by K. J. McPike
“Nothing.” I pulled away from her, my heart thundering in my ears. Her family had found her note. That was why her husband appeared to be in shock—he was in shock, just like I’d been when I found my parents.
“Kai?” I felt Xiomara’s gaze, but I refused to look at her. I wouldn’t let her see how the scene at her house had gotten to me. That was probably her plan all along. If this was her trying to play me again, she wasn’t going to win.
“Nothing’s wrong,” I repeated. “I’ll be back with your stuff.”
Previewing her closet, I saw that it was closed. Slivers of light came in through the slatted door, practically pointing to the duffel bag from last night shoved into the corner. I ducked to make sure I wouldn’t hit the hangers and followed through with the projection.
I reached for the bag at the same time a tiny voice cried out, “Is this because I forgot to clean my room yesterday?” My hand froze in midair. “Tell her I’ll clean it now!” The girl sobbed, the sound ringing in my ears. “I’ll clean it now, I promise!”
“Sal, this has nothing to do with that,” another girl’s voice said. “Don’t worry. Mom will come back soon. Right, Dad? She has to come back.” Her voice broke on the last word, and I was sure my ribs had collapsed.
Barely able to breathe, I wrapped my fingers around the bag’s handle and projected to my room. The bag slipped from my hand as I dropped onto my bed.
Tell her I’ll clean it now! I’ll clean it now, I promise!
I pressed my fists into my temples. I only took Xiomara away from her family because I had to. I’d done everything I could to make it as easy on them as possible. But no matter how much I tried to reassure myself of that, I couldn’t get the little girl’s devastated voice out of my head.
Chapter 9
Scope
While Xiomara cleaned herself up, I sat on one of the kitchen’s bar stools with my laptop perched on the counter in front of me. According to my search results, South Creek was little more than a main road with a post office, a couple of stores, and a gas station. If Delta really had gone back, I doubted it would take long to find information on her whereabouts.
Maybe our plan would work after all.
“This picture of Main Street should be enough to get me there,” I said, studying the image in the upper right corner of the screen. I swiveled my stool around to face Cade, who stood looking at the computer over my shoulder with a steaming mug in his hand. “I can stagger my previews to find a back alley or something so I can show up unnoticed.” Even though it was draining and tedious, I’d used the technique before. All I had to do was find a new landmark in each preview to move in the direction I needed.
Cade took a sip of tea and glanced at the stove clock. “It’s early enough there that most people won’t be out yet. You shouldn’t need any alleys to get the lay of the land without being seen.”
“Good point.” It was seven-thirty in the morning here in Miami, which meant it was only four-thirty in Arizona. I turned back to the computer, my stool sliding as I leaned forward to get a closer look at the details of the photo on the screen. A boxy brick storefront half covered with a black and white sign that read Hank’s General Store took up the majority of the image. The store had two display windows on either side of the door, which meant I’d be able to look inside easily.
Perfect.
Committing the building to memory, I slipped into a preview. The sky was dark, a chipped street lamp providing the lone source of light. A scraggly-looking cat pawed at a plastic bag, but that was the only movement I saw.
I pulled out of the preview and stood up. “You’re right,” I told Cade as I closed my laptop. “It’s pretty dead there. Won’t take long to scope it out.”
Cade nodded, swallowing another mouthful of tea. “Good. Xiomara should be ready by the time you get back.”
I projected up to my room and slipped open my dresser’s top drawer. Shoving aside my socks and underwear, I dug out the ski mask I kept for whenever I drained cash registers to replenish our funds. I knew the odds of anyone recognizing me from a security camera were slim, but I wasn’t taking any chances. No matter where I was, there was always the risk of being spotted by spies for the Eyes and Ears. I knew they were always out hunting semmies and runaways, and if Delta and Brendan were kidnapped from South Creek, that town must’ve already been on their radar.
All the more reason to be careful.
Pushing the drawer closed again, I couldn’t help but glance at the framed photo that wobbled on the dresser’s black surface. The familiar charge went through me at the sight of the faded snapshot—the only family portrait I had. My toddler self grinned between my mother and father with my infant sister propped up in my lap. We looked like a happy little family, but no matter how many times I gazed at the photo, it never got any easier to believe that was actually my life at one point.
I ran my fingertips over the cool glass. “I’m going to bring you home, Kala.” Remembering the disagreement I’d had with Cade the previous night, I added, “No matter what it takes.”
Tugging the knitted mask over my face, I appeared in front of Hank’s General Store. A breeze chilled my bare arms, carrying with it the smell of old cigarettes. I rubbed my hands along my biceps as I looked over both shoulders to scan the deserted street. Even the cat was gone, probably terrified from seeing me appear out of thin air.
I turned back to Hank’s and cupped my hands around my eyes to peek through one of the display windows. Everything was sparsely lit, but I could see a row of quarter machines a few feet away—the perfect target to get me inside. It was always easier to project to things or people when they were just in front of me.
A second later, I was in the store. It was bigger than I’d expected, with ten numbered aisles and a fresh produce section. I just needed to find a bathroom I could use as my personal entrance. Restrooms were the best place to work with when appearing and disappearing in public. I had yet to see anyone notice me come out of one and care that they hadn’t seen me go in. I was pretty sure most people didn’t even register it.
