CHAPTER 2
Thudding into a hard surface, she rolled a couple of times until she smacked into a wall. Winded, cheek pressed against the cold stone floor, she opened her eyes and looked around. Dozens of tall, elegant candles decorated a small altar, covered with fresh flowers. The pungent smell of incense permeated the air. White marble walls encircled the small room. Frescoes decorated the south facing wall, the colorful images shimmering in the candlelight.
Pushing to her feet, Riley first checked to make sure that all her body parts were still intact. No broken limbs or fresh blood but she was sure that she was covered with black and blue bruises. She opened her mouth to say something cutting to Max but he stood in front of the fresco covered wall, head tilted to one side, totally lost in the painted images. Curiosity battled and triumphed over annoyance and she moved to his side. The paintings were done in a series of panels, each depicting a different scene. In one of them, a beautiful woman sat astride a large black wolf, a giant version of Max, all muscled power and sleek sinew, black fur gleaming in the sun. Bolts of lightning hurtled from her raised hands towards the man standing on the ground, looking up at her, a gleaming ball of fire hovered in the air between his palms. Riley gasped as she realized that his sharply drawn profile belonged to none other than Cole. A tingle ran up her spine as she stepped closer to the wall to get a better look at the woman who somehow seemed eerily familiar. Her hair fell in a rich cascade below her shoulders, straight and dark as midnight. Her skin was bronze, and her strange bi-coloured eyes blazed with power. Riley knew that one eye was aquamarine and the other the exact shade of teak. They were her eyes, and it was her face but somehow different; it radiated power and purpose.
Falling to her knees, she whispered, “A battle scene between the Lord of the Dark Mages and the Princess of Light”.
“Yes,” Max replied. “I’ve been trying to tell you but you are so convinced that you are either dreaming or are in a mental institution that you are not paying attention.”
With a furrowed brow she tuned towards him. “I’m listening now.”
Pacing back and forth, he began. “This is Avalyss. Two types of beings live here, Light Bringers and Dark Mages. The latter are wizards skilled in the black arts. The Light Bringers rule this land but the Dark Mages are allowed to practice their black arts under controlled conditions. It has always been this way. But years ago an Oracle prophesied that a dark mage would be born with the power to overthrow the Light Bringers, and the Dark Mages would rule Avalyss. The Oracle also predicted that a Princess of Light will be born to the Light Bringers, that she would be the only hope for the Light. An epic battle will take place between the Princess of Light and the Lord of the Dark Mages. One will defeat the other.”
“Which one?” Riley’s voice quivered.
“The prophecy did not say. Either the Light Bringers will continue to rule or the Dark Mages will rise to power.” Max replied.
“That’s ridiculous. Don’t tell me that you actually believe that drivel? I cannot be this Princess of Light that the prophecy speaks of. I am an accountant not a warrior. I cannot fight, except for some kick boxing moves I learnt in an aerobics class a long time ago. Unless your Lord of the Dark Mages is somehow susceptible to a well-crafted and deadly budget I will be useless in an epic battle.”
Max narrowed his green eyes. “Be serious. This is no laughing matter. Besides, you have powers, magical powers.”
“Powers? You mean I can ‘leap tall buildings in a single bound? So now I am Riley accountant by day, super hero at night. Where is my costume and the nearest phone booth?”
“Stop babbling, we have no more time to waste.” Max started to advance towards her.
“Here we go again.” Riley groaned before once again she was falling and whirling through space.
She smelled the salty tang of the ocean before she opened her eyes. She was standing on the rooftop of a tall, narrow tower, thrusting from the wild sea below and reaching towards the sky. Irritation rose within her as she realized that she was once again all alone. She intended to strangle the wretched Max the next time she clapped eyes on him. Tiptoeing to the edge, she looked down at the swirling, seething, roiling sea below.
“Be careful, one false step and you could be sleeping with the fishes.” A cool voice remarked.
Startled, she almost lost her balance, but managed to right herself just in time. Turning, she stared into Cole’s ruggedly handsome face, his honey hair whipping around his face in the brisk ocean breeze.
