Chapter 2

Cali appeared calm, but appearances were definitely deceiving in this case.

For the past 4 hours her concentration had been pushed to its limits trying to maintain the gateway. Every muscle in her 21 year old body was pulled tighter than a guitar string, sweat poured down her toned and tanned body matting the long dirty blond hair to her back.

She shimmered in the candle light as if an ethereal had chosen this moment to enter our realm, it was the nature of the rites she performed, manipulating both this plane and the other. Her normally emerald eyes had taken on the violet glow of the nether that she had breached.

Focusing on the sigils that maintained the portal consumed her; would it ever end, would Sam ever step back through, no must maintain the portal, Sam will be back. Half an hour later, as Samantha stepped through the faintly opaque hole in space time Cali felt relief wash over her, never had she expended so much magical energy and her body began to quiver under the strain as she took her time to slowly close the portal securely, ensuring that nothing else could come through.

Samantha cradled Cali in her arms, 5th tier incantations were bad enough but make it a portal spell and only the most adept will be able to survive the task.

Now, after holding the portal open Cali was in a near coma, her body shivered against Samantha as the sweat began to dry, the muscles relaxed and Cali's drained reserves finally gave out.

Lifting her in her arms, Samantha strode over to the shower, gently laying Cali on the floor she quickly stripped off her ceremonial robe and worked the controls on the modern multi-head shower system, a light rain effect filled the glass chamber with a warm spray, natural aromatics of lilac and lavender seeped into the heavy mist to help calm and replenish them both, helping to attune their centers and begin the healing process.

Samantha picked up Cali's shaking form and moved her into the comforting warm embrace of the shower. Slowly Samantha washed the young woman in her arms, the natural sea sponge absorbed the healing salve that would release the strain in Cali's muscles, and cleanse any remnants of the works energy from her mate.

Sitting together on the floor letting the warm water sooth their overworked bodies, the mingling scents enlivening their senses Samantha looked down at her sleeping charge, always overwhelmed that they had found each other and together learned so much in such a short time.

It amazed Samantha that two people could be so alike and so different and still be so complimentary to the other. Together they are the Yin/Yang two parts that are only whole when joined with the other.

Gently rinsing Cali and then herself, Samantha helped her soul twin out of the shower, dried her and then took her to their bed, as she drifted to sleep with Cali in her arms her thoughts slipped back to that day 4 years ago when Cali had quite literally stumbled into her life.

'Mother fucker' thought Cali,

Days on the street had worn on the normally happy teen, how is it possible that a 17 year old girl in northern California with enough money to retire can't find a decent place to live.

For the third time that day a landlord had taken one look at Cali and said they would not rent to her. "I thought money was suppose to open doors not have them slammed in your face" Cali whispered under her breath as she looked up at the street sign, trying to figure out where the next apartment was.

Cali had been on the long road now for over a year, her mother had finally given up trying to find the right "formula" that would make Cali conform to the idea of what she should be.

Cali had taken the news of loosing her situation much better than most 16 year olds would have. It helped that her mothers family had set up a legacy trust for her when she was born, with a few signatures and a notary stamp, Cali was ... comfortable, she could never touch the principal in the trust but the $10,000.00 per month from the interest would ensure she never had to worry about money if she was smart and not extravagant.

Of course Cali was smart and her idea of extravagant was an evening on the beach watching the sunset listening to the song of LIFE.

With a quiet resolve that transcended her years, Cali went through the motions of packing up her life; it was the little things, the things with meaning that Cali gently packed into her duffle bag.

The rabbit's foot found at the park when she was 4, the tigers eye that found its way into her shoe on her first day of school at 6 the 12 journals that held the scope of her life within their pages. The bits and pieces of magic that had, through luck or providence found their way into her petite little hands.

Born Calliope Renee Simms, Cali's family looked upon her with something between revulsion and despair, the Simms' were not what you would call parental poster children, if anything they were the antithesis of what parents should be.

Cali's father Ray was a baby boomer who never escaped the 60's, falling into a life of shaping surfboards on Hermosa Beach in LA county, finding ways to hit the surf and ignore any hint of responsibility.

Cali's mom, Melissa was the opposite, a driven woman from a wealthy family who, after finding the effects of methamphetamines too seductive to resist took up with Ray as a way to "stabilize" her life. In the end neither Ray nor Melissa should ever have had children, there were no two people alive that had less to offer a child.

Cali, of course understood the state of affairs in her world from a very young age, something had always been different about her, she had an inherent ... knowing ... that would confound adults and put off other children, this lead Cali to a very solitary existence, an existence filled with books, sunsets and a deep abiding love and connection to the magic of life.

Cali in a word was ALIVE, from the instant she was born everyone new that something was different about her, that difference was her life force.

Cali lived in this world with the energy of 10 souls, she could move through a room and people just naturally moved aside, understanding that something very strange, something not to be trifled with had chosen to cross their path.

Samantha new something was out of place, the air seemed to crackle with potential that warm fall day as she hopped off the bus heading to her last class.

At 18 Sam had her life all mapped out, high school was over, classes at UC had just begun, her tiny apartment in the Haight was just what she had envisioned it would be, her life was on track and there was nothing that was going to stop her from attaining her goals.

Of course, nothing has a way of showing up unexpectedly and uninvited to make sure the best-laid plans are overturned like a fruit cart in a Mel Gibson movie.

Samantha Lynn Carson was a transplant, growing up in Devil's Lake North Dakota; she was a country girl, never meant for the country.

She loved the plains, watching the sun rise, lighting up the landscape in colors no artist could capture, that no chemist could ever hope to recreate.

First shades of grays would begin to lighten the world, then hues of blues would push back the gray finally turning to the fiery oranges and reds that made her heart beat quicken with the marvel of how each new day was wonderful and inspiring while being totally unique and fulfilling.

Often she would sit for hours with the elderly Sioux women listening to their stories of the spirits of the land, vision quests and the great festivals of the tribe. Sam could feel the pull of the ancients, sense the heartbeat of these once proud people.

Her parents, John and Elizabeth were hardworking people of German decent who loved their life, loved their ranch and loved their children.

Sam was the middle of three kids, Kyle her older brother was in his third year at UND studying agriculture/farm management, he loved the ranch more than their parents did and would take it over once their parents decided to retire.

Kimberly, her younger sister had just started her sophomore year at Devils Lake High School, she was an intelligent girl who would probably go to college and end up married to a rancher's son, never leaving North Dakota.