Two Halves Series by Marta Szemik Page A

teller, sugar.” He came close, wrapping his arms around her waist. That’s exactly what Mira wanted, but the sound of wind cutting through the forest at unnatural speeds distracted her, the same way it alerted me.
    Eric laughed. “See what I mean? You have a calling now, too. The feeling will get stronger.” He smoothed his finger over the three wavy lines on her wrist.
    “I’ll wait for you,” she said.
    My ears perked up again as my gaze slid from the couple toward the door.
    “I know.” Eric smiled. “Go. You have work to do.” He kissed her on her nose. She closed her eyes. A gust of wind blew through the room and when she opened her eyes, Eric was gone, whirled away in the vortex.
    We locked eyes.
    “Let’s go!” I urged, knowing exactly what to do. Eric was right. With the mark on our wrists to guide us, we understood our mission without having any details. At this moment, someone sped through the forest toward the hill, and we had to find out who it was.
    He headed our way. We caught up to the creature and ran parallel to his sprint. Mira on one side, me on the other, concealed by the dark forest as the afterglow of the setting sun skimmed the treetops. The wind wrapped around me and caressed my body, easing the pain of losing Xela.
    I was in my natural state, a shape-shifter—a demon, a human, and a watcher.
    I knew exactly who I was.
    I was marked.
     
    ###
     

 
    Prologue
     
    Hundreds of miles—that’s how far he ran each day. His feet should have been blistered, but they weren’t. He should have been out of breath, but he didn’t need to breathe. Exhaustion had set in years ago, but not from the running.
    Where should I run next? What would be the best way to mislead the seekers?
    Ekim imagined a map in his head of where he’d been. Black marked the roads he’d passed; red for those he needed to avoid; green for ones he could still use. The mental strain to keep the drawings organized exhausted him.
    But running was his priority, the only constant in his life, and would be for a long time.
    Almost twelve months had passed since Ekim’s wife Saraphine died, since Sarah was born. He longed to see his daughter but didn’t dare risk it.
    Zigzagging across America, he retreated from the demons who concentrated their groups in the south. The seekers would think he returned to his kind and stop the chase—or so he hoped.
    Ekim has been a cold-blooded vampire since 1823, but with his judgment clear he was newly compassionate. Only when protecting his family did the ferocity and the viciousness come to the fore, necessary to preserve the human and vampire species.
    He couldn’t slow down. Sarah was turning one in a week. Seekers were still looking for her and William, Atram’s one-year-old son. The decision to move Sarah to Pinedale was difficult, but he knew it was the right choice. Her aunt Helen would take care of her. She’d continue mixing the serums that kept Sarah hidden.
    Atram, Ekim’s best friend since the day they’d been turned, sent a telegram to the most northerly post office in each state once a month. Ekim stepped outside the building and pulled the paper from its envelope.
     
    EVERYONE’S WELL. KIDS GETTING ALONG. HEART CONDITION GETTING WORSE. THEY’RE LEAVING IN TWO WEEKS.
     
    Sarah and William couldn’t get too close to each other. The children’s heartbeats quickened uncontrollably when they laughed, turning the giggles into cries of pain. Thin veins appeared on their innocent, chubby faces. The electric shock between them when they touched was as quick and unpredictable as snapped fingers. They needed each other to fulfill their destiny, yet they couldn’t be together.
    How will they do it? How will they ever save both our kinds from extinction?
     
    * * *
    PINEDALE 150 MILES
    The vampire read the road sign, then closed his eyes to picture his daughter’s new home. A white picket fence of a red brick Georgian dwelling with white trim around the dormer windows and