Chapter Two
"Where are you going, young lady and at this dreadful time in morning?" Her grandmother inquired from the shadows, her voice deceivingly calm. But Rhiannon could tell she wasn't, her English accent always came out sharper when she was mad.
Rhiannon squinted into the darkness, barely making out the silhouette of her grandmother.
"Grandma, I'm seventeen and it's five. No big deal." Rhiannon sighed, ready for her grandmother to argue. She always ended up arguing with her grandmother, no matter the circumstance, they were always on opposing sides. Despite that, she was closer to her grandmother than to any other human being in the world.
She leant against the doorframe, hands in the pocket of her short shorts and white t-shirt glowing in the darkness. The sun was just beginning to rise and Rhiannon really needed to take a run, just to clear her head a little.
"You're right, it's no big deal. You are seventeen and therefore should be allowed to sneak out in the early morning, without so much as a goodbye. It's not as if I care what happens to you right?" Her grandma, lectured her voice rich with sarcasm.
Rhiannon put in her earphones on full blast, hardly listening to a word she was saying. She tried to memorise the chords as her grandmother continued on. Rhiannon understood where she was coming from but that didn't mean that she felt any better about it.
"So can I leave now?" She pleaded. Rhiannon just wanted to go for a long hard run and maybe a swim to clear thoughts of a certain guy. So that she could get a decent amount of sleep this weekend.
Her grandmother's mouth pursed but she shooed her away and Rhiannon beamed at her. Waving a quick goodbye, she sprinted out into the streets.
She didn't really have a place in mind, but somehow she ended up running to the beach. Newford was known for two things: It's cheerleading Scorpions and its white sand beaches. The beach was quiet except for the few people who jogged this early in the morning, but they hardly made any noise themselves.
Rhiannon loved the ocean, but she didn't really have an interest in seeing thousands of people crowding it during the afternoon. So early mornings were the only times she could enjoy the ocean, and pretend she was all alone.
The beach stretched beyond her sight, the glistening sand, hauntingly white in the faint light. The ocean sparkled with absolute power and beauty that no artist could ever capture. The horizon blurred and became one with the sky as the sun gradually rose from the ocean.
Seagulls flocked above. Birds from everywhere were already making a racket. A few trucks chugged loudly by. But it was all almost drowned out by the rhythmic beat of the ocean against the sand. Rhiannon breathed in the salty ocean air, cleansing her lungs.
She sprinted along the edge, where the sea met the land and marvelled in the simplistic beauty of it. Rhiannon only wished she was able to enjoy it more often. She eventually sat down in the waves, revelling in the feel of cool water on her bare legs and the sand beneath her toes.
The ocean sparkled as dawn broke over it, the sky breaking out into a symphony of pale pinks, gentle mauves and blues. Rhiannon smiled, throwing her head back in abandon as the sun's rays thawed her. She lay back on the sand, her dark hair fanning out around her like halo.
She turned her head as something caught her eye. It glittered and winked at her.
Rhiannon got up, tip-toeing to the glittering object in case it disappeared before her eyes. She nearly thought it was a bottle cap. It called to her, it's sparkling a Morse code that drew her closer. She grasped the object, pulling it out of the sand.
It was a silver pendant. A small teardrop shaped locket, that sparkled dully even through the layer of sand that surrounded it.
Rhiannon could almost see something written on the back. She rubbed the locket free of the sand staring vaguely at the words. She just couldn't make it out, properly.
"Svelgio specttro fayre minu notte lavoro." She whispered aloud. It didn't make any sense. Was it possible the locket had travelled from God knows where to land here in Newford? It wouldn't be the first time that someone had lost something in the ocean.
There had to be a meaning to phrase. Perhaps it was an address so that she could return it to whoever had lost it. But she doubted it, what type of person would put their address on a locket. She knew she wouldn't.
She'd been staring so hard at the words that she jumped when someone tapped her on the shoulder.
She turned around and her jaw nearly dropped. Somewhere in the back of her mind, something was telling her that she was either the luckiest girl in the world or a girl with the worst kind of curse.
"Good morning, I am Devlin or whatever you wish, my lady." Devlin gave a lazy bow, before smiling dreamily up at her.
In front of her stood a boy just as gorgeous as Kian but in a completely different way. Devlin had cropped, ruffled honey blonde hair, the slightly tanned skin of an athlete and the body to match. He was at least six feet tall, he definitely towered over her.
And he had the greenest eyes she had ever seen, but then again Rhiannon had never met anyone with eyes she considered green.
