The Changeling Princess (13 page)

CHAPTER 23

“Your new powers are quite a shock to me,” my mother said when we returned home. “Pauline did the right thing by keeping it a secret until she knew for sure what was going on. She’s more knowledgeable about matters like this than anyone in the Clan.”

“
I wanted to tell you, Mom, but things were happening so fast, I didn’t know what to do.”

“
I’m proud of you,” said my father. “It’s hard to believe my little girl is a super hero.”

“
I haven’t done anything to be a super hero, Dad.”

“
Maybe not, but from what I’ve seen, you’re a super hero to me. Your new powers are unbelievable.”

“
I’ve got to confess that I didn’t reveal everything at the meeting.”

“
There’s more?” my mother asked.

“
Yes, but it’s not exactly a new power, it’s a new me.”

“
What does that mean?” asked my father.

“
I’ll show you both.” When I morphed into the Changeling Princess, my mother looked me over from head to toe before she spoke. “You are absolutely breathtaking, Janis. How did you decide on the details to develop this beautiful creature?”

I did a lot of experimenting until I found what I liked. I
’ve retained all my Ivarr powers, plus I’m seven inches taller. My powers increase with my height, so I’m actually ten percent stronger in this form.”

“
You’re a genius,” said my father. “Only a French would come up with an idea like that. And you’re only a junior in high school.”

“
Not for long, Dad. Graduation is in three days.”

*
* *

Wade and I made plans to leave Charlotte on Monday morning the twelfth of June. We weren
’t sure what to expect, but we were determined to get the job done.

When I picked Wade up at his house, my car was full of gas and I had four thousand dollars in small bills for expenses. I planned on playing it strictly by ear. I was depending on my senses to guide me in the right direction.

“Up, up, and away,” Wade joked as he got into the car.

I chuckled because Wade was such a clown. The trip ahead of us was going to be a lot of things, but i
t was never going to be boring.

* * *

We headed northwest to Durham and then picked up Highway 85 to Richmond, Virginia. I felt like a hound dog because I was searching for a scent that would lead us in the right direction.

We stopped at a truck stop for an early lunch because Wade was starving.
“Didn’t you have breakfast?” I asked.

“
I had two donuts and a glass of milk, but that was almost four hours ago.”

“
Poor baby, everyone’s always trying to starve you.”

We were fifty miles from Petersburg when I picked up a strange scent that reeked of evil.
“I think there are Warlocks in Petersburg,” I told Wade.

Wade went into deep concentration.
“Wa-sume, ba-mento-la-zonda-da-tinka-da-inta-el-razasda.”

“
What was that?”

”
That was a cloaking spell. I cloaked the car so the Warlocks can’t pick up our scent.”

“
Won’t that prevent up from picking up their scent?”

“
It’ll affect me, but I doubt it’ll affect you. Your senses are super powerful.”

I took a deep breath.
“You’re right, Wade, the cloaking spell didn’t affect me at all.”

I was impressed with Wade. The cloaking spell was a wonderful idea because it would give us the element of surprise.

When we reached Petersburg, I concentrated on the scent to see where it would take us. Sometimes I had to back up and turn around because I’d missed a turn, but we were closing in fast.

We were driving along a residential street when I came to a stop. I pointed to an elderly gentleman sitting on his front porch reading a newspaper.
“That man is a Warlock. I’m also picking up a Witch’s scent, but it’s very faint.”

A woman walked out the front door and handed the man what looked like a glass of lemonade.
“That woman is a Warlock, too,” I said.

“
They both look normal, so they must be using an illusion spell. Can you use your powers to see through the spell?”

I concentrated on the man sitting on the porch and watched his features change. He went from elderly to middle-aged and he had grotesque hives all over his face. He looked like the kind of guy who
’d enjoy eating insects for breakfast. I heard the woman call out to him and he walked inside the house.

“
I think we should take out these Warlocks as fast as we can,” said Wade. “They won’t talk if we capture them and we can’t convert them.”

“
I agree. The simplest thing would be to morph into Mists, materialize inside the house and then hit them with our energy beams.”

“
Sounds like a plan to me.”

We quickly unloaded our shields and swords. I held onto Wade
’s hand and morphed into a Mist. We floated across the street and drifted under the front door. We moved quickly through the house and found the Warlocks sitting in the living room. The Warlocks never knew what hit them when we materialized and fired our energy bolts. To my surprise, the Warlocks exploded like balloons. All that was left was a trail of foul-smelling smoke.

“
Yuck,” said Wade, holding onto his nose. “I hate that smell.”

“
So what happened? What’s with the rancid smoke?”

“
That’s evil is its purest form. As a Warlock increases his powers, his body becomes a vessel that absorbs evil. It’s common for Warlocks to explode when they’re destroyed.”

“
What can you tell me about those two Warlocks?”

