Shine: The Knowing Ones (17 page)

Behind the eyes lay the very composition of pain, and misery. He stared, watching her, pounding at her brain. She glanced at her hands, no longer gripping a ballet barre, but the golden handle of a brilliant dagger, her fingers and the blade bathed in sticky crimson. She dropped to the floor as the dancers and Jana raced to her side.

“Sam!” Erika was already on her knees. “Sam, what is it?” She grabbed Sam’s shoulders, trying to get her attention as Sam’s disoriented, terrorized gaze flew to her face, eyes darting around the room, down to her hands. The dagger was gone, no blood, nothing.

Jana grabbed hold of her. “Sam, what happened? Are you all right?” All of the dancers looked on with concern. “What happened?” she repeated.

Sam studied her hands, then the windows near the ceiling—the energy had passed, images gone. Pulling herself to her feet with help from the others, she said, “I don’t feel very well. I’m sorry, Jana, I have to go.”

“Are you going to be okay?” Jana asked. “Do you want someone to go with you?”

“No,” Sam replied, gathering her things, trembling from head to toe. “I just need to go lay down. I’ll be fine. I’m so sorry.” She hurried for the door, leaving the other dancers speechless behind her. She burst into the hallway, racing for the bathroom. Pushing the door open she sank down in the corner, face in her hands, tears flowing.

No longer able to distinguish between reality and dreams, she knew something real could easily be waiting outside. She pulled her cell phone from her bag, dialing Trin, praying he would answer.

No signal.

She stood, dialing again, hoping to find reception. Back and forth she walked. The call connected. She froze to retain the signal.

Please pick up!

“This is Trin, I can’t get to my phone—”

No!

Fresh tears welled in her eyes as she checked the time.

One thirty p.m.

Trin was in a meet and wouldn’t be near his phone for another half hour. She thought about calling Anna or Vig, but she couldn’t put them in danger. Trin was the only one who could help her. She hit end and began a text message

I’m in the lounge in the dance building. Something is outside and I can’t leave! Please hurry!

Still trembling, she took a deep breath and stood. In one of the stalls, she took some tissue and began drying her eyes. One more deep breath and she went for the door to wait in the lounge. Sinister energy blasted the environment. Sam ran for the corner, sliding down the wall, hands over her mouth muffling her cry as demonic blackness swallowed the room.

In a natatorium locker about a mile up-campus Trin’s phone beeped with a new text that would remain unanswered for far too long.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

T
rin walked to his locker with his goggles and cap in hand. Adam moved past him, opening his own locker. “Nice work, bro, we buried ‘em.”

Trin smiled, pulling his locker open. He set his cap and goggles inside and went for the small zipper pocket in his bag. His bracelet only came off when he swam. It was the last thing off and the first thing back on. Unzipping the pocket, he pulled it out, draped it over his wrist, and snapped the clasp closed.

He glanced at his phone, noting a new text message. Trepidation set in. He ripped the phone from his bag and retrieved the message.
“Блядь!”

Adam glanced up. “What is it?”

Trin grabbed his warm up pants, pulling them on. “I need you to get my stuff for me,” he said pulling his shoes on, his voice rough with panic. “I have to get to Sam.”

“What’s wrong?” Adam begged. “Do you need help?”

Trin grabbed his keys and tore through the locker room. “Just get my stuff.”

He shot through the parking lot, racing to his truck, tore the door open, and climbed in the driver’s seat. Shoving the key in the ignition, the engine roared to life. He slammed the truck into reverse and floored the gas, screeching out of the parking lot at full speed.

He dialed Sam’s number. Right to voicemail. With a curse he dialed again—voicemail each time.

“Anvil, Помогите мне!
” Help me!
He waited in anguish for a response.

“Она в безопастности.”
She is safe.

Trin barreled into the parking lot of the dance center. “Где она?”
Where is she?

She is in the restroom on the first floor. Go get her and keep her with you. You must tell her everything now.

Trin screeched to a halt, killing the engine and leaping out of his truck. A couple of dancers leaving the building stopped, heads turning toward the gorgeous, bare-chested Olympian racing past them in a panic. Trin hurried inside, not knowing where to go. Sunday afternoon—the building was deserted aside from a few scheduled rehearsals. No one in the hallway to ask. But then “where’s the ladies room?” wouldn’t have gone over very well.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as he fine-tuned his psyche and called out to her.
Sam....where are you?

