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Chapter 191: North Avenue Irregulars
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The True Nature Series Chapter 192: In Denial
THE ENTIRE GANG COULDN'T get together again until Saturday, and because Isaac was craving pizza, we met at Luigi's. It wasn't the best pizza around, but it was the least crowded. We even managed to grab a small, deserted side room that gave us the privacy we wanted.While we waited for our pizzas, Ruthie pulled out her trusty notebook and began. "So, we've been talking about Ulami's Hope and the Sentavoti a lot at school and we have a few ideas." "Can you read it again?" asked Phoebe."Sure. We've read it so many times this week I pretty much know it by heart." Isaac and Phoebe leaned in as she recited it perfectly:"Ulami's Hope -From one birthWill come a new triangleWater, Earth, HeavenRarest AramusatuHealer, Savior, DestroyerEnd the Earth, save the worldKnow past, present, futureMightiest unionsTruth, Mercy, JusticeWill be a pure scaleFrom one birth""Zander and Tru understand the nerdy poetry stuff," she said, waving a hand our way. "They can explain."
The True Nature Series Chapter 193: Fickle Felons
AFTER SCHOOL ON MONDAY, the gang gathered at the frozen-yogurt shop to catch up. We hadn't had time to talk at lunch today because Dr. Frankler had pulled Zander and me into her office for another chat. Ruthie wanted to hear all about it when I joined her at her locker later, but I'd convinced her to wait until we were all together so I wouldn't have to repeat myself. Before we launched into it, Ruthie nudged me. "Where do you think we should go for Homecoming dinner?" she whispered. I shrugged, finding it difficult to get excited about Homecoming when we were talking about prophecies, life on other planets, aliens living among us, and ... oh yeah, that I was part alien. But then I remembered how important this dance was to her. It was one of the biggest events of her senior year. I had promised her we'd make time for normal teenage fun.I glanced at Phoebe and Isaac. "Did you guys make Homecoming plans?" "No," said Phoebe. "We stopped going to public school, remember?""So wha
The True Nature Series Chapter 194: Welcome Distraction
FOR ONCE, LUKE HAD a very good point. Fortunately, we had an explanation."Dr. Frankler assured us that Haven takes that into consideration," said Zander. "Remember, Haven helps those who have been vanished to Earth."When they looked at us with confusion, I explained, "Haven's doctors put the ulami through a series of psychological tests to determine their criminal propensity. Their research confirmed that most of them come to Earth with a moral blank slate.""It's pretty fascinating," said Zander. "They really can start over because when the vanishment erased their memories, it also erased the events and influences that led them to break the law in the first place."Luke snorted in disbelief. Zander gave him a dark look. "Just like most humans, most ulami are not evil to the core.""Dude, you're so wrong. Most humans are evil sons of bitches with little black hearts."Everyone stared at Luke with shock. Even Wynona, but her gaze was full of concern. Luke grew uncomfortable with
The True Nature Series Chapter 195: Homecoming Checklist
I SPUTTERED WITH EXASPERATION. "Of course, we're still going to Homecoming," I said, almost tripping over a pile of clothes on my bedroom floor. Dread settled in as I plopped down on my bed and hunched over. Homecoming weekend had finally arrived and I was checking off the last item on my to-do list for the double date with Ruthie and Maverick - confirm time with Mav. Ruthie and I had been busy with our plans all week, reserving the restaurant, buying new makeup, getting our nails done, and practicing hairstyles that looked good with our dresses. Ruthie was coming over soon to pick me up for the big football game and I wanted to tell her everything was good to go. Because it just had to be!"You've got to be kidding me, Tru," Maverick bellowed through the phone. "You do realize that Gerard Hughes and his people are trying to kidnap you and/or kill you, right?"I hedged, not wanting to go there right now. I'd been living in a sweet fog of normal routines for the last two weeks. Well
The True Nature Series Chapter 196: Incentive
"NOT ME, NO," SAID Maverick. "But our people here. They're just doing what Ira wanted us to do.""Polaris spies are following me?" My voice rose higher with each word. I didn't want anyone spying on me."Tru," he said gently. "You've always had Polaris watching you to some degree. Ira knew how important you were, how important you still are. Let's just say some of the people in your life are there to keep an eye on you, to protect you, and we've increased security.""Who?" I demanded, wanting to know which one of our friends was a spy. Who wanted a fake friend?"Don't worry," he said, a little contrition tinting his voice. "It's not like your whole life is a lie."He was so wrong. My entire life was a lie. My mom and dad had never told me I was adopted, or whatever it was called when you took over someone else's kid. From what I'd gathered in my vision, I wasn't sure it had been done legally. "Tru, your mom and dad love you as much ... I mean, you're related to them ... gah! You
The True Nature Series Chapter 197: Intervention
I PUT THE FINISHING touches on my makeup, checked myself out in the mirror one last time, and smiled at my reflection. My hair was behaving, my skin-tight pants hugged my hips and thighs in all the right places, and my pink shirt made my skin brighten with color. As I grabbed my jacket and wallet, a pile of letters fell to the floor. I paused, contemplating what those letters might say for the umpteenth time. I checked my phone. No text from Ruthie saying she was on her way, which meant I had time to read them.Maverick had said that Mom and Dad were unaware of the supernatural world, but I knew my mom had been gifted. It could be laughed off as extreme intuition, but now that I knew she'd come from idimmu parents, I wondered how much she had known. Ruthie had been full of suspense when she'd given the letters back to me. She'd read most of them, the little sneak! But true to her word, she hadn't breathed a word of their contents. She'd only suggested in a gentle voice that I should r
The True Nature Series Chapter 198: Bad Idea
MY FRUSTRATION REACHED A boiling point. Zander had conspired with Ruthie to force me into confronting Caroline despite knowing how much I didn't want to talk to her. I felt so betrayed. Wrenching around to glare at him I found him squinting back at me, his eyes slightly unfocused. Was he trying to read my mind? We'd been practicing it a little, but now was definitely not the time to go poking around in my head. Pressing my lips together, I pictured the wall that I'd been trying to break down all week, but this time, instead of trying to disintegrate it, I imagined adding bricks. I piled them up, layer by layer and felt them slamming into place. Zander twitched, his eyes widening before turning down with disappointment. It worked! I'd blocked him out. A wave of guilt batted at me, but I brushed it away. It served him right for tricking me like this. He definitely hadn't thought it through."And what do you think is going to happen when you show up at the Efoti's cabin, huh?" I said. "Y
The True Nature Series Chapter 199: Meet the Parents
SCOWLING, ZANDER SLOWLY PULLED onto the road. He wasn't the only one as tense as a wind-up toy. I looked over my shoulder at my friend in the back seat. "Are you all right?" I asked. Her face was still a little pale, but otherwise, she seemed unhurt. "When I get my mojo back, I'm going to drop-kick Isaac in the nards," she vowed.I darted a glance at Zander to see the corner of his mouth inch up. "Just make sure I'm there to see it," he said, some of his stiffness melting away. I smiled at Ruthie. That had been unpleasant, but the biggest hurdle was still to come. I hoped that the Efotis would see the Zander that I knew and loved.A few minutes later, we pulled into their gravel driveway and parked next to the Range Rover again. The familiar wood house stood before us, framed by towering trees and a darkening sky. It looked the same as before, but this time I knew exactly what I was walking into.Isaac was already waiting for us on the front porch, dressed in jeans and a t-shi
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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
