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Chapter 110: Double-dipping
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The True Nature Series Chapter 111: Truth Be Told
ZANDER BACKED AWAY, LOOKING at me like I'd slapped him. "I don't believe it," he said, his face bone-white. "And why would you keep that to yourself this whole time? Why do you even think it?"I couldn't bear the pain in his face, and I scrambled to make it better. "Remember when Dante was so excited about handing over both of us to the Collector? That you were a bonus and that the Collector was going to be surprised."Zander nodded."Before you got there Dante tried to make me believe you were using me.""I wasn't using you!" he almost yelled."I know, I know now. But he called you and Peter the silly sons ... the Collector's silly sons ..." I let it sink in. Conrad swore in the background. "And he kept your father's identity secret from you because he wanted you and your dad to be surprised. He bragged about how funny it would be."Zander looked so betrayed as he stared at me with disbelief. "Don't you see? Your father must have collected my aunt and found out she could hea
The True Nature Series Chapter 112: Gerard Hughes
ME: WHERE ARE YOU?No response.I'd been texting Zander since first break. I had hoped to catch him at his locker but he had never showed, which worried me. What if he'd gone home? I imagined the worst if he confronted his father. I wondered if Peter was still around. As much as I didn't want to talk to Peter ever again, I'd do it to find Zander. I didn't know the name of their hotel, but there were only so many in Scotts Valley. The idea of skipping school didn't even bother me today. I was uncomfortable with everyone asking me about Dante anyway. Now that I wanted a little anonymity, people I didn't even know came up to say how awful it must have been or asked if I knew where Dante was hiding. It was almost as bad as Detective Winchester's inquisition. All I could think of was that I had to get out of here. But I chickened out on my plan to play hooky when I kept running into teachers at the exits. Fuming with frustration, I reversed course and headed to my next class.The perso
The True Nature Series Chapter 113: More Mystery Bruises
MY THOUGHTS CIRCLED BACK to the present, as I zombie-stepped my way through the school walkways, wondering where Zander could be. I had expected him to meet me in the parking lot this morning. Was he avoiding me? Then again, what if he wasn't and something happened to him?I wanted to hit something, so I picked up my step, stomping around the closest building, hoping I could find a wall or tree to smack without anyone thinking I was going postal. I skidded to a stop when I saw Ruthie sitting on the ground crying."Ruthie! Oh my gosh! What happened?" I knelt down beside her.She rubbed her cheeks. "I don't know. That's the problem!" She held out her wrists. "I don't know how I got these bruises. And I don't know why my arm is bleeding."A red line ran down the inside of her arm, oozing blood. It didn't look like a scratch, more like a razor cut. My heart fluttered in alarm."My throat hurts, too." She said, swallowing with a grimace. I stared at her red and swollen neck with shock.
The True Nature Series Chapter 114: Loose Lips Lucy
I HAD TO DO something."Are you really a doctor?" I quickly asked. Ruthie stiffened, dropping her eyelids with suspicion. Dr. Frankler raised one perfectly manicured eyebrow. "Of course, I am, Tru. Why do you ask?""Well, I guess what I mean is ... is that all that you are?"She gave me a look that made me feel like a bug on a petri dish. Then she chuckled, her eyes sparkling."My goodness, what are you getting at?" Her words seemed to attach themselves to my brain, digging in and coaxing out an answer. I pulled my lips in, trying to prevent the words from betraying me, but it was no use. "I-I need to know if you're human. And who you're working for. Other than the school of course."Ruthie gasped. "Tru!" I looked at her, shaking my head. "I mean," I kept going. "We just have weird stuff going on right now, and we don't know if it's safe to confide in you.""Tru. Ruthie." She leaned forward across her desk, her face serious again. "I promise you that you can safely tell me
The True Nature Series Chapter 115: Etch-a-sketchy
MY PHYSICS TEACHER WAS ancient. He had to be the oldest teacher in the school district, maybe in the whole state. He couldn't hear a thing, so kids got away with murder. The class was a joke. Every time he turned toward the board paper airplane notes flew across the room. I peeked around the edge of the door. It was business as usual. While I debated whether or not to skip it, someone squealed my name and all eyes spun my way. Well, all of the students' anyway. Mr. Gordon continued to talk and scrawl equations across the board.It was now or never, so I walked over to him, finally getting his attention as I approached from his side. I handed him my pass, to which he gave a cursory glance before tucking it into his shirt pocket and waving me to a seat. I usually grabbed a desk in the front to avoid as many classroom shenanigans as I could, but someone was already sitting in my favorite spot, a new face. She was small, with dark brown hair hanging straight to her shoulders and large coc
