Shifters (The Neturu Chronicles Book 3)

by Sarah Carter

  “My name is Aurora. That’s Ariel and that’s Xander. Ariel is the serious one and I am the crazy one. It’s the whole polar opposite twin thing.”

  With a blasé attitude, Ariel says, “My sister is like a child with the worst case of ADD possible with no medication.”

  “Oh shut up,” Aurora scoffs. “It’s not that bad.” Ariel raises an eyebrow at her sister. Aurora gives her a look back.

  “How old are you two?” Damien asks.

  “Eighteen,” Ariel replies. “Xander is twenty-one.”

  “We are both nineteen,” Damien states. “Did you graduate from high school in the US?”

  The three of them are all quiet. “We really never went to school of any kind.”

  Shaking his head, Damien asks, “What do you mean?”

  “We were home schooled…sort of…” Aurora whispers. “We really never had any contact with the outside world.”

  “Where are you from?” Claire asks. “What do you mean by outside world?”

  Xander sighs, “We don’t have a family. We are…we were….”

  “What?” Damien says.

  “We were created,” Xander declares. “We were never outside of the institute.”

  “What institute?” Damien inquires, furrowing his eyebrows. “I don’t know of any institute.”

  “You wouldn’t know about this one,” Xander mumbles, as he darts his gaze. “Just leave it be. You don’t want to get involved with this.”

  Damien leans in. “Are you telling me someone made you, like in a lab?”

  “I guess,” Xander replies, finally meeting his eyes. “We don’t really know that much. We escaped four months ago.”

  “Escaped?”

  “Yeah,” Xander starts and then pauses. “I’m not saying anything more. Please, just let it be.”

  “Mister…wait, what’s your last name?”

  Ariel looks up. “We don’t have last names. We only have first.”

  “I always come up with crazy last names,” Aurora states. “Like Aurora Bartholomew. I always get weird looks.”

  “How do you not have a last name?” Claire asks.

  “We just don’t. Please, leave it all alone. I’m telekinetic and they are super shifters. We don’t know why. Even if I did know, I doubt I would tell you.”

  “Would you let us look into it? Check you out on a molecular level?” Damien asks.

  Aurora shakes her head. “We don’t want to be a bunch of guinea pigs. We’ve had enough of that for a lifetime.”

  “Okay, we won’t force you into anything,” Damien replies. “Hopefully someday you will trust enough to help you figure out what makes you different.”

  “So, you can create more like us,” Ariel replies sharply.

  “We don’t create Neturu. The council doesn’t mess around like that. We don’t play god.”

  “The only thing that Damien creates are masterpieces when he cooks,” Claire states. “He plans to become a doctor. He wants to save lives not make them.”

  He looks at her. “I’d make more of you.”

  “Liar,” Claire laughs. “One of me is enough. You say that all the time.”

  “When you’re cranky, yes, one of you is enough,” he snorts.

  “Oh, like you are peaches and cream all the time, yeah right,” Claire scoffs. “The one time you did poorly on a test, and I thought your head was going to explode.”

  “That doesn’t happen very often.”

  “His cousin Jackson, his best friend Kayla and him are all extremely smart. They all have 4.0 GPAs. I, on the other hand, do not.”

  “I have always wanted to go to college,” Ariel says. “There is so much to learn and do.”

  “So many parties to go to!” Aurora exclaims. “Yeah baby.” Ariel palms her forehead. “What? I’ve never been to a party. I want to go to a party. The only thing we have ever seen are in movies, and only the movies we are allowed to watch.”

  Claire laughs, “Well, if we can work everything out, I will take you to some of the parties we have on campus.”

  “Ohhhhhh,” Aurora whines. “That would be so much fun to visit a college. Can we go, please?”

  “I don’t see why not,” Claire replies.

  “We will have to see about that,” Damien interjects. “You have caused a huge scene and,” he looks at Xander. “You attacked our guards and Claire.”

