Touched by Darkness (Young Creator Trilogy) (6 page)

attacked by Allecto and her henchmen. “How are we getting there?”
“You’ll see.” Keagan gives me a smile, and it’s a real smile. My heart soars in my chest
and hope starts to bloom where there has only been desperation to hold onto a memory that had
seemed so distant. Maybe Keagan is coming around and we can start by being friends again, then
maybe… one day. I know its wishful thinking, but I try to look at the positives; if there is a
chance for any sort of relationship with Keagan then I will take it. I just miss him, his laugh, and
the way his eyes twinkle when he is picking on someone that he likes.
We follow the trail leading out of the valley, then up the stairs that lead to the only exit. It
is a long, dark tunnel, which passes through the gigantic mountain that blocks our path. The
journey through the tunnel is harder on me this time. Riley was leading me last time, this time I
have to figure my own way, constantly stumbling over raised roots and slipping on slick rocks.
Keagan doesn’t wait. Instead, I find him leaning against the rock wall, chewing on a piece of
grass.
“’Bout time, what took you so long?”
“I’m just not as familiar with the tunnel as you are, so I was having some issues finding
my way. Thanks a lot for your help.” I roll my eyes, wanting him to know how annoyed I’m.
“Not my problem,” he tells me nonchalantly. I ask for patience when it comes to this idiot
that Ican’t seem to get out of my head, but I really feel like I’m about to run out. He has my
emotions all over the place; one minute I want to slug him, and the next I want him to hold me.
“Whatever, Keagan!You’re just being a jerk, but I guess I should not be surprised. Let’s
go, we don’t have all day.” I begin walking, not paying one bit of attention to Keagan.
“Where are you going?” I turn back around atKeagan’s question, discovering that he is
still leaning against the rock wall, not having moved one step.
“I’m walking to Haven, which is what we are both supposed to be doing.” I remind
myself to breathe and not start screaming my frustration at him.
“I guess if you really want to, you can. I’m going to get myself a ride,” he says, pushing
off the wall and walking toward the right side of the mountain, trailing his hand along the sharp
contours of the rock face. I watch him, not knowing what is going on, when all at once a large
area of the rock wall opens a doorway the size of a three car garage door. I walk over and notice
that it is a huge cave filled with a few all-terrain vehicles and a couple of four wheelers. Keagan
heads in the direction of a black four wheeler, but then decides to grab the handle-bars of a dirt
bike instead. It is a Honda CRV125F; beautiful and sleek. Keagan jumps on it, revving up the
engine, and it purrs to life. He glances my way with a happy smile on his face and motions for
me to get on the bike. Climbing on behind him, I try holding onto the back of the bike, not
wanting to make him uncomfortable by having our bodies press together.
“You better hold on tight or else you might fly off the back,” he yells as he slowly eases
out of the garage. I press my body flush up against him and tightly wrap my arms around his
waist. My head rests against his shoulder blade and I can smell that wonderful Keagan scent. I
breathe him in and close my eyes, enjoying the feel of him so close to me, knowing that this may
be the last time .
The next thing I know, we are flying through trees and over rocks. The bike handles
everything with ease, and when Keagan glances over his shoulder and notices the huge smile on
my face, he decides to have a little fun and do a few small jumps. I laugh and scream my
enjoyment. I have never been on a dirt bike, but I think I might have to get one. All too soon we
are at the location Helen pointed out on her dry-erase board. Keagan and I sit down, waiting for
the sign. The view from up here is incredible. Since we are high up, I can oversee all of Haven,
which is surrounded by a thick forest and mountains making a beautiful backdrop. The sun is
starting to set and it illuminates everything in a soft red glow.It’s breathtaking. Keagan and I sit
side by side, watching the sun go down and waiting. We don’t talk to each other, not one word.
The silence is comforting.
I watch as Helen, my mom, and Maximus enter Haven. I’m surprised to see them when I
haven’t seen any of the other groups get into place. I glance at Keagan, but notice that he doesn’t
seem worried. Instead, he is watching as the three make their way to the main building. I
remember that place with the incredible carvings depicting the history of my family and all of the
bad things that they have chosen to do. It was where I first met Brother Lorrus, who I believe is
the leader of Haven. He kinda looks like Maximus, but is bald and bulging with muscle. He has
the shape of a body builder while Maximus has more of a lean runner’s look. My stomach gets
upset when I think of the rules that were given to me by him. All so cruel, and as if they were
meant to break someone’s will. I got to feel first-hand how much pain and humiliation is
administered when you break one of
their
rules.
