THE DESCENDANT

Guardians of the Worlds

Ally Capraro

Copyright © 2016 Ally Capraro

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 1-943386-12-9

ISBN-13: 978-1-943386-12-3

Edited by Carol Thompson and Andrew Whiteside

Cover by Pixel Studio

To Riccardo, my Meldrick

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for a few key people. Let me present them and thank them chronologically:

S. L. Morgan, author of Ancient Guardians Thanks to her incredible writing I fell in love with epic fantasy novels. I longed for more and while I was waiting for Morgan to publish book 4, I wrote this.

NaNoWriMo team — I never imagined I’d be able to write a full-length novel but the National Novel Writing Month project helped me realize my full potential.

My mother — who insisted that I learn to type using ten fingers when I was a child. It came in very handy now. She also insisted that I write in this genre.

Scrivener team — I don’t think I’d be able to write a novel without this exceptional software.

Lauren Kerstein — my critique partner whose thoughtful comments I’ve incorporated throughout the whole novel.

Thank you!

THE BEGINNING

Find out what happened before!

http://alinkarutkowska.com/beginning/

It’s all in The Beginning.

Download it for free at

http://alinkarutkowska.com/beginning/

CHAPTER 1

“Humans are petrified. The plan is working, my Lord.”

“Excellent, Tiluk. Excellent. The time has come for the Xemlix to rule the universe. We have lost the ancient war and we have been closed in this underworld of a dimension. Neither the humans nor the Lapo are expecting our triumph. Excellent. Excellent. How much fear are we generating?”

“About 20 units, my Lord. At 50 neither humans nor the Lapo will stand a chance. We will crush them.”

“Excellent, Tiluk. Excellent. What is the status of our Terror Team?”

“They are working on a plan to increase the number of abductions. We are currently at around 30 a day.”

“Get that number to 100. I want humans weak and submissive, and I want the Lapo to know we mean business.”

“Yes, my Lord.” 

Tiluk went straight to work. He knew that it was a great honor to be Lord Slith’s advisor. He felt great respect for him, everybody did. Slith was the only ruler of the Xemlix that Tiluk had lived under. But with great respect came great fear. One false move and Slith would dispose of him just like he did with the advisor before him and all the ones before. Most of the Xemlix were petrified of Tiluk and that certainly was a benefit of his position. That alone made his service to Slith worth his while. 

Tiluk knew he was born for this role. All Xemlix parents raised their children with the hope that someday they would serve their Lord and master. Since the day Tiluk entered manhood he was trained to be Slith’s go-to-man. So were thousands of others but it was Tiluk who passed all the physical, mental and psychological tests and was chosen by Lord Slith himself to work by his side. It was both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes he wished he had a relatively uncomplicated life like those who were at his mercy. All they had to do was follow his orders. He was the one who had to devise all kinds of plans to show both humans and the Lapo that things were about to change.

Tiluk’s No. 1 priority, as Slith’s assistant and commander of the Xemlix warriors, was to generate as much fear on Earth as possible. Human fear was the most important ingredient in the Xemlix alchemy. But generating fear isn’t as simple as it sounds. Humans, even though devoid of Xemlix super powers, became attentive and smart in the last centuries. And to make matters worse, the Lapo were interfering with their plans — trying to induce as much Earthly love as possible.

The Xemlix Terror Team consisted of six individuals completely devoid of any empathy. But then again, they were raised this way. Separated from their parents at birth, they were taught not to feel and to think only of effective ways to petrify humankind.

Tiluk opened the heavy door separating the Terror Team’s Command Center from the rest of the Xemlix premises.

“Commander Tiluk,” the Terror Team members saluted him.

“We need to increase abductions to 100 a day,” ordered Tiluk, not interested in exchanging formalities.

“Yes, sir!”

“What other projects are you working on?” Tiluk demanded.

“We are devising plans to petrify humans via their mass media. We are working on subliminal messages we want to inject into their TVs, radios, and newspapers.”

“Carry on,” said Tiluk without showing any sign of contentment or appreciation. Contentment and appreciation were meaningless to him.

Meanwhile on Earth…

“What about the cake? Chocolate or vanilla?” the wedding planner asked.

“Chocolate,” Ava and Barry replied together. After all, the chocolate delight at Charleroi airport was how it all began.

Barry sipped an exquisite-looking white wine two tables away. His perfectly fitted suit was barely creased with each lift of his arm. Blue eyes met hers for a brief moment followed by a daring smile. Ava forced her attention back to the article she’d nearly finished until a heavenly smell tickled her nose. 

“I didn’t order a chocolate, uh…”

“It’s a chocolate delight. It’ll go quite well with your wine,” the waitress said.

“Wine?”

“Yes, the gentleman’s wine. And here it comes now.”

That’s how it started. Two years later they were sharing this story with their wedding planner at their cake tasting. In four months Ava would officially become Mrs Barry Peterson. She would finally have a family. Family. A word as exotic to her as the worlds and dimensions she was repeatedly told about as a child. Now that was all about to change.

She loved Barry for his boyish looks, for his charm and for his warmth, or so she tried to convince herself. He had a large family, which would automatically become hers on their wedding day. She had always longed for a family.

When she was a little girl, all her friends would look forward to such holidays as Christmas — full of joy, laughter and presents. She was the only child who couldn’t care less. After all, she spent the holidays with her Aunt Sybilla who would tell her stories she never read in her school books — stories about other worlds full of wizards and witches and magical creatures. 

She knew that all parents and caregivers gave their children as much as they could — her aunt gave her an arsenal of stories she didn’t believe in.

Next Christmas would be her first Christmas that was full of joy, laughter and presents. At 22 her childhood dream would finally come true. All thanks to Barry.

Ava could hardly believe he would choose her over all the girls who were fighting for his attention. But he did. All her dreams were about to come true, she kept telling herself.

“Will your father walk you down the aisle?” asked the wedding planner. That was an awkward question; Ava had never met her father.

“Um, no, I guess Barry’s dad will do that. Right, honey?”

“I think that’s a great idea, darling,” said Barry.

Oh, his smooth approach and smart mouth — those were the other things Ava had fallen for. No one before had managed to sweep her off her feet like Barry did with his poignant pick-up lines that she suspected were well rehearsed. But that didn’t bother her, until now. 

“Are you all right, darling?” Barry asked. “You seem very pensive lately.”

“Oh, I’m just trying to process that in four months time I will be Mrs Barry Patterson.” As the words left her lips, a strange sense of uncertainty rolled through her mind.

“Start believing it, darling. The bride had better show up at the wedding!”

Ava giggled. Barry always managed to lift her spirits. That was the other thing she loved about him. She knew she would never sulk for too long about anything with him around, but maybe it distracted her from seeing the truth.

“Isn’t this the Peterson couple?” asked Chloe casually as she greeted her friends and the wedding planner.

“I hope you don’t mind if I steal your bride-to-be, Barry? We need a girls’ afternoon out! Don’t we?” 

“Chloe!” Ava cheered. She was always happy to see her best friend. And they had been planning some time just for themselves for a while now. They used to be inseparable but since Barry came into Ava’s life she would see Chloe less and less often.

“Don’t worry, darling, I’ll take it from here,” said Barry as if reading Ava’s mind. “Ladies, have a wonderful afternoon.”

Off they went. Chloe was relieved that finally she had Ava all to herself. Ava really missed girl talk, especially since she needed to share a secret she’d been holding in for quite some time.

“So, how have you been? I can’t believe you’re getting married!”

“I know, neither can I,” Ava whispered.

“Why? Is there something wrong?” wondered Chloe.

“No, I just sometimes have this feeling that…um…how can I say it?”

“Just say it!” Chloe demanded.

“Well, sometimes I wonder if Barry is really the one.”

“What do you mean? You’re not sure?”

“I am sure. I mean I think I am but how can I really know, you know?”

“Hmm, I wouldn’t know. I’ve never had that ‘He’s the one’ feeling,” said Chloe.

If Chloe were a man, she’d be called a womanizer. She would go anywhere: to a party, to the library, to throw out the trash and she’d come back with a new admirer. She’d use him, quickly dispose of him and then move on to the next male toy. Ava could never understand how Chloe managed to seduce all those guys and how she could live that way but Chloe seemed to have decided a long time ago that this was the healthiest way to have a ‘relationship’.

Ava never enjoyed being under the spotlight so she used the opportunity to change the subject quickly.

“How are you doing, Chloe? What poor guy are you enjoying right now?”

“Haha! Very funny. I met this guy yesterday at the gas station.”

“At the gas station? How do you do that?” Ava marveled.

“Yes, don’t interrupt. I was waiting in line at the cash register, flipping through some magazines when this guy — big hands, long fingers, maybe a pianist? Anyway, he asked if I’d like to jump the line and I said sure.”

“Of course you did.” 

“Stop interrupting if you want to hear the story!”

“Sorry.”

“So I said, ‘Sure, I’m on my way to get some breakfast and the sooner I can pour some coffee in me, the better.’ He said he was going to get breakfast too and knew about this new place…so long story short, I spent the morning with him. He’s really funny, very gentle, a bit of a shyness to him. I rather like it. I’m seeing him again tonight.”

“That’s great, Chloe. What happened with the previous one? The too-much-gel-in-his-hair guy?”

“It’s over. He was multi-tasking.”

“So were you!”

“I know but it’s different. I don’t like to share my men.”

“So are you saying that you were jealous?”

“Jealous? No! Well, maybe a little. Okay, yes. I guess that could be one way of putting it.”

“You know, I might be a little jealous of Barry.”

“What are you jealous of?”

“You know that Barry has a very colorful past.”

“So what? You always said it didn’t bother you.”

“I know but I think I changed my mind a little.”

“Hmm, that could be a problem.”

Ava wasn’t sure why doubts were creeping into her mind. Barry was ’the one’, wasn’t he? She thought she’d better sleep on it and think about it in the morning. 

She went to bed earlier than usual to get a good night’s sleep. She meditated for a few minutes, relaxed her mind and closed her eyes. An intense feeling of well-being swept through her body. She heard someone open the door. It was Chloe. Having a key to Ava’s apartment, she let herself in as usual. She was wearing a beautiful red formal gown, which was rather out of place. There was someone behind her.

“Ava, this is Meldrick,” Chloe said. That must have been the best-ever-looking male specimen Ava had ever seen. Tall, muscular, dark hair, smart brown eyes and a smile that could make ladies faint. He wasn’t really Chloe’s type though; he didn’t seem needy enough for her.

Chloe walked out leaving the handsome man in Ava’s hands. The stranger took a step forward, looked at Ava with an intensity that was penetrating every fiber of her body and said, “My name is Meldrick. I am from the Lapo civilization. We look just like humans but we have some abilities which your kind hasn’t yet developed. We are a friendly people and we’ve been watching over mankind for thousands of years. My responsibility is to watch over you, personally.” The way he said “personally” made Ava shiver with excitement.

Then Meldrick extended his hand and as soon as their palms touched, a feeling of utter joy swept over her.

She opened her eyes and, to say the least, was feeling confused. Was she dreaming or did that really happen? She looked around. Chloe was nowhere to be seen. Ava took out her phone and called.

“Chloe! It’s me. Where are you?”

“Ava, not good timing, remember the guy I was telling you about earlier today? Well, he’s in my bathroom…oh, going out now…mmm…lookin’ good. Gotta go, call you later, take care!”

“All right. That must have been a dream then,” she said to herself.

Ava decided to meet with Chloe first thing in the morning. Their appointment was at Dolce & Gabbana. Chloe dressed in style.

As Ava entered the spacious boutique and greeted the shop attendants, Chloe called from the fitting room.

“Ava, come over, look at this!” She opened the door and there stood Chloe in an exquisite red gown — the same gown Ava saw in her dream the previous night.

“Oh. My. God,” cried Ava, her expression unreadable.

“What is it?” worried Chloe. “You don’t like it?”

“No, you look gorgeous! What’s it for?”

“Remember the guy from yesterday?”

“The pianist?” asked Ava, vaguely remembering.

“Yes, well, he’s not really a pianist. He’s a surgeon, brain surgeon, and he’s got this gala this weekend — I’m his date.”

“Well, I don’t know how long he’ll manage to admire this dress on you…”

“That’s the point,” winked Chloe.

Ava didn’t know how she was going to say it but she decided she was not going to overthink this one and just do it.

“Chloe, I’ve seen this dress before.”

“Really? Where? Was it cheaper? I’m paying a fortune here!”

“No, not cheaper, I mean, I don’t know. I saw it in a dream.”

Chloe raised her eyebrows and gave her the “You gotta be kidding me” look. Ava gathered all her mental strength and spat it out.

“Yesterday, when you were, you know what…with your…pianist, I mean brain surgeon…I had a dream.” Ava told Chloe all about it.

“Coincidence. You’re freaking out that you’ve got the hots for other men.”

“He said some really weird things, Chloe. That he’s from a different civilization and he’s watching over me.”

“It was just a dream. You know what I dreamt about last night? A green little alien took me out and we made out. Yeah. Do you see me freaking out over it?”

It was a tough day, all those wedding preparations, catching up with Chloe and thinking about that weird dream made Ava go to bed even earlier than the previous night.

As usual she relaxed her body by meditating. She dismissed her doubts about Barry. She felt thankful for the wonderful people in her life, for her dream of a big family being about to come true, for the gentle music flowing out the speakers in her room.

Just when she began feeling peaceful and grounded, all of a sudden the room lit up with a yellow light that she didn’t recognize and Chloe appeared. She was wearing skinny jeans and a black sleeveless tank top. She looked casual yet stunning. 

“Like my jeans, Ava? I just got them for half price at Max Mara — you should get yourself a pair too! Oh, remember Meldrick? He wanted to see you again, I let him in.” Chloe turned around and left without a sound.

Meldrick took Ava’s breath away and she felt as if her heart skipped a beat. Meldrick’s dark hair was perfectly groomed and matched his well-fitted shirt, which revealed his muscular arms. “It would feel great to be in those arms,” Ava thought. His dazzling smile and sparkling eyes greeted her.

“Hello, Ava. I hope you remember me.”

“How could I have forgotten?” Ava whispered.

“I trust you’ve been well. Chloe said it was all right to see you.”

“Of course,” she managed, still struck by his image.

“Remember I told you I was from another civilization — the Lapo? We’ve been watching over your kind for thousands of years and I personally have been watching over you since you were a child.”

“Thank you, I guess… but why do you feel that you need to be watching over me? I’m doing just fine.”

“Ava, you are one of a kind. You might not feel this way but you have in your mind something that entire civilizations have been looking for for ages. This is why my kind has vowed to protect your bloodline. And now I am protecting you.”

“What exactly are you protecting me from?” Ava asked.

“Imagine you had the ability of mentally handcuffing anyone. You could use it to imprison all the criminals and that would be a noble deed. But you could also use it to stop surgeons from performing operations, or painters from expressing themselves, or musicians from playing their instruments.”

“Do I have that ability?”

“No, that’s not what everybody is looking for, but you have something within you that could be used for either good or evil. If used for good, you could change the world and make it virtually heaven on Earth. If used for evil, you could help enslave your whole race and reduce it to robots only resembling humans.”

“Am I supposed to be scared?” Ava challenged.

“No, Ava. My kind has protected your family for ages and I’m now protecting you, so don’t worry about a thing but please be aware that you are not a regular human — you have within your mind what all civilizations have always wanted.”

Meldrick touched her shoulder and Ava felt the same excitement she’d felt when their hands met in her first dream.

“I’ll be back if you’ll have me and I’ll tell you more if that is your desire.”

Meldrick vanished into thin air.

This time Ava found it unnecessary to bother Chloe — after all she was probably doing the hokey pokey with her brain surgeon. Ava fell asleep and slept better than she had in weeks. Those wedding preparations were mentally exhausting and she desperately needed to unwind.

When she woke up, she felt as if she had just come back from a two-week beach vacation. She looked around her room to check if there was any evidence of the unusual presence last night but she couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary. The door to her left was closed, so was the giant window to her right. Sunshine was warming her face even though she was indoors. Could that be a result of Meldrick’s glowing presence last night? Impossible. She dismissed the idea. Maybe she was just hot. All her books were neatly arranged on the shelves, her clothes from yesterday rested on the purple armchair and her laptop was delighting her with the same music she listened to last night.

She switched the music from gentle jazz to upbeat pop and started getting ready for the day. The weekend was over and articles won’t write themselves. She gathered her stuff and went to the coffee shop across the street. Coffee, croissants and the park view were a perfect combination. With earphones nestled in her ears she started typing.

Weddings are exhausting — every bride I’ve interviewed says so but wedding preparations — these are murderous.

“Murderous? Was that the right word?” Ava wondered. Would her editor like it? Would readers agree? “Yes,” she decided, “murderous.”

She looked through the giant window into the park for inspiration when she saw Chloe and the surgeon. They were heading toward the coffee shop — her coffee shop where until today she could work undisturbed. Apparently those days were now over. Chloe was wearing skinny jeans and a dark sleeveless top — the one from her dream!

There was no line. Chloe and her man got their lattes, kissed and he rushed out. Chloe looked around and blushed the moment she saw Ava. 

 “Like my jeans, Ava? I just got them for half price at Max Mara — you should get yourself a pair too!” Chloe shouted from across the coffee shop. Ava was in shock. Not only was Chloe wearing the exact same clothes she saw her wearing in her dream, she had also just uttered the exact same words.

Chloe noticed Ava’s bewildered expression but she ignored it completely. 

“So this is your secret hideout?” All those years Ava never revealed where she wrote. She thought of this coffee shop as her sanctuary — where no one could ever disturb her, not even Chloe. Obviously those days were gone.

“What are you doing here, Chloe? This isn’t your part of town!” Ava said, not realizing that she was gradually raising her voice.

“No, not mine but Patrick works in the clinic five minutes from here.”

“Oh, so he’s got a name now?” Ava teased. She’d never seen Chloe with the same man twice.

“Stop it, Ava. What are you working on?”

“On that wedding article.”

“How’s it coming along?”

“Okay. I guess I need some more drama. Readers like drama and so far it’s all cakes and roses.”

“Okay, enough small talk,” Chloe scolded. “Why do you look as if you just saw a ghost? I know it’s not because I discovered your secret hideout.”

“Okay, but don’t be all freaked out when I tell you.”

“I think I can handle it,” mocked Chloe.

“Last night I had a dream.”

Chloe rolled her eyes but said nothing.

“You were in it. You were wearing the exact same clothes you’re wearing now and you asked me if I liked your jeans!”

“Really? That is pretty freaky. But I think you’re just tired. All these wedding preparations are driving you crazy. You need a break.”

“That’s not all,” Ava continued. “Meldrick was there too and he said some really weird stuff.”

“Who’s Meldrick?” asked Chloe.

“That hot guy that appeared in my other dream. I told you about him.”

“Naughty, naughty! You’re dreaming about other guys — hot ones too!” Chloe teased.

When Chloe noticed Ava’s bewildered expression, she decided she’d better not overstep the line. She was already intruding on her work hours and knew Ava liked to keep her social life and her work separate.

“Look, it was just a dream. Calm down and if you’re really freaked out, go see a shrink or something. Gotta go now.”

CHAPTER 2

“How can I help you?” asked Dr Lobanov as Ava sank in her couch. Lobanov was a top-tier psychologist with years of experience and very little time. She only took Ava as a patient because she owed a favor to Chloe’s father.

“I’m having these weird dreams,” Ava confessed. “I see my friend wearing certain clothes and saying certain things, which she later does.”

“Hmm,” Dr Lobanov mumbled, taking some notes.

“Tell me about your parents.”

“I don’t remember them. They disappeared when I was still a baby. I grew up with my Aunt Sybilla.”

“Abandoned by parents,” Dr Lobanov said out loud as she scribbled in her notebook. Ava never truly realized that she was abandoned. She always thought of her parents as some abstract figures akin to fairies who existed in a different world. Her parents didn’t have a grave, so she never really mourned because of her loss. ‘Disappeared’ didn’t mean they’d abandoned her. They just had to go. She didn’t know where though. Aunt Sybilla had always told her that they were separated due to an unfortunate turn of events.

“Tell me about Aunt Sybilla,” continued the good doctor.

“Well, she’s a little unusual — she seems to be living in a different world — but she’s a good person and I can always count on her.”

“Is there anything new in your life going on?”

“Apart from the dreams?”

“Yes, dear.”

“Well, I’m getting married in four months time.”

“How do you feel about this?”

“Happy… and scared.”

“What are you scared of?”

“Sometimes I wonder if he’s really the one. But don’t all brides-to-be wonder that?”

“I didn’t but then he left me at the altar,” Dr Lobanov said dryly.

“Are you taking any medication?” the doctor continued.

“No.”

“Here you go — take this and come back next week.”

Ava left Lobanov’s office and stared at her prescription — Prozac. She whipped out her phone and typed nervously. Of all the things Prozac treated she would be taking it for panic disorder, she concluded. Aunt Sybilla never took any drugs and would be appalled if she discovered her niece was following a different school of thought. It’s not that Ava needed her aunt’s approval, it just didn’t sit well with her. She didn’t want to make her dreams go away. She wanted to get to the bottom of it all.

“Maybe I should run it by another doctor,” she thought.

Ava spent an hour Googling alternative medicine in her neighborhood. Finally she made an appointment with Glenn Wiley — known as a modern shaman specializing in “dreams and the dream world”, according to his website.

First of all, Ava had to make sure Chloe would never find out how she felt about Dr Lobanov and that she was about to see a shaman. She called her friend just before leaving and made it clear that she would be working and she wasn’t to be disturbed. Her article was due any day now and she had to focus. Chloe let her off with a “Whatever”. 

Satisfied that she wouldn’t have to explain this encounter to anybody, she knocked on the door to Glenn’s ‘office’. When the door opened, a dark room with a colorful carpet appeared. It was illuminated by dozens of candles and revealed the faces of wooden sculptures, which looked like Greek gods. New Age music played in the background. “I should add this to my playlist,” Ava thought.

After a few seconds, a strong smell of incense hit her nostrils and she felt instantly relaxed.

The host was clearly sunburnt, with a mane of grey, curly hair, wearing comfortable cotton pants, a black t-shirt and an inviting smile.

“Welcome, beautiful soul,” he said as he extended his hand.

“Hi,” Ava managed. This whole shamanic thing was not her scene but she was determined to find out what the ’dream world specialist’ would think about what she was going through.

“Tell me about yourself, beautiful soul,” said Glenn.

Ava told him about her dreams.

“Morpheus,” Glenn mumbled, “what are you doing?”

“Excuse me?”

“Morpheus is the Greek god of dreams. He has the ability to appear in any form in human dreams.”

“Okay. But what do these dreams mean?” Ava demanded. She wanted to get straight to the point.

“Is it the same person — what’s his name? — Meldrick? — Does he always look the same?”

“Yes.”

“And your friend — is she always wearing the clothes she’s wearing in your dreams?”

“So far, yes.”

“Beautiful soul, this is not a regular dream. I think someone might be trying to tell you something but there’s only one way to know for sure.”

“How?”

“You need to participate in your dream.”

“What does that mean?” Ava was puzzled.

“It means that you need to think of something to ask this Meldrick before you go to sleep and then ask him that in your dream.”

“Like what?”

“If this is what I think it is, you can ask him any question and you should be given the correct answer. If that is the case, please come back to me and we will discuss further steps.”

“Don’t you think I should be taking Prozac?”

“No, beautiful soul, not if you want to get to the bottom of this.”

Ava left Glenn’s ’office’ feeling even more confused than when she arrived. Ask Meldrick a question? Would he really answer? Would the answer be correct? What question should she ask? It would be nice to know the future, especially the distant future but that would take too much time to verify. She could ask about her parents but again, how would she know Meldrick was telling the truth? She could ask about Chloe’s secrets, like how she manages to seduce all those guys, but Chloe would never reveal something like that. But there was one question that Ava needed answers to more than anything in the world.

That night, Ava dimmed the lights, turned on her sleeping music, meditated, relaxed her body and closed her eyes.

This time Meldrick came without Chloe. His eyes were sparkling and his smile was dazzling. 

As if sensing Ava’s question, he said in his deep sensual voice, “I felt you were welcoming my presence, so I came alone. How have you been, Ava?”

“If you’re protecting me, don’t you know the answer to that?” Ava said, surprised that she’d be so rude.      

Meldrick replied with a smile, “I do but I also know that it is common courtesy among humans to ask.”

Ava laughed — this Meldrick had a sense of humor.

“So you know what I’m doing. Do you also know what I’m thinking?” Ava wondered.

“Ava, I respect your privacy and I do not intrude in your thoughts or read your mind even though I have the ability to do so.” Ava saw that Meldrick realized that might have been more information than she could process.

“I believe you have a question,” he asked, changing the subject.

“Do you also know what the question is?” Ava wondered.

“As I said before, no. I didn’t feel it was appropriate or necessary to read your mind.”

“Okay,” Ava conceded, “as you must have noticed I’m about to get married to Barry and while I’m very excited and feel that my dreams are coming true, I’m also a little worried about his past.”

“Carry on.”

“Barry had lots of women before me and I mean lots. I’m worried that he might not be able to change his ways and even if he does, that he’ll resent it.”

“I understand. Do you have any reason to worry?

“No, not really but I just can’t shake these thoughts. Whatever I do, they’re always in the back of my mind and even though I haven’t admitted it yet, I think it’s consuming me and I’m afraid that before long it will impact my relationship with Barry. So I guess my question is: will Barry be faithful to me?”

“As much as I’d like to be have an answer, I’m afraid I can’t tell the future.”

“Fine. Tell me, is Barry faithful to me?”

“Ava, I could answer this question for you right now but it will not have the same impact as it will when you examine Barry next time you see him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Pay attention to your feelings the next time you see Barry. Use all your senses.”

***

Today Ava and Barry were supposed to go through the long, dreaded task of choosing their wedding music. Neither of them liked to fight and they both knew this might not end well. Ava had an excellent taste in music and Barry, well, he had other talents.

That’s why they chose this date long ago. That gave them enough time for each to make a selection and get mentally prepared for the discussion.

At Barry’s office, his two secretaries nodded in recognition as Ava passed their desks. Each of them seemed to have walked off the cover of a fashion magazine. Ava wondered if looking like that was a prerequisite to being chosen for the job.

“Right on time, darling!” Barry greeted Ava with a kiss on the cheek and a smile. Public displays of affection were not his thing, so this encounter started better than expected.

“Do you have your list?” she asked.

“Of course — let’s go. I booked us a table at Valentino’s.”

As they rushed out of Barry’s office, past the two secretaries and into the busy streets, Ava tried to remember everything Meldrick had told her in her dream. “Pay attention to your feelings,” his deep voice echoed in her mind.

As they took their places opposite each other, Barry stared lovingly into her eyes. Everything seemed just right, yet Ava had an uneasy feeling.

“Let’s see if we chose at least one song that we both like,” Ava said moving her chair closer to him so that they could both comfortably read their lists. “Use all your senses,” she remembered.

As she stared at Barry’s piece of paper the song titles became blurry. She was overtaken by Barry’s scent — a woman’s scent! No! Could this be? It wasn’t proof of anything but it definitely was a hint that Barry could be…

“God,” she mumbled, “my head is killing me. I don’t think I can do this now. Not like this…”

“What’s wrong, darling?” Barry asked, feigning concern.

“Nothing. I’ll call you when I feel better. Sorry to ruin lunch.”

Ava rushed out of the restaurant, into a nearby park. As soon as she felt Barry couldn’t possibly find her, if for some reason he tried, she felt a little safer.

As she took in the fresh air she thought, “Maybe I’m overreacting. Did I really smell something?”

Who could she talk about this with? Chloe? No — she didn’t want to ruin Chloe’s only example of a healthy relationship. Aunt Sybilla? She didn’t want to worry her. The shrink? What for? To get another Prozac prescription? She already had one. Glenn? But he’s her dream guy. Who then?

She smiled at the thought of the solution.

Back at home, Ava closed her eyes and no sooner had she invited Meldrick to her dream world, than he appeared. Handsome as ever, this was becoming distracting.

“You called, Ava?”

“Yes. About the question I asked last time. I think I have the answer, although I don’t have any evidence.”

“Are your feelings not evidence enough?” Meldrick asked in his deep soothing voice.

“Maybe but if I’m to confront Barry I need proof — I need it in black and white. Help me, please. You’re the only person I can talk to, even if I’m only imagining you, but I think I can trust you.”

“You’re not imagining me, Ava. Soon you will understand everything but now let’s get what’s dragging you down out of the way.”

“Thank you.”

“As I said in our previous encounters, you are one of a kind. Your senses — you can develop them so that they become way stronger than those of any other human being. All you have to do is believe.”

“Believe? That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?” Ava sighed.

“Yes, Ava. For now.”

“Believe in yourself, believe in your senses and soon you will find out the truth all by yourself.”

This was not what Ava was expecting to hear but she decided to suspend her judgment and act as if Meldrick’s words were true. “Maybe the fact that I smelled female perfume on Barry’s shirt means that I do in fact have strengthened senses,” she wondered. “Or maybe Chloe’s right and I am going crazy after all?” There’s only one way to find out.

***

Next day…

“So, what’s new with the future Mrs Barry Peterson?” Chloe asked.

“Not sure if I will call myself that,” Ava replied.

“Are you keeping your maiden name?”

“That’s not the point, Chloe. I have a feeling that Barry’s cheating on me.”

“Oh. My. God! No! I can’t believe it! So it’s all a lie — there’s no such thing as ‘happily ever after’.”

“That’s why I didn’t want to tell you at first but you’re the only person who can prove I’m not going crazy, Chloe.”

“Fine, Ava. I’ll skip the drama. What have you got?”

“Not much, really. Yesterday I could smell a woman’s perfume on Barry’s shirt.”

“Maybe it was yours, Ava?”

“I wish but I wasn’t wearing any.”

“That royally sucks but you can’t dump a guy over the smell of his shirt.”

“I know. That’s why I need your help. I need you to seduce Barry like you seduce all those poor guys you then dispose of.”

“But he’ll recognize me!” Chloe protested.

“You could dress up. Remember your Halloween outfit from last year?”

“The sexy redhead or the sexy blonde? I wore both.”

“Whichever. You could come over to Alfredo’s tomorrow at lunchtime. Barry mentioned he’d be having a business lunch there. Just show up and work whatever evil magic you can think of. I know it’ll work.”

“Fine. I’ll suit up and do it but you’ll owe me big time.”

***

When Chloe was in action, she meant business. She was a perfect example of sophistication and elegance and she came prepared. Perfectly manicured red fingernails matched her sparkling lipstick. Her long blonde wig was dangling over her shoulders, revealing a neckline that could hypnotize any man. She was exquisite.

Barry was already sitting at his regular table in the corner. Dark suit, blue tie, shiny shoes, groomed hair, he was staring intently at his paperwork.

Chloe marched to his table, her long legs perfectly fitted in her somewhat-too-high heels. Her swaying hips earned several glances from patrons sitting at neighboring tables.

“Got a pen?” Chloe asked Barry casually. Barry lifted his head from his paperwork and his eyes widened. He gave her his best smile and handed her the pen he was holding. Chloe leaned forward, revealing her breasts in full splendor and scribbled a sequence of numbers.

“Call me,” she said, handing him the piece of paper with a devilish smile. She turned on her heel and left before Barry could utter a word.

***

“So? Did it work?” Ava asked.

          “Patience, my young padawan.”

“What did you do? I want to know!” Ava demanded.

“Calm down. If he’s guilty, he’ll call this number.” Chloe swung an old iPhone at Ava’s face.

“That’s not your phone!” Ava remarked.

“It’s my secret phone, one I only use with guys I dispose of, as you call them,” Chloe winked.

“If he calls, we’ll know he can’t resist temptation. Here you go!” She tossed the phone over to Ava. “You reply when you see his digits.”

