The Reverence of One: Book Three of the Shadow Series (34 page)

Jenz’s eyes grew wide at the news. Though she didn’t show it, her fear level escalated sharply, knowing that a meeting with Isaac appeared to be eminent. “Did you know the place in your vision?” she asked.

“I think so,” he replied. “Union Station.”

“Is this an isolated place, or will there be people around?” asked Jenz.

With a huff, Thad replied. “It isn’t isolated at all, and depending on the day, there could be hundreds of people there.”

Jenz dropped her eyes to the ground while in thought. Placing an index finger to her lips
,
she whispered to herself. “What are you up to Isaac? Why would you want to be out in the open?” After pondering for a moment, she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.” She looked back to Thad. “I’m going to buy you an airplane ticket. I’m assuming you’re from the same city?”

“Yes,” replied Thad, suddenly appearing nervous.

“Very good; we can use your home?” she asked, nearly implying with her tone that regardless of what the reply was, that was how it was going to be. She watched Thad nod silently in agreement. “Excellent.
I would like to speak with Prim, Lauren, and Cliff privately for a moment.
Thad, you and Maggie can make sure that you have everything packed up.
”

“What about me?” asked Test, his emotions still running high.

Jenz turned to him. “Why don’t the two of you take a walk in the garden?
” she replied pointing between both he and Alyssa. “
I think it will do you some good to clear your mind.” A slight grin appeared on her lips as she addressed Alyssa. “Take good care of him.”

Resting her head on his chest
again
and squeezing
him
tightly, Alyssa replied. “I will.”

Jenz sat at the end of the table with Prim, Lauren, and Cliff sitting along the sides. “First, I need to know what happened with Test,” she spoke firmly with her hands clasped in front of her on the table.

Prim leaned back in his chair and raised a single eyebrow. “I’m not sure really. A new power has definitely emerged.”

“So, tell me,” replied Jenz curtly.

Prim placed his right ankle on his left knee and rubbed his face with both hands as he began to speak. “My
original thought was that he had become able to phase to a previously unknown plane of existence, but I’ve revised my thoughts. My
theory is that he is now able to exist on both sides at the same time.” He glared at Jenz, waiting for a response, but she just looked at him waiting for more information. “Cliff noticed it first, I guess. Outwardly, his eyes fill with the light of the core energy that we Shadows possess, but it was slightly different. Small bright flashes of light seared from within the red. Alyssa’s explanation of them was actually very accurate once I saw it in person.
It nearly looked like boiling water.
”

With a short pause from Prim, Jenz prodded him to continue. “And what else?”

“This is the hardest to explain, and until you’ve seen it for yourself, I don’t know that you will be able to understand. The outline of his body becomes blurred when he…
.
”
H
e stopped, searching for the right word
.
“
Tr
ansforms.” He watched as Jenz’s head snapped back and her face took on a twisted look. “I don’t know how else to say it. He transforms into what looks like two people.” He looked around the room, trying to find something that could help him
explain it more clearly. He jumped from his seat, grabbed two forks that rested in the sink, and returned to the table. “Like this,” he said, setting the two forks on top of each other so when looking down upon them, it appeared as though it were a single piece. “This is Test, or anyone else for that matter, as we are perceived by those who see us every single day.” He moved the top fork slightly to the right, revealing a small amount the furthest edge of the bottom fork. “When he transforms, he looks like this. It’s almost like there are two of him. Forgive the pun, but it’s like he has a shadow.”

Jenz’s twisted look faded from her face, but was replaced by blank stare. “So what makes you think this means he is coexisting on both sides at one time?” she asked.

“Two things, actually,” replied Prim as he spoke excitedly. “First is that when Lauren tried to touch him,
even though he appeared to be as solid as you and I sitting at this table,
her hand passed right through as if he wasn’t there.”

“Tell her about the paralysis,” interrupted Lauren.

Prim motioned for her to be quiet, waving his hand in her direction. He watched as she folded her arms and sat
g
rumpily in her chair. Knowing that he’d offended her, he gave her a quick smile. “I’ll get to it.” His energetic speech began to reach a climax
as he turned back to Jenz
. “Now, the second and most difficult thing for me to wrap my head around is the fact that when he transformed…
.
” He paused
with a
wide, child-like grin
, solely for dramatic effect.
“
W
hen he transformed, I couldn’t feel him at all.” He watched as Jenz’s eyes grew in amazement. “Visually, anyone could see that the amount of energy surging from him was massive, yet I stood a couple of feet from him and, if I closed my eyes, I wouldn’t have known he was even there!”

Nearly breathless, Jenz asked. “Can he—control it?”

With a short burst of artificial laughter, Lauren replied. “Really
?
D
idn’t you see what he did to Prim?”

Once again, Prim turned to Lauren and tried to quiet her, but this time he tried it with a little more tact. “There’s no need to be bitter, Lauren. To be honest, and to answer Jenz’s question,” he spoke as he turned back to Jenz, “yes, he can control it; meaning that he can transform when he wants to. Now, we all know that he is barely able to control his emotions, but that is a separate question.”

“Is it?” asked Jenz rhetorically. “I’m not so sure.”

Standing from the table, Prim walked to the sink and leaned against it. “Speaking the truth, I think that given our current situation, his lack of control could be to our benefit—provided that he has a target on which to focus his anger.”

Silent thus far, Cliff spoke in a confident manner. “It sounds like he’ll have that target soon enough. If Isaac reaches Nicole first, that boy’s gonna come unglued.”

“Exactly,” replied Prim, pointing a finger at the old man.
“Should Isaac reach the girl first, we just have to keep him composed long enough to get in the door.”

