Daniel Taylor - Demon Heart E-Book

Monica Davis

• Herausgeber: Bastei Lübbe
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: Demon Heart Series
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Seitenzahl: 525

Beschreibung

Daniel Taylor - Demon Heart COLLECTOR'S PACK: This compilation contains all three parts of "Daniel Taylor”, a contemporary young-adult fantasy trilogy. The story — packed with exciting adventure, emotional drama, and a momentous decision — takes place in Little Peak, a typical small town in California.

Part 1. DANIEL TAYLOR AND THE DARK LEGACY: Daniel, a high-school outcast with nothing much going for him, suddenly discovers that he has feelings for his attractive classmate Vanessa. And if that weren’t confusing enough, strange things start to happen to him. His world is turned upside down when he learns about his true origins. Daniel becomes caught up in the shadows of a dark legacy - a legacy that opens the door to another world, the world of demons...

Part 2. DANIEL TAYLOR BETWEEN TWO WORLDS: Daniel is torn between two worlds. In one, he can be happy with Vanessa. In the other, the world of demons, he could wield great power. Will Daniel’s dark side win him over, enticing him to embrace his powers over the living and the dead?

Part 3. DANIEL TAYLOR AND THE SCEPTER OF POWER: Vanessa’s life is in danger. Only Daniel can save her, but he’s under the spell of the demons. The Scepter of Power could seal his claim to the title of Overlord. As he searches for it, Daniel learns not only about his true origins, but also a great deal about himself. Ultimately, he has to determine which is stronger: the desire for power and respect - everything his demonic half yearns for - or his humanity?


For fans of Twilight, True Blood and the Vampire Diaries.


Monica Davis is one of the pen names of the German writer Monika Dennerlein. Born in 1976 in Berchtesgaden, she moved to Munich after high school, where she worked for a few years as a dental technician. But she never lost her passion for writing. Since she completely devoted her time to writing, she has published 40 books and numerous e-books that regularly appear among the ranks of online bestsellers.

Leseprobe

Contents

Cover

Daniel Taylor - the Trilogy

Demon Heart - The Collector’s Pack

About the Author

Title

Copyright

Daniel Taylor and the Dark Legacy

Daniel Taylor between Two Worlds

Daniel Taylor and the Scepter of Power

Daniel Taylor — the Trilogy

“Daniel Taylor” is a contemporary young-adult fantasy trilogy. The story — packed with exciting adventure, emotional drama, and a momentous decision — takes place in Little Peak, a typical small town in California.

Demon Heart — The Collector’s Pack

Daniel Taylor and the Dark LegacyDaniel, a high-school outcast with nothing much going for him, suddenly discovers that he has feelings for his attractive classmate Vanessa. And if that weren’t confusing enough, strange things start to happen to him. His world is turned upside down when he learns about his true origins. Daniel becomes caught up in the shadows of a dark legacy — a legacy that opens the door to another world, the world of demons …

Daniel Taylor between Two WorldsDaniel is torn between two worlds. In one, he can be happy with Vanessa. In the other, the world of demons, he could wield great power. Will Daniel’s dark side win him over, enticing him to embrace his powers over the living and the dead?

Daniel Taylor and the Scepter of PowerVanessa’s life is in danger. Only Daniel can save her, but he’s under the spell of the demons. The Scepter of Power could seal his claim to the title of Overlord. As he searches for it, Daniel learns not only about his true origins, but also a great deal about himself. Ultimately, he has to determine which is stronger: the desire for power and respect — everything his demonic half yearns for — or his humanity?

About the Author

Monica Davis is one of the pen names of the German writer Monika Dennerlein. Born in 1976 in Berchtesgaden, she moved to Munich after high school, where she worked for a few years as a dental technician. But she never lost her passion for writing. Since she completely devoted her time to writing, she has published 40 books and numerous e-books that regularly appear among the ranks of online bestsellers.

MONICA DAVIS

DANIELTAYLORDEMON HEART

Collector’s Pack

BASTEI ENTERTAINMENT

Digital original edition

Bastei Entertainment is an imprint of Bastei Lübbe AG

Copyright © 2015 by Bastei Lübbe AG, Schanzenstraße 6-20, 51063 Cologne, Germany

Written by Monica Davis

Translated by Claire Bacher

Edited by Sonja Diehn

Cover illustration: © shutterstock/Slava Gerj, © shutterstock/majcot, © shutterstock/suns07butterfly

Cover design: Manuela Städele

E-book production: Urban SatzKonzept, Düsseldorf

ISBN 978-3-7325-0547-0

www.bastei-entertainment.com

MONICA DAVIS

DANIELTAYLOR

AND THE DARK LEGACY

PROLOGUE

“I can’t stand it anymore,” James grumbled to himself. Wiping the sweat and dust from his forehead with the back of his hand, he sat down heavily on a stone block. It was stuffy and dark inside the pyramid, his nose itched constantly, and he was thirsty. They hadn’t yet found what they were looking for. In fact, thus far they had found absolutely nothing — nothing except a ton of dirt. Maybe the scepter wasn’t even in this tomb. Maybe it wasn’t anywhere near Cairo! The Guild must have made a mistake in deciphering the hieroglyphs. Could anyone believe what was written on a 1,000-year-old clay pot, anyway?

A scepter capable of making anyone your loyal subject, that would be something, James considered. The first thing he’d do would be to send his archaeology professor — the one who made his students toil like slaves in ancient Egypt — straight to hell. James wanted badly to be back at his hotel, freshly showered and nestled in his soft bed. Every muscle in his body ached.

He had moved a bit away from the group in order to enjoy his lunch break in peace, and now he found himself alone in an empty room. Outside, the sunlight was too hot for him to bear. In any case, James didn’t want anyone nearby while he wallowed in memories.

Groaning, he pulled a lantern emitting a glaring circle of light closer to him, gulped the last swallow of water from his canteen, and took several folded pieces of paper from his breast pocket. They were letters from Anne. James had read them so many times that he knew them by heart. Just touching them gave him a sense of normality, of home. Anne had been the girl next door when he was a child, and he thought of her often. It wasn’t that long ago, really, just a few years. He wished that he could turn back time — he would have done so many things differently.

