Thanks for all the replies! Ya'll rock my socks! This would've been longer, but I felt like leaving a cliff of some kind. Just be thankful I haven't killed anyone important. Yet. Cough. Shifty eyes.
Chapter 7: Polyamorous
"Querida I—Nombre de Dios," Hector ran a hand through his short, thick, black hair apprehensively. Jesse, I noticed, had loosened his grip on my arm. When I looked to see why, I was pretty apparent. Shock; seeing ones parallel self does tend to surprise a person. Not that I would know.
Snort.
"Are they enough proof, Hector, that parallel shifting is real? Or do you still believe Father Dominic and Slater?"
Hector, who'd begun pacing back and forth, stopped in front of Jesse, giving him the once over. It was almost even humorous when they both muttered "Nombre de Dios" in the same tone, at the same time. Almost humorous, mind you. Dead people kill humor (excuse the pun). And there were supposedly a lot of dead people here.
Only moving his eyes, Hector then gave me the once—more like twice---over, while Paul received a slight glance.
"Why did you bring them here Su—Saben?" his tone was impassive.
"Well, someone"—she threw a glare at Paul—"caught me this time."
"On that note, I've been thinking," Paul chipped his two cents in. Greet. Nothing good ever comes from Paul's thinking. "Why didn't Qain recognize you when you interviewed him? He obviously knows what you look like by now."
Then again, he did make a good point.
"You're kidding right?" Saben eyed Paul like he was three-fries-short-of-a-happy- meal. Paul, however, just made himself more comfortable by taking a seat on my—Saben's bed. "What do you know shifters are capable of?"
"Well, as a shifter I can defend myself, manipulate others into doing what I want, I can make most girls swoon with just a smile—"he grinned at me arrogantly. No, not Saben; me. If he was making reference to anything I'd kill him.
"She meant about shifting in general, Paul, not your personal life," I spat at him. He can be such a pervert, I swear.
"Shifters can shift to the Shadowland and anywhere else they want to, really; travel through time, perform soul transferences, mediate spirits"—Yeah, Paul doesn't mediate, he exorcises ghosts. And if Saben can't see through that, she's seriously…thick."—That kind of stuff."
Saben shook her head sadly. "At least you all aren't too far gone to save."
"What do you mean?" I asked. Hadn't Paul told me everything at those freaking shifter lessons I was blackmailed into taking? If not, so help me God, I'd hack off his "manly jewels." Assuming that he has any.
Cough.
"Shifters can also, as I've mentioned, travel to diverse parallels. But we can also have clairvoyant abilities—psychic you might even say. Rare few shifters have also developed telekinetic and psychokinetic powers."
"Huh?" I was lost.
"Big words meaning 'can read minds' and 'can move objects with the mind.'
"Sweet."
Both Jesse and Hector stared at me oddly for a moment. They seriously need to lingo-fy themselves. I can't be expected to explain everything I say.
"Do you have either of those?" Paul asked, seeming a little jealous.
"No. I was born with a different trait; the gift of mimicking human form. Like that night at Qain's house, I was mimicking CeeCee Webb."
"I see." Said the blind man to the deaf boy who was too busy spitting the wind to notice. Ignore me.
"While I don't have them, I know someone who does."
"Three guesses who," I snorted. What? It was pretty obvious was it not? Or am I just really smart?
"Precisely. Now, Mr. Paquin is extremely talented in the telekinesis department. On the other hand, he's proven to be weak when it comes to moving things with his mind. Most likely because it requires control, and he's pent up with too much anger."
Whoa. Anakin Skywalker much? Speaking of anger, I happen to know someone else who was pent up with it as well. Me.
Turning to Paul, I narrowed my eyes. "If these 'talents' are true, then why didn't you tell me about them, Paul?"
"Like I knew, Simon! I'm just as clueless as you here."
Pfft. Why don't I believe that?
"Anyway," Saben interrupted the little 'heart –to-heart' Paul and I had going on, and turned back to Hector. " Like I was saying, I got caught. I brought them here to help explain myself. And so I could ask for your help."
"Me? How can I help? I couldn't help you before…" he seemed stunned by her request.
"If we distract him, do you think you can look around his place for the disease? He must have it there, somewhere."
"Of course, Querida. If that's what you need, I shall do it."
(8)
After Hector agreed to go with us, there was no point in sticking around. Plus, we'd been educated enough for one day. Any more information and I think my head would explode.
The five of us piled into the Camaro; two in the front, three in the back. Need I say it was a tight fit? Come on, three people—well two people and a ghost—crammed in the back seat is never comfortable. Why Hector didn't just dematerialize is beyond me. Seriously. Maybe he wanted to cause Paul pain. Yeah…that would make sense. A lot actually. Any who, what was even more uncomfortable than the seating arrangements (well at least for Paul, Hector, and Jesse—I was up front with myself) was the unnerving silence all the way back to the Society.
The parallel shifting wasn't all the different either. You know: We grab girl (get your minds out of the gutter), girl shifts, we all wind up in the Historical Society (this time in my…parallel). All that plus one ghost and you get it.
As soon as we were back in the office in my…world, I could tell something was different; something was wrong. Don't ask me how I knew. Maybe it was my shifter instincts kicking into hyper-drive. I don't know. All I do know is something was hinky, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end.
Saben, who was in front of us, held up her hand, signaling for us to stay put. But in the end it wouldn't have mattered if we'd moved or not.
The bulky leather office chair that had always sat behind the desk in Clive's/Saben's office was facing the wall, but it hadn't been when we left. There was no noise, not even the usual hustle and bustle of traffic outside. Jesse, though we were suppose to stay put, stepped closer to me and put his arm around my waist, clutching me to him protectively.
Just as he had, though, the leather chair swiveled around. The subtle moonlight that shown in through the window had left a shadow cast across the desk, therefore I had to strain my eyes a bit. I was eventually able to make out the silhouette of a human figure. As if out of nowhere a pair of eyes appeared, glowing like a panther's in the dusk. The voice that soon broke the silence was as cold as the eyes. Much like Paul's eyes use to seem to me when I wouldn't give him what he wanted.
"Do you know--" the voice asked. It was deep and defiantly male. Once name came to mind instantly, and not just for me—if Jesse's tightening his grip on me was any indication. Screw doctor, maybe he should be a bodyguard.
Nah.
"—what it feels like to be electrocuted?" I looked up at Jesse; he was glowering at the person speaking.
"Leave them alone," Saben demanded. I then looked behind me. Paul too was glaring at the man. Hector, on the other hand, seemed to have disappeared. Lucky him. The man ignored her and went on.
"A little like this."
I felt a surge of heat and pain shoot through me and I fell to my knees. I heard a thump behind me, but couldn't work up the oomph to see what it was. Jesse had also let go of me, leaving me to fend on my own strength. My balance began wavering as my vision started to tunnel. I did my best to stay focused, keep my eyes open, honestly. But I wasn't strong enough. Especially after another surge enveloped me. Instantly I fell, leaving everything to the shadows.
Well, then. May the force be with you to hit the little purple button...or may the force be with the button to hit you for not replying! Joke...I kid..I kid.
Again I'll do my bestestestestest...ok that's not a word but I think you get my point...to post more soon. Especially since part of chapter eight is already written. Go me. Lol.
•Sam•