Ava and Chloe decided to treat themselves to a girly evening. They watched replays of Sex and the City and Chloe compared the men coming and going into Samantha’s life to her own fair share of disposed males. They treated themselves to a mountain of chocolate gelato — the top takeout ice cream in the city. They went through old photos, complaining about how awful they looked back then. Actually Ava did the complaining. Chloe always felt good about her looks.

“It’s ringing!” Chloe squealed at the flashing phone. “Answer it!” Ava cried.

“No, you answer it! It’s your man!” Chloe pressed the loudspeaker button, threw the phone into Ava’s hands and moved out of Ava’s reach.

“I hate you,” Ava mouthed.

“Hello,” Ava finally answered the phone.

“Hi, Cora, you left me your number at Alfredo’s earlier today. Remember?”

Chloe stared at Ava. Ava stared at Chloe. Finally Ava came out of her state of shock and spat, “You’re engaged! Remember? Why are you calling random girls four months before your wedding?”

“Who? Ava? Is it, you, darling?” Barry asked.

“Don’t ‘darling’ me now. You saw a hot piece of ass and you just couldn’t resist, could you?”

“Mind your language, darling,” scolded Barry.

“You’re not going to tell me what to do. You’re not ever going to speak to me again. It’s over.” 

“What do you mean?”

“It’s over! Everything! The wedding, us, me, gone. All gone! Never talk to me again.” She slammed the phone onto the couch and sobbed. And sobbed. And sobbed.

Nothing Chloe said after the phone call made her feel any better. Chloe didn’t understand. She’d never loved anybody. She only played with her victims and disposed of them as soon as things were about to get serious. Maybe she was right, maybe that was how you could have the best of all worlds: feel a slight hue of something resembling love and have all the freedom in the world.

On second thought, Ava acknowledged that maybe that was what Chloe wanted but not what she desired. Chloe was raised by loving parents who made sure she grew up as a self-confident woman who could have whatever she wanted. Ava was raised by her aunt who was always there for her and did her best but never gave her a sense that she could achieve great things. Maybe it was the incessant help she offered on Ava’s every step. Maybe the stories she would tell her when she was a little girl made her believe she wasn’t destined to achieve any kind of fame; that it was better to keep a low profile. But with a low profile came low self-esteem.

“I wonder what Dr Lobanov would make of my analysis,” Ava thought. “Speaking of her, maybe I need a session. But what for? To get another Prozac prescription? Thanks, but no thanks.”

Ava never felt like the prettiest girl in the room but she didn’t expect Barry to throw away everything they had for the first beautiful woman he saw. What was wrong with their relationship? What was wrong with him? What was wrong with her? Was she not giving him everything he wanted? Was this a one-off incident or has he been cheating on her all along? Those were questions that tormented her and the only one who could give her the answers was Barry. But she couldn’t face him now. Not yet. 

To make matters worse, Ava knew that Chloe had lost all her hope that people might have a happy, ’regular’ relationship. Ava knew that in a way Chloe looked up to what she had with Barry. And now that was gone. Gone for her. And gone for Chloe. Chloe wouldn’t ever get out of this vicious circle of one-night stands.

Could she have seen it coming? Usually there are subtle clues before things like this happen. Was she so in love that she never noticed any? Maybe she just never looked well enough, never really observed, like Meldrick suggested. Meldrick. Why can’t Barry be like him? Sophisticated, intriguing, clever, proper. He probably was all those things once upon a time but now he’s dead to her. 

The more she thought about it, the better she understood Chloe after all. If you don’t allow yourself to fall in love, you don’t risk being rejected, abandoned and hurt this way. You can live off the constant thrill of new. New. Was that it? Was Barry after the excitement of new? Are all men like that? Is Meldrick that way too?

Ava cried herself to sleep.

***

Meldrick walked toward Ava casually, his demeanor composed, quiet, commanding. Ava marveled at his perfect features, regal stroll and distinguished smile. Was it a smile he gave everybody or was it reserved only for her, she wondered. She now realized that she’d never noticed how powerful yet soothing his presence was.

Perhaps her senses were really strengthening now that she was noticing all this?

“Ava, I see you’ve been through a lot of pain,” Meldrick said.

“Yes, Barry was cheating and I feel terrible. I feel rejected and abandoned.”

“Ava, if someone cheats you, they cannot diminish your experience. They only diminish their experience. You cannot be diminished by someone cheating you unless you get all upset about being cheated and push against them and use that as your excuse to disconnect from the Stream.” 

“What stream? What do you mean?”

“There is a stream of pure, positive source energy and when you are fully connected to it, you feel pure joy. Those who are not connected to the Stream suffer in their inability to hold themselves in a place of feeling good.”

“Really? So if I’m not happy, I’m not connected to the stream?”

“Exactly.”

“Ha! I’ve never heard of this stream of well-being. So if it really exists, can I get connected to it in some way? I really want to stop feeling so miserable, so rejected, so abandoned.”

“Listen, you found out that Barry was cheating now and not after the wedding. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“I guess. If I was married, it would have been much more complicated. I couldn’t just leave him. We would have to get a divorce and go through a heap of formalities.”

“Yes, and now that the cheater is out of the way, you can choose someone more appropriate.”

“I guess, if only I knew how,” Ava sighed.

“First of all, make sure you feel good in your own shoes because the most important relationship you’re ever going to have is your relationship with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that wherever you go, you will take yourself with you, so first make sure you feel connected to the Stream, then look for love.”

With that Meldrick left the room. He didn’t touch her hand or her shoulder as he had in the previous dreams. “Maybe he thought she needed to process everything he had said and his touch would be distracting. If he did, he was right,” Ava thought in disbelief.

Ava did feel a little better after this encounter. She no longer felt miserable, rejected and abandoned. For the first time since the phone incident she felt empowered. 

CHAPTER 3

“Commander Tiluk, our Terror Team reported a drastic decrease in the fear we are generating,” reported Quelm, the second in command.

“How is that even possible? They were working on increasing the number of abductions, as per Lord Slith’s order.”

“Yes, and they succeeded. The abductions increased from 20 to 25 a day but we are still generating fewer fear units than usual.”

“Dismissed. I see I have to do everything myself around here.”

Tiluk was beyond terrified. If he didn’t manage to increase the amount of fear on Earth, Lord Slith would dispose of him in the cruelest way possible. Now not only was he not improving the fear factor on Earth, it was decreasing! He’d better get to the bottom of this before Lord Slith took an interest in the matter. And he would. It was only a matter of time.

Tiluk headed toward the Command Center. He covered his fear with a terrifying look. The Xemlix below him could never find out how frightened he himself was. They were to fear him beyond anyone else. 

As he entered the Command Center he heard a low beeping noise and saw red lights blinking all around the place.

“What’s going on, here? Report now.”

“Commander Tiluk, our alarm system went off 24 hours ago to indicate that the fear level on Earth is dangerously low. We can’t turn the bells off; they’re automatic and will only stop once we increase the fear level,” the team’s supervisor reported.

“What is causing this?”

“We commenced an investigation 20 hours ago. Our contacts on Earth have reported multiple cases of humans connecting to the Stream.”

“How is this possible?” Tiluk yelled. “We’ve disconnected those humans from the Stream hundreds of years ago. How could they possibly have found it?”

“We are working on it. The recent report from Earth stated that as far as unusual activity from other dimensions is concerned, there’s been increased traffic from the Lapo portal.”

“Do you think the Lapo are behind this?”

“We can’t be sure yet but our contacts are keeping an eye on them.”

“You have 24 hours to get to the bottom of this. After that, heads will roll.”

“Yes, Commander.”

***

Ava woke up feeling light in her heart, cheerful and rejuvenated. The black bags she’d been carrying under her eyes since the phone incident had disappeared. She remembered her last encounter with Meldrick vividly and felt a taste of being connected to the Stream. She felt new, happy and free.

Ava asked Chloe out for breakfast, just to make sure she wasn’t worrying about her too much. Chloe never would have accepted a breakfast date with Ava but given the circumstances, she agreed instantly.

“You’re looking much better. Did you get a good night’s sleep, girl?” Chloe asked as soon as she saw her.

“Yes,” Ava smiled.

“I know you need a mourning period, so go ahead and cry it out. Let’s get it over with.”

“I knew I could count on you, Chloe, but I don’t feel like I need to cry anything out. I feel like Barry’s out of my system.”

“You’re so in denial. Go and see Dr Lobanov for an emergency visit. She’ll tell you.”

“I bet she will,” laughed Ava. “I’m okay, really.”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting you to get over him so quickly, but fine. You win. So now that you’re a single lady, I think I have just the cure for all your sorrows.”

“I don’t have any sorrows.”

“Okay, anyway, I have just the guy for you, Ava.”

“Now you want to infect me with your lifestyle?”

Chloe pretended she didn’t hear that and continued, “His name is Victor and he’s here on business for a few days. He doesn’t know many people in town. I told him I would show him a good time.”

“Then you go out with him.”

“I have plans.”

“With whom?”

“Patrick.”

“Patrick’s still trending? Since when are you monogamous, Chloe?”

“I just don’t feel like seeing other guys at the moment. But you are single, so go out and have fun before you get tied up in another one of your ‘relationships’.”

“Fine.”

“Really? You’ll go out with him?”

“Yes, just stop talking! And I’m only doing it because I owe you. Tell him not to expect anything. It’s definitely not a date.”

“Sold!”

Chloe left the coffee shop and let Ava work. Even though the wedding was off, she still had to turn in the wedding article. 

Every bride to be is convinced all her dreams are about to come true until one day she smells another woman’s perfume on her fiancé’s shirt.

Slow, sad music was playing in the background. Ava lowered her head and a tear escaped her eye, dropping down her cheek and into her latte. She suddenly felt all those feelings of inadequacy, rejection and abandonment come to the surface again. How could he have done that to her? Was she not good enough for him? Another tear dropped down the other cheek.

When she lifted her gaze, she froze. There he was. Her Barry (or, rather, her ex Barry) sitting with another woman at a table across the coffee shop. His date was sliding her high heel up and down Barry’s leg and he was holding her hand on the table. A public display of affection! What? He would never have allowed that to happen between the two of them and now this!?

The girl was pretty. Barry looked happy. Ava wondered if he’d come here on purpose. Probably not. Ava never told Barry about her secret writing place. The girl must be from this neighborhood. Ava hid behind her computer screen, closed her eyes to keep the tears from coming and sulked. 

Where had all that happiness she woke up with vanished to, she wondered.

***

“Commander Tiluk,” saluted Quelm, “our subliminal messages project on Earth is now operational.”

“What’s the status?”

“So far we are injecting subliminal messages into commercial music. They are meant to cause the human population to relive their traumas and stressful events.”

“What are the numbers?”

“We increased the fear level by three units and we’ve only just started. We are still testing the technology. We are awaiting orders.”

“Stand by,” Tiluk commanded.

Maybe Slith wouldn’t dispose of him so soon after all. As long as he managed a gradual increase of the fear level on Earth, he should be able to keep his position.

Tiluk turned toward the Command Center.

“What’s the status?” he demanded, skipping greeting formalities.

“We put spies at the Lapo portal and we had some of the Lapo followed. It’s them. They are appearing in human dreams, revealing secret information about the Stream. We’re awaiting your commands.”

“Stand by,” Tiluk ordered.

Tiluk was the commander but he still had to run important decisions by Lord Slith. The advisor before him got beheaded because he opened a portal to another dimension without Slith’s approval. 

“Lord Slith,” Tiluk greeted his master.

“What is it, Tiluk? I hope you have a good excuse to barge in like this.” Slith was getting his hair done. He had a long, black mane that cascaded down to his heels. Three slaves were grooming it in an attempt to tie it in a bun on the top of his head.

“I have two messages, one good and one bad.”

“Carry on,” Slith commanded.

“The good news is that the Terror Team is introducing subliminal messages that cause fear and trauma in humans.”

“Is it raising the fear factor?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Excellent, tell them to carry on.”

“The bad news is that the Lapo are appearing in human dreams and educating them about the Stream.”

“Those sneaky bastards! We agreed at the 23rd Earth Council that other dimensions would not interfere with human dreams. How dare they!? They will pay for it. They will pay for it big time.”

***

When Ava got to the Vesuvio restaurant, Victor was already there. Even though he was sitting, she could tell that he was very tall because his legs hardly fitted under the table. His short, blond hair needed combing but he made up for it, and for his crooked nose, with his blue eyes and dazzling smile. He wasn’t exactly a Dolce & Gabbana model type but he still had his undeniable charm. “Anyway, guys don’t have to be pretty, they have to be smart,” Ava thought. “Why am I thinking this?” she wondered. This wasn’t even a date.

“Thank you for having me,” said Victor, extending his hand.

“Sure,” Ava smiled faintly, not wanting to raise his hopes as far as showing him a good time was concerned.

“So,” Victor tried to break the ice, “Chloe mentioned you’re a journalist. That must give you the freedom to write wherever you want?”

“Yes, that’s definitely a benefit but deadlines are still deadlines and I need to turn in the articles no matter where I am.”

“True,” Victor smiled.

“What do you do?” Ava asked. “Chloe said you were here on business.”

“Yes, I work for a consulting company. We’ve got a project in town.”

“Oh, what about?”

“It’s confidential, sorry; we’re not allowed to disclose the details.”

“Okay, so in general?”

“In general it has to do with the music industry. What music do you like?” 

“Oh, all kinds. I listen to something all the time. I have my go-to-sleep music, my wake-up music, my work music, my workout music.”

“Here, check this out. You might like this tune,” said Victor, handing her a CD.

“What is it?”

“We got freebies from our client to hand out to people who have good taste in music. You tell me what you think once you’ve listened to it. Deal?”

“Sure,” Ava smiled. This Victor guy was one of a kind. He didn’t want to get in her pants like she suspected. He was well behaved and interested in the music industry. She could probably get to like him.

The sound of Victor’s phone pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry, Ava. It’s my client. We have an urgent meeting. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek and left.

“Was that a call from a friend?” Ava wondered. Chloe was about to call her in five minutes and she could pretend she had an urgent matter to attend to in case this dinner was a disaster. But it wasn’t. Five minutes into meeting Victor she decided not to use that quick and easy escape she often used in the past, before she ever met Barry.

Despite Victor’s awkward departure, Ava was pleased with their short but efficient encounter. She was finishing her glass of wine sitting now alone at the Vesuvio restaurant when, as agreed, Chloe called.

“Hey, Ava, pretend this is an emergency if you want!”

“That’s okay, Chloe, he’s not here.”

“No? Where is he?”

“He had to go. He said he had an urgent meeting.”

“Those workaholics! Don’t worry, Ava. Dad said those consultants rarely have any free time and if they do, they might need to get back to work on very short notice. Anyway, did you like him?”

“He was nice; he even gave me a CD to listen to.”

“Another music geek!” Chloe mocked.

“Yes, you can say so.”

“Okay, well, listen to it, maybe he’s that romantic type who gives girls songs instead of flowers,” Chloe chirped.

“Maybe.”

Ava walked back home. She took in the fresh air and smelled the proverbial roses. “Maybe there are decent men on Earth after all,” she thought. She treated herself to a relaxing bubble bath, poured herself another glass of wine, since it seemed to agree with her, and turned on the music Victor had given her. She wondered if she should pay special attention to the lyrics to figure out what Victor wanted to tell her. It was smooth instrumental jazz — one of her favorite genres.

Halfway into the first melody Ava felt a teardrop slide down her cheek. “What the…?” she thought. Suddenly she started sobbing uncontrollably, reliving the painful cheating incident with Barry. She remembered how awkward she had been at school, never hanging out with the cool kids, with her nose in her books. That’s probably why she had become a journalist but, still, the memory felt traumatic. She wondered why Victor would even want to go out with her. On second thought he probably didn’t. As soon as he had seen her, he must have texted a friend to call him, so he could make his elegant escape. And the CD? Something to remember him by? He probably just didn’t want to seem as rude as he was when she figured it out.

And her parents — “Why did they abandon me?” she felt betrayed for the first time in her life. She’d never resented them but now she did. She was just a baby, how could they have turned their backs on her like that? To leave a little child behind? What parents do that?

“What is going on with me?” she wondered. Where was the Ava from this morning? The happy, free, empowered Ava. All those dark thoughts didn’t seem to be her own, yet she kept thinking them.

“Meldrick!” she thought, “that’s who I need to talk to. I bet he can help me out.” She closed her eyes and relaxed her tense body. Was she being crazy to talk to a strange being from a different dimension that probably wasn’t even real? “I wonder what Dr Lobanov would make of this now — me deliberately choosing a dream as a source of help.” She waited for Meldrick to appear. Why had he even started coming to her? What if he had never appeared? Would she still be in the thick of her wedding preparations? Was it his fault that she broke up with Barry? Did he really appear in her dreams or did she make this all up? “Am I going crazy?”

 Ava tried again. She closed her eyes and thought of…Dr Lobanov making fun of her for believing in Meldrick and telling her to take a double dose of Prozac. She then thought of Glenn telling her he couldn’t help her — those dreams she’s having weren’t even real and she needed traditional medicine to solve her problems. “What’s going on with me?” Ava thought, bewildered. This was getting out of hand. The instrumental smooth jazz was not so smooth after all.

The following morning, Ava woke up happy and refreshed. The Mozart selection she turned on on repeat before going to bed was still playing when she opened her eyes. She jumped to her desk to change the music to some pop oldies and danced while getting ready to go out and find a new coffee shop sanctuary.

As she was walking the streets to find the perfect spot, she still wondered why Meldrick wouldn’t appear last night. There was only one way to find out. She whipped out her phone and called her dream guy.

“Hi, Glenn. This is Ava. Remember me? I had those dreams about my friend… I know what she’s going to wear before she does…”

“Yes, of course I remember you, beautiful soul. Did you participate in your dreams?”

“Yes, but things sort of got out of hand. I really need to see you.”

“Come this evening, I’m eager to talk to you about this.”

“Eager to talk to me?” Ava thought. “Whatever. I need his opinion even if he’s a little psycho.”

Suddenly she stopped and said out loud, “That’s it!” She finally spotted her new sanctuary. It had brick walls and a low ceiling. She walked in. Freshly brewed coffee filled her nostrils and as soon as she saw what their bagels looked like she decided this was indeed the right place. She sat on one of the comfortable armchairs, nestled her computer in her lap and started typing.

Weddings cause different emotions depending on whether you’re about to be in one, you just got kicked out of one or you were in one and never want to think about it again. She pondered the sentence. “Quite right,” she thought.

She spent most of the day in her new sanctuary unaware of her surroundings when suddenly something took her out of her writing trance. It was the music — the same music Victor had given her. He must have given a sample to the owner as well. Maybe he’s not so alone in town after all.

Ava got back to her writing. 

Weddings are an outrageous way to force people into a deal they cannot get out of without severe consequences. Why anybody would want to do it is the real question. 

She started sobbing at the thought of her canceled wedding, at the thought of never having a family. “Gone, all gone,” she despaired and started crying so profusely that the letters on her screen blurred and she wasn’t able to type any longer.

***

The Terror Team gathered in the conference center. They were about to start a call with one of their Earth contacts.

“Conference call will start in three… two… one…” the computer stated. A hologram appeared, the exact size of the Xemlix beings. If it wasn’t transparent, the contact would look real.

“Commander Tiluk,” said the hologram.

“Victor,” Tiluk acknowledged him. “Did you trap the girl in her sorrows?”

“I’m working on it, Commander. I took her out to dinner and gave her the subliminal CD.”

“You took her to dinner? You’re not falling in love with this Earthling, are you?” Tiluk asked. Victor cleared his throat.

“No, of course not. It’s common courtesy on Earth to go out to dinner.”

“Fine. Make sure she listens to it.”

“Yes, sir!”

***

“Welcome, beautiful soul,” Glenn greeted Ava. She felt much more comfortable this time around. It was first encounters that scared her most, making her self-conscious and shy.

“Hello, Glenn.”

“What brings you here today?” Glenn asked, oozing warmth and comfort.

“You’re an expert on dreams, aren’t you?” Ava challenged.

“Indeed I am.”

“Remember those dreams I told you about last time — the ones with a guy named Meldrick? He said he was from a different dimension and that he was real and that he would appear whenever I had the desire to talk to him.”

“Yes. Carry on.”

“I wanted to talk to him yesterday. I meditated a little like I always do before calling him but he never appeared.”

“Hmm. Was this the first time this happened?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm,” murmured Glenn.

Ava waited. She didn’t want to rush him because she knew he was the only person who could help. Glenn remained silent for at least two minutes with his eyes closed. Just when Ava thought he must have fallen asleep, he said, “If Meldrick did not appear, you must have changed something in the way you called him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Were you in the same place?” Glenn asked.

“I was at home as usual.”

“Were you in the same place at home?”

“Yes, um, no, I was in the bath this time instead of in bed.”

“Water?” Glenn mumbled, as if to himself. “No, that’s not it,” he concluded.

“What else was different? Were you in the same state of mind as the other times?”

“Well, I guess I was particularly sad this time. I just couldn’t get thoughts of all the traumas I’ve been through out of my mind.”

“Interesting,” said Glenn.

“Are you thinking these thoughts now?” he asked.

“No, not now.”

“And when was the last time you thought those thoughts?”

“Hmm, earlier today, I guess, when I was at the coffee shop and that music started playing again.”

“What music?”

“This instrumental smooth jazz. I was listening to it while I was trying to call Meldrick and I had that meltdown, just like earlier today.”

“Oh. My. God. So it’s true!” Glenn grimaced.

“What’s true?”

“Ava, this will be the topic of our next conversation but never listen to that music again. Delete it from your computer, throw out the CDs and plug your ears as soon as you hear it when you’re out and about.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“How can I explain this? That music is… contaminated. That will have to do for now. Please come back when you manage to speak with this Meldrick again. And please ask him about the music. He will tell you better than I, if it’s what I think it is.”

“Okay, well thank you so much for now.”

“Anytime, beautiful soul, anytime.”

Ava couldn’t wait to talk to Meldrick again. Why was she so anxious to see someone who was most probably a figment of her imagination, she wondered. She followed Glenn’s advice and got rid of Victor’s music. 

***

She did everything like the previous times. She turned on her go-to-sleep music, closed her eyes, relaxed her body and meditated in bed.

As soon as she thought of how fond she grew of this one-of-a kind man living in a different dimension, a powerful beam of light passed through her bedroom and Meldrick appeared. His brown eyes looked at her with what she felt could be love. “What?” she thought but she noticed a hue of concern in them. His dark hair wasn’t as well groomed as usual but his smile was still the same dazzling smile that women could kill for. She was sure of that. Was that a private smile he had just for her, she wondered. As soon as she got lost in thought about his beautiful exterior, Meldrick spoke.

“Ava, how reassuring to see you unharmed.”

“Unharmed? What do you mean?”

“I will have to spare you the details for now,” he said, concerned. “You are in great danger.”

“What do you mean?”

“Remember when I told you I was from another dimension?”

“Yes.” Ava was wondering where he was going with this.

“Well, we are not the only ones. There are hundreds of dimensions with millions of inhabitants.”

Ava wasn’t as skeptical about this idea as Meldrick thought she’d be. After all she already believed that in a way he was real, at least to her.

“Not all of those beings are friendly toward humans. Some are very hostile,” he continued. “If we don’t act fast, you will be in great danger because some of those beings are after you.”

“What? Why?”

“Ava, I already told you that you are one of a kind. You possess abilities that no other being in no other dimension possesses but those abilities can yield great power to those who extract them.”

“Extract? Can someone extract my powers?”

“Yes, the more advanced beings in some dimensions have the technology to do that. Ava, you are being observed and if we don’t act fast, you will be abducted.”

“Abducted? Like aliens do?”

“Exactly, and those who are looking for you will not be gentle. They will use whatever evil technology they have to extract those powers from your mind.”

“What should I do then?”

“I’m glad you asked,” said Meldrick with a smile. “If you will allow, I will escort you to my dimension, called the Lapo, where you will be safe and well attended to.”

“Listen, it’s been great dreaming about you but this is getting out of hand. I’m not going anywhere. And anyway, can I really cross through to your dimension?” Ava questioned.

“Not only can you but you should,” said Meldrick firmly. “Think about it, look around, observe your world and use your senses. I will be back tomorrow at this time, if you call me.”

“Wait, but I have more questions!” Ava pleaded.

“Tomorrow.” Meldrick looked at her with what she felt again was a loving gaze and then he disappeared with a flash.

CHAPTER 4

“Ava, good news,” said Chloe. “Victor told me he wanted to see you again. You shouldn’t have worried that he ran away from your non-date.”

“Uhh, that’s okay, Chloe, I need to catch up with my writing.” 

“Come on, you spend enough time at your computer as it is. Go out, have some fun. You said you liked him.”

“Yes, but I’m on a deadline,” Ava protested.

“Look, Ava. Here’s the deal. Victor is my dad’s business partner’s protégé and it’s my responsibility to make sure he has a good time while he’s in town. I didn’t want to bring it up but you owe me for seducing Barry. Remember? Now it’s pay-off time. You’re taking him to lunch.”

Ava had no idea how to get out of this. She couldn’t possibly tell Chloe what Meldrick revealed in her last dream. Even if she tried to convince her by taking her to Glenn, Chloe would just have a laugh.

“But you’re coming with me, I don’t want him to think I’m interested… he could get the wrong idea. Please, think of everything I’ve just been through.”

“Fine,” Chloe snapped.

Ava was wondering if she should really be afraid of Victor. Maybe he did give her a CD with “contaminated music”, as Glenn put it, but what if it was a coincidence?

She kept thinking about her last dream. Was she really in danger? Could she and should she attempt to go to a different dimension? “That’s crazy,” she thought. She decided she’d go to this lunch and pretend that nothing had happened. “Maybe I should be taking Prozac after all?” she pondered.

The lunch was at the Vesuvio restaurant. “That was easy,” Ava thought, disgusted at Victor’s lack of imagination.

As Ava and Chloe entered the premises, Ava wanted to scream.

“Are you okay?” Chloe asked, concerned.

“Um, no, that music.”

“What music?”

“The music that’s playing, it’s the same one Victor gave me when I saw him last time and it’s…” she tapped her ears.

“What’s wrong with you, Ava?” 

“Let’s sit down, never mind.” Ava figured explaining everything to Chloe would be a waste of time. She’ll see for herself what that music does to people.

Ava looked around. Several patrons were sitting with anguished expressions on their faces. “God, it’s really working,” Ava thought.

“I once choked on a fish bone in this restaurant,” said Chloe, “it was awful. Well, anyway, I haven’t thought about it for years. I don’t know why I just remembered that.”

“I do,” Ava thought.

 What could Ava do? She couldn’t just run away pretending to have a headache. She owed it to Chloe to be here. She couldn’t keep tapping her ears either. She had to fight, but how? What would Meldrick tell her to do? How could she evoke happy feelings? Is there a way to block this music from her subconscious? “Wait a minute!” she thought. “Yes! The stream. The stream of well-being.” She would direct all her mental energy to try to connect to the stream.

“Ava,” Victor greeted her as the girls sat down.

“Victor.”

“Notice the music?” Victor asked, skipping small talk.

“I do.” Ava stared at him intently, thinking how wonderful she felt in Meldrick’s presence, when she noticed Victor’s eyes. They were lifeless. “Interesting,” she thought.

Suddenly Chloe burst into sobs, clearly reliving some childhood trauma, but her words were inaudible.

“How are you feeling?” Victor asked all of a sudden.

“Better than I’d expect,” Ava retorted. “Better than you’d expect too, judging from your expression”

“What are you talking about?” he hissed.

Chloe excused herself to the bathroom.

“How’s work?” Ava asked changing the subject. She wanted him to do the talking so that she could shut him off mentally. She remembered the feelings she’d had when she was in Meldrick’s presence — feelings of absolute joy and bliss. She stared at the wall behind him instead of looking directly at him. She found his eyes unsettling. Something she didn’t notice the first time around.

The waitress brought the drinks.

“The Merlot?”

“That’ll be for me,” said Victor.

“And the Cabernet?”

“For the ladies.” He motioned to Ava and to the empty seat.

“Cheers!” he said, raising his glass.

Ava followed his lead, but then she smelled the wine and put it down.

“Are you not drinking?” asked Victor. He seemed concerned.

“I’ll let it breathe a little.”

“You are quite the connoisseur,” said Victor. There was something off about the tone of his voice. Ava thought he was mocking her.

“Indeed,” she said trying to keep a poker face.

Chloe came back from the bathroom.

“Oh! Wine! Good!” she said. “Just what I need. Thank you, Victor.”

“My pleasure,” he said barely looking in Chloe’s direction. “Ava, please, I think it’s breathed enough.”

Ava had always been wary of accepting anything from strangers and Victor’s demeanor seemed more and more suspicious.

Chloe gulped the wine.

“I think I’m going to faint,” she said and collapsed on the table.

“What’s in this wine?” Ava demanded.

“Just a little tranquilizer, she’ll be fine. Now, you, drink or you’ll be sorry.” His eyes came to life and he pulled a knife out of his pocket. “Drink up,” he hissed. 

Ava was terrified. She never expected this to happen but then again Meldrick had warned her. She didn’t have time to think. She needed to act. She picked up her glass and threw the contents at Victor’s face. She jumped out of her chair and ran for dear life. 

Ava had always been a good runner and she hoped her fast legs would save her now. She ran into the nearby park and she almost blended in with the joggers except that she was running barefoot in a sparkling black dress with high heels in her hand. She ran out of the park and into a busy street, which made running even more difficult. She had to elbow her way through the masses of pedestrians. When she looked back she saw Victor storming through the crowd only a few seconds behind her. She turned to her left and ran into a narrow road hoping she’d lose him there. After a couple of minutes of this murderous run she got to the end — a dead end. There were only a few trash cans in the corner. She pinched her nose and hid behind one of them trying to calm down. 

As soon as she caught her breath she heard fast and loud footsteps. She peeked and her heart almost jumped to her throat. It was Victor, his eyes furious and he was holding his knife. He kicked the dumpster with one swift move and there she was, exposed, literally pressed to the wall. Victor pinned her hands above her head with one hand and pointed the knife at her throat with the other.

“Well, well, well. Who have we got here?” he said, his grin widening and his eyes turning into an unhealthy yellow. “You thought you could outsmart me? Now you will pay for your disrespect. Unfortunately I am to deliver your pretty face unscratched but I can still hurt you a little — so that you learn to obey me the next time I speak. Being the gentleman I am I’ll let you choose — should I stab you in the stomach or would you rather I poked your legs?”

Ava was terrified. Who was this psychopath? How would she get away now? She was so terrified she couldn’t even scream. As Victor increased the force with which he held his grip and stared at her intensely, a dark masked figure appeared out of nowhere and kicked him in the gut with such power that Victor landed on the opposite wall, knocked out.

“Now sleep,” said the masked figure to Victor’s unconscious body. That voice. She recognized it. “Oh my God. It’s Meldrick!”

“Meldrick?” Ava asked, uncertain.

The figure took off his mask to reveal dark hair dancing in all directions, sparkling eyes and a dazzling smile.

“Of course,” Meldrick said. “I told you I was protecting you.”

“Am I dreaming?” Ava asked.

“Does it feel like a dream?”

“No.”

“Then you’re not dreaming.” Meldrick smiled.

“So you’re real?”

“As I told you in your dreams, I am real and you are in danger. Shall we continue this conversation in another venue?”

“What do you mean?”

“Victor will only lie here unconscious for about an hour. After that he’ll be after you and this time he won’t be alone. Of this I’m certain.” 

Ava considered Meldrick’s words. He was right. As incredible as all this was, what Meldrick said actually made sense.

“Yes, let’s go,” she agreed. 

Meldrick’s demeanor changed from protector to companion. His features softened and his smile broadened.

“Please,” he offered her his arm. “Wow, what a gentleman,” Ava thought, “I could get used to this.”

