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  “I was thinking about my father,” she said.

  “I know,” said Cooper.

  “It’s hard,” Keira said, as a tear fell from the edge of her eye.

  Cooper leaned over and brushed the tear away. “I’m sorry, Keira.”

  “I know you need to find your mother, too,” she said.

  “Will I?” he asked softly then.

  “You will,” said Keira, certain of it.

  He laughed, and then suddenly there was a loud noise in the sky. They looked and saw a group of long, dark birds, flying together across the lake. They were beautiful, strong, fearless in their journey through the sky. Keira looked at them in awe. This is a sign, she thought: they were accompanying them.

  But it was more than that and Keira knew it. Every pore of her body turned into listening. She became open to any thought and sound, didn’t want to miss the slightest whisper or sound. These birds were guiding them to their next stop.

  “We’re very close”, she said. “These birds will guide us right to the cottage.”

  The birds swirled together, looped around and flew in the direction of a cluster of pine trees. Then they disappeared from sight.

  “That way,” Keira pointed. “Through those pine trees. The understanding came to her in waves.

  Cooper turned the car to where she pointed, following her every word. She knew he trusted her now. But it wasn’t her he was trusting. He was trusting the universe, who was using her as a messenger. A beloved messenger.

  *

  Cooper drove along a road that led to an opening in the woods, surrounded by pine trees and bramble. They parked got out and walked into the cluster of trees and saw what looked like an old broken down shack sitting in the middle of a field behind them. It was made of old bricks, filled with weeds and thistle. Behind that there were two narrow paths that intersected.

  Cooper stopped and stared. “This is not so different from the place I was raised in, where the Shadow Vampires live,” he murmured.

  Keira didn’t know they lived anywhere. “Lived?” she asked.

  “Root in,” he corrected himself. “I mean the place they gather in, return to. The place they raise the young Shadow Vampires in. Of course they’re spread across the world, but the main coven in this country is hidden behind pine trees and rocks. I used to love the smell of pine trees as a kid, growing up.”

  Keira was startled for a moment. She had a hard time picturing Cooper growing up among the Shadow Vampires. After her encounter with them, she wanted to get as far away from them as possible now. “Were they rooted on Lake Michigan?” she said.

  “No,” Cooper said. “Closer to Chicago. Near a lake there, too. And, of course they swarmed into the city, regularly. It wasn’t so far from Everstock.”

  “Not good to think about the Shadows now,” she said. Keira felt herself receiving a new power now, she was more and more able to sense directions. This new power amazed her, thrilled and excited her. The world was opening up before her like a huge flower blooming at dawn. When she remembered how confused and clouded the world used to seem, she wondered how she ever was able to live that way. “Let’s focus on where we are,” she said. “Look at this cottage. I think it’s it.”

  The tiny, wood thatched cottage sat in a clearing. A streak of sunlight led them to it. If you didn’t know it was there, it would be very easy to miss .The clearing was surrounded by thick trees and two large boulders stood in front of the door.

  Cooper hit one of the boulders with his fist. “Blocked!” he scowled, “wouldn’t you know it.”

  But Keira was delighted. She felt at home in this spot, tremendously close to Cooper here and protected from any harm. She was eager to get inside. Keira walked up to the boulders. She took them in, sensed their energy and in a flash realized that she was larger than they were, stronger than any obstacle. These boulders were no match for her.

  She leaned against one, stroked it, and as if it were a tiny pebble, with one swift push, rolled it aside. Then she did the same with the other boulder.

  Cooper watched in awe.

  “Your strength is quadrupling,” he exclaimed as the boulders rolled down the pathway and stopped about six feet away.

  Keira felt chills run up and down her arm. What would have been a huge task for her even a few days ago, was now nothing. She was thrilled, but also needed more intensely to know where these powers were coming from. What was wanted from her in the long run?

