Now in possession of nearly a half million dollars, the fifty thousand he had used to purchase the house and the ten thousand for identification and a social security number left him with most of what he’d gotten. Now he could begin searching for his bride. After he ate, of course. A man had to have his priorities. Niklas, feeling out of place and unsure of what to do, watched the man in front of him.
“I’d like a small pepperoni to go,” the man said, his gaze glued to the menu. “And give me an order of breadsticks to go with that.”
Niklas smiled. It seemed some things were universal. It shouldn’t be a problem when it became his turn.
Finished with the other gentleman, who had decided to sit down and watch a car race on the TV provided by the restaurant, the boy behind the counter looked at Niklas and asked, “Are you gonna eat it here or is this to go?”
He looked around. Happy to see the clean tables, he smiled. “I’ll eat here. I’ll have one small pepperoni please.”
After paying for the pizza and something to drink, he chose a seat, then folded his large frame into the small booth and waited to be served. By the time the boy finally came from behind the counter with the pie, Niklas was starved. He took a minute to savor the delicious scent of the unusual creation before him.
The tangy, spicy scent made his mouth water with anticipation. Picking up a fork and knife, he served himself a strange wedge shaped slice. He cut into it with the knife, stabbed it with the fork and lifted the piece to his nose sniffing it experimentally. The smell of melted cheese and crisp pepperoni assaulted his nostrils and his empty stomach protested with a grumble.
“Well, I guess I have to try it sometime. At least it smells good, and it isn’t still moving,” he muttered before he placed it in his mouth. He closed his eyes. The first bite was delicious. There was nothing like it anywhere else in the known star systems. This was definitely one thing he would make sure made it back home. I’ll have to ask Shona to come down and learn how to make it. Or possibly just take one of each kind up and have it programmed into the replicator if all else fails.
He returned to the house with another pizza, having bought one for Minra. Niklas knew she would appreciate not having to eat her own cooking as well. Dropping the square box on the table, he left her with her dinner and went into the other room to read the electronic copy of the scroll he carried with him.
Trinaugh, Terrna’s current keeper of the light, had insisted he take it in case it could be of some help in finding the one he sought. The woman would have the hair and eyes he knew to look for, but she would also possess the Heart of Terrna. It was a heart-shaped stone pendant the size of the tip of a man’s thumb, reputed to be infused with some mystical energy and a small part of Morwyyn’s power. Yet, the scroll said the stone was not the key to their salvation, the woman was.
And yea shall she possess the Heart of Terrna. The very stone I have created to carry that which is mine.
Yet the stone shall not be the salvation of Terrna, only she who possesses it. Find the woman who possesses the Heart of Terrna, and ye shall find the savior of your world.
The people of Terrna will serve her as Queen, for she shall be Queen. Bound to the rightful Heir, she shall prevent the cataclysm, caused by the death of the sister, Tomar. If the rightful Heir should find her quickly, she shall have the power to reverse the death of the sister, and all will be right with the world.
Shall she find happiness with the Heir, the world shall see peace for one thousand generations. Shall she find unhappiness, peace shall last only as long as she lives.
The gathering of evil is upon us. The others of the Sorcerers Guild of Nasha will entrap the evil while I make my escape to protect that which one day will save the world. Yea the legends be true, for I have seen it, so shall it be.
“Did you discover anything useful yet?” Minra sat down next to him, a slice of pizza on the plate she carried.
“I think so,” he nodded. “There are stories here, legends about a man named Merlin. I think it may connect with Morwyyn.” Niklas shifted in his seat to face Minra. “Morwyyn left Terrna to protect The One when he, and others like him, disappeared. I think the mythology of this planet tells us where Morwyyn went.” He was excited that he’d finally found something. All of the research they’d done, and this bit of legend, nearly a thousand years old, appeared to be his first real clue.
