A Times Journey Box Set (A Times Journey Novel Book 4)

by Bethany Shaw

  Zak laughed. He had thought about attacking his mother and father, but had refrained. He didn't know much about these kinds of spells, but he had enough common sense to know he would mess the future up if he did something drastic—like murder them. Events needed to play out as they had before or he wouldn’t exist in the future.

  "I'm not doing anything that will change our timeline," he promised.

  She sighed and plopped down into the grass, aimlessly dragging her hand back and forth through the sod. Her face was ashen and some of the light that usually bloomed in her eyes was gone. How long has she been overexerting herself?

  "I get it. You don't trust me. I betrayed you. I was involved in the plot to resurrect your mother and kill you and your siblings,” she paused and met his gaze. “I don't trust you either, Zak. You used Trent’s love for me against me and tried to kill me...attacked my coven." He opened his mouth to protest, but she held up a hand. "Regardless of the past, we should be working together instead of against each other. Like it or not, we are stuck here together, we need to cooperate with each other if we're going to get home. I could help if you let me."

  "You're asking me to trust you and you'll trust me?" he asked surprised. Could she ever really trust him? He already knew he could never fully trust her. Not after her betrayal. Her loyalty was to her coven; it always would be. She didn’t need him to get home. She was a witch; she could probably figure it out on her own—abandon him here in the past. Worse, she could collaborate with his mother and stop the vampire race from ever being created. Or she could find the one loophole that could kill him and his siblings. There were a billion reasons aside from Harrison he didn’t want her out and about.

  Cadence bit her lip as she stood up. “I’m not going to betray you,” she persisted. “The only way we can both get home is by working together.”

  "Cadence, I don't trust anyone, not even my own siblings," he said honestly.

  "I'm not asking to know your deepest secrets, Zak. I'm just asking to go with you. We both want the same thing—to get back to our time. I could betray you. I could go see your mother, but I won’t. As easy as it would be to contact Liana right now, there is no telling how that would effect the timeline. Everything would change if you and your family never turned into vampires. Sure, the world could be better, but it could be a whole lot worse and that’s not a risk I’m willing to take. I want to go home, Zak. Let’s work together to achieve it." She offered her delicate hand out to him. “Truce.”

  He narrowed his eyes. Did she read his mind? Seldom witches possessed that ability, but she’d touched on every point he’d thought about. Was it possible she was one of the rare few that did? He shook his head. It didn’t matter at the moment, and he couldn’t ask her about it. She’d probably lie.

  He weighed his options. Taking her with him could lead to trouble. She could see things—his family, his human self. It wasn't just time alone with Harrison he wanted. He didn't want her to see his past life. She could see things he didn't want anyone to know about.

  "Zak," she said drawing his thoughts back to her. "You told me you wanted to get to know me. Consider this your chance. When else are you going to have me alone for a whole month?" she said as a tiny smile slipped over her face.

  Was she trying to manipulate him? He smirked at her, not willing to let her know he'd already made up his mind. He couldn't let her keep hurting herself like this anyway. "Fine.” He slipped his hand into her cool palm. Her skin was soft as velvet and sent warmth flooding through him. “Perhaps the witch can work with you on your active powers. How does someone your age not have full control of them yet?” he questioned, cocking his head to the side. Harrison might be able to help, but he wasn’t entirely sure if he wanted him to yet. Cadence would be his enemy again soon.

  “We declared a truce. That doesn’t mean I need to tell everything today. Baby steps,” she replied curtly as she walked past him. “Now can we go? I’ve seen enough of this hole in the ground.”

  ***

  "You're not taking me back to that hole in the ground are you?" Cadence asked as they left the house the following morning. If he took her back there she was, well, what could she do to him? He was stronger and faster, and like it or not, she did need his help. This was a time she knew nothing about. History didn’t talk about the settlers who lived in the Americas before Columbus founded it. On the books, this settlement shouldn’t even be here. Thank goodness history had it wrong. Without a witch to send them home, they’d be truly screwed. She was stuck; damn him for holding it over her head.

