Wind Catche

by Jeff Altabef

  I leap forward. The sword flies in my hand. I rake the blade against his back.

  Twisting, he knocks my sword to the side. His beautiful face contorts angrily. The beauty is all gone, replaced with a vile puckered ugliness. Angry red splotches spring to his cheeks.

  “You witch!”

  He reaches behind his back, and when he brings his hand around, it’s slick with blood. Gunshots and shouting ring out from the front yard.

  “Good. Your friends are here. I’ll kill them all when I finish you.”

  He rushes forward and our swords clash. He is so much taller and wider than me as he presses his sword down toward my neck. My body strains with effort.

  I hear Sicheii’s voice again. “He underestimates you. Two arrows are stronger than one.”

  I smile.

  “Why are you smiling?” he grumbles. “I’m going to kill you!”

  I feel power flow toward my hand. I direct all my energy to the muscles in my arm. My strength multiplies. The sword stops moving toward me, and I bend it at him instead.

  Fear jumps to his eyes. “This can’t be.”

  He uses his other hand to push his sword against mine, but it’s not enough. The edge of my blade cuts his cheek. He leaps backward, topples over the piano bench, and lands face first. I

  kick the bench away and stand over him.

  “Stop! I’ll give you anything.” The violet swirls in his eyes pulse desperately.

  “Can you bring Sicheii back from the dead?”

  He shakes his head, and his eyes flutter to the side of the room. Using telekinesis, he pulls a mirror from a wall, and fires it at me. I see it coming and command it to stop. The mirror hovers for a moment and crashes to the ground and shatters.

  He jumps to his feet and rushes me. I react just in time.

  My hand moves on its own.

  The tip of my blade punctures his stomach and the force of his body pushes it straight through to the hilt.

  He stares at me, incredulous. “But you are only a little girl.”

  “I’m the Seeker Slayer.”

  He falls to his knees, drenched with blood. So much blood, a fountain of blood. His sword drops, and I yank mine free from his body.

  He spits red sludge on the floor. I should be horrified. Maybe my hand moved because the fusion guided it. I’d like to think I didn’t want him dead, but maybe I’ve inherited more from my father than I thought. I should feel remorse, but I only feel my cold anger over my grandfather. I have become the Seeker Slayer.

  When he looks back at me, respect replaces the disdain in his eyes. “I underestimated you. That was my fault, but the other Seekers won’t make the same mistake.” His face goes blank. “I wish I could have seen Alpha, smelled the grass just once.” He sputters and falls head first to the floor with a thud.

  The front door flings open. Ayden and Troy race into the room, with Marlon a step behind them. They freeze when they see me. I toss my sword on the floor, and the blade disappears before it hits.

  “Mom is in the back bedroom.”

  Ayden sprints past me.

  “Are you okay?” Troy moves toward me, his steps hesitant.

  I feel nothing as I stagger toward Sicheii. His face is still and lifeless. I could have sworn I heard his voice, but how could that be? His eyes are closed and he looks peaceful. He could be taking a nap, except he isn’t sleeping. He isn’t moving. He will never stir again.

  Strange thoughts flood my mind. Sicheii was the one who took me to school on my first day of kindergarten. Mom was sick, but I wanted him anyway. I think she knew it. He held my hand as we walked through the double doors, and I felt like I could conquer the world. I always felt stronger when I was connected to him.

  Odd, but I think about glazed donuts. It was his favorite food, and he could never have just one. He never drank alcohol. He wanted to be part of the world and could never understand how others wanted to dull their mind. “It makes no sense,” he told me once. “Would I want to fish without a hook?”

  I laugh out loud. I’d rather laugh than cry. He would want me to laugh. I thought he was immortal. Maybe that’s why I never appreciated him the way I should have. He saved me, sacrificed his life for me, and now I realize he’d been doing that all along.

  Lisa storms into the Villa. “Jake!” she cries.

  Troy touches my shoulder. My head swims and I fall. I see nothing but blackness, sweet blackness.

  I wake in Sicheii’s SUV with Ayden driving. Mom weeps next to me and Troy’s arm hangs around my shoulders. “How did you guys find us?”