At first only agonizing silence.

Trin!

His eyes flew open. He took off toward the restroom halfway down the hall on the left and pulled the door open. She sat huddled in a corner on the floor. She looked up finding his magnificent frame filling the doorway; angelic face colored in self-reproach.

She started to cry. He raced to the corner dropping to her side, wrapping his arms around her, crushing her to his bare chest. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I’m so sorry.” He kissed her lips, then her cheek, and held her tight. “It’s okay. You’re safe now,” he whispered. “I’ll explain everything. I promise.”

Sam trembled in his arms. “I don’t know what’s happening to me,” she said. “I feel like I’m going insane.”

Trin pulled her closer, tucking her head beneath his chin. “I won’t let him hurt you.”

“Who?” she begged. “Please tell me. I need to know.”

“Let’s get you out of here and I’ll explain everything.”

An anxious look shot across her face.

“He’s gone,” he said. “You’re safe.” With an arm around her shoulder, he took her hand, trying to help her to her feet.

“Wait,” she said, pulling at the ribbon on her pointe shoes.

“What?”

“I can’t wear these outside.”

Without another word he grabbed her bag, scooping her up in his arms. She thought about arguing as he made his way to the door, but exhaustion won out, his chest and arms so massive around her. She felt tiny...and very safe. She rested her head against him, slipping an arm around his neck. He reached the door and paused. “Hey,” he said.

She looked up at him.

“Nice work.”

She squinted in confusion.

“You responded when I called.”

She paused a moment, then smiled.

He kissed her forehead and carried her out the door.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

T
rin pushed the door open and guided Sam through it. She was on her feet again, warm up pants and shoes thrown on during the ride over, but she was still visibly shaken and hadn’t said a word.

Adam stood in the kitchen with a concerned expression on his face. “Everything okay?”

Trin nodded in his direction, guiding Sam to his bedroom. She walked in and went straight for his bed. Trin headed past Adam for the fridge, grabbing a water bottle.

“What the hell happened?” Adam asked.

Trin paused, eyes on the floor. “I’m not sure yet,” he muttered. It wasn’t a lie. She hadn’t told him anything yet.

“Dude, you took off like someone was dying.”

Trin eyed his bedroom door. “Yeah. I might be a while.”

Adam went back to what he was doing with a sly grin. “Take your time, bro.”

Walking into his bedroom, he found Sam fast asleep on his bed. He watched her, a gamut of emotion churning through him. Setting the water on his desk, he climbed on the bed behind her pulling her close. She stirred but didn’t wake.

The room filled with golden blue light. Trin carefully sat up, staring at Anvil with chagrin. “I really messed up.”

Anvil moved toward the bed. “Quite the contrary, you showed an enormous amount of restraint.”

“It wasn’t enough
.
”

Anvil sat at the corner. “This was inevitable,” he said. “But now it’s done and there is no reason not to move forward.”

“I plan to tell her everything when she wakes up.”

Anvil’s gaze dropped to Sam and he froze, his features sinking in haunted dismay. “What is it?” Trin asked.

For a moment Anvil couldn’t speak. “She looks like Anavi.”

Trin sat up a bit, eyes on Anvil. He looked at Sam. He was right. In the midst of all the chaos Trin had never noticed, but the resemblance was uncanny. Before he could respond, Sam began to stir, nestling into Trin’s body. Her eyes fluttered open, Anvil directly in her line of sight. She drew in a sharp terrified breath, turning, grabbing at Trin in a panic.

“Sam!” Trin’s muscled arms clamped down around hers in a solid restraint. “Sam, you’re safe. He isn’t going to hurt you.” He forced her around in his iron hold. Sam had no choice but to look. She had never felt such physical strength and she allowed a brief moment to be glad he was on
her side
.

“Look at his aura, Sam.”

Wild eyed, she stared at the stunning warrior at the foot of the bed, who watched with intense compassion. Remarkable energy radiated around him, just like Trin’s. Her fearful expression softened as she drew in breath.

His voice spilled out like velvet. “It’s alright,” he said in a thick Russian accent. “No one here will hurt you. You are safe.”