  “We called a truce, remember?” he said as he led the way out onto the dirt path.

  A few of the men glared at them as they made their way down the path. She inched a little closer to Zak, swallowing under their scrutinizing gazes.

  "So does that mean I am coming with you?" she asked, needing to take her mind off the brutes staring daggers at her. Perhaps there was some merit to Zak’s warning about the villagers. It wasn’t likely they’d forget the murder of their friend anytime soon. If there were anywhere else to stay, she’d insist they go, but the only other village was Zak’s and they couldn’t go there for obvious reasons.

  He sighed. "You don't say anything or do anything. You're just going to sit there." He turned to look at her. "And you're going to listen to me."

  She frowned; at least it wasn't a no. "Why?"

  He gnashed his teeth as he scrubbed a hand over his face. "Cadence. We're going to see my brother," he explained. "Harrison."

  She stopped and looked at him. Who is Harrison? She’d met the rest of his siblings—unfortunately. "I didn't realize you had another brother or that any of you were witches," she said continuing to walk again. Was Zak a witch, too, at one point?

  "Grace was pretty talented. The rest of us could do simple things, but Harrison was by far the strongest. Had he lived...he would have been stronger than my mother, Liana," he told her.

  "I'm sorry.” She wanted to ask what had happened to Harrison, but thought better of it. Emotions flickered across Zak’s face. He looked...sad. She'd never seen this side to him before. Until this moment, she didn't think he had any humanity in him. She had just thought he put on a show for her so he could get into her pants. Maybe Harrison was a good thing.

  The rest of the walk was in a comfortable silence.

  Zak led her up to the opening of the cave behind a cascading waterfall. The water roared around them and she blinked, realizing these were the same falls that were back home. They were fuller now and the water looked deeper and clearer. The trees were denser and wildlife scuttled about in the fallen leaves. She imagined in the spring, the forest was breathtaking.

  "Zak," a younger boy with dark brown hair hollered, coming up to them from the back of the cave. He looked like a much younger version of Eli, one of Zak’s other brothers. The boy appeared to be a teenager—sixteen or seventeen by her guess.

  "Harrison," Zak greeted as a rare, genuine smile graced his face.

  "Is this, Cadence?" Harrison asked his eyes widening as he saw her.

  "Cadence, this is my youngest brother, Harrison." Zak motioned toward the boy.

  How does he know who I am? There was only one way. Zak must have mentioned me. Interesting. Judging by the warm reception, Zak had said good things about her, too. It’d be nice to know what he was thinking sometimes. Zak baffled her.

  "It's nice to meet you," she beamed, extending her hand out to him.

  "Zak has been going on and on about you. I'm so glad he has finally brought you," Harrison said excitedly as he bobbed her hand up and down. “I still can’t believe you time traveled here from the future.”

  Yeah. I’m still trying to believe that one, too. Wait! Did he say Zak’s been talking about me non-stop?

  Her gaze slipped over the vampire who shuffled on his feet avoiding her stare.

  "Enough with the small talk, brother. We only have twenty more days until the next full moon," Zak replied, guiding his younger
brother back into the cave.

  What had Zak said about her? How much had he said? Judging by the boy’s enthusiasm, he hadn’t mentioned her coven’s plots to kill him. She shoved that thought to the back of her mind. They might be enemies in the future; Zak might be the man who had ruined her relationship with Trent, but in this time, they were friends. They had to be.

  ***

  Being in the cave was no different than spending time in the hole in the ground. Zak and Harrison kept to themselves looking over spells and talking. Why no one consulted her, she wasn’t sure. She was a witch, too. Though admittedly, she didn’t know much more than what her friend Jaime had taught her. Still, it’d be nice to be included.

  The only thing they’d said was it would be near impossible for her to perform the spell for them and travel through time. As if she could muster up that kind of strength anyway. She could imagine that kind of energy would be draining. But would someone as young as Harrison be able to pull it off? Zak seemed to think so.

  She huffed and studied the two brothers with interest.

