The Secret (10 page)

Mom turned to me, her eyes growing watery. “Nicholi. He…” She dabbed at her eyes. “I wish things could have been different.”

Jake pulled a chair over and sat down in front of Mom. “What happened? What did they do?”

Mom took another deep breath, getting her emotions under control. “He read the challenge. You see, the Equinox is a time of transformation. The book said that if they would write down their greatest desire and burn it on the sixth hour of the Equinox, that desire would be granted.” Her eyes grew wider. “So they did it…and it worked.” She winced in pain. “And then...it magnified when it passed down to all of you.”

My mind felt like it was spinning. I leaned into her, trying to understand all of it. “So—what did Dad wish for?”

She gave us knowing looks. “Thomas wished for two things: to be able to escape from anywhere, and to be able to give life.” She shrugged and laughed a little. “It’s what an introverted Doctor would wish for, right?” The shaking got worse and her grip tightened.

“Do you know where the book is?” Rob’s face was pale.

Mom shook her head. “Your father told me he was close to finding it. He thought he could change things if he had the book.” Spasms started to jerk her into small tremors. “He thought it was here.”

Rob fluttered around her, his hair falling into his face over his glasses. “Did it have anything to do with a man named Drake…does that sound familiar?”

I held to her hand, but her body went limp and her eyes glazed over.

“No—Mom!” Rob dropped to his knees beside the bed and started to cry.

I couldn’t look at Rob. I couldn’t stand his pain.

Jake held his hand out to me.

Turning to him, I saw my own pain reflected in his eyes. “Drake. We have to talk to him.”

Episode 11: The Mentor

It was Friday night and Mr. Drake was MIA. Nervous tension pulsed through me. I looked at my phone. “It’s been over two hours—do you think he’ll be coming anytime soon?”

Jake twisted the top off of his water, taking a sip and offering some to me. “I thought he’d be here by now.” His lip turned up. “I can’t say that I haven’t enjoyed the wait, though.”

A different kind of nervousness thumped in my stomach as I reached for the offered water. We’d been meeting with everyone all week to plot and plan for what Reed referred to as the “D bomb,” but this was the first time I’d been alone with Jake.

Raising his eyebrows up and down, he squinted at me. “So…this is our first
real
date?”

I laughed, my heart starting to increase in speed. “I didn’t know it was a date.”

Draping his arm around my seat, he nodded. “Yeah...it is. I agreed to cover Karen’s kitchen duty this week so I could get posted on this assignment.”

Watching his eyes crinkle into a smile, I couldn’t stop myself from reaching up and gently tracing the little scar under his right eye. My heart beat fast at the touch of his skin. “I’m sure Marsha was disappointed.”

Jake hesitated, then snorted a laugh and reached for my hand. “Oh, she was. You have no idea.”

Grinning at him, I pulled my hand away, feeling stunned at how perfect he was. The light from the street lamp shone in through the windows, and the ocean blue color in Jake’s eyes sang to me like a song I could listen to over and over again. “Why doesn’t she like me? I mean, I understand why they’re all frustrated—but Marsha seems like she seriously hates me.”

Jake ran his hand through his hair. I’d come to recognize that as a sign that he didn’t want to talk about something. “I could tell you it’s complicated but, in truth, it’s actually quite simple.” He sighed. “Her little sister is still at The Foundation. And she thinks you’re the key to getting back there.”

Panic started to burn in the pit of my stomach.

Jake reached out, touching one of my curls. “She’s fine, Lanie. Don’t worry.” He ran his hand down my hair. “But Marsha worries…and she’s jealous of you. She hates needing your help.” He shrugged, then dropped his voice. “You’re so beautiful, Lanie.”

Searching his face, I was calmed by his seeming lack of worry about Marsha’s sister. I leaned back into the seat, but he still stared at me and I felt myself flush. I thought of what he was looking at: my wild mass of red hair, my white skin, and my boring green eyes. But the sincerity in his voice made me almost believe him. I wanted to believe I was beautiful.

He searched my eyes. “Can I kiss you?”

I knew my eyes were starting to flutter and I tried to stop them.

Laughing softly, he reached down, putting his warm hand over mine. “Is that a yes?”