  “I had no idea who you were or what was going on,” Xander replies sharply. “It’s my job to protect them.”

  “If that imaginary person, who isn’t after us, actually existed, you would have to understand why we defend ourselves and then run,” Ariel says to Damien.

  Damien nods. “That’s understandable. It would be easier if you told us about this fictional character. We can protect you from said person.”

  There is deadly silence. Finally, Xander sighs. “The Collector. The Collector is after us.”

  “The Collector?” Claire squeaks. “Who in the hell is that?”

  “The person that created us,” Ariel whispers. “They are a genius beyond measure. There are more of us. We were the only ones who could escape. We have been on the run ever since. The Collector wants us back.”

  “What’s their name?” Damien asks.

  “We have no clue,” Aurora replies. “None of us have ever seen them. It’s always a voice behind a mirrored window. The voice is distorted and we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl.”

  “I presume a boy,” Aurora says. “They are pure evil.”

  “What were your lives like?” Claire asks.

  Xander rubs his head. “Can you give us time to trust you?”

  Damien nods his, “Of course. We will protect you.”

  “You have no idea how powerful they are and what they have at their disposal. There are dangerous serums that knock Neturu out in an instant.”

  “Wait, say that again,” Damien interjects.

  “When we get out of hand, they have these darts that are filled with a green serum, we are instantly unconscious. We wake up and can’t shift or use our abilities for a while.”

  Turning his eyes to Claire, he gives her a look. It’s the same serum that William and Fabian had, Claire thinks to herself. “Did they have any accomplices?”

  “We never actually saw The Collector, but rumor had it that there was more than just The Collector. Trinity said there were two instances where The Collector freaked out in the last couple of years. Screaming about the council.”

  “Who’s Trinity?” Damien asks.

  There is silence as Xander stares at the table. “Someone that I had to leave behind.”

  “We can go get her.”

  “She wouldn’t come with,” Xander sighs. “That’s why she’s not here. She thinks The Collector is a parent figure.”

  “Couldn’t she tell you what The Collector looks like?” Claire asks, completely curious.

  He shakes his head. “She’s blind.”

  “If that’s what you call it,” Ariel mumbles.

  “Ariel,” Xander snaps. “Shut up.” She quickly looks away. “Trinity is one of the sweetest most loving girls I have ever met. The Collector is very kind to her for the most part, not to the rest of us. Trinity has...heard it, but I think she puts her head in the sand. She refuses to see The Collector for anything but a parent. Trinity is under the warped perception that The Collector loves us like children. Last time I checked you didn’t put your kids through trial after trial and punish them for not succeeding every time.”

  “What kind of punishments?” Claire asks quietly. Xander takes in a deep breath and pulls up his sleeves. She puts her hand over her mouth and gasps. There are lined scars across his arms.

  “You should see my back,” Xander whispers. “The girls can heal pretty quickly and don’t have many scars.”

  “What did they use?” Claire inquires, completely sickened.

  “Whips, canes….” Ariel barely exhales. “We had to do it right the first time or we would ge
t punished.”

  “Did you fight back?” Claire says, trying to keep her composure.

  Xander lifts up his shirt for more scars. “That’s where they would stab us and make us shift, just to do it again.”

  “Where is this place?” Damien seethes. “We will eradicate it tomorrow.”

  “We don’t know,” Aurora replies. “We were never outside the institute. When we shifted and flew away, we just went as fast and as far as we could. We have no clue where the institute is at.”

  Damien looks deep in thought. “Do you know where you ended up when you finally landed?”

  “Wyoming,” Xander answers. “Some place called Casper, Wyoming. We landed and immediately tried to blend in with the crowd. We hopped on a train and rode it as far as we could. From then on, we stole money and food to get by. It’s easy to pick pocket when you have telekinetic powers.”

  “We always felt bad when we stole but we had to survive.”

  “It’s understandable,” Damien says. “You won’t have to steal anymore. I promise. We will take care of you. I want the doctors to look you over. Not to do any tests, but to make sure you are alright. You’ve been through a lot.”

