Keeper's Knowledge (Balancer's Soul cycle) (36 page)

“Really?” He
followed her finger to a five
and a half
foot
tall
man with broad shoulders. He had dark brown hair that came down to his shoulder
s
. He walked up to the pitcher
’
s mound. His eyes were butterscotch and his clean shaved facial features
revealed just how
handsome he i
s. He was wearing a brown sleeveless shirt and matching short
s. He wore no shoes and Connor
guessed that
Ryan
became a Balancer in his late twenties to early thirties.
He
remembered
hearing that Ryan i
s a Pressure Balancer.

There were six members on the field. Three men and three women were on the field. Laura squatted down into a catchers pose as she sat on her heels and the balls of
her feet supported her weight. Between the three bases stood
a man and a woman and the other
s
took the outfield.

A female Keeper referee
,
wearing a light blue robe
yelled
with her mental voice
“BATTER UP!”
and up came the first Changer as he twirled the bat like a baton in his left hand. He stepped into the left’s ba
tter
’
s box and took his stance. Connor
felt Ryan calling his energy and the ball floated
away
from his hand.
From the look Ryan’s
eyes
,
he was concentrating. Then
t
he metal ball
began
flying from the mound
like a bullet
.
T
he bat graze
d the ball
and thud
ded
onto something soft.
“STRIK ONE!”
Connor
saw then that Laura had her hand covered with the sand so it would absorb the impact. Ryan struck out two players. The third up connected with the ball and sent it into left fi
eld. It was too high for the fielder
to
jump and he knew it too. A
large ball of water
appeared
in the path of the ball
;
growing by the second
. The water slowed the ball down
just
enough for the outfielder to catch it for the third out.

Those watching
all sat and
enjoyed
the rest of the game
in rapt attention
until it
ended
.
Connor
felt a
nother
Keeper reaching
for
his
mind
and he
announced for everyone
“Team Victory and team Maul. Your turn at the Baseball field is
now
ready!”

Jillian jumped up first and disappeared into the crowd.
She didn’t look happy, but not sad either
, more like preparing herself to be let down again
.
Connor
looked
over
to
his
right. “Jack, where is she going?”

Jack revealed
a haunted
, hollow
smile. His eyes looked almost regrettable
and defeated
. “Jillian has gone to go and find her parents. She is going to bring them here to meet all of us.”

Connor
soon found out why he
seemed
so miserable.

Jillian held both of her parent
’
s hands as she led them
over
to
their
group
. She walked
between
the fence line and the bleachers until arriving where
they
all remained.
Jillian point
ed out
the
group and said evenly “We are sitting over there.”
Her parents walked with
malicious
pride
,
shoved u
p where the sun doesn’t shine. Connor predicted
this was going to be a stressful encounter.

Sarah asked
him
what her mother
just said and
Connor
told her. Through
their
bond
he
could tell she was anxious and a little afraid.
He
entered her mind.
“Princess? What is wrong with you and your parents?”

She sighed and looked at him
with unfocused eyes.
“My grandparents can be a little…harsh and a little demeaning
to us
.
Apparently since Mother wasn’t
the
first born we are all secondhand outcasts
in their eyes
.
They are extremely old fashioned
and biased
.
I doubt they’ve changed in the past two and a half decades.
”
Connor
felt
his
guard instantly going up, but silently nodded
in understanding
.

The three of them walked up the bleachers
with Jillian leading.
Connor
finally received a closer look at
his
new
grandparents
,
through
his
mate. Laura had a fair complexion with freckles on her cheekbones
, giving her a younger appearance. And he
finally found out where Sarah got her eyes from. Ryan had
almost
black hair and eyebrows
yet were still classified as brown
. His eyes were a brighter butterscotch compared to Jillian’s golden. Just looking into their eyes
he
figured
them both to be at least nine
hundred years old. The two of them looked at all of
them
as
they
sat close together. Jack sat on
his
right and Sara
h, Mark, Kara, Veronica
followed by Clarein
,
to Connor’s
left
.

