Uniquely Unwelcome (The Shadow World)

by Brandy Nacole

“Not really. We were provided books at the lair but that was about it. We had a lot of time to read in between bites. Lynna also taught us a few things, but mostly how to read.” I shake my head in disgust at how the Vampires treat their human donors.

  We look the paper over for several more moments in silence. “I’ll be right back.” I tell Coy as I stand and walk to the back of the plane. Danika is nowhere in sight. I assume she’s in the back with Ethan. Not wanting to interrupt anything, I take her laptop that’s lying in her seat. I’m sure she won’t mind, especially if she knew it’s for research purposes.

  Taking my seat, I open up the laptop and wait for it to boot up. “Let’s see what we can find on these formulas.” I stare at the computer, unsure of what to do next. I know the basics of how to work a computer.

  It’s not that I chose to be computer illiterate. I just never had a need for one before. Never really needing one to stay in contact with anyone or to do any major shopping like most, I’ve actually never owned a computer. I look the screen over as it waits for my next move.

  Not wanting to admit my ignorance to Coy, I click an icon and then the screen pops up. Coy starts laughing and takes the computer from me. “I don’t think we are going to find much in the computers control panel.”

  I roll my eyes at Coy as he takes the computer and watch as he accesses the Internet. He punches in the formulas in the search engine and waits for results. Several results pop up and Coy starts checking them one by one.

  “So how do you know so much about computers if you were only allowed to read?” I narrow my eyes at him in accusation.

  “I had my ways.” He says, not really revealing anything.

  I just mutter uh-huh as I watch him look through the different links. I can feel my eyelids getting heavy just like they did in chemistry. Apparently my lack of interest in understanding science and the formulas that go along with it hasn’t changed.

  Coy jolts me out of my haze as he explains what he’s found. “This one right here is for the bonding of atoms.” He pulls out a sheet of paper and a pen, writing down what he’s found.

  He goes back to the search engine and enters the next formula. Not too long after his revelation of the atom bonding, he finds another one for carbon chains, ions, diffusions, etc. All his findings start running together as my body relaxes more and more. Soon his ramblings stop as complete relaxation takes over but not for long.

  The blissful blackness I’m swimming in fades as a new scene comes to life. I’m back in Brazil surrounded by Vampires and Witches. I try to move but I can’t. I look down to find my legs and arms chained to a wooden post. Pain starts radiating through my body. I can feel where wounds are trying to heal but unable to.

  “Let’s see how she handles this.” I look up as a woman approaches, her hand stretched out before her. She’s obviously a Witch. A wicked smile plays across her red lips as her glacial blue eyes dance with evil. Pain sears through my body as my inside start to boil.

  “Ravyn, do remember not to kill her.” I hear a man in the background giving his warning but I can’t see him. I can’t see anything. All I see is a blinding white light as my body boils from the inside out. I hear myself break out into a scream but it does no good.

  “Oh alright,” Ravyn complains as the boiling, searing pain stops. Well, not completely but it’s nowhere near as bad as it was. As the pain recedes the memory comes back to me in a flash. This place, these people, and the torture I endured.

  I don’t understand what I’m doing here. This has to be a dream. Another dream brought on by Cerelia but why this one? If she wants me to remember that I don’t fit in, that I don’t belong in this world, she need not bother. I remember everyday on my own. I don’t need her push and influence to bring it all back.

  Now that I realize what’s going on, maybe I can fight back. I close my eyes and concentrate. I try finding where she’s hiding in my mind. But sensing her darkness is harder than I thought it would be.

  I can sense my own darkness and anger, which makes finding hers difficult. I can feel the pain and hatred I have for everyone around me. The darkness that lingers in me for being what I am. The lingering thought of revenge.

  Finally, in the back of my mind, I find another type of darkness. A darkness that’s so full of hatred and pleasure, I know it’s not my own. I start trying to push against that darkness, trying to force the evil out. I drag up as much of myself as I can to push against it. But there’s so much of my own darkness mingling with hers, that I start getting drawn in by the anger. I can feel Cerelia growing stronger.

