Changer's Blood (Balancer's Soul cycle)

by Lee Morgan

  Connor was already wide awake, if his alert gaze was so strong and he smiled down at her within moments of the tender touch. “Good morning, Princess.” He spoke softly and kissed her forehead. “Did Jillian wake you up too?”

  She nodded and sat up. “You must have been feigning sleep if you’re already this awake.” He smiled. As Sarah stretched her extremities she allowed her mother access. “Mother, what’s with the wakeup call so early in the morning?”

  Jillian got right down to the point. “Get dressed and get over here as soon as you can. Jack already has breakfast prepared. Something’s happening…”

  “Give us five minutes.” And then Sarah cut the link. Thanks to Connor, she’s able to tell when someone is trying to gain access into her mind, even asleep, and can either permit or deny the intruding mind without effort. Also with his help she learned how to block either parts of her mind to keep secrets where they should be or block the person out completely to where all they hear is an annoying buzzing sound.

  Sarah still felt tired from the night, but she exited the bed anyway. Connor followed her lead and started putting on his clothing. She took off her nightshirt and put on a pair of black lace undergarments along with a clean sleeveless shirt and white pants. As she began putting on her shoes she caressed the solid silver anklet that Connor crafted. There were black lines that crossed continually and seamlessly and it was a simple representation of the seared on black X tattoo on his sternum. It also represented the pain of his burden that she lifted from him. She stood and watched as he was lacing up his hiking boots. His highly muscled left arm held the other piece of metal that was covered by his long sleeved shirt. His armlet encircled his left bicep and had the symbol of the Balancers engraved in it. The pentagram is the symbol for the five elements; Fire, Liquid, Terra, Pressure and Metal. To her family’s knowledge Connor and she are the first to have the affinity for using all five elements. Hopefully at the next Mélange meeting they might finally get some solid answers to their situation.

  It was too dark out to run normally, but Connor showed Sarah how to use her sonar ability on a whole new level. She focused her mind and sent invisible pulses throughout the surrounding area. Everything she saw then turned black and white, but the ability allows them to see in every conceivable direction. With this ability they don’t have a blind spot and can see through objects. He didn’t need to use it because he can practically see in total darkness. She wasn’t so adept at seeing in the darker hours. Connor was by her side as they ran easily through the woods and stopped when they made it to her parent’s house.

  Connor soon knocked on the front door and a second later Jillian opened the front door, wearing her red silk night robe. “Come inside, please. You need to see something.” Her voice was straining to keep calm, but her eyes gave away her true concerned feelings. If Sarah could tell that much, Connor could decipher even more because of his keen observations.

  He and Sarah silently went inside while Jillian locked the front door behind them. The living room light was on as they entered and sat down on the sofa. Jack worked at the stove as Jillian left them alone to go help him in the kitchen. Connor finally asked “What was so urgent that we needed to be here so soon?”

  There was silence from the kitchen until Jack brought a tray of eggs and orange juice glasses into the living room. As he placed the tray on the coffee table he spoke tightly. “Last night on the news the County Mayor has issued to the press that his son has gone missing. Here…” The paper also came early this morning and Jack handed it to Connor as undeniable proof.

  On the front page was a recent picture of Mathew and a headline stating ‘Mayor’s son missing. Searching for clues to his whereabouts.’ As Sarah read over Connor’s shoulder the paper gave details that he was last seen being part of the search team tasked with finding Maggie. And that he never came home. Sarah entered Connor’s mind. “Do you think this could mean trouble for us?”

  He cocked his head in her direction and his hazel eyes captivated her. “Maybe, but I’ll take care of the situation if something should happen.” Connor looked up at her father meaningfully. “Jack, I think we should take a break from training until things blow over.”

  Jack nodded without taking his azure eyes off Connor. “My thoughts exactly. We need to remain normal, like humans for awhile. I’ve already called Mark and they said the same thing. The two of them should already be here anyway. I wonder what’s taking them so long?”

