Touched (16 page)

The Shadows hooted violently.

Percy’s mind began to swoon.

“PERCY,” Senica glared at him. “IMMEDIATELY GO TO AMANDA AND FIND OUT WHERE HER SISTER, KEIRA IS HEADED.”

All kinds of thoughts ran through Percy’s mind. Amanda and Keira had parted. Most likely, Amanda wouldn’t know.

“IF YOU CAN’T GET THE INFORMATION FROM AMANDA,” Senica continued, “DESTROY HER. SHE’S USELESS TO US, THEN.”

“Useless?” Percy’s heart began pounding.

“If Amanda is destroyed, it might draw her twin sister closer,” Senica continued. It looked as if the veins in Seneca’s neck would explode.

The Shadows started hooting.

“This is the last time you may see her,” Senica thundered. “Go back immediately, contact her and find out if she knows about her sister. If she doesn’t, if they’ve parted, squash her out. Destroy her. You know how. Don’t leave even a drop of her left.”

Percy shivered.

“Immediately!” thundered Senica, turned his back and flung his whole body against the wall.

CHAPTER 21

Percy left the compound immediately, even before the meeting was over. He had to get out of there. He couldn’t let them see him sweating, horrified at the thought of what he had to do.

In an hour school would be over and he would meet Amanda coming out the main door. It had been a while since they’d seen each other and the thought of it thrilled him. He couldn’t wait to see her again. He couldn’t wait to smell her sweet fragrance and hold her in his arms.

The moment Percy saw Amanda, his heart fluttered wildly. And Amanda, seeing him again, flew down the stairs into his arms. White fire played up and down his spine.

“Back off,” he whispered in her ear, gently.

She buried her beautiful head on his shoulder, her golden hair spreading all over his face.

“We have to get out of here immediately,” Percy said, lifting her head and looking in her eyes. They were teary, like oceans, staring out at him.

“Before we go, I have to ask you something,” Amanda had a hard time speaking or catching her breath.

“What?”

“I kept thinking of what you said the last time we were together,” Amanda said right away.

Percy didn’t know exactly what she meant. “What?”

“You said that whatever Keira told me about you was true.”

It seemed like years ago to Percy that he had said that. He became silent now, wondering what Amanda was getting at.

“Is it true, Percy?” Amanda pressed on, her words tripping over one another, “are you a Shadow Vampire? Tell me! I have to know.”

Percy’s head began whirling. He was not allowed to disclose his identity, never had in his life before. He could make up a story now, pretend he’d only been joking, ease Amanda’s pain, but a force inside him wouldn’t let him. Something about her gripped him and touched him - more than anything had ever touched him before.

“Yes, it’s true” Percy said stoically then, shocking himself, as well as her. “Your sister was right. I am a Shadow Vampire.”

Amanda gasped.

“Don’t be frightened of me,” he pleaded softly then.

“I’m not frightened,” Amanda replied. “I’m confused, I’m sad, I’m fascinated.”

Percy was moved by her response.

“And is the rest of what my sister told me also true?” she continued, her lower lip quivering.

Percy didn’t know what she was talking about. “What else did she tell you?”

“She said you didn’t care at all about me, were with me just to capture her.”

Percy was stunned that Keira had that information. But it wasn’t true, not anymore.

“No,” Percy insisted, “that isn’t true. She’s wrong about that.” He looked away, unable to meet Amanda’s searching eyes. “Maybe it was true in the beginning, but, believe me, it’s not true now.”

“Why should I believe you?” Amanda’s eyes filled with tears again.

“Because I’ve told you the truth up to now. Haven’t I?” Percy said, confronting her now, his eyes gleaming.

Amanda took a deep breath.

“I could have lied, I could have pretended, I didn’t have to tell you who I really was.”

“That’s true,” said Amanda, taking a deep breath.

“And now I’m telling you that I
do
care about you. I didn’t want to, didn’t plan to. But the truth is, I do. I care very much.”

In a flurry of happiness, Amanda threw her arms around him. “I knew it, I felt it,” she said.

It felt so wonderful having her close to him again. Percy hadn’t realized how much he’d feared losing her.

“I want to be with you forever, Percy,” Amanda breathed into his ear.

That word forever had never meant anything to him before. But now in this gorgeous moment, it did.

“You have no idea what you’re saying,” he was shaken to the core.

“Yes, I do,” Amanda insisted. “I’ve thought about it for days. Now I know who you are for sure, and I want to be with you anyway.” Amanda was babbling. “I can’t bear our being apart. I want you to turn me.”

Percy froze. His entire body turned into ice water spilling up and down his veins. “I can’t do it.”

“You have to,” she said. “That’s the only way our relationship will last.”

“You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

The tears in her beautiful eyes overflowed. “I know everything,” she whispered again. “If you turn me, we’ll be together forever.”

