As we have done throughout the weeks of lessons, we nod in unison.
“Wonderful. Let us proceed.” Headmaster motions for Oliver to stand next to him. “Jin Nineteen, please read page twenty and recite the incantation to the class.”
It is a great honor to be called up onto the dais with Headmaster. I stifle a smile as Oliver stands next to the Headmaster, his snow-white hair blending perfectly with that of the High Council. Oliver’s hands shake as he stares down at the manual and recites, “May the power of Polaris change day into night.”
Nothing happens.
A crooked grin crosses Headmaster’s face. “As you noticed, the spell was ineffective. None of the incantations for summoning the power of Polaris will work until you are in perfect alignment with the star.”
Oliver shuffles back to his cushion completely humiliated. I cannot help but feel sorry for poor Oliver having been an unlucky victim of the Headmaster’s cruelty as well.
Headmaster Tahan calls our attention to Polaris hanging like a lighthouse beacon in the middle of his star map. “We will use this facsimile to practice another incantation from the manual. This has by far the most powerful words in magic and you must only use them as a last resort.” He gives us the evil glare he is so fond of executing. “Understood?”
Once again, we nod in unison.
He returns our nod this time. “Good. Now I would like you to turn to page twenty-two and recite the incantation in your head. These words are so potent you will feel their effect even in this demonstration.”
Eyes roll, and cautious glances are exchanged among my fellow students. The Headmaster works his way around the room watching each of us for a reaction. I stare down at the words; May the power of Polaris grant me the gift of time and space. May I return from whence I came. Instead of repeating the incantation two more times, my mind is intrigued by the possibility of this ancient form of time travel. If the incantation truly worked, where would I want to journey? Would I go forward or backward in time?
My mind is distracted by something moving in my peripheral vision. It keeps me from answering my own questions. Of course, the teacher’s pet Arjun, is the first to achieve a result as he recites the words. His feet lift off the ground and his body floats from the right side of the room to the center. His body keeps moving in tiny bursts of speed until it is perfectly aligned with the facsimile of Polaris. A light beam pulses out of the star like a spotlight and forms a halo effect around Arjun.
The class drop their booklets and applaud. The noise breaks Arjun’s concentration and his feet hit the marble floor hard.
Headmaster Tahan moves next to me. “Pick up your booklet, Jin Sixteen, you will be the next to accomplish the task.”
Every time I think I have made peace with the Headmaster I am proved wrong. He could not resist an opportunity to single me out. I do as he asks. With my booklet in hand, I flip the pages until I come to twenty-two. I focus in on the words, concentrating with all my might, and repeating the phrases thrice: “May the power of Polaris grant me the gift of time and space. May I return from whence I came.”
The reaction is almost instantaneous. My body floats a foot off the floor then moves to the left in little fits and starts. Nerves tingle and my muscles spasm as my eyes are glued to the star as if in a hypnotic trance. In a matter of seconds, I am perfectly aligned with the star and unable to move.
Headmaster claps my shoulder. “Well done, Sixteen!”
My concentration broken, my legs buckle under me and I collapse in a heap on the marble floor just like Arjun. I however, hear George’s jolly laugh at my expense. Normally I would be embarrassed by the incident. Instead, my mind races with exhilaration. With the aid of Polaris’s power, my time travel gift will be even more powerful! With a firmness of conviction, I have never felt before, I know my destiny lies in the far-off future.
The pull of the vision into my past leaves me exhausted. Yet, I cannot help but smile at the innocent student I once was. He could have never imagined being married, let alone to a woman of the future. I take in Esme’s lovely face as she lies next to me. She is resting like a baby despite the decidedly uncomfortable sleeping accommodations. I catch my breath before I begin the incantation. I will need all my energy reserves to execute such a powerful spell.
I gently stroke Esme’s face being careful not to wake her. My heart knew all those decades ago, when I was but a mere student, that the future would bring me the love of my life. Unfortunately, I did not foresee the current state of affairs. No more than my Masters, who wished for great wealth discovered fate would not allow it. I suddenly find myself in the same predicament. Yet, I have the opportunity to redeem myself—to save my wife from certain death.
