by Verna Clay
Astonished, Davide watched his father drop to one knee.
"No. No," he rasped.
The Prominent One spoke. "Davide there is more to the Prayer of Respect than what you know. Only now is it time to reveal the entirety of the prayer."
The Prominent Prince, as tall and lithe as Davide, rose from his seated position and walked the few steps that brought him eye-to-eye with his great-grandson. He leaned forward and whispered in Davide's ear. Straightening, he waited.
An astounded expression replaced Davide's confused one as he met his great-grandfather's gaze. "I understand your words and I humbly accept my part in the magnificent plan of Source. I accept that I am the Great Prince." A tear slipped down his cheek.
There was silence in the cave and then the Prominent Prince reached for the Great Prince and embraced him. "Go forth and make music, my son."
Davide said, "May I make known to Zoe the entirety of the prayer?"
The ruler stepped back and sat again. "It is at your discretion to make known the prayer to whomever you choose."
Davide nodded and returned to Zoe's side. The attention of the council then shifted to someone behind them and they turned to see Fawn. She glanced from Zoe to Davide, and then knelt. "May the embers of truth always glow."
"Step forward, Fawn," said the council in unison.
Fawn approached until she stood beside Zoe. She glanced at her stepdaughter and then back at the council. "I have attended to that which called me away."
One of the co-Princes spoke. "Please explain from the beginning for the sake of Davide and Zoe."
Fawn nodded. "As you know, while performing my latest mission as a dolphin with the task of leading the Great Prince and Zoe to the entrance of the Isle of Shapelings, something unusual happened. I discovered a chain with my husband's wedding ring on it. Sadly, I had to let it fall to the bottom of the ocean.
Zoe gasped and Davide glanced questioningly at her.
Fawn continued, "While trailing the Dolphin in dolphin form, I saw Zoe standing at the railing as they departed Honolulu Harbor. I sensed that something was amiss and so chanced a closer look. While I watched, she threw an object into the ocean and I dove to see what it was. It was the chain with the ring." She stared at Zoe. "When I first it, I knew something was terribly wrong. Why would Zoe have her father's wedding ring? However, contact with Zoe and Davide was forbidden until Davide appeared before the co-Princes. Of course, my first instinct was to jump from the sea, shift into a hawk, and fly back to Dream Catcher Ranch, but I couldn't do that because of the importance of my assignment."
Fawn paused long enough to place a hand on Zoe's shoulder. "After leading Davide and Zoe to the entrance of the Isle of Shapelings, I shifted and flew to the Cave of Thirteen to explain my belief that something was wrong. The council then dispatched an army of shapelings to return with me to Dream Catcher Ranch. When we arrived, I discovered that Wade was not there, and when I questioned the ranch hands, they said they hadn't seen him for several days and thought he was with me. After talking to the crew, I shifted and flew to Hidden Canyon to meet with the shapelings sent to help. We shifted into various animals: birds, hounds, wolves, cats, deer, and others, and from a piece of Wade's clothing tracked his scent. In a matter of hours, one of the hounds located a cabin where he was being held captive." She smiled. "And it goes without saying that the arrival of a few hundred shapelings surprised the kidnappers. Wade had received a beating–"
Zoe cried out in alarm.
"–but he's going to make a complete recovery."
"What happened to the kidnappers?" asked a co-Prince.
"Let's just say that after we morphed into terrifying creatures and warned that lions and crocs and boas enjoy the taste of humans, I don't think we'll be seeing them again."
"Thank you, Fawn, for your most excellent report," said the council in unison.
Fawn nodded, patted Zoe's shoulder, and then retreated into the recesses of the cave.
The Prominent Prince said, "I believe our reason for convening has been satisfied." He glanced toward the shadows. "Does anyone watching have anything further to say?" No one spoke.
The Prominent One stood. "Davide, you and Zoe must leave soon to reach the beach before low tide. You can paraglide all the way there. Your father and mother will guide you. Before you leave, however, your great-grandmother and I would like to get to know you and Zoe better."
