Time Eternal

by Lily Worthington

  “Skyla, we need to go. Those two agents outside will regain consciousness soon.” Rei’s voice somehow centered her back. She nodded and stepped away from her treacherous cousin.

  Rei twisted Antonio’s arms harder while pushing him out of the room. It was well past midnight, and their retreating path was clear and deserted until they were in the dark alley next to the office building. Three men were standing right in front of their car. Two of them, with the physiques of pro wrestlers, flanked a shorter, average-built man in the middle.

  “Tsk, tsk, Rei. Do your masters know you’re working against them now?” the shorter man spoke. His face was hidden under the shadow from the street lamps. And as soon as he spoke, she could feel Rei’s body tense up without even looking at him. The tension was thick like soup. Then the implication of the man’s mocking dawned on her. The gods had not only sent Rei to instigate the assassination of the congressmen, they must have also sent him to the bank vault for the missing piece of the time machine, the piece that would allow the machine to go forward in time. Was that how her cousin and Fernando were leaping through time now?

  “How did you find me?” There was no inflection in Rei’s question, as if he already knew the answer.

  The man smirked. “The girl. Of course. It’s always been the girl.” And the man nodded his head in her direction.

  This must be the elusive Mr. X whom the Agency and its predecessor had been trailing since the Bosnian War. The agency had evidence that Mr. X had either directly or indirectly been involved in the territorial conflict, which eventually escalated into a full-blown ethnic cleansing between Croatian Bosnia and the Serbian forces. The war had lasted most of the 1990s. The systematic genocide and war crimes against humanity were the most devastating in Europe since World War II. TSCAA’s predecessor spent the next decade looking for Mr. X but had had very little success. Then TSCAA was formed because of its possession of time traveling technology, and the Agency had eventually tracked Mr. X during the South Ossetia War, in which Russia and Georgia fought for control of South Ossetia in the Balkan region in 2008. The Agency monitored Mr. X’s movements during the Ossetia War for a few months before losing track of him again. Until now.

  Skyla’s survival instinct had been on high alert already, and now Mr. X’s comment that she was the girl he was referring to made her want to crawl out of her skin. Her past, beyond what she and Rei shared, was catching up with her fast. Antonio’s presence was no coincidence, and she was willing to bet her vintage Gucci hobo bag that Fernando di Medici was behind all this. Fight or flight. She chose to fight this time.

  Taking a step forward, she stared down Mr. X. “What does Fernando want?”

  •●•

  His heart stopped in horror and started in awe, not just because his timid Elizabeth was confronting Mr. X, the most dangerous and enigmatic warlord Rei’d ever known, but also because she was taking a protective stance in front of him. Protecting him, the big bad wolf himself against another big bad wolf! Rei wanted to yank her back behind him. The woman actually thought he needed her protection when in fact her life was in danger yet again, from the same man who obviously still had a sick fixation on her even after five hundred years. Yes, Elizabeth had become a lethal warrior, and no doubt she no longer needed anyone to protect her; nonetheless, she was still his to protect no matter which century they were in, and no matter how strong and capable she had become.

  Rei was calculating the best escape route for them when Mr. X spoke in a rather pleased tone. “Skyla Gray. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person. You’re certainly different from the description my client gave me.” He put his hands on his walking stick and slightly leaned forward. “As to what my client wants from you, I’m not privy to know. My contract is to find you and bring you back to him, alive.” Before finishing his reply, X stepped out of the shadow.

  Skyla’s body shifted automatically, ready to fight, yet her fisted hands were slightly trembling. It did not take a genius to figure out why. She was remembering Elizabeth’s terrors from Fernando. And now both of Skyla’s primal instincts were firing up—fight and flight at the same time. Rei needed a way out for both of them fast, before she made another bold but foolish move. She was strong, well-trained, but she had no idea what Mr. X was capable of or what he would do for his business deal with his client. Like Rei, Mr. X had never failed his clients. He would cut down anyone standing between him and his prize without any second thoughts, without any moral quarrel.

  “X, you know you do not want to cross me.” Rei scowled. His tone was deadly.

