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  The top of the beam burst into a stronger fire, and a groaning sound accompanied a shaking of the whole chamber. He stepped into the door’s threshold just as a circular piece of stone fell from the ceiling. A frayed rope ladder fell with the stone.

  Iaonnes took one last glance at the antique carvings with a flash of regret. The fire would purge the symbols so no others could read the message. As the smoke billowed in the chamber, he gathered himself and ascended the ladder out of the darkened room.

  It was time for his last journey.

  Chapter Eight

  Streams of people milled about the circular fountain in the center of the walkway leading up to the Alturas Collective’s headquarters. Demarcus turned around and around, pinching himself that he really had been invited to the Launch Conference.

  I don’t know how I ended up here, but thank you, Jesus.

  Grassy knolls framed each side of the expansive walkway, with flowering hedges framing the outline of the campus entrance. Some sweet fragrance wafted through the air, giving the whole setting a magical atmosphere.

  It was more than 3D. It was like a 4D experience. Without the dorky glasses.

  He slung his backpack over his shoulder and sauntered to the edge of the fountain. Water cascaded off of multiple stars until it poured over a giant globe. The globe spun slowly on its axis, liquid trickling in its wake. The water sparkled fresh and clean in the sunshine. A perfect picture of all this day held.

  Wait, he’d promised Mama lots of pictures, so this would be a good place to start. Demarcus pocketed his new Oakleys, a surprise gift from his mom for making the conference. He tried to do a selfie. How could he frame the magnificent fountain with his massive noggin?

  A blonde girl strolled by with a man in a blue striped polo. She turned her head and caught his eye. Boy, a guy could swim in those baby blues.

  “Hey, excuse me? Would you mind taking my picture with this fountain? I need to send a pic to my mom.”

  The man nudged her forward. “We’ve got time, Kitten. Help him out.”

  The look on the girl’s face made it clear that she wasn’t thrilled about her father’s use of her nickname in public. She came up and put her hand out for his phone.

  “Thanks. I’m Demarcus, by the way.”

  “You’re welcome.” He got a hint of a smile but no name. Interesting.

  The girl pointed to a spot by the fountain. Demarcus found his mark and she took a couple of steps to size up the shot. “Okay, on three …”

  She counted down and his brain blanked on how to pose. Act cool? Cheesy smile? Before he could decide, Blondie looked at the screen and finally cracked a full smile. “You were going for the smolder?”

  “What?”

  Before he could say anything, she strode to him and dropped the phone in his cupped hands. “There you go.” She twirled on her sandals and walked away, her long hair bouncing in soft waves in her wake.

  Her dad gave her a funny look as she joined him and started off. Demarcus called out, “Thanks, uh …”

  “Lily.”

  “Thank you, Lily. See you around?”

  Lily gave a quick shrug and turned away without breaking her stride. Then she disappeared into the crowd of kids and parents.

  For a moment, Demarcus considered that this could be a very interesting weekend. But, honestly, girls ranked low on his list of excitement. He scanned the buildings ahead. The main building’s large glass panels reflected the sunlight all around. The red letters of ALTURAS in their familiar swooping font stretched over the entryway with a man-sized torch extending from the wall behind it. Flames danced from the top of the torch, moving to an unseen rhythm.

  He took a step backward to set up another picture and almost tripped over someone. He stumbled and caught himself with one hand, then he straightened and faced the dude. “Hey man, you gotta watch out. I didn’t see you there.”

  The guy’s eyes darted around as he retreated a step. He ran his hands through his spiked red hair, but the strands stood firm, frozen by gel.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.” This kid looked absolutely freaked out.

  “It’s okay, man. I’m not gonna beat you up or anything. I just didn’t see you behind me. It’s cool, though.”

  Red opened his mouth to speak, then bit his lip instead.

  Rough crowd today. “I’m Demarcus Bartlett. What’s your name?” He stuck his hand out.

  “Uh, Harry.” He offered his hand in return.