Quietly, so as not to wake her, I kiss Esme on the cheek. I hope this is not farewell, but I must face the fact there is a chance such ancient magic might go terribly wrong. It is with such a calamity in mind, I decided to invoke the incantation alone. If I am successful, then the both of us will be whisked away from this wretched place. If not, then we are doomed.
While the incantation is still foremost in my mind, I move to a point in the room where I have the best view of the North Star. Just as in the demonstration in class, there is a gravitational pull of the star, picking me off the floor and into perfect alignment. Locked in place, I gaze down at Esme one last time. Hopefully we will soon be out of this wretched place and forever out of the reach of the High Council.
I fix my eyes on Polaris and repeat thrice the incantation: “May the power of Polaris grant Esme and I the gift of time and space.”
My body tingles and my nerve endings spark. The pull of Polaris grows stronger with every second, the star glowing brighter and brighter, until the room shimmers and the light blinds me. Esme’s body floats off the floor, levitating by my side. Hope ignites deep inside me. Then the energy drains from my body and my feet sink heavy to the floor. Has the spell failed us?
In a flash the light of Polaris is gone—and so is Esme.
Rewind
Esme
A surge of energy races through my body. I open my eyes to find I’m surrounded by grasscloth-covered walls, and bright turquoise drapes. I’m no longer in the prison cell in Northern India. I’m back in my bedroom in Long Island, wearing my usual uniform of a black T-shirt and matching skinny jeans, instead of my dusty embroidered tunic and pants.
I must be dreaming.
I pinch my arm, and a sharp twinge of pain proves that I’m awake. But where’s Jin? A surge of adrenaline rushes through my veins. I duck my head under my bed. Nothing but books. What the H happened? How could Polaris send me to the future without Jin?
I fly out of bed and race for my dresser. Jin has to be in Grandma’s vase—the vase he lived in before I freed him. My feet stop dead. It’s gone. My eyes well up. He didn’t make it. How am I going to live without my husband?
Fighting back tears, I wriggle my ring finger. I don’t even have proof I was married. The only evidence I have left that Jin even existed is my broken heart. No—it can’t end like this. We’ve been through too much together.
A spark of hope surges through me. Maybe he’s on the foldout couch. I grab my phone (I’ve missed that almost as much as Dad) and race to the den. Nothing. The couch is untouched. Not only that—but Dad isn't here either.
I check my phone: 5:00 p.m., April 21. How strange. Time travel sure doesn’t work the way I thought. I just assumed I’d be sent back to the same moment in time. It’s not predictable at all. I let out a deep breath. Maybe Jin will show up later? That must be it. The thought that he might never return is way too scary.
The kitchen clock ticks like a heartbeat, much more slowly and regularly than mine. I wonder where Dad is? The refrigerator motor kicks in. The fridge is our message board—maybe Dad’s left a note. Sure enough, there’s an orange sticky-note stuck right in the middle of the freezer door. In Dad’s tiny chicken scratch it says:
Kitten, I had to run an errand. Hope yo
u had a nice nap. Don’t forget Ms. Crandy and Courtney are going to be here at six so you can work on your college applications together. Love, Dad
How can fate be this cruel? It’s bad enough I don’t have Jin, but now the first people I see after I finally make it back to the future are the Crandys? Terrific. My stomach growls for some twenty-first century junk food. Maybe it will distract me from the ache I feel for Jin’s loss. My stomach growls again reminding me the last decent meal I had was the curry at the Cow and the Lotus. Staring at my dad’s avocado and burnt orange 70s kitchen, India and England feel like a lifetime ago. Two lifetimes ago.
Opening the fridge, it’s obvious my dad hasn’t been shopping in a while. On the top shelf are a half empty carton of milk and some kind of green health drink just like the one I saw when I looked through the monocle. More evidence of Ms. Crandy’s power over my dad’s life.
I open the pantry, grateful my influence still remains in the house. I pull out a box of Oreos and a package of peanut butter and cracker Snackables. Ripping open the package of Oreos, I wolf down three in a row, not bothering to pull them open and lick out the frosting like I usually do. I pour some milk in a glass and dig into the peanut butter and crackers. The peanut butter sticks to my teeth and tastes like home. A home that no longer holds Jin.