They walked out of the dark alley as if they were walking out of a formal party and seemed like any regular couple in love.

Meldrick’s pace was decisive but not too fast so that Ava could comfortably keep up with him.

“Shouldn’t we be going faster?” Ava asked.

“That won’t be necessary. We’ll be out of here in half an hour, way before your friend wakes up.

“Where are we going?”

“Home,” Meldrick smiled.

Ava sank into Meldrick’s arms. It felt so good to be with such a strong, powerful man. No one had ever fought for her the way Meldrick did. Of course there never had been a reason to, thank God, but, still, seeing Meldrick in action defend her like that spoke to something primal in her. She felt more and more attracted to this man who was literally from her dreams.

After around ten minutes of walking and admiring the man by her side, Ava saw Meldrick point to a black Maserati. 

“Here’s our ride,” he said. “Wow, this guy sure travels in style,” Ava thought.

Meldrick opened the door for her and as soon as she sank into the leather seat, he walked around the car and took his place at the steering wheel. He turned on the ignition and the most wonderful music flowed from the speakers. Ava knew good music when she heard it. This was exceptional.

“What is it?” she asked.

“It’s Lapo music,” he said. Ava was mesmerized by the dark eyes that stared so intently into her own.

“Wow, I’ve never heard anything like this before,” Ava confessed.

“Well, it’s not available on Earth,” Meldrick winked.

Ava got lost in the magical tune, sank into her seat and fell blissfully asleep.

When she woke up, they were arriving at what looked like a small airport. Meldrick slowed down and maneuvered his way toward a small jet.

“I hope you’re not afraid of heights,” he said.

Ava was speechless. Was this guy really from a different dimension or was this just a luxurious kidnapping of some sort?

Meldrick opened the door for Ava, saying dramatically, “My lady.”

“Thank you, sir.” Ava could certainly play along.

“Welcome aboard Lapo airlines.” Meldrick gestured for her to climb aboard.

Ava took short flights here and there — it was part of being a journalist — but never had she imagined that such luxury was possible on an airplane.

There were two ample leather seats on one side separated by a table and a comfortable couch on the other. Two champagne glasses and a bottle of Dom Perignon rested on the table. 

Ava sat at one of the beautiful seats and she was shortly joined by Meldrick who had a brief talk with an on-ground operator.

“Where are you taking me?” Ava asked, still stunned by her surroundings. 

“I think you need a little vacation. You’ll enjoy where we’re going.”

“Okay, I’ll let you surprise me.” She trusted him now. There was no doubt about that.

“Sir Meldrick, Miss Ava, please fasten your seatbelts, we will be taking off in a couple of minutes,” the pilot announced and took his place in the cockpit.

As the jet soured into the sky, Ava marveled at the sights below. The houses now resembled toy blocks and the lakes resembled puddles. She took a deep breath. Then another one. She felt safe here up above the clouds with this wonder of a man but it was time for questions. She wouldn’t let Meldrick’s handsome exterior distract her from demanding answers.

“This Victor guy — why was he following me?”

“It’s a long story, Ava,” said Meldrick, “but we’ve got some time to kill. Victor was after you because you are the most sought-after person in the entire galaxy. As I mentioned multiple times in your dreams, you are one of a kind. You have powers that can make or break an entire dimension. That’s why Victor was after you.”

“Did he want to take me to another dimension?”

“Yes, that was exactly his intention.”

“Where did he want to take me?”

“He wanted to take you to the Xemlix dimension. It’s a frightening place ruled by a so-called Lord Slith, so devoid of any kind of empathy that he could kill entire nations without as much as a blink of an eye.”

“So is Victor a Xemlix?”

“He is now. Once he was a regular human but he got abducted and they injected a chip in his head which allows them to take him over completely and manipulate him.”

“Doesn’t he have any control?”

“No, none at all. His human mind was put on standby. He’s a human-Xemlix-robot hybrid.”

“Is that why his eyes seem dead sometimes?”

“Yes, you can recognize those hybrids by their eyes. Sometimes there’s a time lag between what the Xemlix are making him say or do and what he actually says or does. That’s when his eyes go dead.”

“Yikes! That’s scary stuff.”

“Ava, the scary hasn’t even begun. If he managed to take you to their dimension — that would have been scary.” 

Ava slowly realized how dangerous Victor was. She promised herself she would never take Meldrick’s warnings lightly.

“But now you’re safe,” Meldrick said, his eyes glowing with what Ava perceived as love. “Love?” Ava wondered. “Could that even be possible?” She didn’t dare think so.

A familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Sir Meldrick, Miss Ava, we started our decent into Bermuda International Airport. Please buckle your seatbelts. We will be landing in ten minutes.”

“Bermuda?” Ava asked, “as in Bermuda Triangle?”

“Precisely. Hamilton, to be exact.” Meldrick said with a hint of excitement in his voice.

Once they got off the jet, another black Maserati was waiting for them, this time a convertible. 

“My lady.” Meldrick opened the door for Ava.

“Thank you, sir.” She played along.

Meldrick turned on the ignition, put his sun glasses on and handed a pair to Ava.

“You think of everything,” she said astonished.

“We aim to please,” Meldrick winked.

As they drove, Ava admired the colorful buildings, the pleasant weather and the businessmen in shorts.

“Is this where we’re staying?” Ava asked.

“No, not here but we’re almost there; it’s just a short boat ride away,” Meldrick answered.

“Boat ride?” Ava wondered. “Oh!” she exclaimed when she noticed the marina with rows of yachts lined side by side.

“Yes, a short one,” Meldrick reassured her.

Meldrick parked the Maserati and they took a stroll toward the impressive yachts. 

“Let me guess,” Ava said, “this one’s yours.” She pointed at the most impressive yacht with beautifully engraved golden letters spelling Aria.

“How did you know?” Meldrick asked, amused.

“I think I’m slowly getting familiar with your taste,” she smiled.

“Well, welcome aboard the Aria,” Meldrick winked.

Ava climbed on deck and marveled at the pompous exteriors.

“If you like it here, I think you’ll enjoy where we’re going even more.”

“I can’t wait,” Ava said.

Meldrick dismissed the crew, who had been cleaning the Aria and directed Ava to the cockpit.

“Bye bye, Hamilton,” he said as he turned on the ignition.

The Aria drifted toward the open sea, leaving the colorful houses of Hamilton behind.

Meldrick turned on the same heavenly music that Ava remembered from their first car ride.

“What is this music again?” Ava asked finding herself in a state of bliss.

“It’s called Aria, just like the yacht. They are the two elements that will bring us to the Lapo dimension.”

“How’s that?”

“You’ll see.” Meldrick smiled.

Ava looked around and marveled at the vastness of the horizon, the sun warming her skin and the incredible man at the wheel. She was wondering where they were going as there was no land and no other boats in sight.

Suddenly Meldrick accelerated, squeezed Ava’s hand, which made her feel joy she never experienced before, and then they entered a cloud of glowing light; the same light she saw when Meldrick would visit her in her dreams.

“Hold on tight!” Meldrick called. Ava clung to him tightly and braced herself for the unknown. The yacht jumped in the glowing cloud and landed on the other side.

Ava couldn’t believe her eyes. A majestic, splendid white cruise ship appeared before them with skillfully engraved golden letters spelling The Lapo Princess.

“What just happened?” Ava asked. “This ship came out of nowhere.”

“We just went through the portal,” Meldrick smiled. “Welcome to the Lapo dimension.”

Ava looked puzzled.

“We are a seafaring civilization. Most of our people live aboard the Lapo Princess but many other ships and yachts are part of our fleet as well.”

“So you never set foot on land?” Ava asked.

“Of course we do, we just never stay too long. We find that living on ships is most beneficial to us. Shall we?” he gestured toward the Lapo Princess.

They moved toward an opening at one of the lower decks of the cruise ship. The crew secured the yacht and helped them climb aboard.

CHAPTER 5

Ava couldn’t believe her eyes. The luxury of the car ride, boat ride and jet flight back on Earth was nothing in comparison to the lavishness of the interiors of the Lapo Princess. 

Red carpets covered the floors and magnificent paintings in golden frames decorated the halls. Aria music was playing from the speakers. The ship was illuminated by golden light, just like the one that accompanied Meldrick when he appeared in her dreams but not as bright. She could marvel at the purple sea from the port holes as they moved toward the front of the ship. After they walked for a few minutes through the splendid corridors, they reached a door with a sign “Richglow Guests Only”.

“Richglow?” Ava asked.

“Yes, oh, please excuse my manners. My full name is Meldrick Richglow and this deck is for my guests only. Please follow me.”

He directed her toward one of the cabin doors with a sign “Ava Davenport”. He opened the door and a friendly-looking cabin stewardess greeted them with a tray of two glasses and a bottle of fine champagne.

“Welcome aboard the Lapo Princess,” she said warmly. Her name tag read,“Daniela, cabin stewardess to Ms Davenport.”

Meldrick picked up the bottle and poured some champagne.

“Here’s to a wonderful stay in our dimension. Cheers!” They clinked glasses, both visibly relieved that Ava was now safe.

“I bet you’re tired and hungry,” Meldrick said concerned. “Daniela brought you some snacks and will take care of everything so that you can freshen up for the evening. I’ll be taking you to dinner when you’re ready.” With this, Meldrick turned on his heel and left.

Ava looked around her. The cabin floor was covered with white fluffy carpets. Stunning paintings decorated the walls. Huge leather armchairs surrounded a big table, large enough to accommodate eight. On a side table there were dozens of delicious snacks beautifully arranged by Daniela. But the most wonderful thing of all was the huge window from which she could observe the sun setting on the purple sea.

Daniela looked at Ava sympathetically. 

“Let me help you out of this dress, Miss Davenport. I’ve already prepared a bath for you so you can relax and get ready for dinner.”

“Thank you, Daniela,” Ava never had anybody attend to her needs like this, “and please call me Ava.”

“Very well, please follow me, Ava.”

Daniela directed her to another room, which consisted of a huge closet covered with mirrors. Past this area was the bathroom door. Ava opened it wondering what she would find inside. What stood before her exceeded her wildest expectations. The bathroom was as big as her apartment back on Earth with a huge marble bathtub located in the center. Sweet scents of summer flowers filled her nostrils and Aria music soothed her ears. Ava immersed herself in the warm, bubbly water, thinking how much she needed this after a day so jam-packed with action even James Bond wouldn’t consider dull. Just as she closed her eyes, thinking that she would never make it to dinner, Daniela interrupted the silence.

“Ava, I believe Sir Richglow forgot to mention the properties of our nectars. This one, for example, will completely wash your fatigue away,” said Daniela, handing Ava a cup of what looked to her like warm raspberry tea. Ava tasted it hesitantly.

“It’s delicious,” she concluded to Daniela’s delight.

Ava sipped her drink, enjoying the bath bubbles and the soothing music. When she was fully rested, she called Daniela.

“What’s in this drink? I feel like I just woke up after a good night’s sleep.”

“It’s called ambrosia. As soon as it enters your body, it detects what your physical needs are and meets them instantly. Don’t you have it on Earth?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” Ava admitted, sitting on one of the armchairs in front of the huge closet, wearing only a fluffy towel.

“I’m rested and only slightly hungry now. I’d love to go out to dinner but I don’t think my dress is suitable dinner attire.”

“Oh, your dress has already been washed and pressed, if you wish to wear it,” Daniela said. “But as a Richglow guest you can pick and choose anything from this closet.” Daniela gestured toward a set of huge mirrors.

“Oh,” Ava reached toward the closet doors, trying to open them.

“Just a second. It hasn’t taken your measurements yet. Please stand here,” Daniela instructed gesturing toward a small carpet in the middle of the room.

“New guest. Please take measurements,” Daniela ordered.

Red laser lights flashed out of the closet scanning Ava’s body.

“Measurements taken. Please select desired color,” said the metallic voice.

“What color would you like to wear tonight?” repeated Daniela.

“Oh! Uhh, red.” Ava was still trying to process what was going on.

“Red, please,” Daniela ordered.

The closet doors opened and displayed an incredible selection of dresses in all shades of red: crimson, flame, magenta, maroon, mahogany, raspberry, scarlet and wine. Some were short, some were long, some with long sleeves, some with short sleeves, some with one sleeve, some sleeveless, some with zippers, some without, some looked like imperial gowns, other were plain and simple.

“Oh. My. God!” Ava squealed. “How did this happen?”

“Oh, please excuse my manners,” Daniela said. “The computer simply takes your measurements, sorts all the dresses available in the guest wardrobe and delivers gowns in your desired color. Please pick one.”

Ava always wanted to own an elegant red gown but the ones she liked were way out of her budget. Now she could pick and choose all the incredible outfits without as much as having to blink an eye.

“I’ll wear this one,” Ava pointed at a scarlet sleeveless Cinderella gown. Daniela took it off the hanger and helped her put it on.

Ava stared at the mirror in wonder. She never considered herself a beauty but in this dress, she felt like a princess. Daniela, too, looked pleased.

A knock on the door interrupted this magical moment. 

“Shoes for Miss Davenport,” the bellboy said.

“Thank you.” Daniela took the package and dismissed him politely.

“Now to complete your outfit,” Daniela smiled, “I have the perfect match for your stunning dress.” She carefully unwrapped the paper and they both marveled at the sparkling, scarlet high heels.

“They’re beautiful,” Ava gasped.

“They will also help you survive tonight’s gala,” said Daniela.

“Gala? I thought it was only dinner.”

“Lapo dinner parties always end with a magnificent waltz danced by our people.”

“But,” Ava blushed, “I can’t dance.”

“You can now!” Daniela pointed at the shoes.

“These are intelligent shoes, our newest invention. They were created to help our guests get through our ceremonies,” Daniela laughed. “When you mentally impress the command ‘dance’ on them, they will figure out the music playing and dance for you. All you have to do is dance along.”

“Wait. What? Mentally impress a command — what does that mean?”

“Oh, you just focus on the shoes on your feet and nothing else and say ‘dance’ in your head. Try it.”

Ava put on the shoes, tensed her muscles and repeated the command ‘dance’ in her head.

“It’s not working,” she complained.

“Oh, sorry,” said Daniela, “it’s not working because there’s no music. Let me fix that.” She pressed a button and a beautiful melody filled the cabin.

“Try now,” Daniela prompted.

Ava was wondering how this could possibly work and tried to command her shoes to dance. 

“Nothing,” she sighed. “How is that even possible?”

“You can’t doubt it. The shoes will sense your lack of confidence and won’t budge.”

“This is ridiculous!” Ava exclaimed, realizing only after the fact how rude she must have sounded.

“Maybe only the Lapo can use them?” Ava objected.

“All our inventions are meant to be used both by Lapo and humans. Please try again,” Daniela advised.

Ava was still very skeptical about this so-called invention but she summoned all her mental powers and directed them toward the shoes. 

“Nothing,” she concluded.

“Don’t worry, in time you will master this and even if you don’t use their special functions, they are still exquisite shoes,” said Daniela.

“That’s true,” Ava thought.

“Now hair and makeup,” Daniela suggested. “Please take a seat.” She gestured toward the vanity table in the large bathroom. Daniela was obviously skilled at what she was doing because the result of her work took Ava’s breath away. She already loved the way she looked in the dress and with the shoes, hair and makeup, she thought she could even fall in love with herself. 

“I informed Sir Richglow that you are ready. He will pick you up shortly. Do you need anything else for tonight, Ava?”

“No, I think I’m good.” Ava kept admiring herself in the mirror, something she had never done before.

“In that case, I will see you tomorrow morning. Have a wonderful evening.” And with that Daniela left the room. 

A knock on the door pulled Ava away from her thoughts, thoughts of how complementing this scarlet dress was. She opened the door to see Meldrick in an impeccably fitted formal suit, perfectly complementing his groomed hair and sparkling eyes. His dazzling smile made an even more profound effect on her than ever, making Meldrick absolutely irresistible.

As soon as he saw her, he parted his lips in awe.

“My lady, you look absolutely stunning,” he said in his deep soothing voice.

“You don’t look too bad yourself, Mister.” Ava was feeling cocky. The new packaging she was wearing drastically increased her self-esteem. Meldrick laughed never having heard a similar remark before.

“Shall we?” He offered Ava his arm. They walked through the lavish corridors until they reached an open space so richly decorated that Ava gasped. Two golden staircases swirled across three decks. A string quartet was playing heavenly melodies. A few of the lavish armchairs were taken by elegant Lapo residents sipping champagne.

“This is the piazza,” said Meldrick, amused by Ava’s reaction. “This is where the Lapo meet to relax and engage in formal dances.”

“Oh.” Ava felt slightly self-conscious at the thought of her inability to command her shoes.

Meldrick directed her toward a restaurant adjacent to the piazza on one side and overlooking the ocean on the other.

“Sir Richglow,” the waiters greeted Meldrick, “Miss Davenport.” They nodded. “This way, please.” They directed them to a cozy booth overlooking the ocean.

“I trust you enjoy Italian,” said Meldrick, helping Ava to sit down.

“Yes,” she blushed. “I had no idea I’d find an Italian restaurant in a foreign dimension.”

“Oh, we try to take the best from all worlds and implement it here,” Meldrick laughed.

The waiters rested their menus on the table. 

“What do you fancy?” Meldrick asked.

Ava eyed the menu disoriented. Her only experience with Italian cuisine was takeaway pizza.

“Surprise me,” she winked.

Meldrick looked toward the waiter and he was immediately at the table.

“We’ll have antipasto di mare, that’s a selection of raw and cured fish,” he explained to Ava, “spaghetti alla bottarga con vongole, which is one of the most popular Sardinian dishes, consisting of a sauce made with dried mullet roe and clams, a touch of garlic, parsley and olive oil,” he said, looking into Ava’s eyes.

“And for your main course, sir?”

“We’ll have filetto di branzino al gondoliere, grilled fillet of seabass with tiger prawns, chives and chili butter saffron potatoes.”

“Fish for all courses, well, when in Rome…” Ava thought, amused, but she decided not to contradict anything Meldrick ordered since he was the expert after all.

“And to drink?” the waiter asked.

“Amarone della Valpolicella, please.” Ava figured it must be wine since the waiter took away all the glasses except for the large ones with a stem.

“So,” said Meldrick, looking pleased with his order, “you look outstanding. Did you have enough time to relax?”

“Yes,” said Ava. “I had a wonderful bath and tried that magical drink of yours.”

“Ambrosia? Yes, its properties are truly magical.”

“Is it only available in Lapo?” Ava asked, genuinely interested.

“Yes, I haven’t seen it in any other dimension I’ve visited.”

Ava smiled. This whole experience seemed surreal, yet Meldrick was so palpable, not to mention beyond charming.

The waiter came with the wine and poured a little into Meldrick’s glass. Meldrick examined the wine in the air, smelled it, tasted and finally judged, “Excellent.”

“For the lady?” he asked Ava. 

“Yes, please,” she replied.

The waiter filled both glasses and left without a sound.

“Here’s to a wonderful vacation here in Lapo,” said Meldrick, raising his glass.

Ava mimicked Meldrick’s approach to the wine by examining it in the air, smelling and then tasting. Meldrick observed her, amused.

“How did we get here?” Ava asked, staring intently into Meldrick’s eyes.

“You’ve been with me the whole time, so I believe you know the answer.” Meldrick smiled.

“I mean, through the portal, how did that happen?” Ava remembered that Meldrick never really explained that part to her and she was determined not to get distracted by his outstanding looks and manners.

“It takes two components to be able to go through the portal: speed and a feeling of bliss,” Meldrick explained. Ava looked puzzled, so Meldrick elaborated.

“The portal operates at a certain frequency and to go through it you need to be at the same frequency as the portal. That means you need to reach a certain velocity and be in a state of absolute bliss and joy.”

“Oh. Is that why you turned on that music, Aria?” Ava wondered.

“Yes, Aria music is packed with subliminal messages which accelerate getting into a state of bliss.”

“Hmmm.” Ava remembered what Glenn told her about the Xemlix music being contaminated but she decided to go through one question at a time.

“Can anybody go through the portal or do they have to be Lapo?” Ava paused. “Well, I’m not Lapo and I went through, so…”

“Anybody who fulfills those two conditions can go through,” Meldrick concluded. “In fact we have some guests here who are considered lost on Earth.”

“Really?” Ava was fascinated.

“Yes, you must have heard of the mysterious Bermuda Triangle?”

“Yes,” Ava admitted. “That’s the place where ships and planes go missing in mysterious circumstances.”

“Exactly and that’s where our portal is located and portals to several other dimensions too. Mystery solved!” Meldrick laughed.

“Can those lost humans go back through the portal?” Ava wondered.

“Yes, of course, but after having experienced our lifestyle they rarely want to.”

“I can imagine why!” Ava acknowledged, looking around her luxurious surroundings.

“Antipasto di mare,” interrupted the waiter. A selection of mussels, clams, scallops, prawns and calamari arrived at their table.

“Buon appetito!” Meldrick said.

As they dug into their food, Ava pressed on.

“Why was Victor after me and who are these Xemlix beings?”

“Victor is a human slave with a Xemlix mind. The Xemlix are the cruelest beings in the universe. They have no empathy and all their feelings are dark and evil. Their goal is to get you and to extract your abilities from your mind no matter the consequences.”

“Yikes! Can they come to Earth? Are other people in danger?”

“They can’t leave their dimension because no portal will let them through. All portals require certain frequencies and the Xemlix are not able to achieve the required ones. But they collaborate with some humans via their technology. They appear as holograms and promise humans working with them incredible rewards, which they do not intend to deliver, but some humans believe them and collaborate. And even if they don’t, they are taken by force and reduced to human slaves with Xemlix chips that control them. The Xemlix’s main objective is to get you because by extracting your powers they can trick the portal. They want to use your powers to get through.”

“I have so many questions,” Ava said.

“One at a time,” Meldrick comforted her.

“Why do they want to come to Earth?”

“Their existence is based on human fear. The more fear they can generate on planet Earth, the better off they are. They use human fear as an ingredient in their alchemy which allows them to live very long lives. But because they cannot physically materialize on Earth, they have to rely on collaborators and slaves such as Victor. Imagine how much more fear they could generate if they could appear on Earth in person. Their sole existence would petrify humans.”

“Why? What do they look like?”

“With enough fear to manipulate, they can materialize as people’s worst nightmares.”

“So they need me to extract my powers, to trick the portal, to go to Earth, to generate a huge amount of fear in order to…?”

“Live forever,” Meldrick concluded. “The longer they live, the more powerful they grow and the more planets like Earth they can enslave, which is their ultimate goal.”

Ava didn’t even realize when the waiter cleared their table and brought their fish pasta.

“You like?” Meldrick asked. “Spaghetti alla bottarga is my favorite Earthly dish,” he smiled.

“Are there other restaurants here with food from different dimensions?” Ava asked.

“Of course, we can dine in one tomorrow.”

“The spaghetti is delicious,” Ava admitted. Then she resumed her train of thought.

“And you are such benevolent beings that you decided to save me because…?” Ava challenged him.

“We, as opposed to the Xemlix, thrive on human love and the fact that you are safe here in Lapo means that more love will be produced than fear, unless the Xemlix devise another evil plan.”

“Hmm, and do you have any use of me just like the Xemlix do?” Ava wondered.

“Once your powers awaken, you could help us immensely but that’s up to you. No action is required from you at this moment.” Meldrick got all formal, so Ava decided to change the subject.

“How do you make all this incredible food here?”

“Well, we Lapo like to dine on Earth and if there’s something we particularly enjoy, we ask for the recipe. Most of the time we get it.”

“Just like that?”

“As a thank-you gift we offer a little ambrosia. That guarantees a long-term relationship. Suppliers send the ingredients to a warehouse in Hamilton and we take it from there.”

“Wow, you sure are organized.” Ava said admiringly.

Meldrick grinned with content.

The waiter took their empty plates and brought their branzino.

“You know my friends will soon notice that I’m gone,” Ava said.

“Ah, yes, about that. We’ll have a clone fill in your place. We’ve already built it, now we just need to copy your mind, transfer it to the clone and deliver it to Earth in your place. Only your basic abilities will be cloned so even if the Xemlix take interest in you again, they won’t get what they want. They will probably think they were wrong about you and search elsewhere.”

“What if you are wrong about me?” Ava thought.

“These superpowers,” she said digging into her fish, “how can I awaken them?”

“If you wish to awaken them, we will make a plan. It would be a long and difficult training but certainly rewarding. For now just enjoy the ship and we will get back to this later. You do look beautiful tonight.” Meldrick changed the subject.

“Thank you,” said Ava, blushing and adjusting her hair. “This was a delicious meal,” she admitted, taking another sip of her wine.

“The pleasure is most certainly mine,” said Meldrick, looking more handsome than ever. “Shall we change the venue?”

“What do you have in mind?” Ava wondered.

“You’ll see,” Meldrick winked.

***

“Just a few more steps,” said Meldrick as they climbed toward one of the viewpoints on the Lapo Princess.

As Ava reached the top and took in her surroundings, she could hardly believe all this was real.

“Breathtaking, isn’t it?” said Meldrick.

“Extraordinary,” Ava agreed. They were surrounded by a sea of all shades of purple glittering like diamonds. And just above them was a huge moon which seemed so close you could touch it.

Ava put her hands on the rails for support and felt a tingling sensation — it was Meldrick’s hand right next to hers.

“This is my secret spot,” he confessed. “Whenever I feel negative emotion, I come here, look around, marvel at the beauty of the surroundings and at the prosperity of our civilization and almost instantly feelings of power and joy sweep over me.”

“It’s incredible, how did it become your favorite place?” Ava asked.

“When I was a child I would wander around the ship, sneaking into every room that had ’Staff Only’ or ‘Danger’ written on the door. I often got into trouble. One day I managed to sneak onto the bridge. I hid in a closet and was discovered at the end of the day. My parents were worried and the captain was furious. Only his crew had access there. So after I got reprimanded by almost everybody, my mother saw how upset I was and brought me up here. She taught me how to act with integrity and told me that whenever she was upset she would climb up here. She then officially handed this spot over to me. She said I was big enough to climb up here all by myself. She told me to look around. I did and I felt…”

“On top of the world,” Ava concluded.

“Yes,” Meldrick smiled.

Ava looked into his handsome eyes, sparkling just like the violet seas beneath them. He truly must feel something for her if he brought her to his secret hideout and shared such private childhood memories, Ava thought. She looked at his enticing lips and saw him give her that dazzling smile, which she was almost sure he reserved only for her. Their heads got a little closer together as each second passed until, “Ladies and Gentlemen,” said a voice from the loudspeakers, “kindly gather in the piazza for the opening dance.”

“That’s us,” said Meldrick.

Ava was a little frustrated that the magical moment had to end.

“My lady.” Meldrick offered his hand to help her down the steps. As their hands met, the familiar glow encircled their entwined fingers. 

When they arrived in the piazza, it was already packed with splendidly dressed Lapo residents ready to begin the opening dance. The ladies wore gowns as marvelous as Ava’s and their hair was either decorated by large flowers or small hats. Ava felt a little inadequate without any extras in her hair but she had little time to complain. Meldrick was introducing her to so many of the fine ladies and elegant gentlemen that she couldn’t possibly keep up with remembering all their names. They all greeted her by kissing both her cheeks. Ava felt welcome. Even though she couldn’t remember all their names, she knew she would never forget this feeling of… belonging. It was something she never felt on Earth. And now a bunch of strangers from a different dimension could make her feel so welcome.

“This is Xenia,” Meldrick continued with the introductions. “She is from Earth. I’m sure you will find you have a lot in common.”

A tall, pale girl with coal hair extended her cold hand instead of kissing Ava’s cheeks like all the Lapo people.

“Nice to meet you, Ava,” she said. Her piercing eyes sent a shiver down Ava’s spine.

Thankfully right after this distasteful incident Ava was again warmly greeted.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please take your positions. May the dancing begin,” said a voice from the speakers.

The orchestra started playing waltz tunes and all the couples lined up to participate.

“My lady.” Meldrick offered her his arm. 

Ava took it eagerly, recalling the magical moment they just recently shared. She looked at her shoes and remembered about their special qualities. “Dance,” she commanded and to her and Meldrick’s delight she moved gracefully across the dance floor. Ava marveled at how elaborate the waltz was and at how smoothly all the couples danced. Familiar faces smiled at her and she felt more and more sure of herself. She looked at Meldrick who was grinning from ear to ear, obviously pleasantly surprised with her dancing skills. Without losing his commanding posture he gave her a subtle wink paired with his private smile. Ava felt like the dancing queen she always wanted to be back on Earth but for which she never believed she had the necessary skills. Now she knew what being a diva felt like; she knew what being part of something large and meaningful felt like; she knew what being in love felt like. She slowly started admitting that she had profound feelings for the exceptional man at her side.

Dancing and smiling at the familiar faces, Ava noticed Xenia looking at her with disdain. She felt her piercing eyes shooting at her with hatred and suddenly felt like an imposter. She lost control of her shoes and started moving across the dance floor awkwardly.

“Please excuse me,” Ava managed and ran to the closest ladies’ room. “What just happened?” she wondered. Staring at the mirror, adjusting her hair, she couldn’t comprehend what was going on back there in the piazza. After a long while she realized the she had just abandoned the incredible man she so admired and rushed out of the bathroom only to see him waiting for her with a profound look in his eyes.

“Ava, what’s wrong?” he asked with concern.

“I really don’t know. I was having the time of my life when that human girl looked at me with such hatred and then I lost control of everything.”

“Calm down, I’ll show you something.”

Meldrick opened the huge golden doors separating them from the open deck. The gentle breeze refreshed Ava’s face. Meldrick directed her to an isolated spot.

“Look below,” he said. The violet seas were glittering beneath them, gentle waves were dancing their own waltz. Ava got lost in the hypnotizing beauty below when she heard Meldrick whistling and staring intently into the violet waters. Just as she was about to ask what he was trying to do, an orange little dolphin hopped out of the water squeaking as he was swirling around.

“What’s that?” Ava wondered.

“It’s called a mengo. It looks like a dolphin, except that it’s orange and has super powers unknown to Earthly dolphins.”

“Oooh, what can it do?” Ava asked.

“It can travel large distances and it can even cross portals and go to other dimensions if there’s water there. It’s often unaffected by physical phenomena. It can read minds and if you connect with one, it will impress its thoughts on your mind telling you about its adventures.”

“Like telepathy?” Ava wondered.

“Yes, exactly like telepathy.”

The darling creature was jumping up and down squeaking furiously as if telling a fascinating story.

“What is he saying?” Ava asked.

“He just met a little friend. He says she’s from another dimension too.”

“Too?”

“Like you,” Meldrick smiled.

The mengo was now jumping up and down in front of Ava, who tried to pat him.

“He says he approves of you,” Meldrick winked.

“Oh, thank you, boy,” Ava said to the mengo.

The creature jumped a few more times and then swam into the open waters.

Ava was so delighted that she forgot about the upsetting incident at the piazza. She leaned on the rails in front of her, took a deep breath and marveled at the beautiful surroundings. As she was losing herself in her thoughts, she felt a warm hand cover hers. The familiar glow was brighter than ever. Meldrick’s deep eyes were glued to her face, his lips formed into a mischievous smile. Ava felt his arm on her shoulder and then on the back of her neck, as if he was testing the waters. 

Ava never wanted anything as much as she wanted this to happen. She smiled back at him, parted her lips and closed her eyes. She felt Meldrick’s lips on hers. It wasn’t just a kiss, it was a feast of all senses, a unison of two dimensions, a moment she would never ever forget. The familiar glow appeared around them, revealing their silhouettes in their isolated spot.

“What the…?” whispered a figure hidden in the shadows. “Kissing my Meldrick! Oh no you don’t! You are a mere Earthling. You have nothing to offer him. Meldrick belongs to me and nobody will steal him from me. Certainly not a human girl who knows nothing about the Lapo and who is nothing but a danger to our dimension, even though he will never admit it. You won’t last for long, you little dummy. Not as long as I’m alive.”