  “When you didn’t reply to my text, I called Katie. She hacked into the casino’s reservation system. Only three Villas were occupied. She guessed right.”

  “But Gold Tooth and Slicked Back Hair were armed.”

  “I handled them, Juliet,” Ayden answers from the front seat. “They were too busy looking in the windows to notice us sneaking up on them. Bloody careless of them.”

  I squeeze my mom’s hand and she squeezes back.

  Somehow, we end up in Dent’s apartment. That’s a blur, but I remember the bathroom and the gross feeling of blood on my hands.

  When I leave the bathroom, Mom sits in the living room in shock. Doctor Dan watches over her, so I talk with my father alone in the bedroom. Strange how I think of him as my father now, instead of “Ayden.” We talk for a long time. Mom should know the truth, but she’s not ready to hear it right now. She shakes, still suffering from shock as she twirls her hair, so we invent a temporary story for her.

  When she returns from whatever dark place her mind had retreated to, I tell her the voices are gone, which is only partially untrue. I can control them and understand them, so they are no longer a problem, which is all that counts anyway. Ayden spins her a tale about Sicheii getting caught up in a Roundtree drug-selling scheme. He tells her Sicheii tried to stop Roundtree, but he failed. Slicked Back Hair and Gold Tooth were dealers who worked for the Seeker. They took her because they mistakenly believed he partnered with Roundtree.

  All the pieces fit well enough. Mom heard us, or at least some of our story registered with her, because she nods her head at the right times.

  We have to do something with Sicheii’s body, so we decide to take him back to his apartment and make it look like he died after a fight with a burglar. Troy, Ayden and I wait until late at night, wrap him in a ceremonial burying shroud, and bring him to the gallery. I act as the lookout. Luckily, we don’t run into anyone.

  We return to my house. Sheriff Daniels shows up first thing in the morning with his Stetson in hand and a somber look on his face. Mom answers the door, and he walks into the foyer where he tells us that Sicheii is dead.

  Mom immediately breaks out in combustible crying even though she knew what he was going to say. Tears rain down my face also. All of a sudden, Sicheii’s death is real and irreversible. I spend the entire next day weeping in a dark room. I would like to believe all my tears belonged to Sicheii. There are many things I would like to believe, but some of those tears were for me.

  Sicheii will be buried in two days, four days after his death, as tradition dictates. The entire tribe will likely go and so will half the town. I won’t be there, and that hurts.

  I’ve realized what he had tried to tell me all along. I don’t have to choose between my heritage and Bartens. That was always a false choice. I just have to be Juliet Stone. It doesn’t matter whether I’m rich or poor, beautiful or average, brown or white. Let others decide if Juliet Stone is good enough for them.

  She’s good enough for me.

  The morning of my grandfather’s funeral, I’m at the base of Devil’s Peak with Troy, Marlon, Ella, and Katie. We sit in a loose circle on a dusty field littered with red rocks that look like they’ve come from Mars. The sun is out, and a hawk circles high over our heads. My eyes tear up when I see it. Sicheii is with me. I can feel him. He will help me do what I must.

  I smile at my friends and try to memorize their
faces, hoping to freeze this moment somewhere deep in my mind. I have just finished my story. I tell them the entire truth. Well, almost all the truth. I decide to leave out the part where Sicheii confessed to killing Baker and Brooks. Some secrets are worth keeping. Now that the truth hovers among us like a heavy fog, I have to do the really hard part.

  “I’m leaving.”

  Katie’s mouth drops, but no words come out.

  “The Seeker said there were others who know about me and will come after me. I’ve stayed too long as it is. Everyone is in danger if I stay. I have to go.” The choice is obvious, even though it will be hard.

  “How will we get in touch with you?” Katie asks.

  “We won’t be able to,” Ella says. “Any connection between us will put Juliet and ourselves in danger. She’s leaving for good.”

