The MirrorMasters

Chapter 14

"Dad, we're here," Brian called as he led the group through the front door.

"Good, good," Mr. Drake replied, standing up from the oversized living room sofa. He made his way to the foyer and ushered us all inside. "Brian let me know you were coming. Would any of you like anything to drink before we begin?" His gaze rested on me, appearing relieved that I had agreed to have this conversation.

"No, thank you, sir," David replied. The others shook their heads.

"You may call me Caleb. I'd prefer it."

Curious, I glanced around, taking in the ornately carved antique furnishings in each of the rooms that complemented the style of the home. Though sparse and with only a select few personal touches such as photos of Brian and his father, the home seemed remarkably well put together already. I didn't see any moving boxes. Who could unpack so quickly after a move? Brian and his father must not have many belongings.

"All right, then. Everyone, please take your seats."

I stiffened. His tone touched some distant memory, familiar and dangerous. Somehow, I associated it with the vision in my mirror, though I couldn't say for certain whether this was correct. Brian sent me a quizzical glance. Shaking my head, I followed the others into the living room. We arranged ourselves on the sofa, David sitting to my left and Brian to my right. With a cold, strong grasp, Brian reached over to take my hand. I gave his hand a gentle squeeze in return, barely noticing David and Caleb frown at this interaction. What Brian and I did was our business, not theirs. Caleb cleared his throat.

"Brian, I take it you've told everyone in this little group why we're here? You shouldn't have, but I understand all of you wanting to support Leah," he said, shifting his gaze to me. "Since it seems everyone is invited, are you sure you don't want to invite your parents?" His tone held a hint of dry humor.

"No," David and I said together.

"I'll tell them what I need to tell them later, not here like this," I added.

"Dad, I don't get why you care about secrecy anymore," Brian said, clutching his hands into fists like he was trying not to freak out. "I mean, you finally admitted the other night that we're not from Earth. We'll be gone soon, so what's the point?"

Gone soon.

The words hit me with the force of a tsunami, and now I was about to freak out. "If I leave with you..." My breath caught in my throat, shallow, unsatisfying. "This is a huge thing to ask. I need to know why you want me to —"

"If?" Caleb fixed me with that predatory stare of his, and I had the impression he was rifling through my thoughts, searching out weaknesses to exploit. "Is reuniting with your parents not enough?"

"My parents," I repeated, stunned. He must know them, then. Maybe after all this time, they wanted me back.

Forget that. Maybe all they wanted was for me to save their planet.

No way would I let Caleb think he could manipulate me, or that anything he said could wound me. Why did he come here, anyway? "Oh, you mean the people who abandoned me on a beach. Yeah, they must want to see me."

"They did no such thing!" Ice and fire battled for dominance over the temperature in the room, radiating out from Caleb in waves. Our bodies shivered, and our skin sweated as each wave passed over us in turn.

Yikes! He has powers?

"You disappeared." Pain and rage flashed in his eyes, as if he blamed me for that, or as if he had flashed back to the scene. He paused to regain his composure, his breathing ragged. Finally, after a full minute, the temperature stabilized. "The Prime Minister and First Lady, your parents, sent me to find you. They figured my tracking skills would prove useful, but Earth's archaic record systems didn't make it easy, let me tell you. The assignment was never expected to last as long as it has. It took years to search the planet and follow every single lead, every child your age whose parents couldn't be found."