Keeper's Knowledge (Balancer's Soul cycle) (91 page)

“There here?” Rhoda
asked.

He
smiled and entered everyone’s mind, but
he
had to hold way back for
his
mom and grandparents
mortal minds
.
“Jack? Will you and your mate please come over and join us?”
Their jaws dropped once they realized that
his lips didn’t move and he
still spoke in
this
new
way.

“It’s about time, Connor.”
Jack
said and
Connor
co
uld hear the bushes
across the clearing rustling as they came out of the trees.

“How did you
do that? What was that?” Rhoda
said with wide eyes.

“He used his telepathy.” Sarah said proudly. “We can enter another’s mind to read their thoughts, speak privately and even share mental images.
When you and David caught us
looking at each other
you were right. W
e were talking to each other.” Connor
saw the recognition slam onto his
grandparents face
s
.

Jenny
stood up once she saw
his
in-laws heading in
their
direction. Her voice became a whisper, but she still said “It can’t be… is that Jillian?”

When they became closer they
all stood. They were walking proudly in
their
direction
and holding hands intimately
. Once they stopped under the shade and stood on Sarah’s side
,
Jillian said to
Connor
“It seems like they haven’t passed out yet. That’s a good sign.
” He
smiled.

“Jillian… Are you really…”
Jenny
began to say until Jillian interrupted her.

“Am I really what? A Balancer? Immortal? Or Sarah’s mother?” Her golden eyes were playful and so was her grin. “Actually I’m all three.
I am a Liquid Balancer. Jack and I have been mates for over seven hundred years and Sarah is actually my flesh and blood daughter.”

“This is a lot to take in.”
Rhoda
said and sat down against the tree’s trunk.

“Get use to it
,
young lady.” Jack said while smiling and
she
actually blushed
beneath the wrinkles
. “There is still more for you to know and understand. Also I am a Fire Balancer if you’re wondering.” Jillian and Jack released their entwined hands and he walked up to
Connor’s
family. “In my seven hundred years I’ve rarely seen such acts of kindness. I heard your story
from a friend
and
I must say I’m impressed that you raised such a special child, besides Kara.” He chuckled and walked back to Jillian’s side.

“Wait a minute…” Jenny
’s eyes widened. “Did you two also go with them to that French word
something or another
meeting?”

“Yes we did.” Jillian said while smiling. “The meeting is called Mélange.”

“Did… Um… Kara and Mark go too?”
Jenny
asked and Jillian nodded a few times. “Is he a… Balancer too?”

“Mom, we’ll allow them to
tell you that story. I must give you fair warning, but Ka
ra is a little different now.” Connor
said evenly.

Jenny
’s eyes widened even more and her tears started up again. Then she demanded “What happened to your sister!?”

He
entered everyone’s minds again.
“Mark! Kara! You’re up.
”

Connor
turned around as the shrubs began moving. Everyone quieted down once they saw Mark and Kara walking across the field. They were both in their normal human forms and wore their normal leather gear. Mark’s black hair was short and spiky while Kara’s hai
r was longer and sandy blonde. Connor
could see her pack of paintings
slung over her left shoulder. Once they came within normal ear shot Kara handed her pack to Mark and he took it. Kara grinned and
Connor
knew what was going to happen next.

“HI MOM!!!” Kara yelled an
d began running. She ran past her brother
and tackled
their m
om to the ground. “I’m home.” S
he began laughing.

“Kara…get…off.”
Jenny
said in a shallow breath.

“Oh, sorry about that. I forgot about my weight.”
Connor
shook
his
head at
his
sister. Kara stood up and helped
their m
om back to her feet.

Jenny
caught her breath and said “Good grief.
You’ve packed on some weight…” Connor
saw
his
grandparents eyes widen once they saw it and then
their mom
stopped cold. “Kara? What happened to your eyes? Are you wearing color contacts?”

Mark now stood at
Connor’s
side. Kara stepped back and stood beside him. Kara’s voice became quiet as she said “No, Mom, I’m not wearing contacts. My eyes are now silver
. I freaked out too once I saw them myself for the first time. You know that they are Balancers.” Kara pointed to
Jack and Jillian
. She then pointed to herself and Mark.
“We’
re Changers. Don’t worry Mom, I wasn’t born this way.”

“Then how did you…” Jenny
then shifted her eyes to Mark. “Was this your doing? How old are you then?”

“Yes it was my doing and I am actually just over nine
hundred.” He said calmly and Jenny
shook her head. He then continued. “I didn’t force her to become like this. It was he
r decision to become like me.” Connor
was glad he didn’t explain how it was done or what happened during Kara’s transformation.

Rhoda
took a step forward and asked “What is a Changer exactly?”

