Sneak Peek

A glimpse into the second instalment of the Phoenix and Calista Saga.

​The other side...
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Soaked to the bone, Calista and Phoenix took heavy slow steps out of the river and onto the rocky shore line, edged with a combination of evergreen trees and gold leafed trees, every detail around them pointing to the fact that they were at the northern end of the river near the periphery of Gold Leaf Forest. Waterlogged and panting, they struggled to catch their breath as they collapsed on the stony beach. “What just happened?” Nix spluttered as he coughed to clear his lungs, with a glance towards Cali who was wringing out her hair and looking around. “We survived” she replied sardonically.  Her hand went instinctively towards the slot that contained her blessed blade checking to see that it was still there as she sat kneeling and facing Nix.  “That’s a nasty bruise on your head…how are you feeling?” She searched his eyes for a moment “You’re scared” she said softly after a pregnant pause answering her own question.  
            Nix held her gaze “How do you know that? - You can feel what I’m feeling.” he said quietly realizing that he too was sensing her emotional state “You’re worried, no- you’re calm.  How are you feeling so calm?” he asked.
            “I’m here with you, we are alive and we will figure this out.” Cali said with a determination that she instantly sensed deepened Nix’s sense of calm as well. “I think our bond has intensified” it’s the only explanation of their shared emotional connection.
            “I don’t see Lux, Lev or even Knoxx anywhere” Nix stood heavily and really took in their surroundings this time.  Cali walked towards the water’s edge and placed her hand in the gently lapping waves only to discover her touch produced a shimmer of bioluminescence.  She gently waved her hand in the water watching the neon water dance and swirl through her finger tips. “Nix come here look at this” As he watched her hand moving creating more of the neon blue shimmer it became clear that something significant had shifted. “The river water this far north doesn’t behave like this” he pointed out as she continued to swirl her hand in the water producing ripples of bioluminescence.  This only happened occasionally like producing a water bridge for 2 people or less and only for noble blood or during especially important times of year like the solstice and only ever in Shadow Lake.  “Cali, that portal is real.” She stood beside him shaking little neon droplets of water off her fingertips then placing her dampened hand over the bruise on Nix’s temple.  Within seconds the slight shimmer began to heal the wound. “I think you’re right.  I can hear the waterfall upriver we must have drifted downstream after falling in. But these healing waters are only found in Shadow Lake, I don’t understand …” she fell silent as they recalled recent events.  “Cali…The portal we fell through – It’s transported us somewhere else.”  Nix touched his now healed temple and looked around climbing up on a small but elevated rock formation to get a better lay of the land. “Look there.” He pointed southwards.  In the distance a large structure could be seen it appeared to be smack in the middle of the river that divided East and West Marra but there it was perched on what looked like a massive land mass made of large stone arches that connects both sides of the river.  Cali joined him on the rock and peered into the distance with him.  “The air, Nix it’s in the air, I can feel it everywhere” she looked up at him “Magic?” he said with an air of perplexity the realization struck them both at the same time.  They moved back in time and were in Ancient LaMarra.
            “Nix, think about it, the waterfall, the rocky beach we are on, our strengthened bond, magic is literally in the air, we can feel it, bioluminescence and healing waters in the northern part of the river and now that castle in the distance – I can hardly believe it, the legends must be true-I think when we fell behind the waterfall it transported us to LaMarra…” Cali said with bewilderment. 
            They had fallen back in time, back to when East and West Marra were united and ruled by the two Queens, back to a time where magic was everywhere and everything.  The question now remains, Cali turned back to look at the castle of the two Queens “How do we get back?”.