Enchanted Hearts

Chapter 3-1

Once she felt steadier, Nancy exited the car again and walked to the side of the road. Squatting, she studied the grass and flowers, touching them. The flowers were large with vibrant, fluorescent swirls of oranges and yellows. They emitted a sweet calming fragrance, vanilla mixed with lavender.

Her gaze drifted to gravel tucked in the grass, and she picked up several pebbles. Even they seemed to have changed. Their marks and imperfections were beautiful, like an oil painting. Her skin pulsed where she held them. She could feel energy and life develop around her.

Giddy, Nancy danced across the road. The air was remarkably rich and clean. Gazing around, she tried to take it all in. Where to focus? What to do? She ran her hands through her loose hair and laughed.

That feeling of being connected to something persisted and she felt an overwhelming urge to go to the city. Something important was waiting there. She took a step in that direction and stopped. A wailing howl pervaded the silence of the night … and she felt something else. An intense sense of danger.

Looking anxiously around, she warily returned to her car and locked the door. Three dark, shadowy creatures ambled from nearby bushes and approached slowly. Canine in appearance, they were tall and lithe, with shadows dancing around their bodies. Their eyes glowed like candle flames as they watched her.

The creatures drew closer. She watched, staying as still as she could, hoping they’d not notice her, but realizing all too well that they knew she was there. She felt somewhat safe in her car, until one of the shadow creatures poked its ugly, ghostly head through the passenger door and snarled. Its teeth were stark-white, long and sharp.

Eyes wide with fear, she shrieked and, forgetting she’d locked the door, scrambled to open it. After struggling with the button, she managed to open the door … to another snarling beast. Quickly pushing past, she ran full-speed down the road. Hearing their feet hit the ground behind, she ran even faster. They were snapping her heels, but she didn’t dare look back.

She ran to a building. Pulling open the door, she scrambled inside and slammed it behind. It took a minute for her breathing to slow enough for her to hear. She saw a small sitting room, a long kitchen and rear door. Hastening forward, she discovered stairs behind the door leading to a second floor. Peering hard, she sighed with relief—there was nothing outside. That relief, however, was short-lived. A board creaked and she heard a low rumbling growl. Without moving, she glanced at the reflection in the nearby window and saw a shadow creature coming down the stairs. This time it looked more feline, with long sinewy back legs and a long thin back. Wrapping her hand around a vase on a table by the door, she flung it at the beast and raced outside.

For what felt like hours, she ran through back yards, streets, into and out of homes and businesses. Every time she thought she was safe, another creature found her. Some were already in the buildings. Others followed her inside by drifting through walls. There were cats and canines, as well as large beasts; one even resembled a bear. Given the abundance of buildings and streets, she knew she’d made her way back into the heart of the city—but where? Everything looked different. Just like the flowers and rocks by the street, everything had changed. Some buildings were ornate and beautiful with scrolling borders and thick flowery vines covering walls and roofs. Being inside them made her feel strangely happy and energized … at least until the beasts found her. Other buildings, however, looked broken and … sick. They made her feel bad just to be near them.

whereConfused, and tired of running, she headed down yet another street and stopped. Six beasts stood in her way. She backed up and heard a familiar growl. A quick glance behind confirmed three more creatures were there. Though surrounded, calmness washed over her. "Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death," she quoted quietly, "I will fear no evil." Though unsure why the Bible verse had popped into her head at that moment, she was grateful for the comfort it gave. Strangely, she wasn"t afraid. No fear clouded thoughts or senses.

The sound of rushing water drew her attention and she turned to a building made of heavy stone with sparkling gems speckling the walls. A waterfall surged over the threshold while bright pink and purple flowers grew from a sea of green vines and bushes clustered around the building. Trees were covered in bright blue green leaves. One of the beasts suddenly lunged forward, startling her; she darted toward the building, sprinting through the waterfall.

Beneath the flowing water, time froze and a feeling of peace prompted tears, before she burst through to the other side. She waited for a moment, expecting the beasts to jump through the water or enter via the walls. None came. She waited a little longer. Her breathing slowed. There were no growls, no creaking boards. Walking slowly, she cautiously explored the room.

The building was equally amazing inside. Walls were made of dense stone and thick wood, like trees growing out of a boulder or mountain peak. The gemstones outside were also in here. A huge crystal chandelier bathed the room in bright light that reached the farthest corners. Every stain-glassed window was a jewel-encrusted masterpiece. Stunned, she realized this was her church.

