Touched (3 page)

“Most hybrids are completely destroyed early on. My father refused to let me be destroyed. He fought it, insisted I was different. The Shadows listened to him because he was the fiercest one of them all, completely dedicated to the mission. But in secret, I saw him look at the ring.”

Keira saw how important it was to Cooper that his father and mother cared about one another. Did he still want them to get back together? That wish was so common for humans. Keira wondered if it affected him too?

Cooper just stared at the ring in his palm. “I’m going to show this to my mother when I find her. It’s our link. She has the jewel for the sixth slot in her possession. It’s been said that when the slots are complete, when the sixth jewel is put in, the ring will bring incredible power to whoever has it.”

Suddenly it struck Keira that this ring belonged to his father.

“How did you get this ring?” she asked, open mouthed.

Cooper looked straight at her then, his eyes gleaming. “I stole it from him when I ran away. I don’t know if he realizes it’s gone yet. But I have it now.

Keira shivered. “You want the power?”

“No, I don’t care about power at all. I want to find my mother, to know who she is and who I am. I want to meet the tribe I was born into!” The words tripped off Cooper’s tongue.

 Keira wanted to go over to Cooper, put her arms around him, tell him she cared so much for him, just as he was. But it wasn’t time. His shield was up around him and she couldn’t move any closer. His yearning for home also stirred a yearning in Keira. Did she have a true home as well? Was there some place she could find a real family in? She felt that being with him would bring her closer to finding that out.

He looked up from the ring and gazed into her eyes then. For a second he broke through the wall between them, sent waves of love towards her. But then he quickly receded back into his world.

“There is a letter buried somewhere here for me,” he said. “The letter will tell me where to go. My mother’s waiting for me. Then Cooper got up and turned away abruptly, walking out the front door.

For a second Keira became frightened that he was leaving, that she wouldn’t see him again. She wanted to call out to him. But she took a deep, swift breath. He was going to search for the letter. She had to relax and trust. She had to let him do what he had to, go where he belonged and be who he was. She couldn’t depend on him forever. He had his life and she had hers. What was hers going to be? She had no idea. It was up to her to discover.

She went to her bag and pulled out one of the few objects she’d taken with her-- her journal. As Cooper roamed the woods outside, she sat there and wrote.

What am I doing here, and what will become of me? Cooper is searching for his home and mother. What am I searching for? Day by day my powers are growing, and I have no idea why or where they’re coming from. I used to think they came from the indigo light. Now I’m not sure. How I wish the indigo light would come and tell me. For now, it’s left me on my own.

There are some things I do know though. I know that I love Cooper and that he and I must be together now. But why that is, and where it will take us, I’m not sure.

Will he ever kiss me again? Will he ever hold me close? Can we truly be together, the way we both long to? I can’t go back to my family now, maybe not ever. So I live like this, moment by moment, belonging nowhere, waiting to see what will come of us.

CHAPTER 3

Senica sat at the head of the table, next to Darius, the leader of the tribe. Time was of the essence. The gathering had been mandated two hours ago. Every Shadow Vampire in Everstock was compelled to attend. They’d suffered complete humiliation and defeat at the hands of a complete unknown. A girl - and human, no less.

Or, at least partially human. No one knew exactly how she’d come onto the scene, or had become so powerful. It was Cooper who had drawn her in. Had she been dispatched from another tribe? Was she a spy who’d tracked and lured Cooper?  It was a travesty that both of them hadn’t been captured by this point.

Senica felt profound dejection. Cooper was his son, and he’d groomed him to lead the tribe one day. All knew that from the time he’d been born that Cooper was a hybrid. But Senica had convinced them that he was a special one. Senica and the others all new the ancient prophesy that one day two hybrids would mate and an Electric Child would be born. This Electric Child would utterly change the balance of the Universe, have extraordinary powers, be unconquerable in every way.

 Of course neither Senica, nor Ilyana, Cooper’s mother, were hybrids-- but Cooper was. And from the day he was born, he was unique. He always had extra sensitive feelers. He sniffed suffering keenly, and let all the others know. Everyone had expected great things from him. How could it possibly have gone so wrong? His son, a deserter! 

