Chasing Shadows

by Rebbeca Stoddard

  Terrors and images plagued my dreams. The first one was about my secret meeting with Luke. It was a trap, and the u da yv la dv captured me. Each time I woke fitfully and was able to fall back to sleep, the terrors got worse. Oddly enough, throughout the night Sebastian was nowhere to be found. When I finally woke up in the morning, Sebastian was in the shower getting ready for school. I wandered in the bathroom and groaned at my eyes. Thick, dark purple circles lay angrily around my eyes. They made my already pale skin look worse. Before he could get out of the shower, I quickly used concealer and foundation to cover them as best as I could so they didn’t seem as bad.

  The shower shut off, and I quickly left the bathroom to get dressed. I collected a layered outfit to keep me warm against the cool autumn air. When Sebastian was done in the bathroom, I went in and finished applying makeup and doing my hair. After about forty-five minutes I was ready and headed downstairs to get some breakfast. A warm mug full of blood sat on the counter waiting for me. I looked around and downed the contents quickly before he could return. The front door opened and Sebastian hollered that it was time to head out.

  For some reason I felt awkward around him. We were married in the eyes of the gods, living together in a beautiful home, and were in the process of creating a life together, so why did I feel awkward? My mind kept flashing back to when I lied to him about talking to Luke, and also to when I’d woken up periodically throughout the night and he was never there. He was up to something, but I couldn’t figure it out. Sure, I was too, but mine was to figure out why Luke needed my help. But with Sebastian, there was no telling what he was doing. Curious about what was going on, I reached out to him with my mind and pushed away the small barrier. His mind was blank, so I dug a little deeper until I saw it. He had snuck out to meet with Clamora. If I reached in a little farther, I would know why.

  “Stop it, AubrieAnna. If you wanted to know what I was doing, you could have asked.” His voice was harsh as I was slammed out of his thoughts.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  “You should be.” Sebastian’s words stung like a whip.

  I flinched at his words and sank down into the seat as far as I could go.

  “I’m sorry. I feel bad for not being there last night. I know you did not sleep very well.” He reached out and stroked my hand for a moment before pulling back.

  We were in the parking lot at school, and I turned to face him. “How come you snuck out to see Clamora last night?” I asked.

  “We are trying to figure out if Remy is like you or just one supernatural,” he answered as he went to step out of the car.

  I followed suit but kept the conversation going. “Have you guys found anything out?”

  “Not yet. I don’t know if I ever told you, but you were predicted many, many times. You were in the fairy tales supernatural parents told their children. Just about every child wanted to be like you.” Sebastian looked at me with a small smile.

  “I was?” I asked quietly, not quite believing it.

  “Yes, you were. However there was no twin predicted, no identical being that was like you.” His eyebrows furrowed together.

  “So that could mean she isn’t like me at all?” I asked intently.

  “Not quite.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that there is a possibility she could be, but she was never predicted so that the u da yv la dv would never know about her.”

  Then it all clicked. “Because if she was like me, that would ensure the war would be won by us.”

  “Exactly.” He nodded once.

  During our conversation we had retrieved our supplies and the books needed for our art class. To my surprise, I hadn’t seen the nymphs yet, and the bell had already rung, signaling it was time for first period. I was about to ask Sebastian where the girls were when we saw Willow at our table in art. She smiled softly, but I could tell there was something bothering her. We sat down with her and I shot her a questioning look. She shook her head at me and looked down at her sketch pad. My mind began to wonder if she and Luke were already starting to realize who they were to each other, if they knew that they were meant to be together like Sebastian and me. Thoughts raced through my mind as Mrs. Summer talked to the class. While my thoughts jingled around my brain, I noticed that students were being called up to the teacher’s desk and were talking to her. Feeling a little concerned, I turned to ask Sebastian what she had been talking about. He quickly explained why before I was called up.

  Since we were so close to finishing the trimester, Mrs. Summer was informing each student of missing assignments and when they could turn them in for a grade. She also wanted to know what each student was going to do for their final project. I didn’t even want to know how many assignments I had missed due to so many absences. When she called my name, I groaned slightly and cringed inwardly. This was not going to be a good talk. As soon as I reached her desk, she asked me, “AubrieAnna, do you know that you missed more than half of your assignments?”

  “Yes. For some reason I have been really sick this year, and I don’t know why. Doctors can’t even figure it out,” I answered. Most of it was true too. Doctors wouldn’t know why I had been sick.

  “I know. I have seen the notes from the office and the doctors.” She looked at me intently, waiting for me to say something. But I wasn’t sure what to say.

  “What do I need to do so I can pass this class?” I asked her when it finally came to me.

  “Well, I have excused you from each assignment, which means you won’t need to do them. However, I do expect you to turn in something amazing for your final project or else you will fail. You are one of the few people whose grade relies on the final. Your written report about the artwork you turn in for the final will need to be pristine and darn near perfect.” Mrs. Summer looked at me with a sense of pity.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Summer. I appreciate it, and I’ll do what is necessary to pass your class.” I turned and started to head for my desk.

