They Walk Among Us
They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2012 T.A. Chase
Part Sixty-Two:
Zach-
I didn’t move from where I sat. If the Opalites didn’t like the fact Raven and I were lovers, then they would have to deal with it. I never really hid who I was back on Earth, and I wasn’t going to start now, just because we were on a different planet.
Andrel stepped into the room. It was still a slight shock to me when I saw the Opalite since I was used to them looking just like humans. Yet here on Opal, there was no need for them to disguise themselves. Andrel was as big as Raven, but in a way, he seemed softer than my lover.
Maybe it was because he’d never had to live in a world where people were out to kill him. Living in constant danger can put an edge on anyone’s personality.
“I’m glad to see you’re awake, Raven Pacieler. Your sauria has been very worried about you.”
I looked at Raven. “I thought your name was Sanderson.”
Raven shrugged. “It is.”
“No. It’s the name of the humans who raised you, but your true family name is Pacieler,” Andrel corrected him.
“What is a sauria?” Raven didn’t seem inclined to argue with the other Opalite.
“It’s what we call a group of connected Opalites. All of you who came through the gate aren’t all connected by blood, but your bonds for each other are stronger because of your experiences. They have all claimed you as their leader.” Andrel gestured to the chair a few feet from the bed. “May I sit?”
Raven nodded, and I shifted, pressing closer to his side while not taking my gaze off Andrel. Just because this place had always been Raven’s dream didn’t mean it was totally safe. I wasn’t ready to drop my guard completely, and I’d do whatever I had to keep Raven unharmed.
Andrel sat and folded his hands in his laps. He studied us, seeming as intrigued by us as we were by him. The silence continued to build, yet I wasn’t going to break it. I’d learned whoever speaks first in a stand-off like this was the loser.
Finally, Andrel sighed and dropped his gaze to the floor. “Now that you’re awake, the Head Council would like to see and talk to you.”
“Why?” Raven asked.
“Because you are the first of the Lost Ones to return home. We’re hoping to learn from your experience to find a way to bring the others back.”
“Who are the Lost Ones? Where did they go and why can’t you get them back?”
Raven patted my knee, trying to stop me from bombarding Andrel with even more questions. I bit my tongue, wanting to continue, but knowing I had to let him answer.
Andrel chuckled, though sadness formed a backdrop in his dark eyes. “Are all humans so curious?”
I grimaced, and Raven laughed.
“This one happens to be.” Raven winked at me and I rolled my eyes.
“The Lost Ones are our great sorrow. There were four saurias-or groups as you would call them-sent out. They were chosen from among our most brilliant scientists and warriors. Not all of them went, but enough volunteered, we thought we couldn’t fail.” Andrel looked at the wall behind us, his gaze seeing the distant future.
“Were you alive when they left?” I couldn’t judge the Opalite’s age, though he felt older than Raven to me.
“I was just a baby when the saurias were sent on their missions, but I remember the anguish the entire population felt when we realized we couldn’t retrieve or even get in touch with them once they passed through the gates.”
Andrel shot to his feet and started to pace. The room wasn’t big enough for a full-grown Opalite to move around, plus a bed with a human and another Opalite on it. I crawled entirely on the bed, sitting cross-legged as close to Raven as I could get.
Raven rested his hand on my shoulder, and the tension in my body eased. Nothing looked insurmountable with him by my side, and since I wasn’t planning on leaving him any time soon, I figured we’d be fine.
“Why would anyone think sending them out like that was a good idea? We had no knowledge of the planets they were visiting. They could have been hostile, like Earth proved to be, or uninhabitable.” Andrel waved his arms around in agitation.
“Wait. You said there wasn’t any way to retrieve the saurias once they left. But we had a jewel to use, and it worked,” Raven pointed out.
Andrel whirled to glare at Raven. “You were lucky. Councilman Pacieler was one of our most intelligent scientists. She left nothing to chance, yet it was only after your sauria left, we found the notes she’d made about the jewel. She said she’d trusted the knowledge of the stones to one member of the five saurias.”
“And none of them have come back before this,” I murmured before turning to Raven. “How did you know about the jewel and how to use it?”
