by Sarah Carter
Shifters
Sarah Kay Carter
Copyright
This book is a work a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Shifters ©2015 by Sarah Kay Carter.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented without the express written permission of Sarah Kay Carter.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 1
Claire
“So….”
“So,” Mr. Blakely replies. “Do you understand what your mission is?”
“Go in undetected and sap energy. Pretty simple,” Claire says, with a nod.
“It’s not pretty simple,” Damien snaps, leaning over in his chair. “Do you see what they can do?”
She gives him a look. “Do you know what your girlfriend can do?”
“He can put you through a wall,” Damien counters.
“I’m fast and he will never see me coming.”
“And the twins?”
With a shrug, Claire says, “I can change into crazy things too.”
“Not like those two! Everything is twice as big.”
“Damien…honey…I will be fine.”
He looks at his father. “When we spoke yesterday morning you said nothing of her going in alone. I thought we weren’t doing that anymore. You can’t just spring that on us.”
“This is different. It’s not a life and death mission. They’re teenagers.”
“So is Kayla, she can turn into a dragon and eat people! Claire can do even more than that! These three teenagers are more…freakish…than anyone else we have ever encountered.”
Scoffing and waving her hand, Claire replies, “I doubt they are freakier than me.”
“That remains to be seen.” Mr. Blakely murmurs, looking out the window.
“So, we will land and camp out for the night.”
“We aren’t camping,” Damien states dryly. He pauses and then smiles.
Claire narrows her eyes. “I know that. It’s a figure of speech. Anyway, I go in tomorrow morning.”
“Yes,” Mr. Blakely agrees. “We will have you surrounded by guard members, just outside of the detection zone. You will go in, but if things go badly, we will send in reinforcements.”
“Oh!” Damien exclaims. “Now we talk about things going wrong.”
“Son, if you are going to behave like this for every mission, I won’t tell you about them anymore.”
Damien’s jaw drops. “Are you kidding me? You can’t do that.”
“Yes, I can,” Mr. Blakely replies. “I rule.”
“You do rule,” Claire teases. “You rock actually.”
Mr. Blakely and Claire laugh. “I do not find this funny,” Damien grumbles. “Up against normal Neturu, I’m not worried. Up against people we don’t know about, I will worry. He could be part Kenga!”
“We are two different species,” Mr. Blakely counters.
“Yeah, well, tell my why he is telekinetic then.”
With a roll of her eyes, Claire asks Mr. Blakely, “Exactly what did these kids do wrong?”
“Nothing drastic really,” Mr. Blakely sighs. “They just are creating a scene. Plus, we need to know why they are so different.”
“Why can’t I just go up and be like, ‘Hey, what’s going on? My name’s Claire.’”
“We have tried, but we can’t even get in a word. It’s seems as though the boy senses a Neturu and goes on the attack. That’s why it’s so important that you go in. You can shut down your energy and he won’t suspect a thing.”
“Have they seriously hurt anyone?” Claire asks.
Shaking his head, Mr. Blakely answers, “No, they haven’t harmed anyone. They live like nomads.”
“Well then, this should be easy,” Claire replies, glancing down at the scenery below them. “I’m in charge though.”
“Completely,” Mr. Blakely replies. “You are in charge of the red squadron tomorrow.”
“That’s perfect. We will get them out without a problem then.” With that, Claire leans back and glances up. Damien is just staring at her. She locks her eyes onto his and tries to give him a look that she will be okay. He huffs and looks away.
Chapter 2
Xander
He looks to his left and then his right. Sensing no one, Xander looks down at the pine needles in front of him. They start to move and swirl into a circle. Suddenly, they all lift into the air and form into a cyclone of needles. Xander stares at it for a while, watching it swirl around.
A sudden noise makes him stop and he looks to his right. A girl comes up doing something on her cell phone. He raises an eyebrow because she has to be one of the hottest girls he has ever seen.
“Damn,” he whispers, eyeing her up.
She huffs and drops her hands down. It’s then that she notices Xander. She smiles, “Hi.”
“Hey,” he replies slowly.
Shuffling her feet, the girl asks, “Have you seen a blond guy come through here?” Lifting her hand up, she declares, “He is about this tall. Khaki shorts. Blue t-shirt.”
“No.”
She huffs and sits down next to Xander. He leans away from her. She doesn’t seem to notice. “I have a feeling I have been ditched.”
After a second, Xander counters, “That sucks.”
“Men suck. That’s what sucks.”
Xander laughs, “Thanks, I appreciate that.”
The girl laughs with him. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“It’s alright.”
“My name is Claire.” She sticks out her hand. Xander just stares at it.
“Nice to meet you.”
“You’re not going to tell me your name,” Claire giggles. “Is it a secret?”
