The Guard- Elders-Part 3

Untitled Part 57

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Colleen and Quinn started to walk back to the cavern. Shaun and Paddy were having a few words. Quinn was full of energy. He was running into the bushes and playing with Melissa. He would pop his head out of the bushes. She would scream with delight.

Paddy was beside me. We watched Quinn and Melissa.

"Kylie, I am sorry." He whispered.

"What are you sorry for?" I whispered back.

"I should have told you what happens when 'It' starts." I touched the side of his face. He looked so worried. "I understand that you want to keep me safe but Patrick they are our children. I want to be there to help. I can not help if you will not let me."

"I am so afraid of something happening to you. It has happened too many times already." He could not talk anymore. He just held me. "I know Paddy but what if something happens to you. We need to help each other. Do you understand?"

"Yes I am beginning too." He kissed my forehead.

"Take a look at Quinn's eyes." He turned to watch Quinn surprise Melissa again. She was ready for him but he was able to surprise her every time. When Quinn popped his head through the bush. We could see that his eyes were jet black.

"Maybe it will not be as bad, Son?" Shaun said to Paddy.

"It might be milder because of the vampire blood in him."

Samuel and Cassie came running up behind us.

"Momma?"

"Yes Cassie." She looked worried.

"Samuel says there is something wrong with my eyes?"

"Let us see." She stood in front of me. There was something wrong all right. Hers were black also.

Quinn came to see. "Hey your eyes are black Cassie."

"So are yours."

"They are?" then they looked at each other.

"Let us talk over something to eat?"

We walked back to our quarters in the cavern. We sat at the table with pie and tea. Samuel, of course, was just as curious. He wanted to know why Cassie's eyes kept turning black whenever he kissed her.

Paddy looked at me. "Well Samuel it is a coming of age thing shapeshifters go through."

"I went through it when I was much younger but Cassie is a little old to be going through it now."

"No Samuel. Cassie is quite young for this." Samuel stared at Cassie. "But she is only fifteen years younger than me. I do not understand Paddy?"

"Like I said Samuel. It is a shapeshifter thing. Actually Cassie should not be going through this for another twenty years."

The two of them, Cassie and Samuel, stared at the rest of us.

"You mean I should not be doing this yet. 'The coming of age thing'?"

"No Cassie not yet." Paddy told her.

"But Samuel told me when I kissed him the last time my eyes turned black. That was after the gathering and when we were on patrol together."

"It has been going on that long. That is years." Paddy looked at his father. He shrugged his shoulders. "I do not know Paddy. You were our first shapeshifter. Cassie is your first...mixed blood." They looked at me. Paddy smiled.

"Samuel hold Cassie's hand." Samuel hesitated. "It is all right Samuel." Paddy told him. "I can not Paddy, when ever I touch Cassie her eyes turn black." Paddy smiled again. "You mean like this." Paddy took my hand and kissed it. My eyes quickly flashed red then went back to normal.