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~ Book One of the Sentinel Series ~
Berkley Sensation ◙ January 2007
UNEDITED ADVANCED READING COPY
For Review Purposes Only
Catherine Spangler
P.O. Box 830656
Richardson, Texas 75083-0656
E-Mail: romance@catherinespangler.com
www.thesentinelseries.com
www.catherinespangler.com
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CATHERINE SPANGLER / TOUCHED BY DARKNESS / Advance Reading Copy BERKLEY SENSATION, JANUARY 2007
TOUCHED BY DARKNESS
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Atlantis – A mystical, magical culture that some believe actually
existed in the North Atlantic Ocean, bordering parts of what is now the
eastern U.S. coast. It is also believed that Atlantis had an extremely
advanced culture, and destroyed itself through civil war and the misuse
of its great Tuaoi Stone.
part of the body, and also to a specific color. The first four are the lower
chakras and grounded to the Earth. The last three are the higher chakras
and are linked to the Creator and the spiritual realm.
Conductor A regular human who is psychically wired to link with some
Sentinels, and to magnify and enhance the Sentinel’s psychic tracking
abilities. Conductors are relatively rare, and a good conductor/Sentinel
match is even rarer. A matched conductor is always the opposite sex of
the Sentinel, and there’s a powerful sexual attraction between them.
Belial – The cunning, evil leader of a rebel Atlantian faction, Belial
advocated human slavery, human sacrifices, and the dark side of magic.
His group gained control of the Tuaoi stone and orchestrated the
destruction of Atlantis.
Conduction – The process in which a Sentinel and a conductor link
spiritually through the seven chakras; most specifically, the sixth chakra
and third eye. This amplifies the psychic energy the Sentinel has
absorbed from a Belian crime scene and helps to identify the Belian.
The process also raises powerful sexual energies and has a physical
component—sexual intercourse, which further enhances the psychic
energies. Often several conductions are required before the Belian’s
shields are breached.
Belian – A follower of Belial (also known as the Sons of Belial).
Adhering to their leader’s original dark practices, Belians are now
reincarnating in human form on Earth, and wrecking violence and havoc
on its inhabitants. They thrive on chaos and terror and blood offerings to
Belial. Although they occupy mortal bodies, they have superhuman
abilities. They operate from the four lower spiritual chakras, and can
shield their presence from Sentinels.
Crystal Pendant – A pink quartz crystal edged in silver, it’s worn by
many Sentinels. Attuned to the great Tuaoi Stone, and to the Sentinel’s
personal energy, it helps focus and magnify psychic energies, and with
shielding.
Belian Crime Scene (BCS) – The scene of a Belian crime. A Sentinel
investigates the scene, absorbing the psychic energies left behind by the
Belian, in order to track it down.
High Sanctioned – Those entities (souls) that were the high priests of
the temple of The One on Atlantis. Generally, they don’t occupy
physical bodies, but act more as spirit guides for Sentinels. They assist
with Belian expulsions.
Belian Explusion (BE) – A forced exile of a Belian soul to Saturn for
spiritual rehabilitation. It requires the joint efforts of a Sentinel and the
High Sanctioned.
Initiate — A fledgling, a young Sentinel who is still learning how to
shield energies and use the Sentinel powers.
Chakras – The seven spiritual centers of the human body, starting in
the lower abdomen and moving upward. Each corresponds to a physical
Law of One – The spiritual law and belief followed by most Atlantians,
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CATHERINE SPANGLER / TOUCHED BY DARKNESS / Advance Reading Copy BERKLEY SENSATION, JANUARY 2007
it acknowledged a higher Supreme Being and placed the focus on the
Light, and positive energies.
Belians. This surge helps the Sentinel get a better fix on the Belian.
Shielding – Using psychic energies to create a spiritual shield that
blocks the presence of either a Sentinel or a Belian.
Sanctioned – Spiritually advanced Atlantian entities who served the
high priests in the temple of The One. They occupy human bodies and
are the overseers and the decision makers in the day-to-day Sentinel
operations on Earth.
