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Chapter 15

"Time manipulation?" he said out loud. "Now, that's a new one I haven't heard of."

We were in the "kitchen" space where most of the food was stored. A faucet attached to a freshwater pipe served as a sink. A fresh pot of coffee was brewed and served. The warm liquid heated my core. I felt a short boost of energy. Diana decided to rest, so she left us to discuss past events.

"What ones do you know?" Linda asked.

"Mariyah has super hearing, and Sean has amazing eyesight. They're twins. We know about Lancaster's reincarnation ability. I've got sound manipulation. Diana can teleport. That's about all we knew until you showed up."

"Where are they?" I asked.

"They're out getting groceries. We drink a lot of coffee, you see."

He beat on the table with his hands.

"Like you need it," Lynn said. "You have plenty of energy on your own."

"Caffeine helps give us that extra oomph when we're running low on energy. Just a short boost before crashing."

"I remember Diana drinking something when she showed up at the farm," Linda said. "I assumed it was water."

"It's a coffee shot," Victor said. "It doesn't do much, but it's a last resort. She must've really pushed herself if she needed it. She's one of the most powerful people I know."

"Got any more?" I asked.

He raised a finger and checked a cabinet.

"There's still a few. Here. Never know when you need it."

I took it and raised it in thanks.

"So... what now? We're just stuck here?" Roy asked.

"Sure looks like it."

"What about our parents?" Lynn asked.

"I would recommend cutting ties as soon as possible," Victor said.

"But we can't do that to them," John said. "Some of our parents are... more sensitive than others."

I thought about my mom. She's a cop. She would have everyone be looking for me. I wouldn't doubt she would kill to make sure I was okay. Linda was right. There's nothing more serious than an angry mother.

"This isn't going to be easy," I said, "but this will protect them. We can't have them know where we are. Not until Shiva is gone."

"But... that could take forever!" John exclaimed. "Summer just started. We're supposed to be camping. You know, s'mores and swimming and singing. Not becoming runaways."

"Trust me, none of us wanted this," Victor said. "Do some of us want to go back home? Of course we do. We've just got to take down Shiva and prove our innocence. Somehow."

"My dad won't survive this," John said. "He almost didn't make it after mom died, and now he's losing me, too."

He turned to me. I swear I could feel heat coming from his body.

"This is your fault. If you hadn't got us involved, you could have come here by yourself. You'd be with this little renegade group, and we'd have normal lives. This isn't on us. This is on you."

"John!" Linda shouted. "That's enough!"

He looked like he wanted to fight, but he mentally brushed me aside and left in a huff. I blinked. What just happened?

"Give him some space," Victor said. "It hits some people harder than others. He just needs some time."

"What about you?" Roy asked. "Was it hard for you?"