The True Nature Series Chapter 116: No-show
IGNORING JAKE NEXT TO her, Phoebe tilted her head as she followed Isaac's gaze to Ruthie. Jake frowned. He had been trying to impress her with his fake ID and a story about his cousin and him getting into a club.Ruthie and I smiled at Isaac, both amused and moved by his protective attitude. "No," said Ruthie at first. But then she mumbled, "Maybe."I snorted. "What the heck?""Well, he is being a scumbag.""Yeah, but ... does he deserve to be killed by Isaac just because he hasn't asked you to Homecoming? Come on." I tilted my head toward Isaac's darkening face."Uhhhh," she seemed to debate it in her head for a moment. Then she noticed the dangerous glint in Isaac's eyes and sighed. "I guess not.""What's wrong, then?" asked Isaac, still glowering. Jake finally gave up on Phoebe, who was paying more attention to us than him, and left our table with a "catch ya later."Ruthie straightened, giving me a sidelong glance. I could tell she wanted to tell them what was going on, but
The True Nature Series Chapter 117: Maverick
DAD WAITED IN THE car outside the entrance to the rec center while I dashed inside. Kids streamed into the building, goggles and swim caps in hand, their mothers toting large bags. The automatic doors slid open and the smell of chlorine washed over me like a friendly hello. I smiled in relief to see the very person I was looking for behind the front desk and called out a greeting. He looked up from the computer. "Well, if it isn't Tru Parker," he smiled as I walked up to the counter. "How's school?" Maverick was a cute mix of Irish and Filipino, with brown hair and gray eyes. A smattering of freckles dusted his cheeks and his eyes tilted just enough to make him look like he was smiling even when he wasn't. He was a little taller than me with wide, muscled shoulders."Homework sucks." He laughed, a quiet throaty chuckle that showed off his even white teeth. I leaned an elbow onto the counter. "I thought it would be quieter around here once school started." Over the summer, the plac
The True Nature Series Chapter 118: Knox
KNOX WAS INSIDE HIS crate in the spare bedroom when we got home. Dad told me to stay in the living room until he brought him down. He said it could take a month to get Knox to bond with us, and we couldn't leave him out of his crate while we were away from the house until then. That surprised me. It was going to be a while before he was a full-fledged guard dog for us.I heard a bark, the foreign sound echoing in our house. I wasn't sure if it was a happy bark. Dad had said that everything had gone well between him and Knox today. His friend, Mike, had let Knox stay rather than try to integrate him into our home over several days. It proved what an exceptional dog he was. Dad boasted about how surprised Mike had been when Knox quickly accepted his commands. I had to admit I was impressed with Dad's dog know-how. He'd never told me before today that he'd had dogs growing up. Probably because Mom hadn't wanted to get a dog.I heard the clipping of dog paws against the wood. Excitement
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The True Nature Series Chapter 230: The Promise
ZANDER WAS STILL GROGGY, and I helped him lean up against the railing of the general store. I wanted to stay with him, but another problem had cropped up. Polaris was trying to move Dad, and Knox wouldn't let them. No one wanted to risk getting close to his teeth and I feared they might try to drug him or something worse. I sighed and pushed myself up."I'll be right back," I told Zander.I headed across the road and carefully approached the growling Knox. "Hey there, buddy," I said in a soothing voice. "You still have me, remember?" I reached out my hand, letting it hang in the air like Dad had taught me the first time Knox and I had met. Knox's ears flattened, and he whined as he pressed his nose into my fingers. If dogs cried, I'd say Knox was crying now. His eyes looked sticky wet. I ran a hand down his neck, coaxing him off Dad's body and toward me. With a hand on his collar, I eased the two of us several feet away, allowing the others to move Dad. When his limp head dropped t
The True Nature Series Chapter 229: Picking Up the Pieces