“Sort of.”
A playful grin crosses her face. “Really? That’s cool. You don’t sound like you are from Scotland.”
“I’m not.”
“Where are you from?” Claire asks, with a beautiful smile.
Staring at her apprehensively, Xander replies, “Somewhere far away from here.”
“I’m from the US,” Claire states. “If you haven’t figured that out yet.”
“I’m from there too,” Xander says. He shifts farther away from her.
Claire smirks at him. “Am I bothering you?”
He takes in a deep breath. It’s been a long time since he has had any interaction with anyone other than the girls. “No, you’re not.”
“How
old are you?” She asks politely. “I’m 19. Just turned.”
“21.”
“Drinking age,” Claire teases.
With a snort, Xander says, “I’ve never touched alcohol.”
“Me either,” Claire replies. “I think it makes people act stupid.”
“It does.”
“So, are you ever going to tell me your name?”
Xander smiles. “Probably not.”
“Will you at least shake my hand,” Claire quips, sticking her hand out.
“Fine,” Xander reluctantly sighs. He grabs her hand. Then for a split second he feels a wisp of energy. Startled, he tries to pull his hand back, but Claire doesn’t let go. “What in the hell.”
A very frustrated look crosses Claire’s face and then she snaps, “What in the hell back at you!”
He yanks his hand back and scuttles backwards. Xander is quickly on his feet. Claire scrambles up too. Like a wave, Xander feels her energy come out. “You’re Neturu!”
“Yes! But don’t do anything, hear me out!”
“No.” With a thought, she is slammed back into a tree.
“The girls,” Xander gasps, he turns to run.
“Wait!” He hears yelled. “I’m not out to get you! I was sent from the council!”
Turning back around, Xander growls, “The council is the enemy.” It’s then that Xander feels more Neturu approach. “There are more of you.”
Claire quickly puts her hand up to her ear. “Stand down immediately. STAND DOWN! You step a foot near us and I will kick your ass.”
“You’re...you’re in the guard!” Xander stutters. “What? Look at you!”
She stands up and brushes the dirt off of her. “Ugh, I just bought these pants. Great.” Claire looks up at him. “Yes,” she finally states. “I am a guard member. I’m the scariest, toughest, strongest, most incredible guard member there is.”
“Full of yourself much?” Xander snorts.
“Yes, but it’s all true,” Claire sighs. “Can we talk without you slamming me into a tree again? I’m pretty indestructible.”
“So, you know what I can do.”
Pointing behind her, Claire says, “Well, it wasn’t a gust of wind that shot me back fifteen feet.”
“What were you doing to me?” Xander asks, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
“Surprisingly enough, I’m probably a bit freakier than you.”
Xander gives her a look. “I’m telekinetic. Beat that.”
“I’m a succubus.”
They stand there staring at each other for a minute. “You’re…a…succubus.”
“Yes,” Claire answers. “I’m an energy vampire.”
“So, you were doing what to me?”
“Well, I was trying to drain your energy out of you, so that we could calm you down for ten minutes and talk to you.”
“I don’t want to talk to the guard or anyone else associated with the council.”
“I guess it doesn’t matter because you are immune to my powers. I would like to know why that is.”
“I couldn’t tell you but I have a suspicion,” Xander mumbles. “Well, you and the council can kiss my ass.” Claire’s jaw drops. “We just want to be left alone.”
Suddenly, there is a surge of energy from behind Xander. He is grabbed around his chest. It catches him off guard. The guard member tackles him to the ground. “I said stand down!” He hears Claire yell. Then, without warning, the guy is yanked off of him. Xander rolls over just in time to see Claire dart her fingers into the guy’s ribs. He falls to the ground in a heap.
Xander looks up at her. “What did you do?”
“A pressure point and he is lucky I’m not doing something permanent. You know, you would think, being in charge means you are really in charge. But, because I’m 19 and a girl, I obviously can’t lead.” She bends over to the guy. “I will let Damien take care of you. Not listening to a commander but not listening to me specifically isn’t going to go over well for you.”
“Why did you do that?” Xander stammers, as he scrambles up.
“Because, I’m not some evil being out to get you. I just want to talk.”
He looks down at the guy. “Can you do that to anyone?”
“I know all the points. I can do a lot of things.”
“You’re a fighter?” Xander counters. “Really?”
“The best there is,” Claire declares. Suddenly, she tilts her head and looks to the side. Xander follows her eyes.
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing,” Claire growls. “I’m listening to the moron I call my boyfriend.” She makes her hands into fists. “I’m going to kick his ass. Where’s the boat dock from here?”
Turning, Xander points behind him. “Down there.”
“You and I need to go and fast. They have the twins.”
“I will kill them,” Xander growls.