Darius had been fuming since the day Cooper escaped. No one escaped and survived. And beyond escaping, Cooper had stolen the precious ring Senica kept all these years, that had belonged to Cooper’s mother. It as a power ring, able to create havoc, alter all vibrations when it was complete. Right now, it had five stones in it, when the sixth one was put it, there would be no stopping the one who had it. The sixth stone was in Cooper’s mother’s possession. Cooper had to be headed to her to get it. Why else would be have stolen it, taken something Senica had so deeply treasured?

 Senica knew that if he didn’t capture and destroy his son, Darius would do the job himself. Cooper had to be completely dismantled, his brain ripped to pieces, his thoughts thoroughly devoured. It was ridiculous that he was wandering around like this. And for all they knew, he could have given the ring to the human girl. It could not be tolerated.

Senica fumed along with Darius. His standing in the tribe was now compromised. Questions were floating about who Cooper’s mother was. She had to be found immediately and taken out as well. Senica told them he barely remembered the encounter, it was so long ago. But it was a lie and they sensed it. What was he hiding? Why? Some were beginning to suspect Senica himself. Was he trying to protect Cooper somehow? 

Senica knew these doubts could not be tolerated. He’d guaranteed Darius he would destroy Cooper personally. And now, the attack on them had failed. Cooper had escaped again. With the ring and with that girl. Senica’s humiliation had been doubled. How dare a human defeat him this way?

Now, Darius stood at the table, about to speak. The tribe had gathered at their rooting place and headquarters at the far end of the town. It was at the bottom of the hill, deep under a ravine. Their compound consisted of small enclosures that looked like caves, built half underground, half emerging through the sandy soil they were planted on. The caves, made of old limestone, were dark and smoky, the way the Shadows liked it the best. There was a minimum of furniture and mirrors were strictly forbidden. The moment a Shadow Vampire saw themselves in a mirror, their existence was threatened. They could no longer transmute their bodies from shadows into animals with gleaming eyes who hid in trees, into that odd mixture of shadow and human that slivered through the human world, sowing hatred and despair.

Now they were gathered in the largest cave, the one that belonged to Darius. Senica and the two council leaders lived in the cave adjacent to this.

 Darius looked around glared at the tribe, huddled together at the table. His green eyes pulsed electrical warnings.

“It’s unimaginable,” he roared, smashing his hand on the table.

All shivered. Waves of dust from their bodies circled in the room, like smoke forming a tornado.

“A defeat like this has never taken place in our 600 year history. And a female, no less! A girl. Human at that-- or at least partially human!”  His voice became more and more guttural, a sure sign he meant business. “We have exactly 33 days left before the planetary changes take place,” he howled. “If we do not invade the planet, seed it with darkness, fear and despair, our very existence is threated.”

The group howled in response.

“33 days! The forces of light are joining together to combat us. They are growing, growing!”

The Shadow vampires hissed uncontrollably.

“It is our sworn duty to join with other Vampire Tribes committed to despair and darkness and vanquish these sources of light. Any source of light, any Tribe committed to goodness, must be destroyed on the spot. Even a little bit of light is dangerous for us.”

Senica felt himself trembling. He was not used to trembling. It rarely took place. He’d always led the mission. It was he who led the charge in finding darkness for them to feed on. Once the Shadows found people filled with pain, depression and anger, the Shadows mysteriously touched them. It instantly deranged their systems. As they drink their vital energy, absorb thoughts from their brains, leaving them totally without memory. Without hope. It tasted good. Delicious. The more they fed, the more empowered they became.

Darius was going on now. “No mercy for anyone, not even another Shadow! If need be, turn on each other. Swoop onto the brain stem immediately and dismantle it, as only you can!”

Senica shivered again. Darius was referring to him, and to Cooper.

“No mercy!” Darius was growling uncontrollably, whipping them into a frenzy. The more frenzy the better. It was their motto.

The Shadows howled in response. They loved frenzy, adored it.

