Page 5 of The Void

Had Mia really conjured everything herself? She had been thinking of a soft bed, food, water.

She stepped up to the table and frowned at all the colorful items.

“Pop-Tarts,” she said, pointing to an empty spot on the table.

Suddenly, two blueberry Pop-Tarts appeared on a plate in the spot. She apparently was getting the hang of these new powers.

It appeared that all she had to do was want it badly enough and she made it happen.

Smiling, she sat down and poured herself a large glass of water and gulped the cold liquid down.

As she ate and drank, she searched her mind for any of her ancestors named Feng.

There, in the oldest memories given to her by her ancestors, was a young woman with jet-black hair and yellow eyes, dressed in a dress almost identical to the one she was now wearing. Feng was the mother of Fa Li, who was the first djinn to leave this place.

“You’re the first,” Mia said out loud to the empty room.

“I am,” Feng answered.

“Why are you here?” She frowned, looking around.

“I never left Kòngbái,” Feng answered.

“You never traveled to Earth?” Mia asked, feeling suddenly very tired.

“No, there was no need. Rest, my child, you will need it for what’s to come,” Feng said.

“What’s to… what’s coming?” Mia asked with a frown as she glanced over towards the bed. It did look very inviting. How long had she traveled? How tired was she?

“The moment you arrived, they knew of your presence,” Feng answered.

“They? Who?” Mia asked, suddenly on guard.

“The guardians. The ones who would bind you,” Feng said. “Rest. By morning’s light, your worlds will change. I can’t help you in the physical realm, but I will never leave you while you’re here,” Feng added. “Rest.”

Mia pulled off her sandals, crawled onto the bed, and drifted immediately off to sleep.

She woke to the sound of voices just outside the door. Just like the night before, the moment she wished for a cup of coffee, it appeared on the table in her favorite travel mug.

She needed to use a bathroom before she dealt with whatever awaited her outside, so she thought of one and another door appeared.

She took her coffee inside and freshened up as quickly as she could. She wished for clothes other than the long flowing dress but was disappointed when only a pair of sturdy boots and a leather belt appeared. The belt held a narrow sword made of what appeared to be solid gold. It had a jewel on it the same color as Feng’s eyes.

At least she had a weapon. She tried to conjure up a gun or something more useful, but she was disappointed with the results of that as well.

She downed the rest of the coffee, set the mug down, and walked to the door. Her fingers tightened around the knob.

“I am with you,” Feng said softly. “Always.”

“Thanks,” Mia answered, and opened the door to the voices.

Chapter Two

Lucas arrived in the place that Mia called the Void shortly after leaving Selene and Tara, his sisters, along with the rest of the odd gang at the large house in Hidden Creek, Georgia.

He’d been surprised he could travel there, since Mia claimed she was the only one who could travel to the realm. He wasn’t sure how he’d done it, other than thinking really hard about her and his desire to help her.

He was tired, sore, and, for the first time in his life, bruised and battered. There were cuts and scratches all over his body, and he was pretty sure he had a black eye and a fat lip. All thanks to the battle they had fought and temporarily won against Moros, God of Doom. He was the reason that Lucas feared… well, everything.