“Listen, I won’t let anything happen to them. Okay? Let’s not go in there with guns blazing and then someone really dies. Trust me.”
“Why in the hell should I trust you?” Xander snaps, clenching his chests and glaring at her.
Claire says, “Because I am telling you where they are. Now, I am fast. Keep up.”
He hesitates, not knowing if he should trust her. “What are you shifting into?”
“Nothing, I meant fast on my feet. Let’s go.”
Xander watches her take off. So he shifts into a cheetah and takes off after her. When they make it down to the docks, Xander heart crashes. The girls are tied up, with someone injecting them with something. He tenses up and then snaps. The guy on top of the one girl goes flying.
“Stop!” Claire screams. She goes scrambling down the embankment. “Let them up. Let them up. Or help me god, I will drain every one of your sorry asses and you won’t wake up for three days. Let them up.”
The guard members get off the girls. Xander goes down by them. Claire is immediately untying the short haired twin. “I’m so sorry,” Claire stammers. “I’m not sure why they put me in charge if everything I say gets ignored.”
“This was Master Blakely’s idea,” the one guard member says.
“Drake or Damien?” Claire snaps.
The guys look at each other. “Damien.”
“I’m so pissed off at him right now. Seriously, I think I may punch him in the face.”
“You’re going to punch the son of the merjyet line? You must have a death wish.” The short hair girl says. “That’s epic. Can I watch?”
“Yeah, I pretty much can do whatever I want to do to Damien. That jack ass,” Claire grumbles. She moves on to the long hair twin’s restraints.
“We can’t just let them up,” the guard member says.
Xander walks over to Claire and helps her undo the restraints. “Listen,” Claire whispers. “I have a feeling this isn’t going to go as planned. I can shut down my energy so they can’t sense me, but I can’t shift without someone else’s energy. So, I want to get you out of here, but I can’t help you get away.”
“These restraints won’t come off,” Xander snaps, trying to be dramatic. Bending over, he whispers, “Will it hurt her if you take some?”
“No, it’s actually me melding my energy with someone else,” Claire sighs.
“Seriously?” She hears the other girl murmur. “Take it from me then.”
Claire shakes her head in confusion. “What?”
“You can meld your energy with me,” the girl giggles and winks.
“Whoa, okay,” Claire snorts. She reaches out to touch her hand. Xander watches Claire close her eyes and then they snap back open. “No, nothing. What’s with you guys?”
“So, you just want to leave with us. Do a getaway?” The girl giggles.
“Aurora,” Xander sternly whispers.
“What are we going for?” The long hair girl murmurs back.
“Ariel,” Xander growls. “Knock it off.”
“Xander,” Aurora mocks back. “Trust us
.”
“Are you seriously leaving with us?” Xander asks Claire.
She nods, “Yeah, I just want to talk.”
“Eagle,” Xander exhales. “I will pull you up. Just hold on as tight as you can.”
“Okay,” Claire replies hesitantly.
“Go,” Xander snaps.
Ariel grabs Aurora and they wrap their arms around each other and suddenly turn into a humongous eagle. “What the!” A guard member yells.
Xander grabs Claire’s hand and they quickly jump onto the eagle’s back. Then with one push they take off into the air. Xander can feel Claire tighten her grip around him. Suddenly, it’s too tight. “Crushing ribs,” he gasps.
“Sorry,” Claire squeals, as they go higher into the sky. “Don’t kill me. Don’t kill me.”
“Relax.”
“I have a fear of flying!” She screams.
“Then why did you agree to this?” He yells.
“We need to talk and I don’t want them to just grab you.”
“Thanks. We appreciate that.” They fly for a while before Xander says, “Take us down girls.”
They bank and then land. Xander watches Claire clumsily scramble off the eagle. She lays down on the ground and stares up at the sky. “I made it. I’m not dead.”
“We do that all the time,” Xander states, rolling his eyes. “You were fine. I just can’t turn into a bird. The girls can.”
“So, are they morrae?” Claire asks.
“Not totally,” Xander replies.
Aurora comes bounding over. “No, the easiest things for us to turn into are mythological creatures.”
“What?” Claire replies. “Did I just hear you right?”
“Yup. It takes some concentration to turn into regular animals.”
Claire sits up and huffs. “Can you only shift into things together or individually too.”
With a shimmer, Aurora turns into a phoenix. “My sister likes to show off,” Ariel drawls out.
“Identical twins, huh,” Claire states. “I’m glad you have different haircuts. I’d be very confused.” She pauses and smiles. “You’re names are Aurora and Ariel.”
“Our names do not fit our personalities,” Ariel says dryly.
“Oh bull,” Aurora scoffs. She waves her hands wide. “I’m Aurora, like the Aurora Borealis; huge, beautiful and breathtaking.”