I wandered deeper into the store with only the sound of my steps to keep me company. A sign that read TOILETS hung above the dairy section, its arrow pointing to a little hallway between the refrigerated display cases. Heading straight to the men’s room, I reached for the handle.
It caught when I tried to turn it.
I cursed. Of course it would be locked. I tried the women’s room with the same result.
Letting out a huff, I appeared outside the store and looked up and down the street again. Among the handful of small buildings, I noticed a run-down restaurant labeled as Pizza HuB. It was clearly a bad rip-off of Pizza Hut. The only changes they’d made were painting the rooftop orange and haphazardly painting over the lower-case “t” to make it into a busted-looking capital “B.”
I shook my head. This town was a trip. I trotted down the road in search of a place I could use for its bathroom. Even in the relative darkness, I could tell the asphalt beneath my flip-flops looked like it was a hundred years old. Its uneven surface hosted networks of cracks in every direction. When was the last time anything new had been added here?
Another burst of cold wind sent goosebumps up my forearms. The sensation was a weird contrast to the skin of my face, which was starting to sweat beneath my ski mask.
I spotted a gas station not fifty yards away, its sign for the public restrooms pointing toward the back of the building. Quickening my pace, I made my way to the men’s room door. By some miracle, it opened.
My relief was cut short as the stench assaulted my nostrils. It smelled like a tomb filled with old diapers. Holding my breath to avoid gagging and the risk of contracting whatever airborne diseases were surely waiting for me inside, I flipped the light switch. It didn’t take long to memorize the scratched mirror and stained sink. Just to be sure I had it, I projected home and back again.
No problem.
Making sure to lock the b
athroom door from the inside, I appeared in my living room. Xiomara sat at the kitchen counter, her wet hair dripping onto the shoulders of her charcoal-colored blouse. She started when she saw me, and I pulled the mask off my face.
“Just me,” I said, noticing the crumb-covered plate in front of her. Cade must’ve decided to feed her. I hadn’t even considered what we would do about that while we held her captive.
“Is everything all set?” Cade asked, sliding a plate into the dishwasher.
I nodded. “Yeah. All we have to do now is wait until the sun comes up in Arizona.”
Chapter 10
Inspiration
I started down Main Street with Cade and Xiomara behind me. “The general store’s this way,” I said, strolling in the wake of a single blue car on the otherwise empty road. According to Google, Hank’s opened at six-thirty, which seemed overly ambitious given that the town was still basically dead. But I wasn’t complaining—our projection to the gas station bathroom went without a hitch since no one was around to notice us, and I was glad we would be able to ask the employees about Delta sooner rather than later.
I heard Cade mutter something to Xiomara. I couldn’t make out his words, but she responded with a huff.
Whatever. I wasn’t getting involved in their drama. Their shared history already made me feel like an afterthought, and their arguing only made it worse. I just hoped whoever we ended up talking to about Delta wouldn’t pick up on the animosity between them.
A bell dinged as we entered the store, and a frail-looking old man with leathery skin and about five hairs on his head glanced up from mopping. “We ain’t open yet.” He jerked his head toward the wall to our right, where a giant red clock said it was six-twenty-eight.
Two minutes? Really?
The man resumed cleaning the floor near the cash registers, his forest green company shirt hanging from his thin frame.
“No matter.” Cade moved past a display case of baked goods and stepped deeper into the store. “We’re not here to shop.”
That got the old guy to look up.
Xiomara held out her palms in a peacemaking gesture. “We were actually hoping you could help us find someone. A woman by the name of Delta Malueg.”
The mop clattered to the floor, and the old man squinted at all three of us accusingly. “Is this some kind of joke?”
Xiomara frowned. “No, sir.”
The man took a step toward us, pointing a bony finger in our direction. “Where’d you hear that name? What d’you know?”
“Nothing,” I insisted, looking between Cade and Xiomara. “We don’t know anything.” That’s the problem.
The man wrinkled his bulbous nose, his face reddening. “Whatever you’re trying to do, it ain’t funny. Get outta here!”
“What are you yappin’ about, Bernie?” A short, stocky woman stepped out from one of the aisles carrying an armful of ramen noodle packages. Her auburn ponytail hung over one shoulder and showed streaks of gray at her temples.
Muttering to himself, Bernie snatched up the mop and shoved it into the yellow plastic bucket. Water sloshed along the floor as he stormed toward the back of the store, the wheels of the bucket squeaking the whole way.
“Don’t mind him.” The woman waddled over to us and set her noodle collection between the cash registers on the counter. “He’s a cranky old fart.” She winked, straightening her own company shirt as she approached us. Mel was printed on her nametag. “How can I help you?”
Cade launched into the adoption story he’d come up with, explaining that we were looking for my birth mother. When he finished, Mel let out a low whistle.
“Is that why Delta ran away?” She shook her head, her mouth pushed into a thoughtful pout. “All this time we were worried sick, thinking something horrible must’ve happened to her, and really, she was just knocked up.”