Her eyes widened, and exploration grew more exciting. This was definitely her church. Where normally there were simple wooden pews, there were large moss-covered logs. Underneath them and the altar, the floor was covered in grass. The walkways were comprised of smooth cobblestones. A giant oak tree took up the back corner of the church. One of its massive roots rose from the ground and curved to form the altar; upon it sat a simple wooden chalice. A tree limb—supporting a brightly lit lantern—trailed the back wall, seemingly molded into the stone.

Another tree twisted around to form a circular staircase to the balcony, which was woven of branches and leaves. Nancy walked to the top and, sitting on the surprisingly comfortable balcony, peered outside. The world seemed dark in comparison to the dazzling beauty inside. She could view many blocks in all directions. Beyond the property line of the church, shadowy beasts paced. They did not come closer than the street. Most of those who’d pursued her earlier seemed to have lost interest and left, but a few remained.

Feeling safe, she rested amid the leaves and fell asleep.

* * *

Eric fell to the ground. His head still spun from the journey through the portal. He studied his surroundings. The ground was uneven, rocks and roots breaking up small patches of grass. Bright red and blue flowers bloomed all around, even on the sides of trees, whose trunks hummed with energy and life. Fluorescent moss clung to everything.

So, this was Earth, or at least a time-shift version. His heart beat wildly with excitement. He was the first Calaspian to set foot here in a very long time. This extraordinary moment would be retold to his people for generations; he was now part of living history. Part of him wanted to explore this world, to see everything the time shift would reveal to him that no other Calaspian would see, save for those who might one day mate with a human, but there was no time. His mate was alone and afraid, and his brother could be dying. Sightseeing would wait.

He inhaled deeply, then exhaled, expanding his senses until he found her. Relief washed over him. For the moment, she wasn’t afraid. The intensity of her feelings before had nearly driven him mad as he’d crossed through the portal. This wasn’t unexpected. He knew this shift out of time must be confusing her; it was strange, even to him. It had to be unnerving for someone unaware of what was happening or why. But the fear he’d felt was more than that. Something was wrong. She was in danger, and he had to get to her quickly. His protective instincts were in full force. She was his mate. He had to find her. She needed him as he needed her. He wanted nothing more than to take flight and get to her now, but the portal had dropped him amid a grove of thick trees. There was no room to spread his wings, so he’d have to walk a considerable distance to be clear of them.

wrongIt didn’t take Eric long to realize what had caused his mate so much fear. The beasts stalked quietly for a good two hundred feet before coming into sight one by one. He felt their presence as he tracked them with all his senses. He"d heard stories of these phantoms who preyed on those adrift in the seas of time. They usually weren"t a problem in Calaspia, even at Solstice. Strong wards, as well as the power Calaspians possessed, kept them away. As with most predators, they looked for easy prey, but these seemed different somehow. They weren’t afraid of him. Instead, they appeared to be leading him into some kind of trap or ambush. He sensed more of them up ahead. They would attack once their numbers were great enough to ensure success; he needed to be airborne before then.

Seeing his moment, he grabbed a low-hanging branch, pulling away from their hideous snarling mouths. A couple raced forward and tried to climb it. They were unable to get very high, but the tree did shake from the fierce attempt. Others began to ram the tree, trying to knock it down or him off. Scrambling to a higher limb, Eric jumped to another tree. And so he continued, climbing, jumping, and scrambling, until he was finally high enough to spread his wings and take flight. From the sky, he watched the beasts converge. Their raucous howls filled the night. If the beasts were out in such large numbers, he had even less time to find his mate and return to Calaspia. Neither of them would be safe here.

He flew with all his strength for the better part of a day. Finally sensing her presence, Eric slowed and tried to pinpoint her exact location. His mind wandered, imagining what she’d look like. Would she be fair-skinned and meek or fiery and strong? Would she have light hair or dark? Blue eyes or brown? Had she already discovered her hawk nature?

His train of thought stopped abruptly. What would she think of him, with his hawk wings and features? Would they intrigue or frighten her? He imagined her eyes filled with fear and repulsion, and felt uncertainty course through his body. That wasn"t how he wanted their first meeting to go. Of course, he’d have to show her his form and reveal everything, but he must go about this carefully. He had absolutely no idea how she’d react. The last thing he wanted was to cause more fear. She’d likely respond better if he took his human form for the initial interaction. That in mind, Eric set down and shed his hawk form. When he heard the growl behind him, Eric wondered if this had been the best decision after all.

* * *

The moss-covered floor was unexpectedly comfortable to sleep on; the cool, damp moss cushioned nicely. Nancy rolled over and stretched, feeling more rested and energized than she had in years. Beautiful rays of faint colored light from the moon shown through the window, casting an enchanting spell over the room. It was still dark outside. Whatever this place was, regular rules of day and night didn"t seem to apply. It was peaceful and quiet. She could stay here forever.