  Demarcus pointed toward the banner welcoming Launch attendees. “You here for the conference?”

  “Yeah, I was invited by Alturas.”

  “Same here. I think we all were. Pretty crazy, huh?”

  “Yeah, my mum joked about them getting me mixed up with someone else.” He gave a small snort. “Thanks a lot, you know?”

  Demarcus examined the kid closely. Thin, not athletic-looking. His smile filled a narrow face. “You said ‘mum.’ Are you British?”

  “No. My mum married an American. I grew up in Montana. So I use a few British terms out of habit. Throws people off.”

  No glasses or scar on his forehead. Demarcus guessed he was more a Weasley than a Potter. “But no accent?”

  “Nope. But my mum thought it would be cool to name me after the prince, what with my red hair. I still can’t believe she did that to me.”

  The two of them looked around, the awkward silence of just meeting someone falling over them. Demarcus kicked a rock off the sidewalk onto the neatly manicured grass.

  Harry shivered despite the California heat, and the motion seemed to frighten him to death. His body tensed and he looked over his shoulder to search his surroundings.

  “Uh, so are you from Silicon Valley?” Demarcus asked.

  “Not really. We just moved from Kalispell, Montana a few months ago. My dad got laid off in the timber industry, so he got a job here.

  “That’s too bad. Well, as a native of the Golden State, let me welcome you. I’m from southern California, so this area’s new to me also. What do you say we go check in and find out what’s next?” This dude was going to be eaten up here. But hanging out with Harry would mean Demarcus wouldn’t be alone either, and maybe he could keep Harry from getting in trouble.

  Harry let out a long breath. “That sounds … great. Thanks. Do you know where the bathrooms are?”

  Okay. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea. He hooked his arm around freaked-out Harry’s shoulder. “I don’t know, but let’s start with a building. We just got indoor plumbing here last year.”

  Harry’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  Yeah, this could be a long weekend.

  The janitor came out of the bathroom stall. Another porcelain pot shiny and ready for more mess. He walked out of the restroom in time to hold it open for an African-American kid escorting a red-haired boy.

  The door closed behind the youth, and the janitor loaded his cleaning supplies and pushed his cart down the hall, his gaze sizing up the teenagers roaming the halls. Fifty youth here for this special meeting, and he was looking for at least three. When would they show themselves?

  He adjusted his blue jumpsuit, straightening the fresh name patch on his chest. “John.” He’d get used to it. He’d gotten used to many variations on his name over the years.

  John arched his back and felt his old bones crack up and down. Time to get to work.

  Chapter Nine

  The show was about to start.

  Simon Mazor leaned toward the curtain on the side of the stage. He could hear the murmuring and rumbling of the crowd in the amphitheater. All the excitement of the unknown. How sweet it was to tap into that energy and direct it. And if the Archai was right, the answer they sought sat in a seat out there right now.

  His assistant Kelsey brushed stray lint off his jacket. He held his arms out so she could ensure he looked his best.

  “All clear, Simon. You look fantastic.”

  Kelsey tilted her head and batted her eyes at him
, a look he was used to by now. He shot her a sly wink, and she skittered off with an ecstatic grin plastered on her face.

  He inhaled and exhaled a few deep breaths to center himself for the moment. This weekend marked a watershed opportunity for him. After all he had endured, throwing off the shackles imposed by his parents, now he stood at the cusp of offering freedom to an entire generation.

  The work of Alturas and Flare was only the beginning. What would the world look like over the next twelve months? Simon wasn’t sure, except that he knew the future would bear his imprint.

  Simon stepped over to a side table to get his leather briefcase and typed in a code. A metal panel opened. He pressed his thumb against it. With a few clicks of the locking mechanism, the lid popped up. Two ebony cylinders embedded in a custom resin mold awaited him. He glanced around to ensure no one watched.

