8
Catty finally came to her senses and realized what was happening. She let out a scream and tried to send her force at him, but he had some kind of shield over him, which Catty could not penetrate.
"Ha now, Catty, you're mine. But don't try any of your funny stuff on me; see I have a barrier over me. It will deflect anything you send at me, and come back at you." Crypten said, and started dragging Catty faster down neighborhood roads.
Catty wondered where she was going.
Crypten answered her thoughts. "The beach," he said simply. "Chris is not here to protect you now, so don't think you're safe. I put a spell over your friends so they would forget what happened today."
Catty wasn't sure what to do. What would she do if Chris wasn't here? He had always protected her, and Catty was sure her power wasn't enough to deflect his. Then she knew what to do. Chris, my bearer, come to me, protect me now, she thought, hoping he would come to her. Catty felt bad she was making him stop his search to find the Secret Scroll.
Crypten seemed to know what was going on. He was outraged. Before he could do anything, Chris appeared. He grabbed Catty's hand, but Crypten had a few tricks up his sleeve. He sent out his mind control at Chris, and Catty could tell he was lost in one of Crypten's memories. Catty tried to break the trance, but couldn't.
Crypten pulled out, and Chris was still standing there. "You, come with me." Crypten barked. "There's someone I want you to meet."
Crypten changed his form back to schoolboy John, and hit Catty hard on the head. Catty lost all conscienceless.
**~**~**
Catty woke up on the beach. This time, though, she remembered all that had happened. Crypten was talking to someone that had their back to Catty. Catty shut her eyes so Crypten wouldn't see that she was awake. The two seemed to be arguing.
"But you said The Whisper would be here. Catty needs to see it before she is turned to the Atrox." John said.
"I couldn't. Catty is not going to be your bride." The voice was firm, and Catty recognized it at once as Stanton's. Catty had never trusted him before, but now she seemed to.
"Bring The Whisper to me." John was firm. Catty opened one eye and looked at him. He was mad.
Stanton shook his head and laughed. "Do you think I'm going to answer to a mere member of the cincti? I did not bring The Whisper because Catty will not be your bride." Stanton was firm, too.
Then John saw she was awake, and said, "Catty. I think you know my plan now. Whether you like it or not, you will be my bride." He smiled.
Stanton turned and took two steps towards her. HE was dangerously sexy, and Catty wanted to stare into his alluring blue eyes. "Catty, are you OK?" Despite his anger, he had tenderness in his voice.
Catty nodded. Stanton turned to John and stared at him. Catty knew he was working his mind control. But John was smarter than that. He had his barrier up again, and a black shadow fell between them. Catty wondered if it was the Atrox.
It's not the Atrox, Catty. It is The Whisper. The Whisper is the Atrox's personal servant. Stanton trickled across her mind. The Whisper is here to take you to the Atrox and make you Crypten's bride. You're on your own now.
Stanton left her mind and dissolved into shadow. Catty felt trapped. Chris was probably still in Crypten's memory, the other daughters were blind to whatever happened that day, and Stanton was gone.
Catty started to build up her mental energy. She ducked as John sent a blue bolt of fire at her. Catty twisted and sent all her energy at John and The Whisper. John stumbled back but The Whisper took on a human form of shadow. Catty's power went right through it.
The Whisper wrapped itself around Catty and sent cold rushing through her.
Don't be scared of me, it whispered across her mind in a haunting voice that seemed to possess no soul. The Atrox wants you. You are very beautiful. Crypten would be pleased to have you as his bride.
"NO!" Catty screamed and wrenched and jumped from The Whisper's grip. Catty kicked off her shoes and ran, her feet pounding on the sand. But wherever she ran The Whisper would pop out of the shadows.
Catty ducked on a hole in the bluffs. She tried to focus her energy to go back in time, but she was too scared. She felt a shadow behind her and turned. She knew it was The Whisper. "What do you want from me!" she screamed. "Leave me alone!" Then, not knowing what was going to happen, Catty thought, Chris, my bearer, come to me, protect me now. She didn't think it would work, but suddenly Chris appeared.