CHAPTER 6

“Conference call will start in three… two… one…” the computer stated. Victor appeared in hologram form.

Lord Slith’s eyes were red with rage. Tiluk was petrified. If Victor didn’t have good news, it would most likely be the beginning of his demise.

“Do you have the girl?” Tiluk roared, trying to cover his fear.

“I had her but then someone managed to… rescue her.”

“Rescue?” asked Tiluk. “Who? Who rescued her?”

“I didn’t see, he appeared out of nowhere and knocked me out.”

Slith’s eyes now turned to crimson.

“When we requested that you go on this mission, we had higher expectations, Victor. You are disappointing me! You are disappointing Lord Slith!” Tiluk roared. “You are a disgrace to the whole Xemlix civilization! Luckily for you, our Terror Team knows almost without doubt where the girl is hiding. She is with those Lapo cowards! And the only way to bring her over is to get her back to Earth. But she will not come back unless…one of her loved ones is in trouble. Find out who she cares about and make it clear that they will perish if she doesn’t return to Earth.”

***

“That was a perfect ending to a perfect evening,” said Meldrick, releasing Ava from his embrace. “May I have the pleasure of accompanying you to your cabin?” he asked offering his arm.

“The pleasure will be mine,” Ava smiled.

As they strolled through the open deck toward the front of the ship where Ava’s cabin was located, Meldrick said, “Make sure you get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow we will have to copy the right parts of your mind and transfer them to your clone, then it will need to be delivered to Earth before your family and friends get suspicious.”

“Wow! Can I see my clone?” Ava asked.

 “Yes, but only before the mind transfer. Clones can be unpredictable and we can’t risk any hiccups.”

“Oh, like what?” Ava wondered.

“Imagine you saw your exact self — strange things can happen. Some people go crazy, sometimes the clone gets out of control, sometimes it gets violent. It all depends on how the mind transfer process goes, but it’s best if you never meet with it.”

“Okay,” Ava conceded.

When they got to Ava’s cabin, Meldrick planted a soft kiss on her lips and wished her good night. The kiss sent Ava to overdrive and she struggled not to beg for more. She closed the door separating herself from the man of her dreams. She took a deep breath and stared out the window, admiring the sparkling violet waters below. “What an extraordinary day,” she thought. She woke up on Earth, had lunch with an evil Xemlix-human hybrid, was chased by him, rescued by a handsome man from a different dimension and now she found herself in his world and falling in love. Remarkably her life here seemed much more exciting than her existence back on Earth. Ava wondered how she could have changed so much in such little time. Just a week ago she would doubt the existence of any other world and now she was living in it and, to her great surprise, she was loving it!

Ava had never been attended to so much. She had a cabin stewardess, who catered to her every whim. She was taken out to fancy restaurants, drank exquisite wine and wore fancy gowns. She even learned to command her shoes until that evil Xenia girl made her lose control. Ava shivered at the thought. There was something visibly wrong with that human girl. Thankfully all the others have been so kind to her and she felt genuinely happy; she felt like she belonged. How could she belong to a completely different dimension she had no idea existed just yesterday?

Ava took off her scarlet gown and rested it on the armchair near the closet. She removed her shoes and went into her bedroom. She was delighted to find her cabin prepared for the night. Her bed welcomed her with its crisp sheets and fluffy pillows. At her nightstand rested beautiful red pajamas which Daniela must have brought after learning how much Ava liked red. She smiled at the thought. Her every desire was indeed catered for even before she managed to express it.

Ava slipped into her new pajamas and hid under the fluffy covers. Beautiful music was silently playing from the loudspeakers. Ava closed her eyes wondering if Chloe was safe, a thought that haunted her repeatedly.

Back on Earth…

“Excuse me, Miss, Miss!” the waitress shouted into Chloe’s ear.

“What’s going on?” Chloe asked confused.

“Your party left an hour ago and you’ve been sleeping on the table since. We tried to wake you up several times but nothing worked.”

“My party?” Chloe mumbled.

“The lady and gentleman you were with, they left in a hurry.”

“Oooooh!” Chloe managed to recall the chain of events: she went to the bathroom, took a sip of wine and then nothing. “Did I get drunk with just one sip? Impossible! Something must have been in that wine!”

“Thank you, I’m fine. I apologize for the inconvenience,” said Chloe and rushed out.

As she stepped out the door she bumped into… Victor.

“What are you doing here?” Chloe demanded.

“I came back to get you. Neither of you was feeling well but you insisted that I accompany Ava home first. And now I’m back to help you.”

“Oh, really?” said Chloe confused. She didn’t remember any of that but then again that wasn’t a first. 

“Shall we walk?” Victor suggested. “I always find fresh air helpful after I’ve had too much to drink.”

Chloe looked at him suspiciously but she didn’t say anything. She was almost sure she only took one sip of that wine but she didn’t want to make a scene. After all it was her dad who asked her to show Victor around, so there was nothing to worry about… or was there?

“Is Ava a good friend?” Victor asked, pulling Chloe from her thoughts.

“The best,” said Chloe, wondering where this awkward question came from.

“Does she have family in town?” he pressed. “What does he want?” Chloe wondered.

“She would have. She was engaged to be married but she canceled the wedding.”

“Hmm, what about her parents?”

“They died when she was little. Her aunt raised her. Why all these questions about Ava?” Chloe snapped.

“I’m just curious,” Victor lied. He needed to find the person Ava cared about most. He needed to pay this aunt a visit.

***

“Sybilla Clark?” Victor asked as a middle-aged lady with fiery red hair and mesmerizing green eyes opened the door.

“In person. How can I help you?”

“I’m private investigator Victor Smith,” he said, coming up with the first fake surname he could think of. “I’m here to talk about your niece, Ava Davenport.”

“Oh dear, what happened?” Aunt Sybilla asked with a slightly exaggerated high-pitched voice.

“She’s missing, so I need to ask you a few questions, standard procedure,” he lied. 

“Missing?” shrieked Sybilla throwing her hands in the air.

“I’m afraid so,” Victor feigned sympathy. “The sooner we get this over with, the better the chances I’ll find her.”

Aunt Sybilla narrowed her eyes but then she nodded and with one swift motion she gestured for him to sit on one of her colorful armchairs.

“Has Ava visited lately?” Victor started his interrogation.

“Oh, she doesn’t visit terribly often. Last time I saw her was about two months ago. She’s so busy with the wedding and all.” 

“Well, that’s old news,” Victor thought.

“Do you know where she might have gone?” he asked blatantly.

Aunt Sybilla did have an idea but she would never say a word.

“No idea, maybe she’s staying with her friend, Chloe?”

“Chloe,” Victor thought, an evil plan forming in his mind.

***

“Good morning!” Daniela woke Ava up with genuine kindness in her voice. “Sir Richglow requested that you be ready within the hour.”

“Oh, what time is it?” Ava asked, half asleep.

“It’s 10 a.m.,” Daniela informed her.

“What? I don’t think I’ve ever slept ten hours in a row!”

“Lapo air,” Daniela smiled. “Will you be taking your breakfast in bed or at the table?” 

“Breakfast in bed?” Ava smiled at the idea but she was afraid she’d fall back asleep. 

“At the table, please,” she replied.

When Ava moved to the living room, she saw a selection of freshly baked pastries, freshly squeezed juices, a selection of hams and cheeses, two hardboiled eggs and a selection of nutritious fruits.

“I’m loving it here more and more,” Ava said as she bit into her bagel. Daniela smiled.

“What do you wish to wear today?” Daniela asked.

“Hmm, how about a black sleeveless tank top and a pair of blue jeans?” Ava suggested.

“Just a minute,” said Daniela as she walked toward the intelligent closet. Ava heard her giving commands and after a few minutes Daniela came back with exactly what Ava requested.

“Perfect, thank you,” Ava smiled. As soon as she finished breakfast she slipped into her set of clothes and freshened up in the bathroom.

Just as she was ready to leave, she heard a knock on the door.

“Good morning, Ava,” said Meldrick in his deep soothing voice giving her his best private smile.

“Daniela,” he nodded.

“Shall we?” he asked, offering Ava his arm. “I trust that you slept well?”

“I’ve never slept better,” Ava confessed.

“Good. Let’s go to the Operations Center. Everybody’s waiting.”

“Oh,” Ava said. “For me?”

“Yes, you are the key ingredient. We can’t send out the clone without the right elements of your mind.”

“Oh. Got it. How long will it take?”

“It will only take half an hour to copy your mind and then it takes 12 hours to transfer the correct elements to the clone.”

“Oh, okay.”

As they entered the Operations Center, a team of worried faces greeted them.

“Sir Richglow, there’s a message for you. It’s urgent.”

“It can wait,” said Meldrick. “We have to get the clone ready now.”

“It’s about the clone, new circumstances. You must see the message, sir.”

Meldrick nodded.

A hologram appeared in the middle of the room. Victor, holding a knife at Chloe’s throat, was staring at Meldrick with menacing eyes. 

“This is a message for Meldrick Richglow,” the hologram said. “You are to return Ava Davenport to Earth immediately or else I will have the girl drink this liquid, a glass every hour. After 12 glasses there won’t be anything to come back to.” 

Chloe looked petrified. She was tied to a chair and gagged. Her eyes were pleading for help. Victor freed her mouth and poured a glass of a pink liquid down her throat. Chloe screamed trying to free herself but her efforts were futile.

By the time the message stopped playing, Meldrick’s demeanor changed completely. His muscles stiffened, his eyes focused on his team and he looked like a warrior.

“We have 12 hours to get to Chloe. It takes 30 minutes to copy Ava’s mind and six hours to deliver the clone. That gives us five and a half hours to do the complete transfer and deliver the clone before Chloe dies. That’s less than half the standard time. Can we do it?” Meldrick asked.

“It only takes four hours to select and copy the correct elements, the remaining eight hours are meant for testing,” said Jovius, the team leader.

“We will have to skip the testing,” Meldrick ordered.

“We can’t skip the testing,” Jovius objected. “We won’t know how the clone will behave.”

“We can’t risk Chloe’s life,” Meldrick commanded. “If we don’t deliver the clone, those evil Xemlix will go after other people Ava loves. We have to do it now. Time is not on our side.”

Meldrick embraced Ava and said calmly,

“You’re in good hands.” She was too shocked to reply.

The head scientist handed her a helmet with 20 cables of different colors connected to a huge machine.

“Copying Ava Davenport’s mind will start in three… two… one… start,” said the computer.

After everything Ava had been through she trusted Meldrick unconditionally. She sat on a comfortable chair with her helmet on observing the scientists at their computer screens.

“This is the easy part,” Meldrick said. “There’s no risk in the process of copying a mind itself.”

“Where’s the risk then?” asked Ava, intrigued.

“Once we have your mind on the disk, the scientists need to copy the right elements. If they copy too little, the clone will not act the way you do, raising suspicions. If they clone too much, the clone might become so autonomous that we will not be able to control it.”

“Can you control the clone?” Ava wondered.

“Yes, of course. That’s one of the primary reasons we create one. We can see through its eyes, just the way the Xemlix see through their slaves’ eyes.”

“Like Victor?” Ava asked.

“Exactly — and if the process ends successfully we can send electric impulses directly to its brain to force its actions. So the critical part is the transfer of your mind from the computer to the clone.”

After exactly 30 minutes the head scientist said, “Thank you, Miss Davenport. No action is required on your part at this moment.”

“No problem,” said Ava. “Can I see the clone before you do the transfer?”

The scientists looked at Meldrick for confirmation. Meldrick nodded.

“Yes, just a minute.”

They rolled in a slim, fair-skinned figure with rich blonde hair, blue eyes, perfect eyebrows, full pink lips and slightly colored cheeks. Then they rolled in another one.

“Whoa! There are two of them!” Ava marveled. “They look exactly like me.” The scientists seemed pleased with her remark.

“Now, if you will excuse us, Miss Davenport, we have work to do.”

“Of course,” Ava conceded.

Meldrick accompanied her to the door and said, “Ava, it’s my responsibility to monitor this operation. Please make yourself at home, take a walk around the ship, relax, make friends and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

“Please make sure Chloe lives,” Ava pleaded and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

That was a lot to take in for one morning but deep inside Ava felt that Chloe would be all right. She thought it was quite bizarre that she wasn’t terribly worried. Could it be a side effect of having had her mind cloned?

Having her mind copied felt weird but on the bright side this way she had a backup. Just like people back up their computers, they should also back up their minds every now and then, Ava thought.

This was her second day in the Lapo dimension and Meldrick already trusted her enough to let her wander around the ship all by herself — just like he did as a child, Ava smiled. “I’d better not get into trouble,” she thought.

She decided to take a stroll on the open deck to see the places that appeared so magical last night. She wondered what they would look like in daylight. 

She took a deep breath when she pushed the golden doors open. The sun was shining, reflecting in the purple waters. The purple was, however, less intense, more lavender at this time of day. She walked over to the spot where Meldrick kissed her for the first time. She leaned on the rail for support, closed her eyes recalling the magical moment and smiled. It felt wonderful.

Suddenly an orange dolphin jumped out of the water. “A mengo!” Ava thought.

“Hey boy, how are you?” She was almost sure it was the one from last night. The mengo continued jumping up and down squeaking as if trying to tell her something but she had no idea what the fuss was about. “I wish I could talk to him,” she thought.

Ava was so busy playing with the mengo that she didn’t hear footsteps approaching.

“It would be wise of you to throw yourself in that water,” a cold voice said. She heard that voice before. She turned around and there was Xenia standing only inches from her looking at her menacingly.

“Excuse me?” Ava managed.

“You do not belong here. How dare you come here and trick Meldrick into kissing your filthy human lips!” Xenia hissed.

“I see what this is about,” said Ava. “But something doesn’t quite make sense to me.” She cocked her head. “Aren’t you human too?” Ava asked.

“I may be of human origin but I was raised here and this is my home. You, however, are an imposter and absolutely no match for a noble man such as Meldrick. You have no powers, you are a plain human and you are to vanish or else.” She squinted. “I’ll take care of it… of you!” she hissed, pointing her finger at Ava’s face.

Ava was shaking. That wasn’t the relaxing afternoon she imagined she’d have. As soon as Xenia left, the mengo started jumping up and down again squeaking with a hue of worry in its tone.

“You heard that, boy? What am I going to do now?” Ava mumbled. The mengo jumped up and down squeaking and doing pirouettes in the air. Ava so wished she could understand it.

***

“Copy process will be completed in three… two… one… copying complete,” the machine said.

The clone opened its eyes. “Meldrick?” it said in a rusty voice.

“Please sync the voice chords,” Meldrick commanded.

“Meldrick?” the clone repeated, this time in Ava’s voice. 

“Yes,” he replied. “You’re safe now but we have to go and get Chloe.”

“Oh, Chloe, yes,” agreed the clone.

“Sir Richglow, may we at least spare half an hour for testing purposes?”

“No, I’m sorry, we have to go now or else Chloe will die and other humans will follow. We leave now,” he ordered.

Meldrick and the clone boarded the Aria and jumped through the portal, docking in Hamilton shortly after. The black convertible Maserati was waiting nearby. Once they got to the airport and boarded the jet, the clone stared at Meldrick intently.

“What is it?” Meldrick asked.

“According to my calculations we need to increase our flight speed by 50 km/h if we are to make it before Chloe is served her final lethal dose of the pink liquid.”

Meldrick’s jaw dropped. He didn’t expect the clone to be so cooperative. He wondered if it would stay loyal to the Lapo or if it would cooperate with whoever possessed it.

“Thank you,” Meldrick said. He rose and knocked on the cockpit door. After a brief chat with the pilot, he took his seat again.

“We’ve increased our cruising speed. We will arrive in time.” 

Meldrick knew that omitting the testing phase was risky and that anything could happen but this was their only shot at saving Chloe and delivering the clone to the Xemlix — but what if they noticed it was not the real Ava?

The Xemlix were evil as it was but if they learned that they were tricked, the consequences could be extremely severe. For now Meldrick needed to understand what he could expect from this clone before he handed it into the hands of the Xemlix.

“Do you know what the goal of this mission is?” Meldrick asked.

“Mission to save Chloe from death, trick the Xemlix, visit their dimension and neutralize.”

Meldrick wasn’t sure where the clone’s information came from. He never talked to Ava about visiting the Xemlix dimension but that’s obviously what the Xemlix agenda for Ava was. He also wondered what the clone meant by “neutralize”. Omitting the testing phase obviously had consequences but this clone seemed to be willing to cooperate… so far. The Lapo technology has been experimenting with clones for decades now. “Chloe’s clone was perfect and didn’t create any problems,” Meldrick thought. But then again it was programmed only to say a few sentences when Meldrick was visiting Ava in her “dreams”. Copying a mind was a big deal and he ordered his team to skip the testing phase but then again he had no other choice, he tried to convince himself.

“Eight minutes to landing,” the clone informed him.

“Sir Meldrick, Miss Ava, we will be landing in about eight minutes,” the pilot announced.

“Extraordinary,” thought Meldrick. “Exactly what abilities does this clone have?” Meldrick wondered.

As soon as they landed, they got to the black Maserati. Meldrick skillfully maneuvered between the cars to get to their destination. Victor said in the holographic message that he would be holding Chloe in a rented apartment on Fifth Street, Apartment No. 3.

“19 minutes to the lethal dose, ten minutes to destination,” the clone announced.

This new Ava was quite the GPS, Meldrick thought as he further increased the Maserati’s velocity.

Finally they parked, leaving skid marks on the asphalt. 

“Nine minutes to lethal dose, follow me.” Meldrick didn’t enjoy the clone being in charge but he only had nine minutes left to save Chloe’s life. The clone ran across the street, up a flight of stairs, across the hall, past a vending machine and pointed to the door.

“This is it,” the clone said. “Seven minutes to lethal dose,” it announced.

Meldrick knocked on the door, no answer. He turned the door knob and entered trying to assess the situation.

There was Chloe exactly as she appeared in the hologram only now she was pale white, with all color drained from her skin, black bags under her eyes, hardly responding to their presence.

“Just in time,” Victor laughed as he poured a pink liquid into a glass. 

The clone came toward Victor and said, “I believe we are of the same kind”. Victor raised his eyebrows but said nothing. He handcuffed the clone and dragged it out of the apartment laughing a wicked laugh as he passed by Meldrick.

Meldrick knelt by the dying Chloe and took a small bottle with a glowing liquid out of his pocket. He carefully poured it into Chloe’s mouth. Chloe went through a dramatic transformation right then and there. Her skin slowly regained its pink hue, the bags under her eyes disappeared, her eyes opened and changed from foggy to focused.

“Meldrick?” she asked. “Meldrick from Ava’s dreams?”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you finally,” Meldrick said, content that the healing liquid was working.

“I just had the worst nightmare,” Chloe said, looking almost like her old self now.

“It’s over now,” Meldrick reassured her and helped her out of the apartment.

CHAPTER 7

Meldrick knocked on the door of Ava’s cabin. She opened it and threw herself in his arms.

“You’re back! You were gone all day,” she sighed. “How did it go?” Is Chloe all right?”

“Yes, Chloe’s fine. It was close but we arrived in time. I gave her an enhanced version of ambrosia so she healed almost instantly and Victor didn’t notice we delivered a clone, at least for now.”

“I’m so happy to hear this but now that I’m here and the clone is going to the Xemlix dimension, won’t people get suspicious that I’m gone?”

“They could but we have a fix for this. Aunt Sybilla isn’t used to seeing you very often so that’s not a problem, Chloe will be sleeping a lot in the next week, that’s the liquid’s side effect, and you’re a freelancer so nobody will notice until your article is due. Plus we have the other clone on standby in case your absence bothers anyone.”

“You think about everything, don’t you?” Ava praised, beaming.

“We aim to please,” Meldrick winked. “How have you been?”

“Oh, all right but remember when you said I could start waking those hidden powers I have?” Meldrick nodded. “Well, I’m ready.”

“So soon? Very well then. We’ll start first thing in the morning.”

***

Meldrick didn’t waste time. As promised, he was knocking on Ava’s cabin door first thing in the morning.

“Ava,” Daniela called, “it’s Sir Richglow for you.”

Meldrick welcomed Ava with a sparkle in his eye that was more profound than ever. Ava felt exhilarated that she would be waking her powers.

“Thank you, Daniela,” said Meldrick, “we will need some privacy.”

Daniela nodded and left without a sound.

After giving Ava a brief kiss, Meldrick’s demeanor changed from romantic to determined. 

“We will start with something simple,” he said. He opened his palm revealing a small golden key. “Hold this key and try to connect with it.”

Ava raised her eyebrows. Meldrick continued, his voice clear, his tone commanding.

“This key, like any object, carries energy. I use it often, so it carries my energy. You’ll hold it in a second but first let’s relax.” Meldrick sat on the floor, gesturing to Ava to do the same. 

“Let’s take a few deep breaths. Now rub your hands together and feel the energy moving. Do you feel a tingling sensation in your hands?” Meldrick asked.

“I do!” Ava squealed.

“This is the first step. Now take the key.” He dropped it in her hand. “Relax some more and take note of how your body feels. Do you feel anything? Do you see anything? Do you hear anything?”

Ava shook her head.

“Don’t worry, keep relaxing, feel the energy moving and try to connect with the key. What is it telling you?”

Ava closed her eyes, rubbed her hands with the key between her palms and took a few deep breaths.

“I can see something!” she finally called. “You! I can see you using this key to open a chest of drawers.” 

“You’re a natural,” Meldrick laughed. “Now I’m going to hide the key somewhere in your cabin and your task will be to find it without physically looking for it. Close your eyes.” Ava could hear Meldrick’s footsteps. He was taking his time, most probably walking more than necessary to hide where he placed the key.

“Now connect with the key again. Think of what it revealed to you earlier. You should feel it pulling you to it.”

Ava closed her eyes again. Breathing deeply, she remembered how she saw Meldrick use the key to open a chest of drawers before. She kept silent for a few moments.

“I’m not feeling the key pulling me to it,” she sighed.

“Don’t worry. Imagine your reaction when you find it. Visualize it. Visualize every detail,” Meldrick instructed.

Ava closed her eyes again and her body started shifting slightly. Without opening her eyes she stood up and moved toward the bedroom. She lay on the bed. She opened her eyes wondering what that was all about. Then not understanding why, she stretched her hands under her pillow and felt the cool of a metal. She jumped up, lifted the pillow and there it was — Meldrick’s golden key.

“You are doing great, my love,” said Meldrick in his deep soothing voice, caressing her cheek. He planted a soft kiss on her lips and used all his mental power not to abuse Ava’s hospitality in the bedroom.

***

Victor rushed the clone into his red Alpha Romeo.

“It’ll only be a short ride from here, Ava,” he said.

“14 minutes to portal,” the clone informed him. Victor lifted his eyebrows and stared at the clone for as long as he could without crashing the car but then he noticed that his navigation displayed the same data. He relaxed and turned on the same music with the fearful subliminal messages he was distributing.

“Tell me, Ava, did you enjoy the company of those Lapo cowards?” Victor asked.

“As much as I’m enjoying myself now,” the clone replied. Victor wasn’t sure what that meant so he settled on saying nothing.

“Three dimensions in one day,” he changed the subject. “You’re quite the traveler.”

“Correct,” said the clone. Victor blamed Ava’s unusual behavior on the music and jet lag. Interdimensional travel requires a lot of energy; many people are drained for hours afterwards. Plus there was the fact that he was holding her hostage.

Victor exited the highway and drove into a road with light traffic, entering the countryside. Soon the landscape became bumpy with little hills and huge rocks. The Alpha Romeo stopped in front of a stone structure.

“Out!” Victor ordered.

He pulled the clone out of the car and shoved it toward the ground. The more they walked, the rockier the landscape became until they were completely surrounded by rocky hills.

“The portal is in this cave,” said Victor. They entered the small opening, the handcuffed clone in front of her capturer, who lit the way with a flashlight. 

Suddenly the path beneath them finished and they saw something similar to a well. “This is it,” said Victor. 

“Now go, you worthless human,” Victor roared as he pushed the clone over the edge. The clone started falling fully aware it was supposed to go through the portal. Thoughts of inadequacy, negativity, frustration, trauma and fear started bombarding its mind. Finally it landed in a dimly lit cage.

***

“Well, well, well,” growled Lord Slith with Tiluk by his side. “Aren’t you little Miss Davenport? The only human-Eff hybrid since the great escape of your ancestors. Cowards!” he roared.

“You are correct, my name is Ava Davenport,” the clone replied.

“We fought against your great-grandmother, your grandmother and your mother in great battles and we failed miserably but now you will pay for all those years of our existence locked in this underworld.”

“I don’t have enough information to be able to respond,” said the clone.

“Let me fill you in,” hissed Slith. “Your bloodline has descended from the Eff civilization, which was the only one in the whole galaxy that could predict the future. Although benevolent by nature, they became extinct when the Xemlix intervened and brought their demise, leaving only one Eff woman alive to serve as the oracle. She was known as Ayanna. But the Lapo intervened and kidnapped Ayanna, finding a hideout for her on Earth and then disappeared. Before leaving, they used Ayanna’s powers to lock us in this underworld of a dimension that can only thrive through fear. The Lapo expected us to die here; it never crossed their dull minds that we would be able to extract fear from humans. But they were wrong!” roared Slith as he circled the clone.

“Ayanna lived under cover leading what appeared like a regular human life. She married a human and gave birth to the first human-Eff hybrid. And you, Ava Davenport, are its direct descendant. You have the power to tell the future, which will help us greatly to execute the right plans to enslave humans so that they become mere fear generators. Then we will get to those Lapo cowards who will pay for taking Ayanna away.” 

The clone’s expression was unreadable.

“Now,” continued Slith, “you will be handcuffed and locked in our prison and you shall serve our Terror Team as an oracle, just like Ayanna was supposed to, informing us about the results of our planned actions.”

“Yes,” said the clone.

“Guards, take her away!” roared Slith.

“Tiluk,” Slith continued, “it is your personal responsibility to make sure the hybrid complies with our orders, although judging from her demeanor that should not be an issue.”

“Yes, my Lord,” agreed Tiluk.

“I want you to question the hybrid and have her reveal outcomes of potential actions our Terror Team might execute. You are to check if the hybrid’s judgment is correct. Test everything before implementing large scale plans.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“And if you fail….” Slith stared at him menacingly, pulling on his throat with an invisible cord, “this will be the end of your useless existence.”

“Yes, my Lord.” He left the room shaking with fear.

Meanwhile in Lapo…

“Sir Richglow!” called the head of the Operations Center, “we have an important update on the clone.”

“I’ll be right there,” Meldrick informed him and rushed to the Operations Center.

“What is it, Jovius?” Meldrick asked as he stormed into the room.

“Sir Richglow, we have been monitoring the clone’s every movement and sending electric impulses to force its actions but we have now lost control.”

“What do you mean you’ve lost control?” asked Meldrick worried.

“As expected, Victor forced the clone to the Xemlix dimension. We managed to send negative impulses to make it pass through their portal but since then we can no longer influence the clone.”

“Can we still see through its eyes?” Meldrick asked.

“Yes, at the present moment, we can.”

“Well then, that will have to suffice for now. Their dimension is so different from ours and from Earth that we can never be sure how people or clones will behave once they’ve crossed. Please monitor the clone’s every movement and give me an update every two hours with an exception of urgencies — report those right away.”

“Yes, Sir Richglow, anything else?”

“Get some sleep, Jovius. You look tired. Let your team do the monitoring.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Meldrick was aware that the clone needed to be closely monitored and that Ava’s powers needed to be awakened fast. Now that the clone was cooperating with the Xemlix, anything could happen. Meldrick rushed to Ava’s cabin.

He needed to continue with her training and he also wanted to get a taste of her sweet lips.

“My love,” he greeted her as she opened the door. Ava was still in her red pajamas, devouring delicious pastries laid on silver platters.

“Care to join me?” she asked, still chewing her croissant.

“With pleasure,” Meldrick replied in his deep soothing voice. He found Ava’s cheerfulness and morning looks particularly enticing.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked, reaching for a warm bagel.

“I slept great and I even had Daniela hide a necklace of hers — and I found it.”

“Really?” Meldrick looked pleased. “You don’t waste time, do you?”

“Not when awaking my super powers is concerned,” Ava winked.

“Are you ready for Lesson 2?” Meldrick asked.

“I was born ready,” Ava joked. This training was awakening more than her psychic abilities; it was building her self-confidence.

“Very well then, let’s go over some theory,” Meldrick said. “We will work on awakening five major abilities or super powers if you will.” He smiled. “Let’s start with the first one. Psychometry is the ability to detect where a person is, from an object that belongs to that person. So if for instance you wanted to know my whereabouts, you could use this key to find me. Just like you felt the energy of the key last night and you found it, in the same way you can hold this key, focus on its energy and it will tell you where I am.”

“Fascinating,” Ava admitted. 

“Indeed,” Meldrick agreed. “Now let’s try it,” he said. He dropped his golden key in Ava’s hand. “I’ll hide and you try to find me.”

“It’s like mental hide and seek,” Ava laughed.

“Yes, you could say so,” said Meldrick as he closed the door behind him.

Ava smiled. This was getting fun. She rubbed her hands with Meldrick’s key between them and closed her eyes. She focused hard on the fine specimen of a male that Meldrick was and got lost fantasizing about his profound dark eyes and matching perfectly groomed hair. She had no idea where Meldrick could have gone. She decided to look for him the old fashioned way. 

Ava threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and left her cabin. She went straight to the open deck. She delighted in the warmth of the sun on her skin and the mesmerizing violet waters below. She smiled at the thought of becoming psychic. She’d never cared much for abilities like these but now that she was in the process of awakening them, it felt much more exciting than expected.

She looked down and there it was, the orange mengo jumping up and down, squeaking and pointing toward the back of the ship. Was he really pointing in that direction or was she imagining it?

“Hey boy,” Ava called. “What do you want to tell me?”

The mengo kept jumping up and down pointing in the same direction.

“All right, all right, I’ll go see what you want to show me,” Ava said and marched toward an open area with beach beds lined up by the pool. The mengo swam by her side. Then it stopped and started jumping and squeaking again furiously pointing toward the ship. Ava turned around and… there was Meldrick relaxing on one of the beach beds.

“Gotcha!” said Ava to Meldrick and turned around briefly to thank the mengo.

“You’re learning much faster than I expected,” said Meldrick, praising her.

“Your little friend helped me,” Ava corrected.

“Yes, I know. I heard him squeak when you were on the other side of the ship. I must tell you, Ava, only few people can connect with a mengo the way you did and you, my love, are one of them.” Meldrick pulled her into his arms and they got lost in a kiss so deep that the familiar glow encircled them without them even noticing.

Someone else, however, noticed the glow and stared at them with hatred burning from her eyes and fury emanating from her face.

As soon as Ava and Meldick pulled away from each other, they held the magic of the moment by looking lovingly into each other’s eyes.

“What’s the second ability?” Ava asked.

“Eager as ever,” Meldrick laughed, satisfied with Ava’s hunger for knowledge. “Telekinesis. It’s the ability to move or influence an object by the power of thought. Everything, even objects are conscious to some degree, everything is made of subatomic particles and those can be influenced and moved by a well-trained mind.”

“This is so exciting!” Ava chirped. “How do I do it?”

“The basis for any psychic ability to succeed is to first calm your mind.” Ava closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“You have to believe,” Meldrick continued. “Doubt and fear are low vibrations which will hinder the abilities you were born with. Focus on visualizing success, see the object move in your mind before you move it in reality. And the last ingredient — the higher you can raise your vibration, the faster you will achieve your goal. Ideally you should be in a state of bliss just like you were when we were crossing the portal from Earth to Lapo. Now, may I have my key please?” Ava handed him the golden key that was hidden in her pocket. Meldrick placed it gently on his beach bed.

