Paranormalcy 1
by Kiersten White
Evie (16 year old orphan taken in by the IPCA) is in a graveyard when a vampire that is trying to dress like Dracula attacks her. Most people cannot tell the difference between the supernatural and regular human beings. However, Evie has a power that lets her see the corpse under the vampire's glamour. She uses her taser and then tags the vamp, Steve, with an ankle cuff. She explains that if his body temperature rises, he tries to break the cuff, or if he doesn't make it to the nearest IPCA Center in twelve hours, the cuff will release holy water into his system and kill him. She then calls for a ride back to IPCA headquarters. A fairy named Reth comes to collect Evie and she is not happy about it. The two have a history that she truly wants to leave in the past, but he keeps trying to claim her heart and soul (literally). He leads her down the fairy paths to the underground center where she lives. She fends him off before going to her room to watch her favorite high school drama TV show.
After her show, Evie’s best friend (a mermaid named Alisha) videos her. She tells her that she had better check in with Raquel. Evie goes to Raquel’s office and reports what happened with the vampire. She takes a chance, asking Raquel if she can attend a normal school. Raquel reminds her that her ability makes it impossible. Since she is the only one known to be able to see through paranormals’ glamours, the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA) relies on her pretty heavily (and has since she was eight). Evie goes back to her room and falls asleep. She wakes up to an alarm going off and goes to Raquel’s office to see what is going on, but Rachel’s face has an odd, watery paranormal under it. Evie uses her taser on it.
Raquel and a werewolf, Jacques, come in to help Evie. They have trouble seeing the creature in its true form. Evie puts a tracker on his leg and security takes him to a cell. she wants to know more, so she goes down to containment. Their captive can change at will, including his wardrobe. When he shifts into Evie, he has trouble catching her eye color. She remembers hearing “eyes of melting snow” in her dream. When she uses the phrase, the creature agrees and backs off.
The creature, Lend, says that he came there looking for answers. Raquel tells Evie to stay away from him until they find out what he is. Back in her room, Evie starts watching TV and doesn’t realize that Reth found his way in to try to take her heart and soul. Luckily, Alisha calls and Evie comes back to herself. She kicks Reth out and promises to tell Alisha about Lend in the morning. Evie goes down to containment and watches Lend shifting. When she stops focusing, she cans see his features more clearly. The two wonder what the other is.
Lend explains that the form he takes is like his clothing. Evie guesses his age and he admits that he is 17. Raquel catchers her and sends her away from him. Evie goes to see Alisha and they discuss Lend. The janitor, a vampire named Vlad who hates Evie for catching him, mentions that Lend might be a doppleganger. Alisha looks it up, but the description doesn’t fit. They decide to keep what they know secret so that Evie has some leverage to be included.
After tutoring with a werewolf named Charlotte, Evie goes to see Lend, but Raquel had him moved. Raquel comes along to tell Evie that they have a vampire job for her. The fairy that takes Evie through the tunnels mentions that vie belongs to Reth, but Evie tries to discredit that rumor. They arrive in a market and Evie wanders off. She finds and follows a vampire to a room with about 20 more.
The vampires mention that something has been chasing them to kill them. When Evie explains that she works for the IPCA, they start to attack her. She is easily overpowered and about to be bitten when she calls out Reth’s real name. He takes her to some place in the fairy world and tries to get her to give in to him. Evie almost succumbs until she thinks of Lend. Reth leaves her alone to wait for her to fall asleep before he tries again.
Evie eventually remembers another Fairy’s full name and calls out. Reth appears and is furious, but the other fairy must obey the command. Evie asks to be taken to Lend’s room. She now knows where he is, and promises to come back later to visit. She goes to let Raquel know that she is okay. Raquel is relieved, but asks why Evie killed 25 vampires. She explains that she didn’t and had to call on Reth for help.
Exhausted from the events of the day, Evie goes to bed with iron weights on either side of her to deter Reth. When she wakes up, she sneaks off to hang out with Lend. After watching a movie, they get to talking about their abilities. Lend points out that Evie seems to be a prisoner. She storms out, angry that he is right.
