Touched by Darkness (Young Creator Trilogy) Read online

  “Trish is in full control of her powers, and knows how to wield them. In Haven they don’t believe in training the Young Creators. Keagan, come up here please.” Heat immediately flushes my face. I watch Keagan strut proudly through the crowd. I make sure not to make eye contact, afraid of what I may find. “Would you consider yourself a fully trained Guardian, Keagan?”

  “Absolutely, and one of the best,” I hear Keagan say in a haughty voice. I look at Tisi, trying to figure out what she has up her sleeve. She holds out her hand; in it a heavy broad sword appears, gleaming in the morning light. She hands it to Keagan. “Attack her,” she instructs.

  Before I can even comprehend what just happened, I see the blade swinging my way, ready to cut me in two. Instinctively I reach for my weapon, and in the blink of an eye the sword that was just threatening me is now a red rose. Keagan, who hadn’t been expecting this, hits me in the crease that separates my neck and shoulder with the flower. A part of me is shocked that without hesitation Keagan tried taking my life, but I try to tell myself that he knew he wasn’t going to hurt me.I’m just so confused and hurt by all of this.

  “How is her being able to do that going to protect us?” the young women that had spoken up earlier questions.

  “That is a good question, let me demonstrate,” Aunt Tisi replies to the youngwoman’s challenge.

  “Maximus, honey, Eddie and Porsche,could you please stand next to Keagan.” They all do what she asks, and I still make sure not to raise my eyes to meet Keagan’s. Instead, I look everywhere except at him. “Could I please have a few volunteers from the crowd?” Aunt Tisi requests.

  A few young men, and the young woman that has been asking the questions, come up and stand across from the Guardians. Next thing they know, they all have wooden swords in their hand, including the Guardians. “Proceed,” is all Tisiphones has to say, and they are running toward the rebels, swords raised. I smile when, without even trying, the Guardians all have bananas versus swords in their hand. Porsche and Eddie are completely shocked; I guess they are having a hard time comprehending that the sword just magically changed into a banana. The young woman playfully pretends to stab Porsche through the heart, to which Ican’t help but laugh. I like this lady already. She is a little older than me with chocolate skin, dark hair, and dark eyes with a sparkle of mischief in them.

  Porsche, like the brat that she is, throws down the banana and stalks toward Keagan and Eddie. The young woman swings in my direction and gives me a thumbs up. I decide that I should introduce myself to my new favorite person. “Hi,I’m Trish.”

  “Oh my God, that was so awesome!I can’t believe what you just did. I’m Terrica. I was not so sure about this before, even though I would love to kick down Haven’s door, but after seeing what you can do I’m ready to go knock somebody out.” I like her even more now, she said the entire sentence without taking a breath. I just smile at her, and before I know it,she’s off talking to somebody else with as much energy as I just got a taste of. I shake my head and look around for Aunt Tisi, wanting to talk to her figure out what the plan is. I notice Keagan, Porsche, and Eddie all huddled together, and accidentally meet Keagan’s gaze when I glance their way. The look on his face scares me;it’s calculated, as if he has found some solution to a problem. Not only that, but Porsche and Eddie—two people that I can absolutely not stand—seem entirely too excited and happy to make me feel comfortable. I will have to make sure to keep an eye on them.

  Before I can delve deeper into what the three of them are up to, I feel a hand on my shoulder. When I turn around, Aunt Tisi is standing in front of me with a sad look on her face. “Come take a walk with me,” she instructs.

  We head away from the crowd, finding seclusion among the trees and wildflowers; the crowd’s noise left behind. I expect her to tell me about the plans for our invasion, so I’m completely stunned when she brings up Keagan. “I can tell that something has changed between you and Keagan. It seems that hedoesn’t remember you.” I stare at her, absorbing her words. Slowly the clouds seem to clear and it’s starting to make sense. I believe what she’s saying is that somehow, by bringing Keagan back to life, I was erased from his memories. His behavior makes sense when I remember Helen’s words about Keagan always being so serious. If he doesn’t remember me and the relationship that we had, then he just sees me as another Young Creator. Someone he has been taught his entire life is drawn to darkness, someone hecan’t trust.