  “We would get shocked when we didn’t shift into the right thing. That’s how they figured out we could shift together. We were being punished and we grabbed a hold of each other. Then we both happened to think about being a dinosaur so maybe the electric current couldn’t break through the skin. The next thing we knew we were a dinosaur, but a big one because it was both of us. The Collector then started even more trials and testing. We wish we had never figured that out, because it only got worse.”

  “Your life sounds like something out of a horror movie. That’s so sickening.”

  Ariel nods. “It was something out of a horror novel. It was terrifying. We’ve never known love or compassion. It’s been pain our whole lives.”

  “We grew to be each other’s family,” Aurora declares softly. “The love that we have known is from us.”

  “How incredibly sad,” Claire sighs. “At least you have each other.”

  “How many more of you are there?” Damien asks.

  “We have regular Neturu, but only two more super powers that I know of, Mason and Trinity.”

  “What are their abilities?”

  “Mason jumps.”

  “Like super high jumps?” Claire suggests.

  “No, like jumps from place to place. He changes into energy and can jump himself around. Not through walls or anything. He will be gone in the blink of an eye and be in a different spot.”

  “He is a trouble maker with a capital T,” Ariel states. “Works for The Collector.”

  “Oh, so, he’s one of the bad guys,” Claire replies.

  Xander shakes his head. “No, Mason works for Mason. He rides the line. Whichever side is going to give him the most, that’s who he works with. Mason is the only one The Collector lets out of the institute. The Collector knows he will always be back. The Collector gives him whatever he wants. But Mason isn’t a bad guy. Mischievous is probably a good term for him. He is the only one who will fight back. He can actually fight and nothing can touch him. He’s too quick for them to even get a dart into him. He’ll transfer into energy and it will go right through him. I think that’s why The Collector took a different approach with him. Befriend the one you can’t beat.”

  “That is incredible,” Damien says. “But scary too if he works for the other team.”

  “Mason has never dirtied his hands too much. He’s conceded with a snarky attitude. Thinks he can walk on water.”

  “Can he?” Claire quips, smiling.

  Xander smirks, “You know. I have no idea. Wouldn’t surprise me if he could jump across it.”

  “He’s hot but an arrogant bastard,” Ariel draws out.

  “Oh, so he’s like Damien,” Claire laughs. Damien turns and looks at her. “You’re hot and full of yourself.” He rolls his eyes. “Damien’s not a bastard about it though.”

  “Thank you honey,” Damien snorts. “You’re just as full of yourself.”

  “I have worked very hard my entire life to look like this. I train every day. That is a reason to be proud.”

  “Dude, you are so hot,” Aurora says, taking a sip of your drink. “I’d hit on you if you weren’t taken….by a boy none the less.”

  A smiles crosses over Claire’s face. “Why thank you. If I swung that way, I wouldn’t mind being hit on by you.”

  Aurora grins, “That makes me feel better. I have never really been around girls before, especially someone who was a lesbian.”

  “One of my closest friends Felix is gay,” Claire starts. “And one day Damien punched out a guy for trying to take a sucker shot at the back of Felix’s head. Felix then kissed Damien for a reward.”

  Aurora giggles uncontrollably. “Did you like it?”

  “He’s a good friend but no, I didn’t like it. It cemented in my head that I am very straight.”

  “Well, I have never been kissed,” Aurora sighs.

  Claire leans over and softly places her lips on Aurora. Aurora freezes and Xander yells, “Damn!”

  It takes a second, but Aurora finally kisses back. Claire pulls away and says, “There.”

  “Ummmm,” Damien hums behind her. “Not sure if I should feel cheated on.”

  “I’m not bisexual,” Claire states. “Just giving her a kiss.”

  “Wouldn’t care if you were,” Damien quips, winking at her. “That could make our relationship a lot more interesting.”

