Storm Front: NA Fantasy/Time Travel (Tesla Time Travelers Book 3)

by Jen Greyson

  I force my hands behind my back and take a step away, fighting to control my need. “Where I come from, engaged is the same as married. You’re pledged to someone else, committed to spending the rest of your life with them.” My lust quickly abates, extinguished with the thorough dousing of icy water. I can barely get the words out as my throat tightens. I can’t believe I blurted all out and he probably thinks I’m nuts.

  Knowing his marriage doesn’t last… he wasn’t happy during any of it… None of erases the pain of his proposal to someone who isn’t me. I can’t stop the rush of images. Did he get down on one knee, pledge his love to her, or was he his sensible self, matter-of-fact about the joining of two powerful families? I want it to have been for power, not love. I don’t know if his was powerful, only his house where I found Aurelia was posh—far more than what I’d expected of a military commander.

  Aurelia… Thoughts of his daughter bring a sharp sting—the marriage wasn’t awful if they had enough sex for his wife to get pregnant. It’s too much and too painful. I have to resolve it for now. My time with him is coming and has to be enough. Pain sears my heart and I bite my lip, turning to stand before the big window as the tears burn my eyes.

  He pursues me across the room. “Why does this upset you?” His warm fingers curl around my elbow.

  I won’t turn around. Not until I get myself under control. I didn’t have this reaction when he told me he’d been married… so it’s not like this is a surprise. I can’t tell him why I’m bothered by the news without giving myself away. Without a response from me, he retreats. “If you need nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

  I nod and cross my arms tightly over my chest.

  Being here while he’s unavailable is torture and so hard to reconcile. If there’s a sliver of positive, maybe his engagement will help me to focus on the mission at hand, but I doubt it.

  After I toss and turn all night, a deep pounding on the door wakes me. I rub my eyes as the remnants of dreams tangled in Constantine evaporate with the morning sunlight. I sigh and stuff my desires for him and turning everything outward. This trip is about Penya and Tiana—not him, not his fiancée, not us.

  Being in Anna’s room makes me think of my own sister and I’m bombarded by memories of her at Papi’s boxing matches, at silly games of hide-and-seek in the back yard, of her requests for pony rides and endless questions. From the day Mami brought her home, I swore to protect her, and she passed on to our other sisters. We’re in this together and she’s my responsibility. Yes, Constantine is a man I love with a deepness cannot be reached, but I have to trust it will still be there when I see him in a couple decades. Tiana needs me to be my best here, unencumbered by a man I cannot have.

  The knocking comes again, probably Constantine and I doubt he’ll be patient much longer. Rolling out of bed, the cold floor sends a jolt of chill up my legs and I dance around, hopping from foot to foot as I hurry to the door. I rub my arms briskly and pull it open.

  Constantine stands on the other side and it’s not until his gaze drops to my bare thighs I remember I slept in nothing but my T-shirt. “Um, hi,” I say and can’t help smiling at his surprise. Good thing I’m not into him. I take a breath and release the last of my sleepy desires.

  “Did you,” he clears his throat. “Did you sleep well?”

  I yawn and scratch the side of my head. My braid’s come loose during the night and I’m sure I have a wicked awesome case of bed-head based on the way he keeps averting his attention. “Yeah, thanks.”

  His tongue touches the center of his lips, then retreats and his hungry gaze dips down to my toes, then he draws it leisurely up my body. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” His voice is thick and strained—the way it always sounds when I’ve been teasing him to the point of breaking. I’d do something about it if I could, but… well, he’s made decisions we can’t unmake.

  I stretch, spreading my arms wide, fists balled, then flared wide, extending the rush of blood to my fingertips. Mine or no, I’m comfortable and unselfconscious around him. “So, what’s up? Just come to see how I slept?”

  He fidgets, then straightens sharply, his back stiff. “No. When I fought with you, my thoughts were distracted. Marcus spoke often of the gods’ ability to strip their minds of worries, fears, confusion. Teach me so I may become a better swordsman.”