  Her malicious spirit is becoming so strong, distinct and vivid, I can almost see her face. I continue to try and push but feel my will becoming weaker. I open my eyes and gasp for air, feeling as if I’m suffocating from all the pain and pressure.

  Ravyn and the others vanish from sight. That’s when he steps in front of me, his face still cloaked. “Remember, Racquel. Remember the pain and hatred they all made you feel. Don’t you want revenge? Don’t you want to make them all suffer the way they made you suffer? Embrace that darkness Racquel. Embrace those feelings and join me. Together we can stop them.” He steps closer to me, placing his hand on my cheek. His hand feels like ice against my skin. “Or next time my dear the pain won’t stop until you’re dead.”

  He vanishes from my view but I can still feel Cerelia there, still being vicious by trudging up more of my memories. Now standing in front of me are all my old school mates. They’re all laughing at me and throwing haughty comments my way. One guy even spits on me as he walks by. All of a sudden my rage flares, the humiliation and resentment building an unyielding storm within me.

  I grab hold of the boy and snap his neck like a twig. He falls to the ground, lifeless. I look up at the others and see their faces in disbelief. The rage continues to build up in me. All I can see is red with blotches of mocking faces mixed in. I move to the next person ready to take down everyone I can get my hands on.

  All of a sudden I’m soaking wet and grasping for air. I hear my name being called and then feel someone slap me. I still can’t see past my flaring red temper, the only thing that catches my attention is quick movement.

  Grabbing the hand that is about to strike me again, I shove whoever is hitting me to the floor as I stand. I go to move forward but I’m grabbed from behind, my arms pinned behind my back.

  “Racquel, stop it.” I hear a voice of reason. A voice I recognize. Blinking past the rage, everything comes into focus. Danika lies on the floor in front of me. She looks up at me in fear. Jared is standing beside her. He reaches down and helps Danika up. Coy is the one holding me, his grasp tight and firm.

  “Racquel?” His tone is unsure and questioning.

  I slump in his arms and feel my body go weak. I close my eyes trying to get a grip on myself but can’t. My breathing is rapid and I feel like I’m suffocating.

  “Racquel look at me.” Coy is now crouched down in front of me. I keep my eyes closed as I try to gather myself. Coys’ grasp on my arms loosens as he places both hands on my shoulders and shakes me. “Look at me.”

  I open my eyes and feel my eyes water. “I’m sorry.” I look over at Danika, who is now standing behind Jared. I feel so ashamed for my action toward her. I know Cerelia had planted the seed but I’m the one that allowed it to grow. “What-what happened?” I choke out the words, still trembling.

  “I’m guessing Cerelia got to you again.” From the look on Danika’s face I can tell she’s scared but trying to stay calm. “We’ve been trying to wake you but you wouldn’t respond. Racquel, I need to know what happened. What was the dream about?”

  I think back on the dream. I can’t tell them what it was about. This time it was too personal. If I tell them even a little bit of the dream, there will be more questions. Then I will have to tell them more about me and my past. I decide that if it happens again I’ll tell them but for now I’ll keep it to myself.

  “It was the same as before.”


  Danika is shaking her head. “That was not like it was before. Before, I could feel your fear of what was happening. This time it was all hatred and evil. What happened?”

  I decide to tell her a little. “It was the same but this time they were trying to push their hatred on me. They wanted me to join them and their cause.”

  “What kind of cause?”

  “I’m not sure. They didn’t go into detail. All our mystery man said was that if I didn’t join him it would end in death for me.”

  Silence follows as everyone looks to one another for a response. What do you say to someone who just told you they were threatened with a promise of death? After a minute, Danika finally breaks the agonizing silence. “I need to talk with the Elders. See if they have come up with anything on how to deal with Cerelia.”

  Jared watches Danika as she walks toward the back of the plane. “Well that was interesting. If anything we will have some cozy memories to look back on.”

