warm, and his palm pleasantly callused. I felt a tingle run through me where his fingers touched.
"Tell me more about your visions," William said.
It was a difficult subject to start in on. I felt strangely light-headed. "I saw you in the bathroom mirror."
William's lips twitched into a half-smile. "I was in the girls bathroom."
"I saw you before that – in the mirror in my bathroom here at home. You were standing behind me. When I turned around, you weren't there. I saw you again in the side mirror of my grandmother's car. And in a TV screen. I even saw your face in a glass of milk. I kept seeing you everywhere."
"And what did you think?" he asked quietly.
"It was scary, at first."
"And now?"
"Not so much. You're different in person."
I thought I saw a reddish tinge suffuse William's face, but in the dim light, I couldn't be entirely certain.
"You mentioned your mother," William said. "You said she had visions of Gleb. Why didn't you ask her to describe him? Gleb and I are nothing alike. I'm sure she could have told you that."
I wasn't used to talking about my mother much, but I felt like it was important to tell William what had happened to her. "My mother died years ago. I'd always been told she died of a fever. But Galina said a man killed her. She didn't say the name – but tonight GM – that's what I call my grandmother – GM told me that Galina believes Gleb was the man responsible."
William frowned, and his face took on the same harsh lines that I had seen when he'd first appeared in my mirror.
"I don't want to alarm you," he said,"but I have to tell you the truth. Your life may be in danger. Promise me you won't go anywhere alone at night. You're safe enough during the day, but at night you need to be very, very careful."
The tone of his voice made me shiver. "What do you mean I'm in danger?"
He shook his head. "I can't tell you. I've got to go now. But you'll see me again."
William was still holding my hand. He began to pull me back toward the house. "You should go inside now."
I followed him, but I was strangely unwilling to let him go. "You know, your not telling me anything won't really make me less anxious."
"You wouldn't believe me, even if I could tell you."
We walked up to the door.
"I'll stay until I see the door close behind you," William said.
I turned to open the door.
"Wait just a moment," he said.
I turned back.
"You summoned me here thinking I might be the person who killed your mother."
"Yes," I said.
"Why?" he asked. "Why would you do something like that?"
"I called you because I didn't want it to be true."
A smile twitched at one corner of his lips.
I was still thinking of that half smile of his when I fell asleep that night.
Chapter 6.
I walked to school on Thursday morning in a troubled frame of mind.
If I believed what William had told me, then there was a dead man named Gleb Mstislav wandering around out there, and he might even be after me. I shivered inside my coat as I realized that I did, in fact, believe him.
So what did Gleb want? And had he really killed my mother?
And what of William himself? I didn't know who he was – apart
"Tell me more about your visions," William said.
It was a difficult subject to start in on. I felt strangely light-headed. "I saw you in the bathroom mirror."
William's lips twitched into a half-smile. "I was in the girls bathroom."
"I saw you before that – in the mirror in my bathroom here at home. You were standing behind me. When I turned around, you weren't there. I saw you again in the side mirror of my grandmother's car. And in a TV screen. I even saw your face in a glass of milk. I kept seeing you everywhere."
"And what did you think?" he asked quietly.
"It was scary, at first."
"And now?"
"Not so much. You're different in person."
I thought I saw a reddish tinge suffuse William's face, but in the dim light, I couldn't be entirely certain.
"You mentioned your mother," William said. "You said she had visions of Gleb. Why didn't you ask her to describe him? Gleb and I are nothing alike. I'm sure she could have told you that."
I wasn't used to talking about my mother much, but I felt like it was important to tell William what had happened to her. "My mother died years ago. I'd always been told she died of a fever. But Galina said a man killed her. She didn't say the name – but tonight GM – that's what I call my grandmother – GM told me that Galina believes Gleb was the man responsible."
William frowned, and his face took on the same harsh lines that I had seen when he'd first appeared in my mirror.
"I don't want to alarm you," he said,"but I have to tell you the truth. Your life may be in danger. Promise me you won't go anywhere alone at night. You're safe enough during the day, but at night you need to be very, very careful."
The tone of his voice made me shiver. "What do you mean I'm in danger?"
He shook his head. "I can't tell you. I've got to go now. But you'll see me again."
William was still holding my hand. He began to pull me back toward the house. "You should go inside now."
I followed him, but I was strangely unwilling to let him go. "You know, your not telling me anything won't really make me less anxious."
"You wouldn't believe me, even if I could tell you."
We walked up to the door.
"I'll stay until I see the door close behind you," William said.
I turned to open the door.
"Wait just a moment," he said.
I turned back.
"You summoned me here thinking I might be the person who killed your mother."
"Yes," I said.
"Why?" he asked. "Why would you do something like that?"
"I called you because I didn't want it to be true."
A smile twitched at one corner of his lips.
I was still thinking of that half smile of his when I fell asleep that night.
Chapter 6.
I walked to school on Thursday morning in a troubled frame of mind.
If I believed what William had told me, then there was a dead man named Gleb Mstislav wandering around out there, and he might even be after me. I shivered inside my coat as I realized that I did, in fact, believe him.
So what did Gleb want? And had he really killed my mother?
And what of William himself? I didn't know who he was – apart
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