  The four of them ate all of the food that Sarah’s parents made and they all patiently waited for Mark and Kara to arrive. For some reason they were running a little later than usual. In the meantime Jillian took a shower and put on a rose red shirt and a matching skirt.

  The Changer’s finally showed up around ten and they arrived seriously aggravated. Sarah asked as they shut they the front door “What is making you so upset?” Mark wore blue pants along with a silver shirt and Kara attired a bright pink top along with white shorts that exposed her well muscled legs. She also had her brown contacts in strangely enough. She usually takes them out when she’s around those who know her secret.

  Mark’s expression went red and his jaw muscles were flexing and straining. Kara touched his shoulder and spoke softly, but was straining to control her own anger. “The Mayor showed up at our apartment at around eight and brought the press with him. It’s my fault, we should have to come here first thing, but I took too long… Somehow that mayor knew where we lived and he started harassing us. Mark and I slammed the door in his face and exited down the back fire escape before he could do anything else. I think we escaped unnoticed, but I overheard him say to the press that he has somewhere else to go and ‘answers would be brought into the open one way or another.’ I believe he’s coming here next.”

  Before Kara could finish another sentence, Connor suddenly ran to the window. Something had clicked in him only moments before Kara began speaking. He let her speak before he moved. His voice was steeled and Sarah could feel him using a trickle of power. “I can feel at least ten minds coming in our direction slowly. They will be here in fifteen minutes. Luckily for us Mom’s already at work today so she can’t get caught up with this.” He turned to Sarah and pulled a card from his wallet. “Princess, please call the deputy and ask if he can give us a hand. Oh and tell him to bring the file’s. He’ll know what I mean.” She looked into his eyes and knew he was already formulating a plan that would help save them.

  Jack and Mark walked over to the window and stood with Connor. Jillian walked to the phone with Sarah. She whispered “What are we going to do?”

  While Sarah dialed the number on the card she said to her mother “I haven’t the faintest idea, but I know Connor will fix everything.” She smiled adamantly. “He always does.” Sarah hit the call button and the phone rang four times before it was picked up.

  “Hello?” A soft feminine voice answered on the other end. “Can I help you?”

  “Yes, Mrs. Burrow’s you can.” Sarah made the tome of her voice just as casual and it was difficult because she was stressed about this situation. “It’s Sarah. We met at the clothing store. Our husbands are close.”

  “That’s right. You were that pretty little thing in that black top.” She sounded relaxed as she remembered Sarah. It seemed like Sarah’s tone wasn’t too strained under the worrying circumstances.

  “That’s right Mrs. Burrow. Listen, is your husband available?”

  “Why yes he is. Would you like to speak to him?” Sarah told her that she would and the pleasant woman sat the phone down to go and get him.

  A minute later he picked up the phone cheerfully. “Hello Mrs. May, what may I do for you this fine morning?”

  Sarah took a deep breath as she tried to settle her frayed nerves. “If you could please come over to my parent’s house quickly, I would really appreciate it. The mayor is on his way here and we might need some assistance getting him off our property. Plus he’s bringing reporters.” She remembered what Conno
r asked. “Oh, my husband said to bring the file’s with you. Do you know what that means?”

  There was a silence on the other end followed by “It’s in my hand and I’m on my way.” He sounded serious and that eased her lingering apprehension.

  She sat the phone on its hook and walked with her mother back to the group. Sarah said to her large family “He’s on his way.”

  Everyone silently turned to look at her.

  Eventually Connor spoke and everyone listened to every word he had to say. “Here’s the plan…”

  Kara and Mark were told to hide in Sarah’s old room and wait for him to come get them and to close all of the blinds they could find so no one could spy in from the outside. They had ran here and it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out their inhuman speed is impossible without a vehicle. Mark understood his reasoning and took Kara by the hand and they walked silently into the back of the house. Connor told Jack to go and retrieve the biggest magnets he could find. As he ran outside to the garage and dug in his small tool shed, Connor told his skittish mate and her mother to go sit down together and try to relax.

