Chapter 9 - Daniel stared at his daughter.“Lily?”
She smiled.
“Of course.”
He stepped closer.
“Where’s your mother?”
“Gone.”
“Where’s Emma?”
“Gone.”
“Eli?”
Lily’s expression changed.
“He’s hiding.”
Daniel’s stomach twisted.
“Who are you?”
Lily looked down at her wrist.
The crescent-shaped mark was brighter than before.
“You already know.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
“Yes.”
Her voice changed again.
This time it sounded like Emma.
“You just don’t remember.”
Daniel backed away.
The corridor trembled.
Lily grabbed his hand.
“Daddy, we have to leave.”
The innocent voice was back.
Daniel looked into her eyes.
“What happened?”
“I saw something.”
“What?”
“Everything.”
They walked through the tunnel.
Daniel couldn’t shake the feeling that someone else was inside his daughter’s mind.
Eventually they reached a steel staircase.
At the top was an old study.
Daniel recognized it immediately.
His father’s study.
It had been sealed since his death.
Lily opened the door.
Daniel stared.
The room was untouched.
Bookshelves.
Desk.
Fireplace.
A grandfather clock.
And photographs.
Hundreds of them.
Daniel walked toward the desk.
There was an open journal.
He turned the first page.
His father’s handwriting.
THE CHILDREN ARE NOT EXPERIMENTS. THEY ARE CONTAINERS.
Daniel frowned.
Next page.
MEMORY IS NOT STORAGE. MEMORY IS TRANSMISSION.
Next.
THE ASHFORD BLOODLINE CAN RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM FUTURE GENERATIONS.
Daniel sat down.
Lily climbed into the chair beside him.
He read faster.
His father had discovered that certain members of the family experienced memories that belonged to descendants.
Not visions.
Not dreams.
Actual memories.
The family called them echoes.
Daniel turned another page.
The final entry stopped him.
If Lily manifests, the cycle will end.
Daniel whispered:
“What cycle?”
A voice came from behind him.
“Mine.”
Daniel spun around.
Victor Kane stood in the doorway.
He looked exhausted.
Daniel raised the gun.
“You killed Marcus.”
Victor shook his head.
“No.”
“Then who did?”
“Your mother.”
“She’s dead.”
Victor smiled grimly.
“You still don’t understand.”
He walked into the room.
“Your father believed the human mind could survive death through memory.”
Daniel frowned.
Victor continued.
“He was wrong.”
“Then what is this?”
“Not immortality.”
Victor pointed toward Lily.
“Imprinting.”
Daniel’s grip tightened.
“Explain.”
“A person can be copied into another brain.”
Daniel looked at Lily.
“No.”
“Your family has been doing it for generations.”
“Who is inside her?”
Victor didn’t answer.
Lily looked at him.
“Me.”
Daniel froze.
Lily smiled.
“I’m still Lily.”
Then she whispered:
“But I’m also someone else.”
Victor looked terrified.
Daniel had never seen that expression on him.
“Who?”
Lily looked toward the grandfather clock.
“It’s almost time.”
“What time?”
“Twelve.”
The clock started ticking.
Victor stepped backward.
“No.”
Lily smiled.
“Too late.”
The clock struck.
ONE.
TWO.
THREE.
Every light in the mansion came on.
FOUR.
FIVE.
Daniel heard dozens of footsteps moving through the halls.
SIX.
The study door locked.
SEVEN.
Victor whispered:
“They’re here.”
EIGHT.
Daniel moved toward Lily.
NINE.
She raised her hand.
TEN.
The clock stopped.
ELEVEN.
Lily looked directly into Daniel’s eyes.
TWELVE.
And every photograph in the study changed.
The faces were different.
The years were different.
But in every photograph stood the same little girl.
Lily.
Daniel whispered:
“How long have you been here?”
Lily answered:
“Since before I was born.”
Then someone knocked on the study door.
Three times.
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
A familiar voice came from the other side.
Daniel’s own voice.
“Open the door.”
Daniel looked at Lily.
May you like
Her smile vanished.
“That’s not you.”
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