He was half naked to boot, wearing a blue wrap over his hips.
Rhiannon practically drooled at his feet. Devlin chuckled, breaking her trance. She shook her head of her day dreams. It seemed she couldn't control herself around these guys who just seem to pop out of nowhere.
"I-I-I'm Rhiannon." She stuttered.
He laughed again, a purely masculine laugh that seemed to lure her closer to him.
"I know, my lady. Do you wish me to explain what this is all about? Or who I am? Because that always seems to be the question on everyone's tongues." Devlin offered, infinitely patient with her. He didn't want to frighten her.
"Actually I wanted to know why you're talking to me." Rhiannon blurted out, blushing. Where do all these guys keep coming from? Rhiannon thought, this had to be someone's idea of a cosmic joke.
"Ah, not exactly hard to answer but nonetheless... I am speaking to you because you are my mistress, my master, my lady, the one to whom I am eternally bound until the fateful day you make your three wishes." Devlin listed, ticking them off his fingers as he said them aloud. He shot her a smouldering look and Rhiannon felt her head grow lighter.
"Not that I would have any trouble being eternally bound to you, my lady." He grinned rakishly at her and winked.
Rhiannon's head span.
"What do you mean by master?"
Devlin raised one eye brow as if to say 'are you serious?' "I'm a genie and since you awakened me what else would I –"
"Wait up here. Back it up. You're a what?" Rhiannon demanded incredulous. She didn't believe in magic, leprechauns or unicorns.
Heck! She didn't even believe in love, this had to be some kind of joke. Rhiannon looked around for a camera or Devlin's friends who were probably laughing their heads off.
"A genie. A mystical creature able to grant you wishes, almost anything that is your heart's desire. Of course, genie's have laws but other than that. Your wish is my command, quite literally." Devlin gave a full toothed grin, scratching his head guiltily.
"Okay so where's the camera?" Rhiannon asked suspiciously. There was nowhere on his person that he could've fit a camera, and she really didn't want to think of what to do if it was under his wrap.
"What is a cam-era?" Devlin inquired, tilting his head slightly to the side as if searching her face for the answer.
For a second she almost believed he didn't know what a camera was but he must've taken acting lessons at some point. The only thing that stumped her was the effort he was putting into this, he was a really good actor.
"Sure, you don't know what a camera is. And I don't know what the ocean is." Rhiannon rolled her eyes.
"But I am familiar with sarcasm. I do not know what this cam-era is but alas it is not my fault that I had been asleep in that trinket for the last century." He stared at her hard, but it wasn't quite a glare. It was like he was trying to read her, but she was just too hard to read.
"For someone who's lived for a hundred years you look awfully good." Rhiannon commented, sure that he would tire of this joke sooner than she would. Devlin had to be stupid to think that she would believe that he was actually a genie.
"I am not a hundred years of age. I am approximately six thousand years old, give or take. Why am I getting the feeling that you don't believe me?" Rhiannon looked in his eyes and saw the frustration and the complete honesty that shone in them. It shocked her at how earnest Devlin seemed.
Rhiannon shocked herself with the truth.
Devlin was completely insane.
Rhiannon slipped the locket into her pocket. "I guess I should be leaving now, you... keep yourself safe." Rhiannon felt oddly protective of him, despite the fact that she had just met him. She hoped that he could get home safely, if he even knew where home was.
She jogged home, constantly looking back to make sure that Devlin hadn't followed her. Rhiannon may have felt protective of him, but that didn't mean that she wanted to have a stalker. Taking one last look behind her, she walked up her front step only to slip.
Rhiannon rubbed her hands which were now grazed, cursing at herself. She wasn't normally so careless, and since were her steps slippery in the middle of summer. She looked up and she had to cover her mouth, so that she didn't scream.
There stood Devlin, his smile like the sun after a month's rain. Rhiannon didn't know how he did it. But he was at her house before she was, like he knew exactly where she lived.
She felt her jaw drop.
"What are you doing here, Devlin?" Rhiannon said as calmly as she could, staring up at him, forgetting completely to get up.
"I told you, eternally bound until you make your three wishes. Genie law's, you know how they work. And I thought you were an intelligent young woman." He joked, holding his hand out to lift her up then thinking better of it and placing it awkwardly at his side.
Rhiannon got up by herself, a little annoyed at him.
"Devlin –"
"I know you think I'm insane, but many of my masters believed that I wasn't real until they were given proof. Would that help you to believe me, Rhiannon? Or would your eyes be blind to the truth anyway?" Devlin held his hand out to her again and Rhiannon knew that if she took his hand, things would be different.