  Always looking for the edge, this one… I admire his relentless pursuit to be better. “There is one method.” I lean my shoulder against the door and don’t bother to pull the hem of my shirt back down as it rides up over my hip. “But you’re not going to like it.”

  He waits outside my door while I dress and I catch him glancing into the depths of my room more than once. I hurry, unwilling to tempt my willpower where he’s concerned.

  Time travel is so confusing and perplexing, and yet so simple once the mysteries have been revealed— like a magic trick after the master has shown his secrets. In this instance, it was never Constantine who new all these Tai Chi moves and taught them to me, it was me who taught him. And yet, I wouldn’t know the techniques if it wasn’t for our time together. We’ve managed to create an endless time travel loop. I have a feeling there will be a lot of those when it comes to Constantine.

  The cool morning air swirls around us in misty tendrils as I lead him to the training ground, past the archers and the sword-play. “You’re sure you want to learn this? It might make you look silly.”

  “Better silly before battle than dead after.”

  I chuckle and settle into the first motion. “We’ll see about that.” I coach him through the first complete movement but his big, bulky body impedes his ability to be graceful. He’s going to need a lot of practice to become the sleek warrior I know. He’s lost halfway through and has to start again. “Slower,” I say. “Focus on your breath.” I straighten and place the tips of three fingers against his breastbone. “Breath does not come from here.” I slide my hand down, over the ridges of his abs and press in above his bellybutton. “Breathe from here.”

  His intense gaze warms my face and I yank my fingers away. It’s so easy to touch him and easier to forget I have no right to. I show him the dozen movements he’s taught me and the process is the same—he gets frustrated and stomps off, crosses his arms, and watches me while I continue, then comes back and tries again. I’m ready to quit after an hour, but he won’t let me until he can do half of them right.

  Finally, he straightens. “These are more difficult than they appear.”

  I finish my sequence. “Mm hmm.” Eyes closed, I sweep my hands through the air, stretch my arms over my head, and inhale. It’s been too long since I’ve done these and I find it funny it’s during the most stressful point of my life I’m finding the space. I stand. “Let’s take a break.”

  “I need to make my rounds and meet with my soldiers. Will you join me?”

  I agree and he leads me across the compound, past an open-sided pavilion housing tables and a cook area to a part where I haven’t been before, beyond the construction of the barracks for his men. There’s a constant flux in the amount of soldiers he keeps here. I’ve seen it at capacity as well as with hardly anyone other than Constantine. This time, there are fewer than a dozen under his command. Half of them are still on the training ground and the rest are bringing the complex to life, setting up buildings and areas for this training ground.

  “I haven’t been completely truthful with you,” I say as we walk the perimeter of the compound. While my mind unraveled, I thought about Penya and how committed she’s been to her deception. I have to be ready for her when she arrives and to do that, I’ll need Constantine’s full consent to help me.

  He gently grabs my arm and pulls me sideways around a swampy section of thick grass. “Most women aren’t.”

  I laugh. “Maybe the ones you know.”

  “And yet you’re saying you’re similar.” We hike up a small rise and toward a couple of soldiers on the other side.

  “There’s another re
ason I’m here.”

  He stops and turns, giving me his full attention. “What is it?” There’s an intensity to his gaze and questioning makes me second-guess telling him. He’s always been so good about accepting my information, but we’ve been on such good terms since I’ve been here and usually means there’s a blow-up pending and I’m pushing my luck.

  “There’s another woman coming. One who is far from good. I need to stop her, but it won’t be easy. She’ll start trouble the moment she arrives, convince you I’m not here to help.”

  He frowns. “Why would I believe her?”

  “I’m kind of hoping you won’t. We’ve had some issues, she and I and when she finds me here she’s going to be mad, really mad.”

  He stiffens and puffs out his chest. “I’ll protect you.” He’s deadly serious.