  Harrison had spoken to her a few times but Zak had gone out of his way to keep their interaction to a minimum. She suspected Zak enjoyed spending time with his long dead brother. She couldn’t blame him for that; at least with Zak preoccupied with his brother, she didn’t have to worry about practicing magic. Her energy was dangerous and uncontrollable. She didn’t want to hurt Harrison...or anyone for that matter. It’d be best to leave it alone for the time being.

  Bored, she stood up and wandered around. The cave was small, but secluded, and the falls were spectacular. Water cascaded down the rocks and pooled in a lovely stream below. If it were warmer, she’d consider going for a swim.

  The sight of a red flower just off to her right caught her eye. How odd to find a wild rose with the weather as chilly as it was! Winter was well underway. Taking the opportunity of Zak’s distraction, she walked outside and knelt beside the plant. She plucked the beautiful flower and whispered a few Latin words, smiling as the rose’s petals blossomed further.

  "What happened to trusting each other?" Zak asked from behind her.

  She turned, almost losing her balance at the sound of his voice. She grabbed onto a rock to keep from falling in the water. His face was set and angry, his stormy eyes blazing at her. He walked up to her and stared down at her as if she was a child. "Your opinion of me really is low," he accused, his eyes darting from the rose to her.

  Roses were a weakness for a vampire; a rose petal would burn, even someone like Zak.

  She stood up not wanting to cower beneath him. "I was only admiring it. Look around,” she cast her gaze out to the trees. “All the leaves have fallen, the flowers perished, and yet, this one rose is still here. Don’t you find that a bit odd?” she asked meeting his eyes.

  Zak glanced around at the barren forest and exhaled loudly. “Perhaps. Do you know what it might mean?” he questioned.

  She hadn’t really thought past how odd it was to be honest. “I don’t know. Maybe a ripple from the spell Liana did,” she suggested with a shrug. “A spell that strong would certainly cause some sort of magical current here and in our time.”

  Zak regarded her for a long moment. “Keep it. It compliments your eyes. If you spell it and leave it outside the house it will ward off supernatural creatures,” he said quietly.

  It would ward off him as well as the wolves. She met his gaze for a long moment. Yes, she had been uncomfortable sharing the tiny bedroom with him, but where would he go? Why did she care? She shouldn’t, but she did.

  She twirled the flower between her fingers before tucking the plant in her hair. Zak might be the only vampire, but he wasn’t the only supernatural creature in this time.

  The rest of the day dragged on slowly. Finally, the brothers’ decided it was time to leave the cave. She watched curiously as Harrison hugged Zak. She didn't miss the tenseness in Zak’s shoulders as his brother hugged him. It was like it was the first time he'd been hugged in centuries. Surely that wasn't true, yet she could see no other reason for his unease.

  She was about to walk across the rocks when she heard voices. Human-Zak and his father, Malcolm walked along the trail. Cadence ducked down and peered through the rocks trying to get a better glimpse. She knew Zak the vampire, but wondered how he’d been as a human.

  The two men appeared to be arguing over something. Their voices rose as they drew closer. Zak apologized, his ashen face looked...terrified. Cadence gasped as Malcolm shoved Zak hard enough to knock him to the ground. Zak toppled onto his back, curling in on himself in enough time to block his father’s kick.

  "You're worthless, boy. You can’t even do simple chores right," he bellowed as he kicked him in the side repeatedly.

  "I'm sorry, father," Zak wheezed as he grabbed his side coughing.

  "Not yet you're not," Malcolm yelled as he kicked him again.

  Hands grabbed her from behind. A scream bubbled up her throat as a hand clamped over her mouth. She was lifted into the air and cradled, bridal style. She blinked up at Zak as he whooshed them away from the cave.

  The cool, icy breeze sent chills down her spine and she huddled closer to Zak for warmth as the rapid movement caused her belly to flip-flop. Her cheeks stung against the wind and she closed her eyes, unable to watch the landscape whirl by.

