Touched by Darkness (Young Creator Trilogy) (20 page)

I wake up to a gentle poking in my shoulder. I roll over and find Riley sitting on my bed
with a huge smile on her face.
“You’ve got some drool on your face.” I quickly wipe at my face while she continues to
poke me.
“Okay, okay,I’m up.” Stretching my arms over my head, I sit up, feeling great. I think
this may have been the first restful sleep I’ve gotten in a while. I jump out of bed with a new
spring to my step, ready to take on the world.
“You were out!I have been poking you for the last ten minutes.” That explains the look
she had when I woke up, which does seem pretty comical. I glance at the clock on the bedside
table, happy to see that we have twenty minutes before we are meeting up with everyone.
“I’m gonna take a quick shower,” I tell Riley, who walks back over to her bed and throws
a pillow against the wall. Plopping down on the bed with her feet dangling off the side, she picks
up the book that was underneath her pillow and starts reading.
When I get out of the shower we still have ten minutes to spare; it really is a timesaver to
just imagine yourself in fresh clothes versus having to put everything on. Riley looks over the
edge of her book, but then continues reading.
I walk over toward her and tilt the book so that I can read the cover.
The Hunger Games
.
I read it a few months ago, and found it to be a great book. The character is so strong, even with
everything that happens to her and she has to go through. I wish I could be more like her; she
always knows what her goals are and how she feels, whereas I feel like I’ve been all over the
place with my emotions, especially when it comes to Keagan. I wish things were more black and
white, but it seems that my life is always gray. My mind tells me one thing while my heart tells
me something else, and just when they match up something happens to throw everything off
again. I guess life would be boring without all the craziness in it. I look at the clock again and see
that it’s time to go.
“Riley, we gotta head out.” She holds up a finger and flips the page. I see her eyes
moving really fast over the page. We are probably going to be a few minutes late, but I get how it
is to be sucked into a good book, you have to find a spot that you can walk away at. That book is
definitely one of them. Two minutes later she dog-ears the page she is on and puts it under the
pillow. I hate folded pages in books; I know it might be stupid, but I feel like it is almost
disrespecting a book. I used to go to the library to borrow books back in Florida, but hated when
I found books like that. I mean, seriously, do people not have any respect for the next person that
is going to pick up a book?
“What?” Riley asks, and I realizeI’ve been mean-mugging her.
“I hate it when I pick up a book that has been dog-eared,” I explain.
“What are you talking about?” She looks at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“You know, when you fold the corner of a page to mark your spot in a book.”
“Seriously? That’s funny.”
“Sorry, just a nit-pick.” She shakes her head and opens the door.
“You ready to go find your crazy sister and kick some butt?”
“I guess,” I say with a huff.
“You guess? What’s wrong,Trish?”
“You know when we went to meet with Allecto, it was to stop her and save Chelsey. I
never even thought twice about the choice of going to stop her, but this is different. My sister has
to die to save humanity. I know it’s the only way,but it just doesn’t feel right.” I can tell that I
have stumped Riley as emotion after emotion crosses her face. She looks at the clock, but then
rolls her eyes, grabs my hand, and pulls me to the bed to sit down.
“Yes, Haddie is your biological sister, but she isn’t your family. Chelsey, Keagan,
Tisiphone, your mom who is kicking some serious butt in Haven… those people are your
family. I think I’m more of your sister than Haddie is. You don’t owe her anything, least of all
any sort of loyalty just because you shared the same womb. She is bad! Her heart is black and
she is bent on hurting people, whichis why she needs to be stopped.” What she says makes
sense, and I feel a little bit better about what we are planning on doing. She’s right,I don’t owe
Haddie any loyalty, and I shouldn’t feel bad that she has to deal with the consequences of her
actions.
I lean over and hug Riley, but jump when there is a loud pounding on the door.
“Probably my love-struck brother, checking to make sure that you’re all right.” I roll my
eyes and go to open the door, to not only find Keagan but also the rest of our group piling into
the doorway.
“You two all right? We waited, but got concerned when you didn’t show up,” Keagan
says, sweeping into the room and looking around.