Connor
made
him
self
appear
smaller and not so menacing or dangerous.

Ryan spoke first after they stopped.
“Jack… it seems like you’re still as thin as ever.”
Connor’s
father-in-law nodded
stoically
, but
he
knew
the look when Jack’s rage builds
. His azure eyes began blazing
yet his tongue held back from the insult
.
“Well if it isn’t my youngest grandchild. How fares your past twenty five years?”
H
is voice was thickly Irish as he spoke.

Sarah stood up and smiled, but it wa
s forced
through cold
, rigid
steel
. “Very well Ryan
. I have had an exciting life recently.”

Laura’
s eyes immediately sneered in Connor’s
direction and her accent was also Irish. “So it seems like you finally found a mate
, lass
. He looks like an uneducated backwater
American
to me.”
Ryan nodded with a
mocking
smile.

Connor
looked when V
eronica made a silent growl which
l
eft the others out except for those
with exceptional hearing. She looked
over
at
Co
nnor and stopped when she saw him
smiling.
He
had to change the atmosphere before they
drug
their audience with them
too far.
“Sorry, Sarah, but I’ll introduce myself.”
He
stood and looked down at them
,
hiding no longer
. They finally noticed
and realized
how large
he
truly
i
s.
Connor cooled his expression go be
cold and impassive
,
which was relatively easy.
“Y
ou caught me quick enough
.
And
you
look like a one time party trick, Laura.
I would rather you call me Connor, but I’m not going to be bothered by
your
insignificant insults. It’s not worth my time or my family’s. You’re both welcome to stay if you’d like, but only if you remain polite. If not
,
I will b
e pleased if you would leave us
. If you insult any more of us…”
Connor
spread
his
arms to
encompass
all of
his
companions. “Let’s just say this will be a meeting you’ll
never
forget.” He
spoke
all this with an even voice while looking at the two of them. Jill
ian had already taken her seat b
y Jack.

They were both acting like he
just slapped them, but actually
Connor
slapped their ego
’s
. Ryan spoke in a deep and menacing voice. “
Boy
,
you had better watch that flippant tongue of yours.”

“No Ryan
, you had better watch yours!
” This came from Connor’s
now fuming mate
which silenced them instantly
. “We were going to remain pleasant, but the first thing you two do is insult
the man I love
. We were both looking forward to meeting our family and distant relatives. Unfortunately as it is, the two of you are
n
either
any longer
.”

“Girl
, keep that mouth of yours shut!
You know better than to talk that way to me.” Ryan’s right hand
began to
reach behind his back
while he spoke
.

Connor’s
patience
came to an end
.
Ryan
went too far
by making that threat
and gesture
.
Like lightning Connor
grab
bed
Tool
and he
stuck the hatchet’s blade right up to
Ryan’s
throat
before his hand completed its path to his back
. He was shocked from such
speed and gall for holding a blade to his throat. Behind
him Connor
heard four separate
and dangerous
growls.
F
rom
his
peripheral
vision a pair of sandy blonde claws
wrap
ped around and began to
pull Sarah away from
his
side. A second later
,
on either side of
him, Connor
saw two canine muzz
les with their teeth showing that
they were both ready for a fight
the opponent couldn’t win against on their best day
. Laura was standing co
mpletely s
till with shocked expression as
blood drained
from her features
, making the freckles stand out more
.

Connor
leaned in closer to Ryan and spoke on an emotionless
plane of existence
. “Do not ever come near us again. You can make all of the snide comments you want at me, but to do it to your granddaughter is a whole other subject. Next time we cross paths I would suggest you stay clear
of me
.
If you don’t
,
then the next time my blade won’t stop.
”
He
pulled
his
weapon from
Ryan’s
throat
reluctantly
.

The two of them slowly started backing away
, but Veronica put in her last words.
“I would suggest that you two hatchlings pick a fight that you know you can win. You both came out lucky
to be alive
.”
They
were soon gone, but not before Connor stole
a good look at Ryan. Behind his back was a leather whip
with metal spikes at the end of the line
.
Connor
felt justified in
his
actions.