Imagine, he read, in just a short while Peter and I will be married. I’ll be Mrs. Taylor, the wife of a future doctor! It would be lovely if you could come to the wedding …

As always, his heart skipped a beat. Sighing, he lowered the letter. Anne was lost to him. Since her wedding, she scarcely ever wrote to him. James loved those letters. Anne was his only connection to a world that had no demons, watchers, or other terrible creatures — except in myths.

As James scratched his head, shaking a layer of grey sand and dust out of his brown hair, he thought about how he hated this dry, barren country, and wished he could return to Little Peak. Although the town was situated in the middle of California, where the temperatures were often sizzling hot, there was at least a bit of green, flowing water, and, above all, the people he missed so badly. His parents still lived there. Like him, they worked for the Watchers’ Guild, although they were no longer in active service; they left that to younger members or those who had received special training.

The mission of the Guild was to protect humanity from all things evil. The watchers were regular people, but acted like angels on earth: Although they were as vulnerable to injury as anyone else, they possessed certain special skills. They could even generate spheres of energy to protect themselves. The best thing was that they could “beam” themselves from one place to another. This was known as “dematerializing and rematerializing,” “translocation,” or simply “teleportation.”

“I miss you, Annie,” James whispered.

He wished he could have told Anne who he really was; instead, he had had to play the role of a spoiled rich kid who, thanks to the wealth of his parents, was sent off to a fancy boarding school rather than attending Little Peak High with her. In fact, he had been sent to the Guild School in the town of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, just off the coast of Los Angeles. This was the best possible training ground for a future watcher. The island was owned by the Guild, but supported by tourism. In a large, fenced-in valley surrounded by forests, far from curious eyes, the organization’s buildings were well-protected, disguised as a military base.

James only went home during school vacations. And because he was a watcher now, it was his duty to sit here in this dark, musty pyramid, searching for demon artifacts. It was part of his studies.

Students do all the dirty work, he thought. They had been searching for months for this scepter. It would probably never turn up.

With a derisive snort, he held up another letter to the light and examined Anne’s lovely handwriting. Peter has a good chance of getting a residency at Little Peak Hospital. We’ll be working in the same place!

James sighed again. Peter — why did it have to be Peter Taylor, that boy with freckles who had lived down the street from them? He wasn’t a good match for Anne.

He was starting to get the feeling that his bad mood had nothing to do with his job — it was often pretty cool, he had to admit — and everything to do with the fact that he couldn’t have Anne for himself. Okay, that did have something to do with his job. Watchers have to marry their own kind; when they had children with normal people, their magical powers weaken with every successive generation. In addition, the organization itself is a complete secret and only rarely grants admission to outsiders.

A scraping noise made James leap up and spin around, his heart racing. He held up his lantern to get a better look at the narrow corridor leading to his little room. Frozen in place, he held his breath — but there was no one there. It was ridiculous of him to think that he would actually encounter a demon, especially since he was only a student. Usually, the underworlders kept themselves well-hidden; they wouldn’t allow themselves to be spotted so easily. The creatures avoided watchers like the plague.

Suddenly, a shadow rushed up to him. “Boo!”

James dropped the letters and the lantern, hands already busy preparing a crackling energy sphere to hurl at the enemy. His pulse was pounding in his temples, and again he held his breath.

“Ruben!” At the very last moment, James burst the energy sphere, swearing as the recognized his fellow student. “Damn it, you idiot! I almost killed you!”

The young Italian, whose blond hair was just as dusty as James’ own, simply laughed. “Do you really think your balls of glitter could hurt me?”

Like James, Ruben wasn’t just a normal student of archaeology and Egyptology; he was also a member of the Watchers’ Guild.

“I’d gladly give you a taste of my glitter balls,” James muttered. Their energy level was not particularly high, but if one managed to create a really massive sphere of concentrated energy, it could be used to repel demon attacks. James would much rather have been working on his battle skills than digging in the dirt. In two weeks, he’d be flying back to California to finally start the last part of his watcher training: defense and teleportation! Their group had already been trained in certain skills, but some students — unfortunately, himself among them — still needed a little remedial help in magical matters.

Ruben walked over to him. “What are you doing here, Jimmy, amico mio? Reading love letters in secret instead of working?” As the young man began to sing “Amore mio,” James rolled his eyes and growled, “That’s none of your business. Anyway, I’m on my lunch break.”

James liked Ruben, but he hated being called “Jimmy.” In any case, he was two years older than the Italian.

“Ah, trouble in paradise?” Ruben grinned.

James gave him a dirty look, and Ruben retreated from the room, raising his hands defensively.

“Si, si, ho capito, I’ll creep back into my own hole. You know where to find me, Jimmy,” Ruben winked, “when you want to talk about it.”

“Not likely!” Now James had to laugh. Talking — yes, that was what Italians did best. “But if you have an extra bottle of water, I’ll consider it.”

“I’ve got a whole case!” Ruben’s words echoed through the dark corridor. “I’ll even give you a special price!”

“Liar!” James shouted back, smiling. He could no longer see his colleague, but still could hear his footsteps. Ruben had found a narrow entrance into a ventilation chamber where he had stashed drinks and other items that he could sell at a hefty markup to his fellow students. If the professor ever found out, Ruben would get the boot. He seemed to get a thrill from the danger.

There were five of them in the group, plus the professor, and they always worked together on one site under the watchful eyes of the old man, so that no one would do anything stupid if they happened across an artifact. Naturally, none of the Egyptian authorities had any idea who they really were. They had posed as scientists and obtained a special permit to carry out “measurements” for a few months.

With the help of sophisticated instruments, the Guild had identified a constant but very weak energy pulse that couldn’t be localized precisely. Their scholars had concluded that a dark-magic relic emitting a weak electromagnetic field must be somewhere within this pyramid. Now the students were pulling out all the stops to find it in the limited time frame of the permit.

Working in the depths of a pyramid could be eerie. Sometimes the silence was broken by quiet, unexpected noises — rustlings, cracks, rumbles. James told himself that it was just little animals or crumbling rocks, but sometimes it still gave him goosebumps — and he had been working there almost every day for the past three months.