Tuaoi Stone (The Great Crystal) – A huge spear of solid, multi-
faceted quartz crystal, the Tuaoi stone was housed in a special temple on
Atlantis. It provided all power, as well as a means of communicating
with The One, and was ultimately used to destroy Atlantis. It now lies at
the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, its power undiminished.
Sentinel – An Atlantian soul reincarnating into a human body to track
down Belians and dispense karmic justice. Like Belians, Sentinels are
mortal, but possess superhuman powers. They operate out of the three
higher chakras, making it difficult for Belians to sense their presence.
They often use conductors to help them identify Belians.
White Brotherhood – (Does not refer to race or gender.) This was the
Atlantian priesthood established for the perpetuation of the Law of One.
They had the ability to transport themselves in thought or body
wherever desired. Many of them have incarnated as Sentinels, the
Sanctioned, and the Higher Sanctioned.
The One – The Atlantian term for God/Supreme Being.
Third Eye – A spiritual center that is linked to the sixth chakra and the
Pineal Gland, and represented by the color indigo, the third eye
enhances ‘seeing’ and ‘hearing’ on an ethereal level. A Sentinel, often
with the aid of a conductor, works through the third eye to track Belians.
Psychic Signature – The energy patterns left behind by a Belian, more
pronounced if a violent crime has occurred. A Sentinel collects and
absorbs these energies, and pieces together clues and mental pictures to
help identify the Belian.
Saturn (Burning/Experience) – Saturn, the ‘grim reaper’, rules the
moral and karmic lessons souls must experience and overcome. Also
called the ‘karmic initiator’, Saturn is where Belian souls are sent until
they learn their spiritual lessons. It is not a pleasant experience—more
like purgatory.
Sexual Surge – The raw, powerful surge of sexual energy that occurs at
the beginning of a conduction, when the lower chakras open and pull in
Earth-based energies—which most resemble the vibratory levels of
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CATHERINE SPANGLER / TOUCHED BY DARKNESS / Advance Reading Copy BERKLEY SENSATION, JANUARY 2007
For in the life of the entity enters many of those conditions that may
be made into miracles or crimes.
(Edgar Cayce Reading 2497-3)
blood of human sacrifices. They disdained the Light.
Through treachery and violence, they gained control of the Tuaoi
stone and began terrorizing the citizens of Atlantis and surrounding
nations. They used the Tuaoi as a death ray, tuning it to such high
frequencies that it caused great upheavals of the land—and ultimately,
the final destruction of Atlantis.
Then the Earth knew peace again. The Atlantian souls who had
inhabited the planet did not return for thousands more years. But the
twentieth century saw the rise of amazing scientific and technological
advancements. Once again, Atlantians were drawn back to the Earth,
to the familiar technologies.
The Belians first chose to return to a physical existence, where their
superior powers would enable them to dominate the weaker humans;
where they could thrive on terror and darkness and blood.
They are now entering the Earth through birth as humans or by
possessing bodies. They have renewed their reign of evil, ruthless
power brokers that you call dictators, serial killers, mafia, gang
leaders, drug lords, and more.
Other Atlantians have been called into service to stop them. They
are also reincarnating into human bodies to hunt them down and
dispense justice.
They are the Sentinels.
They answer only to The One and those who serve the Light. They
walk among you, unrecognized, except to a few—human conductors
who are able to enhance their psychic abilities and help them track the
unseen evil that threatens you.
Your Earth is once again touched by darkness.
But those who worship Belial will not win.
There is no escape from destiny.
The Sentinels will prevail.
TOUCHED BY DARKNESS
PRELUDE
The beginning — Atlantis
Thousands of years ago, luminous soul beings arrived on the planet
Earth; bright and inquisitive spirits exploring an endless Universe. On
Earth, they discovered physical sensations—and oh, what sensations!
Only in this physical realm could they experience of taste, touch,
smell, hearing and feeling.
So they stayed, creating new material forms to house their beings.
Some became mermaids, unicorns, half-beasts. Most materialized into
human forms. Thus Atlantis came into existence.
At first very peaceful and spiritual, they followed the Law of One:
There is only the One. All come from the One, all must return to the
One. The One is the Light. You are the children of Light.