And despite everything, she felt comfortable the way things were.
"Take my hand, Rhiannon. Take it and I'll prove to you forever that magic is real." He grinned.
"If I take your hand and nothing happens, will you leave me alone?" Rhiannon wasn't sure she wanted that, but she didn't feel comfortable with this boy threatening the way she saw things.
"I promise you, that whatever happens I will protect you no matter what." Devlin vowed staring deep into her eyes. Rhiannon felt herself shiver under his eyes. She still wasn't sure what was going to happen. But she knew now that something definitely was.
Rhiannon extended her hand, her other hand hugging her side. Devlin's eyes glowed with amusement as he clapped his hand on hers.
They were definitely not in Newford anymore.
Meadows of fresh grass spilled for kilometres around, the dew shining on every single blade like a million tiny diamonds. Flowers sprinkled themselves everywhere, in shades and colours that Rhiannon had never seen before.
The trees shot towards the sky, taller than any trees Rhiannon had ever seen. There were leaves of gold, red, bright orange and every shade of green possible. The sky was an unnatural blue, not a single cloud dominated the sky's endless blue.
A waterfall cascaded into a crystal clear river, Rhiannon could see to the very bottom. The beauty of the place was intense but there was something utterly wrong with it.
There was no life.
In the river there were no fish, or birds in the trees. Not a single bug buzzed around the endless expanse of flowers and no animals roamed the land. It was completely quiet, the place had no sun but it was still bright. There was no life in this place, and Rhiannon rubbed her upper arms of goose bumps.
"Where are we?" Rhiannon whispered, unsure if her voice would work in this silent place. Devlin touched her shoulder and she felt the unexpected jolt of heat that completely confused her.
She didn't even know if genie's worked the way humans did.
"My punishment." He said under his breath, Rhiannon had to strain to hear him.
Devlin wasn't cocky anymore. All amusement had left him as he looked around his world. He was obviously as confused as she was. Rhiannon looked at him. Devlin was completely uncomfortable.
She placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I believe you, Devlin. Why did you bring me here, anyway?" Rhiannon asked looking into his eyes. They were shuttered and Rhiannon wanted to stomp her foot in frustration.
"I didn't bring you to Devastation, my lady. The locket takes its prisoner whenever it thinks it necessary. Whenever I gain enough power, it drains it from me like a leech, leaving only enough to make wishes. I am merely a pawn." He hung his head, and Rhiannon couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor guy.
"Devlin, once I make my wishes. Could I wish you free? Has anyone ever tried?" She grabbed his hand, and he looked up at her with eyes that made her stomach do flips. There was such a deep sadness within them that Rhiannon couldn't understand.
He seemed older because of it.
"No, no one has ever tried. But that's because it would only be a waste of a wish. I cannot be wished free, I'm trapped within the locket until the day I meet my soulmate. And even then, she must face a trial in order to rescue me." Devlin answered in a dead pan voice.
He fell onto the ground, his hands covering his face.
Rhiannon walked over and sat next to him. She studied him, from his well developed arms to his shimmering green eyes. "What girl would be crazy enough to not want to save your soul, Devlin?" She whispered more to herself than to him.
He looked up at her then, his eyes filled with a dangerous amount of pain. Rhiannon wished she could comfort him somehow but there was nothing she could do to heal that much pain and hollowness.
Devlin reached up and trailed his fingertips down the edge of her jaw. Rhiannon instinctively leaned into his hand until he held her face in his palm. There were so many strange thoughts buzzing around in her head, that she didn't know what to do.
He removed his hand.
Rhiannon leaned against his shoulder, watching his face. She didn't know how long they sat there. They sat there simply thinking, wondering what paths their lives were leading them on.
Rhiannon knew she could've stayed in Devastation, forever.
"The locket should let me leave now. I should let you go back now." Devlin began. His voice was a little huskier than it was before, and Rhiannon guessed it was the drain. As he stood up, he nearly tumbled to the floor again. She rushed to help him, pulling his arm over her shoulders.
"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.
"I hate how modern girls always say that. It makes no sense to me. But yes, I am okay. I'm just a little tired. At least I should be okay in a moment." Devlin chuckled, trying to stand by himself. He closed his eyes and grabbed her hands, pulling her to him.
"Just so you know if ever you need me, just think of me and I will appear. It's as simple as that. Oh and um... Don't wear the locket in the shower."
"What!" She shouted as suddenly the lights went out.