“In our fight against time, we cannot leave anything undone. We don’t know who that girl is! Who she’s fighting for! She has too much strength already. A powerful One can turn the balance. This must not be allowed! Each time she wins, she’ll gain more powers.”

“This cannot be allowed!” the Shadows all hissed.

“Take her out immediately! And take Cooper with her! Find them and chew them to pieces.”

Senica cleared his throat as Darius roared on. Who was that girl exactly?  He’d heard that the Indigo Children had been evolving the past hundred years, producing more intense forms of their breed. Could she be one of them? He’d also heard a strange and disturbing prediction that the Electric Child was expected in the next 25 years. This Electric Child on its own would completely alter the balance of the solar system in a special way. Darkness would disappear, the Shadows would lose all source of food. They’d end up writhing on the floors of their caves, returning to the dust they were made of. He didn’t know why he was thinking of this now. It was an old prediction, but he’d heard it again recently. There had been rumors. Thinking of it now made him shiver again.

Darius was pounding his hand on the table as the Shadows hissed and howled.

“Attention!” he yelled.

They room grew eerily silent.

“We must find out more about the girl who vanquished us and track her whereabouts. Cooper found her at Bertram High in Everstock. Her name is Keira, she has a twin sister Amanda, who almost died in the car accident we caused. Percy, stand up!”

Percy, a young Shadow, tall and muscular, with intense hazel eyes, high cheekbones and searing black hair, stood up.

“Percy, you are immediately dispatched to Bertram High. Seduce Amanda Blaine, the twin sister. Find out everything about Keira. Have Amanda call her sister and demand that she come home.”

Percy smiled very, very slowly, exposing tiny teeth. Senica knew this was his favorite kind of mission. Percy had intense powers with women. He could draw the very life out of them, just by his glance, move them around like pawns on a chessboard.

Senica wanted to accompany him, but could not say so. He wanted to get hold of both of these girls in his own hands, rip them away from Cooper. He still couldn’t comprehend why Cooper had escaped. He’d been given everything any Shadow Vampire could have wanted. What he was looking for? Could it be his mother? The thought of it devastated Senica. It was more than he could bear.

Senica felt rage rise as Percy received his mission. When Senica was young, this was exactly the kind of mission assigned to him. It was how he’d met Cooper’s mother. And that was his only failure. She’d been stronger than him. His Shield had gone down. He’d felt love. Just that one time. And look at the horrible result!  The outcome of their mating had to be completely extinguished on the spot.

Percy grinned. “Nothing would give me greater pleasure, my master.”

CHAPTER 4

Cooper walked slowly down the road, away from the cottage he and Keira were resting in. He knew the letter from his mother was buried somewhere close by, that the time had come to find it. As he walked, he opened his senses, breathed deeply and let the whole world in. When he came upon a spot along the road that he felt held promise, he stopped, sniffed, and walked in tiny circles. It was an old vampire trick - to wake up the knowledge that was resting in that place and gain information.

 It felt so wonderful being here, under the trees so close to the lake, scouting the area, waiting for guidance. Finally, he was getting closer to the moment he’d been longing for, for years. The letter had been planted here, for him, waiting for the moment when he would be strong enough to be able to claim it. But first he had to let go of two things – his attachment to his father, and his fear of escaping the Shadow Vampires, of being caught and disintegrated.

Letting go of his attachment to his father had been easy. They had so little in common. From the time he was a child, Cooper knew that his father’s ways were not his. His father’s tribe was foreign to him -their desires were not his desires - Cooper never wanted to hurt anyone. He knew he’d been born to a different mission, but had no idea of what it was. And he knew he could never mention that to his father. It would be considered heresy, Cooper would immediately be scalded in blazing iodine, mixed with crystals that would tear him apart.

Cooper stopped walking in circles and moved on down the road. As he did, a large, smooth, oval rock caught his eye. It stood out along the side of the pathway, deep blue, shiny and soothing. It was heavy, planted and yet luminescent. Cooper felt as if it were beckoning him. He went over to it, leaned down and rubbed his hands along its sides. Since he was first born, he’d had an unusual relationship with rocks and trees, knew them intimately, and also felt he understood them.