“Yeah, sorry. We had some things to talk about, but we’re good to go now. Nothing to
worry about,” Riley assures Keagan.
Keagan, like the trained Guardian that he is, has to make a full sweep of our room before
he is satisfied. Nick joins him in searching the room, opening every door and looking under our
beds. Riley and I glance at each other and burst out laughing, making the guys look at each other
in confusion.
“Like Riley said, we’re ready to go. Sorry about being late.” Everyone looks at me for
more of an explanation, but I head out the door, making my way through them. Riley and the
guys on my heels. “I think we should start at the Eifel Tower. I feel like we will probably find
Haddie there. It’s where she was when she visited me in my sleep.”
Everyone agrees that the Eifel Tower would be a great place to start. I’ve seen many
pictures of the structure, but my one experience visiting it so far has been terrible. I know that it
was only in my sleep, butit’s always vivid and real when Haddie does her little trick. We get
into a van, which Chris or Maximus must have rented, and head over to the Eifel Tower.
Everyone is quiet and staring out the window, taking in the scenery, lost in their own thoughts. I
pray that today will be a success with no casualties. Looking around the van, I can’t even
imagine losing any of them. I know Ihaven’t known Chris or Nick for very long, but they seem
like good people,and with what Chris has been through I don’t want any more suffering for him.
We arrive at the Eifel Tower, and all of us get out of the van. The tower is massive. I
believe I read somewhere that its 1063 feettall … crazy. Standing next to it I feel so small, and
thinking about all of the stairs that we have to go up I groan out loud.
“What’s wrong?” Nick wants to know.
“So many stairs,” is my reply, which has Nick chuckling.
“Do you want me to justgo to the top and see what I can find?” Nick suggests.
“No, but thank you. I might be complaining,but I think once I reach the top I won’t even
remember the pain of climbing however many stairs it has.”
“Over three hundred, just from the first to second level,” Nick states.
“Ugh, why did you have to go ahead and do that?” Nick laughs and I push him.
“What’s going on?” Keagan wants to know.
“Your friend over here just had to share how many stairs it is to the first level of the Eifel
Tower.”
“I think it’s like three hundred to the first level, and another three hundred to the second
level.” I groan again and roll my eyes, wanting nothing more than to have them stop with the talk
of stairs. I would rather run a marathon than walk up all of them.
“Did you know that the Eifel tower was built in 1889 as the entrance to the World Fair?”
Nick continues.
“Yeah, that’s right, and I think over 250 million people have come to visit it since it
opened,” Keagan adds.
“Wow, you are such nerds! Leavethe poor girl alone,” Riley cuts in, pulling me away
from the two… who are still talking Eifel Tower facts.
“I think a few of us should go up there, and the rest should walk around to see if they can
find anything down here,” Chris advises.
“I think that’s a good plan. Trish, where did you say those two young people lost their
lives?” Maximus wants to know. I look around before pointing to the spot that I recognize from
the other night. Maximus nods and looks at Tisiphone.
“How about you and I look at things down here, boys you head to the first level, and you
two head to the top,” Maximus tells Riley and me. Everyone nods and Chris says he is going to
check out the other side of the tower for clues.
The four of us head to the line that is waiting for their chance to get on the tower. It’s
really long there must be a hundred people in front of us. After waiting for five minutes, I get
restless.
“Can’t you just transport us to the top?” Keagan asks. I must not be the only restless one.
Contemplating his words, I take a look at the platform of the first level. It is clustered with way
too many people to just materialize out of thin air.
“There is no way. Too many people.” We slowly make our way in line, and after about
thirty minutes Aunt Tisi, Chris, and Maximus join us. There are angry mutters from the people
behind us, who must think that they are cutting in.
“Still waiting I see,” Aunt Tisi remarks. Before I can even blink,I’m standing on the top
level of the Eifel Tower with Riley next to me. The view from up here is awesome; I feel like I
can see all of Paris, and the many bridges spanning across rivers. There are buildings
everywhere, and right in front of the Eifel Tower is a large grassy area that looks like squares
stacked on top of each other. I take it all in, but then immediately go on alert and start observing
my surroundings. At first I don’t see anything out of the norm as I slowly walk across the steel
grate that makes up the floor I’m walking on.