“Before my parents sent me away with my human family, my mother implanted the information in my brain. It wasn’t until a year ago that I was able to access it. Maybe it had to do with my age or something.” Raven motioned for me to get off the bed. “It’s time to go and talk to Rissa and Gregory, plus see how the others are doing.”
“You must go see the Head Council as well,” Andrel reminded Raven.
He nodded. “I’ll do that after I check on my people. They trusted me enough to follow me through a gate to an entirely different world. I need to make sure they’re okay before I do anything else.”
Andrel looked like he wanted to argue, but Raven grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the room. Andrel conceded defeat, shooting past us to lead the way out of the hospital. I hadn’t left Raven’s room since they carried him there. While we’d had to go outside to get from the gatehouse to the hospital, I hadn’t really been paying attention to the scenery.
When we stepped through the door, we both froze in surprise. It was almost like we’d never left Earth. The sky was the bluest I’d ever seen, and the trees surrounding the hospital were tall and so very green. It was like my home planet, but painted with a much brighter brush. Even the air felt different as I breathed. I wavered, and Raven cupped my elbow, supporting me.
“Be careful. Our air seems to make humans lightheaded for a few minutes until you get used to breathing it.” Andrel tilted his head, studying me. “Maybe it’s more pure than yours.”
“It’s possible. We’ve spent centuries polluting ours.”
We continued to walk along a gravel path, and I thought of how strange Opal was. An odd mixture of city conveniences and rural living. Modern buildings and even advanced sciences hidden amongst towering trees or beautiful grasslands. It was like the best of every world I could hope for.
As we topped a hill, I drew in a sharp breath and Raven stopped beside me. He slid his arm around my waist while we stared down at the expanse of brilliant blue water flowing out in front of us. Everything looked perfect, though I knew better than to believe there weren’t problems on Opal.
“Do you think you could live here with me?” Raven stared down into my eyes.
“I can live anywhere as long as you’re with me.”
I reached up and pulled his face down to mine. Our lips met in a soft promise to love each other, no matter where we were or what our lives threw at us.
Hop Against Homophobia
Today starts the Hop Against Homophobia. There are over 250 blogs involved, and most of them are offering prizes for your comments. But mostly what the hop is about is bringing awareness to the pervasive discrimination against a certain group of people in society. Normally I avoid political talk on my blog. Mostly because I’m not naive enough to believe that just because you read my books, you share all my same views. We’re all different in subtle and not so subtle ways, and that’s what makes this world so exciting and marvelous.
Yet I hope the one thing we can all agree on is that everyone has the right to their own happiness. As long as it doesn’t infringe or hurt others, then they have the right to be considered equal to me in every way. It shouldn’t matter who they love or who they want to marry. All that should matter is that they’re striving to be the best human beings they can be, regardless of sexual orientation. I’ve never understood hating someone because they’re different from you. Life would be terribly boring if we were all the same.
I’m sorry if my post isn’t that profound or earth shattering. I tend to look on equality for everyone as a no-brainer. And yet I understand that people struggle with it every minute of the day. I just hope we all become enlightened at some point in our journey through life.
I’m giving away a book from my backlist to two lucky commenters today. If I pick you, and you already have all my backlist, you can pick one of my up-coming releases. You’ll just have to wait until I get my author copies before you can get your prize.
Also, if you’d like to see who else is participating in the Hop, check out the Hop Against Homophobia blog.
And if you’ve stopped by for the next installment in They Walk Among Us, it’ll be up tomorrow. 
Happy Hunk Day
There’s just something about this guy’s eyes and smile that I love. I had to post it. You can find the rest of the series at Beautiful Magazine. They have some awesome eye candy photos, but most of them aren’t safe for work. Just keep that in mind if you visit…lol.
I just got the news yesterday that Tramps, the second in The Beasor Chronicles, has been moved up to be released August 20th. Which means I need to get cracking and finish it up. The reason it’s being moved up is because Total e-Bound is re-releasing The Vanguard in September. Woo-hoo! I’m really excited about the whole thing because starting in July, I’ll have at least one book a month coming out from TeB, and in July, August, and Dec. I’ll have two books each of those months coming out. We’ve done our best to try and alternate new books with re-releases. So you’ll be getting something new from me every other month, plus all your old favorites with new covers.