When his friend’s footsteps had faded into the distance, James set about collecting his letters. He recovered his lantern — luckily, it had been sturdy enough to survive the fall — and blew the dust off of every page before refolding the papers and returning them to his breast pocket.

The last page had fallen against the wall. When he bent over to pick it up, James was shocked to see that something was clearly engraved on one of the lower stones in the wall. James pulled the lantern closer, then used a thick, soft paintbrush to sweep the sand away from the stone’s surface. He inhaled sharply.

“The eye of Horus,” he whispered, kneeling on the ground to examine it more closely. “It can’t be.”

This was a symbol of protection and power. Something important must have been hidden here, James hoped. This room wasn’t a burial chamber, so they hadn’t yet made any excavations within it — it seemed completely insignificant. The whole area was fairly low on the professor’s list of priorities.

Somewhat awed, James traced with his finger the engraved line of an arching eyebrow and the oval beneath it that signified a hawk’s eye. Then he straightened up. Should he call the others over?

No, he wanted to make this discovery on his own. It would make a perfect conclusion to his training, which would be over in just three months.

James collected his tools and began to scrape at the cement between the joints of the stones with a sharp blade. Usually this cement was extremely hard, even after so many thousands of years. But to James’ surprise, it flaked away quite easily. The material wasn’t normal cement. Someone must have hidden something here after the pyramid had already been built.

Using a wedge, he loosened the stone until he could pull it away. The rasping noise of stone scraping against stone gave James goosebumps all over, and he found himself constantly looking around to see whether anyone was coming. He could hear his pulse thumping in his ears.

James lay down on his stomach, feeling his heart pound against his ribs. He held the lantern up to the hole in the wall, but couldn’t see anything but dust. Eyes straining, he finally made out an edge — a blind corner in the small hole. Oh, man, he’d have to reach in there! What if he encountered a skeletal hand, or what if a swarm of scarabs rushed over him, just like in horror films? This is reality, not make-believe, he told himself. He gathered his courage and stretched his arm out into the wall, right up to the shoulder. He groped around the corner and gave a start as he felt something rough and pliable. There really was something there!

“Come on,” he hissed at himself, shoving his hand back into the hollow. Sweat was pouring down his face, dripping from his nose onto the dusty floor. Clenching his teeth and holding his breath, James made a grab for the object. It was bulky, and James had to rotate it before he could pull it out. The thing, whatever it was, was really heavy! The bundle consisted of a coarsely woven cloth covering a hard, elongated object — as far as James could feel. Although his hands were violently trembling, James carefully unwrapped it. As the golden staff appeared, topped by a golden snake head, James could scarcely believe his luck. The scepter, this had to be it!

Man, today was his lucky day — incredible! The blood rushed to his head so quickly that he felt a little dizzy. He would have to tell the others, but first he wanted to be sure that he had found the real artifact. He had no desire to make a fool of himself.

Don’t touch anything, call me over right away if you find something! James heard the words of his professor ringing in his ears.

Of course — so that you can take all the credit, old man.

James let the cloth fall to the ground. As he touched the bare metal, it seemed to him that it was vibrating. The sensation penetrated his entire body. Phenomenal!

James turned the scepter over and saw an inscription running the length of the staff. It was in hieroglyphs, which James could read with ease. Students at the Guild School learned ancient Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Sumerian, and naturally also how to read Egyptian hieroglyphs. Unlike the rest of humanity, which had only deciphered the pictographs after the decryption of the Rosetta Stone, the Guild, which had been in existence for thousands of years, had never forgotten the old languages. How could he have doubted the Guild’s scholars, perfectly fluent in the ancient tongues — their reading of the clay pot had been absolutely correct.

James read from top to bottom, whispering the ancient inscription: “Peret … em-bah netjer …” A tingle ran down his spine, and the hairs on his arms stood up. The staff in his hand grew warmer, vibrating more strongly and beginning to glow. A dark power descended on James, nestling into his heart and making it beat even faster and louder.

“This is madness,” he whispered in awe. Then he thought, Damn it, what have I done? But a few seconds later, his professor’s warnings were again forgotten. Who was the professor, anyway? He, James, was now superior to all!

It was said that the gods of the ancient pharaohs were actually demons. At this precise moment, James had no doubt that this was the truth. Most of the pharaohs had been capable leaders who had protected their people and promoted trade and culture. But the demons had directed the human rulers. First, they raised the Egyptian culture to a world force in order to gain power over additional multitudes; then, they had corrupted the pharaohs (or even taken over themselves) to instigate wars, and subjugate and enslave entire peoples — generating misery, from which they drew their power. Demons thrived on negative energy and fed on souls, after all.

In the process, they created a variety of objects that they used to more easily manipulate mankind. The Scepter of Power was supposed to be one of mightiest of these instruments. And now he was holding it in his hand!

The voice of reason that had been whispering to him from the furthest corners of his mind, telling him that he had been incredibly stupid to activate the scepter, fell silent. James couldn’t have done otherwise — the artifact had literally forced him to do it! And he had no regrets.

The glow subsided, but the feeling of power remained. James felt fantastic!

This time, when he heard a noise behind him, he didn’t even flinch. He knew that he was virtually invincible.

James turned around. “Ruben, you won’t believe …”

It wasn’t his colleague standing there, but rather a beautiful woman whose black hair flowed in waves over her shoulders. She was wearing a white linen gown and pressing a strange bundle to her breast. She would have made an excellent ancient Egyptian.

What are you doing here? he wanted to ask, but then he saw her eyes light up.

James stepped back. “What …” He caught a whiff of ozone. She was a demon! Yes, there was no doubt about it. The smell indicated that she must have just come through a demon portal. The underworlders could simply draw a circle with their hand on any solid object, creating a blue ring of energy — effectively, a door that could take them anywhere.

Wow, she was stunning! James stood there, paralyzed. A real-life demon was standing right in front of him, and all he could do was stare at her like a madman.

The dark eyes, almost as black as her hair, bore into him. “Let go of it at once!” she commanded him.

He suddenly regained a clear head. “Do you mean this?” he asked, holding the staff out before him. Dear God, he couldn’t believe how amazing he felt! He didn’t have the slightest fear of this lovely underworlder, who probably would have liked nothing better than to kill him with her gaze.

