The MirrorMasters Read Free Page B

"Not until we find Jenny." Shoving past him, I raced to catch up with the others. Behind me, David sighed and muttered something too soft for me to understand.
    Woods enclosed us like a curtain, leaving us in darkness. A stillness fell over everything here, too. No crickets chirped; no birdsong carried through the cool night air, and even the crunching of leaves and twigs underfoot seemed quieter than it should be. In the distance, from somewhere deeper in the forest, a shimmery, iridescent glow lit up the area. Whoever had taken Jenny might be lurking just ahead, might be hurting her. The thought propelled me forward.
    Before I could take off at a run, David grabbed my arm and shook his head, pointing at Kevin. Kevin was moving silently along the path toward the fading lights. Following suit, David tread with careful footsteps. With great effort, I forced myself to move at what seemed like a dawdling pace when I wanted to race as fast as my legs could carry me. An eternity seemed to pass.
    "Over here," Kevin called, his voice tight and pained. He knelt down by a tree, and when I caught up with him, I could see someone lying motionless in his arms, dark hair splayed around the unconscious form.
    "Jenny!" I choked out, falling to my knees. Fearing the worst, I couldn’t stop my hand from trembling as I reached out to touch one slim, tan limb. If Jenny’s small body were lifeless, empty now, it would destroy everyone in this neighborhood. I shook my best friend by the shoulder, felt for a pulse, and squeezed Jenny’s hand, all the while chanting Jenny’s name like a prayer. The pulse was weak, but Jenny’s heart still beat. Her veins still flowed with life. Finally, her pulse and breathing steadied. A quick scan to check for injuries showed nothing immediate until I lifted her head and my fingers found a sticky lump. “Guys, she’s hurt! Her head —“
    Jenny’s eyes fluttered open, and she groaned and put a shaky hand to the back of her head as she sat up. Her gaze flitted from me, to David, to Kevin, with no sign of recognition in her eyes. "What happened?"
    A half-sob, half-laugh burst from my throat. Oh, thank goodness. Thank goodness. We stopped my mirror-vision from coming true.
    "We don’t know," David said. "But let’s get you home." With strong, sure movements, he knelt and slung an arm around Jenny, and together he and Kevin helped her stand.

Chapter 4
    W hen we reached Jenny’s house, a police car waited in her driveway, its red and blue lights flashing. Kevin guided Jenny up to the door. I watched her, silent and fidgeting with my hands, as she hesitated to open it.
    A moment later, a petite, curly-haired brunette answered the door. She had dressed for bed in a casual pajama set and light robe, but still appeared alert and awake. Worry lines creased her forehead and tightened the skin around her eyes, and she clutched a mug of herbal tea. Its familiar citrus scent, the scent I associated with the Taylor home, stung my nose.
    â€œJenny?” Katherine Taylor scanned the small group, her hands shaking until her gaze rested on her daughter. "Oh, sweetheart, you’re all right! Where have you been?"
    I leaned against the porch railing for support, shaky and lightheaded. My heart seemed to drop all the way from my chest down into my toes — whether from relief at Jenny’s narrow escape or from dread of things to come, I couldn’t say. We’d been lucky tonight — Jenny could have ended up with so much worse than a head injury. I exchanged glances with the others.
    "What is it?" Katherine asked, worry lines deepening as her brows furrowed. Her hands shook harder, almost sloshing the tea out of her mug. "Here, come inside and tell me."
    Kevin blanched, but spoke up when no one else did. "Jenny went into the forest tonight, Mrs. Taylor. We don’t know why, but we found her unconscious out there."
    Whatever reaction Mrs. Taylor had to this