Chapter 50

'Walla,' Crovell's voice was filled with more than a hint of sarcasm, 'one reopened mirror portal.'

'The only question is, does it lead to the same place as Drake,' Lus frowned deeply into the pool like glass, 'or will we find ourselves the other side of nowhere when we enter.'

'The other side of nowhere?' Taylor stared at him. 'Why wouldn't it take us to where Drake is?'

'It will,' Crovell assured him, 'Lus is just being an idiot.'

'You're all being idiots if you think I'm going to let any of you risk this,' his Dad's voice suddenly sounded from behind them. 'Two of you are expectant fathers for crying out loud; what exactly am I supposed to tell Jo and Helen if you never return?'

'That we did this for them,' Lus held himself up proudly, revealing just how leanly muscular he was becoming. 'To protect them or save them from whatever it is that's on the other side of this.'

'And you're all that sure are you?'

'There's a connection between the Masteries and everything that's gone on, including this mirror stuff,' Crovell hardened his jaw line. 'If Jo were here she'd totally support what I was about to do.'

'And you're sure about that?'

'Yes,' he nodded firmly. 'Don't you get it? This is all connected somehow. Even the fact they've kidnapped Drake is all linked. Okay it doesn't make a whole lot of sense until you work out more than one person is running the show here; but it's definitely not two separate shows.'

'How can you be so sure of that,' his Dad folded his arms tightly.

'Because the one controlling everything that's happening to Drake is the apprentice to the one causing the nightmares Helen and Ara had.'

'And how do you know that?'

'Because that's what my son told Jo.'

For a few moments his Dad was silent. It was clear from the look on his face he didn't quite believe Crovell was being serious here. And somehow Taylor knew exactly what question his Dad was going to ask next.

'And how exactly did your son let her know this?'

'Through a nightmare Jo had. He used the apprentice to his advantage.'

'Why am I not surprised a child of yours would pull something like that,' his Dad cocked an eyebrow. 'But how can you be sure she wasn't being tricked?'

'They can't,' Taylor answered for him. 'Just like Drake couldn't be sure he wasn't being tricked when Talma told him about the one practicing. Which might mean there's only one person pulling all the strings, trying to make it seem like we have half a chance. But either way the power that's being used is unquestionably the Masteries.'

'Okay, that one I'll give you,' his Dad relented slightly.

'You mean you believe it's the work of the Masteries?'

'I can't think of any other power that ties all of this together,' his voice toned with a strange amount of disbelief. 'However I can't see how two people could master the Masteries and evade coming to the attention of the Mistresses. I mean, one, maybe, if they were clever, but two…'

'Well the second one's still learning, so maybe that's why both have come to your attention at once.'

'And my son did tell Jo that the other, the master, was a lot older than his apprentice,' Crovell added. 'A lot older than most people would believe.'

'There's only one person I can think of who would have been able to pull it off,' his Dad's jaw line began to tense, 'Dayena's son.'

'Because he's immortal?'

'No,' he shook his head, 'because he was the first to discover that the continual infusion of different bloods will eventually caused a transformation into Power Limitless.'

'When you say discovered…' Lus frowned.

'He knew the infusion of different bloods into a person gave them different powers, as well as eventually changing their Balance issued definition. He was just planning to see how strong it would make him,' his Dad sighed, 'or at least I assume that's what he was doing; no one really knows for sure. All we know is he eventually came to be the first Power Limitless by design. And then he just… disappeared.'

'Disappeared?' Crovell tilted his head curiously.

'Very few people were aware of his true identity back then, remember? Just his mother and us Mistresses. His father was long gone by that point.'

'I see.'

'Because of that he had to, at some point at least, appear to ascend himself. It was always agreed he would, or at least between his mother and him it was,' his Dad sighed again. 'He resented the idea of it; didn't see why he should have to appear to ascend, just to change his appearance and remerge onto the world to lead a slightly different life just because his mother told him to.'

'But he did anyway,' Lus pressed his lips together.

'He did because he wanted to get away from her. She'd always planned to know who he became each time. He… well I guess he had other plans.'

'What kind of plans?'

'At first we weren't sure; that's why we decided to keep an eye on him. Then he joined the Balance and we figured no harm would come from that.'

'But you were wrong?'

'We've made sure we knew who he became every time he decided he needed a change of look,' his Dad folded his arms, 'but we haven't been keeping too close an eye on his activities. After all, we didn't think he could do any real harm trying to protect the Balance.'

'But you think now you were wrong,' Crovell pressed.

'We know now we were,' he turned away. 'Certain questions have been raised about him in the last decade or so and everyone is starting to have their doubts about his loyalty to the Balance. And we've… or at least I've started to question whether he was ever loyal to it to begin with.'

'Why? What did he do?'

For a long while his Dad was silent. There was something so strangely drawn about his face that Taylor was almost afraid to ask what exactly it was Dayena's son had done.

'What did he do,' Crovell insisted, 'we need to know.'

'He abused his power and his position,' his Dad turned away from them, 'at the expense of another. An innocent girl who never deserved the life she's had because of him. Because he tricked all of us into thinking…' he shook his head. 'We should have trusted our instincts. We should never have allowed him to start training her so young. Then… maybe… things would have been different but now… There are just so many questions… so many doubts… I just… I just hope my instincts are wrong… that it's not worse still.'

'Worse still?' Crovell frowned. 'How could it be worse?'

'Because it might not be one little girl he ruined, it might be three.'