 “But you don’t know the horrible pain, the agony.” Percy could hardly get the words out.

Amanda didn’t listen though, just leaned over and kissed him on the mouth as he spoke. Then she threw her head back and lifted her bare neck towards him, ready for whatever came next.

CHAPTER 22

After the attack, Keira and Cooper fled hand in hand, out of there, over hills, through the forests and straight to the next stop, Gull Island. Keira never imagined he’d be accompanying her. Overjoyed, she showed him the directions that Philomena had left written on the map, including the few words written at the bottom.

On the waters of Northport Bay, sits a landmark, treasured for its importance as a bird sanctuary, Gull Island. Go there immediately. The first occupants of Gull Island were the birds who nest there to this day. The Gulls have nested here since the beginning of recorded history. Many tales speak of the human family’s struggles with the bird.

This is where your tribe has rooted, hand in hand with the gulls who they have become partners with. Their tribe is located on the great, steep, sandstone cliffs on the island. The cliffs are up to 200 feet above lake level and have been naturally sculptured into shallow caves, arches, formations that resemble castle turrets and human profiles. They will amaze and frighten you when you see them. Within one of the shallow caves that goes back for miles, your family waits for you.

“Why did you come back?” she’d asked Cooper as they were moving across space, traveling at high speed over hills and across sandy places. “Was it because I called you and you heard me? Are you doing this out of a sense of duty?”

He’d only held her hand tighter, couldn’t speak.

Keira had endless questions for him though. “Did you get their permission to leave? Do they know where you are? Do you have to be back?”

As soon as she arrived on the island, Keira felt deeply at home. The salt air washed through her mind and brain, lifting her to new heights. The sound of the water on the rocks calmed and reassured her.

“I know where I am,” she said to Cooper joyfully.

He squeezed her hand in his.

 She turned a few times on one foot, peering over the landscape and the cottage with the red door stood out noticeably.

“There it is,” she said, and they both looked at each other with delight, and made straight for it.

The inside of this cottage was sparer than the other places they’d been to. More temporary. There was a simple handmade wooden sofa and two simple chairs. On a small round, wooden table, with a cluster of sea shells. A futon on a low platform was placed inside an adjoining room, for a bed. Outside, she could hear the far off screeching sound of gulls.

“Cooper,” Keira said as soon as they’d closed the door. “I’m so happy you’re here.”

He pulled her to him, breathless then, and they kissed. It was sudden and unexpected, a deep, long, powerful kiss. Keira’s heart began pounding violently. It had been so long since they’d been together like this. Then the thought of Tua rose up in her mind. He had someone else. Keira had seen her. She’d seen the two of them.

“What about Tua?” she pushed back. Despite herself, Keira’s eyes filled with tears. “You loved her.”

Cooper’s face grew somber. He lifted his hand to Keira’s face and stroked it.

“I don’t care about her. I never did. It was all a lie.”

“Your mother told me you’d found the love of your life. The one you were meant for.”

Cooper looked up startled. “She told you that?”

“Yes,” said Keira.

A long moment of silence hung between then. Then Keira saw lights around Cooper’s eyes.

 “Is that why you left?” he asked in amazement.

 “Of course,” said Keira. “She told me to go.”

“My mother told you to go?” His face flushed with pain and darkness. “She told me you left on your own, ran away, vowed revenge. I’d thought you’d stopped loving me.”

“I will never return,” breathed Cooper, gruffly. “You are my family now. You are my home.”

Keira gasped as he pulled her to him, and kissed her again and again with all his might.

“I am nothing without you,” he murmured.

Keira’s head started spinning.

“I want to be with you forever. I left my tribe for you.”

Then he swept her up in his arms and carried her into the next room.

“We deserve to be together,” he continued. “We have a right to. It’s our destiny,” and he placed her down on the bed.

Keira closed her eyes and drank in his words as he kissed her passionately. Then, quickly he lay down beside her, and took off her clothing.

As they made love, in ecstasy, Keira heard the cry of the gulls, singing for them. She also felt something else, something stranger. A shiver rose up through her entire body, as if something alive, had entered her being, taken over and nested within her.

The Electric Child, thought Keira. It has come, it is here, within me. She listened to Cooper’s rapid breathing and knew the two of them would never be parted. This child belonged to both of them. It would be theirs forever.

As she thought this, Keira looked out the windows and to her amazement, saw a row of Gulls lining the sills. They were looking in, watching, blessing the union. They also knew what was happening, thought Keira, they were welcoming the Electric Child.

Keira felt ecstatic, light headed, as though she had everything she’d ever dreamed of. And beyond all this, tomorrow she would be meeting her people, going home to her tribe. Finally, Keira would discover who she really was.

COMING SOON…

Book #3 of the Shadow Vampires

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