Evie goes to talk to Raquel about what would happen if she tried to leave. When Evie realizes that they would put a tracker on her, she goes to Alisha to look herself up. She has a file (humans don’t) and is classified as a level 7 (rare and not much is known). She has a fairy take her to a mall in Florida and she watches the people. Raquel comes along to comfort her and they shop. When they get back to the Center, and Evie is alone, she’s free to drop happy-teenager act.
Not really having anyone else to turn to, Evie goes to visit Lend. They discuss their abilities further with Evie admitting he was right about IPCA. He says he will eventually tell her why he broke in. It is a week before she has another opportunity to visit him. Raquel offers to do something normal with her, but is immediately pulled away by an emergency.
Evie goes to visit Lend and ends up telling him about Reth. He took interest in what she could do and then in her. He warmed her heart and she loved him. She was on a mission and a werewolf hit her. Reth came along and crushed hi with a tree. Evie was terrified and refused to let him back in. Raquel shows up and Lend promises to give her some information if she lets Evie hang out with him. Raquel eventually agrees and he tells her a banshee said that the answer was with the IPCA. He refuses to give her more information until he is free, but says Evie knows part of the cryptic poem that will give them answers as to why so many paranormals are dying.
Later, back in Lend’s room, he tells her that they need to stop whatever is killing already endangered paranormals. He starts to tell her the poem so they can try to decipher it together, but Reth comes along to take Evie’s heart. He knocks out Lend when Lend goes to protect her. Reth grabs her wrist and starts filling her with warmth. Evie tries to keep it from getting to her heart, but it burns her arm. He took her voice so that she cannot use his real name against him. Lend activates his tracker by throwing himself out of the room. Raquel comes along and commands Reth not to touch Evie. He leaves, but Evie can still feel the burn and some goes to her heart.
Raquel takes Evie to the Center’s doctor. The burn that Reth’s hand left on her wrist is almost healed, but the doctor notices that her temperature is low (which is normal for her). She makes excuses and goes back to wait for Lend to wake up. She thanks him when he doesn't and explains what the fairy was doing. For a second, she thinks that he can also see the golden liquid fire Reth left behind.
When Evie realizes that Lend can’t see the marks Reth left, she tells him about them. He tells her the rest of the prophetic poem, which seems to describe her. Evie points out that a lot of references could be to fairies and they might be the ones killing paranormals. Raquel comes along to send Evie with Jacques to tag a hag.
When Evie finds the hag, it is already dead. She sees a golden hand print like the one Reth left on her. She yells for Jaques and then hears him die screaming. She hits the panic button on her communicator for Fehl (a fairy) to come get her. Just before they escape to the fairy paths, she sees fire shaped like a person.
Evie explains to Raquel what happened on her mission and her suspicions of Reth. Raquel says that Reth has an alibi and blows off the ida that fairies might be responsible. Evie goes to catch up with Alisha and then to see Lend. She decides that she is going to talk to Raquel about working with Lend.
Raquel is away from the Center for a few days, so Evie uses the time they have to learn about Lend’s life. They compare stories about growing up and typical life. After a while, Evie returns to her room to sleep. Reth comes to her in the night. He says he needs to finish what he started so that she can survive. Evie questions what he is talking about and he references the poem, saying it is about another girl and Evie’s poem has a different ending (the other girl’s ends in a lot of death). Evie refuses to break the command that prevents him from touching her. He says that she would understand if she would let him finish, which he will do when she begs.
Evie is discussing what Reth said with Lend when she gets a call from Alisha. Raquel and some higher-ups, the supervisors, are heading back to the Center and she probably shouldn’t be caught alone with him. Evie goes to see Alisha. Raquel is brought there by a fairy to wait for the supervisors. She demands that Evie tell her everything she knows about Lend. Evie refuses and they start arguing. They are distracted when a vampire named Steve refuses to be detained for lockdown. He bites Raquel, but she brushes Evie away when the supervisors arrive.