  Cadence wasn't sure how long he carried her, but he stopped abruptly and all but dropped her onto the ground. She stumbled trying to gain her balance. His eyes were golden and she took a step backwards. His hands landed on her shoulders, hauling her closer. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe I had reasons other than Harrison for not wanting you to come?"

  He released her and turned around. He was mad, but there was something else too—pain. He hadn't wanted her to see this, to see him as a human, to see him weak. She wasn't sure what to say to him or if she should say anything at all.

  Never in her wildest dreams had she ever considered the all mighty and powerful vampire Zak had been abused as a child.

  Zak slammed his fist into a tree, sending chunks of bark splintering through the air. The tree swayed violently and snapped in half, collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud. Vampires had heightened emotions and right now, Zak’s appeared to be in overdrive. It had all been too much for him. His life, his father's hate, the feeling of not being good enough; he shut it off, choosing not to feel at all. Now, he was reliving it all over again. This could end up really bad for her if she didn’t figure out how to calm him down.

  She thought about her words carefully. "My dad didn’t know my mother was a witch...that I was one either. After she died, he found out when the coven came to pay their respects. He swore he didn’t want me to be a part of that life and went to great lengths to ensure it never happened." She bit her lip as emotions filled her. "He made sure my powers were bound. He took them from me. That’s why they’re so out of whack now. He tried to alter who I was. A parent’s love is supposed to be unconditional. They should love you no matter what. Never hurt you." There was so much more to the story, but the lump lodging in her throat prevented her from speaking. She met his gaze, surprised by the emotions swirling in his eyes. She hadn't really thought him capable of emotions. Apparently she was wrong.

  His face hardened as he looked away from her. "Let's go."

  She gasped in surprise as he scooped her up again and sped off toward the village. As they ran, she peered up at him through her long lashes. Maybe there was more to Zakariah Smith than she realized.

  ***

  Jamie groaned as she slid down the pole to sit on Cadence’s front porch. The sun rose in the distance signifying the start of a new day. She had been up all night diligently trying to find her friend, with no luck at all. The coven was divided. Some wanted to work with Liana to eradicate the vampires once and for all while others were determined to find Cadence first. Once Zak perished, they lost any chance of finding Cadence. There was no telling what the vampire had done with their friend o
r if she was even still alive.

  No. Don’t think like that. She’s alive.

  "Hello, witch," a vampire said as he flashed in front of her. "I heard you lost something."

  She glared, her lip curling up in disgust. She was in no mood to put up with him. She had never met him, but from the description she had she could only assume that this was Oliver Smith. A spell was at the tip of her tongue, but she paused, taking in his stance.

  His hands were shoved into his jacket pockets and he leaned against the hood of Cadence’s car like he didn’t have a care in the world. He seemed awfully relaxed for someone intending to hurt her. That didn’t mean she should let her guard down.

  "What do you want?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes at him as she stood. Should he attack, she wanted to be ready. To be safe, she conjured a low wall of fire to separate them.

  Oliver stepped back and rolled his eyes. “I have no intentions of harming you, witch.”

  She sighed, studying him for a long moment before allowing the flames to lower to a simmer. "Don't think I won't fry your ass if you get too close," she warned.

  "You've got bite to you, I like it," he flirted, wagging his brows playfully.

  Jamie quirked her brow, calling on the orange flames to rise again.

  "Okay, wait. I know your friend is missing,” he replied holding his hands up.

  "Yeah, your brother took her," she snapped. If she had backup she’d consider trying to abduct him. Then they could negotiate a trade, assuming Zak cared enough about his brother.

  "Is that what you think?" he asked, trailing his hand over Cadence's car. "I don't see evidence of a struggle. She looked feisty. I bet she would’ve fought Zak off—or at least tried to."

  Jamie sighed annoyed. All she wanted was to find her friend—her sister. She didn’t want to entertain a vampire. But if Oliver could somehow lead her to Zak and Cadence she needed to listen.

  "Did you see this?" Oliver asked kicking at something.

  "What?" she asked irritated as she slowly marched toward him while being careful not to get too close.