The Dominion Key by Lee Bacon Read Free Book Online

cracked far below and the roots had burst from the earth to catch us.
    So
that
was my mom’s plan. Mom was also known as the Botanist; her superpower gave her the ability to control plants. I’d seen her ensnare superheroes in the branches oftrees and use vines to do her bidding. But I’d never witnessed her power on such a huge scale.
    Her face was tight with concentration. The roots gradually sank, lowering the bus toward the earth. It wasn’t until we were safely resting in the parking lot and the plants had slithered back below the ground that Mom showed just how much the act had taken out of her. Her face slack, she slumped against the wall.
    Ripping off my gas mask, I crossed the bus as quickly as my wobbly legs would carry me. “You saved us!” I said, helping my mom onto the sofa.
    When Mom finally managed to speak, her voice came out as a cracked whisper.
    “This is why I don’t do publicity tours.”
    There was no sign of Bubble Boy or his stinky accomplice. They must’ve escaped when they noticed that the local vegetation had a mind of its own.
    In the background, I could hear the amplified voices of Captain Justice and Scarlett Flame among the roar of electric guitars and the applause of the crowd. They had no idea how close their promotional event had come to turning into a disaster zone.
    A little later, the two superheroes finally returned to the bus. They climbed aboard without even noticing the cracked cement outside and the mess that had been strewn across the bus during our fall.
    “Greetings, everyone!” Captain Justice grinned, holding the door open for Scarlett Flame. “Hope the wait wasn’t too boring!”

    After a few more hours of driving, Stanley navigated the tour bus through a security gate and pulled into an airplane hangar.
    “This is as far as we can go,” Captain Justice said. “You children will have to travel the rest of the way on your own. But not to worry, I’ve made all the arrangements. Principal Alabaster is expecting you.”
    Surprise passed over Milton’s face. “The principal is named after the
school
?”
    “Actually, the school is named after the principal. Or to be more precise, it’s named after his great-great-grandfather. Herman Alabaster founded Alabaster Academy nearly two hundred years ago. When he stepped down, his son took over, and when his son retired, the position went to his grandson. This was repeated again and again over the years, generation after generation of Alabasters. And now Edwin Alabaster is in charge of the school. But not even
he
will be aware of your true identities. So make sure you familiarize yourselves with your fake names and backgrounds.”
    “Does that mean none of this will go on our permanent transcript?” Miranda asked.
    “We’ll have to work out all the details later,” Captain Justice said. “For now, we have only a few minutes until departure, so let’s keep our goodbyes brief.”
    My parents pulled me into a suffocating group hug.
    “We’ll miss you!” Mom’s voice shook as she grippedme a little tighter. “You sure you’ll be okay away from home?”
    “Mfff,” I said into her shoulder.
    “That’s the spirit, Joshua!” Dad gave me a firm pat on the back. “You’ll do great at Alabaster!”
    When they finally released me, Elliot wobbled in my direction, his eyes glowing. “Goood luck at yourrr new schooool!”
    “Thanks, Elliot,” I said. “Take care of my mom and dad while I’m gone.”
    “Hurry up!” Milton called from the backseat of the SUV. “Don’t want to miss our boat!”
    After a quick goodbye to Captain Justice and Scarlett Flame, I climbed into the back next to Sophie, Milton, and Miranda. On the seat were four folders with information about our new identities. While Stanley drove, we read through our files, memorizing the details. Sophie and I had been through this enough times in the past, but for Milton, this was a new experience.
    “What if I can’t remember everything about