When they reached the outskirts of downtown, headed north to Larkwood, Alina broke the silence. “We found something you need to know about.”
Martin sensed the shift in her tone, causing him to squirm in his seat. “What is it?”
“Well, as you know, we’ve been going through all of Chris’s property, just rummaging for whatever we might find, and we’ve struck something that is both powerful and dangerous. At first we came across a book—it seemed odd at first, considering Chris had no other books with his possessions. It’s called the Book of Time, and it contains all the secrets from the past Keepers of Time: their special abilities, how to use them, rituals, initiation processes, pretty much everything you can imagine.”
“Are you kidding me?!” Martin gasped. “Is the recipe for creating Juice in there?”
“It sure is.”
“Holy shit—this is life-changing.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I am having the book delivered to the office later today. We’ll have to look through it and decide what we want to do. But there’s more to it. The book was one thing, but we found an actual vial of liquid that we are certain transforms a person into the Keeper of Time. Based on the brief reading of that particular section of the book, it all lines up.”
Martin let out a nervous laugh. “Well, that’s something we need to dump down the drain. If it exists, there will always be a possibility of another Chris rising to power.”
“But Commander, it’s in our possession. We can handle it responsibly. I think you’ll want to read through this book before making any final decision on it.”
“And is this coming with the book? How do we know someone hasn’t already drank it themselves and is preparing to conquer the world?”
“The transformation process is . . . brutal. And it takes forty-eight hours to complete. The vial will come with the book tonight.”
“Look, there is no reason for a single person to hold that much power. I’m not interested, and neither should you be. I’ll keep an open mind and will read this book, but don’t count on me becoming the Keeper of Time.”
“I understand, Commander, and even agree. But it appears there are some things we can make happen. Multiple Keepers, replication of the fluid, and lots of good that can come with these special abilities. I look forward to discussing it all in more detail once we have the book.”
Martin leaned against his window, staring out as they turned into the cemetery. That this all existed seemed like one final way Chris had left his legacy behind, one final thing to cause stress for Martin Briar. Would he truly be able to live in peace? Or was this going to set up a new, fresh list of worries?
He shook the thoughts from his mind, shifting his focus to his first visit to Sonya’s grave.
The cemetery’s inner roads were three connected loops. Alina rounded the first one and stopped toward the back of the second, killing the engine. “Do you want me to come out with you?”
Martin shook his head. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to have a word with them in private.”
“Of course. I’ll be here.”
He stepped out of the car, legs wobbly as the nerves assembled throughout his body. He had been here at least two dozen times since they buried Izzy’s and Marilyn’s remains.
Martin crunched through the few leaves laying scattered across the ground, their earthy stench filling his nose as the hum of passing vehicles from the nearby freeway created a backdrop of steady white noise.
He reached the three graves, straddling the space that separated Izzy and Sonya, his mother to the left of Izzy. He looked to his daughter on the left, Sonya on his right, and shook his head, liquid immediately welling in his eyes. Two minutes passed as Martin stood in silence, letting the tears stream down his face, their salty flavor seeping into his mouth through pursed lips.
“Never in my life would I have imagined seeing both of you buried underground, let alone next to each other. Izzy, you were always the sparkling light I needed to get through the dark days that followed your disappearance. Just the thought of you could turn my day around. You’ll never understand how much I loved you. I came into this whole mess just to see you—to save you. I failed that particular mission, but I learned so much about myself during that time. Even in death, you still brought light to my life. And I’ll never forget how you came to see me in the woods, at a time when I truly thought my life was minutes away from ending. You gave me everything I needed that night.”
Martin sniffled and wiped away the tears and mucus that had pooled on his chin and nose, turning his attention to Sonya, her big-lettered GRIFFITHS not having an obvious affiliation to Izzy Briar next door, their connection being Martin’s own secret. He had considered having her remains laid to rest in Colorado Springs, next to her mother, but figured since he was the last person alive who actually loved her, that it would be better if she was closer for him to visit.
“And you, Sonya,” he said, a small grin forming. “I can’t say our love story was one to ever be made into a movie—I’m not even sure what it was. I loved you, that’s all I know, and that’s all that mattered to me. I know the feelings were there. And the way it all ended only confirms that your love