I also just saw the cover for From Slavery to Freedom, and as soon as I get the okay, I’ll share it with you. I’m pretty sure we’ll be putting Slavery and Out of Light into Darkness together in a print book, which would be great. 
I still have some other older books whose rights I’ve gotten back, and have to work out who they’re going to. As you might have noticed, you can no longer get Fighting Dragons, Ghost of a Chance, and Dreaming of Dragons from Loose-Id. I’m pretty sure I have a new publisher for them, so as soon as I can, I’ll let you know when those will be available again. Also, I still have to see about finding a home for Death or Life and Not Seeing is Believing. The reason those two don’t have a place yet is simply because I haven’t had the time to re-format them to the right template. As soon as I get a moment to do that, I’ll send them in, and let you know about them as well. 
I have final edits to do on Pursing Hope and Angel’s Evoultion. Those will be done today, I’m hoping…along with other things I’ve been neglecting. Most of which are forms I have to fill out…lol. I did let you all know Angel is being re-released by MLR Press, right?
Someone asked about Rover’s story, and I’m hoping I can get to it later this year. I have a few other stories I’ve promised first to different publishers, but as soon as those are done, I’ll be getting to his story.
Well, I think that’s all I have to say at the moment. I hope you all have a great Wednesday.
They Walk Among Us
They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2012 T.A. Chase
Part Sixty-One
After taking a deep breath, I lifted the jewel while letting my wings unfurl. My power surged through me, revealing my true form in its entirety. Black scales covered my body, yet my wings weren’t leathery. They were compromised of black feathers, and the bottom tips brushed the ground.
Moonlight hit the jewel and blue light bathed all of us. I closed my eyes, centered myself, and allowed the energy to pour from me into the stone I held. I heard someone gasp, but soon I couldn’t hear anything. The light surrounded me, yet I heard another voice inside my head.
The voice told me the words I had to speak to start the portal opening. I forced the spell out from between my clenched teeth while I struggled keeping my control. I feared I shake apart or the gate would absorb my essence, leaving me an empty shell.
As the echoes of the words faded, I felt a subtle shift in the energy. The portal was opening, and it drained even more of my power.
“Open your eyes, Raven.” A new voice commanded me.
I did, and surprise filled my heart. Another Opalite stood in the gateway. He held a matching jewel in his hands.
“We’ve been waiting a long time for our wanderers to return. You are welcome here.” He gazed beyond me, and somehow I knew he stared at Zach and Gregory. “Even those who are not of our race.”
“Thank you.” I stepped to one side and looked at my group. “Go through the gate one at a time. I’ll stay on this side to anchor it here while this Opalite will anchor it from the other side.”
I could tell they were afraid by the way they hesitated, yet what waited beyond the gate wasn’t any more dangerous to us then what the humans would do if they caught us. Finally, Rissa walked forward with Gregory at her side and they entered the portal. When nothing happened, and they appeared, unharmed, on the other side, the others lined up to go through.
Zach moved to stand by me. He didn’t touch me, and I was glad. It was becoming harder and harder to keep my hold on the gate, and any distraction could have made me lose it.
“Everyone else is through,” the other Opalite said. “Send this human through, and then you may come as well.”
I nodded at Zach, and he smiled up at me.
“See you on the other side,” he whispered as he stepped over the threshold into the Opalite world.
“Once you lower the jewel, you’ll only have a few seconds at most to get through the gate before it closes,” the stranger warned me.
“All right.”
I took a deep breath, lowered the stone, and dove for the gate. I felt the energy rush back into me as the gate closed, but I managed to get through without any major problems. Blackness overcame my vision and I lost consciousness when I reabsorbed my power.
I didn’t know how long I’d been out when I woke up next. I stared up at a light blue ceiling and blinked, trying to make the swirls in the pain stop moving. Or at least I tried, until I realized they really were moving and it wasn’t just my vision. I grunted as I tried to sit up.
“Oh, you’re awake.”
Turning, I spotted Zach sitting in a chair next to my bed. It was then I noticed the room I was in, and my mind supplied the thought that it was probably a hospital.
“Where am I?”