"Thank you, Catty. You broke my spell in Crypten's memory." Then he noticed The Whisper. HE stared at it in disgust. "So we meet again."
Chris grabbed Catty's hand and started running. Catty stumbled into Chris and stayed there, but when she felt The Whisper on her back, she ran.
Catty couldn't run as fast as Chris, so Chris took Catty into his arms so they could escape The Whisper faster. Catty peeked over her shoulder. "Go faster! The Whisper's gaining on us!" Catty gathered her energy and sent it at The Whisper, but it only went through it.
"Don't send your energy at it," Chris warned.
"Why?"
"I'll explain once we get somewhere safe. For now, hold on tight." Chris opened the tunnel. As son as they got in, they were out.
"Why did you do that?" Catty asked. They didn't seem to have gone back in time at all.
Chris tried to explain. "I can use the tunnel as a way to escape into other parts of the world, without going back a second."
Catty thought a minute. "Can I do that?"
Chris shook his head. "It comes with being a heir." HE laughed, but there was something else in his laugh, like uneasiness.
"What in the world is The Whisper?" Catty asked. "And why didn't it follow us when you went in the tunnel?"
"The tunnel is the one place The Whisper can't go. Since it is in the form of a shadow, it can't. Shadows get stuck in the tunnel." Chris replied.
Catty felt confused.
"You see, the walls of the tunnel suck in anything that is not solid, like shadows. The walls are made of shadows and other things, not just energy." Chris said matter- of - factly. "Haven't you ever wondered why your shadow is never in the tunnel with you?"
Catty thought. She never did see her shadow in with her. "Oh. I see.'
They were now at Serena's house, where her friends were happily in the Kitchen eating cookies. Catty remembered Crypten had erased their memories of the day.
"Could you bring their memories back?" Catty asked Chris.
Chris squinted his eyes, and a moment later, Tianna said "Whoa!"
Jimena jumped in front of Catty, and yelled, "Watch out!" Then she looked confused when she saw Chris. "How did you get here?"
Chris whispered in Catty's ear, "They think Crypten is about to capture you."
Catty nodded, and said, "I've got a lot to tell you."
Catty finally came to her senses and realized what was happening. She let out a scream and tried to send her force at him, but he had some kind of shield over him, which Catty could not penetrate.
"Ha now, Catty, you're mine. But don't try any of your funny stuff on me; see I have a barrier over me. It will deflect anything you send at me, and come back at you." Crypten said, and started dragging Catty faster down neighborhood roads.
Catty wondered where she was going.
Crypten answered her thoughts. "The beach," he said simply. "Chris is not here to protect you now, so don't think you're safe. I put a spell over your friends so they would forget what happened today."
Catty wasn't sure what to do. What would she do if Chris wasn't here? He had always protected her, and Catty was sure her power wasn't enough to deflect his. Then she knew what to do. Chris, my bearer, come to me, protect me now, she thought, hoping he would come to her. Catty felt bad she was making him stop his search to find the Secret Scroll.
Crypten seemed to know what was going on. He was outraged. Before he could do anything, Chris appeared. He grabbed Catty's hand, but Crypten had a few tricks up his sleeve. He sent out his mind control at Chris, and Catty could tell he was lost in one of Crypten's memories. Catty tried to break the trance, but couldn't.
Crypten pulled out, and Chris was still standing there. "You, come with me." Crypten barked. "There's someone I want you to meet."
Crypten changed his form back to schoolboy John, and hit Catty hard on the head. Catty lost all conscienceless.
**~**~**
Catty woke up on the beach. This time, though, she remembered all that had happened. Crypten was talking to someone that had their back to Catty. Catty shut her eyes so Crypten wouldn't see that she was awake. The two seemed to be arguing.
"But you said The Whisper would be here. Catty needs to see it before she is turned to the Atrox." John said.
"I couldn't. Catty is not going to be your bride." The voice was firm, and Catty recognized it at once as Stanton's. Catty had never trusted him before, but now she seemed to.
"Bring The Whisper to me." John was firm. Catty opened one eye and looked at him. He was mad.
Stanton shook his head and laughed. "Do you think I'm going to answer to a mere member of the cincti? I did not bring The Whisper because Catty will not be your bride." Stanton was firm, too.