He started to turn away, but paused and laughed. "The wisdom of the Source is unfathomable. The rule of the Great Prince is not by force…it is by music." He continued laughing heartily as he walked into the shadows.
CHAPTER 23:
CONFESSION
Zoe returned with Davide to the council chamber after a pleasant conversation with his great-grandparents in an adjoining cave. While she joined Fawn and Rainey, he walked across the room to converse with his father.
"What a wonderful day this has been," Rainey said with exuberance.
"I agree wholeheartedly." Fawn reached to place her arm around Zoe's shoulders. "Your father is anxious to see you. He's more worried about how you're coping than his own injuries." When Zoe wrinkled her brow, she hastily added, "But he's practically as good as new. So stop stressing over him. In fact, he gave me explicit instructions that he wants at least a half dozen new dreamcatchers to hang on the porch."
Fawn's words made Zoe laugh. After her father's marriage to Fawn he had resumed his mother's tradition of hanging dreamcatchers throughout the ranch. Because of grief, the senior Mr. Spenser had stopped the practice and removed them when his wife died. It was Fawn who had convinced Wade that happy memories should be treasured, so he reinstated the practice. "Is there room on the porch for more?" Zoe joked.
"No, but your father has plans to enlarge the porch." She placed a hand on her belly. "He said our baby is going to need plenty of room to play."
For a second, Zoe and Rainey gaped at Fawn and then they both squealed. Roth and Davide stopped talking and stared at them. Rainey waved and called, "You'll find out soon enough." The men nodded and continued their conversation.
Zoe hugged her stepmother. "I'm so happy for you! Now I'll have a brother or sister like I've always dreamed of."
For several minutes they talked about the baby and then Roth and Davide joined them. Roth said, "Okay, what were you ladies squealing about?"
Rainey grinned. "Only the fact that Fawn and Wade will soon be changing diapers."
Both Roth and Davide looked surprised and then elated. "That's wonderful!" said Roth.
Davide hugged Fawn. "Congratulations!"
After several minutes of lively conversation about the baby, Roth turned to Rainey. "It's time to leave, dearest."
"I know. Just let me say goodbye to my grandparents."
To Davide he said, "Son, we'll meet you and Zoe at the cave's entrance in a few minutes."
"Okay, Dad."
Davide's gaze captured Zoe's and she saw a flash of anger. Why is he angry with me?
"Come on, Zoe." He started toward the entrance.
While he prepared the paraglider she racked her brain trying to understand his anger. When he motioned her over to be harnessed to him, she stood her ground. "Okay, what gives? Why are you angry?"
He choked out, "I can't believe you're asking that."
"Well, I am. I may be able to see your aura, but I can't read your mind," she retorted.
"Why didn't you tell me about your father being kidnapped?"
"That's what you're mad about? Me trying to keep you focused on your purpose and not on my father?"
"Yes, damn it. I'm furious about that. It just shows how little trust you have in me."
Zoe's mouth gaped. "You are so…so…wrong."
Roth, Rainey, and Fawn joined them, ending further argument. Davide made an impatient gesture motioning her over, and while he strapped her into the harness, she practiced deep breathing. She glanced at Fawn and the others to see bemused expressions on their faces. This is so N
OT funny.
Finally, Davide said, "We're ready," and walked Zoe forward to the edge of the precipice. She heard a flap of wings and gasped when three bald eagles zoomed into the air, circling in front of them. She heard another sound, and then Davide said, "Oh, my God!"
While she watched, the sky darkened with thousands of birds of many species. The three eagles were joined by the mismatched flock who circled above the canyon waiting for their Great Prince. Zoe could feel Davide's pounding heart as he said two words, "Let's go," and stepped over the edge with Zoe. A breeze lifted their parasail and they soared high. Zoe forgot her anger and savored the rush of flying with Davide. She laughed and glanced around at myriads of birds of every size, shape, and color: seagulls, sparrows, parrots, egrets, storks, doves, humming birds, and untold others. Had the entire shapeling civilization come to bid them farewell?
