Eternal Shadows by Kate Martin Page B

oak that grew at the very back of the lawn. I had climbed it as a child—and just the other week. “Run at the tree, but stop before you hit.”
    “Are you kidding me?”
    The corner of his mouth drew upwards. It was the most expression I’d seen on his face. “Not at all. Run as you would when you were human, but push yourself to go faster. Don’t hit the tree.”
    God I hoped this wasn’t a trick. I studied the tree and the distance to it. A straight line, nothing more, and nothing in my way. It couldn’t be that hard. Could it? “Just run to the tree?”
    “Just run.”
    Ugh . There was clearly some sort of private joke going on. I could see it on all their faces. Whatever. I stretched out my legs a bit, then took off.
    At first nothing felt different. Then, when I had hit what had been my top speed, I pushed further. I heard that same strange sucking sound as the air whizzed by, much like it had when Cade had grabbed me. Most miraculously, I could still see where I was going. I felt exhilarated. The tree was within sight, so close now.
    It took about half a second for me to realize there was no way I would be stopping on time. Don’t hit the tree. Very funny.
    I smashed into the trunk with every ounce of speed I had squeezed out of my body. All I managed to do in preparation was throw my arms up in front of my face. The wood splintered all around me and my feet slid forward even as the rest of my body was held back by the thick trunk. I landed flat on my back, having been left behind by my uncontrollable legs. Wood chips and splinters scattered all around. I coughed and spit out leaves and bark, sitting up to clear my throat with more ease. Dirt covered my legs up to the knee and my heels were buried in the ground. I ached from the force of the impact, but a quick glance at my arms told me I had sustained only minor cuts and bruises. Yay for immortality and a nearly indestructible body. But my tree was destroyed.
    I could sense the three of them behind me. Or, more accurately, I could smell them. “I get it. It’s not so easy.”
    Millie came around and offered me a hand up. I took it. “You actually didn’t do all that poorly,” she said, though her tone was clearly one of an adult encouraging a child. “You did manage to run successfully. I tripped over my own feet the first time.”
    “Something to look forward to.” I brushed the debris from my clothes before turning to face the other two. “All right, so how do I stop?”
    “Practice,” Cade said.
    Rhys plucked a large section of tree from the ground. “And you’ll want to be careful not to break everything in your path. You’re stronger now, too.” He flipped the wood in his hand once, then hurled it at what remained of the top of the tree, now sideways on the ground. The collision popped against the air, leaving the branches nothing to cling to. What had once been a magnificent old tree was now nothing more than firewood. While saddened by it, it made their point crystal clear.
    “Got it,” I said.
    “One more thing.” Cade made a quick hand gesture and both Millie and Rhys took a single step back. My nerves did a series of flips. “Dodge.”
    “Dodge what?”
    The end of my question ended up a scream. I threw myself to the side, but Cade still got this hand around my wrist. I ended up right against his body, his other hand locked loosely around my throat. “You’ll have to learn to defend yourself,” he said.
    “Defend myself? Aren’t you the peace-bringers?”
    “The vampire world is just like the human world. Different opinions, different beliefs. Sometimes, they clash.”
    Oh, great . “Sounds like a blast.” He released me and I stepped back until my heels hit a large piece of tree trunk. I shook out the wrist he had grabbed then went to rub my neck, but the discomfort I expected wasn’t there. Other than the sensation of being recently touched, there was nothing.
    He was good.
    “You’re Rhys’s responsibility,” he