  Reaching back, Claire punches him in the arm. Damien yells out. “Shut up, there will be none of that.”

  “Damn woman, remember how strong you are when you do that. Ouch.”

  “Oops, sorry,” Claire murmurs. “Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?”

  “You can give me a kiss to make up for it,” Damien chimes, with a smile.

  Claire leans over and gives him a deep kiss. “Now see, someday I hope I can have a girl kiss me like that. Not that your kiss wasn’t awesome, but you can tell how much you guys love each other.”

  “True love at it’s finest,” Damien sighs. Claire gives him another quick kiss. “Now, that we are all done making out with each other. We need to talk about the last Neturu, the girl.”

  “Trinity,” Ariel says. Claire sees her give a quick glance to Xander. Xander stares at Ariel and then nods his head. "Trinity is really special. Probably the most special Neturu that there has ever been."

  "What makes her so unique?" Damien asks.

  "She's blind but probably sees more than anyone else can," Xander sighs.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Trinity is blind but can see the world through your eyes," Xander states. "We theorize it like this. Once she comes in contact with someone in Shima, she can use the energy link and project herself in that person's mind."

  "What?" Claire squeaks.

  "She could hear and see us right now if she really wanted to," Xander says. "Once she has that link, she can do it whenever she wants. She has to be in Shima for it to work."

  Both Damien and Claire sit there staring at him. "So, when she is in Shima she can go into anyone's mind."

  "Not everyone's," Arial interjects. "If a Neturu has a really powerful mind, they can block her. Just like The Collector does. She tried once and The Collector punished her. It was the one and only time."

  "Trinity can get through to me," Xander whispers.

  Claire sees Aurora give him a look. "Can get through to you...you let her Xander."

  "Shut up," Xander growls, glaring at her.

  "You're in love with her," Claire exhales. "Aren't you?" His eyes look up at her but Xander stays silent. "There is nothing wrong with loving someone."

  He sits back and starts to fiddle with his napkin. "It's pointless to love her. We can never be together, especially now. If The Collector finds us, they are going to punish us severely."

  "I doubt that they would
kill us," Ariel says. "We are too powerful and worth a lot."

  "Well, you will not need to worry about that. You will be guarded and protected. No one will get to you."

  "They could snatch us at any minute and tranquilize us."

  Damien leans forward. "I have the most powerful weapons on this planet at my disposal. I have the most elite fighting force working for me. The deadliest and scariest one is sitting across the table from you. We will protect you. It would be easiest if you would let us put tracking chips in you."

  Aurora shakes her head. "They don't work in us."

  "What?" Damien scoffs in disbelief.

  “We are so different than normal Neturu. Like your girlfriend for example,” Xander says. “She can’t do anything to us. Tracking chips or anything electronic short circuits in us. The one reason The Collector can’t do anything to or find us.”

  "That's interesting," Damien murmurs.

  "My theory is that our energy is off kilter, thusly we can do unusual things. Take for example his telekinesis. We have no idea how he can do it, but it has to take energy to do it," Ariel suggests.

  Claire chimes in. "We weren't sure what made me different. It took some testing but it's all different on a molecular level. I have abnormal genes. They made my body and energy form differently than normal Neturu. My body needs and feeds off of other people's energy. I'm like a super being. If I get hurt and absorb energy, the wound heals."

  "That's amazing," Ariel gasps.

  Xander shakes his head. "We have never really been able to look into why we are so different. They took blood samples all the time, but we were never told anything."

  "We know nothing about who we are or where we came from. We presume we were made in a lab. How else could you explain the five of us," Ariel states.

  Suddenly, Claire exclaims, "Holy crap!"

  Startled, Xander jumps back. "What!"

  She leans over the table. "Okay, Kayla and I always wanted to make a group for the special Neturu."

  "Okay...."

  "If we get the five of you to join, we can be... the X-men!"

  "The who?" Aurora quips.

  Claire's jaw drops. "You don't know who the X-men are?"

  "No."