The sound calmed her frantic nerves, flowing through her in molten waves. Golden blue light danced around him. “You’re one of them,” she said.

Trin extended a hand. “Sam, this is Anvil. He’s my spirit guide.”

Sam turned in confusion. He lifted the delicate gold plate connecting the chain on his wrist and turned it, exposing the inscription. “This says Veduny,” he said. “It’s who we are.”

Sam stared
. “Say it again.”

Trin repeated the word, and Sam sat back. “That’s the word,” she said. “That’s the other word he said...the guy who attacked me that night.”

Trin’s eyes glinted, unsurprised. “Veduny is an ancient Slavic word,” he said. “It means ‘knowing ones’.”

Sam looked back to Anvil, who sensed her bewilderment. “We are human,” he said. “But we come into the world knowing how to access
power all humans beings have, but most choose to ignore. We
are
what humanity is capable of becoming. Our mission is to teach them to let go of fear and hatred.” The warrior’s expression grew solemn “The amount of negativity produced by humanity has put them in great peril...peril they cannot conceive of. It is fuel for a formidable force and the amount of hatred and pain generated has captured the attention of this dark deity—our enemy, Chernobog.

Sam glanced at Trin, trying to process what she was hearing.

Anvil continued. “In 1212 a sacrificial murder was committed, orchestrated by the demon. This created a portal for him to cross into this world. His only objective is to enter in and harness the negativity humanity sows. Our creators, the Divinity sent us to stop him. Gea, the first Oracle of our tribe sealed the portal. We stand guard. Our biggest responsibility is to prevent his crossing, and to change the way humanity thinks—to deplete the power source he seeks here. The great monoliths you see are the guardians of our tribe. They cover our village in a protective barrier and maintain a positive energetic alignment with the Divinity. The demon has already mastered manipulation of human thought and emotion. We are only stronger because we live in flesh, something he wants and must have in order to overpower us. We stay one step ahead of him by heeding guidance from our Oracle. But she was taken from us a century ago. Without her we are blind. We have no direct line of communication to our creators. We cannot effectively protect humanity or ourselves without the Oracle power. Trinton’s mission is to restore it.”

Sam glanced at Trin, eyes wide. She turned back to Anvil. “What happened?”

“One of our leaders turned against us—my twin brother, Ashbel. My wife’s name is Anavi. When she was born, the Keeper’s aura sealed on me, but an identical aura sealed on my brother as well. This had never happened before,” he said. “No one knew what it meant. To this day we still don’t know why. Our Head Elder told us we were forbidden to know—that it would disrupt our paths, that we were both to begin training and that Anavi, when she came of age, would have to choose between us.” Anvil’s eyes grew distant. “She chose me,” he said. “My brother killed her.”

Sam gasped, heart dropping through her stomach.

“He disappeared that night,” Anvil said. “We didn’t see him again...until recently.” He lifted his wrist to reveal a gemstone on a bracelet
nearly identical to Trin’s. “This stone is Alexandrite,” he said. “It is very powerful. The portal we guard is filled with it. The Seven monoliths are filled with it. It is a gem of dual properties—positive and negative power,” he said. “Our leaders wear it to maintain a positive output resultant of what we represent. But if the stone is used for dark purposes a negative channel opens. We protect it, keeping it out of the wrong hands. But without a functioning Oracle we cannot know if it has been breached. My brother has resurfaced. We cannot track him and we don’t know his intent. But we do know he is hunting,” he said. “It was my brother who attacked you. He is hunting
you.”

Sam shook her head. “What? I don’t understand.”

Anvil looked at Trin, who shifted in his seat to face Sam more fully.

“The Veduny head is always a pair,” Trin said, “one man and one woman. There are always two. A sacred rite ignites the Oracle’s power. The two are foreordained by the Divinity and have additional skills the other tribal members do not have. The man’s gift enables him to effectively protect his charge, the female—his soul mate. He is the tribal Keeper.”

Sam grew very still.

“The woman’s gift is always earth.”

Sam’s breath caught in her throat as he continued. “That’s the way it has always been. The pair ignites and maintains this communication throughout their lifetime. The power of the Oracle remains intact as long as one of the Veduny pair is still living.”