“Well, we don’t know for sure that was the reason,” Xiomara said. “Anything could’ve happened before she got pregnant.”
Mel rolled her eyes. “Please. This ain’t the type of town where people just turn up missing. Yet Delta and her cousin vanished into thin air the same night. He must’ve gone along to help take care of the baby. Or maybe he was the dad.” She jabbed Cade with her elbow and belted out a laugh. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’d heard that around here.”
Xiomara cleared her throat, the daggers in her eyes ready to slice through Mel’s round, pink face. “Is that really necessary in front of him?” She nodded in my direction.
Mel attempted to give me a sympathetic look, but her hazel eyes still sparkled with amusement. “Oh, sweetie, I’m just messin’. I wish I didn’t have to be the one to tell you, but no one’s seen hide nor hair of Delta for a good twenty years.”
“What about the Malueg family farm?” Xiomara tried. “Can you tell us where that is?”
Mel scratched her head and rested her hip on the counter. “It’s not their farm anymore. The Maluegs left a while ago.”
“What do you mean they left?” Cade demanded.
Mel shrugged. “I mean they moved about ten years after Delta and Brendan disappeared.” She sighed and scanned the rows of shelves with a distant look in her eyes. “I don’t blame ’em. Tragedy like that’s hard to recover from if you stay in the same place, especially with the candlelight vigils on the anniversary of their disappearance. They still do ’em every year.”
Xiomara sucked in a sharp breath. “Thank you for your time,” she said out of nowhere. “We’d better get going.” Before anyone could react, she was already turned around and heading for the door.
“Sorry I couldn’t be more help,” Mel called after Cade and me as we followed Xiomara out of the store.
Once we were on the street, Cade caught up to Xiomara and spun her around by the arm. “What was that about?” he snapped. “She might know where we can find a picture of—”
“We won’t need a picture,” Xiomara interrupted. “I know where we can find Delta.”
Chapter 11
Prospect
Cade let go of Xiomara’s arm. “What are you talking about?” he hissed, glancing at the store behind us as if Mel might overhear him from inside.
“I just remembered Delta has a special ceremony for Brendan every year on the anniversary of his death,” Xiomara said breathlessly.
“Okay…” I pushed my hair out of my face, but the wind whipped it right back, flattening it to my forehead until the ends poked at my eyes. “And that helps us how?”
“I’m sure she’ll do it this year, too.” Xiomara’s expression stayed firm, not a hint of doubt shadowing her features. “When she does, I’ll know exactly where to find her.”
“And where might that be?” Cade asked.
“Muir Woods, near San Francisco.”
“You think she’s still going there after twenty years?” My voice made my words sound more like a challenge than a question. I couldn’t help it. While I knew how doing special things for birthdays and anniversaries seemed to help in coping with lost loved ones, I had a hard time believing Delta would continue a tradition two decades after the fact.
Then again, Grandma Naida had baked a cake every year on Kala’s birthday, as if my sister might just waltz into our house to share it with us. Maybe Delta was the same way.
Xiomara wasn’t deterred by my negativity. “Delta was always a very sentimental person,” she said. “I’d bet my life she’ll show. And she’s our best shot at finding the others. She’s the only one who knows how to trace astral energy.”
Cade inhaled sharply just as a thunk caught our attention. We all turned to see an elderly couple making their way toward us, the man’s wooden cane striking the sidewalk as they approached the storefront. I doubted the pair had anything to do with the Eyes and Ears, but they reminded me that we shouldn’t be talking about this in public. Anyone could overhear us.
“Uncle Cade,” I whispered. “Maybe we should have this conversation at home.”
He nodded, and t
he three of us headed back toward the gas station. We made sure to wait until the elderly duo had been inside the general store for a few minutes before we all piled into the bathroom and projected home.
Back at the house, Cade picked up the conversation right where we left off. “What do you mean Delta can trace astral energy? Only the highest Astralii know how to do that.”
Xiomara made her way over to the patterned chair and sank into the seat. “They forced Delta to program crystals for them once her ability manifested. The team in charge of her realized she could project her thoughts into people’s minds and her intentions into crystals. You know as well as I do that stronger intentions make more powerful stones.”
I looked between them, struggling to keep up. Intentions? Powerful stones? I hardly understood anything about crystals, other than their capacity to trap astral energy. Cade had never gone into more detail than that. It didn’t seem necessary before, but now I kind of wished he had told me more.
“Come to think of it,” Xiomara said, “this ceremony might be our only chance to find Delta if she’s still wearing the block.”
“The block?” Cade slapped a palm to his forehead. “She wears a block, and you’re just telling us now?”
“I forgot until I thought about our ceremonies.”
Cade swore and started pacing the length of the counter that divided the living room from the kitchen. I looked back and forth between him and Xiomara, waiting for one of them to explain what they were talking about.
Neither of them noticed.
I sighed and plopped onto one of the bar stools. “What’s a block?”
“A set of stones that repels astral energy,” Xiomara replied.
“Repels it?” I gaped at her. That was another thing to add to the list of astral energy manipulation topics I didn’t know about. What else could stones do with astral energy?