An energy sphere formed in James’ hand; it was so incredibly large and bright that it would certainly destroy this young woman. Even his powers had multiplied! The sphere grew larger in his hand. Cool. The scepter must be providing him with extra energy, and James again sensed that he was losing himself in the power of the artifact.

Despite the danger that James represented to her, the woman took a step toward him. “Put it down or deactivate it, but do it quickly!” Her voice rang out sharply, and shivers rippled across his entire body.

“Why should I do anything that a demon commands me to do?” he growled. He was about to throw his sphere directly at the woman when a movement in a bundle she was holding distracted him.

She pressed it tighter to her chest. What was she carrying? It was only when James saw a tuft of black hair sticking out of the cloth that he realized: It was a baby.

He couldn’t very well kill a child!

The demon just stood there before him, making no attempt to attack him or tear the scepter away from him, and … wait a minute, the baby could just be some kind of trick!

Suddenly, the woman murmured a spell, and a second later they were surrounded by a shimmering sphere that looked very much like an oversized soap bubble.

James spun around. “What have you done?”

“I’ve given us more time,” she said. “I’ve enclosed us within a capsule in which time passes much more slowly.”

Wow, this demon possessed extraordinary powers!

“How were you able to activate the scepter?” she asked. “No normal man could do that, and you certainly aren’t a demon!”

She stared at the energy sphere that was still growing in James’ hand. He felt the sinister, deadly power stirring within him.

“You’re a watcher!” Her face relaxed. She no longer looked quite so much like an avenging angel. Unfortunately, this made her even more attractive in James’ eyes. She might well be the embodiment of absolute evil, but she didn’t look like it. They were so similar, the two of them, but they represented opposite sides in the war.

Many thousands of years ago, their kind had split apart when a group of magically gifted druids had divided into two camps. One had decided to use their powers only for good, while the other wielded their might to their own advantage. The latter group had retreated into their own grim world, from which they sought to subjugate and corrupt humanity.

The demon pointed to the scepter. “You have to reverse the activation spell! Read the inscription from bottom to top, quick!”

“Why?” he asked.

She shook her head, as though he already knew the answer but was simply too stupid to realize it. “Because otherwise you won’t survive for very long. They’ll feel the power of the artifact and come here immediately!”

James had no need to ask who the demon meant by “they.” “How do you know all this?”

“I’m the guardian of this scepter.”

The guardian? It just kept getting better: a demon who guarded a dark-magic artifact rather than using it for herself? And yet there was something benevolent in the expression in her eyes, and he was tempted to believe her. The mighty energy sphere burst in his hand, and the demon gave a sigh of relief.

James read the inscription backward and immediately sensed the power slipping out of him, sucked back through his arm into the scepter.

He shuddered. Now he could think clearly again … and he was the defenseless prisoner of a demon.

The bubble wavered perilously. The woman flinched and furrowed her brow. She seemed to be listening to something within her. Her face darkened. “You’re in for it now! Xandros will soon know everything!”

Who is Xandros? he thought, but the answer came to him immediately: “The king of the underworld!”

“And also … my father,” she whispered.

The baby in her arms began to cry softly. The demon caressed its head and murmured calming words before turning back to James. “I have to go. I can’t hold back time forever.” Sweat shone on her forehead. The spell must be requiring an enormous amount of energy to maintain. “They’ll be here soon. The disturbance in power could be felt even in the underworld.”

As a watcher, James naturally knew that demons could communicate with each other telepathically. Their consciousnesses were all linked. It would only take a single thought for the demon to lead them here.

She bent down to pick up the cloth in which the artifact had been wrapped and then held out her hand. “Give me the scepter.”

“Certainly not,” he said, although his tone of voice was less than convincing.

Oh, heavens, she was so beautiful! But hadn’t he learned that most demons appeared in an attractive form so that they could more easily corrupt and manipulate humans?

“Then you’ll die. It’s your choice. The longer you wait, the quicker they’ll find you. The scepter is still radiating residual energy. I have to take it to a safe place before they arrive.”

James didn’t let go of the staff. “I can give the scepter to the Guild. They’ll take care of it.”

“No!” Her eyes grew wide again. She came so close to him that they were almost touching. “You can’t trust any of them.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Why not? We’re the good guys, after all. Why should I trust you?”

Her eyes darkened. “Even among you, there are renegades.”

James had felt the power of the artifact. A watcher could very easily fall under the spell of this dark force; he had no doubt of that.

She held out the hand that held the cloth. “Please, give it to me.”

Why didn’t she simply take it? It appeared that she was afraid to touch it. Or was she worried about the baby? James glanced at the small head. Dark, round eyes blinked back at him. The little creature was just as lovely as its mother.

The demon was becoming increasingly restless as the bubble began to collapse. “I haven’t any time left; they mustn’t find me and the baby.”

His suspicions had been correct. “Why not?”

With one hand, she grasped his arm, and her proximity took his breath away. His heat beat wildly, and his stomach seemed to be doing flips. What was this woman doing to him?

“They’ll kill us,” she whispered. Recognizing the fear in her eyes, James said without further hesitation or questioning, “Then I’m coming with you.”

He would honorably fulfill his duties and ensure that the scepter would never be found. Her concern for her child and her kind expression had convinced him; in any case, James’ intuition was telling him something about her. As crazy as it sounded, he trusted a demon!

She nodded and smiled demurely. “And I trust you.”

“You can read my mind?”

Again, a smile played at the corners of her mouth. “We’re more alike than you think.”

James ran a hand through his hair and picked up the backpack containing his things. Did she trust him because he was a watcher, or because she knew how he felt about her? “I have to warn the others first.”

With a soft popping noise, the time bubble suddenly disappeared. The demon shut her eyes and swayed slightly, as though she were about to faint. James took her in his arms without hesitation, taking care not to crush the child.

How soft her body felt, and how good she smelled … fascinated, he gazed at her beautiful face. How red her slightly open lips were … James wanted desperately to kiss her.

“Oh, no!” She opened her eyes wide again, and the baby began to cry once more.

James felt his heart leap into his throat. “What’s wrong?”