Fighting back tears, I head for the bathroom to get some tissues when the doorbell rings. Great, the Crandys are here. I wipe my tears away with my T-shirt sleeve, force a smile, and open the door. Courtney flounces into the living room in her cheerleading outfit, the skirt so short I can see her butt cheeks when she flops on the couch. Funny, but my hard-won Victorian morals are offended. I toss her a throw. “Aren’t you cold?”
She looks at me like I’ve grown horns. “Are you kidding me? It’s like 68 today.”
Ms. Crandy pushes a stack of magazines aside and sets her laptop down on the teak coffee table. “Esme, I emailed you the applications for all the universities you might be interested in.” She boots up her computer. “Harvard and Yale are at the top.”
The whole concept of going to an Ivy League college seems silly now. What do I even put for marital status: Single? Married? Married last century? I feel much older than my age. I’m so much more experienced in life than the average eighteen-year-old. Then it hits me. If it’s April, I’m still seventeen and—
“Earth to Esme.” Courtney tosses the throw at my face and I scramble to catch it.
“Sorry, I just woke up from a nap. I’m kind of spaced out.”
“I’ll say. And what gives with the fake accent? Are you trying out for the school play or something?”
Crap. After living in England, I must have developed an accent. “I guess it’s from hanging out with Jin so much.”
Her forehead crinkles. “Jin? Who’s he?”
Goosebumps form on my arms. Does that mean in this future he never existed? Is that why I can’t find the vase? I try to shake off the dread crawling over my skin. “Ah, he’s a new British friend—an exchange student.”
Good save, Esme! I should join the drama club.
“Whatevs.” Courtney shrugs. “I’ve got to head to the mall in forty minutes, so let’s blaze through these stupid applications.”
“Um, can you remind me why we are filling these out together?”
Ms. Crandy pats my hand. “You were going to help Courtney with her essays, remember?”
Of course I was. “I can help, but she’s has to write the first draft herself. Did she pick a subject for her long essay?”
“Yes.” Crandy beams as she hands me an outline. “The essay will be about all of Courtney’s hours dedicated to helping refuges from Haiti.”
My jaw drops. “You can’t mean your neighbor’s two adopted kids?”
Ms. Crandy thrusts out her chest. “Of course. Courtney’s been babysitting at their house regularly.”
Wow. I forgot what a piece of work she is. “You can help her with that part. I’m not going to lie for your daughter.”
Ms. Crandy purses her lips while Courtney is so busy texting a friend she doesn't even realize we are talking about her. Courtney finally looks up from her phone. “Mom, can we wrap this up soon? I’ll miss the big sale at K&M.”
Fashion and boys were always her top priorities. How am I ever going to fit back into teenage life again? I feel more like my grandmother’s age compared to Courtney.
Ms. Crandy pulls out another page of notes and hands them to me. “These instructions are self-explanatory.”
She stands up and straightens her too-tight pencil skirt. With a flick of her wrist she opens her purse.
“I almost forgot to give you my letter of recommendation.” Ms. Crandy smiles. “Needless to say it’s glowing. I’m sure the one your father is going to write for Courtney will be the same.”
Talk about self-serving. Ms. Crandy and Courtney strut out the front door. What a homecoming. After an hour listening to their chatter, I’ve never been so happy to see anyone leave. Good thing I don’t have any wishes left or I’d send them back to Mars.
Dad comes bounding through the front door with a box in his hands and a goofy grin on his face. Now this is the homecoming I longed for. I want to race over and hug him so tight he can’t breathe, but he’ll think I’ve lost my mind. Instead, I remind myself to play it cool—it’s just like any other day at the Warren house.
I look up from my laptop and concentrate on sounding like my old self. “You look like you won the lottery.” Whew, no hint of a British accent.
He laughs. “Actually, you did.”
“What are you talking about?”
