The Changeling Princess (17 page)

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 watch
ed 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.

M
issy 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 exciting. 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.”

I watched as the sky turned dark. The calm waters rippled from the strong wind that was building up in the area. Within a matter of minutes, Wade and I were standing in the middle of a full blown hurricane. Wade blinked his eyes and the hurricane instantly disappeared. I think we were both impressed.

We spent an hour honing Wade’s ability to control fire. He practiced using different degrees of intensity as well as firing bolts at small targets to improve his accuracy.

“
I have another surprise for you, Wade,” I said as I opened my backpack. I pulled out the black robe I’d made and handed it to him.

“
This is for me? Jeez, Janis, it’s beautiful.”

Wade slipped into the robe and tied the sash around his waist. He twirled around several times to test it out.
“It’s really comfortable and it’s lightweight. I can hardly tell I’m wearing it.”

“
It’s more than a robe, Wade. I made it from a force field and it’s indestructible. I’m going to give you a demonstration”

I backed up and hit Wade in the chest with an energy bolt. The force knocked him backwards, but he was unharmed.
“This robe is fantastic, Janis. It’s like being surrounded with a force field.”

“
That’s true, but your head is unprotected. I wasn’t sure if you’d wear a hood.”

“
Wade shook his head. “No, I don’t want a hood. I don’t want to look like Little Red Riding Hood.”

“
Okay, but keep your collar up at all times when you’re in battle.”

Wade
’s confidence was at an all-time high when we left the island. The trip had been a confidence builder for me, too.

*
* *

It was Monday, January 15, 1962
—Wade’s eighteenth birthday. I was invited to his birthday party and I was the only guest.

“
Come right in,” Miss Wilson said when she answered the door. “We’re glad to see that you could make it.”

Wade walked into the room.
“I see our guest of honor has arrived,” he said with a wide smile.

“
No, Wade, you’re the guest of honor. It’s your birthday.” I handed Wade his birthday present and watched his eyes light up.

“
You didn’t have to buy me anything, Janis. That’s really nice of you.”

“
That’s okay, my birthday’s next Monday and I’m expecting a huge payback.” We both laughed.

After dinner, Miss Wilson lit the candles on Wade
’s birthday cake. “Make a wish, Wade. Make it a very special one,” she said.

Wade took a deep breath and then blew out all eighteen candles.
“What did you wish for?” I asked.

“
Shame on you, Janis. You know a wish can’t come true if you tell anyone what you asked for.”

Wade cut the cake and Miss Wilson dished out the ice cream. After our second piece of cake, Miss Wilson handed Wade a postcard. When Wade looked at the card, I sensed he was filled with mixed emotions. Wade sighed as he faced me.

“This is a postcard from my father. It reads, ‘Happy birthday, I wish I was there.’ This is the first time I’ve heard from my father in the last four years. He sent me a similar postcard when I turned fourteen.”

“
Does your father say where he is?” I asked.

“
No, but the postcard is marked London, England.”

“
I wish I could say something to ease the pain,” said Miss Wilson. “Eric has always been irresponsible, but he turned over a new leaf when he married your mother. I sincerely believe her death was just too much for him to handle. I wish I could change things, but I can’t.”

“
That’s okay, Aunt Mildred. Things are what they are and I’ve learned to live with it. At least Dad is still thinking about me. I’m grateful for that.”

I felt sorry for Wade because he was carrying a lot of grief in his heart. He was extremely mature and he was the type to make the best of an unhappy situation. Wade was quite a guy and I was more attracted to him with each passing day.

We continued our practice sessions throughout the winter by building a force field dome over the mountain clearing. Things were going well and we were both pleased.

Wade came up with a suggestion.
“I don’t think we should leave our swords and shields at the retreat anymore. If we’re summoned, we want to be able to leave at a moment’s notice.”

“
I couldn’t agree with you more.”

CHAPTER 32

My remaining days in high school were of little significance because my priorities in life had changed drastically. The time to face the Portal of Darkness was drawing near and I was consumed with the task that lay before me. I began doubting myself because my responsibilities were so enormous. Missy and Izzy were always boosting my morale.

No one can beat the Changeling Princess
, said Missy
. You’re so tough you could lick a band of desperados with one finger.

That
’s right
, said Izzy
. I bet you could beat an army of banditos with one arm tied behind your back.

Well, thanks for your confidence, girls. The only problem is that the guys I
’m going to be facing are a lot tougher than desperados or banditos.

Maybe so
, said Izzy,
but you can handle them. Besides, you have the forces of good on your side . . . And good always beats bad.

I always felt better after a pep talk from the kitties. Animals like cats are considered lower life forms compared to humans, but who
’s to say their simplistic outlook on life isn’t the purest form of logic?

The end of the school year was approaching and Wade was taking me to the senior prom. Wade and I were going to meet Sherri and Bruce at the ballroom and share a table. It was going to be a fun night and I looked forward to getting my mind off the upcoming battle. I
’m sure Wade felt the same way.

*
* *

It was the night of the Senior Prom and I was ready to go. I was extremely careful going down the stairs. Don
’t fall down and break your neck in your new high heels, I told myself.

The doorbell rang when I reached the bottom of the stairs.
“I’ll get it,” I yelled. Wade was at the door with a big smile on his face. He looked especially handsome in his black tux.

“
You are so beautiful, Janis! I’m spellbound.” I kissed Wade on the cheek and then I led him into the living room.

