Kinetics: In Search of Willow by Arbor Winter Barrow Page A

lots of empty
chairs. At the head of the table sat a blond-headed, pale-as-death
woman. Her fingers were lightly steepled over her lap.
    A man stood behind her chair watching
us with intense dark eyes.
    Dad sat me down at a chair not far
from the woman's and then bowed politely at her. He squeezed my
shoulder firmly and then stepped to the other side of the room with
his back against the wall. The woman leaned forward slightly and
smiled at me.
    "How are you feeling, Mr. Yoshida?"
The smile on her mouth wasn't reflected in her eyes. I had to
resist the urge to look away.
    "I've been better." I
muttered.
    She chuckled. "I'm sure that you have.
I heard about your friend Willow. I am very sorry that happened. We
are doing everything we can."
    "You can save her?" I asked. Hope
fluttered in my chest.
    She sat back and shook her head.
"Eugene--may I call you Eugene?" She didn't wait for my answer and
continued. "At this point saving her may not be possible. Few
people have ever be found after the Isiroans have taken
them."
    "Why?"
    "The Isiroans are cowards, and cowards
are the best at hiding." Her soft voice never faltered.
    "There must be
something..."
    "There is, actually. But
first, I seem to have neglected to introduce myself and my
colleague." She stood up and touched the shoulder of the man. "This
is Joseph Carmichael, and I am Miriam Lancaster. I am the Chief
Minister of the Anyan's Alliance, second only to the Council of
Anyan. Mr. Carmichael is  my  second-in-command."
    "Uh, nice to meet you, I guess." I
followed her with my gaze as she began pacing from one side of her
end of the table to the other.
    "Yes, I wish we would have met under
better circumstances, but what is done, is done. You were brought
here because it is time for you to decide if you will take the
remedial training, or if you want to live out the rest of your life
as a Non."
    I considered for a moment. I didn't
really know what would happen with either, but Lancaster appeared
to be willing to answer that for me.
    "Choose carefully. If you decide to
give up Kinetic life, then you will forfeit not only future access
to your powers, but also all knowledge of our society."
    "I was told you could tell me why
Willow was taken?" I forced the question out, my forehead was
sweating and the seat was increasingly uncomfortable. I fidgeted as
Lancaster considered the question.
    "What we know is that Willow is one of
the few people left in the world that Isiro can bond with. And
unfortunately, if what we know is true, then your friend will not
be herself after a month's time."
    "What do you mean?"
    "The Isiroans will be making her one
of their own in the worst way possible. She will become the host of
an alien parasite. Has anyone explained what Isiro is?"
    "A little."
    "In order for Isiro to influence
people, he requires a host to live through. He has no physical body
and has to make a parasitic bond with a human. He has been doing
this for thousands of years. As one host begins to die, he seeks
another. And unfortunately, Willow is the next on his
list."
    "You can't let that happen!" I stood
up. Lancaster's second-in-command, Carmichael stepped forward and
uncrossed his arms from his chest.
    Lancaster held her hand out to stop
him.
    "In war, sacrifices have to be made."
She said quietly and looked down at her hands.
    "But..." I sucked in a breath to
protest.
    "But, nothing." She frowned. "Your
friend is no more important than the operatives I would have to
send in after her. It's far too dangerous, especially when it comes
to Isiro's personal security. They are highly trained Kinetics with
no qualms about killing."
    "But I..."
    She shook her head. "...could do
little. The amount of time it would take for you to learn the
basics of your powers exceed the time limit before the girl is lost
to us completely."
    "But there's still a chance!" I cried.
"She's not gone yet! You said so yourself. We could--we could still
save her!"
    She shook her head.
"Impossible."
    "Then