Evie feels even more lonely than normal as more paranormals arrive for lockdown. Her normal contacts are overly busy and the additional security makes it hard to see Lend. While watching her show with Alisha on the vid-screen, Alisha notices five new trackers and informs Raquel, who tells her to send a fairy to check. Alisha excuses herself. After a minute, Evie remembers that she dropped a bag of five trackers when she ran away from whatever is killing the paranormals.
Realizing her mistake, Evie runs down to the control room, but Alisha is already dead with her aquarium shattered. She gets a hold of Raquel on her communicator to let her know the killer is in the Center, who tells her to get to transport and get out. She commands a fairy to help the paranormals get out, starting with the sleeping werewolves. Evie goes after Lend. She is able to deactivate his tracker (because she is the one that set it), knowing that this is an act of treason agains the only family she’s ever known. They start running and Evie sees a person made of flames. Lend says he only sees a normal girl.
When they stop for a second, Lend shifts to show Evie what the killer looks like: a girl with the same color eyes as her. They are trapped and Reth appears. Evie is forced to break the command forbidding him to touch her. He admits that he brought the killer to the Center before taking them through the tunnels. He tries to finish whatever he started with Evie, but Lend attacks. Reth is able to put Evie’s dagger to his throat and has Evie command him to change his name. Reth disappears.
Evie and Lend are able to get to Lend’s house. His dad, David, is relieved that his son is home. Lend asks him to look at the cut on Evie’s leg from the Alisha’s broken tank. While stitching her leg, Lend starts telling his dad what happened. David said he worked for the American agency that eventually became the ICPA.
Lend explains Evie's ability and shows David what the killer looks like. David is suspicious of Evie at first, but Lend vouches for her. He gives her pain medication and a sleep aid. Lend takes her to his bed - which is surrounded by an iron frame. He leaves to talk to his dad again.
Evie is contacted by the killer, Vivian, in her dreams. Since they share Reth’s soul, they are connected and able to communicate in this way. She says that their job is to lay to rest the paranormals because they don’t belong. Vivian says she will help fill Evie up (with paranormal souls) and they can be sisters.
Lend wakes Evie up to meet a vampire, Arianna, and a werewolf couple (Luke and Stacey). David asks if the ICPA technology she had on her could allow them to track her. She doesn’t think so as most of the GPS technology was voided by the fairy tunnels anyway. David says they need to go for a walk and they head through some woods to a pond. Lend says his mom can come out.
Cresseda, Lend’s mom, appears in a watery form. She says that Evie is the answer they were looking for. She has to leave before too long and they don’t feel like they got any answers. Reth shows up to take Evie away. Lend, David, and Arianna try to protect her, but it isn’t enough. She agrees to go with him to save the others, but it is obvious he plans to kill Lend anyway. Cresseda forms a water vortex around Lend and Evie. She tells Reth that this is not a matter of air and they are under her protection. Reth points out that not only is this also not a matter of water, but that he created Evie, and then he leaves.
David sends Lend and Evie to town to get her some clothes. Lend then takes her to a restaurant David owns that is full of paranormals. He explains that his dad helps them control urges and contribute to society. After telling her what the ICPA does to a paranormal (literally neutering and other horrible acts), Evie feels really bad for her part in it. Back at the house, she tells David where the Center is (Canada) and that the werewolves should have made it out. While Lend catches up on homework, Evie and Arianna bond over their favorite TV show.
The Next morning, Evie overhears David, Arianna, and the werewolf couple talking about Vivian. She goes to show them how she kills paranormals with just a touch Arianna, who starts to spasm. Evie is freaked out until the vampires starts laughing. Lend takes Evie to school with him, and afterwards, he asks her to prom.
One of David’s contacts was able to find all of the werewolves from the Center. Evie’s tutor, Charlotte, arrives and is reunited with her sister, Stacey (who she accidentally attacked when she first turned). David worries that Vivian might come to their town because of the large paranormal population. He plans on sending as many away as possible.