“Cole! This is the second time that you have almost killed me! Are you trying to get rid of me before the epic battle? Afraid that I might just win? Guess I should not expect fair play from the Lord of the Dark Mages.”
His laugh sounded more menacing than amused. “Heard that you had a smart mouth. Sorry to disappoint, Princess, but I am not Cole.”
Staring in disbelief, she was about to ask him if he thought she was stupid, when she noticed that his eyes were not amber but a soft, baby blue.
He grinned. “You really should close your mouth, unless you plan on catching some flies. I assure you they are not that tasty around here.”
“Who are you? Cole’s evil twin?”
“Close, he is my evil twin. I am Crane Dalton, Light Bringer, and one of your humble subjects.”
Riley frowned. “If you are twins, why are you on opposite sides?”
“Good question. No one knows. The Oracle spoke of twin boys, one destined to be the Lord of the Dark Mages and the other the consort of the Princess of Light.”
Riley felt her spine go rigid. “What? You are destined to be my husband? I barely know you!”
“We don’t have to be married right this moment.” His grin grated on her nerves.
Tilting her head to one side, Riley studied him closely. He had the same wavy, honey colored hair as Cole, the same muscular build. They were identical except for the eyes. While Cole had the wild dangerous eyes of a lion, this man had the guileless eyes of a new born babe. His expression was a little on the smarmy side. Maybe she was being her usual contrary self but she found him a little too smiley for her liking. His presence made her uneasy. Suppressing a shiver, she asked, “Why did Max bring me here? Where is he anyway? He has a nasty habit of dumping me places and then disappearing. What am I going to do if he never re-appears?”
“Perhaps you should learn to use your mind to move yourself from one location to another. It’s called teleportation.”
“Isn’t that a bunch of hooey and science fiction?” she asked
“Yes, so are talking dogs, and other realms.”
Her eyes narrowed as she fought the urge to smack the condescending smile off his face. “Why don’t you stop smirking and tell me how this teleportation thing works?”
He bowed. “My pleasure. First close your eyes, and then focus your mind on where you want to go. It is essential to get as clear an image of your destination as possible.”
“How can I get a clear image of the location if I have not been there before, or could I only teleport to areas I have already been?”
Impossibly his smile widened further. “Good question. You are as smart as you are beautiful.”
Rolling her eyes at his obvious flattery, she waited silently for him to answer her question.
“Just focus on the location’s name or if you are trying to locate someone just focus on the person.”
Shrugging, Riley closed her eyes and focused on her apartment. Nothing happened, she did not fall or whirl through space. Instead she was still standing motionless on the rooftop with Crane studying her like if she was a new species of bug.
“Can I only teleport within Avalyss?” “
“No, once you master teleportation, you will be able to teleport yourself anywhere. However, as a beginner, you may want to try within Avalyss first. It will be easier. Also, you may want to try attaching some emotion to it
. An urgent desire to go to that particular place or to see a particular person.”
Once again, Riley closed her eyes, picturing Max’s furry face and his piercing emerald eyes. She fell, not through space but flat on her butt on the stone floor. Sitting up, she glared at the laughing Crane. Slapping at the hand he held out to her, she picked herself off the floor. “That’s it. No more teleportation lessons today. My rear end is already black and blue and probably other colours of the rainbow right now.”
“It would be a shame to further mar such a beautiful part of your anatomy, Princess.”
His eyes raked her body with an intensity that repulsed her.
“I must leave you now, Princess. We will resume our lessons tomorrow.”
“Lessons? What are you talking about?”
“I am charged with teaching you how to access and use your powers.”
“Again with these mysterious powers. What are they?”
“Till tomorrow.” He bowed and vanished.
Once again she found herself all alone. Not knowing quite what to do next, she focused on Max’s face, but this time she imagined wringing his neck, could actually feel his soft fur beneath her fingers. Nothing happened for a minute then she felt the familiar sensation of falling and whirling through space.