“They know! Now Xandros knows that the scepter still exists. He’ll do anything to get it back!” She quickly pulled away from him and looked around her. No portals were opening yet.

“Then I have to warn my group!” It was all his fault. No one should die because of his foolishness! A wave of nausea hit him, and he felt weak in the knees.

The demon grabbed him by the arm again. “They won’t do anything to your friends. There’s no time, come on! I can put them on a false trail so that they never find this place!”

As she drew a circle on the nearest wall with her hand, he said, “Perhaps we should introduce ourselves first. My name is James Carpenter.” He was scared shitless. His heart was pounding, and all the muscles in his body were quivering.

With a crackle, a ring of blue fire materialized out of the wall. A hole appeared in the center, but within it James saw not the next room over, but … dear God, was that the Eiffel Tower?

“You watchers are really something.” The young woman held out a hand. “Kitana.” James took her hand and stepped with her into an uncertain future.

19 years later …

Daniel snapped out of his daydream and ran a hand hastily through his dark hair. Why did his heart always race when he saw a blue light? It was only the sunlight reflecting off of a box that was lying in the courtyard, and had dazzled his eyes. Daniel was standing at an open window in the hallway that led to his classroom, taking deep breaths of the warm, fresh air. It had seemed to him all day that he was somehow suffocating.

As the shrill ringing of the bell marked the time between class periods, Daniel pushed through the crowded hallway. As usual, his fellow students appeared to automatically step aside when he came close to them; others gaped at him like he was a carnival sideshow.

Usually, Daniel instinctively kept his head down, but today he felt combative. He suddenly didn’t care what anyone thought of him. With the black clothes that he always wore, he naturally stood out. Not because of the color, since many other teens liked to wear dark clothing, but because he wore long sleeves and heavy sweatshirts, even on the hottest days.

He loved his dark, roomy clothes; when he was wearing them, he felt shut off from the rest of the world, as though their blackness somehow made him invisible. Unfortunately, due to his exceptional size, it was hard to overlook him. At least Little Peak High didn’t require a school uniform; if it had, there was no way he would ever go to school. He had to admit it to himself: He had no desire to fit in — the people here simply annoyed him. Nevertheless, he couldn’t understand what they all had against him.

As he pushed onward, backpack in hand, looking through his hair at his classmates, he felt an oppressive tightening in his chest. In the two months during which he had been made to repeat the courses from the previous year, he had made no new friends. Here there were only old hierarchies and established cliques, like the cool kids with their expensive clothes and stylish haircuts, and they just cracked stupid jokes about him. Here they were, leaning against their lockers, arms crossed, chewing their gum and watching him with eyebrows raised in derision.

Even before the boys opened their mouths, Daniel’s pulse raced; he knew exactly what was coming. It was as though he could hear what they were thinking.

“Hey, Taylor, next time you throw out your clothes, take them off first!” yelled Sebastian Woolridge over the jumble of voices.

His friends roared in laughter over this joke, and Jason, his best friend, added loudly enough for everyone to hear: “Bastian, I know that Taylor can’t possibly be as dumb as he looks — at any rate, he’ll be staying with us for a while longer!”

Daniel ignored the snorts of laughter and strolled on, hands balled into fists in an attempt to keep the rage that was rising within him under control. If he wanted to, he could destroy all these idiots. Why did he always attract so much attention? He didn’t bother anyone, and stayed out of trouble.

He felt a scratching sensation in his palms, as though he were crushing an army of ants. These days, he often had this almost electrical sensation in his hands. It wasn’t unpleasant, just odd. Sometimes he thought he could see sparks jumping from his fingertips. He was changing.

Maybe I’m becoming a superhero; they’re all losers in real life. He pondered this idea intently. Had he been bitten by a radioactive insect, or had he perhaps been exposed to an intense electric shock? It really wasn’t normal, what he had been experiencing in recent weeks. The voices in his head, growing ever clearer, this girl from hell …

At first, Daniel had believed that he was suffering from a mental illness. He had pored through his parents’ medical books and done research online, but he hadn’t found anything that could explain his symptoms. Superhero — that’s the only answer, he thought, smiling. He would have liked to cackle like a madman. One of the bad guys …

Unfortunately, all the signs pointed toward the bad guys, not the heroes.

The next group stationed outside his classroom were the jocks. Football players had gathered around some cheerleaders to fool around and talk about the latest game. At least they left him alone. Daniel had never shown any interest in sports, so he certainly didn’t belong among their ranks, although the school’s coaches were constantly trying to win him over. “You’ve got the size and stamina to make it in the pros,” Coach Wilkes had said to him more than once.

Well, that option was always open.

Of course, as in every school, there was also a group of nerds at Little Peak High, but nothing in the world would convince him to join them. Anyway, his grades were far too low. These kids had long ago entered the classroom to discuss the day’s assignment and current events, subjects that didn’t interest Daniel in the slightest.

Well, what did interest him, other than his computer games? It was no wonder that he didn’t fit in anywhere. I’d rather be alone anyway; I prefer the peace and quiet, he thought half-heartedly.

As he walked through the group of chattering students, they drew back from him and fell briefly silent, but as soon as he passed them, they went on talking as though they had never been interrupted.

Only one of the cliques, a group of constantly giggling girls, paid him any notice. But would he want to be the rooster in a flock of cackling hens? What a nightmare!

No one accepted him for who he was, and even his classmates from the previous year kept their distance from him.

Daniel was lucky to find a coveted seat by the windows, as it was brutally hot in the classroom. It also allowed him a view of the clock in the courtyard. He tossed his history book onto his desk, shoved his backpack under his seat, and sat down, his knees almost touching the underside of the desk.

“Just one more hour, then it’ll finally be the weekend,” he said to himself quietly, even though they had just returned from the autumn break.

Daniel hated school. Having to repeat this year was the most humiliating experience of his life. Now, as the oldest in the class, he was the subject of additional mockery.