  He took the black handles and warmth flooded his hands. The meter attached to the case began blinking red. His eyes squinted as he envisioned the following moments. Cheers. Excitement. People eating out of his hand.

  The meter grew until reaching bright green bars at the other end.

  In the corner near the curtain controls a router flashed. The signal from the Source reached it. That should set the stage.

  He returned to the edge of the curtain, slipped a small resealable bag out of his jeans pocket, and pulled out a fresh gummy bear. Green. The most auspicious color. He smiled as he chewed the candy and let the sweet taste coat his mouth before swallowing.

  Now he was ready.

  Simon gave a thumbs-up to the technical director seated at the console on the other side of the stage, who nodded his head and flipped a switch to cut the lights. The sudden change hushed the audience.

  Let the party begin.

  Lily sat next to her dad in the center of the amphitheater. She scrunched down to minimize her profile. Most parents had just dropped their kids off at the campus. Only a few accompanied the other fifty kids to the opening ceremony. How’d she get so “lucky?” The Launch Conference was about empowering youth, and every other father had seemed to get the memo.

  Not Jack Beausoliel.

  She’d only had one interaction so far—the cute guy with dread-locks by the fountain. And what a sweet gesture to send a picture to his mom. Hopefully the teens here were more like him and not like the Hot Tops. The last thing she needed was more drama.

  The stage sat eerily quiet as people waited for the shindig to begin. A large flat-screen dominated the back of the stage, and large speakers hung from the upper scaffolding along with a rack of lighting. Some other large black boxes lined the sides of the stage with thick antennae sticking out toward the audience. Definitely fitting a hi-tech company.

  When would they see Simon? That question dominated Lily’s mind and probably everyone else’s. The guy who broke the record for youngest billionaire had sent out a team to handpick everyone here. The thought of it blew her mind.

  She twirled a strand of blonde hair around her finger. No black for the conference. It still fit her mood, but she didn’t want any embarrassing style moments for the special weekend.

  It still seemed strange how well Dad took to the idea. She hadn’t exactly been the most cooperative child over the last year, with the remarriage to Kelly and her bucking his every attempt at moving on in life.

  A feeling of shame washed over her. Yeah, life sucked. He didn’t really deserve it, yet she had taken it out on him at every chance she could. They both were trying to climb out of the same muck caused by her mother’s poor choices.

  But here they were, together. Kelly had insisted that Dad be the one to take Lily, and Lily was thankful for that.

  She took her father’s hand and gave it a slight squeeze. He glanced down at her with a reassuring smile.

  The lights illuminating the stage cut off, and the indistinct crowd noise hushed.

  Wispy tendrils of white smoke filled the stage. Lily sniffed the air. Faint hints of vanilla and coconut wafted about the currents. Wow. A full-on sensory experience.

  Low, haunting strains of a driving bass beat seemed to emanate from below their seats and lift into the air. The dubstep music started a throbbing pulse that built to an engulfing crescendo.

  At the moment of musical climax, streaks of colored light intersected across the foggy canvas. Glittering and pulsing, the lasers flashed up and down in time with the music.

  The intensity of the light shards pinwheeling around the stage enthralled Lily. She’d never considered how beautiful such piercing beams could be. The light show spoke something to her—she could feel a connection deep within herself.

  This was crazy. How did this fancy get-up worm its way into her psyche? And yet her fingers yearned to draw with the same type of intensity. She lifted a single finger into the air.

  Just focus, girl.

  Her trance broke when the soundtrack dropped out and a confluence of beams, arrayed like a fan, separated. From the clearing mist emerged Simon Mazor.

  He held his hands open in a simple gesture of welcome.

  The crowd erupted.

  Lily found herself on her feet, shouts of amazement coming from her lips. How cool was this?

  The cheers took a full five minutes before they even started to settle. Simon took a few steps to each side of the stage, putting his hands together in a prayer motion and bowing to the adoring crowd. Eventually he signaled them to bring their decibels down to afterburner level.