My parents looked pleased.
“You two are quite a sight,” said my mother. “And you look especially handsome tonight, young man. I don’t know how Janis managed to snag such a good-looking guy.”

“
It’s obvious that Janis gets her charm from you Mrs. French.” Wade replied.

“
The women in this family are experts at choosing good-looking men,” said my dad.

Everyone laughed and then dad shook hands with Wade before he hugged me

Mom took a several pictures before we said goodbye and walked out the front door. I was surprised to see Miss Wilson’s car parked in our driveway. Wade walked me to the car and opened the passenger door.

“
What’s going on,” I asked.

“
I’m driving tonight.”

“
When did you learn how to drive?”

“
Aunt Mildred’s been teaching me. I got my driver’s license last week.”

“
Okay, but don’t make me wish I was fighting Demons instead of riding with you.”

*
* *

We arrived at the ballroom at nine o
’clock. We had no sooner gotten out of the car when the roar of motorcycles filled the air. I looked over to see a string of motorcycles pulling into the parking lot.

“
These guy look like party crashers,” I said angrily.

Wade broke into a devilish grin.
“Not for long.”

I heard one of the bikers yell out,
“I’ve got ten buck that says I can outrun any biker in this club in a race to Greensboro.”

“
In a pig’s eye,” yelled another biker.”

The next thing I knew the entire motorcycle club pulled out of the parking lot at breakneck speed. When the last biker was out of the parking lot, I turned to Wade.
“I bet you used thought control on those bikers and suggested they race to Greensboro.”

“
It seemed like the right thing to do. I didn’t have to lift a finger and no one was hurt.”

“
That kind of control will come in handy when the Portal of Darkness opens.”

“
I don’t think so. I tried mind control on the Demon in Cincinnati. His brain was so small I couldn’t connect. Low level Demons are like worker ants.”

“
I see your point. I bet that’s why I can’t communicate with insects.”

We entered the ballroom and looked for Sherri and Bruce. When we realized we
’d gotten there first, we picked out a table and kept an eye on the front door. The band was playing “Roses are Red,” a number one hit on the pop charts by Bobby Vinton. I was ready to dance, but Wade had something else in mind.

“I have a very important question to ask you, Janis.”

“
This sounds serious, so you have my undivided attention.”

“
I know we can’t have a serious relationship, but I want you to wear my class ring. It would mean a great deal to me.”

I was touched by Wade
’s sincerity. “I’d be honored to wear your class ring.”

I held out my hand and Wade slipped the ring on my finger. Wade had long thin fingers, so the ring was only a tad too large. I used my telekinetic power and reduced the opening of the ring for a perfect fit. It was a beautiful ring with a large
“W” across the top.

“
This means that you’re my girl, Janis.”

“
I looked deep into Wade’s eyes. “Yes, Wade, I’m your girl.”

The band played
“Hit the Road Jack” and my feet were itching to dance. I stood up and gently pulled Wade to his feet. “I want to show you how your girl has improved her dancing skills.”

When the song was over, we waited on the dance floor for the next song. When the band played a slow tune, I melted into Wade
’s arms and looked into his eyes. “I’m glad we’re together tonight. Being with you is very special to me.”

“
I feel the same way, Janis. Let’s pretend this night is going to last forever.”

I pulled Wade closer to me.
“If only that were true.”

We
’d been at the Prom for over an hour and Sherri and Wade still hadn’t shown up. “I’m worried about Sherri,” I said. “I’m going to call her house just to make sure nothing has happened to her.”

Sherri answered the phone.
“What happened to you guys?” I shouted over the phone.

“
This is really embarrassing, Janis. I tripped on the stairs and broke my big toe. I called your house, but your mom said you’d already left for the Prom.”

“
That’s terrible. Is Bruce with you?”

“
Yes, he’s right here holding my hand. It’s not really that terrible. I haven’t been treated this good since I fell off my tricycle.”

I couldn
’t contain my laughter. “I bet you’re playing your broken toe to the hilt, but that’s okay. It’s nice to be spoiled once in a while.”

Sherri giggled.
“So how’s the Prom?”

“
Really great. They’ve got a great band. I wish you were here.”

“
So do I, but I’ll live.”

“
I’ll stop by and check up on you tomorrow.”

“
Sounds great.

“
See ya, Sherri.”

“
See ya, Janis.”

“
What’s going on?” Wade asked when I returned to the table.

“
Sherri fell down the steps and broke her big toe. Bruce is keeping her company tonight.”

“
That’s terrible. Poor Sherri.”

“
Don’t worry about her. Everyone’s waiting on her hand and foot and she loves every minute of it.”

“
I don’t see anything wrong with that. We all need to be pampered once in a while.”

“
When’s the last time you were pampered, Wade?”

“
You pamper me every time we’re together.”

“
I do not.”

“
You do too. Do you realize we’ve just had our first argument since you became my girl?”

“
It wasn’t an argument.”

“
It was too.”

We stared at each other and laughed.
“Let’s dance,” said Wade.

“
I’d love too.”

*
* *

We had a late night supper and then Wade drove me home. We remained silent as we walked slowly to my front door. I took a deep breath as Wade took me in his arms and kissed me. It was a deep passionate kiss that left me reeling. I was fighting back the tears because Wade was so special to me. He was one of a kind and he couldn
’t be replaced.