was a pair of beautiful wings extending from my back. “Those are wings, Grandma.”
“They sure are and I think they’re angel wings. They’re absolutely beautiful.”
“Why can’t we see them?”
“I don’t know. I’m sure they’ll appear someday, but I don’t know when or why.”
Grandma took several more pictures of my wings. “I think I’ll give one of these pictures to Wade. I’ll sign it ‘Your Changeling Angel.’”
CHAPTER 31
I was repairing my toga when I came up with an idea. What if I could figure out a way to make a toga from a force field? That would be a real blessing because the toga would be as indestructible as the Changeling Princess.
I morphed into the Changeling Princess and removed my old toga. I stood in front my mirror and focused on constructing a force field. I kept the thickness super thin and wrapped it around my body, carefully molding the air in the shape of a toga. When I looked at myself in the mirror, the design was a perfect, but I realized I couldn’t move. I felt like I was locked inside a suit of armor.
I morphed into a Mist and watched the toga drop to the floor. What now? I asked myself. I morphed back into the Changeling Princess and tried to come up with a way to make my force field toga flexible. I tried several approaches, but nothing worked. I was stymied.
Missy and Izzy walked up to me. What are you trying to do with that strange-looking thing you made? Missy asked.
I’m trying to make it soft so I can wear it, I answered.
That’s easy.
No, it’s not.
Of course it is.
All right, little Miss-know-it-all, how do I make my toga soft?
You command it to be soft. Everything in this room takes orders from you, so all you have to do is give the command.
Missy’s right, said Izzy. When you give a command, everything obeys you.
It couldn’t be that simple, I told myself, but maybe the answer was so simple I just couldn’t see it. I concentrated on the toga and commanded it to be as soft as silk. I couldn’t help squealing when the toga dropped to the floor like a piece of loose clothing. I picked it up and it really was as soft as silk.
I turned to the kitties. You girls just earned some extra flying time this week.
I slipped on the toga and looked at myself in the mirror. It fit perfectly, but it was transparent. We couldn’t have that or I’d come to be known as The Naked Changeling Princess. I solved the problem by coloring the toga white and adding some brown trim. I went through the same process and made a new pair of sandals with laces.
I decided that Wade needed something for added protection. I finally decided on a Japanese style robe that covered most of his body. I could add socks and possibly gloves and a hood. I was positive Wade would never wear a hood.
I morphed into Wade to make sure the fit would be perfect and then I went through the same process I used to make my toga. When I was finished, I colored the robe black and added a large red dragon on the front and another one on the back. The robe was gorgeous. I was positive Wade was going to love it.
* * *
September arrived and I was a high school senior. I should have been excited, but school wasn’t the same for me anymore. I felt out of place because my thoughts were preoccupied with the Portal of Darkness and developing my powers. I couldn’t confide in Sherri and that really bothered me. I didn’t like keeping secretes from my best friend.
On the first full day of classes, Sherri and I were tucked away in the corner during study hall. I figured this was a good time to pay Sherri a compliment, so I whisper softly. “You look pretty good, Sherri. I see you kept your promise to yourself to improve your looks.”
“I wasn’t sure you’d noticed.”
“I sure did and I’m sure everyone else at school noticed too.”
Sherri giggled. “I only added a few curves here and there, nothing major.”
“The important thing is that you added them in all the right places. Of course, Bruce probably doesn’t care one way or the other?”
“Yeah, right, and butter comes from butterflies. Let’s change the subject because I want to talk about you. Where did you disappear to this summer?”
“I’m trying to keep it a secret, so you shouldn’t ask.”
“What! Come on Jan, it’s me, Sherri, you’re talking to. You didn’t have to go someplace private and have something taken care of, did you?”
“You mean like having a baby?”
“Well, it happens you know.”
“You’re being absurd. “If you want to know the truth, Wade and I spent the summer killing Warlocks.”
“Oh sure and I’m Lady Godiva.”
“Look, Sherri, I’m not proud of what I did this summer, but I’m crazy about Wade and we wanted to be together.”
“I knew it. You and Wade ran off together. Oh God, it must have been excitin
g. Did you and Wade get really cozy?”
“We didn’t go that far.”
“You’re kidding? You mean there aren’t any juicy details?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Now I’ve heard everything. Jeez, I’d love to run away with Bruce. We’ve got the rest of our lives to be together, so we’re not going to do anything stupid.”
“I’m proud of you, Sherri. You’re thinking like an adult.”
“Thanks, but you still haven’t told me what you and Wade really did this summer.”
“Yes I did. I told you we spent the summer killing Warlocks.”
Sherri winked at me. “Sure, you did. I understand. I won’t say a word to anyone.”
* * *
It was a quick trip to the mountain clearing when we traveled as a Mist. This meant that Wade and I could fly there after school, practice for a couple of hours, and still be home for dinner.
I met Wade on a Saturday morning to fly to the mountain retreat. “I have a surprise for you, Wade. I’ll explain when we get there.”
“You know I love surprises.”
After I tripled my height, I increased my speed to the max and we were at our location in less than half an hour. I morphed back to my normal height as soon as we settled to the ground.
“This isn’t our mountain retreat,” Wade said, looking puzzled. “Where are we?”
“This is a small, uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. There’s no vegetation and no other islands in the area for hundreds of miles.”
“Pacific Ocean! That’s three thousand miles from Charlotte.”
“That’s why I tripled my height to increase my speed.”
“What now?”
“Now that we have an island all to ourselves, we have lots of room for you to practice your element control. Shall we start off with a tornado?”
I watched as Wade raised his arms to the sky. The wind began swirling, slowly building in velocity until the entire island was in the grip of the vicious tornado. I was holding on to Wade to make sure he didn’t get blown away. When the wind died down, Wade was standing there beaming.
“I did better than I thought I would. It’s probably because the Supreme Entity increased my power. I’m going to try a hurricane.”
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