  Easier said than done.

  Jack ran back inside the house with two palm sized magnets. They were both solid black and perfectly circular. “Will these do? What do you need them for?” He handed them over and Connor saw that they were already somewhat strong. Connor used a nail that stuck to the side of one and saw that it had a relatively strong field, but it wasn’t nearly strong enough for the task it would be needed for.

  “Yes they will do just fine.” Connor looked back at him. “Any cameras they bring in will be erased as they enter and exit this house. I will need to strengthen their fields for it to work though.”

  Jillian asked “What kind of fields?”

  Connor smiled as he looked into her golden eyes. “Magnetic.” He turned to look at Jack, who was wanting something else to do. “Use this.” He handed him Tool. “Make a vertical hole on each side of the doorway. Make them big enough for these magnets to fit and put the holes where the cameras will be. Your shoulder level should be just about right. The wood will keep anything magnetic from flying out of their hands, but the magnetic waves will erase their film or digital drives.”

  Jack looked at him with uncertainty, but walked over to the front door and started making two vertical holes inside the wall after he pulled the yellow wallpaper back. He worked quickly as he used his Balancers strength and speed.

  Connor didn’t know how much energy this will use, but he didn’t have any other choice. It had to be done by any costs. He sat down on the other sofa while Sarah’s eyes never left him for a moment. He sat down one magnet on the coffee counter and put both of his hands to each side of the other magnet.

  He closed his eyes and in the quiet recesses of his mind he pictured strengthening the magnet with electricity. He called upon his power and used his instinct to focus and govern the current into his hands and flow into the black magnet. Opening his eyes he saw his body glowing again. The beating sounds at the wall by the front door stopped. As the focused energy flowed to his hands while he said to Jack in a strained voice “Keep working!” When the glowing had firmly concentrated to his palms Jack continuing working on the wall. Connor could feel the summoned electrical charge flowing in a circular pattern inside the Magnet; from positive to negative. When the black magnet started glowing red he said “Jillian, make a bubble of water. This needs to cool quickly or the heat will make the magnet a useless lump of metal.”

  The moment she pulled the water from the sink and made an orb of water, he threw the magnet inside. It hissed and made the water bubble steam because it quickly heated the water. As the magnet cooled rapidly he grabbed the one on the table and started charging it while he still held a powerful charge. As it heated he looked up to see his green eyed princess holding her own orb of water. Her body language said she was ready. The moment that the charged magnet left his hands he stopped the immense flow of energy.

  As the magnet cooled in Sarah’s water Connor laughed mildly. He entered Sarah’s mind. “That only used maybe ten percent of my energy.”

  “You’re lucky, you need to be at full strength for the mayor. He might sense if you’re in a weakened state.”

  Jillian stood and walked over to the sink. She stemmed the flow of power and the now dark and murky water dropped into the sink. The charged magnet clang to the bottom of the sink with renewed strength. Her brow furrowed as she strained against the magnet’s attractiveness to the sink and then she finally pulled it out. “You really did supercharge these magnets.” She said to him.

  Connor stood up and took the magnet from her and walked to the front door. Jack was now working on the second hole quickly. Connor used his finger to make sure its depth will work. Satisfied, he slid one magnet into the wall and then covered the hole with the yellow painted wallpaper.

  When the magnet Sarah held had cooled, she handed it over to him. After sliding the magnet in and covering it with the wallpaper, Jillian quickly swept the wood pieces off the floor and threw it in the kitchen garbage.

  All was ready and everyone knew what to do.

