As he lunged for me, time slowed down like in the movies I used to watch before they’d taken me.
I felt the heat in my stomach build, filling every part of my body. Finally, when I felt like I was about to explode, I thrust my hands toward Briggs and opened my mouth.
I didn’t understand. Dark light? Darkness and light erupted from me. The second it hit Briggs, he turned to ash. I turned, and the same energy that had burned Briggs incinerated the door.
I couldn’t remember much about that night. Just that I was able to distinguish between the adults and the kids. When the police finally arrived, we were all sitting outside under a tree, and the building was on fire. All the adults—our captors and their clients—were dead, and the old building we’d been kept in was burning in front of us.
That was the night my powers became apparent.
That was the day the world learned to fear me.
Chapter two
Lysander
“Lysanderhoney,comeon,you’re going to be late,” Mom yelled up the stairs.
“Late for what? Sidekick school?” I muttered under my breath.
“Lysander!”
“Okay, Mom! Give me a minute. I’m trying to pack all my frigging stuff.”
“Stop sassing me and get your butt down here. Don’t make me come up there.”
That made me chuckle. She always talked like she was this tough mom, but the truth was she was a big fluffy marshmallow.
I tossed the last of my belongings into the enormous military bag I’d inherited from Pete, my dad’s best friend. Supposedly, it had belonged to my dad. But I thought Pete was lying, since the fact that he’d removed the nametags gave his deception away.
No matter. I had barely known my dad; just had vague memories of a man that were more than likely only triggered by pictures I’d seen, and things people had told me.
Pete and Dad had served in Afghanistan together. Dad had died. Pete came home. Since then, he’d been a surrogate dad to me. In fact, he was more than a dad. Friendship was more like what I felt for him.
I came down the stairs and right into Mom’s arms. “Oh, baby,” she said, wiping her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re all grown up.”
Pete put his hand on Mom’s shoulder. “Libby, it’s okay.”
She wiped her eyes and stepped back. Pete smiled and embraced me just as hard as Mom did. He liked acting strong and powerful, but I knew he was just as mushy inside as Mom.
Pete grabbed the huge green canvas bag, Mom grabbed the box of books I’d decided I couldn’t live without, and I grabbed the box that held my most prized belongings. There was a picture of Lowen, the first hero to acquire her powers, and two love letters Mom had given me when I graduated from high school. The first was the letter Dad wrote to her when he first went overseas. The second was the last letter she had received from him. She said both letters were more about his love for me than her, so I should have them.
I had a few other odds and ends. My grandpa’s watch, which he’d given me before passing away, and my best friend Lambert’s flyball I caught in the outfield, causing his team to lose, among them.
I stuffed the box into the trunk along with my other things and climbed into Pete’s old sedan.
Parents without powers weren’t allowed to enter the school, and neither Mom nor Pete had shown any propensity for special abilities. Usually, these things tended to be hereditary, so we all assumed mine came from Dad. Of course, we’d never know for sure. Pete said Dad was very talented at getting into trouble, and of course, he’d been particularly talented at drinking his buddy’s beers when they weren’t looking. Other than that, there was no indication he’d been special.
“Do you have everything, honey?” Mom asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah, if I don’t, you can send me the rest.”
Mom sighed. “You know you don’t have to go to that school.”
“Mom, we’ve discussed this.”
“I know, but I thought I’d just say it one more time.”
“Mom, if I don’t, they’ll take away my powers. You know I don’t have a choice.”