  I’m overcome with emotion. All I wanted was for him to be alert and wary of Penya when she gets here. Now he’s gone and stepped it up. I can’t come to grips with how much I love him. His older self was right—no matter the time, no matter the place, he will always keep me safe. I lean forward to take a step, but catch myself and straighten, keeping the small distance between us. “She’s dangerous and has weapons far more powerful than mine.”

  He arches his eyebrows in surprise. “You jest.”

  “No. She’s a powerful sorceress—” I take supreme satisfaction in being able to smudge her name first. “But her weapons are words and…” I hesitate before throwing time travel in to the mix of her arsenal. I don’t want him to be afraid of it before I can show it to him. “Chemistry.”

  “What does she plan to do?”

  “When she sees I’m here? Probably try to kill me.”

  “Then we strike first,” he says with his usual confident surety.

  “It’s not easy, which is why I need your help. She’s kidnapped my sister, making it risky for me to kill her.”

  He scowls. “I see. Then we capture her?”

  “Yes. If we can. Her chemistry is advanced, so we’ll need to be careful.” Such an understatement, but until she’s here and he can see what she’s capable of, I can’t overload him with too much information.

  He nods slowly and runs a hand over his hair, clasping his neck. “Stay alert. Point her out when you see her. I’ll inform the men.”

  “Thank you.” I reach for him and he drops his arm to his side, stepping close. My fingers curl around his forearm and his nostrils flare. I want to kiss him to thank him properly, but I bite my lower lip. He lifts his hand and slides it behind my neck. “You’ve been here for so brief a time… and yet…” His gaze touches my lips. “I am already aware I will miss you fiercely when you are gone.”

  My breath comes quick and I force myself to remember he’s taken, engaged, going to have sex with someone else… but the appeal of him is too strong. I know him too well, know soon this face will bear the scars of battle, he’ll start wearing his hair tighter against his scalp so attackers can’t grab his curls, know the feel of his skin against my tongue and how his abs lurch in anticipation right before I kiss them. His golden eyes search me and I want so many forbidden things right now. My fingers tighten on his arm. Thankfully he manages to be the one with some willpower and releases me. I’m trembling.

  He turns and starts walking again, letting me get myself put back together. His body gravitates closer so our arms brush every other step. It’s distracting in an incredible way and by the end of this trip I’ll have gone straight insane. The man is too much to resist.

  We stop beside his men, dirty and sweaty from the day’s work. Constantine introduces me and I recognize the archer who fired on me the very first time I was here. He’s younger, but it’s definitely him—I’ll never forget the first man who called me a goddess. “Sim, this is Evy.” I incline my head in acknowledgment, then meet the rest of them. They look familiar too and it makes sense though he’d keep those men with him. It’s comforting to have them here, knowing we’ve fought together before and they defended me. My kinship with Constantine is not the only relationship that’s managed to stay intact across the centuries and I’d give anything for the chance to thank them for their bravery night is still to come, to tell them how many times I’ve wondered and worried for their safety.

  “A word?” The older man—Janus, I think—says to Constantine.

  “Of course.”

  “There’s been talk of another uprising.”

  “The same goat herder and his men?” Constantine asks, troubled.

  I gasp. Viriato! Holy shit, my alterations have come full-circle. I clutch my stomach and step away. Constantine glances worriedly at me but I wave him off and he returns his attention to his man, asking questions about the number of the attackers, weapons, where to find them.

  I block it out and turn inward, confused and searching for answers. Being here early might screw up history and who knows what I can jack up outside an alteration. I have to tread carefully, but I’m a walking historical time bomb. To be safe, I should probably lock myself in my room and not do anything until Penya gets here.

  “Yes,” Janus says, interrupting my thoughts. “They’ve taken one of the less armored camps. Retaliation is required if we’re to stop them before the men become more brazen.”

  Constantine mulls over the information and tightens his shoulders. “We leave at dusk.”