“They were known only on this world as the Arthurian legends, as if they never really existed. Morwyyn had been called Merlin. Perhaps it was a slip of the pen, or perhaps he changed his name to protect The One. She must be a direct descendant of the great sorcerer.” He smiled, glad to have finally found a piece of evidence which proved that Morwyyn had actually come to Earth.
”With the great knowledge and power that Morwyyn possessed, he saw the death of Terrna, along with the means to save her, in his own far-removed great-granddaughter. He’d had to escape to this world to protect that which he possessed—his seed.” Niklas took a deep breath and reached over to pick up a map of the Americas. “It’s going to be difficult to find her, unless we get extremely lucky. Because either many people here contain his blood, or there are many descendants of the Fae here.”
He tossed the map aside, stood and began to pace across the big colorful rag rug they found in the attic. “You know the stories. He was the only human with golden hair and blue eyes on Terrna. Someone once said his coloring came from the fiery power within him. Others were sure it was because he was half-Fae.” He paused, turning to look back at Minra. “I don’t know which, but it doesn’t matter. The only thing that does matter is that she is here.”
Niklas noticed there were many blondes here, whether they were descendants of Morwyyn or of the Fae would remain to be seen. Still, only one of them held the power to save his world. If only he could find her.
Chapter Four
Brianna hopped up the three steps of Amber’s porch. She couldn’t wait to tell her about their new neighbor. “Whew! What a hottie!” She reached up to knock.
“Who’s a hottie?” her friend asked with a scowl as she pushed open the screen door. “And why do you always insist on knocking? If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times. Just come on in. You don’t have to knock, hon. You’re family.”
“Sorry. I keep forgetting.” Brianna beamed at her. “I just met our new neighbor, and boy, is he something.” She emphasized her words by fanning her fingers in front of her face. “I thought I’d expire on the spot just looking at him.”
Amber smiled, crossed her arms over her chest and leaned lazily against the doorjamb. “He’s real eye candy huh? Please tell me you weren’t talking to him like you are right now.” She bit her lip, obviously trying not to laugh.
Brianna hesitated and wrinkled her brow in confusion. “Why, what’s wrong?” she asked, her head bowing as she surveyed the front of her cloak.
Amber reached over her shoulder. Her slender fingers brought a few stringy strands of black hair forward. “I can’t believe you didn’t remember you were wearing that.” She shook her head. “I swear, Bri, sometimes I think you’d forget your head if it wasn’t attached.”
Brianna’s cheeks flamed when she realized what Amber meant. She still wore the witch makeup. Namely, the hairy wart, stringy black wig and blackened teeth. “Great.” She slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. “The first man I’ve met in ages that I’m even remotely attracted to, and I have to be in my Halloween get-up.” Scowling, she rushed past Amber and headed toward the bathroom, disgusted with herself. No wonder he’d looked at her the way he had. It hadn’t been admiration. It had most likely been horror. The wart she had looked real, very real.
Brianna swore under her breath, horrified that she’d been in such a hurry, she’d forgotten to remove the makeup she’d grown to dislike so much. It was a good thing she decided against the green face paint. Or maybe not, as at least with the face paint, he would have been able to tell she was in costume. “Geeze, we
aring just the wart, I must have looked like some horror movie housekeeper or something.”
“Storybook hag,” Amber said, in a singsong voice from the other side of the door.
Making a face, she stared at herself in the mirror, totally horrified she’d made such a stupid mistake. Brianna shook her head. It was just like her though. Flighty, forgetful, just plain stupid! She heaved an exasperated sigh. “It’s Halloween, for goodness-sake. I am not going to worry about it,” she vowed, then snatched up the toothbrush she kept in Amber’s bathroom and scrubbed furiously at her teeth. She couldn’t be more irritated with herself. Usually, she was more diligent about her appearance, but she’d been in such a rush…
Placing the toothbrush back in the holder over the sink, Brianna inspected her teeth critically in the mirror. Much better! She smiled wide showing off her white teeth. With the wart tucked safely in her purse, and all of the black removed from her teeth, she looked more like herself again. She blushed, watching as her cheeks turned an unbecoming shade of pink and thought of her new neighbor. What in the world must he think of her? He had to know she’d been in costume. She shrugged. There was nothing that could be done about it now. Why agonize over it? And if she kept telling herself that, she just might start to believe it.
