Temporal Shift (Entangled Select Otherworld)

by Nina Croft

  Beside him, Saffira appeared serene. Maybe she didn’t realize how close they were to death. He didn’t want to die. He wanted to live and not just so he could get his revenge. He couldn’t remember ever thinking that, and he’d faced death many times.

  As though she could sense his stare, she turned and smiled. “We’ll be fine,” she said. “I’ve seen it. I’ve stood on Earth. Rico will get us down.”

  Rico glanced back and grinned. “Thanks for that vote of confidence, but we’re already slowing.”

  Devlin could sense it now, the deceleration—the Blood Hunter no longer felt as though she were out of control. In the screens he could clearly see the land. And trees, lots of trees.

  “Got her,” Rico said.

  “Then get her away from those goddamn trees,” he snapped.

  “I think lover boy is panicking,” Rico murmured. “Scared we’ll crash and you won’t get a chance for another shag?”

  “Piss off.”

  It looked like twilight on the planet’s surface, but in the dim light, he could make out a clearing in the trees up ahead. “There,” he said.

  “I’ve got it.”

  And they were gently lowering to Earth.

  “Jesus.”

  …

  For a full minute she didn’t move. She could hardly believe it; she was here. On Earth, the home planet where mankind had evolved. And where they would all die without her intervention.

  Beside her, Devlin unstrapped himself and got to his feet. He looked a little pale and maybe even a little green.

  He’d never really believed in her. Now he’d have to. Perhaps he’d even come to see the inevitability of their love.

  She’d never felt as though her life was her own; always she’d had this task looming over her. Now, for the first time, it was as though there was an end in sight. There were still her people to help find their Promised Land, but at least now there was hope, and they knew the way home. Maybe Devlin would help.

  And afterward she was free to do whatever she wanted, with whomever she wanted. She’d seen a softening in him today, though he would probably deny it.

  She glanced away and at the screens, which were showing the view all around the Blood Hunter. It wasn’t particularly impressive; they were in a large grassy clearing, surrounded on all sides by shadowy forms of trees. There were no lights anywhere, and nighttime was almost upon them. Surely, there should be lights. Some sign of civilization.

  She was eager to get on with this. Besides, she knew time was limited. While they were within the wormhole, they’d been outside time, and it would remain in place. Now they were out, it would try to move. The entrance was held open by negative energy, but that would eventually close in on itself, and the hole would no longer connect the same space and time. She reckoned she had a few hours at the most. And she had no clue where she had landed. She’d told Rico to head for somewhere in the States close to where the presidential palace was situated, but from the looks outside, they’d deviated off course, and first she needed to pinpoint their exact location.

  “How long will it take to do the repairs?” she asked Devlin.

  “A couple of hours should be enough to patch her up well enough to get home. Once there, I can do a better job.”

  “Good.” She unfastened her harness and got to her feet, crossed the bridge to stand beside Rico. “You know where we are?”

  “I can guess. But I’ll do better than that. He pressed a couple of keys and a globe popped up in the air between them. Earth. A black dot appeared on the surface. “That’s us,” Rico said.

  “Where are we?”

  “Well, not where we wanted to be.”

  She gritted her teeth. “Has anyone ever told you, you can be really irritating?”

  Behind her, Devlin snorted. She presumed it was a sound of agreement.

  “Yeah, and none of them ever survived.” But he didn’t sound put out. “Okay, I’ll tell you where we are. We’re in the south of Spain.”

  “Spain? Why would we be in Spain? I don’t want to be in Spain.”

  “I come from Spain.”

  “You do?”

  “Uh huh.”

  “So?”

  “I was talking to Daisy about Spain when we did our little detour back in the hole.”

  Shock jabbed her in the gut. “You think you twisted the wormhole?”

  “Maybe. Let’s go look outside and see.”

  She studied the globe. Spain was a long way from where she needed to be. “Maybe we can wait until Devlin has fixed the ship and take her. I don’t think the shuttles will make it in time.”

  “Let’s find out a bit more first, shall we? And I think we may have another…little problem.”

  “What?”

  “Wait and see. Come on, let’s go for a visit—I’m feeling quite nostalgic.”

  They took the transporter bubble to the docking bay. She edged around Rico as he stood on the top of the ramp and breathed in deeply. Outside it was fully night now, the trees black shadows against the darkness. The air was warm and smelled of growing things and decaying things. She wrinkled her nose.

  Wow.

  Earth.

  But not what she’d been expecting. She’d thought there would be big cities and bright lights. Airplanes in the sky and lots of people. She’d heard that the population of Earth had been huge in the last years before the exodus. Where were they all?

  “It’s very quiet,” she murmured.

  Had no one seen them arrive? Why wasn’t the place swarming with people come to investigate?

  Rico switched on the ship’s external lights, turned back, and strolled across to where a number of vehicles stood parked in a row.

  He climbed into one and gestured for the others to get in with him.

  “Come on, we’ll take a speeder and do a quick tour of the old home planet. Or at least the part where I grew up.”