“It must be broken. I can’t move it away from the cemetery. I wonder who would have it
focused on that.” The words catch my attention and I spot a family fidgeting with a scope that is
mounted to the railing of the tower.
“Hi, you said that the scope is broken. What did you say that it is on?” I ask as I walk
over toward them.
“I think that it’s the Suresness, which is an American Cemetery. You here on vacation,
too?Isn’t Paris amazing,” the young woman, who is holding her toddler on her hip, gushes.
“It is pretty awesome. I’ll make sure to let someone know about the scope.” I give her a
smile and make my way over to Riley, nodding to her to let her know to follow me. We make
our way down the stairs to the first level and spot the guys; Nick is chatting up some girls and
Keagan is looking around for clues, I suspect. The guys spot us and make their way over.
“I know where we will find her,” is all I say before heading in the direction that will get
me off this thing.
“So whereis she?” I hear from behind me.
“I will tell you guys as soon as we meet up with the others!” We make our way down the
tower and find Aunt Tisi, Maximus, and Chris.
“Anything?” Maximus asks as we approach them.
“I know where she is. Let’s go,” I tell them as I walk in the direction of the van.
“Do any of you have a phone or something that we can look up information?” Chris
hands me a sightseeing guide, and I quickly look through the index until I spot what I’m looking
for. “This is where she is.” I point at a picture of a black gate with gold circles, which is slightly
opened to reveal a driveway that leads to a large white structure. On either side of the driveway
are white crosses.
“She’s in a cemetery?” Riley asks with disgust in her voice.
“What better place to hide an army of the undead,” Aunt Tisi replies, and I nod my head
in agreement.
“Let’s wait until it closes before we go and find her,” Chris states, looking at the page
and then his clock. “We have another hour before they close, let’s get something to eat and then
make our way over there.”
I look at him like he is crazy, but to my surprise Aunt Tisi, Maximus, and Nick are all for
it. I guess that there is nothing better to do, and at least we will have a full stomach before facing
Haddie. Chris knows of another fun little place and we head to it. The food is really good; I have
to say that I love French food. Keagan, on the other hand,doesn’t seem as thrilled. Nick ordered
escargot, which are snails, and after him holding out his fork to me I finally took it and ate it. To
my surprise, it was actually really good. The herbs and butter making the escargot melt in my
mouth. Nick also gets Keagan to try it, and the look on his face is priceless; we all laugh when he
discreetly spits it into his napkin. All too soon it’s time to go, and that overwhelming pressure on
my chest of all the weight on my shoulders overcomes me.
Riley must notice and gently rubs my back while we drive to the cemetery. The gates
look just like those in the picture, but are closed. Chris parks, and as we exit it, Nick quickly
makes his way over to the gate. He peeks through the cracks and pulls his sword, pushing the
gate with it. It swings open on freshly oiled hinges without making a sound.

We all wait, expecting something to happen as we crouch around the gate. The sun is setting and
the whole place looks gloomy and abandoned. I expect something to jump out at us at any time,
but as we wait nothing happens. We are all dressed in dark clothes, and with the limited light it’s
going to be hard to see where everyone is if we split up. I decide to get things rolling and step
into the middle of the open gate, sword in hand. I hear a silent curse and several,“What are you
doing?” but I don’t listen to them. As I take a step, I hear my footsteps echo on the walkway.
Lights flood the cemetery and I shield my face from the bright light. Squinting into it, I almost
miss the ball of electricity that is hurled at my head, but just in time get yanked to the side by
strong arms and pulled into a warm chest. I find myself in Keagan’s arms, and when I look up at
him he gently smiles at me. I wish I could stay like this for just a moment longer, enjoy the
warmth and safety of his comfort. He gently sets me away from him and lifts my chin.

“Please
, be careful. We still need to have that talk,” he tells me, and releases my chin
from his warm, firm grasp. We both face the direction that the ball had been come from. I watch
as Haddie saunters her way into the light, dressed in all leather with her hair pulled into a high
ponytail. It creeps me out every time I see her.It’s like looking into a mirror, but not;it’s just so
surreal.