Shatter

I picked it up, grateful for the interruption. Whoever was calling had just saved me from a lecture from Dad.

"Hello?"

"Peri! I've got a problem with my email again." Pazzi was using a code for: "Get your butt over here so we can capture Tristan!"

See, on the phone and over the Internet, we have to use codes to get our message across.

Since the Patriot Act, the Government has been listening in on everyone's phone calls.

That's a problem for us, since the Government doesn't know we exist.

Otherwise, we'd be captured and put in science labs.

No, thank you.

So we have to use codes every time we contact one another.

That's why our sects assign us missions.

To make sure that the Government never knows we exist.

"All right, I'll be right over." I replied and hung up.

"That was Topaz. I need to pick her up." I explained to my parents. Surprisingly, they're okay with me going out on missions randomly.

"Okay, Hun, I'll set out a plate for you for when you get back!"

"You mean we're eating that garlicky glop tonight!" Dad asked.

"FYI, I'm trying to make spaghetti, and --"

That was definitely my cue to leave.

I slipped out of the house unnoticed, and back into my car. I got in and drove to Pazzi's place.

She was standing on her front porch, an impatient look on her face and her laptop in her arms. She quickly jumped into the car.

"All right, head for out of town, northwest."

She continued to give me directions until we pulled onto a random gravel road.

"Pazzi, are you sure that this is the right way? We're in the middle of freaking nowhere."

"Relax, Peri," Topaz said, "I've got everything under control." She smiled at me.

I trust Pazzi, so I just nodded and looked ahead.

Then the gravel road ended abruptly.

"Okay, this is where my usefulness ends." Topaz said and got out. I turned off the car and got out, too.

"Peri, see if you can sense him." I obediently closed my eyes and relaxed, letting my mind drift over the area around us.

It was all pretty much forest...

And animals...

And....

There. There he was.

I opened my eyes and strode off into the woods to my left. Pazzi followed. I let my mind stay open, silently tracking him.

After about half a mile, I stopped, motioning for Pazzi to do so as well.

"Be on guard, Pazzi." I sent the thought to her. She nodded. Then she bent over and placed her hands on the ground. Her eyes closed and I felt her mind drift open.

"Spirits of the Earth, hear my call." She whispered.

A breeze drifted lazily towards her.

She stood up, armed and ready, and opened her eyes.

When she changes like this, she goes from bubbly to serious.

Sometimes, it scares me.

I suppressed a shiver.

"Let's go." She said quietly, and I led the way.

Suddenly, we came into a clearing.

He was sitting in a tree, looking straight at us.

"About time. Let's get this over with, already." He leapt down from his "seat."

Suddenly, a breeze blew from our direction. It was heading straight for him.

He stiffened, and I noticed that his eyes darkened. A hazy look came over his face.

Then the breeze stopped, and he snapped to attention. His eyes rested on me.

"It sings to me." He spoke.

...
...
...um...

WTF! What is singing, freak!

Then he was between me and Pazzi, in the blink of an eye.

Big Mistake.

I sent up a barrier of energy around him, while Pazzi started to form an earth cage. He smirked, and his eyes rested on me again.

So piercing.

My breath caught in my throat, and my focus shattered.

A Vampire. He was a Vampire.

This would be our first fight against one.

I had no idea on how to contain him.

While my thoughts were scrambling together, he had gotten behind Pazzi.

"Pazzi!" I screamed, but it was too late.

He flung her into the air, not realizing she controlled that, too. She landed gracefully on the ground, on her feet.

His beautiful -- I mean, erm...weird eyes narrowed.

Dang. He's hot.

Why was my brain being retarded! Ugh!

My mind reached out to a tree, uprooting it and sending it flying towards him. In one fluid move, he punched it in half and the pieces went to either side of him.

He's good. Making me virtually useless, here.

Stupid Vampire.

He ran towards Pazzi again. She set up an earth barrier to protect herself.

What happened next was both incredible and terrifying.

I blinked, and he had Pazzi in his grasp.

Behind him was a Vampire-shaped hole in her earth barrier.

So not only can he run super fast and punch through trees, now he can run through solid rock walls.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Every nerve in my body was screaming for me to get the heck out of there, but I had to save Pazzi.

"Peri!" She screamed, a hand reaching out to me.

Rage filled my spirit. How dare he try to hurt Topaz!

I formed a fist and started running towards him.

Something caught me and pulled me back, knocking the breath out of me. I started to look up, and something hit my head.

Then the darkness came.