  Daisy jumped in beside him and Saffira glanced at Thorne. He shrugged as if to say “why not.” She climbed in the back and Thorne got in beside her. She was getting a bad feeling about this. They were obviously not where they were supposed to be. How about when? Just how far out could they be? Hopefully, not too long.

  They couldn’t hang around—the wormhole would shift and they’d be stranded. And she had an inkling that Rico would dump her before he allowed that to happen. She and Thorne were still the only ones armed, but she suspected that really only gave them an illusion of being in control. Rico had allowed it for the moment, but if anything might stop him getting back to Skylar, then nothing would prevent him taking over. She fingered the pistol at her waist. Should she take him out now? While he wasn’t expecting it?

  He glanced over his shoulder and eyed her. “I can feel your eyes burning into the back of my head. It’s making me twitchy.” His gaze dropped to the weapon at her waist. “I suggest that if you’re going to attempt to use that thing on me, we get it over with now. Because I suspect you won’t like me if I get too twitchy.”

  “I don’t like you now,” she muttered.

  “Very sensible. Now are we ready to go?”

  She nodded and her grip loosened.

  “Good.” He turned back to face the front.

  Devlin came up to the side of the vehicle. Reaching inside, he curled a hand around her neck and pulled her closer, kissing her briefly on the lips. He spoke into her ear.

  “Don’t try and take him. You won’t succeed.”

  She frowned. Was she really so transparent?

  “Yes,” he answered, kissed her again, and stepped back.

  “Good advice,” Rico said. “Right, we’ll see you later—fix my ship.”

  Devlin nodded. “Yeah, have fun. I’ll be here.”

  Saffira gripped the edge of the seat as the speeder lifted slightly into the air to hover above the floor of the docking bay. They glided forward and down the ramp. Once outside, Rico hesitated for a moment before heading into the darkness of the trees.

  “Do
n’t we have lights?” she muttered.

  “We don’t want to alert anyone that we’re here.”

  “Is there anyone to alert? This place looks deserted.”

  Maybe they’d come too far and this was the aftermath of whatever catastrophe was going to hit Earth. It had already happened and there was nobody left. Nobody to save. But if that was the case, why were they still here?

  The vampire’s eyesight must be phenomenal, because somehow they managed to avoid crashing into anything. They moved swiftly about three feet off the forest floor, winding between the thick trunks. Finally, they reached the tree line, and he slowed the vehicle and gently put her down on the ground.

  “Why’ve we stopped?” she asked.

  “Because we’re going to be a little conspicuous from here on in.”

  “Don’t they have these vehicles on Earth?” she asked.

  He cast her a grin. “Not right now, they don’t.”

  There was that bad feeling again. Rico was already climbing out of the speeder. Daisy jumped down beside him, positively bouncing with excitement. “I can’t believe we’re actually on Earth.”

  “There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to get excited about.” Thorne climbed out and stood looking around. Saffira followed him. He was right.

  “You,” Rico said, pointing at Thorne. “Stay with the speeder.”

  Thorne glanced at her and back at Rico. “Why?”

  “Because, until I’m sure what we’re up against, I’d rather attempt to stay inconspicuous, and the wings are hard to hide.”

  “And where are you going?”

  “Over there.” Rico waved out beyond the tree line. She followed the direction and at first could make out nothing. But as she gazed into the darkness, a structure started to take shape. About half a mile away, she reckoned, what had to be a manmade wall rising up out of the grassy plain. Not big enough to be a city, but maybe a small town.

  But there were still no lights.

  “You want to stay or go?” Thorne asked her. She glanced again at the forbidding dark shape. “I’ll go.” What choice did she have? She had to find out where and when she was, and something told her Rico wouldn’t be forthcoming with the information.

  “Okay,” Rico said. “If we get separated meet back here.”

  Saffira glanced back at Thorne as they left and tried to give him an encouraging smile. A frown of worry dragged his brows together, but he nodded. Rico strode in front, Daisy at his side, and Saffira brought up the rear. Her back twitched as though she could sense something watching her. But when she looked back there was nothing but darkness, and Thorne had vanished from sight in the dense forest.

  They didn’t take long to cross the open ground between the trees and the wall. It rose up far above her head, turreted along the top. A ditch ran parallel, preventing them getting closer. Rico guided them around until she made out a flicker of light illuminating what looked like a huge gateway. A track led over the ditch and up to the gate, which appeared locked up for the night.

  “Wait here,” Rico said.

  He made his way alone and halted, not in front of the great double gates, but at a small door to the side. He banged on the wood with his fist and a second later, it opened. Saffira held her breath as he disappeared inside only to emerge a minute later and gesture to them to come.

  The door led into a small tunnel, which took them into a stone-built room. A man lay on the floor, unconscious or dead, she couldn’t be sure.

  “I did ask him nicely, first,” Rico said.

  Crouching down over the body, he tugged at the belt at the man’s waist. It came free and he straightened and wrapped it around his own waist. Then he checked the weapon, a sword about four inches wide and long enough to bang against his knee-length boot.

  He bent again, this time he pulled out a knife and tossed it to Daisy, who slid it down her boot. Finally, he tugged the man’s cloak free and threw it to Saffira. “Put that on.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re yellow.”