A dry breeze blew through the open window, but it only added to the stifling heat in the classroom. For the umpteenth time, Daniel cursed the old school building and its lack of air conditioning. They were probably the only students left in California suffering from the heat! Daniel could hardly wait to get outside. He still felt like he was suffocating. In addition, for weeks he had been afflicted by a sort of inner glow, almost like a fever. In the Californian countryside, October days could often be unbearably warm. The cool nights were certainly more to Daniel’s taste. When he was finally done with school, he wanted to move to the coast — he had made this decision last year. Either San Francisco or Los Angeles would be fine; at least it wouldn’t be so hot there, and a fresh breeze would always be coming off the ocean. His Uncle Max lived in L.A. and would definitely let him stay there for a while.

He reluctantly pulled off his hooded sweatshirt, sighing. As much as he loved his bulky clothes, he just couldn’t stand the heat today.

Daniel hated Little Peak! In three months’ time, he’d be eighteen, and no one could keep him there. All he needed was this damn diploma!

Deep inside him, Daniel felt a strange sense of restlessness. Something weird was going to happen to him soon — he was sure of it.

Unfortunately, superheroes only exist in comics; there must be a rational explanation for his physical symptoms. He was nothing special, and neither was anything else in his life.

Still, it was strange — exceptionally strange, even — to feel these waves of heat wash over him, along with this odd sensation in his fingertips, a tingling as though his nerves were waiting in vain for a command. His head frequently throbbed painfully, and he constantly felt like he was being watched. And then there was that crazy young woman and the voices in his head …

“I spend too much time in front of the computer, that’s all,” he muttered to himself, lost in thought.

Dear God — there he went, talking to himself!

“Hi!” a girl said to him suddenly. She touched him briefly on the shoulder as she walked past, leaving a pleasant prickling sensation behind. Daniel had only seen her slender legs and her dark skirt, but he knew at once who she was. She had an incomparable scent, like the sweet-smelling flowers his mother had planted in the garden the previous spring.

He looked up and turned around. The girl with the long brown hair had sat down directly behind him, and he smiled at her involuntarily. His heart beat a little faster. “Hi, Nessa.” At least there was one bright spot in this grim place.

Vanessa smiled back, but the two had no more time to talk — their history teacher had just marched into the classroom.

Daniel spent the next half hour staring at the clock in the courtyard and gasping at the fresh air, since following along with Mrs. Kuwalski’s lesson was about as exciting as watching a cow chew its cud. In fact, the teacher looked a bit like a cow.

The thought made him smile.

“Daniel Taylor, if you don’t want to flunk out, you’d better pay closer attention in class!” her shrill voice rang out.

Daniel turned away from the window and pushed a strand of hair out of his eyes. Crap, what did she ask me? Fingers trembling, he leafed through his history book so that he wouldn’t have to look Mrs. Kuwalski in the eyes. She had threatened to expel him if he failed one more time. She can’t do that, she just wants to torment me!

“Because today is such a lovely day,” his teacher said sarcastically, “I’ll ask the question one more time: Who was the first president of the United States, and when was he elected?

The first president? Daniel’s brain flipped into high gear and he answered, “George Washington.”

“And?” Kuwalski wasn’t going to let him off that easily. “When … was … he … elected?”

Damn, he had no idea!

The other students grinned at him. This was basic American history, the dates and facts that were drilled into every schoolkid from a young age, but somehow Kuwalski made him forget everything! In any case, Daniel had no interest in either American history or politics.

Why did Kuwalski always have to pick on him? Sweat seemed to be streaming from every pore in his body. As though he weren’t already hot enough! The other students tittered over his stupidity. Man, how he hated everyone here!

“The answer, Daniel!” The teacher, her hands firmly placed on her slim hips, fixed him with a predatory glare.

No, Daniel corrected himself: with a bovine glare. Kuwalski had gigantic eyes, just like a cow. Otherwise she might have been attractive — well, if she didn’t always pull her hair into a tight bun and stare at everyone so grimly. A bitter spinster, his mother had called her, and Daniel suspected she was right.

Kuwalski hates me. I’m all worked up, just because of this stupid cow! I deserved to get a better grade from her last year! he thought, his breathing shallow and frantic. Something enormous was brewing inside him, and it was about to erupt. Underneath his desk, he dug his fingers into the fabric of his T-shirt while his vision began to blur. Daniel’s pulse thundered in his ears and his heart raced as a light tremor shook the classroom. In this region, that was nothing unusual; all of California was basically situated on a fault line. Researchers were constantly speculating that the “Big One” would come, but it never seemed to materialize.

After the tremor died down, which barely lasted two seconds, Daniel’s physical symptoms suddenly disappeared. Oddly enough, he wasn’t even hot anymore!

The excitement subsided quickly, and Kuwalski was still waiting for Daniel to answer.

“1789,” Vanessa whispered behind him, making him nearly fall out of his chair. He had heard her voice as though she had spoken directly into his ear, even though she was sitting at least a yard away. What would I do without you, Vanessa! I’m just lucky that you’re good at history! Vanessa was the only reason he hadn’t given up entirely. They had a few classes together, and Nessa helped him out when she could.

“1789,” he repeated quickly, trying to hide his confusion. Of course, it was the right answer. Vanessa always knew everything; she was at the top of the class. But despite this, she was popular with their classmates. She seemed to be welcome in any group — especially among the “cool kids,” which really got on Daniel’s nerves. I don’t care if no one likes me and that even Dad let me down, he thought defiantly. I can’t stand any of them … except for Nessa.

“You couldn’t possibly have come up with the right answer on your own, Daniel!” Mrs. Kuwalski strode between the desks and looked around as though she were searching for something. “So, which one of you told him?”

Daniel thought he could hear Vanessa’s racing pulse and the quiet sigh she always made when she was excited. But that had to be a delusion, a product of the extreme heat that had been oppressing Little Peak for weeks. His brain must be fried. Or he was just slowly going crazy.

Superhero hearing, he secretly hoped.

“I’ll ask you one more time: Who told him the answer? If no one fesses up soon, you’ll have the entire chapter to read as homework, and a test on it on Monday!”

There was a deathly silence in the classroom. Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel noticed that Toby was restless. The boy with copper-colored hair was gnawing at his pencil like a dog with a bone. Yeah, you’d like to rat out Nessa, wouldn’t you! Tobias Rafton was basically Vanessa’s closest competition, but he always ended up being number two behind her. You’ll never beat Nessa — she’s far too clever for you!

