Timepiece (Hourglass 2)

“We can.” She pointed at the Skroll. “Let’s start with North America.”

Two hours and seven continents later, we had nothing.

“I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.” Lily stretched her neck from side to side and rolled her shoulders. “We haven’t even gotten a hint.”

“Take a break,” I told her, touching her cheek. “Maybe we’re pushing too hard.”

“What if it doesn’t exist, Kaleb?” She leaned against the couch, dropping her head back and closing her eyes. Hopelessness.

“My dad thinks it does.” I had to hold on to his belief. I might not have seen the evidence, but he’d seen enough to make finding the Infinityglass one of his life goals. I knew how much he loved my mother, how pure it was. He’d never risk their relationship on something that couldn’t be real. He wouldn’t.

I navigated back to the main page of the Skroll and spun through every icon, hoping we’d overlooked something. One file didn’t have a title at all. I tapped twice to open it.

The hologram displayed familiar writing.

I used the stylus to quickly advance the pages. “No way.”

Lily sat up and opened her eyes, focusing on the image hovering between us. “What’s wrong?”

“These are my dad’s files, the ones that Jack and Cat stole. They’ve been scanned in. They list everyone he’s come across in his research who could have a time-related ability.” So many names. I sped through faster and faster. “It doesn’t make sense. Unless …”

“What?”

“Dad expected Jack to use the files as a bargaining chip with Chronos. How did they end up on the Skroll?”

I advanced to the letter C and saw Emerson’s name. It felt wrong to read it now.

“Will you …” Lily sounded strange, as if she was trying to stop herself from asking the question. “Will you go to the Gs next?”

“Why?”

“I want you to look for me.”

I advanced the pages. “Nothing.”

She exhaled. “Try Diaz.”

“Diaz?” I went backward from the Gs. “There are three on the list. Jorge, Eduardo, and Pillar.”

Lily gasped.

“Do you know these people?” I asked.

“Pilli was what my father called me, a pet name. That’s why my abuela chose Lily once we got to America, because it sounded similar and was less confusing for me. My real name is Pillar Diaz.” She stared down at the Skroll. “Does it say what I can do?”

“Not you. It just says your grandfather and father had seeker abilities. There’s a question mark by Pillar’s … by your name.”

“You know what this means.”

“I do.”

“Jack couldn’t get to my father or grandfather, so he brought Abi and me here. He found us, just like he found Emerson. And just like he wanted to use Emerson to change his past, he wants to use me to find things.” Her voice was steel, but her heart was broken. “He had to get me to this time, and this place, so I could find the Infinityglass.”

The door opening behind me caught me off guard. Lily’s scream tipped the balance.

The blow to my skull did the rest.

I opened my eyes, but I still couldn’t see.