  “How is this possible?” I don’t know how to feel about this. In a way,I’m almost relieved because it means that what we had really did mean something, and the only reason he is so cruel is because hedoesn’t have any memories of me. At the same time, how do I deal with this?

  “Trish, I’m sorry,but I don’t have that answer for you. I don’t know what the rules are when it comes to your powers. It’s just so different. I wish I could tell you why his memory has been erased, but Ican’t. I would say make sure to be patient with him and give him some space, hopefully eventually everything will fall into place. Things usually do over time. Just be patient.”

  “I really hope so. This is really killing me, but what you just told me makes sense and makes the situation more bearable. I honestlydidn’t know what was going on, it was really strange! One minute he’s hot and then completely cold toward me. Just when I thought things were finally lining up,I get thrown another curve ball.” I sigh with frustration. “So let’s talk about Haven, what’s the plan and what’s my role in all of this?”

  “That was actually the other thing I wanted to talk to you about, but wanted to shed some light on your personal issue first. I know this situation with Keagan must have made it hard to concentrate on anything else. I hope now that I have given you this missing piece of the puzzle, you will be able to focus on the task at hand.” I nod to let her know I’m up to the task.“So, like we were saying earlier, we really want this to be peaceful, but the Artemisians that live in Haven are very single-minded and set in their way. I’m not holding my breath. To begin with, it is just going to be Maximus, Helen, and your mom that are going to talk to the leadership in Haven. If all goes well, I will need assistance knocking on doors to find those that want to leave. Once we return, you and I need to create some living quarters for those people.” She takes a breath and a sad look comes over her face. “The way I actually see things happening is that I will need your help by turning their weapons into non-threatening items to protect those that are fighting. Even though the Guardians are well-trained, hopefully by having us on their side the rebels will succeed. It will be a blood bath and the best thing to do is to beat them as fast as possible. To do this we will need to make sure that someone has your back.” I don’t know where she is going with this, but a bad feeling overcomes me. Please don’t say his name, I think to myself.

  “You and Keagan had a special connection. Sadly,we don’t have the time to rebuild the trust between the two of you,but I know that Keagan will do his duty.” I notice that her eyes turn white momentarily, and in the next instant, Keagan is standing in front of me with a huge smile on his face. My heart stops. When the smile is replaced by an angry scowl, which he directs at me, I tremble where I stand. Seeing such revulsion on someone’s face, who means everything to you, is hurtful … to say the least.

  “What?” His arms are crossed in front of his body, clearly displaying his displeasure at his current predicament.

  “Keagan, I need you to do your duty by Trish in this upcoming fight. You protecting her may be the difference between a blood bath and just a few scrapes and bruises. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

  Apparently Keagan didn’t realize that Aunt Tisi, aka one of the furies, was also present. When she spoke, his entire persona changed. Gone was the hatred and dislike, and in its place was nothing but respect and awe. While Aunt Tisi is giving her orders, her eyes have turned white. Her long, glistening dress is billowing behind her while she is suspended several inches off the ground. She is awe inspiri
ng.

  “I will do anything in my power to make sure that the Young Creatordoesn’t come to harm. I give my promise.”

  “Good, I want you two to spend time together until we leave. Work on defense and make sure you come up with some sort of plan for the two of you. Make sure to be back in the center of camp bynightfall.” With those words, she vanishes.

  I don’t know what to do with myself, it’s just me and Keagan. I feel so awkward and have no idea what to say to him. This entire situation is just strange;I’m basically falling for him and hedoesn’t even know me. I have memories of the two of us together—his arm around my waist, our hands intertwined, his lips softly pressing against mine—while he has nothing. All that he has is the hate he feels for what I am, and it makes me despondent. How do you act around someone that you care so deeply for, but that doesn’t only not know you, but also hates you? I make up my mind and decide to start at the beginning. “Hi, I’m Trish.”

