“Then why do people keep looking for it?”
“Power. Control. Endless resources. That’s why Teague wants it. And I believe she knows that Jack is looking for it, too. The Infinityglass could give him everything he’s ever wanted. It’s the perfect alternative to Emerson. That’s why he walked away when Emerson wouldn’t agree to help him. The promise of the Infinityglass is why he left her alive. Why he left your mother alive.”
“Because if Jack finds it before we find him, he can use it to drain us all dry,” I said.
“Not just dry. Dead.”
Chapter 32
Questions rode a merry-go-round in my mind. “All the time-related abilities, travel, speed … they exist because of a gene, one that’s backed up by research. The Infinityglass sounds like science fiction or fantasy.”
“But it’s backed up by research, too. I wouldn’t believe the Infinityglass was real, either, if I hadn’t seen evidence, years’ worth. If I hadn’t searched for the truth myself.” Dad faced me. “It’s real.”
“Real enough to kill for.”
“You’ve always thought we left Memphis so I could take the department head position at Cameron. But there were other reasons, too. I’d begun to question the motives of Chronos.” Dad was quiet for a moment, lingering in the shadows of a secret. “Even then, Teague was obsessed with the Infinityglass. She was so consumed by her need for power. She knew about the time gene, but she believed all my research was internal. She didn’t know I’d been gathering information on people who may or may not have the gene. I never told her about your mother’s ability, or yours. She definitely doesn’t know Cat and I were trying to develop a formula for exotic matter.”
“What would she do with the knowledge if she had it?” I asked.
“Use it. In the worst possible ways.”
“What about people with abilities? Everyone else at the Hourglass?” My chest grew tight with unease. “Does she know about them?”
“If she does, it will only give her a bigger incentive to find the Infinityglass.”
I stared at him for a long time, sorting through his emotions, putting pieces together. “What Teague and Chronos don’t know is what’s keeping you—all of us here—safe. If we find Jack and turn him in, Jack could use his knowledge of us, of the exotic matter formula, as a bargaining chip.”
“Didn’t take very long for you to put that together.” He grimaced and then reached up to stroke his beard. “Keep going.”
“But if we don’t find Jack and turn him in, time will be rewound, and you’ll most likely be dead.”
“The Infinityglass will only make it easier for Poe to follow through with his threat.” Dad focused on a spot just behind my head. “That’s why we absolutely must find Jack first, so we can let him lead us to the Infinityglass before Chronos or anyone else. Our lives depend on it.”
Chapter 33
I went to Lily’s the next morning, after calling to check the location of her grandmother. We met outside the door to her apartment above Murphy’s Law.
“How long have you and Abi been in Ivy Springs?”
“Hello. I’m fine. Thanks for asking. And you?”
“Sorry.” I put on a cheesy smile. “Hi, how are you, I’m fine, too, and how long have you and your grandmother been in Ivy Springs?”
Lily sighed and opened the door wider to let me in. “Almost since we came to America. I was eight.”
I followed her into the living space. “How did you end up here?”
“We were with family in Miami for a little while, but my grandmother wanted to come north.” She took my jacket and hung it neatly on a peg by the door. “Ivy Springs was small and still run-down back then. Thomas was just starting his renovations, and a realtor introduced my grandmother to him. The guy who owned the building wanted out, so Abi got it for a steal. It was still a stretch, financially, but we made it work.”
“What’s it like, living above the shop?” Some walls were exposed brick, others a soft white. She sat down on a couch with bright blue cushions and lime green throw pillows. Everything was tidy, and the room smelled like vanilla and citrus. Like Lily.
“Hard to get away from business. Abi can be a slave driver.”
I sat down beside her. “I’d like to meet your grandmother.”
“I don’t know. If you think I’m tough? She’s been known to make grown men piss their pants with one look.” She put a pillow behind her back and adjusted her position, flipping her legs over my lap. She rested her head against the padded arm of the couch. “Do you mind? My back is killing me.”
“I don’t mind.” It felt intimate. I didn’t know what to do with my hands, so I left them sort of hanging midair. “Do you get to talk to your parents very often?”