Angela Orlowski-Peart

“A few moments passed before he shrugged and said, “We can always start all over.”

“Behind them the solemn-faced warriors stood, engraved into the vast double doors of the mansion. In front of them, the fountain lay broken into three large chunks and a mass of smaller rocks, scattered around.”

“Lusia’s face was red and blotchy. She stared ahead, numb, absentmindedly pulling the grass from the lawn.”

“Penelope screamed incoherently in Erik’s tight embrace. Kaliope sat on her heels, rocking back and forth, silent. Her eyes were wide open, unblinking. She was silent”

“The Goddess kneeled and slowly moved her hand over Jasmira’s heart and the Amulet. “She’s coming back. She carried a big burden. The Summer Race has a brave Queen,”

“Blue fire ran along the blade. With the Goddess’s commanding pose and a flaming sword in hand, she resembled angel Uriel.”

“Her hair came undone and rose off her shoulders, quivering as if from a breeze. Static kept snapping through the strands, and Jasmira’s eyes turned completely white. Her arms were covered in spiraled script. It crawled and twisted on her skin. The text shone burgundy. Single letters kept separating and slowly flaking off. They resembled tiny red fire sparks, burning brightly, and then disappearing all together.”

“A blinding burst of white and red light exploded when the surfaces of both gems touched. It stretched over the battlefield in an enormous, flat disk of power.”

“Kiss him! Kiss him, you foolish girl!” She heard Amber yelling in her mind.”

“They heard a deep murmur of voices, and this time not in their heads. Thousands of the ancient Spirits of both Realms swirled above them in anticipation of what was about to happen.”

“I can’t be here. We can’t be together now. Too much is at stake.”

“The Amulet released a brilliant fan of white rays, right from Jatred’s chest and through the fabric of his shirt.”

“The air smelled of blood, sweat, and anger.”

“Two down, a million more to go.” She wiped the green blood off her face with the hem of her shirt and glanced around.”

“She slammed into an invisible wall and flew back once more, landing on her back. She lay sprawled on the ground, trying to shift into her leopard form. But her enhancing Spirit held her firmly in the human body.”

“She slammed her right fist into her left palm. A thick blinding ray of light shot out from between her hands. It looked like liquid fire. One end quickly coiled itself around Bastet’s palm and wrist. The other end danced in front of her as if mimicking a swaying cobra.”

“She reached back with remarkable speed and, raising the weapons above her head, slid them out to the sides. The swords made a high-pitch metallic screech when their surfaces glided against each other”

“The armies clashed; claws, teeth, and weapons alike, stubbing and snapping, slashing and pounding.”

“All the Spirits of the Winter Realm, that just a moment earlier hustled around the Shifters as small balls of fire, were now in their ghostly forms, gray and transparent. Their ethereal bodies stretched parallel to the ground, huge eyes wide open, their wispy, long hair streaming in the air behind them”

“The Winter Shifter army rushed toward their opponents at full speed. A unified roar thundered over the field.”

“Two long lines of Shifters stretched over the field, standing unmoved. They expertly held composite bows at ready, various in origin and style.”

“One group of huge men from Congo and Ghana yelled insults at the beasts from the top of their lungs. They brandished war hammers, Nzappa zaps, Japanese Tachi blades, and ancient Greek Harpē swords.”

“The beasts’ gruesome growls and roars unmistakably sounded like a dare.”

“She opened her hand, and a ball of fire blasted from it toward the cloudless sky of the Realm. It whirled above the Shifters, growing and stretching into a huge flaming disc. It moved down, forming a spinning inferno wall around them.”

“A battle? What battle? Jasmira shrieked.”

“There were tens of thousands of them; white and dark-skinned, adults and teenagers, some looking scared, some simply curious, the others—completely in awe, seeing the Summer Realm for the first time.”

“Your Spirits will choose the best weapons and tactics for the battle. Rely on the Spirits, trust, and embrace them. They will lead and protect you. Their ancient knowledge and skills are unparalleled to anything you know. They will give you courage and power. Now look inside you, let the Spirits guide you.”

“Oh, come on.” Jatred scooted back on his butt, trying to put some distance between himself and the animals. He frowned at them and protested, “I can do that too, you know… growling and all. I’m not impressed.”

“Broken glass showered from the windows. Chunks of the walls bounced off the pavement and the cars parked along the curb, crushing into smaller pieces. The asphalt on the street split in places into long ribbon-like slashes. The ground continued rolling like the deck of a ship. The noise of the destruction, screams of terrified people, and the car alarms mixed into a concerto of horror.”

“The ground under their feet rolled violently as if a giant snake was pushing through.”

“Careful, wolf. We don’t want the human to realize how much we can eat,” she chuckled, talking to him with her mind.”

“She heard a low murmur of the far-away voices: a chant repeated over and over.”

“Next, she put her left eye close to the glass-like square. It scanned her retina with a slide of dim blue-light. Immediately after the scan was complete, the gate glided to the side, revealing a closet-sized dark chamber.”