“
I can tell you that they were extremely low level because of the hives of their faces. As they increase their powers, they become capable of hiding those hives. In time, they’ll acquire a low level energy beam and the ability to conjure up powerful spells.”

“
So we’re talking about some really bad dudes?”

“
Yes, that’s why I suggested taking them out with no mercy. These Warlocks can’t be rehabilitated and the world is better off without them.”

My senses still detected the Witches scent. I was also sensing something I was totally unfamiliar with.
“Do you sense anything strange in this house?”

Wade focused his senses as sharply as he could.
“No, I don’t detect anything.”

I followed the strange scent and entered the master bedroom.

“The source of what I’m sensing is in this room.”

I went into deep concentration and watched as an elderly couple materialized on the bed. I sensed they were Witches who had been put under some kind of a strange spell.

“I’ve got it figured it out,” said Wade. “What you sensed was a cloaking spell that kept their bodies hidden from view. If I’m correct, this couple is under a rejuvenation spell.”

“
Please explain, Wade.”

“
A rejuvenation spell replenishes the powers of the person under the spell. After a Warlock drains a Witch of their powers, the rejuvenation spell replenishes their powers for future use.”

“
You’re kidding? What you’re saying is that the Warlocks are using this elderly couple like a gas station.”

“
I’ve never heard it put that way, but that’s a pretty accurate description. My guess is that these Warlocks were given this couple as a reward for their services. I don’t think they had the power to invoke this kind of a spell on their own.”

I analyzed the rejuvenation spell and locked it into my memory, just in case I should ever have a use for it. When the process was complete, I concentrated on reviving the sleeping couple. They opened their eyes and sat up in bed.
“Who are you?” the woman asked.

“
We’re friends,” I said. “The Warlocks have been destroyed and you’re safe now. How long ago were you taken prisoner?”

“
What is today?”

“
June twelfth.”

“
Exactly five weeks ago. Two twin Warlock brothers attacked us in our home and we were defenseless. All I remember is being left here with two lowlife Warlocks when the brothers left. How did you ever manage to defeat them?”

“
It’s a long story,” I answered. “Did either one of you hear anything about where the Warlock brothers were headed?”

“
I heard someone mention Chicago,” said the husband. “I sense that this young man is a Witch, but not you, young lady. Are you a Changeling?”

“
Yes sir, we’re traveling together. Are there any other Witch Clans in the area?”

“
The closest is the Robert’s Clan in Richmond. There’s also a Parker Clan in Charlottesville. I guess I should introduce myself. I’m Charles Benton and this is my wife, Julia.”

Mr. Benton gave me the addresses and we left the house.

“It’s getting late,” I said. “We should think about getting a motel room.”

“
Good idea. Let’s get something to eat too.”

*
* *

I pulled into a motel and morphed into a middle-aged man. I signed the re
gister as James French and we were given a room with two beds at the far end of the motel. I kept waiting for Wade to make a wise crack about my new “middle-aged man” look, but he didn’t say anything. I morphed back to Janis French as soon as we entered our room.

“
Nice room, Janis, all it needs is a Witch’s touch. The next thing I heard was “Wa-sume, ba-mento-la-zonda-da-tinka-da-inta-el-blanko.”

“
I’m assuming you just put a cloaking spell on this room?”

“
Yes, you can’t be too careful. I’m curious. Are you going to make yourself invisible when we get ready for bed?”

“
That’s a silly question. I don’t think seeing Janis French in her pajamas is going to be too much for you to handle.”

“
You’re so logical. Let’s not forget to get something to eat.”

“
I bet your biggest fear on this trip is going to bed on an empty stomach.”

CHAPTER 24

I was up early the next morning. I tapped Wade gently on the shoulder and watched him turn over on his side. “Breakfast is ready,” I whispered.

Wade sat up in bed and looked around.
“That was a dirty trick.”

I couldn
’t help giggling. “The next time I’ll conjure up an imaginary meal that’ll disappear as soon as you pick up your fork.”

“
Janis French, I think you have a mean streak in you.” We were both laughing as we dressed for breakfast.

When we arrived at the diner, Wade ordered three eggs, toast and sausage, a double order of hashed browns and a stack of pancakes. I ordered the same breakfast without the pancakes.

“We have to keep up our strength,” Wade said cheerfully. I nodded my head and we wasted no time pigging out.

Wade had to invoke the cloaking spell on the car again.
“I’m not very good at this yet, but I’ll get better. The spell should last at least a week after I’ve perfected my concentration.”

It took two hours to find the right address after we reached the city limits of Richmond. We followed the procedure and parked across the street to watch the property. My senses told me there were several Warlocks in the house.

“How do you want to handle this?” asked Wade.

“
I think we should use the same plan as before. Hit them fast before they know what’s happening.”