  The cottage inside was fresh and welcoming. There was a main room with wicker furniture, a hand woven rug and windows bordered by white shutters and offering a view of trees, bushes and a little lawn outside. A small kitchen was at the far side of the living room, with a yellow wooden table for them to eat at. Off the main foyer were two little bedrooms, each with twin beds, made up with fresh linen and clean, worn, wool blankets. It was unsettling to see the place so well cared for.

  “Who does this belong to?” Keira asked.

  “No one,” said Cooper. “These places are hideouts, prepared and waiting for the Shadow Vampires all over the world, should they need them. The cottages are scattered everywhere. You just have to know they are here, and be able to find your way. I heard about this place-- and others-- for years.”

  Keira breathed deeply, wondering if she and Cooper could actually settle in and live here? They could use time alone together, to find out how to make their relationship grow and who they could possibly be to each other. She looked over at Cooper and shivered. He looked so gorgeous standing in the dim light that came in through the windows. His eyes glowed and his body rippled with strength and energy. She longed to go over and hold him, but was also afraid. There was nothing keeping them apart now. There was no place they could go to be away from each other. Would her love for him destroy him? Destroy her? Could they tolerate the closeness and the intensity?

  Sensing her feelings, Cooper turned his gaze to her and ran it up and down her body. Keira felt his desire, flowing over her, through her. He wanted her too, but she felt he was being careful and protective of both of them. She had no idea who would make the first move, or if the first move could even be made?

  As if hearing her thoughts, he turned away and sat down in a chair on the far end of the room.

  “I want to show you something,” he said, to break the mood between them. Clearly, he wanted to stay on focus, not be distracted from the reason they had come.

  Keira went over and sat on a chair opposite him.

  “What do you want to show me,” she asked. They were just beginning to live together, she reminded herself. This was different from quick, furtive, meetings at school. It was okay to go slower, understand each other more deeply. For all they knew, it could save their lives.

  Cooper pulled something from his pocket and put it in the palm of his hand. Then he opened his palm, reached out and showed it to her.

  It was a beautiful, gleaming, silver ring, with 5 small jewels set it in – an emerald, amber, ruby, opal and amethyst. There was an empty spot next to the amethyst, where a sixth jewel had fallen out.

  Keira was dazzled by it.

  “This ring belonged to the Torches for hundreds of years, and was then in my mother’s possession. My father stole it from her, when he kidnapped me. All through the years he looked at it. It gave him strength, connected him to her, and her tribe. From time to time, he even showed it to me.”

  “It helped him in his battle with them?”

  “No,” Cooper bristled. “I believe he missed her. He still cared for her.”

  Keira was shocked. “Really? I thought the Shadow Vampires were at war with all the other tribes?”

  “They are. But my father had a moment of surrender after a battle with her tribe. He said when he saw my mother he was so drawn, he couldn’t overcome it. They mated and I was born. My father was punished greatly for it for ten years, but he never really regretted it. He was always very attached to me. I always thought it was my mom he was attached to -- that I w
as the link.”

  “At least you were born,” Keira said, looking at him now, so tall, shining, knightly.

  “But once you cross the line, and mate with someone from a different tribe, the system is damaged. Your tribe is also in jeopardy. One way or other, there’s an aberration and it threatens the entire system. But it’s also possible for great beings to be born like that.”

  Keira felt that Cooper was a great being. She wanted to tell him so, too.

  “Most hybrids are completely destroyed early on. My father refused to let me be destroyed. He fought it, insisted I was different. The Shadows listened to him because he was the fiercest one of them all, completely dedicated to the mission. But in secret, I saw him look at the ring.”

  Keira saw how important it was to Cooper that his father and mother cared about one another. Did he still want them to get back together? That wish was so common for humans. Keira wondered if it affected him too?

  Cooper just stared at the ring in his palm. “I’m going to show this to my mother when I find her. It’s our link. She has the jewel for the sixth slot in her possession. It’s been said that when the slots are complete, when the sixth jewel is put in, the ring will bring incredible power to whoever has it.”