Evie and Lend hold hands and cuddle while watching a movie. Evie falls asleep and Vivian appears. She says the fairies created them, the Empty Ones, and Evie should know more, but it seems her fairy lost her as a baby. Still not quite believing what she is told, Evie reluctantly asks questions. Vivian tells her to find and check her communicator. After Lend wakes Evie up to go to bed, she waits until she hears him settle in and goes to the kitchen. She finds the communicator in a drawer. Just as she is about to set it down, a message appears from Vivian via Raquel’s communicator. She wants to know where they should meet.
Evie sits in the kitchen wondering what to do when David comes in. She asks him about the poem and how Reth knew about it. He doesn’t know. He asks if Reth is Seelie or Unseelie and Evie, without actually knowing, guesses Unseelie. She skips school the next day to talk to Cresseda, who tells her that that she has a decision to make. Evie explains that she doesn’t want to kill paranormals, and Cresseda tells her to cling to the good, like Lend.
Lend wakes up Evie and asks if she would like to hang out with his friends later. She gets excited and they flirt a little. They start kissing until David knocks on the door. Later that night they have their group date. Back at home, Lend expresses how happy he is that he can be completely honest with her. Evie feels like she is living a lie.
Vivian comes to Evie in another dream. She can’t find her “little sister,” but still wants them to be together like a family. Vivian doesn’t know how Evie is getting brighter without stealing souls. Evie wakes up and goes to Lend. Crying, she wakes him up and tells him she thinks she is killing him.
Lend keeps calm while Evie explains everything. he doesn’t think she is soulless or stealing his soul. They decide to keep the information to themselves and Lend promises to tell Evie if he feels anything weird when she touches him. David got papers for Evie to be a normal person and enroll in school for the fall. When Lend tells them about prom, they go out shopping. Arianna helps Evie pick out a dress. She explains that they have no idea what happens to a person to make them become a vampire, but the thought of living forever is tiring. Evie thinks about what Vivian told her: freeing their souls rather than stealing.
Evie is visited once again by Vivian in her dreams. Vivian is surprised that Lend didn’t dump her when Evie told him the truth. She seems jealous of the normal life that Evie is refusing to give up. Evie notices that Vivian seems extremely sad and then goes to tell Lend about the visit. Later, she asks David if the fairies could find her. Reth knows her full true name and can use that. Also, a person object or body part could compromise her location.
Arianna helps Evie get ready for prom. In a moment of clarity, she realizes that Vivian takes the souls and they need to be released. She rushes to Lend, wondering if she can bring back Alisha, but he points out that her body is long dead. A little disheartened, Evie puts on her dress. They get in a limo and go to prom with their friends.
Evie and Lend are having a great time until Reth comes and takes Evie away. He explains that he made her to rival the unseelie court’s creation: Vivian. Evie doesn’t believe him and calls out the only other fairy’s name that she knows. Fehl arrives and is eager to take Evie to Lend’s house where Vivian is waiting. Vivian knocks the fairy out with a cast iron skillet.
Vivian wants to show Evie how to take souls, but Evie still doesn’t want to. While they argue, Fehl gets away. Reth appears and Evie says she’s ready to learn. Vivian explains that she has to want it. Evie tries to take the souls from Vivian, but fails. Vivian also fails to take Evie’s because she wants her sister. Evie ends up taking the souls, but leaves Vivian her own. Evie understands everything now and her mortal life seems insignificant.
She goes outside and finds a door. Reth tells her that it is the wrong gate to open. Lend comes up to her and she wants to take his soul. When she touches him, his soul calls to hers and she can’t do it. She reaches out and releases the souls while Reth tells her she is ruining what they were working towards.
Evie wakes up in a hospital. Raquel comes to visit, but is gone before Evie can even open her eyes. Reth appears, upset with Evie because she was supposed to release them, not the souls. She threatens to take his soul and he leaves. Lend shows up and explains that after Evie start floating and Released the souls, he tried to catch her, but she hit her head. David chased off Reth with an iron golf club. They found Vivian and she is somewhere safe in a coma she may never wake up from. Evie doesn’t have the heart to tell Lend that he is immortal.