Training the Walker: Cassie Wilson Book 2

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when she realized others didn't see the same things she did; teachers with scales and long curling forked tongues, her vice principal, Mr. Babbin's tusks, the libra

aily life. Harder to ignore, were the people who, when their skin touched hers, made her see someplace...else. Luckily, there were fewer of them and as the contact was usually merely acci

stack, covered with her pink and blue embroidered silk shawl and used as a tall television stand in her bedroom, he left. Curious about the boxes, she investigat

of the top box and knowing nothing metallic was on the box when it was brought in, Cassie investigated. A small brass oval was affixed crookedly to the front. E

ite elaborate ballet. After playing through, the box closed up again, winding to a halt and disappearin

ss plaques appeared and they remained inert lumps of wood. She overheard some of the 'others', what she called the people who made her see strange places when she touched them, looking for what the

ballerina in the music box performed a dance that mimicked what Cassie

forced herself to dance again, recovering from her injuries and becoming more than what she was before.

cal, although she wasn't entirely certain logic could be applied to something that started out heavy and then suddenly disappeared into thin air

message, as she found a box filled with notes in her mother's handwriting, prewritten and claiming all sorts of destination

ally sure they are my parents, " Cassie said softly, still unsure how she felt about that. When she found the pre written notes, Cassie also fo

most no sound escaped her lips. "Sort of, maybe, " she said, giving the words a little more volume. At the mo

saw anyplace else when she touched him. Her alarm was still a few minutes from ringing so she turned it off and slipped out of bed. Accordin

trying to figure him out for millennia, " she reminded herself as

She wasn't too sure what a Walker was other than they were able to open gates of some sort leading to other... plac

Enki through the gates, sending them hopefully far away from her, she wasn't certain walking through them herself was a good idea. The gates only stayed open as long as she matched t

gods from different pantheons around the planet. Ina claimed to be Inanna the Sumerian goddess of love and war. Oliver was really Oghma, some so

d not to tell Enki and Skadi that I'm a Walker, they are sort of on my side, " Cassie reminded herself. Despite the fact that s

her dead merely because she existed. She wasn't quite certain what Walkers did to them in the past, but whatever it was ended with something called the Purge. Everyone tho

. "Abraham, " she corrected. Thus far Oliver and Ina figured out she was a Walker, but they knew little else about her, inclu

iver's Tuesday/Thursday self-defense class. After Erra, apparently some sort of Babylonian god of destruction, appeared and attacked her in a parking lot to see if she was a Walker, Cassie decided self

o stay under the radar, Cassie pulled her attacks, looking as if she wanted only to learn

rning routine. She clicked on the television and scrolled through the channels until she found local news with weather and school closings. The day before, an early winter storm

nough to shut the city down for a second day. Roads were plowed

Normally she held back in class, only giving her all in defensive maneuvers and holding back on anything that looked like an attack. To make up for it,

ile she wanted to be ready, she also didn't want to be exhausted from her morning practice. Normally, when Cassie finished her routine, s

leared her drive and uncovered her hatchback so it would be ready when she had to leave for school. By the time it was done, Cassie was chilled and hungry. She warmed

st of the information she was hiding from random visitors was either hidden in the window seat under extra

they would be returning in her absence. She convinced Enki and Skadi that she wasn't who they were looking for and convin

She wasn't quite certain what damage they did to computers, but knew of the energy, not only from their overheard conversations, but from the feeling sh

over her shoulder. "Who would ever think I'd need an early warning system." She stepped out onto the front stoop and locked

eeks before her eighteenth birthday and with both her parents out of the country and her grandfather missing, she was well aware she

ose drivers weren't lucky enough to make it to their destinations dotting the side of the road. "As long as I wasn't hurt." At some point he

Her favorite pastime, at least until about a month prior, was to torment Cassie. Then Cassie spotted a charm dangling from a chain around her neck. Cassie snapped the chain and as soon as it was removed, Kelly fo

o normal. When they were back to normal, she forgot why she was standing there and no longer remembered Cassie existed even though Cassie was still standing only inches from her. She shivered agai

n used to tattoo it on their skin, ' Cassie mused. She sighed. As usual,

the car, locking it behind her and sliding her keys into her school bag. She rushed into the building, along with all

was marked present. Cassie heard whispers of conversations swirl around her as she doodled in her notebook. As always, no one spoke to her unless she spoke to them f

e she realized they weren't going to kill her, at least not then, she served them a cake she made and had an actual conversation with them. As she was always worried about saying the wrong thing, Cassie rarely had a conversation with anyone, only occasionally asking a question or two o

ed like the pictures in the books and to her palate tasted good, she knew she was biased. 'And it was nice to share with someone, ' sh

pulled her calculus book out of her bag. As the morning announcements boomed through the intercom system, Cassie too

