6

Alec watched Darius rummage in the cupboard for a moment. He tossed a small glass ball from one hand to the other as he walked to Alec’s side. He pitched the crystal and Alec caught it without thinking.

“You’re going to need an orb,” Darius said.

Alec rolled it around in the palm of his hand. The bluish glass was warm and it seemed to fit his palm as if made for it. Strangely, holding the orb made him feel better, calmer, as if the uncertainty of the last hour was melting away. Alec frowned.

“You’re feeling the connection, aren’t you?” Darius leaned in. This close, his eyes sparkled. “I felt it, too, the first time an Operative dropped one into my hand. Of course, I was younger than you.”

“You were found by these guys, like me?” Alec asked. He didn’t want to be interested in these people and he certainly wasn’t going to help them out, but the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

“Sure. Recruited, trained and ready for action. The way you will be.” Darius’ grin was infectious. “You have no idea how interesting your life is going to get.”

Anna arrived at Darius’ elbow. Immediately the twinkle diminished and his face became more serious.

“I’m working with the other Potentials,” said Anna. “While you’re waiting for regen, Darius, start Alec on basic concentration and focus techniques.”

“Sure,” Darius replied.

“No chatter. Alec will learn about the training program all in good time.”

“Agreed.”

“Leave Riley to me. I’ll start her with an orb as soon as she settles down. Hands off.” Anna headed back to the other teens that were crowded together on the sofas and seemed to be in deep concentration.

Alec watched her walk away. Anna was very good looking in a cold, distant way, but there was something about her that made him slightly uncomfortable.

“There’s a reason she affects you that way,” Darius murmured, with a nod in Anna’s direction. “Someday I’ll tell you about it.”

Alec said nothing. He dropped his eyes to the orb. It was freaky how Darius seemed to know what he was thinking. He’d have to control his facial expressions better. He glanced over at Riley. She was sitting on the farthest lower bunk and huddled against the wall, her knapsack held in front of her like a shield. What Alec knew about women could easily fit on the head of a pin, but even an idiot could read her mutinous expression a soccer pitch away.

Darius was staring at Riley, too. “I think Anna has her work cut out for her,” he said. He turned back to Alec and winked. “Should be interesting to watch.”

“Yeah, so?”

Darius gave a short laugh. “There isn’t much Anna can’t handle. That’s why she was assigned here. She’s one of the most capable officers I know.”

“You guys are some kind of army?”

“Senior Field Officer, Tyon Collective. Outranks me big time.” Darius shrugged. He gave Anna a covert look and dropped his voice lower. “But I’m stronger.”

Alec smirked. “Well, duh. Men generally are. We studied it in Bio last fall. It’s our testosterone and stuff.”

Darius tapped his temple with a finger. “Stronger this way,” he said in a conspiratorial tone. “Power. Strongest Potential in the last three centuries.”

“What’s a Potential?”

“You are. Someone with the gift. You’re not far behind me. That’s how we picked you up so quickly. You shine like a beacon.”

Alec found himself clasping the orb tightly and a tingling feeling shimmered up his arm and into his shoulder. It was always Peter getting the attention, the great grades, the accolades. Except on a soccer pitch. No one could touch him there. Was Darius trying to get him on his side with flattery? Did he really have special power? “Does my brother have it?”

“Peter’s power is different from yours.” Darius nodded at the other teens. “More like them. Trainable. Still a threat to Rhozan. Which is the main problem, of course.”

“Because Rhozan will be looking for him, right?” Alec didn’t want to believe this stuff but it was giving him goosebumps nonetheless. “This Rhozan dude is bad news?”

“Hold the orb lightly in your hands and close your eyes. Anna’s watching.” Darius dropped his voice even lower.

Alec found himself complying with Darius’ request before he could even think about it. He tried to take a deep breath and unclench his fingers around the orb. Why was he obeying this guy?

“We don’t know much about Rhozan,” Darius continued. “We think he’s a Field Marshall. You know, scopes out new worlds for the invading fleet, determines if conditions are right.”

“Conditions?”

“Rips,” Darius said, “in the time/space continuum. That’s how the Others get into our dimension. We don’t know how they find them, we only know what happens when they do.”

“What happens?” Despite the fact this could not be true, Alec’s heart had started pounding somewhere in the vicinity of his Adam’s apple.

“Trouble. Seriously awful trouble.” Darius stood up. “Try and let your mind go blank. Let the orb do its thing. Don’t force it. Just relax.”

What exactly would the orb do? Alec wondered. And why on earth would he want to do it, whatever it was?

“You’ll see.” Darius answered his unspoken question before walking over to Anna’s side.

Alec sat back and let the orb roll around in his hand. He watched Darius and Anna out of the corner of his eye while his brain leap-frogged from one subject to another. These guys were aliens. Darius had saved his life. Someone was really trying to kill him. Riley was pretty cute. He was kidnapped. He had some kind of power that other people wanted. Part of him was excited beyond belief, but another part of him wanted to tell Darius and Anna where they could stick their orbs and storm out because the whole thing was totally implausible.

Was it possible the subway train had killed him and this was some weird after-life experience? Was he having the kind of delusion you read about in grocery store tabloids?

Regardless, he had to go home. If he was late again, his father would kill him.

He looked around for the exit. He’d been so distracted when he entered, he hadn’t kept track of the door’s location. Now he couldn’t see it.

Darius sat down at the end of the table and waved his orb in a complicated pattern. Directly in front of him, a type of screen winked into existence. Alec could see directly through it. A series of glowing symbols scrolled quickly across the perimeters of the screen. Whatever the language was, Darius was reading it and not liking what he saw. “There’s more activity. Increased by thirty percent. I’ll have to go now.”

Anna leaned over his shoulder.

“I know what I’m doing,” Darius said.

Anna pointed a finger at the screen. “Two more overnight. He’s strengthening quickly. Better go now.”

“That’s what I said.” Darius got up. “There’s a second in the Beaches but I’ll get Peter first.”

Alec tried to suppress his astonishment. These guys had technology right out of one of his favourite video games. As far as he knew, no one had yet to develop that kind of stuff on earth, which meant …

He had to get out of there. Darius and Anna might really be aliens. His hand tightened on the orb unconsciously. The minute the door opened …