  Suddenly it struck Keira that this ring belonged to his father.

  “How did you get this ring?” she asked, open mouthed.

  Cooper looked straight at her then, his eyes gleaming. “I stole it from him when I ran away. I don’t know if he realizes it’s gone yet. But I have it now.

  Keira shivered. “You want the power?”

  “No, I don’t care about power at all. I want to find my mother, to know who she is and who I am. I want to meet the tribe I was born into!” The words tripped off Cooper’s tongue.

  Keira wanted to go over to Cooper, put her arms around him, tell him she cared so much for him, just as he was. But it wasn’t time. His shield was up around him and she couldn’t move any closer. His yearning for home also stirred a yearning in Keira. Did she have a true home as well? Was there some place she could find a real family in? She felt that being with him would bring her closer to finding that out.

  He looked up from the ring and gazed into her eyes then. For a second he broke through the wall between them, sent waves of love towards her. But then he quickly receded back into his world.

  “There is a letter buried somewhere here for me,” he said. “The letter will tell me where to go. My mother’s waiting for me. Then Cooper got up and turned away abruptly, walking out the front door.

  For a second Keira became frightened that he was leaving, that she wouldn’t see him again. She wanted to call out to him. But she took a deep, swift breath. He was going to search for the letter. She had to relax and trust. She had to let him do what he had to, go where he belonged and be who he was. She couldn’t depend on him forever. He had his life and she had hers. What was hers going to be? She had no idea. It was up to her to discover.

  She went to her bag and pulled out one of the few objects she’d taken with her-- her journal. As Cooper roamed the woods outside, she sat there and wrote.

  What am I doing here, and what will become of me? Cooper is searching for his home and mother. What am I searching for? Day by day my powers are growing, and I have no idea why or where they’re coming from. I used to think they came from the indigo light. Now I’m not sure. How I wish the indigo light would come and tell me. For now, it’s left me on my own.

  There are some things I do know though. I know that I love Cooper and that he and I must be together now. But why that is, and where it will take us, I’m not sure.

  Will he ever kiss me again? Will he ever hold me close? Can we truly be together, the way we both long to? I can’t go back to my family now, maybe not ever. So I live like this, moment by moment, belonging nowhere, waiting to see what will come of us.

  CHAPTER 3

  Senica sat at the head of the table, next to Darius, the leader of the tribe. Time was of the essence. The gathering had been mandated two hours ago. Every Shadow Vampire in Everstock was compelled to attend. They’d suffered complete humiliation and defeat at the hands of a complete unknown. A girl - and human, no less.

  Or, at least partially human. No one knew exactly how she’d come onto the scene, or had become so powerful. It was Cooper who had drawn her in. Had she been dispatched from another tribe? Was she a spy who’d tracked and lured Cooper? It was a travesty that both of them hadn’t been captured by this point.

  Senica felt profound dejection. Cooper was his son, and he’d groomed him to lead the tribe one day. All knew that from the time he’d been born that Cooper was a hybrid. But Senica had convinced them that he was a special one. Senica and the others all new the ancient prophesy that one day two hybrids would mate and an Electric Child would be born. This Electric Child would utterly change the balance of the Universe, have extraordinary powers, be unconquerable in every way.

  Of course neither Senica, nor Ilyana, Cooper’s mother, were hybrids-- but Cooper was. And from the day he was born, he was unique. He always had extra sensitive feelers. He sniffed suffering keenly, and let all the others know. Everyone had expected great things from him. How could it possibly have gone so wrong? His son, a deserter!

  Darius had been fuming since the day Cooper escaped. No one escaped and survived. And beyond escaping, Cooper had stolen the precious ring Senica kept all these years, that had belonged to Cooper’s mother. It as a power ring, able to create havoc, alter all vibrations when it was complete. Right now, it had five stones in it, when the sixth one was put it, there would be no stopping the one who had it. The sixth stone was in Cooper’s mother’s possession. Cooper had to be headed to her to get it. Why else would be have stolen it, taken something Senica had so deeply treasured?

