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“Get over here. I managed to access the Skroll.”
The call disconnected. “I’ll help you close up shop, but no baking today. We have somewhere to be.”
Chapter 40
I went inside Murphy’s Law with Lily to do the basics, like double checking that all the machines were off and the doors were locked.
“Okay. We can go. We’re all good.” She hung up her apron. Before she could say another word, I slid my hand behind her head, pulling her in close for a kiss.
“Yes, we are,” I said, not letting her go.
“Do it again,” she murmured against my lips.
I did.
I helped her into the truck, backed out, and drove down Main Street, holding her hand. Pumpkins lined the sidewalk, fresh from the carving contest. They’d be illuminated through Halloween. After trick-or-treating, they’d be thrown into a fire for the Pumpkin Smash, a combination dance/bonfire/pumpkin demolition party that happened downtown.
Maybe everything would be resolved by then. It had to be.
I pulled into my driveway and parked close to the pool house. When I walked around to help Lily down from the truck, I took her hand again. “Is it okay if I hang on to this?”
“I’d prefer it.”
I held her hand all the way inside, and didn’t let go when everyone looked up from the table. Em and Michael smiled at us. Dune seemed disappointed.
“How did you manage it?” I asked, determined to concentrate on the task at hand, and not think about how smooth Lily’s skin was. “Did you just keep trying?”
“Do or do not, there is no try,” Dune said, looking wise.
Nate entered the living room, so quickly I couldn’t tell from which direction. “Seriously, you’re like … the antithesis of Yoda.”
“Oh, look at you, using the big words.” Dune clapped his hands like a proud parent.
“Okay, y’all,” Em said. “Sheathe your light sabers and let’s get down to business.”
Nate’s eyes grew as big as saucers. “I’m not going to make a ‘that’s what she said’ joke. I’m just telling you. I am not.”
I bit my tongue so I wouldn’t laugh. I didn’t want to give Lily any reason to let go of my hand.
Dune gave a saintly sigh and motioned for all of us to gather around the coffee table. “Okay. There’s a USB, so I knew it most likely needed a charge, but I went through six cords before I figured out the right sequence to use to keep it from blowing a fuse.” He grinned at Michael. “You and Em aren’t the only ones who are electric around here.”
“It’s not electricity,” Em argued. “Or chemistry. It’s physics.”
“Anyway,” Dune continued, “I knew there was more data on it than I could see. I used the biggest external drive I could buy in town, 3TB, and I still couldn’t get it to transfer or open. So I ordered this handy-dandy one from the Internet.” He tapped the top of a shiny black box. “I still only got enough to break the encryption.”
“The what?” Em had to stand on her tiptoes to try to see over everyone else’s shoulders. Finally, she just punched Nate in the arm until he moved.
“The encryption. It makes data unreadable to anyone who doesn’t have a key or password. Skrolls are super futuristic and still in development for the masses.” He touched a button, and the screen lit up. He flipped it around so we could see it and pulled a stylus out of his pocket. “Everyone sit so you can all see, and so Em will stop punching.”
Once we did, he pushed a release button on the side of the Skroll and a flat, flexible screen slid out. It looked like it was made of silicon. Images popped up all over it, and then, with the touch of another button, the backlit screen became a holographic projector. Images, documents, diaries, maps—from the most simplistic to the most advanced—spun around in the air with one touch.
“Sweet,” Nate said under his breath.
“How does it work exactly?” Em asked.
“I shall demonstrate. But I need to come clean about something first.” Dune put down the stylus. “I’ve known about the Infinity-glass for a long time. It’s sort of an obsession. So is Chronos.”
“What?” Dune was firmly locked in logic and facts. His ability to control the tides meant he couldn’t use it without serious consequences. Like tsunamis. Something as impossible as a mythical, all-controlling hourglass didn’t seem like his thing. “How did you find out about them?”