  “I trust that you will, AubrieAnna.” I turned around to listen to her words. “You are one amazing artist, and you could do a lot with your gift. I would hate to see you fail.” Her words had an underlying meaning, and they resonated within my soul.

  I nodded at her and headed back to my seat. I didn’t speak for the rest of the period. My mind was too full of ideas about how to fix this giant mess. Yet for some reason, Mrs. Summer’s words kept popping up in my thoughts. At times I would watch her intensely, stare at her every move. But nothing seemed to give away that she was a supernatural, or if she knew I was. The loud ringing bell startled me, and I almost fell out of my chair. As the students filed out, I walked up to her desk and waited patiently. When she finally looked up, she sighed and nodded.

  “You know about me, don’t you?” I asked so softly that if she wasn’t a supernatural, she wouldn’t have heard me.

  She sighed heavily and stood. “Yes, I do. How did you figure it out?”

  “What you said to me about my gift and hating to see me fail. I heard the underlying message,” I answered.

  “I thought you might have.” She smiled at me.

  “So what supernatural are you, if you don’t mind me asking?” I hoped it wasn’t rude to ask what kind of supernatural someone was.

  “You ask that to wrong kind of supernatural and they won’t take too kindly to you. But I am part of a dying breed.”

  “What dying breed?” I asked, confused by her response.

  “Half-bloods—we are all but extinct,” she answered honestly.

  “What are half-bloods? How come I have never heard of you?” I was more confused now than I had been before the start of the conversation.

  “I think you should ask that of your Sebastian. Here, this will get you to your next class without any trouble. And if you ever need to talk to me, I am always here.” Mrs. Summer handed me a written note saying she needed my help after class and sent me on my way.

  My mind tried thinking
up different possibilities for what a half-blood could be, but I came up with such strange options and ideas that I felt silly. I was anxious for the day to be over so I could drill Sebastian on what they were and why he had never told me about them. My body was humming with curiosity and frustration by the time school had ended. Sebastian led the way to the car and we got in. At first we sat in silence and it felt awkward, then my questions came out without warning: “What are half-bloods and why haven’t you told me about them?”

  “Whoa, how did you even hear about them in the first place?” he asked me, genuinely surprised by my outburst.

  “Mrs. Summer, she’s one of them,” I answered.

  “I was told that they were gone, that there were no more.” Sebastian let his mind wander off to a different moment in time while I waited patiently for him to come back.

  We had pulled into our driveway, and my patience had started rubbing off. “What are half-bloods, Sebastian?” I figured I would try one more time.

  “Oh, right. Sorry, I was trying to recall what I was told a long time ago. See, when I was a boy we had all these legends about supernatural creatures that roamed the night. We knew most of them and what they were supposed to look like. But there were some that were so terrifying that I would set up traps in my room at night to keep them away, and if they got through my traps I would call for my dad.” Sebastian got a faraway look in his eyes before he continued. “Anyway, I learned about new creatures that were good, that would protect me from harm when I was little. My father took me to the States and the Cherokee tribe to meet my family when I was five. The Cherokee learned of my fear and told me of good spirits that would keep me safe, half-bloods.

  “They told me they were half spirit and half human, and had many gifts and abilities. It was said they would protect the tribe and anyone they thought was worthy. If a half-blood came to you, it meant that you were important or good. Half-bloods have many abilities. At first people thought they were like you, many supernatural beings in one, but they were not. They can phase in and out of this world and into the spirit world, as well as take anyone with them if they need more protection. That’s just one of their talents; they can also alter perception, change a person’s ideas and thoughts, hide in plain sight, run and move as fast as a vampire, bend the elements to their will like a witch, and use nature around them to hide the ones they are to protect. A half-blood can also change form like a shape shifter and possess any living creature they decide to, except other supernatural creatures. They were even able to procreate, have babies that were like them. But something happened, their genes got weaker or mutated somehow, because each child born after a certain time would die quickly after birth. That’s why we all thought they were extinct, that they were gone.” Sebastian trailed off, leaving me to chew on what he had just told me.

  “How were they able to create more like them, if no other supernatural can?” I asked him, curious.

  “Because they were not created by the gods, at least that is what legend says.” He winked at me and headed into the house.

  I followed him and continued my questioning. “If they weren’t created by the gods like us, how were they created?”

  “That is where it gets confusing and goes all over the place. No one really knows how they were created or by whom. There are just a bunch of different stories that are out there.” He went to the fridge, pulled out some blood, and poured it in a cup.

  “What did the Cherokee say?” I asked while sitting at the counter.