“And then take off his leash?” asked Lauren sarcastically.

Prim walked behind Lauren’s chair and gripped her shoulders. “Yes, something like that,” he replied.

“That actually brings me to the next order of business,” Jenz spoke while turning to Cliff. “Based on Lauren’s discovery last night, I had an idea.” Focused on Cliff, Jenz heard Lauren’s chair as she pulled it closer to the table. “Speaking as if Isaac were, in fact, to reach Nicole before we are able to locate her…
.
”

Holding up a hand, Lauren interrupted. “Can we be honest with ourselves for a second?” she asked. “Don’t we already know that he
is
going to find her first? Didn’t Thad see it?”

Shaking her head, Jenz replied. “The future is never certain, though the risk is certainly high.”

“You took the words right outta my mouth,” quipped Cliff.

Feeling put out, Lauren replied bitterly. “Forgive me if I sound rude, but don’t you think that, with all of the outbursts of energy that every one of us has released over the past few days, that Isaac would have come for us by now?” The table was silent. “I’m just saying that it seems to me that Isaac is sticking to his plan no matter what. I know that the future is never certain, but Isaac’s resolve is.”

Knowing that Lauren was correct, Jenz replied. “Your words are spoken wisely, Lauren, but I think it best that we try to remain positive for now. Should we show our fears to Test, he will be that much harder to keep under control.”

Lauren, glad that she had been heard, nodded in agreement.

“Now,” continued Jenz, “We know, thanks to Lauren,” she spoke as she held an open palm in Lauren’s direction, “that a spirit can, in essence, hide a Shadow. We also know that this only works if the spirit is intercepting the line between two Shadows, or a Shadow and a Reaper as the case may be.” She gripped the edge of the table and leaned towards the old man. “Do you think that you can find some help for us, Cliff?”

The old man squinted
,
his cigar now dry and resting between his fingers. “I don’t know. I can try.
To be honest, I don’t know many folks on that side of things.”

“Please try,” replied Jenz. “Maybe Test’s mother can help?”

Placing his cigar softly between his teeth, Cliff answered
.
“Sure, it’s worth a try. How many are you thinkin’ we’re gonna need?”

Interjecting herself more into the conversation
and obviously proud of Jenz’s recognition
, Lauren replied. “I’d say no less than four per Shadow, so…
.
”
S
he paused briefly to do the math
.
“
W
e’ll need at least twelve.”

Prim, already feeling as though he’d stepped on Lauren two too many times in this meeting, hesitated before responding. “I think it’s a minimum of sixteen.”

“Why?” asked Lauren, mildly perturbed. “Isaac won’t be able to feel Test anyway.”

“We can’t let Test walk into this building filled with people in his transformed state,” he replied matter-of-factly. “Our goal is to enter unnoticed.”

Lauren scowled
back at him. She knew he was right, but was getting tired of being wrong. With a forced smile, she replied. “I stand corrected.”

“Sixteen it is then,” said Cliff.

“More if you can,” replied Jenz.

Cliff nodded his head and slapped his palms on the table as he pushed out his chair to stand. “Well, looks like Maggie and I have some work to do.”

Standing as well, Jenz replied. “I will get Thad’s flight taken care of and then we must leave immediately. We’ll all meet at Thad’s home—agreed?”

The only one remaining seated at the table, Lauren pushed out her chair but didn’t stand. “So our plan is to walk into this place and do what?” she asked with a hint of sarcasm.

“We hope it doesn’t come to that,” answered Jenz with sad eyes. “Until we know how many spirits will aid us, it will be difficult to formulate a complete strategy. For now, we must get to
Kansas City
, and it is there that we will finalize our plans.”

All four Shadows traveled with Alyssa by their side in the spirit realm. Having been the only one to Thad’s apartment, Lauren led the way. Together, with nearly all of them having exhausted their energy stores, they materialized
in a small grouping of trees that was
a block or so away from the apartment complex
.

As they walked out onto a wide sidewalk,
Lauren stared down the street and recognized the group of building
s
that comprised the complex, hoping that she could remember which one was Thad’s.

“Where is it?” asked Test as he held Alyssa’s hand.

Pointing to her right, Lauren replied. “That’s it over there.”

“Why did we stop here then?” asked Test, trying his best not to sound like an ass.

“Because
—A;
I’m not exactly sure which apartment it is, and B; I thought that popping up in the middle of a parking lot filled with people might not be the best way to stay…
,
” she turned to Prim and jabbed him with a verbal poke, “what did you say? Unnoticed?”

Prim chuckled as he stepped to Lauren, placing his arm around her waist and shaking her gently. “Are you going to be able to forgive me?” he asked in jest.

“For what, being right?” replied Lauren. “I can forget about that, but embarrassing me is something you’re going to have to make up for.”

He leaned his head back with a hearty laugh. “I promise,” he replied, bringing his gaze to hers. “As soon as this is all over, I will do everything that I can to make up for it.”

Test watched as the two of them shared their moment, feeling frustrated at their wasting of time. “If you two are done, how about we move on?”

Gripping Prim’s shirt, Lauren replied bitterly. “Are you kidding me? You’re the last one that can give me crap about public displays of affection. I’ve had to watch you and ghost girl there on…
.
”

“Okay,” interrupted Test. “I get it. Can we just get to the
apartment?
”

Conspicuously quiet, Jenz refrained from getting involved in the trivialness of the conversation. Her mind was focused
o
n trying to formulate a plan—a plan that would get her family out of a battle still intact
. She stood in place as the others began to walk away towards the apartment complex, only realizing it when Prim shouted to her.