Deviant (Blendling Trilogy #1)

Chapter Four

I felt fear, cold and potent, slide down my neck. My best friend was a Blendling, the evil offspring of a Blended and a Changeling. He didn't feel any different than anyone else. He was one of the kindest people I knew, always putting himself before others. I remember when my mum and I first moved I used to have night terrors. I'd wake up screaming and sweating, fighting whoever tried to comfort me. They'd been so real that I'd been scared to sleep at night. Cameron would lie besides me and tell me stories of guardian angels and although I didn't believe in angels, I'd listen to his ridiculous stories. I'd close my eyes, wishing for my own angel. I slept off to the sound of his voice those days. Looking at his pale face across the kitchen table, I just knew he was not a monster, he couldn't be!
"It can't be" Cam whispered.
"When you fell ill, Char told me it was possible, that you might be transitioning but I refused to believe. I convinced myself over the years that your father was a Herman. It was a Blended bar, Changelings aren't allowed in. But a Whingon could have entered" Gerry said
"Except when in their Whingon form, they could pass as a Blended because unlike most Changelings, a Whingon can retain its abilities in human form. They are usually used as spies by Changelings" mum explained
"Is that what he was doing, spying?" Cam asked
"I don't remember anything from that night. Maybe he took my memory" Gerry supplied
" I can wipe memories?" Cam asked in awe
"Cool" I said grinning
"Not cool" mum said "Whingons are extinct. The last one in existence was supposedly killed by the Odda Reaper"

Odda Reaper, the boogeyman of our world. The Odda Reaper was a Soul Catcher, a Blended emissary that helped human souls cross over to the afterlife. He went rogue about two hundred years ago and started killing Blendeds and Changelings alike to harvest their abilities. After fifty years, he had successfully harvested from all known Odda but he didn't stop. He was rumored to be a mad man who loved to bathe in fresh blood. I shuddered
"What does it mean?" Cam asked
"It means that the last Whingon impregnated your mother before he was killed" mum said
"Or that the Reaper is your father" Gerry supplied in dread.

***
Going back to school after the weekend seemed unrealistic to me. Gerry hadn't wanted her baby out of her sight for one minute but my mum advised against it. It was important to continue to keep up appearances, she'd said. Talking about appearances, Cam finally phased back to the Cam I am used to, but with modifications. His height and size remained after he phased. We'd agreed to blame it all on a growth spurt and Cam promised to influence the mind of anyone who got too curious. I'd found out he could compel weak minds to do whatever he wanted the hard way. He woke me this morning and compelled me to make him breakfast, and I'd started to obey before shaking the compulsion. He'd laughed and assured me he was only testing his skill, I'd not found it funny.

As I watched Cameron fiddling with his car stereo, I couldn't help reflect on all I'd learnt. We were told everything

Flashback
"Why do Blendeds and Changelings hate each other so" Cam had asked
"Oh it started during the first war"
"First world war?" I asked intrigued
"No the War of Heaven" Gerry said. "When the creator made the world, He made Odda. The first man named us thus"
"It means 'other man' in English" mum explained " but we chose to stick to Odda, it's not as degrading as the modern languages version. Anyway Odda lived together peaceful in those days but there was disquiet. Some upstarts didn't like the fact that we were less than the first man, even though it was obvious that we were stronger than they were"
"It was believed that our sole purpose was to smooth the way for man" Gerry added
"But when an angel came to conscript Odda into the war, they divided. Changelings, because of their animal natures, refused to be led around by angels. They were content to roam free of entanglements; but Blendeds wanted to prove themselves. They wanted to be worthy of the creator's love so we fought, and lost."
"Remember this story has no proof" mum advised before continuing " In shame, Blendeds went into hiding and the few that didn't were ostracized by the Changelings. Years passed and the hatred grew. A group of the strongest Changelings came together to form the Council for Changelings. They became the decision makers of all Odda, including Blendeds."
"Blendeds rebelled after five hundred years." Gerry continued "They didn't want to be slaves to 'animals' so they waged war and won their independence. Later they formed their own council."
"In the year one thousand, a peace treaty was signed and the Supreme Council for the Blessed was formed. It was made up of representatives from both sides, and a new rule was drawn. Among them was the golden rule, no Changelings must have a Blended child, and vice versa." Mum finished

Cameron parked his car and got out. I followed him out into the school. We were early so I headed to the music room to wait for homeroom. As I pushed open the door, I saw Macy waiting and groaned. She'd ambushed me
"I knew you'd come here" she said
"What do you want" I asked, walking to the end of the room. I sat behind an electric piano.
"Why are you avoiding me" she asked pouting
"Why are you stalking me"
"I thought we were an item" she said
"We aren't" I said furiously "No one wants to buy a cow if they can get the milk for free" I said. I wanted her to go away and I could see immediately that my words had hurt her because she ran from the room. Ignoring her, I pulled out my song diary and began to compose a song. I was so lost that I didn't hear the sirens. I didn't how much time had passed before I was suddenly interrupted. Cam stood at the door
"You need to come quick man, it's bad. Macy slit her wrists" he said