Welcome Home (Alternate Worlds Book 3)

by Leigh, Taylor

  ‘Everyone recovering from the excitement?’ He bit into the fruit.

  Victoria glanced over at Andrew, who didn’t respond. ‘We’re working on it,’ she said hesitantly.

  Tollin grinned. ‘Well, I’m having an absolutely smashing time. It’s been brilliant. All of this? Bloody hell, I wish I’d come sooner. I missed out on some fascinating activity!’

  Victoria wasn’t sure she felt that way. It had been more like a nightmare. Ghosts in the dark and monsters hunting them and enemies behind every door. How could one possibly find that fun?

  ‘That’s one way to put it,’ she mumbled.

  He flashed a smile, but then frowned. ‘Not exactly the enthusiastic response I was hoping for.’

  Andrew let out a strange, broken noise and the piece of bread he was holding slipped from his fingers to the table. Tollin and Victoria both cast him a sharp look.

  ‘He’s not been the same since it happened,’ she said, unsure if Andrew was aware they were talking about him or not.

  Tollin’s expression darkened. ‘Yes,’ he said after a long moment of contemplation, ‘I suppose it would have to affect him worse than others. He has a lot going through his mind. A lot to work out. That’s what he’s doing now, I shouldn’t wonder. Working it all out. Being away from things like cursed stones will certainly help the chap!’

  Victoria glowered, not liking his tone.

  Andrew’s pale eyes slid over at last to rest on Tollin’s face. ‘Working it out?’ he asked in a low voice, ‘And how exactly am I supposed to do that?’

  Tollin took a sip of wine, not put off by Andrew’s growl of a question. ‘Well, you’ve no doubt come to the right assumption that you cannot forget. And so, your only alternative is to accept, and then to move on with your new knowledge, either for better or worse.’

  Andrew’s smile was thin and grim. ‘If you had experienced what I have, Traveller, I wonder if you would find it so easy to accept.’

  Tollin did not exactly look as bright and confident as he had a moment before. He turned an olive over between his fingers slowly, marinating Andrew’s words in his mind. ‘What exactly did you see, Andrew?’

  The man laughed darkly and Victoria struggled to suppress the cold shiver it gave her. His eyes flicked up from gazing at the table, where they had slid. It bothered her. There was something behind them now, some haunted bleakness that she’d never seen before. That cold reasoning and understanding of the world was somehow warped now.

  ‘The end.’

  Tollin frowned at Andrew a moment longer and Victoria watched his throat bob up and down as he swallowed. ‘Well, that’s rather vague for you.’ His brows twitched. ‘And may I ask what became of that big ruby and invention of theirs?’

  Andrew pulled in a breath through his nostrils. ‘I buried it. Buried it beneath tonnes of stone.’ He slid a hand into his pocket and withdrew a glittering rock, turning it over in his long fingers.

  ‘A stumbling stone…’ Victoria mumbled, wishing he wouldn’t handle it so.

  ‘The temple beneath the bones is just what it was before the dragon came: lost.’

  Tollin nodded. ‘Very good…’ He sat back for a moment in thought, but then leant forward again, beaming. ‘By the way, I’ve been down at the time device for the past few hours.’

  Arkron looked sharply down at him. ‘You, of all people, should be staying well clear of that place.’

  Tollin ignored her. ‘Andrew’s translations were finished. He had it figured out. Wherever my future self is locked away, it’s up to a guardian to open.’

  Andrew raised his eyes, seeming to wake up a bit.

  ‘Unfortunately,’ Tollin said, ‘there was quite a lot of damage to the machine thanks to Noel. I couldn’t get through to the other side. She…wasn’t there.’ Victoria wasn’t sure, but she could have sworn she saw his expression soften, grow a bit sad. He recovered from it quickly. ‘However, I was able to tinker with it a bit and send a message through to whatever computer is running that place.’

  Andrew’s eyes opened a little wider. ‘You…managed to figure out how to communicate with the technology on the other side?’ His voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of awe.

  ‘Mm, yes!’ Tollin grinned. ‘Sorry, didn’t mean to step on your toes, but I’m a tad more familiarised with technology than you are.’

