The Guardians (MORE Trilogy)
Read The Guardians (MORE Trilogy) Online
Authors: T.M. Franklin
The Guardians
Book 2 in the MORE Trilogy
By
T.M. Franklin
First published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop, 2013
Copyright © T.M. Franklin, 2013
The right of
T.M. Franklin
to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the
Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000
This work is copyrighted. All rights are reserved. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
All characters and events in this Book – even those sharing the same name as (or based upon) real people – are entirely fictional. No person, brand or corporation mentioned in this Book should be taken to have endorsed this Book nor should the events surrounding them be considered in any way factual.
This Book is a work of fiction and should be read as such.
The Writer’s Coffee Shop
(Australia)
PO Box 447 Cherrybrook NSW 2126
(USA)
PO Box 2116 Waxahachie TX 75168
Paperback ISBN- 978-1-61213-171-9
E-book ISBN- 978-1-61213-172-6
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the US Congress Library.
Cover image by: © Depositphotos.com / Francesco Cura
Cover Artist: T.M. Franklin
www.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/tmfranklin
Glossary of Terms
First Race/The Race
– Ancient people who’ve lived alongside humans throughout history. They are more advanced technologically than humans, have superior physical and mental abilities, and devote themselves to helping humanity grow and evolve. They are considerably fewer in number than humans, so maintain secrecy above all else in order to protect themselves.
Guardian
– Race member who has broken away from the Council. Guardians disagree with the Council’s stand on Half-Breeds and devote themselves to helping Half-Breeds escape the Council, learn to control their abilities, and live peacefully either in a Colony or back in the human world.
Guardian Colony/Colony
– Group of Guardians living together in hiding from the Council. A Colony is a safe haven for Half-Breeds.
Half-Breed
– A person of mixed human and Race heritage. The Council sees them as a threat to Race secrecy because they are often unable to control their Race abilities.
Heterochromia/HC
– A difference in color in two structures that are usually alike in color. In the
MORE
trilogy, HC refers to the Race trait of having two different colored eyes.
The Law/Race Law
– The highest governing force of the Race. The primary tenet of the Law is to aid in the development of humanity, but to never endanger the Race or compromise its secrecy.
Mimic
– person capable of imitating a Race imprint after only brief contact with the subject.
New Elysia
– Race city in the Rocky Mountains, approximately fifty miles from Kalispell, Montana. Seat of the Race’s Ruling Council.
Protector of the Race/Protector
– Race member entrusted with enforcing the Law, primarily through hunting down Rogues and Half-Breeds under orders from the Council.
Pyrokinesis
– The ability to set objects or people on fire or to supernaturally project fire from one’s own being through the concentration of psychic power.
Race Imprint
– A kind of electric shadow left behind by a Race member. Also known as a Race Signature.
Rejuvenation cube/R-cube
– A small, grey, gelatinous cube that helps restore Race power when it’s been depleted by use.
An R-cube is a supplement made up of, among other things, vitamins, protein, and electrolytes. It tastes like plastic.
Rogue
– Race member who rebelled against the Council and lives for pleasure. Rogues don’t care about keeping the Race a secret, and in fact often flaunt their abilities and use them to gain power. The Council sees them as the greatest threat to the Race.
Shifter
– Race member with the ability to teleport.
The Ruling Council/The Council
– The five-member ruling body of the First Race. The Council is charged with maintaining Race Law, protecting the Race, and resolving conflicts within the community.
Telekinesis
– The ability to move objects with psychic power.
Tracker
– Race member with an enhanced ability to follow even a minimal trail.
Veil
– Camouflage that hides a Race member’s true appearance, making them appear ordinary so they can fit in among humans.
Chapter 1
A loud crack overhead was the only warning. Ava’s head snapped up, and she caught a glimpse of black and blue before a thick branch fell toward her. She threw out a hand—more reflex than out of any real need—and the branch shifted its trajectory, landing several feet away on the spongy forest floor.
“You’ll have to do better than that,” she said quietly, well aware he could hear her.
She continued down the path, every sense on alert. The call of a crow in the distance obscured the faint crunch and splinter of debris underfoot.