“Now, using the information I just gave you, move the key by a few inches,” he ordered.

Ava closed her eyes and imagined moving the key from one side of the bed to the other. She thought of how blessed she was to have such a handsome, powerful man train her. She thought how exhilarating it was to awaken abilities she never imagined possible. She recalled how she found the key and then Meldrick using her abilities just a moment ago. She was determined to do this. She opened her eyes and saw the key move together with a strong blow of warm wind.

“Well done!” Meldrick beamed.

“No! It wasn’t me! It was the wind!” Ava objected. 

“Own your success,” Meldrick said. “Did it occur to you that you might have caused the wind? It came out of nowhere and I only felt it here. Nothing else moved. Ava, it was you. You created the wind with your mind.”

***

Tiluk brought the clone in front of the Terror Team for questioning. Beings devoid of any feelings of empathy, knowing only fear and hatred, gathered around the conference center. Their sole purpose in life was to serve Lord Slith in any way he desired. They thrived on human fear but were terrorized by those above them in return.

“Enlighten us, Ava Davenport, descendant of the Eff civilization — the only beings equipped with future foretelling abilities,” hissed Tiluk, “how can we generate more fear on Earth?”

“There are numerous methods of increasing fear on Earth,” answered the clone. “You can abduct more humans, you can widely distribute music with fear inducing subliminal messages, you can contaminate the water humans drink with drugs that will make them relive their traumas, you can terrorize selected high density areas.”

“What is the best way?” Tiluk demanded.

“It depends,” said the clone. “The most effective but time-consuming way would be to use the subliminal music and contaminate the water at the same time. The fastest way would be to terrorize a thousand or so humans in a big city and have the media cover it worldwide.”

Tiluk needed to verify the clone’s credibility fast.

“Tell us more about how to terrorize those humans and how much fear that would generate.”

“Select a large area in a big city like a shopping mall or an opera house hosting an event that will be covered by mass media. Have about a hundred of your warriors shape shift into human form, have them enter the premises and shape shift into the most horrendous-looking beings. That would terrify the people present and everybody watching the broadcast around the world.”

“Very well, we shall try that,” said Tiluk. “Bear in mind that if you are deceiving us, this will be the end of your useless existence.” Tiluk repeated the words Slith had used on him just moments before.

“You heard what the oracle said,” roared Tiluk to his men. “Make it happen. Use the oracle for any further questions. Quelm, you’re in charge!” And with that he left the room.

Quelm took over and started giving orders. “We will divide into three teams. You,” he pointed at part of the Terror Team, “you will select 100 warriors to execute the mission. And you,” he said to the remaining part, “you will prepare the grounds for their arrival. The Terror Team and I will choose the venue and prepare the strategy,” he announced.

Once everyone got to work, Quelm directed his attention to the clone.

“Save us time and tell us the best place for our mission.”

“Sydney Opera House, The Illusionists 1903 show, 7 p.m. It’s the premiere and the spectators’ reactions will be broadcast all around the world.”

“It is settled,” said Quelm.

***

“Sir Richglow,” said Jovius, “we have an emergency.”

Meldrick rushed to the Operations Center.

“What is it, Jovius?” asked Meldrick as he stormed into the room.

“It’s about the clone. It looks like we copied Ava’s super powers and they magnified. I’m not sure if we copied all of them but it seems that the clone is able to predict the future.”

“No,” said Meldrick shocked. “How is this possible?”

“I’m still investigating but it happened during the transfer somehow. Luckily we can still see through the clone’s eyes and might be able to mitigate the Xemlix evil agenda.”

“What are they up to?” Meldrick sighed.

“They are planning to send 100 beings to the Sydney Opera House and have them shape shift into horrendous monsters to cause a drastic increase in the fear they generate on Earth.”

Meldrick lowered his head and hid it in his hands.

“What can we do at such short notice?” he asked.

“We can’t stop them but we can work on the humans. If they enter a blissful state during the performance, they will be vibrating at a high frequency and it will be impossible for the Xemlix to manifest in front of them.”

 “Good thinking,” Jovius agreed.

***

“My love,” Meldrick addressed Ava as they walked in the warm breeze on the open deck. “I have to go back to Earth. We have to stop the evil Xemlix agenda.”

“I know,” Ava sighed. She preferred to have Meldrick by her side but she knew he had to go.

“Enjoy yourself, practice your newly-awakened abilities so that they continue to grow stronger and I’ll be back before you know it.”

“I’ll do that,” Ava said as she raised her hand to go through Meldrick’s impeccable hair and then down his cheek. She took one step forward, closed her eyes and lost herself in his lips.

“I’ll miss you,” she said.

“I’ll miss you too, my love, but I’ll be back soon,” he assured her.

Ava decided to take Meldrick’s words seriously and dismissed Daniela to have some private time. She took a spoon from the table and placed it on the floor. “First calm your mind,” Meldrick’s words echoed in her head. She closed her eyes and took two deep breaths. “Focus on visualizing your success.” Ava imagined bringing the spoon to her feet with just her mind. “You should be in a state of bliss.” She thought about the luxury surrounding her, about the wonderful violet waters beneath her, about her mengo friend, about this extraordinary place and about the breathtaking man missing her while on mission. She opened her eyes to see the spoon still resting in the middle of the room. “I am one with the spoon. The spoon is part of me and I will now bring it to my feet effortlessly.” She stared at the spoon intently and as if with a third invisible hand she brought it to her feet.

“There,” she smiled, “that wasn’t so difficult. I wonder what else I could move around.” She left her cabin to practice some more.

CHAPTER 8

“100 tickets for the 7 p.m. performance of the The Illusionists 1903 show, please,” said Victor at the Sydney Opera House ticket office.

***

“Conference call will start in three… two… one…” the computer stated. Victor appeared in hologram form.

“Everything is taken care of,” Victor reported. “I’ll be awaiting your men in front of the Opera House at 6:30 p.m. Earth time.”

“Excellent,” said Slith. “Excellent.”

The evil Xemlix beings gathered in front of the portal with Earth.

“We will be crossing one by one,” directed Quelm. “As soon as you cross, shape shift into human form,” he ordered. “We don’t want to raise any suspicions.”

One by one the Xemlix beings jumped into an abyss to emerge on the other side. As they were crossing the portal, their minds were filled with hatred toward the humans and the Lapo. The Xemlix feared their leaders and they needed to produce fear to survive.

“Quelm to Tiluk,” all our men are on the other side,” reported Quelm through a device placed in his ear.

“Very good. Proceed toward Sydney. Do not attract any attention!” Tiluk ordered.

The Xemlix beings now in human form separated under the commands of their leader and in groups of four took public transportation to the Sydney Opera House.

By 6:30 they had all gathered around Victor, who handed out their tickets to the performance.

“Now mingle with the crowd and remember that at precisely 7:30 you are to shape shift into monstrous form and scare those humans senseless. I want them to see dragons breathing fire, I want them to see three-headed monsters, I want them to see one eyed giant worms, I want them to see their biggest nightmares come true!” roared Quelm. “I want them to generate an unprecedented amount of fear! Fulfill these orders or else this will be your end! Now go!”

The evil Xemlix beings nodded and mingled with the crowd.

***

Meldrick arrived at the Sydney Opera House with his army of men. The performance had already begun. He hoped it wasn’t too late. If the Xemlix plan came to fruition, the humans and Lapo would suffer a terrible blow.

On the way to the Opera House Meldrick had discussed possible ways of stopping the evil monsters. One was to stage an anonymous call that would warn about a bomb in the building but that itself would generate too much fear. The Xemlix could manifest in front of the spectators’ eyes without anyone stopping them. It had to be something subtler. They had to get the spectators out of there one by one without the Xemlix noticing. It’s a good thing they came prepared.

Four of the Lapo men dressed as waiters and handed out drinks to the crowd. The drinks were Lapo manufactured — with a drop of liquid that required the drinker to take an immediate trip to the bathroom. Meldrick hoped that the Xemlix, being the fools they were, were ignorant about opera protocol and wouldn’t get suspicious.

“Water or lemonade? It’s on the house,” the Lapo warriors dressed as waiters offered as they made their way across the room.

More and more spectators started leaving the theater. Once they reached the facilities they were given a cancellation notice from another Lapo warrior. This way Meldrick’s team managed to evacuate 20 per cent of the audience without the Xemlix noticing, or so it appeared.

The performers were now dancing around with crystal balls. It was 7:20. It was now clear that Meldrick would never be able to clear the theater at this pace.

He quietly entered backstage. Without anyone noticing he switched the music playing to his Aria music. That caused a moment of consternation on stage but the performers were professionals and carried on with the show adapting to the new circumstances. Most humans fell in love with the music flowing from the speakers so much that they lost themselves in it and stopped paying attention to what was happening on stage. 

When the clock struck 7:30, right on schedule, the Xemlix shape-shifted into the most horrendous creatures imaginable. Some humans started screaming their lungs out and running in panic generating amounts of fear that would satisfy even Lord Slith. Others seemed unaffected and continued listening to the beautiful music looking at the panicking spectators in amusement. Those who fled ran straight into reporters setting up their equipment to document the public’s reaction to the premiere. Their story was met with amusement and laughter until the monsters marched out of the Opera House and in front of the cameras for the whole world to see.

***

As Ava closed the cabin door behind her to practice her newly-acquired psychic skills, she felt a pang of hunger. With such a variety of dining options, some might find it difficult to choose, but Ava already had a favorite place on this magnificent ship. She’s been longing for that fish spaghetti since she tasted it at her first dinner with Meldrick.

As soon as she appeared at the entrance of the restaurant she was warmly greeted by the waiters who recognized her from a distance.

“Miss Davenport, how wonderful to have you back. Will Sir Richglow be joining you?”

“Unfortunately not today,” she said, struggling to suppress a sigh.

“Please, take a seat wherever you wish.”

Ava chose a small, round table close to the entrance. This way she could observe the hustle and bustle of the Lapo residents as she was having her meal.

The waiter took her order and Ava decided to kill time by practicing moving the cutlery around the table with her mind. She smiled, pleased with herself. This was getting ridiculously easy as if she truly was a natural. 

Ava thought how drastically her life had changed in only a few days. From being a simple journalist with one best friend and an ex-boyfriend, living in a small apartment that she could hardly afford, she now had become Meldrick’s girlfriend, lived on a luxurious ship and had a cabin stewardess, who catered to her every whim. If she had known that she would be living this life a few days ago, she wouldn’t have mourned over Barry’s infidelity so much. Now Barry and her life on Earth seemed nothing more than a fading dream.

“Spaghetti alla bottarga con vongole.” The waiter placed the elaborate dish on the table, interrupting Ava’s thoughts.

Ava dug into her pasta, making noises signaling her delight. After only a few bites she glanced toward the entrance to see a less than pleasant site. There was Xenia staring at her with the same coldness and hatred as she was all the other times she had seen her.

“May I?” Xenia gestured toward the empty chair, her voice pitched higher than usual.

“Please,” Ava agreed reluctantly, a little frightened, a little amused and a little curious.

“I came to apologize for my inadequate behavior earlier,” Xenia said, her eyes still cold and full of hatred. Ava sensed that nothing good could come from this encounter.

“No need to apologize. It must be hard to live in such an exceptional place without being understood,” Ava said.

“Not following,” Xenia replied.

“You are clearly not connected to the stream in a place in which it is so easy to connect to it. That must be frustrating,” Ava spat.

Xenia’s eyes narrowed and seemed to be shooting fireballs filled with loathing.

“I was hoping we could start over,” Xenia feigned politeness. “We started on the wrong foot and since we are both humans living in a foreign dimension, we should be able to connect.”

Connecting with Xenia was the last thing on Ava’s mind.

“Plus,” Xenia continued, “we both lost our parents in mysterious circumstances.”

Ava’s eyes widened. How could Xenia possibly know anything about her parents?

“How do you know that?” Ava demanded.

“Everybody knows the story of the Eff bloodline,” Xenia mocked.

“Everybody except for me,” Ava thought.

“Enlighten me,” Ava said, feeling more and more uncomfortable by her lack of what seemed to be basic knowledge.

Xenia didn’t need to be asked twice. She inhaled and began:

“A long, long time ago the evil Xemlix were locked in an underworld dimension by Ayanna, a being from the Eff civilization, who could predict the future. Two great human warriors helped Ayanna find a place on Earth and live unharmed. They both hoped that their sons would be chosen as Ayanna’s life partner. Ayanna chose Richard, your great-great-grandfather and rejected Henry, my great-great-grandfather.”

“Ooooh,” Ava managed as all the pieces of the puzzle came together. Her eyes were wide with disbelief. Now Xenia’s behavior made much more sense. She hated her because Ayanna chose her bloodline over Xenia’s thus passing her future-telling skills down to… Ava. That’s why Xenia hated her guts and that’s why she tried to convince her that she was a mere human with no skills. But why was she changing her strategy now, Ava wondered.

“Meldrick is hiding important facts from you,” Xenia continued. “Has he mentioned your parents’ whereabouts?”

Ava was silent.

“I thought so,” Xenia continued. “I can take you to them.”

Ava would never go anywhere with a stranger, though she did follow Meldrick without any resistance but that was different. She had a good feeling about him. She felt the opposite about this girl.

“Meldrick hasn’t told you that your parents live on the Whale Island, has he?”

Ava hesitated. She didn’t want to be having this conversation but she had to admit to herself that she was a tad curious.

“Of course not, he hasn’t told you a thing,” Xenia hissed, not waiting for Ava to reply. “He knows that once your parents tell you the truth about him you will no longer feel about him the way you do.”

“You’re bluffing!” Ava raised her voice, irritated.

“Come see for yourself. I’ll be waiting at the bottom deck with a yacht in two hours.”

Ava wondered if she should believe anything Xenia said and thought about how dangerous it could be to go anywhere with her. But what if she was telling the truth? What if her parents were indeed alive and Meldrick carried some horrible secret he was hiding from her? No, that didn’t ring true. But what if it was?

After lunch, Ava went straight to her cabin. She was pleased that Daniela was already there, waiting for her with freshly brewed tea.

“Please, sit with me,” Ava said. “Daniela, I’m battling with a decision in my mind and I’m not sure what to do.”

“All I can suggest is that you follow your heart, Ava. Do what feels right.”

Ava knew that was the right answer but she felt like there was chaos in her heart and mind.

“What would you like to wear for the evening?” Daniela asked, changing the subject.

“Oh, just jeans and a t-shirt, please.”

“You might feel a little underdressed. All the ladies will be wearing formal gowns at dinner,” Daniela pointed out.

“I don’t think I’ll be going to dinner tonight. I’m planning on taking a short boat trip.”

“As you wish,” Daniela agreed and prepared Ava’s clothes as per her request.

***

Ava went down to the bottom deck at the indicated time. Xenia was already there waiting with a small motor boat, just as she said she would.

“That’s a good sign,” Ava thought. “Hopefully she can keep a promise.” Ava stepped into the motor boat and Xenia turned on the ignition without a word. The engine roared so loudly that it wouldn’t be possible to have a conversation anyway, not that Ava felt like talking to a person who had been threatening her and treating her like an intruder since the day she arrived.

Normally Ava would never go anywhere with a person like Xenia but she felt confident with her newly-acquired skills and her human curiosity won this time.

Ava looked around and took in her surroundings. The violet waters were sparkling in the moonlight and a little mengo was jumping up and down along the boat keeping them company. The engine was humming monotonously. 

Suddenly the waters turned from deep purple to menacing red. Xenia stopped the engine.

“You fool!” she roared. “You really thought I would take you on a sightseeing trip?” she said spitting hatred with every word she spoke. “You can’t come to my homeland and claim Meldrick as if he were your possession. I’ve been in love with him since the day I saw him and then you come along and ruin everything. You have no idea what it feels like to be betrayed by the man you love!”

“Actually, I do,” Ava interrupted.

“Silence!” Xenia roared. “It was only a matter of time until Meldrick would notice me but you ruined everything! He’s too busy making scenes around the ship to even acknowledge other women.”

“What about my parents?” Ava asked. “Is it true that they are alive?” she demanded.

“Well, it looks like you’ll never find out, will you?” said Xenia approaching her slowly. “This is loaded,” she said pulling a gun out of her pocket. “I will kill you in exactly 60 seconds. Count!” she commanded.

Ava shook with fear and said nothing.

“Count!” Xenia roared pointing the gun at Ava’s face.

Ava opened her mouth but nothing came out as if her words were stuck deep down her throat.

“I said, count,” said Xenia slowly, as if to a child.

“One, two, three…” Ava whispered, tears forming in her eyes. Xenia’s expression was full of sadistic content.

“10, 11, 12…” Ava couldn’t believe that her life that had recently become so wonderful would now end like this.

“21, 22…” Everything she learnt from Meldrick would be wasted.

“31, 32…” Or maybe it wouldn’t? A flicker of hope lit in her heart. “I am one with this gun”, she thought. 

“41, 42…” She took a deep breath between the numbers she was reciting. With her mind she gently directed the gun toward the sea. Xenia was so busy staring at Ava and smiling a wicked smile that she didn’t notice the slight movement. As soon as she realized Ava was using her magic on her she pulled the trigger. Ava felt the speed of the bullet but instead of hitting her, it made a disturbance in the water. Ava used the few seconds of chaos to kick the gun from Xenia’s hand. She in return started pulling on Ava’s hair desperately trying to kick her out of the boat. Ava struggled, trying to stay onboard, but Xenia was fierce and faster. Ava wanted to use her magic again but couldn’t. She wasn’t able to do it while fighting and fearing for her life. Xenia finally managed to kick her out into the red waters roaring, “Die!”

Ava saw the motorboat disappear into the horizon. The water she was swimming in was scarlet red and it was pulling her in with more and more might. Ava was a good swimmer but this looked hopeless. It would really be her end. If only she had waited for Meldrick to come back and asked him all the questions she had. How could she have been so naive? Just as she was feeling her strength leave her she heard familiar squeaking. She hadn’t noticed the orange dolphin in the red water but her mengo friend appeared before her at just the right moment. He seemed to be unaffected by the strange pull of the water. Looking into its friendly eyes, she remembered that Meldrick mentioned they could travel vast distances without needing to rest and were unaffected by many physical phenomena.

Ava held on to the mengo who squeaked with delight and pulled her out of the menacing red waters into the calm violet sparkling sea.

***

As soon as the shape-shifting Xemlix marched out of the Opera House, most of the reporters ran away but it only took a few to cover the event. That evening the whole world saw what no human being should ever be exposed to.

***

“What’s the fear level?” Tiluk asked of his Terror Team.

“We are now at 47 units. The Sydney event raised the fear level by 17 units. The hybrid was right.”

“Very good,” said Tiluk. “If only we can get that number to 50, we will be able to materialize on Earth in greater numbers and when we get to 100, which shouldn’t be a problem with so many Xemlix on Earth, the Lapo dimension will cease to be,” he calculated. Tiluk’s performance was certainly pleasing Lord Slith; maybe Tiluk’s life wouldn’t end prematurely after all.

***

Meldrick returned to Lapo and stormed into the Operations Center.

“Jovius,” he said, “the Xemlix are growing stronger and stronger with the clone at their side. You are a descendant of the great wizard, what are your thoughts?”

Jovius ran his hand down his long gray beard, his blue eyes sparkling, his expression solemn.

“Only the descendants of the Eff are able to lock the Xemlix in their dimension. You know what you have to do. It’s time.”

“But Ava only started awakening her powers. How can she possibly lock the Xemlix in their dimension?”

“We’re running out of time. The Xemlix have materialized on Earth and humans are petrified. The fear rate will start growing exponentially if we don’t interfere,” said Jovius.

“I’m sure we can do something without risking Ava’s life,” Meldrick protested.

“You have grown fond of this human-Eff girl and you want to protect her just like you’ve protected her all her life. But you need to bring her to Earth fast or else… the unthinkable will happen.”

Meldrick rushed to Ava’s cabin only to find Daniela preparing the rooms for the night.

“Daniela, do you know where Miss Davenport is dining?” he asked.

“Sir Richglow, I’m afraid she left for a boat ride,” Daniela informed him.

“A boat ride? With whom?” Meldrick ran to the bottom deck to ask the operators who Ava left with and when the answer was “Xenia”, for the first time Meldrick realized what a threat that human had been all this time. He looked back at Ava’s first night in Lapo and recalled Xenia’s bizarre behavior. He didn’t think much of it then but now that he put the puzzles together, he felt a shiver creep down his spine.

He took his Aria yacht and sped with all the boat’s might disappearing into the horizon. There was only one place Xenia could have taken her.

When Meldrick reached the point where the purple ocean turned to red, he stopped the engine. He looked at the portal to the Darth dimension, a pitiful place whose inhabitants were in a constant state of confusion and from which there was no way out.

“No!” he screamed as he realized he must have arrived too late. Ava was nowhere to be seen and neither was Xenia’s boat.

Meldrick sat at the edge of his beloved Aria and thought how blessed he was to have had Ava in his life. He thought of her delicate skin, her sweet lips, her endless enthusiasm. He wondered what she could have done to defend herself alone with a person as cruel as Xenia but couldn’t think of anything. He hoped not all was lost but for the first time in his life he felt completely helpless. His life didn’t have meaning any more, the Lapo would shortly cease to be and the humans would become Xemlix slaves, mere fear generators. 

Suddenly the squeaking of a mengo pulled him out of his thoughts.

“What is it, boy?” he asked. The little fellow kept jumping up and down pointing toward an island on the horizon.

“Let’s go,” Meldrick said.

Meldrick was right behind the mengo, who was a fast swimmer but not as fast as Meldrick’s boat. He followed the mengo patiently at half speed hoping it wasn’t wasting his time. When they got near the shore, his eyes widened and the sparkle that usually inhabited them returned. He saw Ava lying silently on the shore, her skin blue, her body shivering with cold, surrounded by a group of mengo hugging her to keep the little heat left in her from leaving her body.

Meldrick jumped out of the boat with a blanket which he wrapped over her tightly.

“Love of my life,” he said in his deep soothing voice. He knew she would be all right.

“Drink this,” he said pouring a golden liquid into her throat. Within minutes Ava’s skin regained its usual pink hue, she stopped shivering and regained her regular good cheer.

“Is this the liquid you gave Chloe when she was held captive by Victor?” Ava asked.

“No, my love, this is just regular ambrosia. We keep that liquid for severe cases,” he chuckled.

Ava held him tightly, her eyes sparkling with gratefulness to Meldrick and to her mengo friends.

Meldrick thanked the little creatures by giving them their favorite treats and placed Ava safely aboard the Aria. 

When they got back to the Lapo Princess, Meldrick ordered dinner to Ava’s cabin.

“Spaghetti alle vongole?” Ava asked, surprised when their plates arrived.

“I’ve recently learnt that it’s one of your favorites,” Meldrick winked. Their familiar chatter made Ava feel almost as if nothing had happened. Almost.

“I have some questions,” she said.

“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t,” Meldrick replied, looking at her lovingly.

“Xenia said she would take me to my parents who would reveal a secret you’re hiding from me,” she said, astonished that she managed to sum up the whole day in one sentence.

“My love, you’ve only been in the Lapo dimension for a few days and I didn’t want to overwhelm you. We will visit your parents whenever you wish. And the only secret they might reveal is something you know already — it’s my profound and sincere love for you,” he said as he raised his hand to her cheek and met her lips with his.

The small amount of tension that still lived within Ava’s body now dissolved completely as she lost herself in Meldrick’s loving kiss.

“Tell me about my parents,” Ava said as soon as he loosened his embrace.

“You are a descendant of an Eff woman named Ayanna and a human named Richard. The Eff were known for their abilities to foretell the future but they were slaughtered by the Xemlix. Only Ayanna survived. She was rescued by the Lapo and brought to Earth to live a regular human life in hiding. Her offspring inherited her abilities, though those abilities weaken from generation to generation.

Your mother fought in a great battle between the Lapo and the Xemlix some 30 years ago. She was captured by Lord Slith who had her witness all the evil the Xemlix were doing on Earth. Your mother tried to do what Ayanna achieved — to capture them in their dimension but she managed only partly. Some Xemlix are locked there forever but others can freely pass through their portal and visit Earth if they generate enough fear. And your mother, she, um,” Meldrick’s voice broke.

“What? What about her?” Ava prompted.

“She lost her abilities and most of her recollection of the past.”

Ava’s whole demeanor sank. She couldn’t bear the thought that her mother might not recognize her own daughter.

“Is that why they disappeared when I was a baby?”

“Yes,” said Meldrick. “They gave you into the excellent care of your Aunt Sybilla who is a Lapo being but volunteered to raise you on Earth.”

“She gave up all this luxury to raise me?” Ava couldn’t believe what she just heard. Now all the stories Aunt Sybilla told her as a child flashed before her eyes and for the first time in her life they truly made sense. They were not just fairytales, they were real stories but from another dimension. All these years Aunt Sybilla had been educating Ava about Lapo history and Lapo news.

“She drops by every now and then,” Meldrick said, hoping to lift Ava’s spirits. “When she says she goes to visit her school girlfriends, she’s not lying — they all live here!”

Ava now recalled how every now and then Aunt Sybilla would disappear for a few days. Now everything made sense. Ava couldn’t forgive herself that she had always treated Aunt Sybilla as an eccentric lady fond of babbling nonsense. Now that she realized how much her aunt sacrificed to raise her and to keep her safe she wanted to embrace her and make sure she knew how grateful Ava was. 

“Can I see her?” she asked Meldrick hopefully. “Can I see her next time she visits?”

“Of course, my love,” Meldrick replied, lifting a weight from her heart she never even realized she was carrying.

“How’s your spaghetti alle vongole?” Meldrick asked, trying to lighten up the conversation.

Ava looked at her plate of now cold pasta and replied, “Anything is delicious if I have it in your company.”

Meldrick was relieved that her spirits had lifted especially since he would have to drop a bomb of galactic proportions onto her shortly.

***

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, this is the evening news,” a reporter said with Sydney Opera House in the background.

“I am covering the premiere of the Illusionists here in the Sydney Opera House and we are witnessing the most unusual sight: Spectators are walking out… wait! No! Running out of the opera… an hour before the scheduled ending of the show! They are chased by… What? I see three-headed monsters! One-eyed worms! Dragons breathing fire! They look unbelievably realistic! We did not expect the show to take place outside the Opera House premises. 

Tons of spectators are running away in panic but wait! Not only them! I see other reporters packing their bags and hitting the road! Is this a real threat? Who knows? There’s so much chaos here right now that I’m not sure whether this is a planned part of the spectacle. Well, it must be, right? How else can we explain all these monsters running around?”

Families around the world covered their children’s eyes as soon as they saw the evil shape-shifted Xemlix beings on TV. Some people watched in horror, some in disgust, most both in horror and disgust.

Suddenly the TV viewers witnessed a huge octopus monster lurking behind the reporter. 

“This certainly is an amusing outcome of tonight’s Illusionists premiere,” continued the journalist. “Nobody expected the show to move to the outdoors but, hey, now we can all have fun.” The eight-legged monster was moving closer and closer, scaring dozens of people on its way. Suddenly it breathed out a cloud of black smoke onto the reporter and his equipment. Viewers around the world saw their TV screens go black.

 “Unfortunately we lost connection with the live report form the Sydney Opera House,” a female journalist took over from the studio. “We are wondering what happened during the Illusionists premiere. With us, we have a special effects expert who will explain how the performers managed to create such a show. Please tell us how such effects are possible.”

The special effects expert seemed to be gathering his thoughts and obviously struggled at coming up with an explanation. Finally he managed, “I had a hand in the production of the show and I’m responsible for its special effects but this, we, um… we… did not plan.”

“What do you mean? How could this not have been planned? Are you saying the monsters running around Sydney Opera House premises are not part of the show’s special effects?”

“Um…no,” the expert struggled.

“Well, then how can we explain this?” the journalist pressed him, raising her voice.

“I really don’t know but these are not special effects. To me it looked like those monsters were… um… real.”

“Thank you for your opinion,” the journalist cut him off. “Ladies and gentlemen, we just received a call from our National Space Agency and we will now connect with their spokesperson.” 

“Good evening. We don’t get a call from the Space Agency every day,” laughed the journalist nervously.

“Good evening,” said the spokesperson. “I will be making an announcement on behalf of the National Space Agency. For years we have been deliberately keeping important facts about our universe to ourselves, never releasing them to the public. It has been for your own good. We have done it to create peace of mind for the human race. Today this is about to change. What you know as Earth is home not only to humans. It’s home to many dimensions inhabited by many different beings, some benevolent, some evil. The monsters you have witnessed at the Sydney Opera House are beings from a dimension known as the Xemlix. We were able to keep them at bay for years but for some reason they have now decided to manifest on Earth. One thing is certain — they are not a friendly species. The Space Agency’s official recommendation is to stay at home and avoid big events like the Sydney one as these beings might repeat their attack.”

CHAPTER 9

“How are you feeling, my love?” Meldrick asked as soon as Ava woke up. 

“Better but I’m still a little overwhelmed with all that has happened in the last few days.”

“That’s understandable. It’s a lot to take in. This is exactly why I wanted to tell you about all of this one thing at a time.”

“You don’t have to be so careful with me, mister,” said Ava, seductively wanting to change the subject and delight in Meldrick’s presence without distractions. She pulled on his perfectly groomed hair and brought his lips to hers. Meldrick welcomed her invitation and deepened the kiss passionately.

“Now I feel much better,” Ava beamed. Meldrick laughed. A lot was going on but Ava somehow managed to get his mind off the current events, even if just for a few moments.

“You know that I can see the future?” Ava said with a smile, “and I see two people kissing on the bed and one of them is you!”

Meldrick smiled. He lay next to Ava and acted out the scenario she had foretold.

“See? It’s working!” Ava laughed. Meldrick laughed too, again for just a few moments he managed to forget Earth’s and Lapo’s difficult situation.

“You are laughing, my dear, but with a little practice you will really be able to tell the future,” Meldrick said.

Ava cocked her head and said, “Let’s do it. I’m ready. Teach me how to do it.” Meldrick laughed again. 

“I can’t teach you everything because I don’t have this ability myself but I can tell you how to prepare yourself to awaken it. I’ll take you to people who can help you and I’ll always be by your side.” Ava looked at him intently.

“Well, I can certainly teach you the basics,” he responded to her unasked question.

“I’m all ears,” Ava said.

“One of the first signs that you can tell the future is that people feel better around you. And I certainly do, although,” Meldrick ran a hand through his messy hair, “I am biased,” he said and smiled sheepishly.

“The ability to tell the future is called precognition and it’s the byproduct of other skills you must master, like telepathy. I can help you with that,” he smiled. “Your physical body does not participate in telepathy, so you need to shift your attention away from it. Relaxing your body is key to that.”

Ava took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes. Meldrick nodded in acknowledgement.

“If you want to send someone a message using telepathy, the most important aspects to develop are willpower and concentration.”

Ava frowned.

“You need to unblock your energy body and decouple energetically from other consciousness.”

Ava’s expression turned into a question mark.

“When you are in a receiving mode, you could potentially read anybody’s mind but that would create incredible chaos in your mind. That’s why you need to focus on the person you want to send or receive a message from.”

Ava stayed in her pose, her features relaxing.

“At first you will recognize another person’s thought when it’s evidently different from anything you could come up with yourself.”

You are a beautiful creature. I’ve fallen in love with you since the moment I saw you. I never allowed these feelings to surface but now that I have you here in my dimension, I’m so glad I can acknowledge my love for you and that you have accepted it.

“I didn’t know you’ve loved me for so long before,” Ava said.

“You’re doing it!” Meldrick cheered.

“Doing what?” 

“You just received my thoughts!”

“What thoughts?” Ava asked, puzzled.

“When I said I’ve always loved  you — I didn’t say that out loud, I only thought it!”

Ava jumped from where she was sitting.

“Really? That’s incredible!” she cheered.