  “Uh, duh! I know who and what you are,” the unfriendly Keagan, with arms crossed and a frown on his lips, tells me sarcastically.

  “Sorry, I just figured since you didn’t remember me that we should start somewhere.” I’m trying to let his bad attitude not bother me, but it is really starting to.

  “Wedon’t need to do anything! Just stay out of my way and I will make sure nothing happens to you. It’s my job, and that’s it. I don’t want to know anything about you. I know what matters, and that is you are a Young Creator.” With those words, he turns from me and walks away.

  “Wait, where are you going? Aunt Tisi told us to practice defense, and I think after what happened on the bridge, it’s a good idea,” I tell his retreating back.

  “You clearly showed earlier today that you don’t need any practice.You’ve got it all together! Aren’t you the all mighty Young Creator with awe-inspiring powers?”

  “Look, I understand that this is probably all very confusing and uncomfortable for you, but … seriously, get over yourself. We need to work together to succeed in Haven and your male ego is going to ruin everything.”

  “Hey,you’re the one that should be uncomfortable.I’ve been told that you have the serious hots for me, and it must suck knowing the guy that you’reinto is not interested in you.” All I can think is, What an ass. Holy crap, sometimes Keagan seriously makes me wonder what I see in him. I mean, yes he is extremely good looking—with his dark hair and blue eyes that you could lose your soul to—but … man, that arrogant smirk gracing his face right now is making me want to hit him right in his self-righteous face. It takes everything in me not to yell at him.

  “Yes, you’re right, Keagan. That is difficult, and I would love to talk to you about it, but right now is not the time. Right now is the time to get along and work together to save the people we care about.” I say this slowly through gritted teeth to make sure he gets my point.

  “There you are, I have been looking everywhere for you.” Naturally, it’s Porsche. She struts her slutty self, currently dressed in leather short shorts and a cropped pink top, over to Keagan. He wraps his arm around her and says,“Hey, baby.” Leaning into her with closed eyes, he kisses her like she is his sun and he needs her to survive.

  Chapter 4

  Touched by Annoyance I won’t lie to myself,I’m hurt. Not by Porsche, because I know this is right up her alley. I’m hurt by Keagan, because regardless of remembering our time or not, I just can’t believe that he would rub this into my face. I guess that I have to realize Keagan isn’t the guy I used to know. The creepy thing about the whole situation is that the entire time Keagan is sticking his tongue down Porsche’s throat, she is staring at me, eyes wide open. I have so many names to describe her right now, but instead I decide to take a few deep breaths and remove myself from the situation.

  “I see that you’re busy right now, Keagan, but we should probably get together later tonight before the meeting to figure out a plan. Why don’t you come find me, when you’re not occupied?” With those words, I spin around on my heels and walk away. I have to say that I’m really proud of myself; what I really wanted to do was scratch that witch’s eyes out and tell her to get off of my man. Unfortunately, I can’t do that because Keagan doesn’t remember that he is mine. I head back into camp, deciding that I would love to spend some time with Chelsey before tonight’s adventure begins. I need my best friend right now. I know that she will let me cry on her shoulder and not judge me.

  I find her sitting cross-legged, leaning against a tree. She is dressed rather casual in a pair of jeans and a brown tank top. I miss seeing Chelsey in her style, which describes exactly who she is. She usually is all about cute summer dresses, and some cowboy boots. Next to her sits Sam; his long legs are extended in front of him, bent at an angle, and he’s resting his elbow on his knee, which is supporting his head. He is watching Chelsey, listening intently to whatever she is saying. I wonder what they are talking about.I’m too far away to hear their words, but just by observing their gestures and facial expressions I can tell that it’s serious. Sam notices me first and nudges Chelsey, who breaks out into a huge smile when she sees me. “Hey, girl, where have you been? What you been up to?”

