The End is Near

Chapter 20

17 July 2045 – Houston; Caves

Athena's heart was a block of ice in her chest as the monitors intensified to a white brightness sharper than the light of the noonday sun. How can they be implying that HE has anything to do with it? He tried to warn them!

Mickael responded in that voice that kept unlocking the parts of her which seemed to have been asleep until she met him. Why does his voice soothe and excite me all at the same time. His voice says everything will be alright – even if the world ends.

Roger Correlli moved closer to her and whispered, "Get them out of here, we have to trust his plan. There's no other way."

She was shocked that someone else felt exactly as she did and looked at him out of the corner of her eye for a split second. Then she evaluated the options for a way out. Please, lords and ladies who have helped me so far! Help me out of this one now!

Then she looked down - Mickael had extended his hand to her, without even looking back to see if she would take it. She reached down unhesitatingly and clasped his hand. His magick wound around her like a living thing, cushioning her against the shock of moving through space and time.

She didn't know how she knew that he was buffeting her through it, she just knew that he was. The light was gentler when the world stopped moving, but she left her hand in his.

They were in a Cave and were surrounded by tall beings who she decided she would think of as Elven even if that wasn't the right term. Directly in front of them was a muscled male with a lot of reddish-gold hair. It was short on his head but more than made up for in his beard and brows. He wore a circlet on his head and there were four males flanking him, in hooded capes that pooled on the floor. Bet he's the ruler here.

Everyone else was dressed sumptuously but simply in jewel-bright colors.

Shio and Laila blinked dazedly at everyone around them. Good! It's not just me feeling like I've landed in Lord of The Rings.

She looked up when they did and barely stifled a gasp at the jeweled walls and ceilings.

Shio and Laila held hands but stood straight-backed, waiting on Mickael. She poked him with her free hand as he stood there doing nothing but staring at the ruler-guy.

Then she realized that they weren't the only focus of attention. A petite female was walking through the assembly, holding a sceptre that was slightly taller than she was. She was quite literally the most beautiful woman that Athena had seen outside of a movie screen. Her eyes were exotically tilted, shining an impossibly leaf-green and her reddish gold hair tumbled over her shoulders in careless abandon. She was as serene and regal as a Queen and her eyes were steadily on the ruler-guy and the males flanking him.

"Hello sis," Mickael finally spoke. "Do we have everything we need now?"

She stomped firmly on the feeling of relief when she realized that the beauty was related to him. Then frowned. She didn't actually know if there was a prohibition against dating your sister in this world of his. I'm really thinking about whether I can go out with him? My mind must have snapped when he used his magick on me.

The red-head smiled and her beauty went from bearable to transcendent. The ruler was stroking his beard but Athena could have sworn he was hiding a smile in that long beard of his.

"My liege," Mickael intoned. Because what else do you call a tone that reeks of formality?

"I am pleased to bring before you, the esteemed inventor Shio Yokahani," he gestured with his free hand. Shio bowed formally to the ruler, who inclined his head in acknowledgement. "He is accompanied by the powerful and gifted Laila Toryoko." Laila also bowed perfectly, which was also followed by the ruler's slight incline of his head.