Is that—
A rustle of movement to her left had her ducking behind a tree trunk, peeking around the edge into the thick forest. She caught the faint whooshing sound behind her and spun just in time to stop the large rock hurtling toward her. She smiled, bouncing the rock up and down a bit in the air, testing the limits of her telekinetic ability.
Show off
, she heard whispered through the trees.
With a smirk, she sent the rock shooting back through the forest in the direction of the voice, laughing at the surprised yelp in response.
“Come on!” she shouted. “You going to hide in the trees all day or fight like a man?”
Ava stood with her feet braced apart and head thrown back, listening intently. For a long moment, only the quiet sounds of the forest met her ears. She closed her eyes, focusing on her enhanced hearing, listening deeper . . . farther.
There.
The faint in-and-out of breathing grew louder as she focused on it, and she opened her eyes, turning in the direction of the sound. Pushing her eyesight beyond normal human levels, she spotted him hiding behind a tree—a peek of denim, a glimpse of pale blue cotton.
She ducked behind her own tree, heart pounding as she considered her next move. There was no way she could catch him. She wasn’t fast enough. She could try to throw something, though.
She glanced around frantically for something—pinecones were useless, the scattered sticks too small. A boulder several feet away was too big—she wasn’t sure she could even lift it, let alone force it between the trees. She’d need to try something else.
Ava took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing her mind as Caleb had taught her. She pictured the tree where she saw him hiding and tried to will her body to shift to that very spot.
Visualize your body . . . your very cells dissolving, dissipating into the air. See them coming together where you want them to be
.
Easier said than done.
You’ll feel yourself growing lighter, almost floating, and before you even realize what’s happening, it’s like you’re there . . . but you’re not.
Ava frowned. Caleb didn’t always make much sense.
She forced herself to breathe slowly and evenly, blocking out the sounds around her and focusing on her own heartbeat. She pictured herself floating, coming apart in the air. A tingle worked its way across her skin, now easily recognizable as her Race power coming to life. Her pulse quickened. Maybe she could do this.
Strong arms imprisoned her—one across her neck, another at her waist—not tight enough to cut off the air supply, but she was definitely immobile.
Ava cursed under her breath.
“So what now?” a low voice growled in her ear. “You going to try and push me? Throw some rocks at my back?” His arm tightened slightly, making her gasp. “I’ve got you right where I want you.”
“You cheated.”
He laughed, loosening his hold to step back. “I did not!”
Ava turned and leaned back against the tree, glaring at the sight of his bright blue eyes sparkling with mirth. She crossed her arms over her chest. “You did, too.”
Caleb grinned and reached out to tweak her earlobe. “And how exactly did I cheat?”
“Well, I’m sure there’s a rule against
. . .
” Ava scrambled for an answer, then smiled smugly. “Distracting me. It’s very dangerous to distract me when I’m trying to shift. I could end up inside a tree or something.”
He laughed. “That wasn’t going to happen.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do.” He stepped toward her, toying with the strings on her hoodie. “You weren’t going to shift, Ava. I would have felt it.”
She deflated, knowing he was right. “Why can’t I do it?”
“Not everyone can.”
Ava exhaled heavily. “It would just be so cool, you know?”
He smiled and leaned in to kiss her lightly.
Ava felt the familiar tingle of his power meeting hers.
“You can do lots of other cool stuff,” he reminded her.
She could. Since her, for lack of a better word,
breakthrough
at the Rogue lair, Ava’s telekinesis had proven to be a powerful gift, and one she was getting better about controlling. The same could be said for her enhanced senses, another Race trait that was becoming second nature to her. She no longer had to concentrate quite so hard to access her superior vision and hearing. If anything, it had become more instinctual. She had tuned in to conversations across campus, for example, before she’d even realized what she was doing. She felt kind of bad about that, to be honest. Just because she was a superhuman being didn’t mean she had a right to be rude.
But shifting continued to elude her. Caleb made it look so easy, disappearing and reappearing without breaking a sweat. Long distances were more challenging, but Ava was still a little jealous of his innate gift. It would be so handy on those mornings she overslept and was late for class.
Caleb was quick to remind her that not everyone was the same, and although Race members all shared certain traits, things like shifting and telekinesis were hit and miss. She knew she should be happy with what she
could
do, especially since she seemed to be more powerful than many others already. The face-off with the Council had proven that.