  Andrew frowned. ‘What did you send?’

  Tollin wave a hand dismissively. ‘Oh, nothing really. Just some minor instructions.’

  ‘And you’re so certain it was right?’ The frown deepened.

  Tollin grinned. ‘If I recommended you to help me in the future, then yes, I am sure it was right.’

  Andrew didn’t look so convinced, but by the absolute insane logic of Tollin it had to make some sense.

  ‘What do you do now?’ Victoria asked.

  It was a sad thought to accept Tollin would not be staying, and the prospect of going back to palace life was not a happy one. As exhausting as Victoria found the excitement and danger, it had become almost the norm for her. It was her new oxygen. Going back to life without it was a sobering thought.

  ‘Oh,’ Tollin said. ‘Wherever the wind takes me, I suppose.’

  ‘But you’ll be leaving here.’

  He nodded once. ‘Yes, I’m afraid so.’

  Victoria bit her lip and nodded. ‘Don’t suppose there’s any chance you’d take us with you.’

  Tollin smiled at her gently. ‘Your path lies on a different course than mine.’

  She sighed. ‘I know. I have to stay here, become queen; do my duty to this planet.’

  ‘I don’t believe I necessarily said that. You can find adventure, if you just look for it. If you aren’t afraid to jump.’ Tollin pushed to his feet and offered them both a broad grin. ‘Well, if you’ll excuse me, got things to do. I’m sure I’ll see you around at some time or another.’ His eyes fell to Andrew. ‘I have a date that I’d rather not miss.’ He winked.

  Victoria hopped up and wrapped her arms around him. ‘You’d better not disappear without saying a proper goodbye.’

  Tollin smiled down at her. ‘Oh, I never say goodbyes. Goodbye is too final. Just…until the next time.’

  Andrew’s eyes locked with the Traveller’s. Tollin released her and patted her shoulder, and then, giving Arkron and Marus a meaningful look, left the room with them.

  ‘Well,’ Victoria said, trying to break the stillness. ‘I suppose that’s that, then.’

  Andrew was clearly ignoring her. Nothing new there. He stood quite suddenly, wobbling unsteadily.

  ‘Steady on, what’s wrong?’ Victoria cried, surprised.

  Andrew’s eyes were gleaming with a new light. A small, excited smile was pulling at his lips. It began to widen into a full grin.

  ‘What is it?’ Victoria asked, immediately wary. That smile rarely meant something good.

  ‘Oh, he is brilliant.’

  She felt an automatic wave of excitement charge through her. When Andrew’s voice got that excited growl, something was about to happen. He’d thought of something. The old fire was back.

  ‘Andrew? What’s wrong?’

  He began to chuckle. ‘We’ve got a date.’

  He was talking nonsense. But then again, that usually meant he’d thought of something clever.

  ‘Where are we going?’

  He grabbed his cloak and broke for the door. ‘Come on, Victoria! We can’t be late!’

  Victoria didn’t have time to question his orders. She stumbled after him, desperately trying to keep up.

  Andrew had dragged Victoria through the rather terrifying tunnels beneath the mountain. That had frightened her, seeing bodies and still smouldering rubble, yet at last they’d made it.

  She was still staggering, out of breath, as he impatiently waited. She hadn’t known him to run so fast. It had clearly taken a toll on him, for he doubled. Again, much to her frustration, he didn’t wait for her, but went dashing inside once he’d caught his breath.
>
  Victoria cursed him as she hurried through to the time room. Whatever he was about he wasn’t letting on. Her sides burned. She couldn’t imagine how bad he was off after that sprint of his.

  ‘Andrew?’

  He didn’t respond, and when she finally reached him, she found him dashing about, muttering to himself. The device was glowing and making noises like she’d never heard before, even considering the state it was in.

  ‘What’s going on?’ she asked, stepping closer to him. ‘What’s all this about? Andrew?’

  Andrew ignored her, and instead proceeded to spin in a circle, directing his eyes to the dark ceiling. Victoria tripped over a rock.

