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Chapter 209: Back in Town
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The True Nature Series Chapter 210: Snatched
I TURNED TO ISAAC and Phoebe. They were doing their twin talk again. I recognized it more easily now that Zander and I could communicate the same way. I scanned the dance floor for Ruthie and Maverick as I waited patiently. Minutes went by."Where's Ruthie?" asked Phoebe, suddenly noticing her absence."I don't know," I replied. "The last time I saw her, she and Maverick were still on the dance floor.""Wynona and Luke are sitting over there," said Isaac, pointing to a table on the left side of the gym where they were laughing at some of the dancers. "Maybe they've seen them."When we approached, they stood up, their expressions alert as they assessed our moods. "What happened?" asked Luke. "Peter's here," said Isaac with a snarl. Luke cursed."But Zander went to talk with him," I quickly added. "Peter was dancing with Phoebe. He must have erased some of her memories because she doesn't remember why she shouldn't have been dancing with him."Isaac had Phoebe by the arm, but she
The True Nature Series Chapter 211: Lying Through Your Teeth
"RUTHIE IS A FORCE of nature, Tru," said Phoebe. "There was no way to avoid involving that girl."The weight room's overhead lights flickered with foreboding. We glanced around, wondering what was going on, but then they stopped.Regret etched lines into Maverick's face. "I'm sorry, guys," he said, hanging his head. "I let my guard down, and now ..." His thoughts were easy to deduce. He was assuming the blame. He had allowed himself a little fun - at a high school dance no less - and therefore, Ruthie had been abducted. But it wasn't his fault. No matter what Phoebe said, I knew the fault was all mine."It's okay, man," said Zander. "We'll get her back. But first, can you tell us what happened?" Maverick nodded, deep lines forming between his eyes. "I walked Ruthie to the restroom and went to the men's room. Two guys jumped me inside. I didn't even get to take a swing." He took a deep breath and ran both hands over his pale face. "Before the lights went out, they said somethin
The True Nature Series Chapter 212: Lizard Park
IT ONLY TOOK A few minutes for us to come up with a rough strategy, although it had us going in different directions. That suited my own plan perfectly, though. The second we stepped outside Isaac caught Ruthie's scent and wanted to try tracking her. Phoebe went with him. Luke and Wynona were going to stay at the dance in case Peter was still close by. They said that they'd join us as soon as Peter told me the meeting place. Everyone was trying so hard to help Ruthie. It made me feel more guilty for not telling them I already knew the location, but I pushed the feeling away. I caught Wynona watching me, her eyes clouded with confusion. I tried to calm my racing heart, knowing she could read auras. When we got to my house, Maverick parked my mom's car next to his truck. "Wait here for Peter's text," ordered Maverick. "Call me when you get it and then we'll both head to the location he sends." He was heading to the rec center to pick up reinforcements and "equipment," which I interpr
The True Nature Series Chapter 213: Unnatural
"WHAT THE HELL, PETER?" yelled Zander, his chest puffing with adrenaline.Peter slowly raised his hands, as if he were trying to calm a frightened animal. "I'm simply here for a trade," he said, speaking as if his request was perfectly reasonable. "You and Tru for Ruthie. Easy stuff." When Zander shook his head, he tried again. "Zander, you've got to understand where I'm coming from." His face pleaded for understanding. "Father is making me do this. It's the only way I can see my mate. Yeah, I met my aramusatu, just like you guys." His eyes darted from Zander to me. "You know how that messes with you." So, he did know about us. The news of him and Shanna was no surprise, but I had to admit that a small part of me was hoping I was wrong. Now that he'd confirmed it, my heart sagged with a sense of hopelessness. How would I ever free my sister when she was tied forever to Peter? Maybe he wasn't as bad as we thought. Maybe he was just a pawn like Dante had been. Maybe Gerard really wa
The True Nature Series Chapter 214: Creature from the Black Lagoon
"TRU!" I heard Zander's worried voice and blinked open my eyes. He knelt in the dirt, cradling me in his arms. "Tru," he said with relief. "You're okay.""No," I croaked, feeling like I'd never be all right again. I felt my chin wobble and tightened my lips to steady it. Zander's face blurred as tears welled up in my eyes. "I remember how Mom died," I said, burying my face in his chest.After Mom's fatal accident, I'd awoken in a hospital with no memory of what had happened. The doctor told us that temporary amnesia was common after a traumatic event. But when the memory loss had continued for almost a year, he'd changed his tune, saying that it might be permanent. "Perhaps it's for the best," he'd said, trying to cushion the blow. I'd lost my temper and yelled at him. I'd behaved horribly, but Dad had simply hugged me, holding me through the sobbing until I'd quieted and we'd gone home. We hadn't talked about it again, even though I'd thought about it all the time, trying everythi
The True Nature Series Chapter 215: The Gang's All Here
I BACKED TOWARD LUKE. "Holy shit," he said, his hands out ready to do something but unsure what. There was nothing holy about the scene before my eyes, but all I could do was nod.An instant later Peter made a strangled sound as the metamorphosis reversed itself. I watched with nauseating horror as his face and body reshaped into a scaly version of Peter, except for his eyes. They were the last things to return to normal after his scales had blended back into regular human skin. His torn suit hung on him in tatters as he moved his mended arm back and forth experimentally before smiling with satisfaction."What the hell was that?" choked out Zander, his face a mask of disgust. "What are you?"Peter chuckled sourly. "Sorry to spring that on you without warning." He didn't sound sorry. "Just one of the perks of the Blessing.""You call that a perk?" snapped Zander with derision. "You're some kind of demon." Peter sneered, "I'm more powerful than you'll ever be, half-breed." His bo
The True Nature Series Chapter 216: Jumper
"THIS IS YOUR LAST chance, Tru," warned Peter. His eyes were wide as he took in the approaching wolf. Several rattlesnakes hissed and hovered over Ruthie, ready to strike. He pressed his lips together, staring at his pets as if communicating with them. Suddenly, they darted toward Isaac. He growled and snapped at them, catching one in his mouth and cutting it in half. The others retreated as he padded toward Ruthie. Peter had made a drastic miscalculation, forgetting that very little could penetrate the skin of a usemi. I saw the moment it dawned on him, and he backed away, moving into another swirl of reptiles while redirecting several more rattlesnakes Ruthie's way. Phoebe took in the crumpled form with initial confusion as lizards and snakes slithered over it almost obliterating the color of the bright orange dress. She gasped with horror when she realized who it was. "Ruthie?" Phoebe rushed toward her, trying to head off the incoming rattlesnakes. She grabbed and tossed them
The True Nature Series Chapter 217: Family Flock
I TRIED TO GRASP the notion that my best friend had some kind of super power after all. "And yeah, Ruthie is terrified of reptiles," I finally said, feeling my throat tighten.Wynona nodded as if that explained everything. "I've heard of it before, but this is the first time I've seen it. Her aura is telling me that she's scared."I bit my lip, wondering if she was all right. "That means she'd have to be idimmu, right?" I'd lived in fear of this possibility ever since I'd healed her from the shark bite. Phoebe looked at me with concern."Yeah, I guess so," said Wynona with a nod. "Um, I'm not sure how long she can stay out of her body. Whoa!" She stared at my brother, who still had his head cocked to one side looking at what Wynona said was Ruthie's spirit. "I think that guy can see her!" A dog barked and I remembered that Dad and Knox were here, my safe normal world colliding with my impossibly crazy one. I spun around to see Dad kneeling on the ground, his face ashen. He held Kn
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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