  A silent pause before Mr. X smiled, a cool, calculated smile. “I’d rather think you have more pressing matters to worry about.” He looked up at the wall shared between the alley and the office building. His meaning was obvious.

  Shit. How did X know? For the first time in a very long time, Rei had underestimated his adversaries. X knew Rei was defying his order—not letting the assassination of the congressmen take its course.

  “I’ve always wanted to know which of us is better, and now I believe I’ve got the chance.” Not bothering to wait for Rei’s response, Mr. X tilted his head slightly, and the two hulks next to him charged forward.

  He was already prepared to fight, but Skyla was faster. She stepped forward, countering their moves without any hesitation. Rei had no choice but to let go of Antonio so that he could engage Mr. X. But before he released Antonio, he raised the butt of his gun and chopped it down at the back of his head, and Antonio slumped motionless on the pavement.

  Gunfight was out of the question. They couldn’t afford to alarm the local authorities. So Rei swiftly pulled out his saber, just in time to deflect a strong blow from Mr. X’s sword. The clanking of metal against metal was audible but not loud enough to alert anyone beyond the deserted alley. Skyla obviously had the same thought. Instead of using her modified revolver, her much smaller body was moving fluidly and gracefully between the two hulks, matching them blow for blow. Her moves against the two large men were agile yet deadly. She used her smaller size for speed and surprise. Within ten moves, she had one of the hulks kneeling on the ground, gasping in pain from her rapid round kicks against his thickly muscled neck. Impressive.

  Trusting Skyla could take care of herself, Rei turned his attention back to Mr. X, who smiled smugly at him. After several intense blows, he began to learn Mr. X’s sword fighting pattern—rapid, aggressive, yet graceful and methodical. The patterns resembled an ancient French sword fighting technique from the first millennium. He and his men had once been sent to the eighth century to aid the Norse against Charlemagne’s invasion of northern Europe. The gods had sent them not to win the war but to make sure the Norse, the ancestors of the modern day Scandinavians, were not annihilated by the Franks, the ancestors of the modern-day French. Having fought Charlemagne’s commanders and soldiers firsthand in battles, Rei had no problem countering Mr. X’s moves. Gradually, he forced Mr. X back to the shadowed end of the alley. He was trapped, and Rei was ready to deal a deadly blow. Suddenly, the warlord’s sword glowed a pale, icy blue hue. Searing, bright white light exploded from it. Rei threw up his arm just in time to block the white-hot energy. A hot sizzling sensation washed over his arms and the front of his body, but otherwise, everything felt normal. The alley turned dark almost immediately after. He lowered his arm, and Mr. X was gone. Dammit.

  If he was not mistaken, and he was very sure that he was not, the sword held by the warlord was an ancient relic. This couldn’t be just a random event. Rei knew in his core that his masters and mistresses were part of this. It was a game to them, but it would likely be life or death for him and Skyla.

  Backing out of the alley, he saw Skyla standing there alone, looking just as stunned as he had been a moment ago. Her chest was heaving from the hand-to-hand combat with those two big hulks.

  “You okay?” He went to her quickly.

  She gave him a tight nod. “What just happened?” She did a three-sixty. “Where
did they go?” Not even Antonio’s slumbering form was anywhere.

  “Gone.” His teeth gritted together.

  “But how?”

  “I cannot speak for Mr. X since he’s been known to travel through time on his own accord, just as I can when the gods allow me to.” He caught a glimpse of liquid reflection near where Antonio’s body was. Stooping down, the reflection looked like an oily substance, and he touched it. Damnation.

  He looked up at Skyla. “As for Antonio, Mr. X must have given him the device from the vault.” He pressed his lips together in a grim line. “So he and Fernando could travel forward in time.”

  “Fernando? Traveling forward in time?” Skyla’s voice cracked.

  He nodded. “Looks like it.” Her face paled immediately. It killed him to see any hint of fear in her. Elizabeth was a part of Skyla, no matter how skilled and deadly she had become. The moment they had consummated their union, he felt Elizabeth awaken inside of Skyla. The frightened Elizabeth was now part of the strong, deadly agent in front of him. He wanted to soothe and protect Elizabeth, but he also knew it would further weaken Skyla if he did that. His Elizabeth took a grave risk to escape her tormentor. He must trust that Elizabeth would have the same courage to lean on her new self, to face their enemy without backing down.