  I give Jared my best “not now” look. He holds up his hands as he backs up to the couch he was sitting on before. He picks up a magazine, seeming more interested in the drunken actress on the front page than he is about the troubles in front of him.

  Coy sits in the chair beside me. He moves his hands up my back, slowly rubbing in small circles to calm me. “Hey, are you okay?” I nod, scared that my voice will carry the note of fear that still lingers in me. I start shivering from the cold air seeping over my wet body.

  I stand up, wrapping my arms around my waist for warmth. “I’m going to change.” I go get my bag and head for the bathroom. Once inside I crumble to the floor.

  I lay, shaking and cold on the tile floor, as images run through my head. I can’t believe I let her get to me like that. But how did she dig my memories up like that only to taunt me with them? And why? Why did they want me to relive all that? None of this was making sense.

  I pick myself up off the floor and change. Looking in the mirror at my tear-stained face, the anger returns. This time it’s directed at Cerelia and her mystery man. I make a silent promise to myself. Once I find them, I’m going to show them what my rage can really do. They’re going to learn not to mess with me.

  I walk back into the plane’s cabin and sit by Coy. He looks at me with concern but I shrug it off. “So what did you find out about the formulas?”

  Thankfully he gets the hint that I don’t want to talk about what happened. “Not much. They really didn’t make any sense. Obviously there was more to it than just this one piece of paper. I did find a sentence at the bottom in Latin that translated, ‘the combining of Lycans and-’ the rest of it was ripped away. Those formulas were for atom bonding, carbon chains, etc. It could mean anything.”

  I give him a small smile. “Thanks for looking.”

  “No problem.” We settle back in our seats to stare at the TV. A hamburger commercial is playing causing my stomach to protest as my mouth waters. We still haven’t stocked the plane; hopefully we can grab a bite to eat soon.

  I pick up the piece of paper lying on Coy’s lap and put it back in my backpack. I wonder why someone wrote all that down and stuffed it under a board in my closet. If it didn’t really mean anything, then why hide it? The Latin translation was bugging me: The combining of Lycan and-’ what was that supposed to mean? Was it connected to what was going on now? If so, why was it in my house?

  Coy moves his hand from behind my back and rests it on my hand. “Hey, are you sure you’re okay?” I guess he held out as long as he could. “You really had me scared.”

  He was scared? Let me tell ya, I was beyond scared. But I couldn’t tell him that. I couldn’t tell anyone what had happened in that dream, how all those dark feelings surfaced and how good it felt to let them loose. To start ripping and shredding into those that hurt me.

  If I told him or anyone that, then they would truly be afraid of me. We already had enough problems as it was dealing with Cerelia and this cloaked man. We didn’t need my dreams and drummed-up feelings causing additional problems.

  So I put on my best ‘don’t worry about me’ smile. Taking Coy’s hand, I look him in the eye and reassure him I’m fine. But inside I am far from it.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Exhilaration rushes over me as I fly over the vast landscape of Canada. I try pin pointing the Shape-shifters’ colony below, re-calling Danika’s description of what it might look like, to make sure I look past any glamour’s set in place, and to keep an open mind.

  When we had arrived in Wrigley, Canada, which took some enormous piloting skills, the group departed not knowing exactly where to go. Danika had few geographical clues as to where the Shape-shifters might be. All she knew was they were located somewhere in the Northwestern Territory of Canada.

  After a brief discussion, we decided that it would be best to split up, me taking to the sky and them traveling the country-side by vehicle. Before I took flight, Jared took an interest in my shifting. “So it’s true then? You can shift into any form?” I could see his curiosity but underneath that a bit of amusement.

  “Supposedly, but the only thing my body seems keen to is the eagle.” I really wasn’t paying attention to Jared or the amused look on his face. I was more concerned about my surroundings and finding a nice quiet spot to shift without being seen. I didn’t need everyone seeing my rear end.

  Jared steps closer to me, a big smile splayed across his face. “So can you relieve yourself while in bird form?”