  “I’m sorry I won’t be around for your father’s trial,” I tell Katie. “Don’t let them bother you. You’re stronger than they are.” By them, I mean the sharks at Bartens. I understand what true strength is now - strength to do what you think is right, to stand up for those who you love. Sicheii might have been misguided, but he taught me what sacrifice really is. I feel awful that I won’t be able to protect Katie any more. She’ll need a friend, but I see strength in her.

  Katie smiles shyly. “You’re not going to believe it, but Tyler sent me a text the other day. It turns out that he’s into computers like me. We hung out together last night.”

  “When were you going to tell me?” I joke.

  “Don’t worry about me.” Katie sighs. “I know dad’s guilty. I’ve been fooling myself this entire time. Still, he’s my father, and I love him no matter what.”

  “What are we supposed to do about these Deltides?” Marlon asks. “I mean... I don’t know what comes next. There’s no Snapple cap for this.”

  “Just because this Seeker said there will be an invasion, doesn’t mean it’s true,” Ella says. She says this not only for Marlon, but for me also.

  I nod. “That’s right, and I have the feeling that whatever invasion or plan they have depends upon their leader’s success. Maybe he’ll fail. The Seeker said they age differently than we do, so who knows when they might show up, if they show up.”

  “They’ll probably take one look at your ugly mug and be scared off,” Troy adds.

  Marlon gives him a hard shove, but he smiles.

  “You’ll give us some type of warning before space ships show up in town, won’t you?” Ella asks.

  “You all will be the first to know,” I say. “I’m sure Mom will be missing me at the viewing by now, so I’ve got to go.”

  “Only you won’t be going to the viewing,” Ella says. “You’re leaving now, aren’t you?”

  I nod and hug Ella and Marlon. When I face Katie, I remove a small paper swan from my pocket. I made it last night. It contains my last words for Sicheii. “Make sure you drop this in the casket for me.”

  Katie takes the paper swan from me, her eyes moist. “You’re my best friend. If you ever need anything, you find me. I don’t care about Deltites or Alphians or the rest of it. I’ll always help.”

  “I know,” I mutter and hug her. I try hard to keep the tears from my eyes, but they come anyway. When I let go, they pile into Ella’s car, and I watch them drive away.

  Troy squeezes my arm.

  We are close, only inches apart. “You should be going also,” I whisper. The last thing I want is to be alone. It takes all of my courage and newfound strength to utter those words.

  “You know better. We’re in this together. I never wanted to stay in this little town anyway.” He whisks a loose hair from my eyes. His fingertips brush against my cheek. “Besides, you’ll spend all this money too fast without me.” Troy lifts an old leather satchel. The bag is stuffed with hundred dollar bills—a final gift from Sicheii.

  I glance up at Devil’s Peak. It is intimidating in the hot sun. “I’d better start then.”

  “Why not just tell me how to climb to the top. You’re still hurt. I’ll scoop up the Book of Wisdom and bring it down in a flash.”

  I grin at him. The location of the third and final book came to me in a dream last night. The dream showed me the way up Devil’s Peak—a narrow trail to the top. Did Roundtree know the book was hidden on the top of the rock formation? Maybe that was why he protested the original site of the casino.

  “I have to do this alone.” He would never understand that the climb looks hard and that the new me is much stronger than he is. “It won’t take me too long.”

  “I’ll be waiting for you right here.” He leans against the Honda.

  “I know.”

  The climb was not as hard as it seemed. The trail from my dream was accurate. There is no way of knowing of the trail’s existence from the ground or even on the rock formation itself, unless you know in advance where to find it.

  Sicheii had taught me how to climb, so my footing was steady. He taught me many things. When I reach the top, I find the twisted arrows symbol carved into the rock in silver. There is no obvious opening. I rub my hand against the smooth rock face and hope for a seam. There’s nothing but smooth rock. When I push against the stone, there is no give.

  This has to be the right place, so I sit and think. What would Sicheii tell me to do? Whoever left this book behind would want to make sure only the Chosen retrieved it.

  I hear Sicheii’s voice in my head. “Your blood is special. Embrace your uniqueness.”