Some doubt inside me tried to tell me everything I’d done was a dream. My fellow Opalites and I hadn’t escaped from Earth and the humans who hunted us. I was still stuck in the hospital after getting beaten by the agents who’d taken Rissa.
After standing, Zach came over to me and took my hand in his. “You’re in the hospital.”
“Where’s Rissa, Gregory, and the others?” I pushed back the panic. If something was wrong, I didn’t think Zach would be so calm about it.
“After getting checked out by the doctors here, they’ve been fostered out to different Opalite families, so they can adjust to living on the home planet.” Zach glanced at the square object on the wall. It had odd symbols on it that I couldn’t read. “In fact, Rissa and Gregory should be showing up soon. They’ve been stopping by several times a day to check on you.”
“We made it then? We really are back on Opal?”
Zach squeezed my hand and grinned. “Yes, we made it, Raven, and it’s all because of you. Without your strength and determination, none of you might have returned home.”
“What happened? Why did I pass out?” I struggled to sit up, and Zach pushed pillows behind my back to support me.
“The Opalite who helped you with the gate said its backlash. Because you weren’t formally trained in making a portal, you didn’t know how to control the energy coming back into you, so it overwhelmed you and you passed out.”
That made sense.
“When I can talk to him or anyone else in charge?”
“Now that you’re awake, I’m sure they’ll have a lot of questions for you.” Zach sat on the edge of the bed. “I have to say they’ve been very kind to Gregory and me. Those Opalites I’ve met have also been extremely excited about you returning. They keep calling you the lost ones.”
Relief rocketed through me. I was happy to hear they were willing to accept us. My biggest fear was we would come back to Opal, and those who still lived here wouldn’t want us. We would have been in trouble then because we had no place else to go.
“The Lost Ones?”
Before Zach could answer, a knock on the door drew our attention and I shouted for whoever it was to come in.
Another Monday…Another Hunk
Well, the wedding went off without a hitch, though we had a downpour earlier in the day, and I was worried it’d keep raining. But luck was with my friend, and she got to have her ceremony outside. Yay!
I hope everyone had a great Mother’s Day, whether you’re a mother or not.
I’m going to be bringing They Walk Among Us to a close on the blog this week. I will be adding more to the story afterward before I publish it. I’ll be working on Tramps as well this week.
Have a great day, everyone.
Looking Forward to the Weekend
This weekend actually is a good one for me…aside from being Mother’s Day. I’m heading to a wedding tomorrow of a good friend, and it’s outside in a beautiful venue. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn’t rain.
I’ll be writing as well, of course…lol. That doesn’t stop.
I hope you all have a great weekend. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there.
They Walk Among Us
They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2012 T.A. Chase
Part Sixty-
“Where are we going?”
“Someplace a little less crowded. I want to do another healing on you before we go through the portal.”
He didn’t say anything, just went with me quietly. I was amazed by his trust, considering the generation before him decided we were evil and dangerous just from our arriving from outer space.
We found a spot away from the main crowd, and I sat beneath an oak tree. I patted my lap.
“Curl up on my lap. I just need to be able to touch your shoulder where you were shot.”
Again Zach didn’t protest, simply did as I said. I sighed when he settled across my thighs. The warmth from his body eased any anxiety I’d been feeling. Not sure why aside from the fact that I loved him, and I’d been so worried about his being shot while helping me. Having him in my arms helped remind me he was all right.
Zach rested his head on my shoulder, and I wrapped my arms around him, making sure to place one of my hands on his shoulder. There was still some heat coming from the wound, but I’d done a pretty good job getting it to stop bleeding and his body needed a small boost to protect against any infection.
“What do you think will happen when you open the portal?”
I shrugged. “I don’t have any idea. I know exactly how to use the jewel and get the portal open, but what happens after we step into it, I don’t know.”
“How do you know Gregory and I will survive the journey?”
It was a valid question, but unfortunately, I didn’t have a good answer for him.
“I don’t know, and if you don’t want to take the chance, I understand. I asked you to go with me because I love you, and I don’t want to leave you. Yet I’m responsible for all of them as well.” I nodded toward the group in the middle of the clearing. “I can’t abandon them either.”