  He stepped up to Skyla, wrapping his arms tightly around her body. He kissed the top of her head, desperately needing to reassure her and himself. “I won’t let him, or anyone, harm you again.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “Where?” Rei growled at his brother’s report. Sloan had beckoned him into his study immediately after he and Skyla got back from downtown.

  “The Waldorf. Bo and Tory got wind from one of their contacts that work in housekeeping at the hotel. The description matched Antonio. He checked into the Waldorf two days ago. He’s staying next door to the Presidential Suite.” Pausing, Sloan walked back out into the hallway. After he was satisfied that no one was in the proximity, he continued. “And the Presidential Suite is currently occupied by an older gentlemen speaking with an Italian accent who has a huge entourage that occupies the rest of the 47th floor.”

  Before Sloan even finished with his description of the entourage, Rei already knew who the older gentleman was. And it was no coincidence. Coincidences were merely the goddesses of fate toying with mankind. He would bet his last dollar that he and Skyla were the centerpieces of their callous game. There was only one other player left in this game. “Fernando di Medici.” He spat out his name.

  “I thought so too, but we don’t have any visual confirmation yet.”

  “Have Bo and Tory tail Antonio. I want to know every move he makes. He has to be working for Fernando on this. Scout out his entourage and everyone who comes in contact with them. Get me the damn confirmation it was Fernando.”

  Sloan nodded at his order. “On it. Erik and Constantin are part of the room service staffing schedule at the hotel this week.” Then he left the study.

  This was it. Rei knew this was the end. He had waited centuries to avenge his family, his love for Elizabeth. It was Fernando’s enormous financial backing that helped the Ottoman Empire’s expansion through the Black Sea, including his homeland. It was Fernando’s sick obsession of Elizabeth that ripped her away from Rei. For five centuries, the gods had forbidden him to strike at the Medici. Now would they finally let him have his vengeance? No matter; he would have his vengeance, or he would die trying.

  •●•

  Sloan, dressed in a waiter’s uniform, pushed a cart of food and drinks in the direction of the Presidential Suite. At each turn of the grand hallway lined with fine, thick Turkish carpet, a pair of bodyguards was standing by. He was patted down at each checkpoint and told to open the silver covers of the cart to show their contents. It was a good thing he was only interested in information, not action. It took about ten minutes to get through all the bodyguards before he reached the room door, not of the Presidential Suite, but the room next to it.

  He rapped on the door twice and called out, “Room service.” After a brief silence, a man of an average build and height opened the door. His left hand causally leaned on a walking stick. It was a fashionable men’s accessory for the ’30s. The man looked at him plainly. “Your dinner, sir.” Sloan smiled politely.

  The man held the door open and stood aside, letting Sloan and the rattling cart pass through. Once the door was closed behind him, he turned to the man. “What you need is inside the menu. At midnight, I’ll draw Rei and her companion agent away from the townhouse. She’ll be there alone with just a few of my men guarding the ground.”

  The man flipped through the menu and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it into a much larger piece of paper. “Does your brother know you’re doing this?”

  Sloan’s back stiffened, weighing how much to let on to the warlord. At the end, his anger won out. “My brother should’ve never given up so much for her. And now he is betraying the gods. I must do what must be done to protect our men. They traded their souls for vengeance. They don’t deserve to die without their souls just because of my misguided brother’s five centuries of obsession. He’s no better than Fernando himself.” He had never told a soul of his pain and feeling of betrayal by his brother.

  The man’s slick smile deepened. “What you asked for in exchange for the girl will be ready for you once we have her in our custody.” Not waiting for Sloan’s acknowledgement, the man showed him out the door.

  Before he left the room, he turned back. “Do not think of double crossing me, X. If you think my brother is lethal, I’m ten times worse. Unlike my brother, I don’t care whom I kill so long as I get what I want. You keep our bargain, or I’ll cut you down piece by piece.” He looked straight into the warlord’s non-descript brown eyes a long moment before pushing the cart out of the room.