Then John saw she was awake, and said, "Catty. I think you know my plan now. Whether you like it or not, you will be my bride." He smiled.
Stanton turned and took two steps towards her. HE was dangerously sexy, and Catty wanted to stare into his alluring blue eyes. "Catty, are you OK?" Despite his anger, he had tenderness in his voice.
Catty nodded. Stanton turned to John and stared at him. Catty knew he was working his mind control. But John was smarter than that. He had his barrier up again, and a black shadow fell between them. Catty wondered if it was the Atrox.
It's not the Atrox, Catty. It is The Whisper. The Whisper is the Atrox's personal servant. Stanton trickled across her mind. The Whisper is here to take you to the Atrox and make you Crypten's bride. You're on your own now.
Stanton left her mind and dissolved into shadow. Catty felt trapped. Chris was probably still in Crypten's memory, the other daughters were blind to whatever happened that day, and Stanton was gone.
Catty started to build up her mental energy. She ducked as John sent a blue bolt of fire at her. Catty twisted and sent all her energy at John and The Whisper. John stumbled back but The Whisper took on a human form of shadow. Catty's power went right through it.
The Whisper wrapped itself around Catty and sent cold rushing through her.
Don't be scared of me, it whispered across her mind in a haunting voice that seemed to possess no soul. The Atrox wants you. You are very beautiful. Crypten would be pleased to have you as his bride.
"NO!" Catty screamed and wrenched and jumped from The Whisper's grip. Catty kicked off her shoes and ran, her feet pounding on the sand. But wherever she ran The Whisper would pop out of the shadows.
Catty ducked on a hole in the bluffs. She tried to focus her energy to go back in time, but she was too scared. She felt a shadow behind her and turned. She knew it was The Whisper. "What do you want from me!" she screamed. "Leave me alone!" Then, not knowing what was going to happen, Catty thought, Chris, my bearer, come to me, protect me now. She didn't think it would work, but suddenly Chris appeared.
"Thank you, Catty. You broke my spell in Crypten's memory." Then he noticed The Whisper. HE stared at it in disgust. "So we meet again."
Chris grabbed Catty's hand and started running. Catty stumbled into Chris and stayed there, but when she felt The Whisper on her back, she ran.
Catty couldn't run as fast as Chris, so Chris took Catty into his arms so they could escape The Whisper faster. Catty peeked over her shoulder. "Go faster! The Whisper's gaining on us!" Catty gathered her energy and sent it at The Whisper, but it only went through it.
"Don't send your energy at it," Chris warned.
"Why?"
"I'll explain once we get somewhere safe. For now, hold on tight." Chris opened the tunnel. As son as they got in, they were out.
"Why did you do that?" Catty asked. They didn't seem to have gone back in time at all.
Chris tried to explain. "I can use the tunnel as a way to escape into other parts of the world, without going back a second."
Catty thought a minute. "Can I do that?"
Chris shook his head. "It comes with being a heir." HE laughed, but there was something else in his laugh, like uneasiness.
"What in the world is The Whisper?" Catty asked. "And why didn't it follow us when you went in the tunnel?"
"The tunnel is the one place The Whisper can't go. Since it is in the form of a shadow, it can't. Shadows get stuck in the tunnel." Chris replied.
Catty felt confused.
"You see, the walls of the tunnel suck in anything that is not solid, like shadows. The walls are made of shadows and other things, not just energy." Chris said matter- of - factly. "Haven't you ever wondered why your shadow is never in the tunnel with you?"
Catty thought. She never did see her shadow in with her. "Oh. I see.'
They were now at Serena's house, where her friends were happily in the Kitchen eating cookies. Catty remembered Crypten had erased their memories of the day.
"Could you bring their memories back?" Catty asked Chris.
Chris squinted his eyes, and a moment later, Tianna said "Whoa!"
Jimena jumped in front of Catty, and yelled, "Watch out!" Then she looked confused when she saw Chris. "How did you get here?"
Chris whispered in Catty's ear, "They think Crypten is about to capture you."
Catty nodded, and said, "I've got a lot to tell you."