A teenage boy walked out of the house and sat down on the porch swing. I knew instantly that he was a Warlock.

“We need to get that kid back inside the house,” I said. “This would be a good time for you to use your mind control.”

Wade went into deep concentration, but the kid just raised his head and looked around.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“
I’m not sure. Maybe their illusion spell is interfering with my thought projection. We’ll have to try something else.”

“
Okay, I’ve got a real simple plan to scare the kid. As soon as he runs into the house, you rush over there and we’ll morph into Mists.”

I made myself invisible and walked toward the front porch. The Warlock kid looked around because his senses told him that something was approaching him. I morphed into a seven foot-tall Werewolf and made myself visible. I had huge eyes, long sharp teeth, and large hands with long claws. Saliva was dripping from my mouth as I let out with a fierce growl. I watched the kid jump to his feet and run into the house. Wade was there in a flash and we morphed into Mists.

We drifted under the door and followed the sound of the kid’s voice. We found him standing in the kitchen, yelling at two Warlocks sitting at the kitchen table. We materialized and opened fire with our energy beams. The Warlocks burst into a cloud of black smoke, filling the kitchen with a sickening smell. I glanced at Wade, who was holding his nose again.

“
Things could be worse,” I said. “You could be a garage collector in the tropics.” Wade was a good sport. He nodded his head and smiled.

We headed upstairs to the bedrooms. My scent took me to the master bedroom where there was a family hidden with a cloaking spell. I dissolved the spell and watched as a family of three materialized on the bed. The young boy resembled the one I
’d seen on the front porch.

The family was still weak, so I employed the rejuvenation spell I
’d assimilated earlier. The enormous power of my energy beam increased the power of the spell. Within a matter of minutes, the family was sitting up in bed.

“
I think the Warlocks are dead,” said the mother.

“
I think you’re right” said the father. “The stench is overwhelming.”

We didn
’t get a lot of information from the family because they’d been taken hostage so quickly. They were friends of the Benton Clan in Charlottesville, but they didn’t know if they’d been attacked or not.

“
The scent of the twin Warlocks has gotten stronger since we left Petersburg,” I commented as we walked back to the car. “That tells me the brothers have turned around and are retracing their steps. If we continue to backtrack, the trail should eventually lead us right straight to them.”

“
That makes sense. Maybe I should call Aunt Mildred and tell her that she’s not in any present danger and she can go back to work.”

“
That’s a good idea. The next stop is Charlottesville.”

*
* *

We arrived in Charlottesville in the middle of the afternoon. We asked directions and eventually ended up at the Parker residence. They had a beautiful home with lots of shrubbery and a manicured lawn.

“I don’t detect a cloaking spell,” Wade remarked.

“
Neither do I. I’m going to turn into a Mist and do a quick fly through.”

I was in and out of the house in fifteen seconds. I spotted a Warlock in the living room and two more in the kitchen. Mr. and Mrs. Parker were tied to kitchen chairs and the two Warlocks were standing over them, draining the life force from their bodies. It made me sick to my stomach.

“The Warlocks are doing their gas station thing,” I said when I returned to the car.

“
We have to separate the Warlocks from the Parkers before we can take them out,” said Wade. “Can you throw a force field in front of the Parkers for their protection?”

“
Not a problem, Wade. We’ll enter the house as Mists like we did before. When we materialize, I’ll throw up a quick force field and we’ll fire away.”

I held onto Wade
’s hand as we morphed into Mists and turned invisible. We rushed into the house and headed straight for the living room. I positioned myself so that I was standing off to the side of the Parkers. I mentally pictured an eight-foot shield in between the Parkers and the Warlocks. When we materialized, I threw up the force field in front of the Parkers and fired two quick energy bolts at the Warlocks. I watched as they exploded simultaneously. Wade fired at the Warlock sitting on the sofa as I moved quickly toward the kitchen. The remaining Warlock was halfway out the kitchen door when I opened fire with my energy bolt. The foul-smelling smoke looked like a black cloud as it drifted up into the airstream and slowly disappeared from sight.

Wade was wearing a big smile when I returned to the living room.
“You’re not holding your nose,” I said.

“
No, I’m holding my breath.”

As always, I found Wade
’s humor amusing.

I used the rejuvenation spell and revived the Parkers. Mr. Parker smelled the foul air and sized up the situation.
“Your powers must be enormous to have defeated the Warlocks.”

“
Let’s just say we’ve both been blessed with extraordinary powers.”

“
How can we repay you?” asked Mr. Parker.

“
We don’t require payment.” I said. “Other than the Roberts and the Bentons, are you aware of any other Clans that might have been threatened?”

Mr. Parker shook his head.
“No, those are the only Witch Clans I’m familiar with.”

We left the Parker home and walked to the car.
“Where are we headed next?” asked Wade.

I took a deep breath.
“We’re headed straight toward Chicago.”