tting enou

time he saw her and Cassie wondered if it was because he worried that

dfather, worried that Enki, Skadi and Erra wanted to kill her. Her face was throbbing from the back handed blow Err

rom Intelligent Fitness, Cassie found the place ransacked. His apartment above

search the building. Cassie didn't know where he was, but she was relieved he got ou

o answers. When I return I will give you the answers you deserve, I promise

are r

know you ca

s. Most believe all were wiped out. Those that believe in survivors will expect a certain set of events to unfold as

o atte

nstincts g

ee you before they do. The time went faster than I thought

this

s she was following were the right ones. She folded the note again and slipped it back in

herself as the bell rang, sending everyone from homeroom t

, ' she reminded herself, trying not to think about the way he smiled at her after she accidentally brought herself to his attention by f

r, when his eyes once again slid right past her. 'Maybe I could ask Ina and Oliver how the blocker works.' She thought

class before lunch. While Kelly Larsen was studying all of the girls to see who Eric might actually like, her eyes slid right over Cassie without noticing

d cheerleader stopped attacking her. 'Besides, I have way more to worry about, ' she thought as a familiar presence strolled thro

lls stationed at the front of the room. As she began to discuss how glaciers and their movements affected the lan

hings she actually saw. 'At least he's quiet this time, ' she conceded. That made him much easier to i

ies, but Enki never returned. She knew from an overheard conversation about her that he found something about her interesting, but lately he seemed more interested in finding a way to break into Oliver's stud

old him.' A shiver of fear ran through her. She felt his eyes studying her and Cassie dropped her gaze to her notebook instead of l

et her hand graze his arm. While she was fairly certain it was selfish and wrong to constantly remind him she existed just because she wanted to be seen, she had a hunch having someone who could see

d, and when I touch him, Eric always says something to me, ' Cassie thought as she continued walking. 'At least so far.' She was willing to admit twice was a pretty small sample to go on, but

xchanged the books from her morning classes for those for her afternoon classes. As she

, she g

pet name he gave her when he t

she said frow

e, but saw you reading a book about cupcakes, " he replied. He let his hand linger on her arm an

Cassie learned how to push the visions aside and focus on the physicality of the present to see past them. She wiggled her toes and felt the grain of her socks against her skin, the cushion and sligh

situation. As he looked to be in his twenties, it was clear he wasn't a student. In gen

. He eyed Enki, clearly able to see hi

miling, relieved to smell on

up and down. For his part, Enki's eyes we

ooked back to Enki. "What was it you we

"Or more precisely, the

g down the hall. "Can't miss it and I'm sur

nk you, Eric, " Enki replied, practically biting off

his back as Enki continued down the

till hear her. "I ran into him when shopping about a mo

" Eric made loud

behind her back when

d. "I wonder what

e locker. She shut her locker and the two of them began walking to the cafeteria. Enki disappeared around the corn

c asked as they approached the cafeteria doors. "

"But I can't today. I already have p

ng. "That's cool, mayb

leased with her response and Cassie found herself smiling back even t

s friends called out to him. Eric left to join them and Ca

n, not looking up from her phone as

who was already reading as she ate her lunch one handed. Toda

ley and Sarah were more accustomed to her presence at their table rather than actually seeing her, so she didn't bothe

She quickly layered the roast chicken, left over from the night before, the fresh spinach, slices of crispy bacon, thin slices of tomato and then used her plastic knife to spread the jalapeno cilantro sauce on

ushed realizing he must have witnessed her assembly process. Usually no one paid any attention to her so she didn't

n door. She caught sight of him and looked away as he began scanning

or Sarah if he looks like he's getting suspicious, ' she decided remembering that the reason she touched Eric in

y listening in on the group's conversation. Cassie darted glances over to the tabl

nk I'm looking at h

s held court. As several of the cheerleaders were dating football players she often wondered why there wasn't more mixing

assie looked towards Eric, she could see him standing behind Kelly,

sandwich as Enki decided he was through eaves

" he said as he stood next to their table and listened to the thr

reminded herself casually

a big step up from vapid and idiotic. And your method of keeping the sour faced blonde at bay by si

as Cupcake. She concentrated on taking a bite of her sandwich and wondered if he had a

g longing looks in your direction, clearly marking you as the brains behind his brawn. Either that, or he can't turn away from your

t of the lunch period. She wasn't certain how long she could pull off ignoring him especially as there was little conversation at her table. Cassie felt the half

see her touching Sarah to get her attention. As she turned towards Carley, opening her mouth to ask, a loud crash sounded from the doorway. Everyone in the room turned towards the soun

y, Mr. Babbin wasn't expecting a visit today either.' Cassie turned back to her lunch and found her other half of a sandwich disappe

kingly. Cassie heard his footsteps walking away and risked a glance at hi

for one of her remaining cookies, surreptitiously watching Enki leave th