  Senica knew that if he didn’t capture and destroy his son, Darius would do the job himself. Cooper had to be completely dismantled, his brain ripped to pieces, his thoughts thoroughly devoured. It was ridiculous that he was wandering around like this. And for all they knew, he could have given the ring to the human girl. It could not be tolerated.

  Senica fumed along with Darius. His standing in the tribe was now compromised. Questions were floating about who Cooper’s mother was. She had to be found immediately and taken out as well. Senica told them he barely remembered the encounter, it was so long ago. But it was a lie and they sensed it. What was he hiding? Why? Some were beginning to suspect Senica himself. Was he trying to protect Cooper somehow?

  Senica knew these doubts could not be tolerated. He’d guaranteed Darius he would destroy Cooper personally. And now, the attack on them had failed. Cooper had escaped again. With the ring and with that girl. Senica’s humiliation had been doubled. How dare a human defeat him this way?

  Now, Darius stood at the table, about to speak. The tribe had gathered at their rooting place and headquarters at the far end of the town. It was at the bottom of the hill, deep under a ravine. Their compound consisted of small enclosures that looked like caves, built half underground, half emerging through the sandy soil they were planted on. The caves, made of old limestone, were dark and smoky, the way the Shadows liked it the best. There was a minimum of furniture and mirrors were strictly forbidden. The moment a Shadow Vampire saw themselves in a mirror, their existence was threatened. They could no longer transmute their bodies from shadows into animals with gleaming eyes who hid in trees, into that odd mixture of shadow and human that slivered through the human world, sowing hatred and despair.

  Now they were gathered in the largest cave, the one that belonged to Darius. Senica and the two council leaders lived in the cave adjacent to this.

  Darius looked around glared at the tribe, huddled together at the table. His green eyes pulsed electrical warnings.

  “It’s unimaginable,” he roared, smashing his hand on the table.

  All shivered. Waves of dust from their bodies circled in the room, like smoke forming a tornado.

  “A d
efeat like this has never taken place in our 600 year history. And a female, no less! A girl. Human at that-- or at least partially human!” His voice became more and more guttural, a sure sign he meant business. “We have exactly 33 days left before the planetary changes take place,” he howled. “If we do not invade the planet, seed it with darkness, fear and despair, our very existence is threated.”

  The group howled in response.

  “33 days! The forces of light are joining together to combat us. They are growing, growing!”

  The Shadow vampires hissed uncontrollably.

  “It is our sworn duty to join with other Vampire Tribes committed to despair and darkness and vanquish these sources of light. Any source of light, any Tribe committed to goodness, must be destroyed on the spot. Even a little bit of light is dangerous for us.”

  Senica felt himself trembling. He was not used to trembling. It rarely took place. He’d always led the mission. It was he who led the charge in finding darkness for them to feed on. Once the Shadows found people filled with pain, depression and anger, the Shadows mysteriously touched them. It instantly deranged their systems. As they drink their vital energy, absorb thoughts from their brains, leaving them totally without memory. Without hope. It tasted good. Delicious. The more they fed, the more empowered they became.

  Darius was going on now. “No mercy for anyone, not even another Shadow! If need be, turn on each other. Swoop onto the brain stem immediately and dismantle it, as only you can!”

  Senica shivered again. Darius was referring to him, and to Cooper.

  “No mercy!” Darius was growling uncontrollably, whipping them into a frenzy. The more frenzy the better. It was their motto.

  The Shadows howled in response. They loved frenzy, adored it.

  “In our fight against time, we cannot leave anything undone. We don’t know who that girl is! Who she’s fighting for! She has too much strength already. A powerful One can turn the balance. This must not be allowed! Each time she wins, she’ll gain more powers.”