Read Online Shifters (Shifters series Book 1) by Douglas Pershing, Angelia Pershing - Free Book Online

just a kid too, no older than Tanner. Maybe he still doesn ’ t know what to do.
    “The Keepers,” he begins. “The Keepers are humans working within the government. Their job is to destroy any Shifters they find. They don ’ t want their world to be overtaken by us. They see us as a threat.”
    I nod slowly. That makes sense. “So, they ’ ll be able to use the human police, feds, et cetera to find us.”
    He puts his head in his hands. After he slowly pulls it back out, he says, “We ’ ll need to stay away from people. They ’ ve said we ’ re fugitives.”
    “Not you,” I say slowly. “Why didn ’ t they mention you?”
    “Some of us,” he says, finally looking me in the eyes, “have what my parents called Apts.”
    “Like apps for an iPod?”
    “No, Apts, like short for aptitude. We have certain aptitudes or extra talents.”
    “ I don’ t understand,” I say softly, but Chucky and Frederick are listening, eyes wide.
    “You mean, like, you can do more than that Shifting thing?” Chucky says quietly.
    Kai nods. “I, for instance, can shadow.”
    “Which means . . . ?” Frederick half asks.
    “I can . . . I can be invisible, but only to technology,” Kai finally says.
    “So, you fritz out tech, just like Tanner?” Chucky asks, confused.
    Kai turns to stare at Chucky, wide eyed. He’s suddenly very engaged in this conversation. “Tanner ’ s Apts shouldn ’ t have kicked in yet. Not if he ’ s not Shifting. What exactly can he do?”
    I frown before answering. “It ’ s nothing, really.” I say. “Technology and Tanner just don ’ t get along. Everything goes haywire when he ’ s around.”
    Kai looks lost in thought for a moment. “It might be nothing,” he says finally. “Shifter energy can throw off tech.”
    I nod, unconvinced. He thinks he ’ s figured something out, but he doesn ’ t want to say what. He doesn ’ t trust us yet.
    “When do you find out what your Apts are?” I ask.
    “Some Shifters don ’ t have any,” he replies. “They usually start to kick in after you begin Shifting.”
    “How will I know?” I ask, concerned. What other freakish mutant thing can I do?
    He looks me up and down, considering. “I think I know what yours might be,” he says slowly.

Chapter 8
    Anybody Have a Rope?
    –TANNER–
    I ’ m still kind of groggy from not getting enough sleep for, like, ever. Well, at least the last couple of days. Ryland and Melinda are standing over by the TV. Like before, the news has the story all wrong. They show Melinda ’ s parents crying. Her dad is blaming my sister. Typical.
    I see Kai staring at this one suit guy with a look of pure hatred. I ask him if he ’ s one of the Keepers Kai told me about. He nods and a chill goes through me. I can ’ t imagine seeing the guy who murdered my parents, or the people I thought were my parents. Oh, man. I never even thought about that. Who were my parents? Did they really die trying to save Ryland and me?
    Frederick and Chucky are watching the TV and joking around like this is some sort of vacation. Seriously, don ’ t they know what ’ s happening here? Alice is still lying on the floor trying to ignore what ’ s going on, like that ’s possible.
    When she hears this guy talking on the TV, Alice sits straight up and focuses in on the screen like a hawk spotting a mouse. I look back and forth between her and the TV. Wow, I think. That must be her dad. He looks so much like her. I ’ ve never actually seen him before. Instead of looking worried or homesick like I expect, she gets upset. Not like sad or crying, but angry. She turns and walks straight out the door. I look at my sister, who looks back at me in surprise, and I immediately follow Alice.
    She’s walking quickly down the sidewalk past all of the other rooms.
    “Alice, are you okay?” I shout to her.
    She turns around abruptly and says sharply, “Leave me alone, Tanner,” then continues walking away without even pausing.
    She