  He finally turned to her. ‘Victoria,’ his voice went dark. Something about the intense look in his eyes made her grow suddenly serious. He didn’t move from where he’d rooted himself. ‘I…don’t know how much time I have, so let me speak quickly.’

  Victoria froze. ‘What are you talking about?’

  Andrew stared at her. ‘All we’ve seen, all we’ve done; there are worlds out there so much greater than I could ever have imagined. I’ve seen it now. I’ve…experienced it in ways that I’m only just now starting to comprehend. I’m…meant to do something, Victoria. I don’t yet know what it is but I feel with a burning passion I must discover what it is. Tollin is giving me that chance. If I knew the risks…’

  Victoria shook her head. ‘I don’t understand. What are you talking about? How…how is he giving you that chance?’

  Andrew took a deep breath. ‘This device is my chance. Tollin is giving me this chance.’

  Victoria tried to process what he was saying. It made no sense. ‘What chance is he giving you, Andrew? Tell me what’s going on. You’re frightening me.’

  Andrew swallowed, startling her as his eyes welled with tears. ‘This device, it goes both ways, Victoria. I don’t know how to explain it, I don’t know how to work it, but it’s turning on and it’s working for me.’

  ‘But…but what does that mean?’

  Andrew blinked rapidly. ‘I am so sorry. I’m going somewhere. Some place, some time…I don’t know.’

  She felt her knees buckle. He was leaving? How could he? Without her? Victoria couldn’t comprehend life without him. ‘You’re leaving me?’

  His expression softened. ‘I cannot stay here, I have to go. I would not leave you if I had a choice but…this is my only chance. I can’t stay here and help you rule…It is selfish perhaps but I am…something and I have to work out what to do with that!’

  Victoria lunged forward. ‘If you’re not staying than neither am I.’ She grabbed his hand.

  Andrew stared at her in surprise. ‘I don’t know what will happen. I don’t know where we’ll end up.’

  Victoria straightened, feeling a peculiar warmth begin to fill her. The air around her was starting to shimmer, machines whining louder. She stared at him with growing alarm. Whatever happened next would change them. For ever.

  ‘Andrew?’

  ‘It’s going to be okay.’ His eyes were gleaming. ‘This isn’t the end, Victoria, this is the beginning.’

  There was a bright flash of light, and they were gone, Andrew’s words still hanging in the air, heavy like the dust. Out of time.

  * * * * *

  Sam hated to end her conversation with that younger, friendlier version of Tollin that she did not know, but with what was happening in the room around her, she could not in good conscious ignore it. It had taken her severing her conversation with Past Tollin, but she was glad she did. For the layer beneath the one she’d just torn away was absolutely fascinating.

  The Light that had drained from her had fuelled the alcove with a strange power. Now, spinning before her was a rotating pool of light.

  A Guardian. That was Andrew’s unhelpful advice for how to open the portal. And that’s what Noel had said, wasn’t it? She didn’t know what, or how…and frankly, she didn’t care. Somehow she’d done something and the something felt right.

  She scrambled to her feet, watching the alcove in fascination .That something was shifting on the other side. Some shadow was dancing in the light. And she could sense, rather than see, that something was trying to break through: a shape; and it was rocketing towards her. Rapidly.

  The shadow rippled, as if she were looking through a pool and Sam took a step back, and then another as the light was, with alarming rapidness, swallowed up by the growing shadow. And then it was crashing through, hurtling past her.

  The shape was a man, and the man broke into a stumble, then a roll, till he crashed into the far wall, making the panels rattle with the force. From the portal came a loud sucking sound and Sam turned back. She jerked in horror at the sight as a monstrous figure loomed up. She ripped it away in panic. The portal burst just as the form lunged towards it.

  Sam whirled back to the figure curled up on the floor, who let out a groan. A very familiar groan. Cautiously, her breath caught, Sam took a step nearer. She recognised, or thought she recognised, the tattered clothing.

  ‘You all right?’ she asked, taking another shaky step towards him.

  The man groaned again. And then he struggled to push himself up, wobbly, to present her with wide brown eyes, hair long and wild, face smudged with dust and blood, clothing in tatters. Still, he didn’t look at her directly, instead, he looked round, expression one of awe.