  Connor stepped over and looked through the blinds as the uninvited guests started to arrive. The first to arrive was the local news network. A young blond woman exited the van along with two men, one held a camera over his shoulder while the other held a microphone at the end of a pole. She wore a light blue lady’s business suit and a matching skirt along with blue high heels. Sarah walked up beside him and he could feel malice rolling off her in waves. “So she came here personally.” And he knew it was the woman who made Sarah so upset this weekend. Tuesday night Connor finally got her to open up about it and he knew Sarah was looking forward to a little retribution.

  Next to roll in was the local newspaper. Four people exited the van and Connor recognized a sullen and pained face. He said calmly “Jim is here. By the way he looks… it seems that he doesn’t want to be here. I can’t be angry with a man trying to do his job, especially when he looks like that.” He had on his press ID over his neck and he wore a blue and black t-shirt along with blue jeans.

  The final vehicle to arrive was a sleek black SUV with tinted windows. “He’s here.” Sarah said in a shaky voice. Connor put his arm around her back and pulled her waist gently against his upper thigh. Four people exited the car all wearing business suits. The four men looked like businessmen, but the way they walked and moved said they were trained bodyguards, experienced one at that and probably have military training. Unfortunately for them, Connor was still far larger than they all were. Finally he saw a husky man in a blue business suit come out of the back seat. He was balding and looked like a rabid bulldog that needed to be put down. So that’s his Daddy? Connor smiled inwardly as he prepared for this new battle.

  “Let’s take our positions.” Jack said as the people outside started coming in their direction together.

  Sarah and Connor sat down together and started eating some eggs in a small plate, just for show. He could feel her anxiety and dread growing, but he made sure she could feel his hope and calmness. Jillian and Jack did the same.

  Everyone might have looked at ease. It only appeared that way.

  Finally there was someone knocking at the door. He nodded and Jack sighed as he stood up and walked to the front door. Jack cracked the door and peered out saying “Can I help you?”

  A deep voice said “Are you Jack Branderson?”

  Jack spoke in a chipper voice at hearing his name. “That I am. Can we make this quick, I’m having brunch with my family.” He was doing as Connor said with perfect articulation and enthusiasm.

  “Of course. I just have a few questions that need asking. May we come in?” The husky voice asked. Connor detected a hint of annoyance in his tone. It held a resemblance to Mathew and he knew it was from his father.

  “Father! Just let them in!” Jillian said as she played her part perfectly.

  Jack sighed and said
“Please come in.” As the eleven people entered the room Connor sat his plate down and stood up. As he turned to the crowd he gladly noticed the magnets didn’t steal any metal from anyone and cling their items to the walls. The blonde woman held a hand held microphone. Her one man had a camera which was recording and the other held a long reach microphone. The four guards positioned themselves into a wall to protect the short county mayor as he entered the room. Every now and then their alert eyes would shift to one particular man. So you’re the lead bodyguard.

  Connor spotted his first patron. “Hey Jim, how’s the family?” Jim finally met his eyes and tried his best to make a weak smile. “It’s alright man. I know it wasn’t your fault and you didn’t have a choice to be here. Sometimes the job makes you do what you don’t like.” Jim nodded, still silent and apologetic looking.

  Sarah spoke up as she stood to Connor’s right. She used her soothing voice to speak. “What is everyone doing here this morning?”

  “I called them all here. I’m also Mathew’s father.” The mayor spoke up. The camera was already rolling because the red light remained on as was the light that brightened whomever was in the focal point. The light was trained on the County Mayor as he continued to speak politically. “They are here for two reasons. First to interview Mr. Connor May for rescuing that little girl that got lost last weekend.”

  Before he continued Connor spoke in a pleasant but annoyed voice. “Ah, so it was you who told them my name. Now it makes perfect sense…”

  The balding mayor spoke in a guarded voice. “What does?”

  He turned to the press. Jim and his collogues were writing furiously and one held a tape recorder. “I don’t like my privacy being trampled on. Unfortunately Mathew’s father can’t help himself because he loves interfering with others. He only knows the meaning of privacy when it suits him.”