Brianna groaned and removed the knotted wig. Reaching over to her right, she hung it from the knob on the cabinet next to the sink and gave her head a good scratching. The cheap wig always made her head itch, like she had fleas or something. Returning her gaze to the mirror, she groaned. Her hair looked horrible after being confined beneath the wig for two hours. Borrowing Amber’s blow dryer, she brought her shining golden hair back under control. Wispy bangs fell in a perfect arch over her smooth forehead. A length of luminescent silk cascaded freely down her back, contrasting with the black dress. The golden waves glistened and reflected the light as she walked.
“Hey, I don’t look half bad like this,” she said to herself before joining her friend. Amber sat tapping her foot against the edge of her coffee table. It was the only outward sign of her discarded patience. She stood as Brianna entered the room and donned her own handmade cape.
“Are you finally ready to go?” Amber’s finely arched brows were raised in question.
Brianna bowed her head and nodded slowly. Boy, was she going to have a hard time living this down. She looked up from the floor, giving Amber her first look at the revised hair and makeup.
Amber whistled, “You’re going to knock them dead tonight, Bri. You look marvelous.”
Brianna beamed at her. “You look great, too, Cyndy.”
Amber scowled at her. “Don’t call me that anymore. It doesn’t do a thing for me. My new name has helped me develop more patience.” She glanced at her watch. “If we leave now, we’ll still be able to make it in time for the limbo contest.” She turned, picked up the two overnight bags sitting in the foyer and headed for the door.
Brianna climbed into the passenger seat of Amber’s fluorescent green Neon and fastened her seatbelt. It was one thing she never forgot to do, especially if her friend was driving. Amber had the fearless heart of a racecar driver.
Amber put the car in gear and mashed on the gas, leaving skid marks in her driveway on the way out.
Brianna gripped the armrest as her friend stomped on the gas pedal and they careened around a corner, just missing the curb. She honked at a young couple, holding hands as they ran across the street.
“Stay in the crosswalk, you boobs!” She made a face. “I swear, Bri, it’s getting to the point that the people around here cross the road anywhere they want with no thought for the traffic.”
Closing her eyes, Brianna took a deep breath, only relaxing her death grip on the armrest to adjust her seatbelt. “Well, if you weren’t speeding, maybe they would have seen us coming.”
“I wasn’t speeding.” Amber shot her a surprised look. “I always drive fifty through here.”
Brianna smiled wryly. “Maybe you do, sweetie, but that sign you nearly mowed down back there was a speed limit sign that said twenty-five. You have seen speed limit signs, haven’t you?”
Amber waved her hand. “Yeah, but that’s only for daytime, when the kids are out. I’d never drive that fast through here then. That’s why I take the expressway.” She honked at a slower moving vehicle, jerked her car to the left and shot through an intersection.
Brianna took a deep breath and counted to ten. You just had to love Amber. She loved life, excitement, and she loved to drive fast. Real fast.
Amber glanced her way. “What?”
“Oh nothing.” Brianna waved her hand toward the rear of the vehicle. “I just thought since you didn’t stop at the stop sign back there, you might want to stop for the flashing lights in your rearview mirror.” She was looking behind them through the passenger side door mirror.
Amber frowned. “What flashing li— Oh, God!” She glanced at Brianna, a panicked look in her eyes. “Did I really just run a stop sign?” She chewed on her lip nervously and her gaze darted from the road to the mirror and back. Slowing down, she turned on her blinker, steered into a parking lot and pulled into a space. The police car, with its flashing lights, sped past them with the siren blaring.
Brianna shook her head with disgust. “You’re so lucky, I swear. If I would have been driving, I’d be getting a big fat ticket right now.”