A tingling in the roots of his hair told Daniel that the weasel was about to open his mouth. Why this was the case, Daniel had no idea, but he was sure this was going to happen. In any case, he knew Toby fairly well. The kid loved sucking up to teachers in order to get extra credit. And a blind man could see how he had a crush on Kuwalski. He’d do anything for the cow; he even held open doors for her.

The freckled boy was clearing his throat. “Ahem.”

“Yes, Tobias?” Mrs. Kuwalski spun around and raised her thin eyebrows.

Rage rose within Daniel. Eyes narrowed, he fixed his gaze on Tobias Rafton. Vanessa had always been Daniel’s friend, ever since they were small children; he would never allow her to get in trouble because of him. Especially since Kuwalski was known for her extra-nasty punishments. Although Daniel wasn’t nearly as close to Vanessa now as he used to be, he would do anything to protect her. She was like a sister to him!

Tobias was about to speak. Daniel imagined down to the smallest detail how he would like to place his hands around the brownnoser’s neck and squeeze. Toby began to cough. His eyes wide, he clutched at his neck with one hand while the other waved violently in the air. The classroom dissolved into commotion, and Kuwalski hurried over to his side to pound him on the back. “Tobias, what’s wrong with you? Are you sick? Did you swallow something the wrong way?”

Toby, bright red, shook his head, still unable to speak. He was too busy trying to breathe.

When he finally caught his breath, tears were running down his cheeks. He glanced over at Daniel, who grinned back at him beatifically.

The general commotion ensured that Toby held his tongue and that Mrs. Kuwalski forgot about her threat of a chapter test.

Wow, telekinetic powers! With a sigh of relief, Daniel leaned back in his chair, secretly hoping that Toby’s choking fit hadn’t been just a coincidence.

“Hey, Danny, wait up!” Vanessa called after him. She was the only person he allowed to call him by this nickname. Even with his mother, he freaked out every time she called him “Danny.” But Daniel liked Vanessa, and let her get away with it.

He was riding down a steep hill, so he applied his brakes slightly until Vanessa caught up with him. They both lived not far from the high school and generally went home together, but for some reason Daniel wanted to be alone today. So many strange things were happening in his life, and he had no explanation for them.

“Man, I’m glad Toby had that sudden coughing fit. I had no desire to spend the whole weekend doing extra assignments,” Vanessa said.

“Not to mention the damage to your squeaky-clean image!” Daniel grinned at Nessa, although the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. He felt completely spent. All he needed was an ice-cold shower and a good night’s sleep. Still, he couldn’t help but watch Vanessa, who was riding her mountain bike close to his, her long, chestnut-colored hair blowing back over her shoulders. She was wearing a white blouse and a black skirt, her knees poking out beyond the hem as she pedaled. How long and slim her legs were …

“Do you want to come swimming with us, Danny? I’m going to go to the lake later.”

Daniel had no interest in company today, although Vanessa’s presence was somehow soothing and her offer was particularly tempting, especially because no one else ever wanted to do anything with him. Despite this, he said, “Nah, it’s too hot today.”

“Well, you’re probably the only one who thinks that — I’m still going to the lake.” Her gaze bored into him like a drill bit into soft wood. Vanessa had unusual eyes: They were an intensely deep brown, sprinkled with golden points, and Daniel couldn’t look away from them — now to the point where he almost fell off his bike. Of course, he had long since noticed how pretty she was; in the past it had surprised him that he felt nothing more for her than brotherly tenderness. But suddenly, recently, there was something more. Something new and exciting he’d never felt before.

“I want to do my homework first.”

“Naturally!” Nessa rolled her eyes. “You’re an addict.”

“Huh?” Vanessa was a master at changing the subject, and he couldn’t always follow her train of thought.

“I mean you and your computer. Admit it, you’re hopelessly addicted. Even if the world collapsed into ashes around you, you wouldn’t be able to tear yourself away.”

Nessa knew him pretty well, but he really wasn’t that addicted. He smirked. “You’re wildly exaggerating.” Daniel enjoyed escaping into artificial worlds in which he could imagine himself to be a hero. But now he was a hero … or would soon be one, he hoped — just a secret hero, like Superman, someone who otherwise led a simple life. Daniel didn’t really want to be in the spotlight. He would be happy if everyone just left him alone.

Nevertheless, he found himself saying, “Okay, I admit it, I found a new game that’s pretty cool.”

Her smile disappeared. “Too bad; a little sun would have done you some good. You’re so pale.”

“It just seems that way because I wear black.” Daniel could sense Vanessa’s disappointment, and it made him a little sad. But something was going on that he couldn’t explain; the last thing he needed was for someone else to notice. Daniel accelerated his pace, but Vanessa kept up with him.

“Will you at least come with me to Rebecca’s Halloween party tomorrow?” she asked.

She wouldn’t let up! Daniel inwardly sighed. “I wasn’t invited.”

A spark appeared in Vanessa’s eyes. “I was, and am allowed to bring a guest.”

“Why don’t you take Colleen to the party? I thought she was your best friend.” Daniel marveled at her persistence. As children, they had often done things together. But in recent years, they had generally only talked on the way to and from school. To her credit, Nessa sometimes talked with him in the breaks between classes, even though he had the impression that she did that out of pity. That she had anything to do with an outsider like him bewildered him.

“Coll is going to Disney World with her parents.”

Aha, so that was how it was! He was just the backup plan. “What about Mary?”

“Mary’s not allowed to go. Her mom thinks that Becky is a bad influence on her.”

“I don’t know …” She only needed him because there was no one else to go with her. He would have preferred it if Nessa had just invited him somewhere, not as a substitute, but as himself.

She just asked you if you wanted to go to the lake with her, you idiot, he scolded himself. You could have just said yes. Whatever he did, it turned out wrong. But the others shouldn’t think that we’re on a date. Daniel didn’t want Vanessa to turn into an outsider on his account; he cared far too much for her to allow that to happen.

Although the road before them still sloped downhill, Daniel kept on pedaling. But Vanessa stuck to him like a burr. “It wouldn’t hurt you to live a little instead of sitting alone in your dark attic room the whole day!” she called out against the wind.