“You, you, are incredible,” Meldrick said.

Meldrick left Ava in her cabin, content that she was awakening more and more abilities at such a fast pace. He cherished the moments in which he could forget about the gravity of the current interdimensional situation but now it was time to face it. He rushed over to the Operations Center and saw Jovius slouched over some papers.

“Sir Richglow,” Jovius greeted him.

“Jovius,” Meldrick acknowledged him. “Do we have any news?”

“Yes, the mainstream television featured the Xemlix beings in their monstrous shape-shifted form. The footage circled the globe.”

Meldrick hid his head in his hands.

“Anything else?” he asked.

“Yes, the Earth’s Space Agency made a statement — they told humans about other dimensions and informed them they were not sure of the Xemlix agenda.”

“Finally!” Meldrick cried. “I was wondering how much longer they would be keeping humans in the dark. Now that they’ve made the announcement, maybe a human-Lapo treaty would be possible? The Xemlix are too hollow to even think about it — maybe that could be our chance,” Meldrick wondered.

“You still want to do it without the girl, don’t you?” said Jovius. “You want to save the world without the only person who can lock those Xemlix in the underworld once and for all.”

“She’s not ready yet,” Meldrick argued. “She’s only started developing her abilities.”

“You keep saying that and I understand but bear in mind that if your plan doesn’t work, the fear level on Earth will get so high that it’ll be almost impossible to defeat them then.”

“Yes, Jovius. I’m aware of that.”

“The future of the humans and the Lapo lies in your hands,” Jovius stressed. “Yours and Ava’s.”

Meldrick had to come up with a plan fast. He had to make sure Ava was developing her abilities while he was on Earth. And sooner or later he would need to tell her for what purpose he wanted her to use those abilities. He wondered how Ava would respond to being the only one who could save the Lapo from extinction and the humans from slavery.

“Do you think we could manage to educate humans about the Stream one by one? Like we did with Ava? In their dreams?” Meldrick asked hopefully.

“I’m not the oracle,” Jovius replied. “You know who can answer that.” 

Meldrick was trying to protect Ava from all this Lapo-human-Xemlix business. After all it was what he’d always done. He dedicated his life to protect the oracle. And now he’d fallen in love with her. He knew Jovius was right. Only Ava could end this seemingly never-ending invisible war between the Lapo and the Xemlix. He hoped he could stop time and let Ava enjoy Lapo and fully understand her situation before throwing her into a battle with the cruelest beings in the universe.

***

“Beep, beep, beep,” went the signal in the National Space Agency Extraterrestrial Communication office.

“There’s a message,” said one operator to the other, “play it.”

“You can play it too, you know, I think you know how to press a button,” said the other one annoyed.

Finally, the first operator pressed the button. A holographic figure appeared in the middle of the room. That was nothing unusual. It was standard operating procedure to communicate with extraterrestrials this way.

“This is an important message to humankind,” said Meldrick in holographic form. “Make sure to spread it far and wide or else both our worlds will cease to be. The Sydney event, footage of which has circled the globe, was no accident. It was a deliberate attempt of evil beings known as the Xemlix to create fear so that they can follow their evil agenda. And their agenda is to destroy humankind as it’s known today.

Not so long ago our kind helped lock those evil beings in an underworld where they could no longer cause any harm. They managed, however, to find a way to keep growing by generating human fear. Their purpose is to enslave planet Earth and use humans as mere fear generators. So far they are succeeding.

My name is Meldrick Richglow and I am from the Lapo dimension. We are benevolent beings who thrive on human love. The more love on Earth, the larger our dimension. As opposed to that, the more fear on Earth, the larger the Xemlix dimension and the bigger they get, the more planets they will enslave.

My proposal is to work together. We are both interested in keeping love and peace on Earth, aren’t we? That’s why I bring  you knowledge that deep down in your soul, you have already internalized. But you have unlearned it through years of programming by your parents, teachers and mass media.

There is a Stream of well-being. And when you connect to that stream you can only feel the emotion of love and joy. When you are truly connected you don’t even have access to other feelings because they vibrate on different, lower frequencies. If all humans were connected to the Stream, you wouldn’t even notice the monstrous Xemlix beings trying to frighten you. You would be like two different radio programs — one couldn’t interfere with the other.

To access those high frequencies of love you must learn to meditate, clear your mind and practice to bless everything around you. That blessing can be done with imagery or touch but the most usual and easy way to do it is with words. 

The main kinds of verbal blessing are: 

Admiration — this is the giving of compliments or praise to something good that you notice. For example, ’What a beautiful sunset!’; “I like that flower”; ”You're such a wonderful person". 

Another way to bless is through affirmation — this is a specific statement of blessing for increase or endurance. For example, ’I bless the beauty of this tree’; ‘Blessed be the health of your body’. 

Then there is appreciation — this is an expression of gratitude that something good exists or has happened. For example, ’Thank you for helping me’; ’ Give thanks to the rain for nourishing the land’. 

Finally there is anticipation — this is blessing for the future. For example,‘We're going to have a great picnic’; ‘I bless your increased income’; ‘Thank you for my perfect mate’; ‘I wish you a happy journey’; ’May the wind be always at your back’.

In order to gain the most benefit from blessing, you will have to give up or cut way down on the one thing that negates it: cursing. This doesn't mean swearing or saying ’bad’ words. It refers to the opposite of blessing, namely criticizing instead of admiring; doubting instead of affirming; blaming instead of appreciating; and worrying instead of anticipating with trust. Whenever any of these are done they tend to cancel out some of the effects of blessing. So the more you curse, the harder it will be and the longer it will take to get the good from a blessing. On the other hand, the more you bless the less harm any cursing will do. Here, then, are some ideas for blessing various needs and desires. Apply them as much as possible.

Health — bless healthy people, animals and even plants; everything which is well made or well constructed; and everything that expresses abundant energy.

Happiness — bless all that is good or the good that is in all people and all things; all the signs of happiness that you see, hear or feel in people or animals; and all potentials for happiness that you notice around you.

Prosperity — bless all the signs of prosperity in your environment, including everything that money helped to make or do; all the money that you have in any form; and all the money that circulates in the world.

Success — bless all signs of achievement and completion (such as buildings, bridges and sports events); all arrivals at destinations (of ships, planes, trains, cars and people); all signs of forward movement or persistence; and all signs of enjoyment or fun.

Confidence — bless all signs of confidence in people and animals; all signs of strength in people, animals and objects (including steel and concrete); all signs of stability (like mountains and tall trees); and all signs of purposeful power (including big machines, power lines).

Love and Friendship — bless all signs of caring and nurturing, compassion and support; all harmonious relationships in nature and architecture; everything that is connected to or gently touching something else; all signs of cooperation as in games or work; and all signs of laughter and fun.

Inner Peace — bless all signs of quietness, calmness, tranquility and serenity (such as quiet water or still air); all distant views (horizons, stars, the moon); all signs of beauty of sight, sound or touch; clear colors and shapes; the details of natural or made objects.

Spiritual Growth — bless all signs of growth, development and change in nature; the transitions of dawn and twilight; the movement of sun, moon, planets and stars; the flight of birds in the sky; and the movement of wind and sea.

These ideas are for guidance if you are not used to blessing but don't be limited by them. Remember that any quality, characteristic or condition can be blessed (for example, you can bless slender poles and slim animals to encourage weight loss), whether it has existed, presently exists, or exists so far in your imagination alone.

This is the only way to save Earth and Lapo from extinction. Please forward this message to your leaders, to your mass media, to your friends and make sure it circulates the globe.” 

With that Meldrick’s holographic image disappeared leaving the two operators bewildered.

“Let’s do what the hologram says,” said the first operator, “we can be the ones who get to save the world. This is the story I want to tell my grandchildren, when I find a woman who will want to have children with me.”

“Hold on, we can’t just send this message out without authorization. We need to take it to the CEO.”

“Are you kidding? With all the red tape, it’ll never see daylight before it’s too late. The message makes sense, the hologram is right, we have to spread it far and wide.”

“No there’s no way. Copy it for me and I’ll talk with the CEO.”

“Fine.”

***

“My love,” Meldrick greeted Ava, presenting himself at her doorstep after sending his message to Earth.

Ava welcomed him with a kiss.

“There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” 

“Really, who?” asked Ava excited.

“Your mother,” said Meldrick, his eyes sparkling. “And your father.”

“Really? Oh. My God. I can’t believe it! Am I ready?”

“You tell me, are you, my love?”

“Let’s go,” Ava cheered.

When they got to the bottom deck and boarded the Aria, Jovius was already waiting for them inside.

“This is Jovius,” said Meldrick. “He manages all our foreign operations and he is a descendant of the great wizard. He’s a very good wizard himself.”

“It’s a pleasure, Ava,” said Jovius, taking her hand into his.

“My pleasure,” Ava replied, staring at his long gray beard.

“Jovius will help your mother remember some important events that she might want to tell you about.”

“Oh, okay, thank you,” Ava said.

When everybody took their seats, Meldrick turned on the ignition and they sped through the sparkling violet waters, a warm breeze tickling their faces.

After a while Meldrick slowed down and the sound of the engine subsided. 

“This is the Whale Island,” said Meldrick pointing toward the land in front of them. “This is where your parents live.”

Ava’s heart started pounding so loudly that she was sure both Meldrick and Jovius could hear it. Panic raced through her body and her thoughts became a chaotic mess. “What am I going to tell them?” Ava wondered. “Hi, I’m your daughter. Why did you abandon me? What if they don’t recognize me? What if they don’t like me?” 

Meldrick noticed how pale Ava was and sat next to her.

“This is the moment both you and your parents have been waiting for for so long. It will bring many emotions. Some emotions that you never thought you were capable of feeling might surface. Don’t fight them. Let them be. Feel what you need to feel. Remember that even though this is an intense moment for you, it’s even more so for your parents. They had to separate from their beloved only child when you were only a baby. No parent should have to go through such an ordeal and no child should be left without its parents.”

Ava felt tears running down her cheeks, this time not so much for herself as for her parents as she imagined how grueling that experience must have been for them.

Ava, Meldrick and Jovius got to a white mansion. The entrance was supported by Gothic columns. Beautiful stairs led to the front door which was decorated with golden, flowery ornaments. 

Before they had a chance to knock, a middle-aged lady with blonde shoulder-length hair, blue eyes and red lips opened the door. She wore a sparkling pearl necklace, soft features and a comforting smile and had a unique sparkle in her eyes showing love, longing and wisdom.

“Ava,” she said as soon as she saw her. “My baby!”

“Mom!” Ava cried and she ran into her arms. Both were laughing and sobbing at the same time.

Meldrick and Jovius remained silent waiting for the two to connect before taking another step.

“Mom, I always believed that you were alive, always,” Ava confessed.

“I know. Your Aunt Sybilla told me when she visited. Knowing her loving care of you was how I managed to survive our separation. I missed you so much. You grew to be a beautiful woman, exactly as I always imagined you.”

“You are also as I always imagined you, Mom,” said Ava through her tears.

“Come inside,” Ava’s mom said to the group, gesturing to the grand salon in view. The interior of the mansion was as majestic as the Lapo Princess, if not more. The walls were covered with unique paintings Ava had never seen anywhere else. 

“Good to see you again, Oriana,” said Meldrick before making his way to the salon.

“Meldrick, Jovius,” Oriana greeted them.

“They’re beautiful,” said Ava pointing to a wall of paintings featuring a baby girl.

“Thank you, dear. It’s you. It’s what you looked like when you were little, when we had to separate,” Oriana said and her voice cracked.

“It’s okay, Mom,” Ava comforted her. The negative feelings she felt before coming to her parents’ mansion were gone. She was now feeling sorry for her mother, not for herself. She couldn’t imagine having to leave a child of her own under the care of another person, however suitable she might be.

“Ava, baby,” said a male voice from the distance. It belonged to a tall handsome man with tanned skin, dark eyes and short gray hair.

“Dad!” Ava ran to him. They connected in a loving embrace, tears trickling from Ava’s eyes.

“Finally,” said Dad.

When Ava released her father from her embrace, he noticed Meldrick and Jovius.

“Gentlemen,” he greeted them.

“Grimaldo,” they acknowledged him with a nod.

“Let’s all take a seat in the garden,” Oriana suggested and directed them outdoors. The garden overlooked the ocean and was equipped with comfortable white cushions and hammocks. The gentle breeze warmed their faces.

When they all made themselves comfortable, Oriana said, “Thank you so much for protecting my daughter and for bringing her here safely.”

Meldrick nodded. He tried to formulate the right words to tell the family that Ava would have to go back to Earth to face the Xemlix but nothing came to mind just yet.

“Not one day has passed that I didn’t think of you, Ava,” Oriana continued. “Seeing you here in one piece is more than I could ever ask for.”

“In one piece?” Ava wondered what her mother was referring to.

“What brings you here?” Oriana finally addressed Meldrick and Jovius. “I know Jovius has better things to do than go on a sightseeing trip,” she challenged.

“Oriana,” said Meldrick softly. “I was waiting for the right moment to tell Ava about the prophecy.”

Ava’s eyes widened. Oriana closed her eyes and nodded.

“My love,” Meldrick addressed Ava. Oriana and Grimaldo looked at him in shock. “You have learned so much about the world, about Lapo and about yourself in the last weeks. I was looking for the best time to tell you about the prophecy and now seems to be the right moment.” Meldrick took a deep breath. 

“This prophecy has been passed on by the Lapo for generations. It has never been written but every mother tells this story to her child and every child, in turn, to hers. The prophecy says that an Eff-human woman will be rescued by the Lapo from evil to take part in an exhausting battle with the Xemlix and to die for a noble reason.”

“You must be joking!” Ava cried. Oriana closed her eyes and sighed.

Meldrick looked at Grimaldo intently, silently asking for support.

“It’s true, darling daughter,” he said. “During the great battle in which your mother lost her powers, she became so weak and unresponsive that we were sure she was the one to fulfill the prophecy. But it wasn’t her and now you are of age in the midst of huge upheaval. We pray every day that you are not the one to have to fulfill it but…” his voice cracked, “it can only be you.”

Ava felt her heart pound. She couldn’t believe that she had met the man of her dreams, then was finally reunited with her parents, only to die!

“We don’t know if it’s true,” Meldrick said, trying to console her, “but all the previous prophecies were realized.”

“At least I’ll die for a noble reason,” Ava laughed nervously. 

“Prophecies,” Jovius said, “are only true the moment they are created. The mind can alter matter to move objects without touching them, the mind can read other people’s thoughts and the mind of an oracle can tell the future. A prophecy can be changed by a skilled mind. There’s no doubt about it.”

“Jovius,” said Meldrick sternly, “you are giving her hope even though no prophecy has ever been altered. We all want this prophecy to fail but it takes enormous power to change it.”

“The girl has that power within her,” Jovius said, his voice echoing around them. “We just need to help her awaken it.”

“You were the one who said we were running out of time!” Meldrick protested.

“We are but I’ve been observing her during this trip and I‘m now certain that she has within her everything we need to win this war.”

“Then we shall do all we can to awaken her talents,” decided Meldrick.

“Oriana,” Meldrick said. “To answer your previous question, Jovius is here because we would like to access the part of your mind that you can no longer access after what happened in the last battle. Will you allow us to talk to you under hypnosis?”

Oriana looked at her husband with a hint of uncertainty.

“For Ava’s sake,” Meldrick assured her.

Grimaldo nodded and smiled.

“Yes, I agree,” Oriana said.

Jovius pulled the cushion he was sitting on toward Oriana.

“Please place your hands in my palm,” he instructed. “Look in my eyes and press your hands to mine. One… two… three…” With his other hand Jovius covered Oriana’s eyes slowing shading them and caressing them down. “Four… five… six… seven… eight… nine… ten. It is very late. You are so tired. Do you feel your eyes getting droopy? Are you feeling drowsy? Doze off and sleep.” As soon as he said “sleep”, he slipped his hand away from Oriana’s eyes. Oriana looked in the distance as if she was in a different time and place.

“Oriana,” said Jovius, what did you learn from the great battle with the Xemlix?”

“The Xemlix are the cruelest beings in the universe and will not hesitate to kill, enslave or condemn anybody in order to reach their goals.” Oriana spoke with a strange accent. “The only way to defeat them is through the mind. It’s very tricky. You need to lower your vibrations to face them but with lower vibrations any super powers, such as mind reading, lose their strength as they are meant to be practiced at high vibrations. Only an experienced and determined mind can lower its vibrations and get into the Xemlix mind. That in itself is a challenging task. Once inside, you need to convince it to disappear, lock itself in its dimension or die. The latter is the most difficult of all.”

“How can an inexperienced mind accomplish that?” Jovius asked.

“Through this.” Oriana took off the sparkling pearl necklace she had around her neck. “In these pearls are hidden powers and talents of the Eff civilization. I got this necklace from my mother who got it from her mother and so on.”

Meldrick and Jovius exchanged glances.

“Here,” said Oriana, gesturing toward Ava. “May it give you courage, strength and the power to save us from those cruel beings.” She clasped the necklace around Ava’s neck. The pearls instantly lost their sparkle. When Oriana noticed Ava’s puzzled look, she said, “These pearls can only be worn by an Eff-human descendant. If anybody else wears them, they will immediately dematerialize. They will regain their sparkle as soon as you awaken your powers, Ava. They will help you learn everything much faster but without the pearls you will be powerless, so only wear them to learn skills you need to master in a hurry. It saved my life but it no longer serves me.”

“Thank you,” said Jovius and snapped his fingers.

Oriana’s demeanor changed and she said, “You look beautiful in my pearls, darling. I don’t remember giving them to you though.”

“You gave them to me while you were hypnotized, Mom,” Ava said shyly.

“Well, in that case,” said Oriana, “make good use of them.”

“I will,” Ava said determined.

“We have to get back to the Lapo Princess,” Meldrick announced. “Ava and I have some work to do.”

“Of course,” Oriana consented.

“Be safe, darling girl,” said Grimaldo as he hugged Ava goodbye.

“Visit often,” added Oriana softly, giving Ava a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you,” said Grimlado gratefully to Meldrick and Jovius.

The three climbed aboard the Aria and sped through the violet waters.

Jovius drove the boat allowing Ava and Meldrick to relax on the comfortable couches in the front.

Ava thought about how thoughtful it was of Meldrick to take her to her parents and bring Jovius so that she could gain insight from her mother’s recollection of the great battle. She looked at Meldrick and marveled at his impeccable tanned skin and brown sparkling eyes matching his dark hair. A powerful energy overwhelmed Ava and she thought, “I love you, Meldrick Richglow”.

“And I love you, Ava Davenport. I’ve loved you for a very long time,” said Meldrick. He looked lovingly into her eyes and said, “Your skills are getting stronger and stronger, my love, and with what you’re feeling you will get more and more powerful. The emotion of love vibrates at a high frequency — it’s the one that will allow you to access your mental powers with ease. And the most powerful type of love is unconditional love,” he said, stealing a kiss.

“Unconditional love?” Ava questioned as soon as Meldrick released her from his embrace.

“Yes, it’s love that stays equally powerful no matter what the conditions.”

“Like a mother’s love for a child?” Ava asked thinking about her mother.

“Exactly. Unconditional love is staying within the vibrations of the Stream regardless of the condition.”

“You’ll need to explain that a little better,” Ava challenged. 

“Conditional love says ‘I want to feel good and when I see that, I do but when I see that, I don’t. So, the condition has to change so that I can feel better’. Unconditional love says, ‘I am the Stream and I love regardless of the condition’.”

“It would be great to feel like that,” Ava whispered. 

“Yes, unconditional love is what everybody is reaching for. All joy is about coming into vibrational frequency with who you really are — the Stream. Love is vibrational alignment with the Stream. Unconditional love is vibrational alignment with the Stream, even if something you don’t want is happening.”

“Wow,” said Ava. “I’m not sure I’m able to love that way. Is there something I can do to practice the feeling of unconditional love even if things aren’t going my way?” 

“Glad you asked,” Meldrick smiled. “If you are in vibrational alignment with who you are, then you have love to give. So when things aren’t going the way you want, say ‘I love you so much I don’t care’.”

“How exactly will that help?” Ava wondered.

“If you are catering to what someone else wants, rather than to your own guidance, then you’re not connected to the Stream and you have nothing to give.”

“Mmm,” murmured Ava.

“You can’t cater to what you want, which is being connected to the Stream, and to someone else’s wants at the same time. So focus on what really maters to you.”

“To be connected to the stream,” Ava concluded.

“Precisely. When you are aligned with the Stream, you shine its energy on everybody around you and they will thrive.”

“I love this philosophy,” Ava chirped, realizing that she’d been thriving on Meldrick’s loving energy the whole time she’d been in Lapo. “I wonder why I’ve never heard of it before.”

“It’s not a very popular train of thought on Earth,” Meldrick answered.

“I’m hungry,” said Ava. “How much longer till we get to the Lapo Princess?”

“About 20 minutes,” Meldrick informed her.

“I wish we could just teleport the Aria and get there now,” Ava dreamed.

As soon as she spoke those words the beautiful Lapo Princess emerged on the horizon.

Meldrick’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“You just teleported us!” 

“I only wished…”

“Yes. With the magical necklace and your alignment with the Stream you are extremely powerful,” Meldrick concluded, still in shock.

“I love it,” said Ava. “I wish we were in my cabin eating spaghetti alle vongole.”

Next thing she knew, that’s exactly where they were!

“Your necklace, my love,” said Meldrick as soon as Ava teleported them to her cabin.

“What about it?” she asked.

“You need to remove it. Otherwise you won’t remember any of the new skills you learn without it.”

“Oh, okay,” Ava agreed and she gently removed the necklace.

“So, what are we going to learn now?” she asked.

“Another type of psychometry — the ability to read the history of an object by touching it.” Meldrick smiled mischievously. He pulled out what looked like a mini camera and stuffed it in Ava’s hand.

“I’ll walk you through it,” he said in his deep soothing voice. “Sit back and relax,” he commanded. Ava did as instructed. Meldrick took Ava’s right arm and held it straight out in front of her. 

“Don’t try to do anything or not to do anything,” he said. “Just let your arm be there. Eventually it will want to fall slowly, seemingly of its own accord. As it slowly falls, you will become more and more relaxed. When it reaches your lap, you will read the object.” 

For a while Ava’s hand and arm seemed to hang in the air. Then slowly it started to sink.

“Yes, that’s it,” said Meldrick. “More and more relaxed.”

By the time Ava’s hand rested on her lap she felt deeply at peace and relaxed. 

“Now I want you to go back in time to exactly one year ago,” Meldrick instructed. What do you see?”

“Me!” said Ava astonished. “I can see myself walking to my favorite coffee shop with my laptop in my bag. I look beautiful and I feel loved — unconditionally. Wow! How am I doing this?” Ava asked.

“All objects are made of atoms, which vibrate. They are capable of holding information within those vibrations. Some people, like you, are able to sense or feel those vibrations and sense or experience or just 'know' that information. You literally experienced the thoughts and events that happened to me a year ago.”

“Incredible,” Ava whispered.

“Depending on how connected to the Stream you are, you can use this technique to read locations of some objects, to see who touched them and what they were doing or talking about while touching them. It can be very, very useful,” Meldrick informed her.

“Got it,” said Ava.

“One more time,” instructed Meldrick. “Close your eyes.” He put a metal object in her hand.

“What do you see?”

“You!” cried Ava. “I see you going to the jeweler’s and… Oh. My. God!” she cried and instantly opened her eyes.

There was Meldrick kneeling in front of her grinning from ear to ear.

“Will you marry me?” he asked.

CHAPTER 10

Ava looked at the man kneeling in front of her. Feelings of love, joy and utter bliss stirred within her. How was it possible that this fine specimen of a man who could easily model for the cover of a fashion magazine was asking her to be his wife? Not only was he incredibly handsome, he was also the wisest, most caring, sophisticated gentleman she had the pleasure of knowing. She wondered if she could give him the highest possible type of love — unconditional love. She wasn’t sure but she was more than willing to try. Being taken to the Lapo dimension and spending time with Meldrick was the best thing that had ever happened to her. The answer was obvious.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” she cried in exhilaration. Meldrick’s features softened and he slid onto her finger the most exquisite ring she’d ever seen. It was made of platinum with ten diamonds decorating a huge sparkling diamond in the middle.

“It’s magnificent,” Ava cried, knowing that these words didn’t do the ring any justice.

“I’m glad you like it,” Meldrick winked.

“Like it? I love it!” Ava squealed.

She wondered what came over her that prompted her to accept a marriage proposal from Meldrick after knowing him for such a short time. Now she understood what people meant when they said, “You just know he’s the one.” Ava had doubts about marrying Barry. She didn’t have that ’just know’ feeling. Now she realized that when you have to ask yourself if he’s really the one, then he isn’t. “That’s what I need to write in my wedding article,” she thought.

When she was done admiring the ring from every angle, Meldrick said, “It’s not just a diamond. It has magical properties. Whenever you’re wondering about my whereabouts, look into this ring, focus on our love and it will reveal my precise location.”

“Really?” Ava asked, astonished.

“Yes, try it,” Meldrick suggested.

Ava thought about how wonderful she felt with this exquisite man by her side and looked into the diamond. She saw Meldrick in her cabin talking to her.

“It’s working!” she cheered. “What a thoughtful gift! I love that we’re engaged but I’m sure you do realize that humans usually wait longer than a couple weeks before agreeing to get married.”

“Yes, I know,” said Meldrick, his eyes looking lovingly at his bride-to-be. “But I’ve known you and loved you for years and I’ve never felt this way about anybody else.”

“Neither have I,” Ava confessed.

“Now shall we take a little trip to Earth?” Meldrick suggested. “I know your article is due and you might want to bring some of your belongings over. Maybe you could even talk to Chloe about your whereabouts.”

“Chloe? I don’t think she’d believe me. But I have to tell her I’m getting married. Maybe I shouldn’t mention my future husband is a resident of a different dimension, though.”

“I think she can take it,” Meldrick assured. “She recognized me when I rescued her from Victor. I think her mind is more open than you’re giving her credit for.”

“Only one way to find out,” Ava winked.

***

“There’s no way we’re distributing this to the mass media,” roared the CEO of the National Space Agency to the operator.

“But it’s the only way we can save the world from destruction and Earth from enslavement,” he pleaded.

“That’s not our job,” the CEO spat. “Our job is to protect humans from knowledge they’re unable to comprehend. Our announcement about the Sydney event blew their minds. They can’t take information like that. Besides, we already have a treaty, we’ve had it for years and it does not include the Lapo. Be gone!” he roared.

***

“Good morning, Jovius,” said Meldrick as he entered the Operations Center.

“Morning, sir.”

“What’s the status on Earth?” Meldrick asked.

“Mmm, I’m watching their news and it’s all about the Xemlix appearances getting more and more frequent. It looks like your message to Earth didn’t get through.”

“That explains a lot,” Meldrick sighed. “I knew that Space Agency is taking sides and if they’re not working with us…”

“They’re working with the enemy,” Jovius concluded.

“I’m afraid so. I need to get Ava to Earth. Otherwise some people might get suspicious. The clone won’t fool them for much longer.”

“I wish I could say it was safe,” said Jovius.

“I know the conditions are not the best but her powers are growing by the minute and she’ll wear her necklace. We’re not risking much.”

“Let’s hope so,” said Jovius. 

***

Even though humans were being terrorized by the Xemlix, many managed to have a semi-regular life, like these two teenagers named Teddy and Larry.

“What are you watching, Larry?” asked his younger brother, Teddy.

“Shh, it’s a message to humans from a guy from another dimension. Someone just posted this video and it already has a thousand views,” whispered Larry.

“What’s he saying?” wondered Teddy.

“He’s saying that beings named Xemlix want to destroy us and the only way we can save ourselves is by connecting to the stream.”

“What’s the stream?” Teddy asked.

“It’s a vibration or something, a frequency that we can vibrate at when we feel love and joy. This guy, Meldrick, says we need to practice it and feel it so that the bad guys don’t have access to us.”

“Like radio channels?” Teddy asked.

“Exactly,” agreed Larry. “You can’t listen to two channels at the same time. So if you’re vibrating at a high frequency you don’t have access to those vibrating at a low frequency and vice versa.”

“Makes sense,” agreed Teddy. “What else does he say?”

“He tells us how we can get there, to those high frequencies. Watch it for yourself,” Larry ordered, handing him his iPad. “Then send it over to your geek friends.” 

“Will do.”

***

“How’s that article coming along, my love?” asked Meldrick watching Ava scribble furiously. 

“I think the editor will really like it. There’s a lot of emotion packed in it.”

“I bet there is,” winked Meldrick. “How does it end?”

“Well, when you know, you know,” said Ava. “You know?” she added.

“I know. I’ve known for a while,” he said.

“I know,” Ava winked.

“Ready to go?” Meldrick asked.

“Ready.”

“Just one thing before we leave,” said Meldrick raising his hand to Ava’s face. He gently caressed her lips, which made her close her eyes and tilt her head. Then he ran his hand through her hair and gave her a profound kiss sending her to overdrive.

As soon as he released her from his powerful embrace Ava took a deep breath.

“It’s going to be a long trip if we continue this way,” she said.

“It might,” winked Meldrick. “Your necklace, my love.”

Ava clasped the pearls around her neck.

“Let’s go,” she ordered.

When they got to the bottom deck, the Aria was already waiting.

“My lady,” said Meldrick, dramatically offering his hand to help her climb aboard.

“Why, thank you,” Ava responded, executing a perfect curtsy.

Meldrick turned on the ignition, set the Aria music and sat next to Ava on the comfortable couch.

“Don’t you have to drive?” Ava asked.

“No,” grinned Meldrick. “Autopilot, Lapo technology,” he said, holding her in his chiseled arms.

“So what do you like about the Lapo dimension?” he asked, caressing her back.

“Most of all, you,” Ava laughed.

“Good answer,” winked Meldrick. “And apart from me?”

“I really like my powers,” Ava confessed. “I used to be ambivalent about all things supernatural. I never truly doubted them because of all those stories Aunt Sybilla would tell me when I was little but never in my wildest dreams did I think I could read objects, read minds or teleport myself.”

“Would you like to teleport us now?” Meldrick asked.

“Not really. I’m enjoying the moment,” Ava said with a wink.

“So am I,” whispered Meldrick, his breath tingling Ava’s ear. Then he gently brought Ava’s chin toward him and said, “You, Ava Davenport, are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

“Likewise,” Ava managed before Meldrick locked his lips onto hers and didn’t release her until she was out of breath.

“I’d never want to teleport myself from this,” Ava thought.

 After what seemed like only a few seconds, Meldrick announced, “We’ll be crossing the portal in a minute.”

“Already?” Ava asked disappointed. 

“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice but for those who love, time is eternity,” recited Meldrick.

“You are quite the expert when it comes to human literature,” complimented Ava.

“I’m an expert on various matters,” winked Meldrick.

Ava’s cheeks flushed crimson.

“Here we go!” cried Meldrick as he held Ava’s hand.

Next thing they knew they were on the other side enjoying the distant view of Hamilton’s shores.

“Earth,” said Ava. “It feels good to be back.”

They took the regular route to Ava’s hometown. First the black convertible, then the jet followed by the black Maserati.

“I could get used to traveling like this,” Ava said once they entered the streets she knew so well.

“I couldn’t be happier if you did,” said Meldrick.

When they got to Ava’s apartment, Meldrick instructed, “I’ll get in first and deactivate the clone we sent in your place. It’s never a good idea to meet with clones while they’re active.”

“Wasn’t the clone in the Xemlix dimension?”

“Yes, but we sent the other one here — very low profile — mainly to keep Chloe happy.”

“That’s very thoughtful,” said Ava. “But won’t the Xemlix notice?”

“No, they’re too busy devising their evil plan.”

Meldrick gave Ava a quick kiss on the lips and left her in the car. Several minutes later he called for her.