They lived in great illumination; their technology and
accomplishments were legendary. They had physical and mental
abilities and powers far beyond those of humans today. What they
could conceive, they could create.
They mastered particle physics, solar power, atomic power, gravity.
They constructed spacecraft that moved faster than light through outer
space and time. The great crystal, the Tuaoi stone, provided all their
energy.
But then disharmony crept in. An evil faction, led by the cunning
Belial, who advocated slavery and excesses of the flesh, began gaining
power. His followers were known as the Sons of Belial, or Belians.
They worshiped the darkness and renewed their life force through the
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CATHERINE SPANGLER / TOUCHED BY DARKNESS / Advance Reading Copy BERKLEY SENSATION, JANUARY 2007
For being afraid is the first consciousness of sin's entering in . . . .
( Edgar Cayce Reading 243-10)
Our life is normal , she told herself fiercely. He– they –were safe
from such a possibility. She had made sure of it, moving halfway across
the country to take up residence in Texas. She was fortunate that she
could use her medical skills anywhere.
And she liked the small town of Zorro, liked the close-knit
community, and the simple way of life. She turned onto the main street
of the town, rumbling past the antique and second-hand shops, home-
style restaurants, hardware and feed stores, a dress shop with dowdy,
"mature woman" fashions in the dusty display window. Traffic was
sparse and leisurely, matching the laid-back pace here.
Kara pulled into a parallel space in front of Sal's Grocery and cut
the engine. She reached over to tousle Alex's thick brown hair. "Hey
bud, we're here."
He didn't look up from his game. "Just a minute, Mom," he
wheedled. "I'm about to score."
"Pause it," she advised. "I want to get our errands done." She pulled
the key from the ignition and dropped it into her sweater pocket, then
swung open her door. "Come on."
She felt it the minute she climbed down from the pickup. It assailed
her, surrounding her like the treacherous tentacles of a sea monster.
Threatening, suffocating.
The power.
She grabbed the top of the door, suddenly struggling for breath. No!
She was just imagining it, still haunted by the terror of seven years ago.
Still raw from Richard, even now. No one in this small west Texas town
could wield such power. Alex was too young, and–God willing–would
never learn to manifest it. She shouldn't have even let herself think
about it on the drive here. That was the only possible reason she could
be imagining the sensation.
But the feeling persisted, furtive, horribly familiar. The sensation of
the power. Adrenaline surged, sending an awful tension through her
body. She slammed the door shut, leaned against the truck, battling the
beginnings of all-out panic. No, no . . . no !
Her frantic denial didn't diminish the effect of her pounding heart–
or the insistent barrage of an outside force. It was coming from across
CHAPTER ONE
It didn't start out as a day of horrendous memories–or of soul-
numbing pain. It started as a beautiful, sunny Saturday, with the air so
clear and crisp, one couldn't help but inhale deep breaths of the
cleansing freshness, and feel as if a multitude of God's benevolent
blessings must be shining down upon the entire world. Terrorism,
disease, poverty and hunger, grief and despair, were distant threads of
reality, too dim to possibly exist.
Life was good, Kara thought, as she headed to town in her '98
Chevy truck. Like the few daffodils insistently pushing their way
through the thick grass and weeds lining the two-lane road—despite the
fact it was only early March—the heart could recover from
overwhelming anguish, could return from a harsh, debilitating winter.
Life could resume, with a reassuring ebb and flow of normalcy.
She glanced over at Alex, his head bent over his Game Boy Micro
as he concentrated on FIFA Soccer. From an early age, he had displayed
a superior intelligence, and could play games far above the level of most
six-year-olds. Even so, she wouldn't let him play any of the fantasy
games that most young boys indulged in. No magic or monsters. Those
things too closely alluded to dark, shadowy realms; to otherworld
entities that were very real and far more dangerous than any mythical
monsters, more terrifying than the average person could even begin to
conceive.
A chill shuddered down Kara's spine, but she quickly shook it
away. She had no more involvement with the supernatural darkness,
was determined that their life from this point forward would be normal.
Except that Alex . . . She also shook that thought away before it could
fully congeal.
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