  Could it be that simple? I pull the Wind Catcher from under my shirt and look at the turquoise stone shaped like the Wind Spirit’s symbol with the etching inside. A symbol within a symbol, the Wind Spirit inside of me. The inscription reads, “You are Chosen.” I close my eyes and kiss the stone. He tried to tell me all along, but I would never listen.

  I remove a small pocketknife from my back pocket, open the blade, prick my thumb, and smear the blood against the twisted arrows. The arrows glow and the rock face falls away, revealing a small hiding spot with an old leather journal that resembles the box from Roundtree’s house.

  I grab it and place it on the rocks next to me. The secrets in this “book” will only further complicate my life. I can run away with Troy, leave it behind, blend into the world, try to be average.

  That future flashes in front of my eyes. We could have a normal life, only it’s a false life. I can never be average. I was never average. I am Chosen, the Seeker Slayer. My life stopped being mine the moment Sicheii injected me with the Alphian DNA on the day of my birth. I should be angry with him, but I’m not. I miss him so much already.

  “I do this for you, Sicheii. I will be a rock.”

  I cut the wax seal with my fingernail, open the book and find a small glass vial. The vial starts to pulse red, matching my rapid heart rate.

  I know what I have to do. I take the vial in my hand and tip it back. The coldness comes and then the pain a moment later and then the knowledge.

  My God... there are others like me.

  Acknowledgements

  Many people helped us to make this book a reality. Among them are our beta readers, whether they are young or just young at heart. Their insights were, as always, extraordinarily valuable. Karen spent countless hours carefully combing through the prose, finding ways to improve on it. The end product would not be nearly as good without her help. The extremely talented author, Ruby Standing Deer, deserves particular mention. Not only did she spend the time to authenticate our Native American themes, she went beyond that to help improve the writing and shape of the story.

  The great folks at Evolved Publishing continue to show what a high quality small press can accomplish. We are honored that they agreed to publish this series. Megan Harris did a wonderful job editing the book and Mallory Rock proved, once again, that she’s a true artist. We would also like to thank Lane Diamond who believed in this project from the beginning and whose support has proven invaluable in developing this trilogy.

  About the Authors
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  Jeff Altabef

  Jeff Altabef lives in New York with his wife, two daughters, and Charlie the dog. He spends time volunteering at the Writing Center in the local community college. After years of being accused of “telling stories,” he thought he would make it official. He writes in both the thriller and young adult genres. Fourteenth Colony, a political thriller, was his debut novel. Shatter Point is his second novel. As an avid Knicks fan, he is prone to long periods of melancholy during hoops season.

  Jeff has a column on The Examiner focused on writing and a blog on The Patch designed to encourage writing for those that like telling stories.

  You can find Jeff online at:

  Website at www.Jeffreyaltabef.com

  Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7055582.Jeff_Altabef

  Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeff-Altabef-Author/479282732198216

  Twitter at https://twitter.com/JeffAltabef

  Via Email at JeffreyAltabef@gmail.com

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  Erynn Altabef

  Erynn Altabef is an avid reader, dancer, and community activist. When she’s not in High School, she loves Starbucks, performing in school musicals, baking, and watching movies with her friends.

  Some of her favorite authors are Veronica Roth, Joelle Charbonneau, and her dad! (That would be Jeff Altabef.)

  You can find Erynn online at:

  Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ErynnAltabefAuthor.

  What’s Next from Jeff Altabef and Erynn Altabef?

  BRINK OF DAWN

  (A Chosen Novel – 2)

  Watch for the second book in this young adult fantasy series, coming November 30, 2015. For more information on this book, please visit the Evolved Publishing website.

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  Special Sneak Preview: Chapter 1

  ~~~~~

  “You don’t have to do this, Jules,” Troy whispers. His almond colored eyes are wide and piercing, and his long raven hair falls past his shoulders in a tight braid. He’s always looking out for me. When younger, I got into fights, but even when it was my fault, he would always stand up for me. Now I need him more then ever. The stakes are as high as they could possibly get, and he’s still here beside me standing up for me. He’ll die protecting me if he has to, but I don’t want that. I just want him close to feel his friendship, to connect, to feel human. Lately I’ve had a hard time feeling human without him.