  The men nod, eager to have something more to do than construct buildings. They disperse and Constantine stands beside me, his fingers warm and low on my back. “Is something amiss?”

  Do I tell him what I know? Shit, how much of will screw up what I have to come do later? My brain hurts but I manage to shake my head and drop my hands. “No. Sorry, I’m okay. You’re going to war tonight?”

  He rubs his temple then ruffles his hair. “Not war, handling a troublemaker.”

  “Oh.” We’ve already had this discussion months from now, when tonight doesn’t go as he hopes and Viriato bests him and his men again. Somewhen between now and then, Penya badmouths me, but also convinces him he needs me. If we take her out before happens, does keep him from forging an alliance with me later, or will this one we’re building stand in place of everything Penya did with him? I’m so confused and wary of my power here.

  My sour stomach mellows and I take a deep breath, trusting my lightning’s ability to guide me for the rest of this trip. Tonight will be what it’s supposed to be as with the rest of my days here. I must risk his later relationship with Penya in order to save Tiana. She’s too malleable, too young to understand the ramifications and means it’s Penya who could screw the future and everything we’ve already accomplished. We have to stop her and trust anything I change is worth the risk. Tiana will do what Penya says and I’ve succumbed to Penya’s brilliant deception, so I know Tiana doesn’t stand a chance against Penya’s manipulation and lies.

  This is no longer about saving my little sister—it’s more than that, bigger than that. A radical like Penya can’t be on the loose with a lightning rider. That’s like giving her an eraser and magic marker to do with as she pleases. History will be all kinds of screwed up. I can’t let her continue on this path of hers. We must stop her.

  The other thing crystalized for me this morning was I must trust my ability. Not so much the alteration like Penya always told me, but the white-hot source lives inside me, the one came to life with first strike of lightning. It has yet to fail me, and I can move through time and space, not because of my own desires, but because I do what’s right, what’s needed. Whatever happens with Penya, if I let guide me, I won’t choose wrong.

  The right future will happen.

  We walk away from the men and Constantine is thoughtful for a long time, then he asks if I’ll come with him tonight.

  “Uh.” We’ve been in battle before, but only to kill Viriato…. Which I guess is what this is. I’m not worried about being able to protect myself and I already know the intensity and skill of Constantine’s men. I trust them. I’ve fought with th
ese men before and I’m honored to go into battle with them again, especially since I need to redeem myself for the lousy way I handled last time. I’d like to think everyone’s first real fight is a rough one, and now I’ve had more experience, I won’t be such a rookie. My hesitation comes from my other abilities and I can’t answer him yet. I hold up my hand and step away, seeking guidance. This is so strange and ill-fitting, stopping to process before I race off unprepared. Normally I’d agree and worry about the consequences later, but I feel like this time—outside an alteration—my every choice carries the weight of a thousand alterations.

  My belly burns with the heat of my lightning and I put both hands over it. Penya isn’t here yet and what I do between now and her arrival is a big deal.

  “I’ll keep you at the fringe of the fighting.”

  I turn and come back to him. “I’m not worried about that.”

  “The sorceress?”

  “Yes and no.” I chew my bottom lip then take a chance. “My powers aren’t limited to lightning. I have the power to travel back and forth through time.”

  He blinks, but doesn’t comment.

  “I can change events, but I have to be careful I only change the right ones. Going tonight… well, I could change some stuff isn’t supposed to happen yet.”

  “Then don’t.”

  I laugh. “You and your simplistic answers.”

  “Is not always the easiest way?”

  I sigh. “It is, but these powers are complicated. I don’t always know what the right choice is.”

  “I doubt that,” he says confidently. “Your actions are swift and sure. I am certain you know the correct choice, but the dilemma lies in wanting to make it.”

  I shift closer. “How do you do that?” I whisper, tipping my face up to him. “How do you boil things down to the purest, simplest reasoning?”