As soon as they step into Haven and people notice them, everyone stares, watching them
walk toward the Center. I watch a boy run into the Center, and a moment later Brother Lorrus
exits, arms crossed and a scowl on his face. He is definitely not happy. I guess he knows that
they have come to challenge him and Haven’s ways. I wonder what they are going to be
discussing. Why not find out.

It’s
pretty steep;I’m gonna have to figure something out if I want to hear their conversation.
“What are you talking about,Trish?”
“Exactly like what it sounded like, what’s so hard to understand? I’m going to go listen to

how things go when your mom makes the proposal to Lorrus. Any other stupid questions?
” I
can’t help but laugh at the look on his face. “You don’t like it when people are rude to you, do
you? Well maybe you should remember that when you’re talking to others. My mom always said
to treat people how you want to be treated.”

“We need
to stay here, that’s what Tisiphone told us. We have a part in this battle we
have to fulfill. You can’t disobey her orders.” Who is this dude, where did my guy go? No sense
of adventure at all.

There
’s no reason to worry about anything. I got it.”
“I can’t let you do that! What if you get captured?It may completely ruin the plan.”
“Do I detect some worry for littleold me in your voice?” I try teasing him, but instead of

a smile I receive a frown.
“It’s my duty to protect you. If I let you go down there and something happens, then that
means I failed my duty, which is something that I will not allow.” This Keagan is lame. All he
ever thinks about is his duty as a Guardian;he doesn’t seem to relax or just enjoy himself. I can’t
believe how different he is, it’s just too strange.
“You worry too much, Keagan.It’s gonna all work out.” I look at the cliff again and
notice that it kinda curves. What better to have running along the curve than stairs carved into it?
I picture the stairs in my head, and as I have come to expect, they appear out of thin air. I glance
over my shoulder at Keagan with a smile on my face. He seems shocked at my display of power.
“You are just going to have to get used to this.”
I start making my way over to the stairs, but feel a hand on my shoulder holding me back.
“You need to stay here,Trish.” I squirm out from his hold and turn to face him.
“Keagan,I’m a big girl and can make my own decisions. You are not my keeper.”
“Technically… I’m your keeper, Trish, and it seems like you need someone to talk some
sense into you. Are you always this careless?”
Here he goes again. Why does he always have to push my buttons? Before I can even
come up with an answer, I notice a commotion near the Center. When I turn around, I see all
three of our people tied up and led by knifepoint out the door. Oh no, what happened?
“Trish,don’t make this hard on me, just let me take you to Haven. We can help you.” I
turn around, but before I can even comprehend what is happening I feel the sharp edge of
Keagan’s blade against my throat. This can’t be happening! Keagan has not betrayed us. How
could he?
“I know that you are upset right now, but this is the right thing to do. If your kind is not
properly trained then you cause nothing but evil.”
“You betrayed us! What about your mom? Don’t you care that she is tied up?”
“She has fallen off the path and needs to be re-educated to remember her place. We
Guardians have a long history of protecting the humans from the likes of you, and Ican’t let this
happen. That is why we made the decision we did. I’m so glad Porsche talked some sense into
me.”
Porsche
. I grit my teeth at the name and curse her inside my head. I have to do something; I
can’t let them win. Not only would this be terrible for us and those in Haven, but it would also
stop us from stopping Allecto and Haddie from their evil plans. “Keagan, you’re making the
wrong decision. You are endangering the entirety of humanity. Don’t you remember what
happened on the bridge? We stopped Allecto from killing millions,don’t you think that we are
on the right path? You really need to consider what you are doing and what the outcome of your
decision is. It is not too late, let me go and I can fix this mess that you have created.”
Keagan seems to consider my words, and while he is silent with his thoughts I notice
more and more Guardians gathering the rebels. Porsche comes into the clearing with a huge
smile on her face. She runs up to Brother Lorrus and gives him a huge hug. “Ugh, is Porsche
dating Brother Lorrus?”