  Totally taken aback by his question, I stop my search and look at him. Knowing I have a shocked ‘are you serious’ look on my face. “Excuse me?”

  “The question isn’t that hard Racquel. Could you poop on a person if you wanted to?”

  “Jared,” Ethan’s voice emits a warning from behind, “we have more important matters to worry about other than knowing how Racquel relieves herself.”

  “I was just curious. That could make for a good surprise.” Jared’s smile is so big his eyes are almost overtaken by his cheeks. “Picture it, we’re surrounded by enemies, there’s no room for escape. Then all of a sudden BAM! Bird poo comes flying out of the sky right into our enemy’s face. Not only would it be amusing but it would create an opening for us to be on the offensive instead of the defensive.” He’s walking now with his hand on his chin, deep in amused thoughts. “I can see the headline now, ‘taken by bird poo surprise.’” I shake my head at his analogy but laugh a little inwardly. It’s not like I would have answered his question but it would be amusing if that happened.

  The landscape is really beautiful but aggravating all the same as I continue searching the country side for any signs of a small encampment below. If I was just here lounging about sightseeing it would be amazing. But when trying to find a hidden clan that doesn’t want to be found, it’s all a little bothersome.

  The snow-peaked mountains and plains that lay beneath them are easy to rule out. They are open, with no glamour hiding a colony packed full of roaming animals and humans. I couldn’t even imagine wanting to glamour a snow-peaked mountain, let alone live there. It’s the dense forest that’s the problem.

  After hours of circling and circling, I soon decide that this area may be impossible for me. I find Danika and the group easily enough. They had rented a bright red SUV for my convenience. From the sky, a vehicle that big and bright stands out amongst the brown and green shades below.

  I swoop down in front of the car, this being the signal we had decided to use for me to tell them I needed a break or had news. I see the car stop and land close but still hidden behind the safety of many bushes and trees.

  “Racquel?” Danika is walking toward the general area that I landed, clothes in hand. “Racquel?”

  “Over here.” Standing in the buff was one of the most dreadful and embarrassing problems with changing. Even though I was covered by bushes and leaves, I still covered myself with my hands feeling exposed. Usually I keep my clothes handy and close, but flying all over the countryside not knowing where
I was going to land left me little choice but to have them brought to me.

  Danika tosses me my clothes then returns to the car. I dress quickly, liking the feel of being covered once again.

  I emerge from the thicket, the group now all standing around stretching, except for Jared. Vampires are known to be able to sit or stand without moving for long periods of time. Their muscles never ache to be stretched or protest with stiffness.

  Jared sticks his head out the car window. He has a smile on his face-like usual-as I approach. “You know, there’s no need to hide your changing, it’s a natural delight. I would have loved to see the transformation myself. I bet it is quite a spectacle.”

  I ignore him-like usual-as I make my way over to Coy. He glances at Jared as if he wants to say something but then decides against it. Turning to me he says, “How are you feeling? Do you need something to drink?” I knew he wasn’t asking if I needed some water but rather something with a redder tint.

  “I wish you wouldn’t assume that every time I use my powers in any manner, I need to suck the life out of someone.” Even if it wasn’t intended that way, it felt as if he was judging me. I try walking past him but he catches me by the arm.

  “You know I didn’t mean it like that. I just worry about you.” It is still surreal to see concern like that displayed on Coy’s face, directed at me. I feel my old fears trying to rise but I quickly squash them down.

  “I know, but I’m not a full Vampire, and don’t have a need for blood every five seconds.”

  He gives a nod of understanding and leads me over to a stump, where I more than willingly sit. Danika and Ethan walk over to join us. Danika’s face is set with frustration, as she nibbles on her lip. Ethan looks severely exhausted. I hope we’re not causing his injuries to worsen.

  “Have any luck? Any signs at all?” I ask Danika since she’s the one who can see through glamours more easily.

  “Does it look like it?” Her haughty tone is accompanied by a gesture around us. I know she’s tired and frustrated but there’s no need for the hostility.