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Chapter 175: Favorites
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The True Nature Series Chapter 176: The Sentavoti
"THEY'RE DOING IT AGAIN." A tall, blond man leaned against a doorjamb as he watched three small children building giant Lego towers. A moment later a woman joined him. "What are you talking about, Uriel?" "They're communicating without saying anything out loud," he said, his voice full of amazement. "I've seen them do this before.""No, they aren't. They're just being quiet for a change. Enjoy it."His eyes glinted with good humor as he smiled at her. "Well, there's that, too. But look more closely. I believe that they are constructing a house with those blocks, which is incredible for their age. What fascinates me the most is that they are taking turns placing the blocks. And they seem to be communicating without speaking out loud." The woman watched as one of the little girls looked into her brother's eyes, the two of them sharing some kind of thought, before placing her block on the stack.He grasped her arm. "Did you see that?""You're right.""It's odd for toddlers, d
The True Nature Series Chapter 177: The Girl on the Wall
I THREW OPEN MY eyes in alarm, expecting the worst. My rapid heartbeat slowed as I realized Dad and Knox were still sleeping. The scream had only been in my head, in my dream. Suddenly, something flashed across my wall.It was the image of a girl getting out of bed and talking to me, playing like an old black and white movie on the wall of my bedroom. She looked familiar, but I couldn't hear what she was saying. When I didn't respond, she gestured wildly with her hands. I sat up and stared. Where had I seen her before? I wondered if I was still dreaming. The picture slowly started to fade and I reached out as if I could stop it. "No!"The girl looked desperate now. She placed a hand over her eyes and then lowered it before repeating the action and looking at me expectantly. When I didn't understand what she was saying we both stared helplessly at each other. As her image continued to fade, she looked so sad I would have done anything to make her smile. But I couldn't and in the n
The True Nature Series Chapter 178: Moving Forward
AS RUTHIE AND I drove to school the next morning, we tried to guess how the rest of the students would treat us after what happened at Zena's party last Friday. She'd played me like a fiddle, making me think she and Zander had been up in one of the bedrooms. I'd searched the rooms for him only to be chloroformed. Although I'd been aware of my blood being drawn, I hadn't been able to do anything about it, nor had I seen who attacked me. Hours later, Ruthie and Phoebe found me unconscious. When I returned downstairs, Zena and her friends insinuated that I'd been up there all night with the football team.I wouldn't be surprised if my locker was "decorated" with an assortment of words that ended with "slut." Ruthie didn't think she'd do that considering the smackdown she'd given her. It had been pretty impressive, but Zena had a way of escaping the worst gossip."Great," I grumbled. "Now you're an even bigger target than you were before." She shrugged. "You know who I really want to k
The True Nature Series Chapter 179: The Sharum
DR. FRANKLER ANSWERED THE door right away, her eyes widening at the sight of Zander standing next to me. "He's joining us," I said firmly. With a look up and down the corridor, she gestured for us to enter. We settled into the chairs across from her desk while she sat behind it. Leaning forward, she asked, "Before I get started, did you have a question for me?" How did she know that? Zander and I slid sidelong glances at one another, neither sure where to start. Zander spoke up first."Your back," he said. "You said the scar on your shoulder blades wasn't the mark of Cain. But you didn't explain. We want to know what it means."Dr. Frankler melted into her chair looking surprised. "I told you. It means you can trust me.""Do you have the same scars on each of your shoulder blades?" I asked.She perked up. "How did you know? You've seen them before?""Yes," I said. "On--""On me," butted in Zander. "Let's start with me," he said, speaking along our mental link. "And find o
The True Nature Series Chapter 180: Penal Colony
"WELL, THAT'S A LITTLE embarrassing," laughed Zander in my mind. The awkwardness of Dr. Frankler knowing exactly how intimate we'd been must have jarred him out of his stony trance."She knows what we were doing!" I said."You think she doesn't see that twenty times a day on this campus? You don't need to be embarrassed. We are true mates. It's natural.""I know. I'm just ... Well, I don't want her to picture us that way. It's so awkward."I heard Zander chuckling and peeked over my fingertips to see the doctor smiling impishly, although her face was a little pink."It's all right, Tru," she said. "It may be unusual, but it isn't the first time this has happened. Can I ask if something similar happened to your shoulders?""Zander?" I said, mind-speaking again. I was growing quite dependent on this way of talking to him. I hated myself for asking permission, but I wasn't sure it was okay to reveal everything to her."Go ahead. She's the only one who can tell us about this."That
The True Nature Series Chapter 181: Rage
I BEAT ZANDER TO English for once and sat in the back of the room among several empty seats. My mind was still buzzing with everything Dr. Frankler had revealed to us at lunch. I couldn't get over this idea that I was fireproof. I wasn't going to test it any time soon, though. I winced at the thought of burning myself on purpose.The room was almost full when Zander strolled through the doorway, but there were still two available seats near me. His eyebrows were drawn together in annoyance, and I wondered what had upset him. Before he could turn down my aisle, two girls moved, filling in the empty seats - Kelsey and Sarah, Zena's friends. I looked for the chairs that they'd vacated, unsurprised to see empty desks on each side of Zena. Zander paused in front of the class, his scowl deepening just as the bell rang."Have a seat, Mr. Hughes," commanded Mr. Mac, a hint of impatience in his Scottish accent.Zander shot me a frustrated look and settled into one of the empty desks next to
The True Nature Series Chapter 182: Shields Down
FINALLY, ZANDER LET THE matter of Zena's party go. "Tru, tell me about your dream last night." I jumped at the chance to move away from that subject. Somehow we were able to multitask Mr. Mac's lecture and our conversation. I told Zander about the dream of Uriel and Caroline. I still didn't remember very much about the family I'd been born into, but the dream felt comfortable, like an old t-shirt. It fit as if it belonged to me, like a real memory. So, while I didn't feel a strong connection to the people in the dream, I did experience an emotional link to the moment itself. "I don't even know my brother's name," I said. "You'd think I'd remember his name if it was true."The vision I'd had at the Efoti's cabin had revealed my sister's name. It was a mouthful. Shannandoah. I tried to recall her nickname for me. It had sounded funny with her little kid accent ... something like "Dweah." My spine snapped straight as if someone had stuck me with a pin. In last night's strange black
The True Nature Series Chapter 183: Best Boyfriend Ever
ZANDER AND I SPENT the rest of class mind-speaking, moving on to discuss the crazy things we'd learned from Dr. Frankler. The idea that life existed on other planets wasn't a new one, but knowing that it did for certain, and knowing and interacting with someone from another planet - that was different. To think I was part alien. It explained why I'd always felt like a freak. A piece of me didn't belong here. But the rest of me did. I'd probably always feel out of place. "What are you going to do about Peter?" I asked."Nothing," he said. "At least for now. He returned home.""Good riddance." I knew I was being snarky, but we were all better off with Peter gone. However, I sensed Zander had mixed feelings. "We should make the most of Peter's absence," I said, thinking that at least we wouldn't have to worry about him spying on us or messing with our friends' heads."My place does have a hot tub," he said, peeking at me over his shoulder and raising one eyebrow suggestively. I b
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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
