Typhoon & Tempest

Chapter Twenty Seven

Lily stepped away from the Supernova, her heels brushing the edge of the pier. She gripped the banister to ground herself as he cocked his head to the side, dark eyes following her movements.

"It wasn't that hard putting two together." He said, slowly walking onto the pier towards her. "Your abilities manifesting when they did, the mystery of the glowing grey eyes haunting my school. I knew who you were before you ever did."

"I don't understand." Lily stammered, her eyes melting back to their normal dark shade. "Who are you? What are you?"

He smiled slowly, his white teeth almost blinding compared to his dark skin. "My name is Jacob. I'm a shade."

"A shade?" Lily tried to comprehend what and who was standing in front of her.

"Would you like the full story?" Jacob asked. "Or the short snappy version?"

Lily blinked. "Which one doesn't get me killed?"

"None of them."

"Then the long one, please."

Jacob frowned at her. "I'm not here to kill you, little river. I'm here to inform you, guide you. You have no knowledge of who you are and what your place is in our world - I'm here to change that."

"Little river..." Lily clenched her jaw. "Why does everyone call me that?"

"Because that is what you are." Jacob now stood beside her on the pier, one push from him and she'd tumble into the lake. "My predecessor Freida could see it a mile off. I can sense your power, it cannot hide itself from me. And the rogue, Yuric, knows power when he smells it."

"I'm a little river? That's my creature?!"

"Of course not," Jacob shook his head. "Shall we sit?"

Lily, left with no other option than to hear out the Supernova, sat down next to him, their feet dangling over the water. "I have a lot of questions."

"I'm sure you do."

"Are you going to answer them?"

"Not all of them," Jacob stared her down. "There are some things you need to learn on your own."

"Do you know what my creature is?" Lily asked anyway, knowing she might not get an answer.

"Let's start with my story first, and I'll tell you what you need to know." Jacob waved her question aside and stared at the fish swimming beneath their feet.

"I was born in Kenya." Jacob recounted. "I was a hunter for my tribe, spearing fish and taking them to our tables. I was loved by my village until the raid.

"My people ran or fought, but I was a coward. I hid, prayed to whatever gods were above my head or beneath my feet that I'd be hidden. Safe. I only realised I was using my shade abilities when my friends came looking for me and walked right past me.

"Your abilities didn't arrive when you were born?" Lily frowned. "Like with werewolves?"

"A shade doesn't use his abilities from birth like werewolves or vampires. Ours is a choice that begins when we first need to hide." Jacob's eyes glazed over as he drowned in a memory Lily couldn't see.

"I was shunned from my village. I fled, and as I grew older I grew stronger, more powerful. It's amazing how much you can learn about the world when the world is blind to you, and what people do when they think no one is looking." A haunted expression filled his face for a moment, remembering the horrors he'd seen, but he drew up his smiling facade for the young Lily. "I met many supernaturals from all walks of life throughout my journey. I found my place some years ago, when I realised that I could not be beaten by those who could not see me."