บททั้งหมดของ The True Nature Series: บทที่ 61 - บทที่ 70

IT TOOK FOREVER TO rehash everything with Ruthie, especially since she rarely let me finish a thought without interrupting. I tried to gloss over the supernatural creatures, but Ruthie peppered me with questions. She wouldn't let me skimp on any details. I told her how Dante could put you to sleep with a touch. How he could see colors in peoples' auras, and how my aura was more colorful than any Dante had ever seen before, and that Zander's aura was similar to mine, too. I told her how Dante pushed me into the cellar, how messed up in the head he had been. And I explained my strange vision of Zander trying to find me. Ruthie sidetracked me for a while, making me describe exactly how I saw her with Phoebe after school when she was looking for me, as if I had to prove that I saw her. Surprisingly, that seemed to interest her the most - the idea that a dream had revealed what she'd been doing. I had to provide evidence by telling her bits of her conversation with Phoebe. Once I did that

SHE SET ASIDE THE announcement and photo album and perched herself on the edge of the bed. "So, you think that the wolf you saw in your backyard was, in fact, your Aunt Caroline?" "Yeah. It makes crazy sense." Another thought popped into my head. "Oh, and I almost forgot. Dante said 'the fixer' was different, that she was usemi, you know, a wolf shape-shifter. But she used to be idimmu. Idimmu are hybrids - a mix of human and something else." I air quoted "something else." "And that makes her way more unusual than just being usemi." If my aunt was Dante's "fixer" then I had as much reason to pity her as I had to hate her."No way! Your aunt is a werewolf?" Even Ruthie's extensive limits of believability were being stretched thin, but her voice said she had already accepted it. "Your dream about the fight between the wolf and vampire, where the girl was bitten by the wolf. You think it's her, don't you?" she said. I shrugged. "What about the vampire guy?" Ruthie asked. "Do you

IN THE MORNING I was surprised to hear the doorbell ring instead of Ruthie's car horn. I zipped up my backpack and headed downstairs, following the voices to the kitchen. Dad and Ruthie huddled around the counter."What are you two up to?" I called out, already guessing.Ruthie whipped around, a toothy grin on her face. "It's hot cocoa day!" she quipped, holding out her paper cup. I looked out the window to see a bright sunny day awaiting us. Last night's cold fog had disappeared and been replaced with brightness and warmth. It didn't seem cold enough to warrant hot cocoa, but this was Ruthie Robles we were talking about."Every day is hot cocoa day for you," I countered, with a knowing smile. Dad stocked up on disposable mugs just for Ruthie's requests."It's the least I can do for Ruthie since she won't take any gas money," inserted Dad, topping her cup with a large helping of whipping cream.Ruthie's head vibrated with excitement. "Thanks Mr. Parker! You've got the best recip

ON MY WAY HOME, I weighed the pros and cons of telling Ruthie about the Taylors, because it led to another secret I'd been sitting on. Should I tell her that Zander's father was the Collector, too? How much could I divulge if I didn't? I wondered again if I was risking her life in some way. Before I stepped out of her car, I casually dropped the first bomb, as if it was simply another item on our list of things to bring to the beach. She gasped dramatically. The car lurched forward before she remembered to slam on the brakes and put the car in Park."You think the Taylors are freaking spies for the Collector?" she screamed at me.I nodded, shut the car door, and walked off toward my front door. The hum of the car window rolling down had me spinning back to see her raising a shaking fist. She didn't leave without extracting a promise of details once she returned from grabbing all her beach gear.She showed up twenty minutes later with the top down on her convertible and her bodyboa

NOW SHE UNDERSTOOD WHY I was so worked up. "Exactly," I said."Does anyone else know? Besides us and Bobby?" asked Ruthie. I knew what she meant by it. We had to contain the knowledge that Dante drove me home from school that day."Zander does, of course. I don't think Bobby told anyone other than Shrina, at least so far. I'll remind him to keep his gob shut when we get back to school. And to tell Shrina the same thing."Ruthie nodded. "Well, his eyesight getting better is kind of odd."I clenched the blanket tighter."Do you think Dante changed him when he knocked him out?" asked Ruthie."He didn't change me." I met her gaze as she raised an eyebrow. "You know what I mean. Anyway, what if I did something to Bobby, that day at lunch when Dante first noticed me? Dante said I fixed him. He could tell I was doing something, through my aura. Man, I wish I could jump back in time and do things differently."I flopped down and I tried to move back into the body mold I'd burrowed into