  Lily watched his eyes cross over her, and she swore his lips parted in a smile at the same moment. His V-neck T-shirt under a casual blue blazer epitomized the definition of Silicon Valley cool. He flipped a lock of black hair away from his eyes. That got a few extra cheers from a couple of lucky girls up front.

  Lily had admired Simon at home, but she didn’t know why she’d joined with the mass worship here. She glanced at Dad, who sat transfixed and subdued.

  Simon gathered himself to speak, then stopped to leave everyone hanging a few more seconds. He gave his trademark grin and launched into his welcome.

  “Thank you all for such an awesome greeting. And thank you for coming to the first ever Alturas-sponsored Launch Conference. Do you want to know the theme of our time together?”

  More shrieks and applause resounded.

  “‘Free to be Free.’ That’s the message we want to get across here. You are the beginning. You have been chosen as a vanguard to go out there and turn the world around. There is so much amazing potential here in this theater. Your peers have much to offer. But you—” He pointed around the seats. “—have the keys to unlock a generation.”

  Another round of applause erupted. Lily wondered what had taken hold of the crowd, yet she joined with the chorus of cheers and clapped until her hands turned tingly. Just like the day when Clara was almost crushed under the spotlight.

  Simon waved stop to the audience, and the place froze in silence.

  “You see, we realized something here at Alturas. In coming together and working on Flare and seeing so many people brought together, we saw that we’re living a lessened life. What is this? It’s the lie that we’re too small to make a difference.

  “You might be sitting out there wondering, ‘Why me?’ Why were you chosen to come here? The thing is, alone you may not amount to much. Alone you won’t make much difference in the world. You may question why you are even here?”

  Lily shook her head. That was a weird thing to say. She looked at her dad. He sat, hypnotized, focused on Simon.

  Simon raised his arms in a flourish. “Well, put that thought out of your head. The point is being together. The power of networking. If we join together and start something now—this weekend—do you know what will happen?”

  The suspense was palpable.

  Simon could have yelled the next words like a fiery Baptist preacher on Sunday morning. Instead, he brought it down to an intense whisper that still carried to everyone there. Lily could sense it.

  “This weekend a re
volution will start. And you will be the epicenter.”

  His words hung in the atmosphere. They reverberated through Lily’s mind. A revolution. She had the power to make something happen in this community.

  Amazing.

  “Everyone, make sure you go to the tables with the first letter of your last name. You’ll get your room assignments, welcome packets, and your exclusive Flare smart bands. We’ve got a variety of designs, so I think you’ll find one you like. Especially since they’re all free Wi-Fi hot spots.”

  A final roar sounded from the youth.

  Simon dismissed the crowd. The teens filed out in astonished silence. He smiled, thanking the Master for his own gift to be a revolutionary. And in the excitement of the speech, he thought he’d glimpsed his own personal key to launch Flare to world-wide domination.

  He had glimpsed a girl who shined.

  Kelsey and his other support staff gathered around him on the empty stage. All the participants had left the amphitheater to find their dorm rooms. Those who remained constituted his inner circle.

  “All right, gang. This is it. I want detailed reports. Let me know when you find a standout. We should have a few with unique abilities here. And find me the girl of light. She’s here.”

  Chapter Ten

  Lily flopped onto the bed in her dorm room, her legs dangling over the end. What a head-rush. Her dad had finally left after a few hugs, and she had the room to herself for the moment. Everyone had met with an advisor for orientation and received their room assignments. She didn’t know who her roommate would be, but it didn’t matter. Not at this conference.

  Simon’s eyes replayed in her mind. Man, that guy was hypnotic. She wasn’t fooling herself—it was a stupid schoolgirl crush. But a man with brains and charisma, along with his dimpled chin …

  A girl could dream, right?

  Giggles sounded down the hallway, breaking Lily out of her daydream. She popped up to check the room out. She wasn’t familiar with dorm rooms at colleges. She guessed they were nothing like those at Alturas.