  “You know , the usual. Dealing with stubborn people and planning to save the world. Standardmorning for me.” Standing in front of them, I return her smile. “You guys busy? Mind if I join you?”

  Chelsey glances over at Sam, which must mean that it was something personal and intimate. Sam, without even looking at Chelsey,smiles at me and tells me to join them. “We were just talking about everything that has happened… to both of us. About how Chelsey was treated by both the Guardians and Allecto’s people, and how Kia and I had a similar experience.” I glance at Chelsey, wondering if she blames any of this on me. I hope not. However, I know she’s been through so much and the logical thing to do is blame someone, and that person must be me. “How are you guys dealingwith everything?” I know that it’s the right thing to ask, but I dread hearing their answer.

  Chelsey gets a thoughtful look on her face. “Honestly , I think I’m okay. Don’t get me wrong, you know that I have seen alot and dealt with things I don’t want to remember. But I have decided to move on and get over it. Y’all get what I’m saying, right?” Her words make me realize that Chelsey has lost some of her carefree nature, which I understand, and has really grown up in the last few weeks. I know how she feels because I feel the exact same way; like there is so much weight on my shoulders, so much responsibility. Just a few days ago I was wondering why me and not someone else. After everything that happened, I now accept who I am and know the responsibility I carry. So I really do understand her.

  “I completely understand where you are coming from . Your words actually made me realize that I have done the same. How about you, Sam, how are you holding up?”

  Looking up at me through his thick lashes, Samgives me a sad smile. “I miss Kia. I know that in her final moments she turned against us, but you have to understand … I spent sixteen years with a sweet, innocent girl. A sister that I would have done anything for, I absolutely adored her.”

  I don’t know what to say; death makes me so uncomfortable. It seems like I never know the right thing to say or write when someone passes away. I mean, how can you truly express your remorse at the loss of someone who they loved and cared about? Or maybe not, maybe they were the bane of their existence and now they are happy not to have to deal with them anymore. I know that’s harsh,but it’s the truth. I remember going to Mr. Hirsch’s funeral. We had never been very close to our elderly, gray-haired next door neighbor. However, we figured since he was our neighbor we should pay our respect. So Mom and I pulled out some black clothes and went to his funeral. It was a rainy, cloudy day in September and I thought that the weather was befitting for a funeral. We arrived at the massive church and took our seats in the back row of the pews; wanting to show our support, but not interrupting the family’s grieving. The pastor said a few words and a prayer, and then we al
l lined up to say our good-byes to Mr. Hirsch. I looked into the casket and felt sadness overwhelm me at seeing him with his eyes closed. He would never be able to scowl at me again when I said good morning to him, when I went for my morning runs. To my surprise, there were only about twenty people and the good-byes went rather quick.

  Afterwards, we were invited to attend the reception, which my mom told me would be rude to turn down. You never would have thought that these people were sad about the loss of a loved one; we entered the banquet room to loud music and the clinking of champagne glasses being raised in toast. Where everyone had worn black in the church, now everyone was in bright colors. Mom and I looked around in confusion. When Mr. Hirsch’s oldest son came over to hand us glasses to toast, my mom questioned the party. She asked if it was something that Mr. Hirsch had wanted. I will never forget when Tony, Mr. Hirsch’s oldest, let out a bellow of a laugh and told us that they were celebrating the death of the one true scrooge. That Mr. Hirsch had made it his life’s mission to make everyone miserable. So, yeah,I’m extremely uncomfortable with death because I just don’t understand how people feel about the person they have lost, and what the right response is.

  Thankfully, Chelseydoesn’t have the same problem. Leaning over to Sam, she puts her arms around him, giving him a tight hug. It is quite amazing… I’ve gotten to know Sam and shared many moments with him, even a few kisses when Keagan and I had issues, but Chelsey is the one that knows what to do. It seems that it was the right thing to do because when Sam, after several moments, pulls out of Chelsey’s embrace, he has a smile on his face. The look that they share makes me sad;it’s how I used to look at Keagan and it makes me miss being close to him.