Erasing: Shadows (The Erasing Series) by K.D. Rose Page B

that she wanted the desk moved out from the wall for a moment.
    “Mother,” said Michael, “is this really so impor—”
    “Yes!” said his mother, before he could get the rest out of his mouth.
    Stu and Jonathan immediately did what she asked.
    Michael knew the desk, in the Ross family for generations and given to Michael one Christmas, had sat against that same wall for over twenty years. Before that, it had been owned by Michael’s mother and before that his grandfather, who had been dead now for many decades.
    Mrs. Ross bent over the back of the desk and appeared to slide something. Stu and Jonathan came around to look.
    “Well, I’ll be!” said Jonathan. For Mrs. Ross had slid back a false panel and opened up what appeared to be a locked cabinet inside part of the desk. She held out the key.
    “Jonathan,” she said, giving him the key, “you do the honors.” Jonathan looked at his mother with surprise for the second time that night. She was getting downright friendly. Jonathan put the key in the rusty lock and opened the door. Inside was a book, leather bound and handwritten. He handed it to his mother.
    Michael stayed in the leather chair across the room, observing.
    “You can move the desk back,” said Mrs. Ross to the men, “and lock it up. I will not be putting the book back there again.”
    The book was small, thick, leather-bound, and dusty. It obviously had not been out of its hiding place for a very long time. “Just what are you up to, Mother?” asked Michael.
    “Much to explain and no time,” said Mrs. Ross. She laid the book open on the desk and flipped through the pages. She finally came to the one she was looking for and rose from her seat. “Boys, yours was not the first group of friends from around here to go to the other world. There was another group before you. I know, because I was in it.”
    Michael’s eyebrows rose. Jonathan said, “You know with so much happening I hadn’t had a chance to ask you about that incident with Brandon while we were at the McArthur house the other night, but I was wondering…”
    ***
    Stu feigned nonchalance and looked up at the ceiling. He assumed Mrs. Ross wanted to keep their little chat a secret.
    “There is no time to go into everything. Suffice to say we were similar to your gang in your younger years, experimenting and trying to figure out the other world, developing our skills…” Mrs. Ross trailed off.
    “Who was in your group?” piped up Stu.
    Mrs. Ross looked at him. “Besides myself, there were two others whose names I’ve sworn not to reveal. We recorded our experiments and journeys, much like I assume you do. We used code names in the book so no one would ever know. Mine was Robin. The other two were Hawk and Sparrow. None of that really matters right now. I need you all to read these pages from the book.”
    Stu noticed that she did not go so far as to tell them all she was a Watcher. Or that Stu apparently was also. She must have her reasons, he thought. Probably to do with a bigger picture than he could see.
    “And this is important for our trip to Mira?” asked Michael.
    “Yes,” answered Mrs. Ross. “It’s urgent that you learn this before you leave. I bet you don’t even have a plan,” she added. “Are you proposing to run off and rescue Mira just like that?” she snapped her fingers.
    “Whatever we have to do, as long as it takes,” said Michael.
    Mrs. Ross whipped around toward her son. “Exactly why you need to read this! You don’t know what you are getting into!”
    Jonathan and Michael were taken aback. Mrs. Ross almost never showed such emotion. Stu whistled softly under his breath, once again wishing he was anywhere but here.
    Mrs. Ross went to sit down where Jonathan was on the couch. She motioned for all three of the men to go to the desk and read, starting from the page she had left open. “I’m giving this book to you,” she said to all three, “and Mira when she returns. When there is time