“All clear,” he said. 

Ava entered her apartment. 

“It’s just the way I left it,” she said looking at her colorful room. “I only need this,” she grabbed her laptop.

“Any clothes?” asked Meldrick.

“No. Not with the closet I have in my cabin back on the Lapo Princess.”

“We aim to please,” Meldrick grinned. “Where to now?” he asked.

“Come, I’ll show you.”

Ava led Meldrick to the coffee shop on the other side of the road.

“This used to be my favorite place to write,” she said.

“I know,” said Meldrick in his deep soothing voice.

“Of course,” Ava laughed. “Give me half an hour. I’ll finish this wedding article and we can leave.”

“Take your time, my love,” said Meldrick looking around the coffee shop. His eyes stopped at the TV hanging from the wall. The news channel was on and the reporter was giving an update on the Xemlix situation.

“As recommended by the National Space Agency, we urge you to stay at home to avoid any possible future attacks.”

“Fear,” Meldrick thought, “the ultimate weapon to divide and rule.” He scanned the coffee shop for possible reactions. Most patrons were buried in deep conversation or glued to their computer screens. He watched amused as a teenage boy skillfully played a computer game featuring multiple worlds. Suddenly, it beeped and a message popped up, “Hey, it’s Teddy. Watch this now.” The teenager sighed annoyed, put his game on pause and opened the video. Meldrick couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw himself on the boy’s computer screen giving the speech to the National Space Agency. “Not all is lost,” he thought, relieved. He turned around so that the boy wouldn’t recognize him. Ava was typing furiously, so Meldrick didn’t disturb her.

“Anything for the two of you?” the waitress asked.

“Oh, two espressos, please,” said Meldrick, looking at Ava for approval. She nodded.

“Coming right up,” said the waitress.

“Hey, you,” called the teenager pulling his chair over to Meldrick, “you’re the guy from the video!”

“Meldrick Richglow, pleased to meet you,” said Meldrick smoothly extending his hand to the boy.

“I’m Roger. Oh my god! Are you really from another dimension?” the boy whispered.

“I come from the Lapo dimension and I am here to help humans defeat the evil Xemlix who want to enslave this beautiful planet.”

“Yes, I watched the video. This is so cool! I can’t wait to tell my friends I met you! Can we take a selfie?” Roger flipped out his phone.

“Yes, I suppose so,” Meldrick agreed.

“Thanks a million! So how can I help?”

“You would help us immensely if you shared the video you watched.”

“No problem. I have like a thousand friends online. What else?”

“Practice connecting to the Stream and urge your friends to do so.”

“Yes, but I want to do something, something other than sharing videos and practicing feeling good.”

“You want to live out what you do in your video games, don’t you?” Meldrick smiled.

“Something like that,” Roger admitted.

“Give me your phone number and I’ll let you know when we need you.”

Roger gave Meldrick his digits eagerly. “I won’t let you down,” he promised and got back to his computer.

“Done,” said Ava as soon as the boy left.

“With your article?” Meldrick asked.

“Yes, I sent it over. We can go now.”

“Wherever you want, my love.”

“To Chloe’s,” she said and got up.

Meldrick paid for their espressos and joined Ava by the door.

“Would you like to have some girl time with Chloe, my love?” he asked.

“No way! I’m getting married and she has to see my husband-to-be!” 

Meldrick smiled.

Ava knocked on Chloe’s door hesitantly. After a short while Chloe opened.

“Chloe!” Ava cried and wrapped her in her arms tightly. “I missed you!”

“Uhh, are you okay, girl? We watched a movie last night. You missed me so much since then?”

Ava realized that her clone was doing its job better than expected. She wondered whether she should explain everything to Chloe or play along. She decided on the latter.

“This is Meldrick,” said Ava, gesturing toward her husband-to-be.

“Yes, we’ve met,” Chloe smiled. She owed him her life.

“So what’s this unexpected visit about?” Chloe asked.

Ava smiled mischievously and lifted her hand shoving the finger with her sparkling engagement ring in front of Chloe’s face.

“No!” cried Chloe. “I can’t believe it! Congratulations!”

“Thank you,” said Ava proudly.

“You’ll be marrying the man of your dreams,” Chloe concluded.

“I couldn’t agree with your more,” Ava winked both at Chloe and at Meldrick.

Ava decided that she wouldn’t let Chloe in on her Lapo secret just yet.

“Okay, I just wanted to introduce Meldrick to you officially as my fiancé but now we have to get going. Meldrick’s leaving shortly and I’ll see you later.”

“Later, Ava,” Chloe said.

As soon as Chloe closed the door, Ava took a deep breath.

“I couldn’t tell her yet,” she said to Meldrick.

“It’s probably for the best,” he comforted her. “Now where to?” he asked.

“That’s it. Let’s go back,” said Ava.

“We have to pay another visit to your apartment and activate the clone.”

“Oh, yes, good thinking.”

“It’ll only take a few minutes,” Meldrick assured her.

“Take your time, my love,” Ava smiled. Meldrick’s eyes sparkled as he heard the last two words.

When Meldrick returned from Ava’s apartment, they got into the black Maserati and turned up the Aria music.

“I’m so glad we came,” Ava said.

“So am I,” agreed Meldrick.

“Do you think the boy from the coffee shop could be of any help?” Ava wondered.

“I think he could,” said Meldrick slowly. “Yes, meeting him might have been a critical moment in this operation.”

They took the jet and boarded the convertible Maserati. When they got off they enjoyed their stroll toward the yachts.

“It’s such a beautiful day here on Earth,” Ava said. “Can we stay here for dinner? I miss Earth food.”

Meldrick knew they should be going back to Lapo but he found it difficult to resist his bride-to-be’s request.

“How about there?” he pointed to a white building a few blocks from them.

“Fine food and wine,” Ava read the letters above the entrance. “Looks good,” she agreed.

“Good evening,” the waiter greeted them. “Table for two?”

“Yes, please,” said Meldrick. The waiter directed them to a table overlooking the harbor. Caribbean music was playing in the background. The waiter immediately placed menus in front of the couple. 

“Mmm, roast rack of lamb for me please,” said Ava before the waiter managed to bring their water.

“And for you, sir?”

“I’ll have what the lady’s having,” Meldrick said calmly.

When the waiter left, Ava looked into Meldrick’s eyes.

“Is everything okay, my love?” she asked.

Meldrick smiled at the sound of the last two words she uttered.

“For now, yes,” he said solemnly, “but we should be getting back to Lapo now. If a Xemlix hybrid sees you with me, we’ll be in grave danger.”

“I don’t want you to be sitting here worrying.” 

Ava called the waiter. 

“Can you please pack the food to go?”

“We don’t do doggie bags, miss.”

“It’s an emergency, we have to leave now,” Ava whispered. Meldrick watched her with amusement.

“Fine,” the waiter conceded, “but don’t let anyone see you leaving with boxes,” he whispered back. “We’re a traditional restaurant.”

“Your secret is safe with us,” said Ava locking her lips with an invisible zipper.

They left the restaurant and strolled toward the Aria. Ava noticed Meldrick’s faster pace and tried to keep up. When they were just a few yachts away from the Aria, a group of men got out of one of the boats and blocked the way.

CHAPTER 11

“We meet again,” hissed Victor. “Isn’t this little Miss Ava Davenport? If so, who exactly is residing in the Xemlix dimension now?” 

Victor stared both at Ava and Meldrick menacingly. “You gave us a clone!” Victor roared. “You will pay for this dearly. Say goodbye to your little friend,” roared Victor toward Meldrick.

“Gentlemen,” called Victor to the group of men behind him. “Now!” 

The men started transforming into terrible monsters with multiple heads, arms and legs. They were breathing out fire and roaring as they approached Ava and Meldrick. Meldrick took out a knife ready to defend Ava and himself. One of the beasts raised its arm and punched Meldrick in the guts. He roared with pain and dropped to the ground.

Ava was terrified but she remembered everything Meldrick told her about the stream. She held on to her necklace, closed her eyes and imagined the beast before her disappear into thin air. “Leave!” she shouted. The beast disappeared. Meldrick widened his eyes. As soon as the next beast approached her she closed her eyes again and cried “Leave!” One by one the beasts disappeared. Only Victor remained standing in front of them, bewildered. 

“You witch!” he hissed. “How did you do that?”

“Leave now,” warned Meldrick, “or you’ll find out.”

Victor backed away. “This doesn’t end here,” he hissed and left.

“Quick,” said Meldrick, who managed to get up and attend to his wound. “Climb aboard,” he offered Ava his hand. He turned the ignition, set the boat on autopilot and sat next to Ava. 

“Where did you send them?” Meldrick asked.

“Back to where they came from.” 

“They’ll be back,” Meldrick whispered, “but now we’re safe. I couldn’t possibly imagine a braver woman by my side.” He raised his hand and caressed Ava’s cheek. 

“You saved our lives, my love.”

“We aim to please,” said Ava with a smile.

Meldrick turned on the Aria music, held Ava’s hand tightly and they leapt through the portal into Lapo.

***

Tiluk trembled with fear as Xemlix warriors materialized in the Xemlix dimension out of the blue. He knew it wasn’t part of the protocol but he didn’t know how it could possibly be happening. Fearing for his life he knew he had to face his master.

“Lord Slith,” he called.

“What now, Tiluk?” Slith roared, annoyed.

“My Lord, Xemlix warriors have been materializing out of nowhere. They didn’t come through the portal. They remember being ready to fight a man and a woman in a harbor on Earth when they ended up here suddenly with no recollection of how that happened.”

“Teleportation?” Slith murmured. “The Xemlix are not able to teleport themselves and there is no way another being could teleport them unless…” Slith’s eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared.

“Unless…there’s an Eff being alive on Earth. But we slaughtered them all except for Ayanna! Bring in the warriors and bring in the hybrid!” roared Slith.

“Yes, my Lord.”

Tiluk brought the warriors and the hybrid in front of Lord Slith.

“Is this the girl you were to fight back on Earth?” asked Slith.

“Yes,” said the warriors in unison.

“We have been tricked by those Lapo cowards! Again!” roared Slith. 

“Who accepted the clone instead of the real girl?”

“It was Victor, my Lord,” said Tiluk trembling.

“End him!” Slith roared. “Now you are personally responsible for all operations on Earth. Do not use any humans to do the dirty work for you. Do you understand, Tiluk?” roared Slith in fury.

“Yes, my Lord.”

“And you,” said Slith to the clone, “you have proved useful until now. You will continue to serve us with your insight.”

“Yes, my Lord,” the clone agreed.

“How much fear are we generating on Earth?” asked Slith, changing the subject.

“We are at 47 fear units, my Lord,” said Tiluk. “We are sending warriors to manifest as humans’ worst nightmares but for some reason the fear factor is not increasing.”

“Why is that, clone?” Slith demanded.

“The fear factor does not increase if humans stay connected to the Stream. If your actions are not fruitful, it means that more and more humans are aligned with the Stream.”

“We know that the Lapo leader is back in his dimension, coward!” roared Slith. “So how can humans be learning about the Stream?” he roared.

“I don’t have enough information to answer this question, my Lord,” said the clone.

“You are useless!” cried Slith. “Take the clone to its cage! I’m done with it for now.”

“Tiluk!” Slith roared. “You are to go to Earth in person and find out how those humans are connecting to the Stream. If we do not stop them, all our efforts will have been in vain. If you do not come back with good news, that will be the end of you!”

“Yes, my Lord.” Tiluk whispered.

Tiluk didn’t waste time. He couldn’t risk disappointing Lord Slith, not this time, not when his life was at stake.

Tiluk leapt through the portal with Earth thinking about the most traumatizing thoughts he could recall, which wasn’t at all difficult. Thinking about Lord Slith’s demeanor was enough. After a short while he found himself on the other side, in a dark cave in the countryside. He quickly materialized himself in human form not wanting to draw any suspicions.

If he was to get to the end of this, he had to act fast. How could he find out what humans were doing to connect to the stream? What was this stream that Slith so despises? Without a plan and trembling with fear, he walked into the first coffee shop he saw. He sat down and took in his surroundings. The flat screen hanging from the ceiling was displaying a reporter talking about the Sydney event, warning humans to stay at home. The patrons didn’t seem to notice the voice calling from the TV. They were either busy in deep conversation or gathered in front of computer screens.

“This is so awesome, Roger!” said one teenager to another. “We need to tell everybody about the stream.”

“Bingo!” thought Tiluk. “They’re talking about the stream!” He leaned in closer.

“What does this Meldrick guy say we can do to connect with the stream?” asked another teenager.

“To access those high frequencies of love you must learn to meditate, clear your mind and practice to bless everything around you,” answered Roger.

“How do we bless stuff?” asked the teenager.

“Through imagery, touch or words,” recited Roger, remembering Meldrick’s words by heart. “When you admire or appreciate something, that’s blessing. For example, what a delicious doughnut!” said Roger.

“Or what a great picture!” said another one pointing at Roger’s picture with Meldrick.

“Or what a nice smell,” said another one taking in the smell of the freshly baked muffins. The boys found more and more reasons to appreciate things around them laughing loudly and giving themselves the occasional pat on the back.

“Appreciate?” Tiluk wondered about the meaning of the word.

“Like I feel less frightened now that I’m far away from Lord Slith?”

***

“Ava you look like you saw a ghost,” said Daniela as Ava entered her cabin.

“Close,” said Ava. “Let’s not talk about it. Can you run me a bath, please?”

“It’s already done,” Daniela smiled.

“I love you,” thought Ava.

“Likewise,” said Daniela.

As Ava relaxed in her bath, she thought back to the events in the harbor. She didn’t feel frightened. She felt empowered; she felt like she knew how she could defend the Earth and Lapo. She looked at the magnificent ring Meldrick gave her and thought about how blessed she was to be his bride-to-be. When she focused on it intently, she saw that Meldrick too was relaxing in his bathtub. “What a fine sight,” she thought looking at his hair dancing in every direction. His eyes were sparkling and his moist lips looked particularly enticing in the bathroom setting. She decided to stop peeking and give him some privacy. Ava ran her hand through the pearls on her neck and silently thanked her mother for this rare gift. She was sure that it was its power that saved them back on Earth.

When she felt relaxed and rejuvenated, she slipped into her bathrobe and proceeded to the majestic closet.

“Pajamas, silk, red, please.” She heard the familiar noise of racks moving and after a few moments she was presented with a beautiful scarlet nightgown. “Perfect,” she thought. She buried herself in the luxurious covers and fell asleep listening to the beautiful Aria music.

 The following morning she was woken up by a knock on the door. She opened sleepily and welcomed Meldrick standing in front of him still in her scarlet nightgown.

“Good morning, my love,” Meldrick greeted her. “You look very… enticing.”

“You don’t look too bad yourself, mister,” Ava laughed. Meldrick’s hair was perfectly groomed, his pants and shirt fitted like a glove, his eyes penetrated Ava to her core. Everything about him was impeccable. The sight of her husband-to-be in the bath tub last night flashed in her mind. She struggled to think straight.

“I have quite the treat for you today,” said Meldrick with a grin.

“You do?” Ava asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Yes,” Meldrick laughed. “Your Aunt Sybilla will be coming over this morning.”

“Aunt Sybilla!” gasped Ava and feelings of love and appreciation swept over her.

“It’ll be at least an hour before she arrives, in the meantime…” he pulled her chin to his and gently caressed her lips with his. He stroked her hair with one hand and held her tight with the other.

“In the meantime, what?” Ava asked seductively.

“In the meantime,” smiled Meldrick, “why don’t you get dressed and have some breakfast?”

“Will you be joining me, my love?” she asked.

“You know very well that I can’t resist when you ask me like this.”

“I know,” Ava smiled wickedly.

CHAPTER 12

“Aunt Sybilla!” Ava cried as soon as she saw her dear aunt.

Ava didn’t know what she should tell her. How could she thank her for sacrificing a comfortable life in Lapo to raise her on Earth? She wondered how she could pay her back and how she could let her know that she was truly grateful for everything she had done.

Ava rushed to her aunt, embracing her tightly.

“Thank you,” she said. “I didn’t know…” She tried to explain everything she felt but nothing came out.

“I know, dear,” Aunt Sybilla comforted her. 

“You could have lived here and enjoyed all the luxury and instead you sacrificed it all to raise me on Earth.”

“Ava, it was an honor to raise you. I couldn’t have imagined a more rewarding life.”

“I just learned about the prophecy and my part in it,” Ava said, looking deep into her aunt’s eyes.

“It wasn’t the first time you heard about it though, was it?” said Sybilla.

Ava tried to go back in time to remember all the stories her aunt told her — stories Ava didn’t care much about, stories she thought were just a waste of time. Now she finally connected the dots and realized that her aunt had told her about the prophecy in one of those stories a long time ago.

“If only I had listened more carefully,” Ava sighed.

“You did just fine, dear,” Aunt Sybilla reassured her. “You are not a natural resident of planet Earth. You had to adjust to your new surroundings and to getting by without your powers. Have you awakened any of them recently?” asked her aunt the way only a mother or caregiver could ask.

“You have no idea,” said Ava.

“Oh, I think I do, darling girl,” replied Sybilla. “You know, your mother and I are sisters and even though Oriana had always been the more talented one, I still have my powers, dear.”

“That’s fantastic!” Ava cheered. “Could we practice together before the big battle?” Ava hoped.

“That’s why I’m here, darling,” said Sybilla, her eyes sparkling with love for her niece.

“I’ve been practicing with Meldrick, he’s a wonderful teacher,” Ava boasted.

“And a wonderful man,” winked Sybilla.

“Aunt Sybilla!” cried Ava.

“I’m so happy for you both,” said Sybilla, pointing at Ava’s ring.

“How do you know it’s Meldrick who gave it to me?” Ava challenged.

“Darling, I’m quite intuitive,” Sybilla winked again.

“Right, about that, when can we start practicing?” 

“Is there a better time than now? Meldrick mentioned what you’re already capable of and it’s astounding, my dear. I think you’re ready to learn the skill.”

“The skill?” Ava repeated.

“The skill. It’s the skill that will most likely determine the result of the battle. Let me show you.”

Aunt Sybilla wrote something on a piece of paper, then remained still for a few moments looking at Ava intently. Finally Ava brushed her shoulder.

“Here, read this,” said Aunt Sybilla handing Ava the piece of paper.

Ava will brush an imaginary fly off her shoulder.

“Amazing!” cried Ava. “How did you do that?”

“It’s called remote influencing. You choose your target and watch his every move. If he moves his head or an arm, you visualize that it was you moving that head or arm. After a brief period of concentration you will be able to build up resonance with the mind of the person you want to influence. Then imagine an outside event happening to him. I imagined a fly sitting on your shoulder. And your reaction was instant — you brushed it off.”

“Now I want to try!” Ava cried. Aunt Sybilla laughed at her niece’s eagerness. She handed her a piece of paper. Ava scribbled something on it, then she sat still and started staring at Aunt Sybilla. She kept staring for a while and then Ava’s demeanor changed from enthusiastic to disappointed.

“What is it, dear? Show me the paper,” requested Sybilla. 

Aunt Sybilla will squint her eyes as if exposed to direct sunlight.

“It takes time, darling,” Sybilla comforted her, “and when you master this skill you will become truly powerful on the battlefield.”

“How?” Ava wondered.

“Remote influencing can be used to do a lot of good. For example, you can use it for psychic healing. You can affect another person’s body cells at a distance. What you need to do is visualize with deep intensity the cells in that person’s body becoming well and normalized.”

“Simple and powerful,” Ava admired.

“Indeed. The key is mental imagery. You have to be able to visualize imagery well and imagine feelings. The most difficult period is in the beginning. You have to watch for every small indication that you are exerting some influence on the other person and then build upon that.”

“Mmm,” murmured Ava.

“You have to become aware that what you think and what you feel is changing the world outside yourself. Your thoughts have energy. When you intently focus on these thoughts they develop a resonant energy. Then when you direct this resonance toward one particular person with absolute single-minded intensity that energy will impact on that target person and affect them.”

Ava nodded.

“There is also some risk involved in this method,” Sybilla frowned. “If the person you’re affecting is expert at mental influencing as well and realizes that you’re trying to influence them, your efforts could backfire and your target could strike back, permanently damaging that part of your brain which is doing the influencing.” Sybilla paused. “If not more.”

Ava felt a chill down her spine. “Is that what happened to Mom?” she asked.

“Yes, those Xemlix are as evil as they are cunning. They posses many of the powers we do, only they use them for evil instead of for good.”

“Here you are, ladies,” said Meldrick to Ava and Sybilla. “How is the reunion going?”

“Aunt Sybilla tried to teach me remote influencing but I’m just not feeling it,” Ava complained.

“It takes time,” said Meldrick, “maybe even more time than we have. Have you tried it with the necklace?”

“You’ve got the necklace?” asked Aunt Sybilla.

“Yes,” said Ava, taking her pearls out of a drawer and clasping them around her neck.

“Try again,” instructed Aunt Sybilla. Ava scribbled on a piece of paper. She closed her eyes then opened them staring at her target intently. Then all of a sudden Meldrick was waving his hand in front of his nose.

“Interesting,” said Aunt Sybilla, “let’s see what you’ve written.” 

Meldrick will brush an imaginary fly flying in front of his nose.

“Good job!” Meldrick cheered.

“The necklace is still working,” whispered Aunt Sybilla. 

“Well, I have some matters to attend to,” said Sybilla, clearing her voice. I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.”

Ava blushed crimson as her aunt closed the door behind her.

“I feel a certain calm before the storm,” Ava confided in her husband-to-be.

“I can feel it too,” said Meldrick.

“Do you have any news from Earth or from the Xemlix?” Ava asked.

“No changes but as you say, it’s a matter of days or maybe even hours. Would you like to come with me to my secret spot on the Lapo Princess?” Meldrick asked.

“This time you will come to mine,” said Ava, pulling them both from their state of melancholy.

“I can’t wait to see it,” said Meldrick.

Ava led him through the splendid corridors out to the open deck. She took his hand and walked briskly toward the front of the ship.

“Here,” she whispered, pulling him close to her. They were standing at the bow of the majestic Lapo Princess. 

“I love the warm breeze caressing my face, the sparkling violet waters below, the sun rising or setting and the distant horizon humming gently that everything is possible, every wish can be granted, every goal achieved, every dream fulfilled.”

“I love it,” said Meldrick. “I love you, Ava Davenport,” he said in his deep soothing voice, embracing her tightly, running his hands through her hair and locking his lips onto hers.

“Mmm,” said Ava when he loosened his embrace, “this spot just got even more magical.”

“Your little friends seem to agree,” said Meldrick pointing at a group of mengo jumping up and down in the sparkling violet waters beneath them.

“I’ve grown quite fond of these little fellows,” Ava admitted.

“And they have clearly grown fond of you, my love. As have I,” said Meldrick looking deep into her eyes.

“I wish this moment could last forever,” Ava whispered.

“The moment won’t but we will,” said Meldrick and his voice cracked. “I hope,” he added.

“Are you scared of the battle? Ava asked.

“No, we can’t allow ourselves to be scared. We need to assume the mindset of warriors sure of our victory. The Xemlix need to sense our confidence, our superiority. It’s mostly a battle of minds, my love, although the Xemlix can devise all kinds of plans including physical manifestations to achieve their goal.”

“How long has it been this way? With the Xemlix wanting to enslave Earth?” Ava wondered.

“Since I can remember,” said Meldrick. “I know that they’ve enslaved other planets in the past. They can feed off one planet’s fear for centuries but sooner or later the beings there can’t live that way any longer and…they either kill one another or commit suicide.”

“That’s terrible,” Ava sighed.

“And about to end. You, my love, are the one who can end this. Together we will get rid of those cruel beings once and for all.”

***

“Excuse me,” said Tiluk to the teenagers.

“I overheard you speaking about the stream. What is this stream you’re talking about?”

“Oh, it’s a stream of well-being and when you connect to it you can only feel love and joy,” Roger informed him eagerly.

“What does it feel like to feel love and joy?” wondered Tiluk. The boys looked at one another puzzled.

“When you really, really like something and you feel good then you are close to those emotions that will connect you to the stream,” Roger continued. Tiluk still looked puzzled.

“What do you like?” asked Roger.

“Like?” Tiluk carefully pondered the words. “I guess I like being far away from Lord Slith.”

“Who’s Lord Slith?” 

“He’s my master and he’s very scary. I like being here with you, not having to deal with him.”

“There you go!” exclaimed Roger. “Build on that.”

“Build on that?” repeated Tiluk.

“What else do you like now that you are far away from that scary guy?”

Tiluk took a deep breath and looked around.

“I like being in your company,” he said hesitantly, staring at the boys. “It’s different from anything I’ve ever experienced.”

“We’re glad you like it here, uh…what’s your name?”

“Tiluk.”

“Tyler?” asked Roger.

“No, Tiluk.”

“I’ve never heard of this name before,” Roger frowned.

“I’m not from here,” explained Tiluk.

“Where are you from?” asked one of the boys.

Tiluk pondered the question. He already caused them some distress with his name. He decided he’d better not reveal any more.

“Oh, I don’t want to talk about it. I like it here much better. Tell me more about this stream.”

“There’s this war going on between the Lapo who want to save the Earth and the evil Xemlix who want to destroy it. We can stop those evil beings and help the Lapo by connecting to the stream and spreading the word.”

Tiluk froze and swallowed loudly.

“So who are these Xemlix?” he feigned curiosity.

“We just know that they are very cruel and their world lives off fear they generate on Earth.”

“I see,” said Tiluk wondering what the proper reaction should be.

“Can you tell your friends?” asked Roger.

“Friends?” repeated Tiluk not understanding the meaning of the word.

“Yes, tell all the people you know about the stream and about how to connect to it and if you give me your phone number. I’ll let you know when we’ll need you.”

“Oh,” said Tiluk overwhelmed. He never imagined humans could be so unfrightening.

“Of course,”  Tilukmumbled, believing this was the right thing to say. He only knew other Xemlix. “I don’t have a phone.”

The boys looked at him suspiciously.

“Fine, we meet here every day around this time. Come over tomorrow and we’ll let you know if there’s news.”

“I’ll be here,” said Tiluk. And he meant it.

***

“Conference call will start in three… two… one…” Tiluk appeared as a hologram in front of Lord Slith.

“Tiluk,” hissed Slith. “Have you found out how humans connect to the Stream?”

“Yes, my Lord. They are sharing information from person to person and it’s spreading like wildfire.”

“Where did the first person learn about it? You fool! You are wasting my time and proving to be as useless as I expected! As soon as you come back, it will be the end of you.”

“What if I don’t come back?” challenged Tiluk, for the first time cool and poised instead of trembling with fear.

Lord Slith’s eyes turned to pools of fire just like they do when he mentally punishes his slaves. Apparently his powers did not work on holograms.

“You are a Xemlix, you live off fear and you cannot generate enough to survive on your own.”

“We’ll see about that,” said Tiluk and his hologram disappeared.

“Quelm!” roared Slith. “You will now take Tiluk’s place as my assistant. Tiluk proved to be a traitor and will be dealt with accordingly.”

“Yes, my Lord,” agreed Quelm, trembling with fear.

“Guards!” roared Slith. “No more personal visits to Earth. Throw anybody trying to approach the portal into the dungeons!”

“Yes, my Lord,” answered the guards. For the first time Slith felt endangered by his own kind. He never had to deal with such behavior before. And if Tiluk was weak enough to betray him, anybody was.

“Quelm!” Slith roared. “We have to increase the fear factor immediately and descend to Earth. No more time can be wasted. You are responsible for all Earth operations. Use the oracle if you need it.”

“Yes, my Lord,” said Quelm, bowing respectfully before his master.

Quelm walked quickly toward the dungeons where the clone was being held captive. Quelm always wanted Tiluk’s position but now that he had to deal with Lord Slith face to face he wasn’t so sure he was cut out for it. He decided to take the entire operation one step at a time and the first step was to squeeze the clone like a lemon for any information it could provide.

“Oracle,” said Quelm. “What does the future hold for the Xemlix and Lapo?”

“There is a battle ahead,” said the clone. “A battle of the minds.”

“Who will win this battle?” pressed Quelm.

“I don’t have enough information to answer this question,” said the clone.

“This is exactly why we need the real Ava Davenport,” thought Quelm and decided to make it his priority to capture her.

“What can we expect from the Lapo?” Quelm tried a different angle.

“The battle is of the mind. Various mental powers will be used.”

“How can we best fight them?”

“Only with the mind,” answered the clone.

“How many warriors do we need to send to have a chance of defeating them?” Quelm questioned further.

“All your soldiers need to go through the portal, led by Lord Slith in person.”

“I’m not sure he wants to be present,” thought Quelm.

“How can we open the portal for all our men? Many have been locked in the dimension permanently.”

“Once you raise the fear level to 50, all Xemlix beings will be able to travel to Earth.”

“What is the best way to increase that fear level?”

“Raise terror. As much terror as possible. No human can feel safe. Surprise them, show them that they are at risk wherever they are, whatever they do and whoever they are. Make them tremble with fear.”

“No more questions.” Quelm turned around and left the clone in the dungeon.

Quelm had to think of something fast. He considered repeating the monster trick at another big event but he was worried it wouldn’t have the same effect the second time. He considered going to the National Space Agency for support but he was worried it would take too long and time was not on his side. 

Quelm wondered how he could make every human fear for their life, whoever they are, wherever they live, whatever they do. No one should be able to feel safe. Quelm realized that the Lapo were doing underground work and that if he was to direct this operation, it would have to start with a bang. There was no time for testing or starting on a smaller scale. If he didn’t act now, the Lapo would disperse their message widely enough that humans would no longer experience fear.

Quelm scratched his head pondering how he might terrorize the world. He laughed a wicked laugh when he finally figured it out.

***

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” said the reporter on TV screens around the world. “Last night’s unprecedented attacks left countries all over the world mourning and their residents fearing for their lives. Terrorist attacks have reduced buildings around the world to dust killing thousands of victims. London, New York, Sao Paulo, Johannesburg, Sydney and Tokyo have seen a destruction no city has experienced before. Even the countryside isn’t safe anymore with attacks on mama’s and papa’s grocery stores. Where do you think these acts of violence are coming from?” asked the female reporter to her colleague.

“The terrifying truth is that we don’t know. When the enemy is invisible and we’re not able to identify it, people feel powerless.”

“We received information that the suicide rate tripled last night. How can we explain that?”

“Most people fear the unknown. Regular everyday life is full of situations we can’t predict. When you add terrorist attacks like this to the mix, many people just can’t cope with that and pull the trigger.”

“The police have been investigating around the clock yet they have found no link to any terrorist organization. How can we explain the events of the last hours?”

“It’s almost as if someone planned all of them to happen at the same time. But we don’t know who or what is responsible.”

“Thank you,” said the female reporter. “And now we will move to Times Square where our reporter has the latest updates.”

“Good afternoon. As you can see here on Times Square people are running chaotically. There’s black dust in the air reminding people of the attacks that happened just a few hours ago. Some people are screaming, seemingly going insane. It’s a sorry sight of what used to be the life of New York City, which has now been reduced to this.”

“Thank you. We have received some phone calls from people wondering if last night’s attacks are linked to the Sydney event. We will try to connect with the national agency spokesperson to answer this question.”

“Good afternoon, I am speaking on behalf of the National Space Agency. At this moment we are unable to determine whether last night’s events are linked to the Sydney event. Terrorist attacks like the ones last night could easily be orchestrated by people from our planet, so why look for answers elsewhere? We will, however, be looking into it and try to deliver an official statement within 48 hours.”

“Thank you,” said the reporter. “It looks like the only place where you can feel truly safe is in the comfort of your own home but looking at the pace at which recent evens are occurring, I wouldn’t be surprised if even that wouldn’t be a safe asylum.

***

“Lord Slith,” said Quelm, “if I may.”

“What is it, Quelm?”