I looked at our hands and then back to his lips, my heart calming and determination working its way through me like a soft snowfall, lightly touching my face and melting through me. “Yes.”

Leaning forward, Jake closed his eyes.

Fear surged through me. Immediately, I yanked back, sucking in a breath. “No! I…on second thought…things are so complicated right now. We should wait to start anything between us. Don’t you think?” 

Jake pulled away, but his lip quirked. He searched my face and finally spoke. “Lanie, you have to realize that you don’t have the market on different anymore—okay? And you don’t have to face things alone. You could do so much if you would just let yourself.”

I gulped, but felt embarrassed. “Gee. Great. Thanks, Mr. School Counselor—be all you can be. Thanks for teaching me a life lesson.”

He laughed again, which was starting to tick me off.

“You sound like the others.” I turned away from him. “You’ve obviously never had to kill anything before.”

Abruptly, he stopped laughing. “Lanie…I didn’t realize it was that bad. Tell me what happened.”

I knew my face was turning red and I hated it. But part of me wanted to tell him, wanted to share it. “I killed things, Jake. Lots of things.” Images of all the animals I had killed popped into my mind.

Jake reached for me but I leaned away from him.

“I made a vow that I would never use my powers to hurt anything again.” I let out my breath. “The closest I’ve come to breaking that vow was that day I thought you were taking me back. And…I don’t want to do that again—to be that person.”

Jake didn’t say anything for a few moments. At last, he spoke. “I’m sorry, Lanie. And you’re right—none of us understand what you’ve been through. I get that. But…my mom used to say that sometimes the only thing we can pick in life is how we react to what’s being thrown at us. No one’s safe. Everyone gets hurt from time to time. At some point, the only thing we can choose is what we do about it—do we run and hide…or act and move forward?”

I studied him for a minute. I didn’t run—not always—did I?

Before I knew what was happening, I reached for him—pulling him to me. His lips were soft…like a whisper, warming the air between us. His hands pulled me closer to him and it felt like I could hear his heartbeat drawing us together.

Warmth spread through me and I knew that when this was over, I wanted to paint the new color that was exploding inside of me.

Jake pulled back. “I guess that’s not running.” He smiled. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for a long time.” Looking over my shoulder, he pulled me into the seat. “Lanie, there he is.”

I felt like there wasn’t enough air. It was time—time to figure out the truth. I peeked over the dashboard.

Mr. Drake was jogging toward Jake’s Mustang, his eyes intense.

Fear gripped my heart. “Jake?”

He sat up quickly, hesitating briefly before opening his door.

I opened my door too, getting out.

“Mr. Curtis.” Mr. Drake looked Jake up and down then turned to me. “Ms. Hart. What can I do for you?”

Jake leaned forward, opening his hands. “I don’t know, Mr. Drake. What can you do for me?”

Stepping back and acting a bit flustered, Mr. Drake put his briefcase down. “I don’t know, but it’s not kosher to have my students stalking me outside of my house.”

Jake sniffed the air, suspicion lacing his features. “She contacted you—didn’t she?”

Mr. Drake shook his head, but picked up his briefcase again and turned away from us. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Leave before I call the police.”

Jake ran in front of him. “I found your name in her appointment book. Why?”

Mr. Drake tried to bypass him, dashing around the car and going for the back gate.

Jake’s voice broke a little. “Please—they
killed
her.”

Mr. Drake stopped, pulling his hand away from the lock into the backyard.

I stepped up beside Jake. “Mr. Drake. Where is the book? Who wants them dead? Is it Luth?”

Turning around, Mr. Drake leaned against the back of the fence. “I don’t know.”

He knew something. 

Jake stepped toward him and anger swept over his face. “Talk.”

Mr. Drake straightened, unlatching the gate finally and walking through it quickly. He motioned for us to follow him. “Come.”

As we came through the gate, he herded us to a shed. Pulling out the key, he unlocked it, glancing worriedly toward his house. “Shelia will be expecting me. I need to give Tim a goodnight kiss. Pull the hatch and go downstairs. I’ll be back in a moment.” He shoved the door open and waved us in, plucking a string that turned on a light. “Go on.”