“No, Trish,that’s her dad.” Why did I not know that? I would have made sure she was
thrown out of the rebel camp! Why did Keagan have to do this? I thought that he had gotten over
his whole Guardian belief. Now the conversation that Helen and Markus had runs through my
mind about how much I changed Keagan. I guess without those memories he has changed his
outlook. I see Eddie carry Tisiphone into the clearing; she is hanging limply over his arm. I
really am the only chance that we have.
“I know you don’t remember what happened while we were at Haven, but you put me
through hell and it honestly was the most horrible experience in my life. Humiliation, pain, and
loneliness were just some of the things that I experienced while here. I really think Haven has
been built on the wrong beliefsand we have to help those people.”
“If I was so cruel to you, how come that you like me so much?” he asks.
“Because you followed your instincts, Keagan, and realized that what Haven stood for
didn’t feel right. Deep down, in your gut, you had been questioning some of the practices and
you saved me. You were there for me when I needed you. You are the reason that we are all
alive, because of the choice that you made. Do you really want to change all of that?”
I can feel the pressure from the knife ease. I also notice that they are pulling a kicking,
screaming Riley into the middle of the village. “Do you want your mother and Riley to
experience pain and hurt? You know that both of them are strong, independent women and they
will not just adhere to the rules and live the lifestyle that Haven expects anymore. Is that what
you want for them? Is it,Keagan?” My voice gets stronger and stronger with every word, and I
know that I have made my point when the knife falls from my throat. “Go stand over by the trail
and watch my back. I trust you with my life.” I meet Keagan’s gaze as I instruct him, letting him
know how serious I’m. He does what I asked him and walks over to the only area that someone
could access the cliff from.
I know that this is probably going to take more of my energy than fighting Allecto and
Haddie, but I decide that I will do whatever it takes to rescue the people I have come to care so
much about. First things first; I close my eyes and imagine all of the captured rebels unbound,
with weapons in hand. It happens just as I see it in my head, and there are now a bunch of
surprised Guardians held at sword point by rebels that were prepared to expect anything. Sadly,
the surprise only lasts momentarily and all too soon the training that the Guardians have been
instilled with comes to the surface. Fighting breaks out everywhere, and I see that even though
the rebels are trying and some are doing really well most of them are just not as well trained as
the Guardians. So I do what I know how to do well; I change things around a bit. Terreca, the
young women that I had just talked to earlier today, is holding her own against Eddie, but I can
see the strain on her face. I decide to change his sword into a rat, which I really think is the
perfect animal for him. I start changing the Guardian’s weapons into flowers, and I can tell that
the tide is turning as more and more of them lift their arms up in defeat.
“Let me by, Keagan. I have to put an end to her! She always gets in the way of what I
want.” I recognize Porsche’s voice, but I’m going to have to put my trust in Keagan. I continue
changing things and creating obstacles to help make it an even fight. I notice that my mom and
Helen are both fighting fierce-looking Guardians. My mother can barely hold hers off, so I
change the sword into a banana just like the other day during the demonstration. I want her to
know that I’m here for her and have her back. However, the big Guardian doesn’t stop his assault
on her; he grabs her and lifts her into the air, throwing her against the carved walls of the Center.
She crumbles to the ground, but quickly gets back up. Picking up her weapon, she once again
faces the giant with the bulging muscles.
He rushes toward her, but just before he reaches my mother I see Helen swing a huge pot,
which connects with his head and knocks him right out. I’m so relieved that they are both all
right. Mymother’s fight had completely distracted me from everything else that had been going
on. I hear fighting behind me, and glancing over my shoulder I see that Keagan is fighting
Porsche, protecting my back. When I return my concentration to the Center, I notice that more
Guardians have appeared and are driving the rebels back. I see a few running for their life, while
others are receiving injuries.
I wish I had Tisiphone here to support me; I wonder what she would do. There is too
much going on! Every time I think that I have gotten things under control, I notice someone in
trouble. I scan the battlefield below, turning weapons into bananas, but the problem is that the
Guardians are adjusting and using hand-to-hand combat. The rebels, who hadn’t been told to
expect this and are far less skilled than the Guardians, are unable to adjust. Seeing some of them
throw down their weapons, I shake my head. Thankfully, Helen is not one of those that has
discarded her weapon and she is really holding her own. I wonder why she is not using her
powers, since she is just like me. I guess she might not know how to access her powers; I
remember how difficult it was for me to figure it out.