BOTH POLARIS AND THE Efotis arrived within minutes of each other. The folks from Polaris had found several locals disabled or dead outside the park, as well as two empty police cars. Someone must have called the authorities about the gunshots or the helicopters. Others had probably been curious enough to investigate the noise themselves. The Nasaru had silenced them before they could see anything. With heavy faces, Polaris began searching the perimeter for more victims and loading up bodies on stretchers to take them away. When the Efotis arrived, Caroline rushed up to me, her eyes wide and desperate. She grabbed me and hugged me like she was never letting go. Despite my reluctance to admit she was my mother, I found her arms comforting. It just felt right. Thaddeus stood as still and straight as a fencepost watching us with soft but wary eyes. I completely understood. My reintroduction to Caroline had been rocky. In fact, it had been like meeting her for the first time, because I'
The True Nature Series Chapter 228: Of One Mind
THADDIE AND I JUMPED away from each other, our eyes wide as saucers. "Shanna!" I breathed out in surprise. But her voice had faded away. "What the heck?" Once again, I'd lost my connection to her."Your eyes turned blue," said Thaddeus with surprise. "Does that happen often? Was that our sister?"I pressed my lips together, frustrated that we'd been so close to talking to her. "Yes, it was Shanna. But she's gone now. Dang it." He opened his mouth to say something else, but I beat him to it. "Wait. Did you just say my eyes turned blue?" "Yes," he answered, looking at me strangely.I thought my eyes had done that before, too, when I'd heard a strange voice. But at the time, I'd convinced myself that it was my imagination. Did this happen every time she talked to me? I held out my hands to Thaddeus, hoping that together we could bring her back. He looked at my outstretched arms with confusion."Just testing a theory," I said. "Take my hands. Maybe we need to be in physical conta
The True Nature Series Chapter 227: Retreat
"THADDIE!" I choked out."You know him?" asked Maverick in surprise.I huffed out a deep breath as we heaved another dead body off his wing."Yes," I said, giving him a watery smile. "He's my brother."Maverick stared at me slack-jawed. After tonight I didn't think anything could surprise him. "You're kidding," he muttered."Yeah, I was going to tell you about him. Turns out, the other sharum guy was my biological father. Is," I corrected, reminding myself that if they took him, he must still be alive."The other guy with Dr. Frankler?""Yeah, I know," I nodded. "Just when you thought it couldn't get any weirder."Maverick grunted an agreement.I examined Thaddie, who still struggled with consciousness. "Let's carry him to a brighter area. It will be easier to help him there."Together, we maneuvered him onto Maverick's back. Amid grunts and gasps, he carried Thaddie to the center of the main street and set him down near Zander, who was still unconscious and oblivious to the
The True Nature Series Chapter 226: The Aftermath
I GAVE MAVERICK A wan smile. "There're gone," I sighed, standing up to move wearily to the next body. Kneeling by the woman from Polaris, I gently closed her eyes. There was no fixing her. The other Polaris soldiers were no better. The rest were Gerard's men. My heart pounded, knowing I'd have to face my dad's body now. I dragged myself to my feet and looked toward Dad. A furry head rested on top of his chest. I ran over to them, wondering how Knox could still be alive, not to mention how he had moved. As I dropped next to them, Knox whined softly. I bent over to press my head against his. "Oh, Knox. You're okay," I wept, running my hands along his fur. Blood matted in several spots, but I couldn't find any injuries. Shaking my head at the miracle, I hugged him. "I know, boy," I crooned. "Dad isn't ... he's not waking up. But you still have me." Knox's tail pounded on the dirt, but he remained pressed against Dad.I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Maverick. "I'm
The True Nature Series Chapter 225: Just Like Dante
THE CIRCLE OF SOLDIERS tightened around us, drawing my attention away from my disappearing friends. Zander pulled me to his back, spinning us around as we faced their weapons. It quickly became clear that even with our abilities, we wouldn't be able to overpower them. "Tru," Zander said, mind-speaking. "This is going to hurt, but you can heal yourself. Protect your head." "What?" I barely had a chance to gasp before he grabbed me, lifted me up in the air, and threw me over the heads of the soldiers. I cleared them by at least five meters and landed in a dense thicket near the line of trees. Branches jabbed me, cutting my skin and shredding my already ruined dress.I groaned. What the heck did Zander think he was doing? I started to crawl out of the bushes and yelped when I felt a sharp pain in one hand. It felt wrong, like broken wrong. Looking up, I saw a few of the soldiers peel away from the circle around Zander and head toward me. "Run!" Zander yelled in my mind.The path
The True Nature Series Chapter 224: From the Frying Pan ...