The shed was small with tools on the walls and a lawn mower in the corner. Jake found the large, rusted latch on the floor and pulled it up. The stairs weren’t big, but they were deep.

At the bottom it opened up in to what looked like some type of lab on one side and a 1970’s party on the other side. Bookcases filled every part of the walls, and the smell of butterscotch and dust permeated the air. There were two purple couches and a beat-up, lime green lounge chair on top of the ugliest orange shag carpet I had ever seen.

Jake surveyed the room with a frown on his face.

I pulled away from him, walking over to the make-shift plank desks against the wall, next to a telescope. Bolted to the wall in a small glass frame was a coin—
the matching coin
. My heart picked up speed. Mr. Drake was one of
them
.

I reached up, touching the case, then looked down at the piled up newspapers filling the desk. The one on the top read, “Billionaire Ruth Curtis murdered. All her money left to her son, Raphael Jacob Curtis.” 

Stepping next to me, Jake ripped the paper out of my hands and threw it down. “Perfect.” The stomping of steps pulled our attention to the stairs. Mr. Drake appeared, looking a little fatalistic. “I guess you know who I am.”

Emotion welled up in my throat. “Is Luth trying to kill them?”

Mr. Drake shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Glowering, Jake motioned to the newspapers. “What’s this?”

The sudden sound of new footsteps alerted us that we were not alone with Mr. Drake, just before Reed burst through to join us.

He momentarily paused before giving us a smirk. “Good thing we followed you for back up.” He looked at Jake. “Nice of you to call it in.” Then he flopped into the lounge chair and glared a little at both of us. “But you were a little busy with your
girlfriend
.”

Jake turned to him, but didn’t say anything.

Marsha stepped down, a small, white, fur jacket puffing out around her. She turned up her nose and gave us disapproving looks. “It stinks down here.”

Rob and Karen emerged next, both wearing apologetic expressions. Rob released Karen’s hand and stepped to Mr. Drake. “Where’s the book?”

Mr. Drake looked at all of us. “Sit down. Let’s talk.”

Jake and I moved to one of the couches, sinking into the dust.

Mr. Drake looked at Jake and exhaled. “She was the only one I even had ties with. We conversed through code in the newspaper. She sent a message that she needed help. I watched the paper for a meeting to be set up, but…”

“She was killed.” Jake crossed his arms.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Mr. Drake paused. “I was sorry to hear about Ruthie. She was a good soul.”

Marsha sat forward. “Did you know
my
parents?”

Nodding, Mr. Drake frowned. “Yes, I knew all of your parents.”

Rob leaned forward, tapping his fingers against a rustic looking coffee table. “What can you do?”

Mr. Drake held his eyes, letting out a breath. “I have the power to help people see the truth of something—a situation, an idea. And I have the power to see if others are telling the truth—to discern the truth of their intentions.”

I exhaled. “That day—it was real.”

Mr. Drake went serious. “Yes, I wanted you to see that you needed to help your friends.” He turned back to Jake. “I’ve been watching you all. I knew…well, last year Ruthie told me you’d lost your powers. But she didn’t tell me much.”

Karen’s voice was quiet, but direct. “You probably know about all of our parents…the accidents.”

Anguish crossed his face. “I could see what Nicholi was doing…but they couldn’t. When I started hearing about their deaths, I realized he was the one behind it—manipulating them.”

Marsha stood, looking poised to fight. “Where is this Nicholi?”

Mr. Drake threw his hands in the air. “I don’t know where he is. Ruthie told me that he sort of went off the grid for a while, but he must be in play again.”

I frowned. “What do you mean by manipulating them?”

Mr. Drake focused on me. “He can sway people.”

“Like mind control?” Karen asked.

His lips turned down. “Kind of…it’s more like listening to one of the most charismatic people you’ve ever heard before. You want to believe. You want to do what he’s asking you to do. He can change people’s minds—make them think his idea is really their own. His power used to be contained to the room—to when others were in his presence. But—I realized a few years ago, that his power had grown.” Mr. Drake took his glasses off and looked at the floor. “I think that’s how he killed all of your parents.”