He sets the box on the coffee table and lifts the lid. Jin! Or at least Jin’s vase, nestled in a cocoon of packing peanuts. “Esme, I know I should have told you I took the vase.”
“No problem, Dad. Sure you had a good reason.”
“Of course, Kitten. I know how precious it is to you, so I took it to be appraised.”
How I love hearing him call me Kitten again. “Really? How much is it worth? Five billion dollars?”
He laughs. “Turns out it’s from the Jin Dynasty— 785 years old. Can you believe it?”
No way! I wonder if Jin got his name from the vase? “Wow, awesome! So it must be worth some big bucks.” Wanting nothing more than to be alone with him and away from the Crandys, I say, “Let’s plan a fancy trip around the world. Just you and me.”
“That sounds lovely, Kitten. But they only appraised it for sixty thousand. I was surprised it wasn’t worth more after watching so many episodes of Antique Finds. But the appraiser says it has a hairline crack down the neck and some staining on the bottom.”
I’m not worried about the damage. My hands are shaking at the thought Jin could be inside. “Thanks, Dad. I’m going to take even better care of it now.”
“When I heard how valuable it was, I decided to insure it just in case you might need the money in the future.”
“I would never want anything to happen to it. The vase is the only thing I have left of Grandma’s.”
He nods. “Of course. I hope you’re not angry with me. I thought I’d have the vase back before you were home from school so you’d never miss it.”
Had to be Ms. Crandy’s idea. She has a way of trying to push us apart. “No problem. Let me get this to a safe place.”
I cradle the box all the way to my bedroom and put the vase back on the dresser in its place of honor by the window. Although it may not seem like a safe place, the vase survived an attack by a crazed monkey in the same spot.
At first I’m too nervous to even try to touch the dragon’s tail. What if Jin isn’t inside? Can I stand to relive the heartbreak all over again? I sit down on the edge of my bed and stare at the vase as it stands proudly in the window.
Maybe the whole thing is like one of those sad movies? I dreamt the whole thing up because I missed Grandma so much. Nah. I know in my heart Jin was real. My life in Victorian England was real too—I have evidence. Besides my acce
nt, my waist is still nipped in from wearing a corset for over a year.
I run my hands around my waist remembering all the times Jin held me tight. How I long for his touch. What happened to me? I used to be so brave. Jin sacrificed his life to get me safely home. Why can’t I try to do the same for him?
Straightening my shoulders, I run my finger around the rim of the vase. “You brought me the love of my life, please bring him back to me.”
Dad taps on the door. “Esme, can you get off the phone? It’s dinnertime. The pizza guy is coming any minute.”
I pick up the vase and stroke the dragon’s tail. “Come on out, Jin! Your Mistress commands you!” I lower my voice and press the tip of the tail. “Your wife does, too.”
There is no spark from my finger, no light radiating from the vase like the first time I summoned Jin. I look down the neck of the vase. Nothing. I don’t even see the crack the appraiser was talking about.
“Fine, ruin my life.” I plunk the vase back on the dresser. I don’t care what it’s worth. It’s worth nothing without Jin.
Dad hollers from behind the door. “The pizza is here. Come and get it.”
“Just a sec, I’m coming.”
Cookies, crackers, and disappointment make my gut churn. My appetite has vanished, but I can’t disappoint Dad. He loves our dinner chats so much. Plus he’s the only person I have left who loves me.
Feeling colder than ever, I pull my treasured California Sun sweatshirt over my tee. As much as I loved getting dressed up in fancy Victorian gowns, I sure won't miss that corset.
From the far side of the room I hear a whistle. I look out the window before realizing it must be someone texting me on my cell. It’s been a while. A thin veil of lavender mist hangs in the air with faint scents of jasmine and old newspaper.
My mind must be playing tricks on me. I close my eyes and take four deep yoga breaths. I have to calm down—Dad can’t see me like this. But it’s no use. With every breath, my nerves only unravel more. I’m about to come completely apart when a warm sensation tickles my neck like a summer breeze. I open my eyes and blink my wet lashes.
Jin In Time Boxed Set 1-3: A Young Adult Time Travel Romance (The Time is Forever Series) Page 31