I GASPED, RECOGNIZING Gerard's creepy grin. "No! It can't be!"He laughed, throwing back his head and clasping his hands together. "You've done me a favor, my dear. I may have lost my mate." A fleeting look of sorrow crossed his face. "Trust me, you'll pay for that. But now I have an even more powerful aramusatu, one that will link you and me together forever." He laughed again, and then held out his hand. "Join me, Tru. You belong with your family."I gagged and stepped away. Had I only made things worse by killing Gerard? "No!" I yelled. I felt the world caving in as Wynona's words flitted through my mind. She's a soul jumper. At that time, she'd meant Ruthie. But apparently, she wasn't the only one. Somehow, Gerard Hughes's spirit had taken over Peter's body. I had a feeling that I'd just leaped from the frying pan into the fire."What happened to Peter?" Gerard's eyes swirled, shifting to yellow slits. He squeezed them shut and shook his head. When he opened his eyes, they w
The True Nature Series Chapter 223: Backfire
OBVIOUSLY, I WAS A healer. But I was definitely no savior. But what about destroyer?The thought of that destiny had filled me with dread before, but now I wanted it so badly that everything but my enemy faded away. I wished I could channel my healing ability into a weapon. Then it struck me. If I could heal wounds why couldn't I un-heal them? I stared at my hands, wondering if it was possible. A dark feeling swirled inside me, like attempting such a thing was straight up wrong, but as Gerard stepped closer to Ruthie, and as Zander continued to bleed out, I knew I had to do something. With shaking hands, I laid Dad's head on the ground. It was too late for him but I might be able to help the others. A fiery rage whipped up inside of me and my eyes locked onto Gerard. He wore a demented look of his own as he considered the chaos around us. I took off toward him. When I was almost upon him, he saw me and pulled out his gun. I plowed forward anyway and tackled him, sending the weapon f
The True Nature Series Chapter 222: Inconceivable Choice
I YANKED AWAY FROM the guard holding me and ran back to Zander, who gasped, "I'll be fine, Tru. Go to him." I knew he meant my dad and that he'd realized the same thing I had. Ignoring the guns pointed at me, I rushed toward Dad and Knox. Donavitch was grinning at me, clearly enjoying my terror, and Knox was barking out a warning to Mrs. Taylor as she pointed her gun at Dad. "Look out, Dad!" He looked from me to Mrs. Taylor and flinched when he saw the gun pointing at him. "No, Eleria!" yelled Mr. Taylor.Crack!In the blink of an eye, two bodies fell to the ground. At the last second, Mr. Taylor had raced after his wife and thrown his body in front of my dad. They both went down. I fell to the ground next to Dad, frantically searching for his wound. A bright red stain in the center of his blue flannel shirt expanded to the size of my hand within seconds. Had the bullet gone through Mr. Taylor and Dad? Of course! The gun had been loaded with cutters, the Nasaru's usemi-killin