“We have opened the portal. All Xemlix can now descend to Earth to deal with those Lapo.”

“How do you know the Lapo will come?”

“They always come when Earth is in danger.”

“Excellent thinking,” said Slith.

“I’ve interrogated the clone and it revealed this will be a battle of minds. The clone suggested that you, my Lord, should lead our men in this battle.”

“That’s obvious, Quelm. I’ve participated in every battle with the Lapo. I will lead this one too.”

“Very good, my Lord.” 

“Quelm, if this is a battle of the mind, we must also use the physical — those Lapo cowards will never think about that.”

“I will devise a plan, my Lord.”

CHAPTER 13

The Xemlix lined up before the portal one by one. Led by Lord Slith they were all trembling with fear. Some feared the battle, others feared disappointing their master and still others felt fear that was inexplicable — fear that was so internalized, it was the essence of their being.

“The lions, my Lord,” said Quelm. Slith nodded. Quelm opened the gates and let the Xemlix lions out. They were black beasts with lion bodies, dragon faces, and huge wings. 

“The lions will go first,” roared Lord Slith. “They will cause the initial panic and draw the Lapo to Earth. Then the first hundred of you will cross the portal shape shifting immediately into beasts like the ones in Sydney. The beasts will be followed by the guards who will be followed by warriors, followed by Quelm and me. We must generate enough fear to enslave planet Earth completely and destroy the Lapo dimension. And we must get the real Ava Davenport. This is Quelm’s personal responsibility. If Quelm is unable to capture her, the one who does will take Quelm’s place by my side.” The Xemlix beings’ orange eyes flashed with greed.

“Now go!” roared Slith.

The Xemlix lions jumped into the abyss finding themselves in the Earth’s countryside. There were hundreds of them and they ran toward the city breathing fire. Their looks alone were enough to petrify any passerby. Only selected reporters were determined enough to cover the group of unearthly beasts in the news.

***

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, our reporter is speaking to you live from the heart of New York City with up-to-the-minute news.”

“Thank you and good morning. What we are witnessing here is a jaw-dropping sight. Dragon-lion-birds are running and flying around chasing any pedestrians in sight. Some claim that the same organization is behind this, the Sydney event and the recent terrorist attacks. What is happening with this world? I don’t know but it looks like somebody’s interested in petrifying humankind.”

“Thank you,” said the reporter from the studio. “We will now connect with the National Space Agency to hear their statement.”

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,” said the National Space Agency spokesperson. “We spent the last days looking into all the recent bizarre events and we feel obliged to inform you that no human force is behind them. We have been dreading this day ever since we came across beings from other worlds. It looks like they are trying to produce as much fear on Earth as possible for a reason. We are still investigating why this is.”

“Thank you,” said the reporter in the studio.

***

“Sir Richglow,” called Jovius. “Your presence is requested in the Operations Center immediately.”

“I’m on my way, Jovius,” Meldrick informed him,gently kissing his bride-to-be.

When Meldrick stormed into the Operations Center, he saw Jovius glued to a large screen with his hands in his gray hair.

“It’s time,” said Jovius. Meldrick nodded. 

“Summon everyone to the piazza in ten minutes,” Meldrick ordered. He rushed to Ava’s cabin.

“My love,” said Meldrick. “It’s time to defeat the Xemlix. Wear your necklace.”

Ava felt nervous and a little scared, like before an exam, but as soon as she clasped the pearls around her neck the nervousness subsided. 

“I’m ready,” she said.

They walked to the piazza, which was full of Lapo residents: women, children and men wearing what looked like combat clothes.

Meldrick stood at the top deck. All conversations subsided as soon as he cleared his throat.

“My dears,” he started, “we’ve been preparing for this day ever since the last battle. It’s a battle of the mind but as we saw on the Earth news, the Xemlix are playing dirty and sent their lions to Earth. We also have some tricks up our sleeve which they do not expect. Most importantly we have Ava.” He gently pushed Ava forward so that all Lapo residents could see her. “She is a descendant of the Eff and with her powers we will lock the Xemlix in their dimension once and for all. Wives, your husbands will return shortly. Take care of our children and our beautiful Lapo Princess. Your men and Ava will be back shortly.”

“And I?” said a voice from the crowd.

“Sybilla?” 

“Yes, I will stand by my niece’s side, this way we will both work our magic.”

“I applaud your courage, Sybilla. Welcome aboard,” Meldrick said. “We leave now,” he ordered.

Hundreds of men lined up at the bottom deck.

Meldrick, Ava, Jovius, Sybilla and two other Lapo men took the first boat toward the portal. They were followed by hundreds of other boats with six men in each.

“Where are we going?” asked Ava all of a sudden. “The portal is that way,” she said pointing in the opposite direction.

“We’re taking the New York portal, it will save us the jet flight and we will dock in New York harbor.”

“Why haven’t we used it before? It would have made the commute back and forth with Earth much faster!”

“We didn’t want the Xemlix to be aware that we have another portal, and the strategy proved to be a good one. We now have an advantage, we will arrive way before the Xemlix are expecting us” Meldrick said.

“How can we feel feelings of joy when we are about to go to battle?” asked Ava perplexed.

“We feel the joy of victory. We rejoice that those Xemlix will no longer bother us and there will be peace and well-being on Earth.” Meldrick turned on the Aria music. Within seconds they were on the other side. As soon as they docked, Meldrick whipped out his Earth phone.

“Roger? This is Meldrick from the Lapo dimension. If you want to give us a hand now is a good time.”

“Yes!” cheered Roger. “What can I do?”

“Bring you friends to Times Square. We’ll mainly need you connected to the Stream but some combat might also be involved,” Meldrick said.

“Sweet!” cheered Roger. “We’re on our way!”

As soon as the six disembarked the Aria, they took their seats in one of the many black minivans lined up at the marina.

“It’s show time,” said Meldrick, turning on the ignition.

When they got to Times Square they saw rows and rows of Xemlix lions and humans. The lions remained still as if waiting for a command. Meldrick scanned the place in search of Roger but before he could find him, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Roger,” Meldrick greeted him.

“In person,” Roger smiled. “I brought my friends,” he said gesturing toward a thousand teenagers. “They all know about the stream and most of them practice Taekwon-Do in my club.”

“You are a Godsend,” said Meldrick, his smile widening.

More and more minivans lined up in Times Square and the Lapo men joined Meldrick and Roger.

“In a battle of the mind,” roared Meldrick to the crowd, “we can only win when connected to the Stream. When connected to the Stream we feel love, joy and appreciation. I feel appreciation for the variety of species on Earth. I feel appreciation for those strong lions standing before us. May they thrive, breed and bring even more variety to our worlds.” Both the Lapo men and Roger’s army focused hard on feeling appreciation for the lions and one by one the beasts disappeared, leaving half of the square empty.

“Now what?” whispered Roger.

“We stay alert. This is only the beginning.”

After minutes of complete silence the Lapo and humans witnessed incredible monsters approaching them. Some had multiple heads and arms, some breathed fire, some were one-eyed worms with fierce teeth. They slowly approached the crowd. The Lapo maintained their focus but Roger’s group was slowly disconnecting from the Stream activating their fight-or-flight mechanism. Those without martial arts training quickly left the premises in fear. Those with supreme combat skills — the red and black belts — bravely made a step forward, fixing their eyes on the monsters. 

The horrible beasts attacked all at once. They were strong and fierce but the humans were smarter and faster. Roger and his group managed to defeat one monster at a time but it quickly became clear that they wouldn’t win. Their strength weakened whereas the monsters didn’t tire.

Meldrick ordered the men to continue their work with the Stream but the beasts were approaching them slowly.

“I’ll take care of this,” said Ava. She closed her eyes, took several deep breaths and imagined the various beasts disappearing into thin air and reappearing in the Xemlix dimension. She felt the feeling of victory and she felt Meldrick’s relief at the accomplished mission. She opened her eyes and stared at the beasts, intensely holding onto her necklace. One by one they disappeared with a flash of light. 

“Excellent, my love!” said Meldrick with a sigh of relief. “You’ll get a medal for this when we get back to Lapo.” Ava smiled.

The Lapo and remaining humans stood in their places taking in the sinister silence. Both groups knew the battle was only getting started. Suddenly Xemlix guards ran into the square. The humans growled in disgust. The Xemlix guards were gray beings with a jelly-like body, three eyes and fierce teeth with saliva drooling from their triangle mouths.

They approached the Lapo and humans slowly without a sound. 

“Connect to the Stream,” ordered Meldrick. “Feel love for other worlds, feel appreciation for the great variety the universe provides us with.” Most of the Lapo warriors closed their eyes, silently connecting to the Stream. The humans tried but failed, relying on their combat skills. 

Ava tried to send the Xemlix guards back to their dimension just like she did with the monsters but she felt great sadness when she saw several teenagers being slaughtered. Seeing Ava’s distress Aunt Sybilla closed her eyes and started sending the Xemlix guards back to their dimension one by one. Some of them, however, made their way though the crowd and were only a few steps away from Ava. As Aunt Sybilla focused harder, they started disappearing faster but not fast enough. One guard stood only inches away from Ava, looking at her with detestation. 

“You will come with me,” he hissed. Aunt Sybilla focused even harder and in the last moment managed to send the guard away but before she could do so he snatched Ava’s pearls from her neck.

“No!” Ava cried.

“Stay strong, dear. You are powerful even without the necklace. We’re in this together.”

When all the guards were sent back to their dimension an eerie silence filled the square.

“Use your powers to find the necklace, my love,” Meldrick whispered to his bride-to-be.

Ava recalled how she was able to find Meldrick’s key back on the Lapo Princess. She was connected to her necklace much more strongly than she was to Meldrick’s key. She closed her eyes and felt one with her pearls.

“I see it! One of the Xemlix has it and he’s bringing it here!”

After just a few moments Tiluk approached the group.

“You are Tiluk, Slith’s assistant!” exclaimed Meldrick as he saw him.

“Not any more,” said Tiluk calmly.

“He’s with me,” Roger confirmed.

“How is this?” asked Meldrick puzzled.

“I was sent to Earth to destroy both of you but then thanks to Roger I discovered the power of the stream. I discovered that I do have a heart and that you are the noble ones. I know that there is no way I can compare to your greatness but I made the first step and I feel so much better now that I broke the bond with Lord Slith.”

“How can I trust you?” Meldrick asked.

“This is my word,” Tiluk said, handing him the necklace.

Meldrick examined the necklace and gave it to Ava.

“It’s good,” he nodded. Ava clasped it around her neck.

After a moment of silence, a huge black cloud filled the square. As soon as it dissolved, Lord Slith appeared with Quelm at his side. 

“Bring me the girl,” Slith ordered.

Roger’s group took one step forward.

“Only you, Richglow,” Slith roared.

Meldrick stopped his warriors with a gesture and stepped out of the crowd, holding Ava tightly, but before the two managed to take another step, Tiluk sprang out of the crowd and separated them from Slith.

“Tiluk!” roared Slith. “You traitor!” he hissed. He stared at Tiluk intensely and suddenly Tiluk started gasping for air, holding his hands at his throat as if trying to free himself from invisible ropes. After a few minutes he dropped to the ground, his eyes lifeless.

“Who’s next?” asked Slith, his orange eyes flashing with fire.

There was a sinister silence.

“Meldrick Richglow, I’ve been looking forward to this moment since…the last battle took its toll on poor Oriana Davenport. Poor thing, how is she?”

Meldrick stood there speechless, his eyes closed.

“None of your useless magic will work on me,” roared Slith. “I’ve proven this countless times. Although I could end your life in an instant, I enjoy a good battle. Finish him, Quelm!”

Quelm was slowly approaching Meldrick, his eyes determined yet full of fear — fear that he might disappoint his master. Meldrick looked at Ava intently as if trying to tell her something. Once Ava noticed that, she opened up her mind to Meldrick’s thoughts and heard, “Don’t look at me, use the necklace to send Quelm to his dimension.”

As Quelm approached Meldrick, Quelm’s eyes shot lasers of fire toward his victim. Meldrick dropped to the ground, suffering in silence. After a few seconds he managed to get up and avoid Quelm’s punches and kicks. As soon as Meldrick regained his strength, Quelm shot him with another series of lasers, this time much stronger than the previous attack. Again, Meldrick hit the ground and suppressed a growl.  When Quelm was about to shoot the final laser series at Meldrick, his opponent disappeared into thin air with a flash.

“Ava,” Meldrick whispered.

“Well, well, well,” hissed Slith. “I guess it’s only me and little Miss Ava Davenport now, the real one. You will come with me and nobody can stop me,” he roared.

Ava gathered all her mental forces to try to send Slith to his dimension but Slith wouldn’t budge. An intense sense of distress tore through her and all of her past trauma flashed before her eyes. She dropped to the ground with a cry. Slith made his way toward where Ava lay and said, “Now that the oracle will reside in Xemlix, the Earth will be at our feet and the Lapo will cease to exist. Farewell!”

As he reached to pick up Ava and take her away, Aunt Sybilla made one step forward and yelled, “Not so fast, Slith!”

“Who is this if not poor Oriana’s sister? Didn’t your family sustain enough damage last time?”

Sybilla said nothing, locking her eyes intently on Slith’s fiery slits. She started chanting magical words, her chant growing louder and louder.

Slith’s whole demeanor changed from commanding to vulnerable. “Oh, no you don’t!” he cried. He too stared at Sybilla intently as if sending mental lasers toward her.

Sybilla remained in her position chanting stronger and stronger. Slith’s body became pale, then transparent, then it started flickering.

“This is not over!” Slith growled and disappeared with a flash.

As soon as Slith vanished, Sybilla dropped to the ground lifeless.

Meldrick pulled out a bottle of golden nectar from his pocket and gulped it all at once. His wounds healed instantly and he regained his strength. He joined Ava, who was still unconscious, and poured the golden liquid into her throat. Within seconds Ava opened her eyes and cried, “Meldrick, my love! You’re all right!” She sighed with relief and held Meldrick’s hand tightly. 

“Are they gone?” she asked.

“Yes, they’re gone.”

Ava slowly rose from the ground and looked around. Most humans were lying on the battlefield stained with blood. Jovius and the others were attending to them with the golden nectar and ambrosia — depending on how profound their wounds were. Next Ava noticed Aunt Sybilla lying motionless on the ground. She jumped to her, gathered her aunt’s hair to the side and looked at her lovingly. Feelings of profound grief overwhelmed her when she realized her aunt wasn’t breathing. 

“Aunt Sybilla! No!” she cried. 

“Meldrick! Give her the healing liquid. Fast!”

Meldrick approached Ava slowly and crouched beside her.

“My love, I’m so sorry.”

“No! No! No!” Ava cried desperately. “If it wasn’t for me and my lack of skill! If only I had tried harder, she wouldn’t…” Ava sobbed.

“It’s not your fault, my love. Your aunt fulfilled the prophecy.”

“The prophecy? How? Wasn’t I the one who was supposed to die?”

“An Eff-human woman will be rescued by the Lapo from evil to take part in an exhausting battle with the Xemlix and to die for a noble reason,” Meldrick recited the words of the prophecy. “Your aunt was rescued from the Xemlix during the last battle and now she died for a noble reason: to save you, to save the Lapo and to save the Earth. I couldn’t imagine a more noble way to go.”

“No, no, no!” Ava sobbed uncontrollably. “She can’t! I need her, she raised me, I didn’t show her how much I loved her, how much…”

“She knew, my love.” Meldrick tried to comfort her. “She knew all along how grateful you were. And she knew that the battle would end this way.”

“How did she know? And why didn’t she tell me?” Ava demanded.

“She was a wise woman with fully awakened powers. She could tell the future and she didn’t share it with you because she knew you would have refused to play your part in the prophecy.”

“But my necklace — why didn’t it save her with all its powers?”

“The Xemlix are a very powerful force and you played your part extremely well. We are all very proud of you. You are now no longer only Ava Davenport, the Eff descendant and oracle. You are now Ava Davenport, our hero.”

“I don’t want to be a hero. I want my aunt back,” Ava sobbed.

“In time it will all make sense to you, my love,” Meldrick said in his deep soothing voice and kissed her gently on her forehead.

“Oh. My. God. What was that?” asked Roger as soon as all the humans and Lapo were tended to. 

“Those, my faithful friend, were the Xemlix — the most evil force in the universe — now locked in their dimension thanks to you and your friends.

“Man, I can’t believe I was in a real battle, not just those computer ones.”

“Was it as tough?” Meldrick asked.

“There’s no comparison! I can’t wait to tell all my friends!” Roger cheered.

“You have even more friends?” Meldrick marveled.

“Oh, yeah, I’ve got a big following on the net,” Roger bragged.

Meldrick noticed TV vans approaching the square.

“We will be leaving now,” he said. “Can you handle the press, Roger?”

“The press? Oh, man! That would be awesome! But when will I see you?”

“I’ve got your number,” Meldrick winked. “We’ll keep in touch.”

They shook hands and Meldrick dashed off together with Ava and Jovius.

CHAPTER 14

Ava looked at the empty passenger seat. It was impossible to reconcile her aunt’s absence.

“Where’s her body?” she asked.

“Our men are taking her to Lapo. She will get a proper departing ceremony.”

“A funeral?” Ava asked.

“We call it a departing ceremony.”

“Whatever,” Ava sniffled as tears filled her eyes.

When they boarded the Aria, Ava said, “I seriously don’t think I can get into the right state of mind to go through the portal.”

“Let’s try,” Meldrick offered, holding her in a loving embrace.

“You are a descendant of the Eff bloodline, a one of a kind being blessed with gifts that allow you to read minds, move objects, find missing things and even manipulate other minds. How does that feel?”

“Pretty weird.” Ava smiled slightly.

“You helped us win a major battle with the evil Xemlix. You sent the cruel beings to their dimension allowing good to win. How does that feel?”

“Good,” whispered Ava.

“You are now a resident of the most beautiful dimension in the Galaxy — and now you are a hero for both humans and Lapo. How does that feel?”

“Good,” Ava smiled.

“And you are my one and only bride-to-be. How does that feel?”

“Great,” Ava smiled even wider and hugged Meldrick tightly. In that moment the Aria leapt through the portal. 

“Welcome home,” Meldrick said.

“I love you,” Ava whispered.

When they reached the Lapo Princess and disembarked, the operating staff greeted them. “Sir Richglow, Lady Davenport.”

“Lady?” Ava asked.

“Yes, my love,” Meldrick replied. “You are now an honorary resident of Lapo, our hero and my future bride. This makes you Lady Davenport.”

Ava smiled. “I think I can live with that.”

***

“Lady Davenport,” Daniela greeted Ava as soon as she entered her cabin.

“It’s still Ava, please.” 

“Thank you, Ava. I appreciate it. You are part of the royal family, so I wasn’t sure how to address you.”

“Royal family? What are you talking about?”

“Excuse me, Ava. I thought it was official now.”

“What was official?” Ava asked, puzzled.

 “Queen Oriana and King Grimaldo rule the Lapo dimension from the Whale Island and you as their daughter are officially a princess. Prince Richglow comes from a different kingdom and due to an agreement with the Lapo he now rules this ship.”

“Prince Meldrick?” Ava asked, shocked. “Why didn’t I know that?”

“Oh, we rarely use titles here in Lapo and Sir Richglow requested that we use his formal titles for official ceremonies only.”

“A prince? I’m engaged to a prince! And I’m a princess!” thought Ava in dismay.

“I had no idea Meldrick was royalty,” Ava said.

“That’s understandable. He masks it well,” Daniela comforted her.

“Although it does explain his commanding demeanor, his regal stride and his sophisticated manners,” Ava reflected.

Daniela nodded politely.

“Now that you’re aware of Meldrick’s origins, would you like to be called Lady Davenport?”

“Oh, no,” Ava laughed. “You’ll never get away with that! Can you run me a bath, Daniela?”

“It’s already done,” Daniela smiled.

As Ava relaxed in the bathtub she realized how tired, sad, shocked and overwhelmed she was. Her brief conversation with Daniela about Lapo royalty was a pleasant distraction from all the emotions she was dealing with. She took several deep breaths and tuned into the Aria music flowing gently from the speakers. She adjusted her pearls and her ring. She thought about the way Meldrick commanded the warriors on the battlefield, about how he comforted her when she was sulking, about how modest he was as a prince. Then, without meaning to, she saw Meldrick in her ring taking off his battle clothes in his cabin. This time she admired the fine sight and daydreamed about reuniting in the morning. 

Ava thought about how Meldrick helped her raise her vibrations to allow her to cross the portal after the battle, after she lost her dear aunt. Sybilla was an example of love and selflessness. She knew her fate all along and yet she did nothing to change it. Ava wondered if she could have done something to allow her to live on. 

As Ava further relaxed in her bubble bath, she marveled that just a month ago she was a regular human, at least she thought she was, writing articles about whatever the editors wished. Her lips twisted when she realized that if she had remained on Earth she would most probably be covering the bizarre events of the last few days. Only, how would things have ended without her? She didn’t dare ponder that. Now she was part of Lapo and it looked like she was a very meaningful part.

***

A soft knock woke Ava in the morning. She threw on her bathrobe and opened the door. Meldrick greeted her with a kiss. He was wearing a splendid black suit with golden medals sparkling on it. His thick, dark hair was covered by an officer hat. The sight took Ava’s breath away.

“It’s for the ceremony, my love,” he explained. “Your gown will be here in a moment.”

“Oh,” said Ava, unsure about having nothing to say on the matter. She’d got used to picking the outfits she desired from her magical closet. 

“It’s a formal gown that Lapo princesses wear to black-tie galas,” Meldrick said as if reading her mind.

Ava’s features softened and she offered Meldrick a smile.

“It will be a short ceremony. They are normally followed by festivities and dancing but this time we will have Sybilla’s departing ceremony instead.

“I’ll be ready soon,” Ava said and planted a kiss on Meldrick’s lips. Soon after he left, Daniela brought in Ava’s outfit. It was a majestic blue gown decorated with sparkling diamonds that took Ava’s breath away. She now realized what being part of the Lapo royal family meant.

Daniela helped Ava into her dress. After she did Ava’s hair and makeup, Ava stared at the mirror and struggled to find words that would do the gown justice.

“You look like a princess,” Daniela smiled.

“In this gown I feel like one.”

Ava didn’t have too much time to admire herself in the mirror because shortly after, she heard a familiar knock. Meldrick entered before Daniela got to the door.

“You look absolutely breathtaking,” he said admiring his bride-to-be.

“You don’t look too bad yourself, mister,” Ava smiled. Meldrick felt relieved that Ava’s spirits had lifted.

“Shall we?” he said, offering his arm dramatically.

“My pleasure,” Ava said folding her arm into his.

“The pleasure is truly mine,” Meldrick played.

When they reached the piazza Ava was overwhelmed by its luxury. 

Jovius stood at the end of a red carpet accompanied by Oriana and Grimaldo. They were all wearing royal attire. The men looked extremely handsome in their formal suits. Grimaldo had a series of sparkling medals attached to his. Ava’s mother wore a gown similar to hers but more pompous and with more diamonds, as if it was even possible. At the top of her head rested an extraordinary golden crown.

“Wow!” Ava marveled at the sight.

The piazza was filled with Lapo residents dressed in their finest garments. The string quartet was playing beautiful melodies. There was a champagne waterfall in the middle of the room, and waiters were passing around cocktails and canapés.

“We’re just in time,” said Meldrick.

“Ladies and gentlemen, let us greet his majesty Prince Meldrick Richglow, who successfully and with great courage led our men to the battle with the evil Xemlix and who returned with most of our warriors unharmed.”

Loud clapping and cheering filled the piazza. Meldrick bowed slightly in all directions to acknowledge all the Lapo residents.

“Now Prince Richglow will say a few words about the battle.” Meldrick gracefully walked to the end of the red carpet to join Jovius at the microphone.

“My dears. It is with great joy that I announce our victory over the Xemlix. We owe it to our warriors who demonstrated incredible courage and strength on the battlefield. Let us please acknowledge our heroes.”

The crowd clapped and cheered.

“Let us especially thank a brave non-Lapo warrior who fought by our side. She demonstrated great wisdom and power, sending the Xemlix one by one to their dimension. She also saved my life. Ladies and gentlemen, please acknowledge our honorary resident, Lapo hero and my future bride, Lady Ava Davenport.”

The crowd cheered and threw flower petals at where Ava was standing until her head, arms and dress were completely covered with pink orchids, nearly matching the color of her lipstick.

When the crowd became silent, Jovius spoke. “Lady Ava Davenport, thanks to your merits at the Times Square Lapo-Xemlix battle, we would like to acknowledge your wisdom and skill with this medal. It’s an honor only warriors of the highest merit receive. Please step forward to accept this recognition.”

Ava strolled across the piazza in the same way Meldrick did. The crowd cheered and threw even more petals at her feet.

When Ava got to the end of the red carpet, Jovius handed her the medal, Meldrick kissed her gently on the cheek and her parents welcomed her with a loving embrace.

When the crowd became silent again, Meldrick continued his speech. “We also owe our victory to Sybilla Davenport, also known as Sybilla Clark, who gave her life to protect our dimension from extinction and Earth from enslavement. Her departing ceremony will take place on the open deck in half an hour.”

The crowd’s spirits sunk and everybody headed toward the large doors that led to the open deck.

“We are so incredibly proud of you, Ava,” said Grimaldo, resting his large palm on Ava’s shoulder.

“Not many parents have a daughter who receives such honors,” Oriana added.

They were both smiling from ear to ear, beaming with pride.

“Thank you,” said Ava politely. When Grimaldo moved over to talk to other Lapo residents, Ava squeezed her mother’s hand.

“Mom,” she said, “if Aunt Sybilla could tell the future, could she have changed it? Could she have lived?”

“Darling Ava, the power of telling the future is an extraordinary gift and an incredible responsibility. Yes, she could see her death approaching but she could also see that it was the only scenario that could save the world. There are things worth dying for. Aunt Sybilla knew that. You should feel nothing other than pride for your aunt. She was a wise and powerful woman. Let’s go and say our final goodbyes to her.”

All the Lapo residents gathered on the open deck. Ava couldn’t have imagined a more beautiful day to salute her aunt. The sun warmed their faces and the violet waters were sparkling in sophisticated patterns. Orange mengo were jumping up and down following the Lapo Princess as it was cruising slowly.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” said Jovius. “We gathered here to say our final goodbyes to our beloved Sybilla Davenport who gave her life so that we could live. She was a wise and powerful woman and we are all blessed to have had her among us. Queen Oriana Davenport would like to say a few words.”

Oriana strode slowly toward Sybilla’s urn, decorated with photographs brought by her family and friends.

“My sister was the more powerful one of the two of us. She could see the future yet she never abused that privilege. She helped us win numerous battles with the Xemlix and she was the key in this battle’s victory. We salute her with appreciation for everything she has done. May you continue your journey with love and power, wherever you are, Sybilla.”

Oriana slowly opened Sybilla’s urn, whispered a few words and threw her ashes into the violet waters.

The Lapo residents passed by the photographs and each of them wrote a few words in a large book that the Davenport family used to remember their departed. Ava approached it slowly and wrote, 

I know you knew how I felt. You have done for me more than any other person in the world. I will be forever grateful, your niece Ava.

After all the Lapo residents left the deck and only a few people remained, Jovius closed the large book and took it away. Meldrick walked toward Ava, caressed her cheek gently and said, “It’s meant to be a happy ceremony. We rejoice over what your aunt did for us.”

“Yes, it was beautiful,” said Ava. “My aunt will forever remain in my heart.”

“In all our hearts,” Meldrick corrected. “It’s a beautiful day, my love, do you fancy a walk?” he said as he offered her his arm.

“With you always,” Ava smiled.

“How are you feeling?” Meldrick asked. 

“A little overwhelmed. I had no idea you were a prince! Why didn’t you tell me?” Ava asked.

“It’s important for me to win people over through what I do rather than who I am. It’s easy to say you’re a prince and have people follow you. I like to earn my right to do things.”

“What type of things?” Ava asked.

“To command and…” Meldrick hesitated.

“And?” Ava pressed.

“To be loved.”

“You are the most unique man I’ve ever met,” Ava confessed.

“And you are the most beautiful, wise and powerful woman I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.” 

“Sophisticated as usual,” Ava smiled.

“Always,” Meldrick winked.

“Now that it’s all over I just want to live with you happily ever after,” Ava whispered.

“That’s my only desire,” said Meldrick in his deep soothing voice.

CHAPTER 15

Lord Slith looked around his dimension trying to assess the damage. Most of his men were alive but their morale was more than harmed — they felt empty and apathetic. Slith did not take losing well. He was now locked in his world and did not manage to bring the real Ava Davenport with him. He was worried that the fear level on Earth would gradually decrease, now that no Xemlix could cross the portal. He turned on his computer screens to watch the news on the Earth channels.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We are talking to you live from Times Square where several people have witnessed a battle that could only be described in fantasy novels. Now that the dust has lifted, the damage is evident. It’s a gruesome sight. The square is almost empty but we have a witness of the battle who has agreed to talk to us. Please, introduce yourself.”

“Hi, I’m Roger,” the boy said. “I almost can’t believe what happened here but we won and sent those Xemlix home. They shouldn’t be disturbing Earth now with their attacks and monsters and all.”

“Thank you, Roger. This is a very interesting conclusion. We will now be connecting with the National Space Agency to hear their statement.”

“Good evening,” said the National Space Agency spokesperson. “We have been investigating the recent events and it looks like the Times Square battle was the final event that concluded the series of bizarre events that took place in the last days. We made it our priority to be more open to messages from other worlds and to be transparent about them. If such events should happen in the future, you will be advised in advance.”

“Thank you,” said the reporter. “This is a big step forward for our Space Agency. We are grateful that you trust humankind enough to share your findings about other worlds. Now back to the studio.”

Slith turned off the screen disgusted.

“Guards!” he called. “Bring me Quelm!” When the guards dragged Slith’s assistant in front of him, Slith hissed, “You failed at bringing the girl, you disappointed me and the whole Xemlix dimension. We no longer require your useless existence.”

“No!” cried Quelm and held his hands around his neck as if trying to dismantle an imaginary rope tightening around his neck. Within seconds he dropped to the floor, lifeless.

“Guards! Take him away!” Slith cried. “It looks like I can’t rely on anybody and have to take matters into my own hands,” he hissed, looking at an impeccable pearl necklace in a shiny glass box.

***

“My love,” said Meldrick gently once they reached Ava’s favorite place on the Lapo Princess. “I think we could use a vacation. Don’t you?”

“What do you have in mind?” asked Ava playfully.

“Imagine a place full of marvelous beauty, incredible luxury, delicious cuisine, perfect weather and friendly hosts.”

“Mmm, sounds enticing,” said Ava.

“Not as enticing as you are, my love,” Meldrick said in his deep soothing voice, bringing her chin to his. He looked lovingly into her eyes and locked his lips on hers. 

“It’s a place where we could relax without attracting any attention.”

“Tell me more.” 

“It’s called the Honey Island — you’ll love it.”

“Not as much as I love you,” said Ava, presenting Meldrick with the gift of another kiss.

***

Jovius got back to his usual routine in the Operations Center. He flipped the screens to monitor the news on Earth. He relaxed somewhat when he heard the latest news report but he was aware that you could never feel truly safe as long as the Xemlix weren’t completely destroyed. Just as he wanted to retire for the night, leaving an apprentice in charge, he heard a familiar beep. He opened the message and a hologram of Lord Slith appeared in the middle of the room. His eyes were burning with hatred and he hissed instead of speaking.

“You fools! You might think you won this battle. But the war is not over.” He held a pearl necklace in a glass box between his fingers.

“The necklace your little Ava Davenport brought back is a fake! We switched the pearls during the battle. Enjoy your victory because it will not last long. You are underestimating the force of the Xemlix. Watch your darling humans on Earth, they won’t last much longer.”

End of Book 1.

EPILOGUE

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