I definitely could have used them when I was kidnapped and brought to Haven, but
instead of easily accessing them as I do now they would just randomly show up. Luckily, they
saved me a few times. I will have to talk to Tisiphone when this is over and see if we can help
Helen access her powers. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it before, we could definitely use
someone else on our side with powers. Helen is now fighting two guys at the same time, and I’m
impressed with her skill with the sword. She must have been training with Markus, because she
is pulling off some moves that I have only seen on TV. A tall, red-haired Guardian is attacking
from the right, and to miss his blow she does some sort of fancy flip off the wall. Kicking the
Guardian in the back of the head with a roundhouse kick, he falls to the ground, knocked out.
The second Guardian that has been fighting Helen lands a blow to her side; I guess he is one of
those whose weapon I turned. She staggers back and falls, putting a hand to her side, and I think
he really hurt her. She gets to her feet and I cheer inside for her. I wish I knew how to help her.
“Why are you defending her,Keagan?” I hear Porsche ask.
“I’m not! This is for my sister and mother. It feels like it’s the right thing to do, and I’m
trusting my instincts.” I’m happy to hear Keagan say this. It means that the guy I fell for is still
somewhere in there.
“You are going against everything that our kind believe in, and for what… her? I thought
you cared about me.” She is so manipulative, trying to make this personal versus what it is truly
about. While listening to their conversation, I continue helping the rebels by setting up obstacles
that hinder the guardians from using all of their skills.
“Porsche, I do care about you, you’re my girlfriend. I don’t have any feelings toward the
Young Creator, and I’ve told you this multiple times. This is not about her,it’s about making
sure that everyone gets treated the same.I don’t want my mother or sister to have to go through
what Young Creators go through, and I need to stand with my family. But that doesn’t change
how I feel about you, Porsche. I care about you.”
His words completely crush me. I can’t believe that he just called her his girlfriend. I
know that I saw them kissing, but hearing those words come from his mouth are like all the air
just got sucked from my lungs. I’m hyperventilating and having a hard time focusing on the
battle below. Turning around I find Porsche, the girl who is always super confident and makes it
her life’s mission to dress as slutty as possible, looking vulnerable. Evidentlyshe’s hurt because
Keagan chose to go against her. When you strip away all of the slutty clothes and the
hatefulness, Porsche is actually quite beautiful. I can’t help but wonder if this is who she is when
with Keagan. How can I compare to her? Her eyes are glassy with unshed tears and the sword
that I had noticed poised and ready to attack is now held loosely at her side. She appears crushed,
defeated. I don’t trust her; I feel like she is doing this to get underKeagan’s skin and is going to
attack him at any minute.
“Keagan,don’t trust her!She’s making you let your guard down.” Keagan glances my
way when I speak, and in that moment Porsche flings herself at Keagan, putting him in a
headlock. She is attached to his back and I can see that Keagan’s face is turning purple from the
loss of air. He is trying to remove her from his back by pulling her arm, but with little success. I
don’t think he wants to hurt her, and that is what eventually causes him to black out. I simply
stand there, and it comes to me that I should have done something to help him, but I was too
shocked at the strength and conniving way that Porsche has about her.
Suddenly, Porsche raises her sword and starts running toward me. I imagine her in the
grassy area that Aunt Tisi and I always practice, and right before my eyes she starts disappearing.
I will deal with her another time. I’m done with this and don’t feel like playing small ball
anymore;it’s time for some real magic.
I take in the scene below me and start picturing it as I want it. I visualize a large
containment area with bars running the entire front of the building and only one door leading out.
I then imagine all of the Guardians inside, and the keys that open the building in Helen’s hands. I
have to close my eyes because it’s taking a lot of energy and I start feeling tired. I know that I
can’t do a whole lot more. I’m just done, butI don’t want anybody hurt. I don’t know why we
didn’t do this to begin with,but sometimes I guess we just don’t think of using our powers to the
full extent. When I open my eyes, I see that it is just as I wanted it. All of the Guardians are in
the containment building and the rebels are cheering. Helen turns and looks in my direction,
lifting her sword in the air in acknowledgment. In the next instant, all of the rebels are turning to
me, raising their swords and cheering me on. I’m glad that it’s all over and no one got seriously
hurt. Taking a deep breath, I wave to everyone before turning to check on Keagan.