Vanessa was right, but it really wasn’t a good idea right now. In addition, he was getting one of the excruciating headaches that had been bothering him for weeks. They began with a harmless throbbing in the back of his head, but got worse if he stayed out in the sunlight. He could ride out the attacks the fastest in his gloomy, darkened room. The wind that was whipping his hair about wildly and fluttering up under his shirt brought him no relief.

Daniel exhaled as they turned the corner into their street. The typical Californian suburban community of Little Peak, with its rows of houses and grassy lawns, was his home. Daniel knew every inch of it and every neighbor. He could have felt at ease here, but there was something struggling reluctantly inside him. Daniel leaned into the curve, enjoying the speed, then let his bicycle slow down.

Parallel to Grayson Street, just behind the row of houses, there was a small stretch of forest in which he and Vanessa had spent a great deal of time as children. Their old treehouse was still standing. Daniel sometimes went back there when the rest of the world seemed to be conspiring against him and he needed a quiet place to think.

Nessa had caught up with him; now she came to a stop and got off of her bike. Daniel stopped in front of Vanessa’s house to say good-bye. Their families’ houses were right next door, numbers 24 and 26, and they were as identical as two peas in a pod: Both were painted a light beige and had two stories with a gabled roof over the attic rooms. They both had a small yard stretching out in front of the porch and a built-in garage with a whitewashed door.

Now that there was no more wind to cool him off, Daniel began to feel the heat. His face flushed, and drops of salty sweat ran into his eyes. He automatically pulled off his T-shirt, intending to use the fabric to wipe off his face while he held the bicycle’s handlebars steady with his other hand.

“Wow,” whispered Vanessa, prompting him to raise his head. She was staring at his torso, but quickly averted her eyes.

Daniel cleared his throat. “What?” Suddenly he was embarrassed that she had seen his chest. He felt even warmer.

Vanessa blushed. “I didn’t say anything.”

Daniel sighed. Maybe he really had gone crazy. He was haunted by a weird-looking girl and he was hearing voices.

He’d much rather be a superhero, but he wasn’t crazy enough to see that as a real possibility.

Vanessa opened the gate to her yard and raised a hand. “See you later.” She looked distressed, which gave Daniel an unpleasant sinking feeling in his stomach.

“Bye,” he said, getting back onto his bike. He pedaled over to his driveway and directly into the garage. The door was always open when his mother wasn’t home. She had recently started working shifts at the hospital again.

That was fine for Daniel. The fewer people around, the better. If they discovered how different he was, they’d lock him away.

It won’t come to that, he thought with grim determination. I’d run away first. That would just mean I’d get to L.A. a little sooner.

As she stood before her mirror, Vanessa tried to cool down with the help of a fan. Shaking her head, she tried on a third bathing suit. “No, this one makes me look skeletal!” Her hip bones were clearly visible through the fabric. I’m far too skinny. Not feminine enough, she thought, frustrated. She stepped out of the swimsuit and finally decided on a white bikini. At least this one made her breasts look a little bigger. “That’s probably why Danny doesn’t want to come to the lake with me,” she muttered. “I’m as flat as a little girl.” It had been so hard for her to even ask him.

Sighing, she looked over to the window. She had shut the blinds earlier so that Daniel wouldn’t see her changing clothes. In some ways, it was convenient that they both had the attic rooms. As children, they had sent messages to each other in Morse code using flashlights … but that was a long time ago now.

Her heart heavy, she shook her head again. He doesn’t want to go to the party with me, either. Damn it, if I weren’t so shy, I would have pestered him until he agreed to come!

Vanessa bent over her desk to pull on the cord that raised the blinds. She saw that Danny was also sitting at his desk, which was likewise directly in front of his window, so she grabbed her binoculars. She could easily recognize him without magnification — he was only a few meters away — but he still wasn’t wearing his shirt, and she wanted a closer look! She had gotten a quick glance at his muscular abs earlier, and her curiosity had been piqued.

It looked like Danny had just emerged from the shower, as his black hair was dripping wet. Dark, tangled strands fell across his face, enhancing his rugged attractiveness. Arms folded behind his head, he was leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling.

The sight of him made Vanessa go weak in the knees. “Wow!” She was so absorbed in the view that she didn’t care that a paper clip was pressing painfully into the elbow that was leaning on the desk. If I could just bury my nose in that raven-black hair and kiss that slender neck, she fantasized, still staring at him through the field glasses. For a seventeen-year-old, he was amazingly muscular; she had only really noticed that today. The last time she had seen him naked, they were five-year-olds in a wading pool. It was a pity that he didn’t want to go to the lake — she could have gotten an even better look at him. Vanessa was happy that for once he wasn’t over by his computer, where she couldn’t see him as well. Usually, the blinds in his room were shut the whole day long.

They used to go out together often, for ice cream or on other kid excursions, but more recently their relationship had changed. They weren’t kids anymore. Unfortunately. That made things more complicated.

Every morning when Daniel rode to school, she watched for him, and she kept watch on him in the schoolyard as well; she would have liked to be constantly at his side. It had been this way ever since junior high. Whenever she saw him, her stomach tightened with excitement, so much so that sometimes it was hard for her to eat anything. When she went to bed, she thought of him — his dark grey eyes and the dimples in his cheeks when he smiled. She was lucky that schoolwork was so easy for her; otherwise, her grades would have suffered from her inability to get Danny off her mind.

“What spell have you cast on me?” she murmured, sighing.

Just as she was about to lower the binoculars, Daniel shifted in his chair. He turned to his desk and seemed to be writing something.

Is he actually doing his homework on a Friday afternoon? Since when has he been such a nerd?

He suddenly held up a big sheet of paper to his window on which he had written: “I know that you’re watching me!” Her heart stopped. She let go of the cord to her blinds and almost fell backward. Her pulse raced. He had seemed to look right at her with those catlike eyes of his!

How did he know? Danny must have the instincts of a wild animal!

She restlessly paced up and down her room, changing into a light-colored T-shirt and a flowered skirt. How embarrassing — Danny must think I’m some kind of Peeping Tom! Or he suspects it. Oh, no, what if he’s worked out that I have a crush on him? And what if he’s grossed out by it and won’t ever speak to me again? Her blood ran cold. But her curiosity finally got the best of her.