Zach leaned back enough for me to see his face, and he smiled. “I know, and I’m not asking you to do that. I love you as well, Raven, and I’ll follow you wherever you’re going, no matter what kind of dangers there are.”
I pressed our lips together, loving how his mouth felt beneath mine. I wanted to do more than kiss him, but I knew we didn’t have time for anything more. I eased us apart before lying down. Zach used me as a mattress.
“We should rest. I don’t know what will be waiting for us on the other side of the portal, but we’ll need all the strength we have to survive the first couple of days.”
Zach nestled close, his head under my chin. After closing my eyes, I ran my hands up and down his back, using my power to push healing energy into his body. I wanted Zach at full strength when we left Earth. I wasn’t really using any of my power, just absorbing it from the dirt under me and channeling it into Zach.
We must have slept for an hour or so. When I woke up, Gregory crouched next to us, his hand on my shoulder. I blinked and he grinned.
“The last group just arrived,” he informed me.
Zach rolled off me and stood before offering me his hand. I let him help me to my feet. While I stretched, I looked over our large group, happy to see every Opalite that I’d know of was there. Linda and Fatima stood together, and I smiled at them. Justin stood a little behind them, but I didn’t worry about it. If he wanted, he could come with us.
I grabbed the box off the ground where I’d set it before we fell asleep. With Gregory and Zach walking behind me, I went to the middle of the clearing. I opened the box and pulled the jewel out, holding it aloft for all of them to see.
“Behold our way home.”
As I lifted it, the jewel began to glow, blue-white light bathing everyone in its wake. The jewel itself was a round stone of some mineral I’d never seen before, and figured it probably came from Opal with our parents.
“It has been a long time coming, but now the moment is here when we return to our own planet, and learning to live there. I can’t promise our lives will be easier. There may be problems we must face when we get there, but at least we will be among our own kind. Though even that doesn’t guarantee us a safe journey.”
I paused and glanced over at Zach and Gregory.
“The path from Earth to Opal itself might not be safe. I know only how to open the portal. I have no knowledge of what is beyond it. If any of you chose to stay behind, I understand. The risks here are known and can be avoided if careful. The risks we head toward might not be avoidable.”
Zach stepped up next to me and took my hand. “I’ll follow you. You’ve earned my trust.”
Gregory moved to stand with Rissa. “There’s no one waiting for me to come back. Maybe the future on Opal will be better than the past here on Earth.”
I saw my sister edge closer to Gregory, and contentment settled deep inside me. Together we would deal with whatever waited for us on the other side.
None of the others backed out, so I accepted the mantle of leadership from them.
“It’s time. Zach, please go and stand by Rissa and Gregory. No matter what, don’t try to enter the circle I’ll be placing around me. I won’t be hurt, but the energy needed to open the gate is immense, and I don’t want you to be hurt.”
“All right.” Zach stood on his toes, and brushed a kiss over my cheek before he went to join my sister.
Hunky Hump Day
I realize I post mostly the same things every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday…lol. Truly, writing during the day is pretty much what I do, except for going to the gym early in the morning, and lunch dates with friends once a week.
It’s probably pretty boring for everyone, but I don’t plan on stopping my posts. Occasionally I do have important news like books and things like that…lol.
We’re getting very close to the end of They Walk Among Us. I’ll give us all a glimpse of Opal before I end it on the blog. Then I plan on adding more to it before I sub it anywhere.
Hope you all have a great Wednesday.
They Walk Among Us
They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2012 T.A. Chase
Part Fifty-Nine-
He would heal the rest of the way slowly because I couldn’t take the time to focus all my attention on him. Yet when they reached the meeting place, I would be able to help out a little more.
“Rest,” Zach whispered and I nodded.
We all needed to sleep, and I hoped once we got to the home planet, we would have time to rest before anything else happened. After facing forward, I closed my eyes and breathed deep.
“Gregory, keep on this road for another hour. After you pass through Harlington, there’s a road on the left named Roseville. Turn on it and wake me up. I’ll direct us in from there.” I snorted. “There might be a line of cars heading in that direction, for all I know. The rest are on their way to meet up with us.”
“All right.”