“Good thing it wasn’t you driving then, huh?” Amber waggled her eyebrows and grinned. She put the car in gear and stomped on the gas pedal.
“This is a welcome sight after that wild ride,” Brianna muttered when they pulled into the parking spot at the conference center and shut off the engine.
“Did you say something?” Amber looked at her curious.
“I said, what a wonderful night. Thanks for the ride,” Brianna said, thinking quickly. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Amber’s feelings.
“Oh, well, you’re welcome,” Amber said with a smirk. “Now let’s go and have a great time. I hope I can find someone to dance with.”
“You probably won’t if you’re going to insist on doing the robot again. That dance is so old.” Brianna made a face. “You look ridiculous when you do it.”
“I like the robot,” she pouted. “And the moonwalk. I especially like the mashed potato.”
Brianna shook her head. “And as long as you insist on dancing like that you’re going to continue to have an awful time finding someone to hit the floor with you.”
They walked inside together as they laughed and talked. Brianna was still shaken from the wild ride. She’d been pleasantly surprised to find out she didn’t have to pry her fingers loose from the armrest and dashboard where she’d developed a white-knuckled death grip.
They walked through the hotel’s opulent lobby and across the ocher marble floor that gleamed in the light from the chandeliers overhead. The lush, potted palms were huge and healthy. Bellhops walked past, pushing their polished, brass carts. A red carpet ran up the center of the wide marble stairs, held in place by long brass rods, to the concierge on the next level.
Brianna pointed to a sign. “It’s this way, in the port and starboard ballrooms.” The girls followed the signs to the two huge rooms. They each pulled out their tickets and gave them to the doormen as they entered.
“You know,” Amber grabbed a hors d’oeuvre from a passing server and popped it into her mouth. “The Witches’ Ball is one of only a few Pagan social events of the year. It’s mainly for meeting others of similar beliefs.”
Brianna nodded. “I remember, you told me. It’s also a great place to network or to find other people who may have a particular skill, tool, or service.” She wrapped her arm around Amber’s shoulders. “Thanks so much for teaching me.”
Amber grinned. “I love it, and you know it.”
With the party already in full swing, costumed guests milled around everywhere. The rooms were thick with people of all sizes, shapes and magical persuasion.
“There must b
e at least five-hundred people here this year. What a great turnout,” Brianna said, completely awed. Glancing around the enormous hall, she took in the beauty of the large room. The black, red, and gold carpet beneath their feet was patterned like the carpet in a turn of the century hotel. The chandeliers overhead were immense. They contained a copious amount of crystals, causing the light to prism, sending colorful light patterns throughout the room. Everything looked as magical as she thought a Witches’ ball should look.
The costumes ranged from the common witch or court jester to outlandish vampires with blood red capes and filed or capped vicious-looking canines.
The ball committee, as usual, rented two conference rooms in a local hotel and conference center. One room held the vendors and food. The other was reserved strictly for the contests and dancing. Both rooms were decorated with a plethora of hanging plants and incense holders. The many witch-balls—silver painted glass globes filled with small pieces of string to trap negativity—were beautiful.
“Do you know what I like the most about the ball?” Brianna asked with a smile.
“What?” Amber turned, her brow raised in question.
“I like the fact that it’s air conditioned and it has toilets.” Brianna said tongue in cheek.
”Unlike the gathering of the tribes for the spring and fall where we all have to rough it for five long days?”
Brianna slipped a glass of Coke from a passing waiter. “I like the sleeping on the ground and cooking over an open fire part.” She took a sip of her drink. “I really don’t mind roughing it, but I would like to have showers and a toilet.”
“But that’s the best part!” Amber looked shocked that Brianna could say such a thing. “We all save water and electricity when we’re there!” She reached out and snagged another hors d’oeuvre from a tray and crammed it into her mouth.
Brianna looked on with disgust. How many of those stupid things was she going to eat anyway? “Maybe, but we deplete the ozone with the use of extra deodorant,” she said, giggling.
Briannas Prophecy Page 5