  ‘Am I back?’ he asked in a low voice. ‘Did it actually work?’ He let out a husky laugh of disbelief.

  ‘Tollin?’ Sam asked shakily. Her heart was thudding. Things began to feel numb, unreal. He was back? All she had to do was take several steps forward and she could touch him and make him flesh.

  Sam felt her stomach drop to somewhere round her feet. As the man straightened to his full height she could see him now, real and alive and very much before her. Sam didn’t even know how it was possible, what she had done, to have him standing here now.

  ‘Tollin?’

  Those wild, familiar eyes finally tore from darting round the room to lock with hers. And then came the smile. That damnable, beautiful smile that had a way of lighting up his face and turning it from something odd to something absolutely beautiful.

  ‘Samantha Turner, oh, I am glad to see you!’

  Sam broke into a tearful grin as she watched him stride towards her. She couldn’t believe it. ‘You…you’re back,’ she managed to choke out.

  Tollin threw his arms around her in a crushing hug. Sam wobbled, surprised, but wrapped her arms around him as well, choking with overwhelmed relief. An electric, instinctive flurry of feelings went snapping between them like static; physical it was so strong. Their connection. That mental crisscrossing of wires and emotions that had been struck into a weary hibernation was waking up, and her mind was glowing with it.

  ‘You did it, Sam! Oh, you brilliant, brilliant girl! You did it!’ he pressed his face into her shoulder and laughed. She could feel him trembling. His fingers curled into the back of her tshirt; desperate, like a child.

  ‘Blimey!’ she gasped. ‘You really must have missed me that past week!’ Not that she hadn’t. But best to put things lightly. Admitting some feelings felt dangerous, no matter the circumstances.

  Tollin lifted his face. ‘Past week? Sam, I’ve been gone for seventy years.’ His face was close to hers. His eyes so dark, so warm…they pulled her in.

  Sam stumbled, gutted. ‘Seventy years? No! You left just seven days ago!’

  Tollin nodded. ‘I know. But the machine threw me back. All this time I’ve been waiting, working it out, I knew you could do it and you didn’t let me down! All those years I knew you’d be able to do it.’

  Sam felt tears welling up in her eyes all over again. ‘Seventy years! You’ve been all alone for that long…seventy years of your life wasted! It’s all my fault!’ What reason did he have to be happy to see her?

  Tollin grabbed her by the shoulders. ‘No, no, no, no, no! Not your fault at all, Sam! It was me. I’m the one who mucked a
bout with the machine, you saved me!’

  Sam shook her head. ‘But if it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t have come here to begin with!’

  Tollin gave her a hard look. ‘Sam, do you really think that’s true? Time Realm? How long do you think I’d be able to stay away from a temptation like that? And if you hadn’t been with me, I’d still be trapped there!’

  She grinned shakily, because there was nothing accusing written across his open face. It was difficult to believe but…what she could sense…Only happiness. Tollin was simply happy to be alive, happy to be back, happy to be—she couldn’t help but think—with her.

  He finally looked round. ‘My goodness. What happened here?’

  Sam cleared her throat. ‘Sort of a long story.’

  He pulled a face. ‘Let me guess…a dragon named Noel.’

  She stared.

  ‘Right!’ he said, looking down at his ragged appearance. ‘What do you say we go home? I can honestly say I’d rather get out of these clothes…and into something a bit less worn.’ He winced.

  There was a beeping at the console and Tollin paused to cast it an intrigued look. Sam could have sworn she saw a ghost of a smirk pull at his lips as he swaggered towards it. She fought down a slight nervousness as he read over what he saw, afraid he’d accidentally send them off again. He simply chuckled.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘It seems,’ he mused, ‘I’ve left myself a message.’ He lifted a hand to twist a few knobs on the panel. The glass portal behind them once again changed to Scrabia, all damaged and broken by Noel. ‘Why not leave a bit of a treat for our dear friend Andrew O’Neill? A thanks for helping us out, hmm?’

  Sam felt dizzy, head swimming. ‘Sending yourself messages…I think I’ll be glad if I never have to play around with time again!’