“My God.” Blue’s hand cupped her chin. “William, this is important. Just one pair of eyes? In each disaster?”
“I think so.”
“That’s what we’ve theorized,” she said.
“Here’s what we think,” Steven said. “The original people who were abducted and were later taken away by those ships… we think they were ultimately determined to be… flawed. You read the letter Blue wrote as a young woman, about the woman causing the hurricane, how her ears seemed to bleed?”
“I read about it in so many other cases. It was horrible seeing what became of them once they were triggered,” Blue shivered. “Once their abilities were unleashed, they were vegetables afterwards. Comatose. Those ships arrived in Argentum and in every place in the world where the SSA had collected them. Those people were picked up like broken toys and taken away. What happened to them, we may never know. But seeing Lily… we think we understand the next phase.”
“The next phase?”
“You’ve seen Lily—her ears don’t bleed, she doesn’t cry out in pain. She’s enhanced. As soon as she’s triggered, she ignites without warning, as easily as batting an eye. And then she continues on, as if nothing happened. We believe those lights from the heavens a year ago were the abductions of new people. The subsequent lights a day or so later were them being returned. Lily came from North Dakota, which is at the center of the spike in diseases. I believe here in the South, another is causing the hurricanes. Another is causing the uptick in violence on the East Coast, and yet another the fires in the West. And you, William, were drawn to the center of them all. You are the conduit.”
William rubbed his forehead. “And this is all happening through me.”
“We don’t know that for sure. But you’re obviously connected to them. It’s why the SSA wants to bring you in,” Steven said.
“And they should.” William placed his hands behind his head. “We’re all dangerous. They should lock us up and throw away the key.”
“No,” Blue said. “That’s not the answer. After talking with Lily, and knowing your connection to her… I wonder if you are the answer. The way to stop it all.”
“How can I stop it if I’m starting it?”
“Think about it, William. Yes, Lily attacked those agents because she thought you were in danger. But when you directed her not to hurt the man in the back seat, she didn’t. You stopped her. You understand what that means, right?”
“You think—”
“We hope. We hope it means if you can stop her, you can stop the others too—”
“Fellow believers!” came a call from across the yard. Quincy was striding across the grass, Rudd following closely behind, frowning. “Mr. Personality here is a little less than forthcoming with details. And I’ve got lots of questions.”
“Tell him, Steven. It’s time.” Blue motioned to Quincy. “He needs to see them too.”
“See what?” Quincy asked. “Damn, William. You look even more pale than usual.”
“After this, Blue, you’re done for the day. Time to take your medicine and rest a bit,” Steven cautioned.
She looked to William. “But—”
“No buts. Rudd is going to take you home. I think he and Mr. Martin need some space anyway. William isn’t going anywhere yet.”
“Where is he going?” Quincy asked. “Because I—”
“Before you begin,” Steven said wearily. “I need you, Mr. Martin, to just answer a quick question for me for William to hear. Quincy—that’s actually your middle name, right?”
Quincy put his hands in his pockets. “Yeah… about that…”
“Why don’t you tell William your first name.”
“It’s Rex. But here’s the deal about that—”
“Rex is a family name, am I right?”
“Someone has been deep googling me.”
“Named after your great-grandfather,” Steven continued, looking right at William. “Dr. Rex Martin.”
William blinked. Dr. Rex Martin.
From the letters. The man who helped find his grandmother in the Yucatan.
No. It can’t…
“Even after all this time, I actually think I see some resemblance,” Blue noted.
The edges of Quincy’s mouth turned sheepish as he looked to William. “Apparently I’m picking up where great-grandpa Rex left off.”
It was clear why Lily wanted to immediately return to the fountain after their quick dinner. There was a calming to the sound of the trickling water, spilling from a bowl held aloft by a pillar carved with owls with outstretched wings.
William noticed it now, how often the owl was featured throughout the house. The hilts of the knives he’d found to make himself and Lily quick peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches were emblazed with gold soaring owls. As Steven had led the ever-excited Quincy through the hallway to the elevator, they’d passed a large painting of a resting owl.
As William had helped Blue into Rudd’s car to drive to Steven’s home hidden somewhere in the dense trees, he’d noticed she wore a necklace of a gold owl. As she kissed his cheek, saying she would return first thing in the morning, he’d asked about it.
“Knowledge,” she’d said. “The symbol of the Corcillium. It guides us. Fear of the unknown cannot rule us. Doubt is our driver. An unflinching clarity of what we’re facing gives us a foundation upon which to act. A light in the bleakest of times. Remember that, my boy.”
William could barely make out the owls on the fountain, as the lights from the porch were a good distance away. The dark did allow, however, for the stars to shine brilliantly above.
“Careful, kiddo, it’s dark out here,” William said as Lily made another round on the edge. “In fact, why don’t you come sit next to me?”
She obeyed quickly, coming to rest, as she always did, directly beside him.
“We need to talk. I know so very little about you. Where are your parents?”
Her response was her typical silence, staring out into the night. “Whatever happened, you can tell me. It’s OK if it’s scary. How did you end up in that valley in North Dakota? Do you remember?”
She looked down, wearing an expression of guilt.
“Hey. Whatever happened, it wasn’t your fault. Just like it wasn’t my fault that they took me too. Did you know they took my grandmother as well? We didn’t ask for it, Lily.”
“But it is my fault,” she said, tears springing to her eyes.
“No it’s not. Just like it’s not your fault what happened to those bad men. I know you were just trying to protect me. In fact, it’s my fault. And you don’t ever have to do it again, OK?”
“There’s a monster in the mountain.”
“Honey, I don’t know what that means. You have to tell me—”
The girl stood up and began to walk on the fountain again. “Lily—”
She shook her head fiercely.
He followed, keeping pace beside her. “You’re going to have to tell me. I know you’re tired. I am too. After a good night’s sleep, we’re going to talk about it. I know what it’s like to be a confused kid. A scared kid—”
She turned to him and reached out. He wrapped his arms around her, and she buried her face in his neck. “We have to go there! It’s my fault what happened to her—”
“William!” Quincy’s voice came from the porch.
“What do you mean?” William asked. “What do you think is your fault?”
Hearing Quincy’s loud approach, Lily let go and began to walk again.
William sighed, turning to the outlines of Quincy and Steven walking across the grass. “Man, I knew I was right. My Dad was right about his grandfather. I just never knew how right until I read those letters!”