Kara smiled and said “Changers can manipulate their bodies into pretty much whatever we need. That is why I’m wearing this?” Kara did a quick
pirouette
to show her leather gear. “Allow me to show you what I can do…” She stopped and warned everyone in a shy voice “This will really freak you out. I hope after this you will still treat me the same.”

Before
the
y
could comfort her, Kara’s pupils began to glow.
Jenny and her parents
stopped breathing. Then
they
heard the bones inside
Kara’s
body fracturing.
Connor and the others
have seen her transformations many times so
he
watched
his
family’s faci
al reactions. All of their f
eatures
became astonished and awed. Once the internal sounds
ended fifteen seconds later Connor
turned to see
his
sister standing in her wolf form. Kara
stood
taller than normal and
completely
covered in sandy blonde fur. Her
hands and feet were now claws and her bulky head resembled
nearly
every aspect of a wolf. Her barreled chest and breasts were covered by her leather top.
Her teeth were hidden behind her lip flaps and her slit eyes peered down at everyone. Her voice became animalistic yet still feminine when she began to speak.
“I know this is frightening to see for the first time, but it still is me in here.” She touched her left claw to the top of her breast. “I chose this life because I loved Mark and wanted to be with him forever. The only way for us to be together was for me to become like him.”

Suddenly
Jenny
burst into laughter and startled all of
them
. “Kara, Kara, Kara.”
Jenny
shook her head
and laughed again
.
They worried that she was having a mental meltdown.
“You’ve always been like a hyperactive puppy and here you are now looking like one.”
She
laughed again and said “Come over here. I want to feel your ears.” Kara grinned and obliged. She dropped to all fours and walked up to
her mo
m.
Jenny
giggled once she
rubbed Kara’s pointy ears. “They feel like the real thing… Wow your fur is so soft…
like silk…
”

“Thanks Mom. I’m glad you’re taking so well.”
Kara peered around to look at her
silent grandparents. “What do you think of all this?”

David and Rhoda
looked at each other and began laughing. She said “Sweetie, you learn something new every day.” She smiled at
Kara
who just sat on her haunches
. “You know I’ve always believed in the strange and unexplainable, but I never could have imagined seeing it firsthand. What’s more is that my grandchildren are part of that world… Kara
,
I’m shocked, but I’m still your grandma and that will never change.”

Kara’s playful side kicked into overdrive as she got up and walked on her back legs to
her g
randma. Then Kara licked
her g
randma’s entire left
cheek
with one sloppy kiss. Then everyone laughed
, including Connor
.

Once things settled back down Connor
looked at
his grandfather a
nd grabbed his attention. “Speaking of the supernatural I have a question for you. What is your favorite mythical creature, Granddaddy?”

He crossed his arms and said “You already know
full well
my favorite mythical creatures are the dragons.”

“Well actually there called Keepers and they aren’t myths.” His eyes widened and a grin spread across his face. His arms uncrossed and
he became excited. “Would you like to meet them?”

“Really? You
’
r
e
not yanking my chain are you?”

“Sorono? Veronica? It is time for you to finally meet the family.”

Connor
turned around as did everyone else to see Sorono and Veronica walking out of the woods. They walked side by side looking tall and proud. Sorono walked with his hands behind his back and Veronica still had her egg on the curve of her left arm.
David
said
in awe
“No way… I can’t believe I get to see living dragons… wow…”

The look on his face was all worth the work and planning for this day.

T
hey were
soon
standing next to
everyone
and
the whole
family was openly gawking at them
. Connor
started the introductions. “Mom, you said you heard something big out in the woods when you found me. Well this is who you heard. This is Sorono the Head Elder of the immortals. He is also the oldest living immortal
.
H
e is over sixty million years old
and a
lso he is the brother I spoke of.”

Sorono knelt on one knee and offered his i
ndex finger as an offering to Connor’s
mother first.
“It is an honor meeting my little brother’s
surrogate
parents. I was correct in leaving him with you
all those years ago
. You have raised him to be a force for good
and balance
.”

While Jenny
cautiously shook the finger she
asked
“Are you really Connor’s brother
?
You look nothing alike.”

Sorono grinned,
showing his large and sharp teeth,
but
she
took it as a threat and ran behind the tree.
“What is the matter child? I was only smiling.”
Jenny
slowly moved from
behind
the tree
timidly
.
“That’s better. Now I know that my brother and I look nothing alike, but the Hallowed Mother branded me as well.”
Sorono stood and shrugged his robe off so they could see his
mark which was identical to Connor’s
except his brand was on his back.
“As you can see, we share the same fate.”

Connor
jumped in and said “This is my close friend
,
Veronica. She and Sorono are mates and she is over
eight
hundred thousand years old
.”