Prologue

Introduction

My name is Sera Calinsky. I am a Paladin. In case you don't know what that is, I'll explain. The Jumper/Paladin war has been going on for hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years. The witch hunts? Well, those would be Paladins killing Jumpers in a way so that they were able to recruit normal people to help them out. Now, of course, it is a much more private and secret war. Jumpers are, well, the name sort of explains it. They can go from California to England with a thought. Paladins, well, we're a little harder to explain. Most Paladins feel that Jumpers in inferior. That no one should have the ability to jump from place to place in an instant. Some go so far as to hate them for this ability. Some even have the ability to sense when someone Jumps. That is what I am. I am a tracker.

I don't like Jumpers. They killed my family. I was too young to remember what happened, but old enough to remember my name. However, I don't hate them. As a matter of fact, I think I'm sort of jealous of them. Just don't tell anyone I said that.

What I really want is this war to end. Ultimately it kills anyone who gets caught in the middle. I really don't understand the point. If I ever meet a Jumper, I try to let them go. I sense where they have just Jumped, and send the search party in the opposite direction. No one has figured it out yet. I know that sort of conflicts with what I said in the beginning. The way I see it: I may not like them, but that doesn't mean I should hunt them down on purpose.

When my parents were killed, I was taken in by a Paladin lady named Tina. She told me that she found me crying in the bushes near my house. I don't remember that. All I remember is Tina holding me in her arms and rocking me to sleep. Now that I'm sixteen, Tina says that I should make my own decisions as to what I do with my abilities. Tina agrees with me. Neither of us like the Jumpers, but we don't think that gives us the right to purposely kill them. She's the only one that I can talk to about what I wish.

Like most kids, I have a large list of wishes. Everything on the list, except the first two wishes, is typical of a 16-year-old girl. New Smartphone, time at the mall, a couple of girlfriends, maybe even a guy to have a crush on. However, my top two would be pretty far from most girls' lists. 1) I want this war to end. 2) I want a brother.

Introduction (Part 2)

My name is Jaydan Calinsky. I am a Jumper. Paladins killed my family when I was about five. I was taken in by a nice lady named Janet, and her husband Brian. Their kids had all moved out, so they were happy to bring someone new in. They formally adopted me, so I usually go by Jay Powers.

Janet and Brian are normal; neither Jumpers or Paladins. That is one way that I have managed to stay alive. I act normal too. I haven't jumped in years. I keep a very low profile; average kid in school, cellphone, email, Facebook, all that good stuff. As far as anyone knows, I'm just an average kid. Of course this also means that I can't tell my adoptive family about the real me. They aren't as good at keeping secrets as I am.

Occasionally, we'll hear reports on tv or in the paper about someone turning up dead. It always makes me nervous, because I can tell that the people are Paladin victims. I have to fight not to glance around me as I go about my daily routine.

I may not like Paladins, but I know that killing people is not the way to take care of the problem. This war has been going on for longer than I've been alive. Even though I have so far been able to sit out the war, I wish there was some way I could help end it. Other than that, I have only one real wish. I have always wanted to have someone I could talk to about who I am. Not a friend, someone more special than that. I have always heard that the bond between siblings is about the strongest bond you can find in the world. I wish I could have a sister.