Following the three eagles, Davide maneuvered the paraglider through the canyon. When they reached the towering pillars and exited into the forest, in the distance, they could see the waterfall sparkling and showing them the way. Following the ribbon of river to the waterfall, they entered a rainbow arcing off of it and Zoe lifted her arms in front of her, feeling the rush of wind while basking in the beauty of the intangible colors. Too soon, the interior beach came into view and Davide landed the paraglider on the sand. The eagles and the flock circled above.
Hastily, he unfastened the harness and Zoe stepped away from him. He unhitched himself from the paraglider and stood gazing upward. The three eagles separated from the flock, diving low, and then soared upward and toward the ocean beyond the protective cliffs. Zoe waved, and she heard Davide say softly, "I love you Mom and Dad." The flock of mismatched birds continued circling while he packed the paraglider away.
Zoe sat on the beach drawing doodles in the sand with her finger, but when he started to prepare the skiff for departure, she stood and asked to help. His reply was a gruff, "I don't need your help." Hurt, she sat back on the sand and couldn't decide if she wanted to verbally lambaste him or cry.
Suddenly, he said, "The tides going out. Come on." Zoe jumped up and ran through the water toward the boat. Davide met her halfway and lifted her into his arms to carry her there. She stared up at a sky filled with their bird companions and waved goodbye. Still holding her in his arms, Davide looked up, too. A grin replaced his displeasure for an instant, and then he was setting her on the ladder of the skiff. He followed her into the boat and started the motor. Steering toward the cave, the retreating sea sucked them into the passage. As before, he battled the currents to keep the boat centered and away from the stone walls. But finally they rounded the curve in the passage and a surging wave pushed them out of the cave and into the Pacific Ocean. Expertly, Davide maneuvered away from the looming cliffs and into open water. Two dolphins jumped and splashed in front of them and an eagle soared. Zoe laughed and Davide grinned. He steered their skiff toward the Dolphin with dolphins jumping and playing alongside them.
It wasn't until they were aboard ship and standing at the railing that the two dolphins rose out of the water on their tail fins, chattered, and then burst into the air as eagles to join their companion. Zoe watched them fly away and then turned to see Davide walking away. His aura still flashed with anger.
Rather than approach him, she went to her cabin and fell across her bed. What does he want from me?
A muffled sound awakened Zoe and she saw a flash of lightning through her porthole and heard thunder again. Leaving her bed she went to stand at the porthole and watch a lightening storm. It was night and occasional flashes lit faraway waters. The calmness of the sea surrounding the Dolphin contrasted with the turmoil in her heart, and every time the distant lightening flashed and the thunder rumbled, her heart surged with the need to vent.
She thought about the life that lay ahead of her—a life void of her greatest desire, Davide's love. Then she thought about his unfounded anger and that made her furious. The combination of her love and her fury finally exploded creating a byproduct of courage. With only a glance in the mirror at her corkscrew curls framing her tiny face and angry mahogany eyes, and her T-shirt only half tucked into her jeans, she marched from her room in search of Davide. He wasn't on the deck or in the galley or the main room, so she stomped to his cabin and pounded on the door. Without waiting for a response, she shoved it open. He turned from the porthole and watched her enter, saying nothing. His shirt lay across his bed and his Levi's rode low on his hips. His state of undress did not deter her. Her heart burned with the need to reveal the truth. Angrily, she stormed toward him until she was dwarfed by his size. Meeting his gaze full on, she poked her finger into his naked chest.
"Davide Roth Beowolf, you have no reason to be angry with me! I did what I did to protect you! If anyone has a right to be angry, it's me!" She saw something flash in the blue fire gazing back at her.
"And why is that, Princess?"
She didn't pause to consider his address, she simply vented.
"You may be the Great Prince, but you are blind. You want to know why I stopped attending your birthday parties; why I ceased all contact with you?" She poked his chest again.
"Yes," he whispered low.
She ignored the husky tone of his voice and forged on. "Because I couldn't bear seeing you with that woman, especially when she was so wrong for you." Tears filled her eyes. "Because…because…I believed the words of the pretty voice when she told me…" She tried not to cry.