::Where did you meet Gregory?::
::We met when I was younger. He’s from the same little town I grew up in. Somehow he figured out Rissa and I were different. We became friends, though I think he likes Rissa more than me.::
::Ah, so are you going to ask him if he wants to go with us when we leave?::
I hadn’t really thought about it, but something told me I should. ::I probably should. I do think Rissa might have a certain liking for him.:
::Why not have Rissa ask him if he’d like to come with us? Does he have any family here?::
::Good idea. I’ll do that when we get to where we’re going. No, he’s alone in the world.::
I felt Zach drift off, and I let my mind go blank. It wasn’t the deep sleep I needed, but it helped. The energy pulsing from the jewel worked with my own to recharge my power.
“Raven, I’m turning onto Roseville.”
Gregory’s voice burst through my mediation, and I stretched as I opened my eyes. I glanced around to see Rissa and Zach were moving as well.
“Did you see any other vehicles?”
Nodding, Gregory looked into the rearview window. “About three cars turned right after us. Should we be worried?”
I shook my head. “No. Those are all our people.”
::Rissa, you should ask Gregory if he’d like to go with us.::
Her surprise washed over me.
::Really? Do you think he’d come?::
Turning away, I hid my smile. ::I’m pretty sure if you asked, he would. He hasn’t been helping me out just because he’s my friend.::
::All right. I’ll do that once we get ready to cross over.::
“Gregory, turn at the next right.” I gestured ahead of us.
“Who does the property belong to?” Zach leaned between the seats, eagerly trying to catch sight of our destination.
I shrugged. “I have no idea. These are the coordinates that appeared in my head several months ago. It was what made me realize it was time to start looking for the jewel.”
“No one else has these coordinates, do they?”
Shaking my head, I said, “Not that I know of. We should be safe, and once everyone is here, I’ll work on opening the portal.”
“How many are still on their way?” Gregory asked as he stopped.
The road dead-ended at a wall of trees. The other cars halted behind us, and I stepped out, letting my wings unfurled in the headlights of the other vehicles. It was important for the others to see me, and know it wasn’t a trap.
Gregory, Rissa, and Zach climbed out after me, and stood behind me. I handed the box to Zach before holding up my hands, motioning to my fellow Opalites to join me. I knew there were already others waiting for us in a clearing at the exact coordinates.
“Join us, my friends. It’s time for us to return home, and leave this hostile world behind us.”
The car doors opened, and young Opalites poured out, their voices filling my head. I winced, but didn’t back away from them. They circled us, and I touched each one on the shoulder, letting them know I saw each of them. I learned their names and ages.
“All right, everyone. We need to go. There are others waiting for us, and a few more will be joining us before we can go home.”
After turning around, I took Zach’s hand and led the way into the trees. I didn’t need a map or anything to find the clearing. A picture of it had been in my head since I began this journey.
When we got to the clearing, there were another twenty Opalites waiting for us. I greeted the ones who were all ready there, and we settled down to talk. I wanted to know where they’d all come from, and if they had any trouble.
Zach and Gregory didn’t intrude, though I kept Zach close to me. I wanted all of the others to know he was mine, and I wouldn’t tolerate anyone treating him badly. Rissa talked quietly with Gregory, and I spied him nodding his head.
::Is he coming with us?::
::Yes.:: Rissa sounded happy.
::Good.::
I smiled at Zach, and he grinned back at me. Maybe having Gregory with us will help Rissa slowly recover from what was done to her. She would always have scars and emotional damage, but Rissa was strong, and over time I believed she would overcome everything.
“Rest now. The last group is about an hour out. When they get here, I’ll open the portal and we’ll go home. I have no idea what it’s like on Opal, but together, we can make it a better place for us than living on Earth has been.”
They nodded, and separated into small groups, talking amongst themselves. It was odd to watch them since I was the only one who could talk aloud, yet with hand gestures and facial expressions, I could tell they were chatting.
I turned to Zach and took his hand. “Come with me, love.”
Monday Monday
Yet another Monday. You would think I’d be used to them by now….lol. It’s all right. Looks to be a little dreary outside, so I think I’ll stay home and write all day today. Well, except for going to the gym, but that’s already been accomplished. I’m ready to start working on the blog story and Tramps. Yay! Hopefully both of them go well today.
Have a great Monday, everyone.