  Sloan had understood and accepted that his brother would never forgive him for what he just did. But it was better the girl’s life forfeited instead of their men’s, who had been loyal to Rei and him throughout the centuries. He never understood how a woman could change his loyal and fearless brother into a love-sick puppy, giving up his royal right by their father’s side, giving up his duties to his family and people, and so willingly giving up the lives of his brothers-in-arms for her yet again.

  As he was taking the elevator down to the basement kitchen area, a vivid memory of the day Rei left the palace flooded his mind. It was a month before the Last Battle…

  “Where are you going?” Sloan saw his brother walking out of his room carrying a small traveling bag.

  Rei spared him a quick glance but continued walking quickly down the hall heading out of the palace. “To the dock.”

  “Why?” He grabbed Rei’s arm, stopping him in his tracks.

  “I am going to bring Elizabeth back.” His brother tried to shake him off, but he wouldn’t let go.

  “Let go of me.” If he had any sense of self-preservation, he would have let go after Rei’s expression turned thunderous, and even deadly. He was prepared for a blow when his brother raised his other arm. But instead of the expected punch, Rei shoved him back hard. Yet he refused to let go.

  Tightening his grip on his brother’s arm, he tried to reason with his eldest brother. “You cannot do this, Rei. Father needs all of us to defend our land.” He almost sounded as if he were begging—and he had never begged.

  To his worst fear, his brother simply shook his head. “I cannot leave Elizabeth behind. She is my life.” It was a declaration, plain and simple.

  He was too shocked to respond. It couldn’t be true. Rei must be jesting. His brother had always taken his responsibilities to the family and to their country so seriously, even when he was a child. Now he was taking off for some girl in a foreign country while their own country was on the brink of invasion by an army half of the known world feared. This was not real. He must be dreaming. He should be waking up from the nightmare any moment now.

  Instead, he lande
d hard on his backside. Rei succeeded in shoving him off, and he was watching his brother head past the palace gate. He scrambled to his stunned feet and followed his brother through the general market outside of the palace that led to the dock. A merchant ship was already loaded up and pulling its anchor out of the water, ready to sail. He finally caught up with his brother, and this time he really begged. “No, Rei, you cannot go. We are your family. These are your people. You have a responsibility to protect them, to fight for them. You cannot simply take off now, on the eve of another invasion, for a mere girl.” His voice was shaking by then, from the anguish or from the fear, he didn’t know.

  Out of the corner of his eye, the merchant ship was slowly leaving the dock. And so did Rei. His brother looked at him one last time, looking like a man lost to his inner struggles. Without another word, Rei leaped from the dock and caught the rope ladder at the side of the stern, easily making his way up to the ship deck. As the ship sailed away rapidly, his brother cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted back at him, “I will be back before the Turks arrive. I promise. Keep safe, my brother.”

  He stared at the ship until it was lost in the fading sunset on the horizon and whispered, “Keep safe, my brother. May the gods help us all.”

  The loud ding from the elevator brought Sloan back. When the elevator door opened, Erik and Constantin were standing by, ready for his next command. Unlike the rest of their men, Erik and Constantin were cousins and had been very young when they died in battle. They had barely passed their twentieth birthdays when Vikings pillaged their village. Sloan and Rei, who had already built a small army of men at that point, were sent to their village in the most western part of Russia on a scouting assignment in the tenth century. On their way back, they came upon a burning village in which every living thing had been slaughtered. Erik and Constantin were barely breathing when he found them lying in their own pool of crimson blood. They had reminded him so much of his younger brothers who were slain at the Last Battle. So he and Rei asked the gods to grant Erik and Constantin the same bargain. Ever since then, he had watched out for these two like his own brothers. And they looked up to him more than they did to Rei, their commander. He knew what he was about to ask them would destroy their trust in him, just as he was destroying his brother’s trust. But he would do what he had to do. He would not idly stand by again, watching his men, his brothers-in-arms, die senselessly.