"Told you what?" Davide lifted a hand as if to touch her, but held it in the air.
Zoe sniffed, "She said…she said… You are the Great Love of the Great Prince. You are his Princess." On a strangled cry she ran from his cabin.
Lightening flashed and thunder roared, closer now. She reached her room and covered her mouth with her hand. What had she done? Now she would have Davide's pity, which was worse than anything imaginable. She flung herself across her bed, weeping. She felt a weight on the bed as Davide sat on it and the thought of his pity sent anger surging through her again, and she jumped up, standing in front of him. "All those years I believed the voice. I kept waiting for you to love me as a woman, not as your childhood friend. But when I saw you with Mandy, I knew it was hopeless." She paused, inhaled a shuddering breath and whispered, "Davide, I saved myself for you. I've never been with a man. I'm…I'm…such a fool."
She looked toward the porthole at another flash of lightening and when the thunder rumbled, Davide said, "I am madly, deeply, passionately, helplessly, in love with you, Zoe, and I would rip to shreds any man who touched you."
Zoe snapped her head back around. She blinked, wondering if she'd heard him right.
He said, "I've always loved you as my best friend, but it was while we were watching the sunrise over Uluru that you stole my heart forever as a woman. At first, I felt confused by my feelings, but after I touched you in your bedroom, I was lost. Zoe, can't you see how lovesick I am? When I found out you didn't tell me about your father's kidnapping, I felt like anything between us was hopeless because you didn't trust me enough to confide in me."
Zoe sobbed, "I didn't tell you because I love you so much."
"I understand that now." Purposefully, Davide reached to encircle Zoe's tiny waist and pull her onto his lap, before twisting and laying her across the bed. His eyes roamed her face. "Zoe, will you become my bride, my Princess?"
Zoe's voice deserted her, so she nodded, and then nodded again…and again.
Davide laughed and whispered, "May the embers of truth always glow, lighting the path for the fire of love that reigns through the music of the Golden-Indigo Flame."
Lightening flashed, thunder roared, and Davide's mouth descended on hers—two auras merged into one.
EPILOGUE
Davide and Zoe decided to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary with family. With blankets scattered across the field of wildflowers and a picnic feast filling everyone's bellies, the Beowolfs and the Spencers and Stella Childress did what they
enjoyed most—spend time with family. Zoe leaned back on her elbows glancing from one family member to another.
She watched Roth and Rainey strolling hand-in-hand near the woods, laughing and chatting. Moving her gaze to Stella, who was also watching the gathering from another blanket, she observed both sadness and contentment in her expression and aura. Hank had died peacefully a year earlier at a ripe old age with his wife by his side. And just today, Stella had informed the family that she'd decided to return to the Isle of Shapelings to begin the next phase of her life. She'd laughed and joked, "I'm tired of trying to appear old. It's time for me to move on. Hank would want that."
Zoe watched Lilly drop onto the blanket beside Stella and hug her grandmother. Lilly had blossomed into a beautiful young woman with all the capabilities of a full-blooded shapeling, and begun training missions with her father. Roth couldn't have been prouder.
Next, Zoe glanced at her own father and Fawn. As always, her father appeared much younger than his sixty-seven years. Fawn said something and he tilted his head backward, laughing loudly. Zoe smiled when her nine year old brother, Michael, tossed an intricately folded paper glider into the breeze and it flew and hit their father on the nose. Wade bent to retrieve it and then jogged over to play with his son. Michael's creativity and artistic ability always amazed his family. So far, it was unknown whether he had inherited the ability to shift, but everyone knew that he would never be hampered from attaining whatever he set his heart to. His indigo aura outshone any that she had ever seen.
Lastly, Zoe watched her husband and six year old twins step from the forest. Their daughters, Marigold and Lavender, named for the color of their auras, cradled treasures discovered in the woods and skipped excitedly over to Roth and Rainey. Sighing contentedly, Zoe closed her eyes and thanked Source for the blessing of family.
"Tell me the secret of your smile?"
Zoe opened her eyes as Davide knelt beside her and reached to touch her springy curls.