  “Oh.” She was still wearing one of the jumpsuits she’d appropriated and it was actually very…yellow. “Don’t they have yellow on Earth?”

  He didn’t answer. “Cover up.” He looked to Daisy and frowned. She was dressed all in black. “Just keep your head down if we meet anyone.”

  Once again he led the way, this time out through a small door in the wall opposite where they had come in. It opened into a narrow street, the ground rough under her feet and the buildings tall on either side. But there was still no sign of life. At least the guard had proved that there were humans here. Or had been until Rico killed him. If he was dead.

  She breathed in, wherever they were—it stank.

  So far, she wasn’t impressed. “Where is everyone?”

  “I think we’re going to find out,” Rico replied, coming to an abrupt standstill so Saffira almost banged into him. Then he stood, head raised as if listening. Straining to hear something, she caught a faint murmur in the distance. Rico headed off again, this time taking a twisting road that led upward. The sound was louder now, like a crowd of people milling together.

  Someone hurried past them from behind. They stepped to the side and he passed them at a run. She caught a glimpse of a dark-skinned face, rough clothes, and heavy boots before he disappeared beyond the curve up ahead. They followed and around the bend, she saw the first flickering lights. Torches were stuck in sconces on the walls, lighting the street. They passed under a stone arch and Rico halted, putting out a hand to stop their forward momentum.

  Beyond the arch, the street widened to form a large square with buildings on all sides. The place was crowded, there must have been hundreds of men and women, and she wrinkled her nose at the rank smell. None of them wore yellow and she hugged the cloak tighter around herself. A few people closest to them had turned, and Rico gestured her and Daisy back with a wave of his hand, then followed them into the slight cover of the archway.

  She hugged the wall and tried to make out what was going on in front of them. A large dais had been built in the center of the square.

  “Shit,” Rico muttered from beside her. She glanced at him and saw something flicker in his face. Pain, anger, hatred. Then his expression blanked.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “A burning.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “See that stake?” He nodded to the dais in the center of the square. “They plan to tie some poor fucker to it and set fire to him.”

  Nausea rose in her throat. “But why?”

  He shrugged. “Probably because he or she believes in something slightly different than the rest of the people here.”

  “Can we stop it?” Daisy asked.

  He gave her an incredulous stare. “Of course we can’t fucking stop it.”

  A wail rose up from the crowd. They parted and Saffira caught sight of a small group opposite. A woman—or rather a girl—held between two men who half led her and half dragged her toward the dais, pushing her up from behind. As she caught sight of the pyre, she struggled. Her cloak fell back revealing her long black hair and a face with high cheekbones and dark eyes etched by pain and exhaustion. The men controlled her with ease, but then, her legs were chained at the ankle and her hands tied in front of her. They dragged her to the pyre, pushed her to the center, sliced the rope that bound her hands, and tied them behind her, holding her to the stake.

  Saffira gasped. No way could they stand by and watch this happen. “Rico, do something.”

  He flashed her a look of hatred. “We can’t fucking save her. What do you suggest we do? Go right in there and say, excuse me but please don’t do this? They’ll take one look at Daisy and throw her on the fucking fire as well.”

  “There must be something…” She gasped as a man carrying a flaming torch climbed onto the dais. Another started speaking in a language she didn’t understand. She took an instinctive step forward, but Rico halted her with a hand on her arm.


  “What happens to you saving the whole of mankind if you die here?”

  She stopped.

  The man lowered the torch to the pile of wood surrounding the bound woman. At first, Saffira thought it wouldn’t burn, then little flames ran through the smaller twigs, blue and yellow. The woman twisted away. The flames weren’t on her yet.

  “Bastards,” Rico muttered. “If they make the fire big enough, she dies from suffocation before the flames reach her. If they’re feeling mean, the fire is smaller and she burns to death. I once saw someone take two hours to die. He screamed the whole way through.”

  Saffira bit her lip. There had to be something they could do. The flames reached the hem of the woman’s dress and licked up over the skirt. A wild piercing scream—more of terror than pain—that wouldn’t last—filled the square. The crowd had fallen silent, concentrating on the spectacle. Saffira gazed around her and searched frantically for something she could do. What was the point in saving humanity if this is what they were capable of?

  The tenor of the scream changed and she knew the flames must have reached the woman’s flesh.

  Beside her, Rico swore. He turned to her. “Give me the fucking gun.”

  “What?”

  “The pistol. Hand it over.”

  She didn’t know what he meant to do, and she didn’t care, as long as it stopped the screaming. She pulled the pistol from the holster and handed it to him.

  “And get ready to run,” he said.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Rico aimed the laser pistol at the woman, and a red beam of light flashed out. The screams stopped abruptly. He shifted slightly, took aim, and the man who’d carried the torch fell to the ground followed quickly by the two men who had dragged the woman to her death.

  He turned with a fierce scowl and slammed the pistol back into her hand.

  The crowd appeared stunned, all silently gazing at the dais with its pile of bodies and the fire taking hold. Still held upright by the ropes, the woman burned now as though she danced in the flickering flames.