  “They spoke of a time when the world was being created. The Great Spirit would walk the earth and watch his people while asking himself who could keep them safe if something happened. He came up with an idea, one that would preserve his people for years and years: half spirit, half human—half-bloods. The Great Spirit created them with wisdom and courage, as well as heart and compassion. These beings of immense good would protect the innocent around the world, but the natives would always come first, for they were the ones he felt needed the protection most. Half-bloods have the ability to create more through birth because the Great Spirit created them with a good purpose: He created them to protect those who needed it most.”

  “But isn’t the Great Spirit basically Zeus, but in Native American form?” I asked, curious.

  “No. Zeus is Greek and took care of the Greek people, not all of humanity. See, there are gods and goddesses in every culture. The most famous are the Greek gods, because that is what is taught in school. Asian cultures have their own gods and goddesses, same with Native Americans and ancient Romans. Some paths do cross, but not all. There are no stories or legends about all of them fighting or getting along, because we don’t know all of the gods’ affairs. All that we truly know is that before the gods created the supernaturals, the Great Spirit created the half-bloods,” he answered me as he sipped on his snack.

  “So the half-bloods are older than any supernatural out there and are really powerful?” I thought out loud.

  “Yes, they have magic that is older than this world, older than we can even imagine. Some say if you could get a taste of that magic, it would drive you insane with power, or it would kill you.” Sebastian’s eyes went far away again, and I just sat there waiting for him to come back.

  After a few minutes, I gave up and headed into the living room. Even though I had a lot of homework to do, I was still curious about the half-bloods. My mind wasn’t able to move away from thinking about them, thinking about what they could do and how they were created. If they were supposed to be as good as Sebastian was saying, I wanted to help them so they could still have babies, so that their race would continue. I decided before I even knew how to do it that I was going to help them survive. Knowing I was going to need Clamora’s help, I thought about calling her, but something nagged at me to wait. What I was waiting for, I had no idea.

  Chapter 14

  The school day went by easily, and I had gotten away from Sebastian after school too, which I thought was going to be a lot harder than it was. Thankfully, he bought my story about needing to grab some more clothes and wanting to spend some time with my little brother and sister. I sat in the kitchen waiting for a text to tell me Luke was there and needed to be let in. My fingers drummed the table impatiently. A few chimes from my phone signaled a text, and I jumped up to look outside.

  He stood with his back perfectly straight while his eyes bounced around, looking for someone or something. I let him in and noticed his hair was disheveled and his shoes were soaking wet. We walked back to the kitchen and I motioned for him to sit down. When he finally sat, a weight seemed to be lifted off his shoulders. Luke relaxed and took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes for a minute. Even though I wanted to know what he was so worried about, I knew he was under a lot of stress and he needed to relax before he was able to talk.

  “There are a few things you need to know, but if they knew I was telling you, they would kill me.” Luke spoke calmly once he was relaxed enough.

  “What do I need to know?” I asked as I leaned forward.

  “First, the attack on Clamora had been planned for a long time. They wanted to wait and see how far she would train you and how powerful you were on your own.” He paused and leaned back in his seat. “Now that they have an idea of how powerful you are, they are going to try to send their best after you. And the best they have aren’t ones you want to mess with.” His eyes glittered with fear as he spoke of the u da yv la dv’s best.

  “Okay, so how do I protect myself and my family from them?” I asked.

  “You don’t. Unless you’ve got some magic up your sleeve that no one knows about yet. If not, then everyone you care about is as good as dead.” Luke shrugged as if it was no big deal.

  “How can you act like it’s not a big deal?” I demanded.

  “Because, it’s not exactly my problem, and I’m here to help you. If you don’t want the information I have, I can leave.” He started to get up.

  “Stay. I need to know this,
right?”

  He nodded.

  “Then please continue.” I gestured for him to sit back down.

  “I didn’t intend to give them any information about you or your abilities, but they threatened to kill her, so I had to save her. I hope you understand that. Anyway, don’t do the blood rite. It wasn’t Clamora’s idea. It is a major trap that they intend to use to kill you and ensure their survival and takeover.” Luke leaned back in his chair once again.

  “What do you mean it wasn’t Clamora’s idea?” My stomach started to roll at the thought of all the possibilities.

  “I mean it wasn’t Clamora’s idea. See, the Clamora that you have been around isn’t the real one,” Luke answered.

  “So it’s a shadow, one of the u da yv la dv?” My mind was trying to wrap around his answer.

  “Yes. The attack that Willow saw was staged. They made me get them through her barrier and they took her. When I told them that one of you was bound to show up and start asking questions if she was acting strange, they planted the attack. Clamora really did need to speak with you and Sebastian. The conversation between them was real. Everything was set up so you would never know,” he explained.

  “That doesn’t make sense. How come I didn’t get the signal that she was u da yv la dv?” I asked him accusingly.

  “Because you healed them in the hospital and afterward with that spell you guys did. It messed with their magic, so now they are stuck in her form and can’t do anything about it. And the reason you didn’t sense it in the hospital is because your vampire senses were being overloaded. You wouldn’t have understood even if you did get the tingles in your fingers.” He waved his fingers at me as he said the last part.