They stood, two women, upon the cliff edge.

"Let's jump."

"Don't be stupid!'

"I didn't mean jump from here! I meant let's go back, sit down, meditate, and just jump, just let ourselves go wherever the meditation takes us, with no safety net."

"Cass, we meditate every day," I pointed out, irritated. "So what do you mean `jump'? It's not as if we are new to meditating."

She turned to me. The wind pulled her long dark hair away from her face, and her brown eyes stared at me, into me. "Honey, we have controlled the meditations. We have had a clear focus of what we will do. We have never just allowed the energy to take us wherever it takes us. We have never let loose and just jumped."

I looked down at my hiking boots. "It's not that I don't want to let go," I said. "It's just that I am always aware that I am sitting on a chair meditating, and I don't seem to be able to go anywhere. It's not that I don't want to."

"Kelly, don't look at your feet as if you have something to be ashamed of."

"Fearless bitch," I said with a grin as I looked back up at her. And she was too—fearless.

"There is something that holds you back, and unless we are prepared to simply jump we will not manage to get you away from that chair. I am not saying you are doing anything wrong, or even deliberately trying to keep your awareness on that chair ... but I do think you are ready to jump."

"I don't!"

"Rubbish, of course you are," she insisted and marched off, back to the car.

I didn't speak to her for the half-hour hill hike. She was convinced I was ready, I was convinced I was terrified. Of what? I had no idea!

When we reached Cass's car—an old, dark-blue, Audi station wagon—she tossed me the keys. "You drive, and I warn you, this is the last time you will truly be in control of what you are doing and where you are going."

I tossed the keys right back at her.

"Don't be an ass," she said and tossed them back at me.

I snatched them out of the air, held them tight in my hand, felt the sharpness of the metal. "Oh, all right," I sighed. "Your place or mine?"

"Mine." She glanced at me with that I've-got-a-secret look on her face, and I dared not even ask what was going on.

I caught my reflection in the car window—wavy chestnut hair, pale skin, hazel eyes, and a look of apprehension.

A short time later I pulled into the driveway of a wheat-coloured brick house, and parked in front of the dark-green garage door. I reached out and grabbed her hand before she opened the car door.

"It's okay," she said before I could speak, wrapping her hand over mine. "You know this house is protected by angels, as is yours. And," she paused and grinned, "the two halves of the white amethyst cave arrived yesterday."

I could not suppress the smile. Neither of us could afford to buy both halves, neither of us could bear the thought of them being parted, so we bought them, one each, but always to remain together. They were to live alternately with each of us, one month at a time.

"Let's go," she said, patting my hand lightly as she pulled away.

I groaned. Cass was fearless, and impatient.

I followed her into the house—cream walls, framed black-and-white prints, sage carpet, rimu furniture—and through to the lounge where, in front of a flat-panel television and stereo speakers, the two, two-foot-tall, one-foot-wide, six-inches-deep, caves stood on the floor, like twins, facing us. Even the dark-blue lounge suite seemed to stand back in awe.

They looked like caves lined with frozen snow.

"Amazing, aren't they?" Cass murmured.

"What did Bill say when he came home and saw them?" I asked. Bill was a conundrum—a sales manager who followed a gentle spirituality in all that he did.

"He was pretty much speechless at first," she said, smiling. "Then he said he could tell there was something really special about them, reckoned he could feel the energy they emanated from across the room, and told me not to tell him how much they cost, because whatever it was, it was worth it."

"Bill said that?" I asked, stunned.

"Yeah. I tell you, Kelly, there are hidden depths to that man that are only just beginning to reveal themselves."

I always knew there would be hidden depths to any guy who had an angel tattooed over his heart.

"Did you tell Ryan we bought them?" she asked, glancing at me sideways as she flicked on the stereo. Soft meditation music flowed out of the speakers.

"Yes," I laughed. "He called me a new-age loony, which is funny, because with his sparkling blue eyes and shoulder-length blond hair, he is the one who looks like a new-age loony, not me."

"How can a guy be so out-of-the-square and yet be a lawyer?"

"I don't know," I admitted, just glad that the love of my life was a many-layered mystery who I delighting in peeling.

"Right then, let's move them so that we can sit in the centre," Cass suggested.

We struggled with one each until they were about two metres apart, and then we sat between them, facing each other.

"We request that the highest light of I AM surround us, shield us and protect us. Now, get comfortable, let the music help you to quieten your mind, and allow yourself to be fully aware of the white amethyst caves." Cass's voice was soft, melding into the music as if she were a part of it.

The music soothed away my fears. In my mind I saw myself sitting with Cass, and around us the music flowed like pastel colours upon an unseen breeze, wafting round and round the room. The music was colour and vibration—it was tangible. Music was not invisible. And then I saw the caves. The light that emanated from them was intense, but within that light floated tiny rainbow sparkles. The energy from the caves radiated outwards, and as I watched I saw Cass and I enveloped by the light until we disappeared within it.

Suddenly my mind was empty.

"Kelly?" a voice, soft and far away, floating on bands of colour. "Kelly?" Such a beautiful voice, so filled with love and caring. "Kelly?" I felt the sound wrap itself around me like the arms of a lover. "Wake up, sweetie." Familiarity.

Slowly I opened my eyes, and found myself lying back in Cass's arms. I looked at her and smiled, aware that it was a goofy smile. "Hey, Cass."

She shook her head slowly and sighed. "My darling Kelly," she said and kissed me on the forehead. "You jumped." She helped me to the couch. "Sit. I will bring you a cup of tea to help ground you."

I sat, letting my weight fall against the pillows—I could not seem to support myself.

When Cass returned with a steaming mug of tea, she looked at me and shook her head. "Maybe telling you to jump was not such a good idea."

I grinned. "Why not? I'm feeling okay."

"Honey," she said as she sat beside me and patted my leg, "I don't think you're all back yet. Now, sit up and drink your tea."

With a struggle I managed to sit forwards, accept the mug and take a sip, all the while feeling like I was very drunk. As I swallowed, my energy seemed to draw back in, and it felt like it was coming from a long way off . It was a sobering experience as I moved from feeling drunk to being wide awake and alert.

"Okay?" Cass asked.

I looked at her—she was in such sharp focus. "I'm not sure."

"Drink more tea, it will ground you fully back into your body."

I sipped quietly for several...