“They all felt it at once—the ground under their feet rolled. The lamps hanging from the ceiling swayed and flickered. A tower of plastic cups fell from the counter and landed on the floor. The cups rolled in all directions. Everyone rushed outside, the chairs scraping the floor, food abandoned on the tables.”

“You can be a bit of a fool around a pretty girl.”

“Jatred’s white teeth flashed in an inviting smirk. To irritate the men even more, he motioned to them with his hand, ending the movement with a flip of his middle finger. “Come and get it, grandpas,” he hissed.”

“The rest of them moved toward the fence, in complete silence. Each of the teenagers jumped swiftly onto the iron spikes. With a blurry speed, they climbed up onto the sharp finials, and leaped down to the other side”

“Her dark hair glistened in the sun. Small, almost heart-shaped lips stayed motionless. The Amulet around her neck reflected sun rays, sending hundreds of tiny blue specks to dance on her half-covered breasts, bare shoulders, and neck.”

“Her insanely high Christian Louboutin stilettos made a click-clacking sound on the airport floor. Amber rolled a small Louis Vuitton luggage bag behind her. She wore a baby-blue Chanel skirt suit, which made her look like an elegant celebrity. Her hair was long and blond today and pinned up into a perfectly smooth up-do. A pair of gold earrings in the shape of four-leaf clovers and a matching pendant completed the outfit.”

“Georgeta cleared her throat, and pushed herself deeper into the sofa cushion.“You know Penelope Stephanopoulos, Jasmira’s best friend?” she asked.“That Greek redhead with an attitude bigger than the Parthenon?” Erik snorted.”

“A low, angry growl hit Jatred’s ears like a hammer. He turned and saw a massive figure crashing its way through the snow. Although he’d only seen the drawings of the Winter monsters, he knew it was a Garhanan. There was nothing pleasing in the way the creature looked, smelled, or sounded. Even its movements were horrid. A flat nose sat in the middle of the meaty face. The Garhanan’s bushy white brows stuck out, shading small beady eyes. Its arms were muscular and swung down past its strong knees. The back, chest, and thighs were colossal too. The beast’s whole body was covered in white, sparse, long fur. “Great,” Jatred snarled, his jaws clenching. He tried not to show how much Garhanan scared him.”

“Jatred gripped Jasmira’s hand. This time his fingers didn’t go through like they did before, when she appeared as an illusion. Her body was solid again. She held onto the chain halfway between the jewel and the clasp. The clasp flew open. One side of the chain encircled his wrist. The other part snaked around Jasmira’s wrist. It linked them in an unexpected bind. The metal felt as cold as a sheet of ice. They both yelled and tried to pull free, but it wouldn’t budge.”

“Come and get it, J,” she teased. “You are an illusion,” Jatred answered calmly.“Am I?” “You just walked on the water, but your dress is dry,” he snorted.”

“He swore quietly and shook his head. He tried to see some logic in the situation. His deep, angry growl echoed in the room, multiplied by the walls and ceilings. “Damn!” Jatred pounded his fist on his thigh. “She fooled me again.”

“Her lips twitched when she quietly read.But if you fall I will be there To pick the pieces of your shattered soul“Shattered,” she murmured to herself. “Shattered soul? Isn’t that too serious? No, I think he will get it.” She continued to write. And put them back togetherI will solder them into a wholeWith the heat of my love I will stay. I will hold the time still.”

“I don’t know. I hope this is just a little fling, that’s all.” Georgeta shrugged, her eyes back on the Kindle. “We need to move the blankets more into the shade. The sun is creeping out from behind that tree, and I’m getting way too hot. Maybe we should go to Ray's Boathouse for lunch?”“Lusia, relax. Georgeta’s right—this might not last past next week.” Bogdan looked from his girlfriend to Jatred and Jasmira, who now were passionately kissing in the water. “You think?” Lusia motioned at the couple with her hand. “He’s our Race’s Prince. The Goddess will freak out.”

“Georgeta paused by the door and turned around to look at the boys. “Keep in mind there are humans around. Don’t show off with your physical strength, like you did last time.”“It was an accident—” Erik tried to protest.“An accident? You bent the basketball hoop with one hand.” “Erm.” Erik sheepishly looked at Bogdan for reassurance, but Bogdan didn’t comment, just chuckled.”

“You hit the Winter Prince, woman. Now you have to pay.” Her lips parted when he kissed her again, long and slow. “I like the price,” she whispered, her voice echoing in his mind. “This is just a down payment,” Jatred murmured. “I will work out a payment plan for you.”

“When she brought her lips back closer to his face, his eyelids flickered and shut for a moment. In a swift motion he rolled on top of her, and his mouth was on hers before she could make a sound. His hand pressed on her lower back, tracing the curve of her waist. She felt the heat building inside her and the goosebumps rising on her arm. His other hand slowly moved upward, until his fingers flexed back and forth in her hair.”