Time Weaver

by Jacinta Maree

  Klaus shook his head. “I always said that love will destroy you. Here’s my proof.”

  In the next fluid twist, Klaus drove his blade into Timothy’s chest. The sharp white snapped as specs of gold escaped Timothy’s body, draining him until all color had been vacuumed out. As he died, Lady Claudia crumbled beneath the taint. She didn’t react when her skin began to blister and burn. Her hair fell out in clumps of grey, her face hollowed as deep, veiny cracks formed around her mouth. She shrivelled into herself, her wrist curling in, her knees turned to her chest, resembling a burnt prawn than a human being. The room fell into a hushed silence. Nikolas watched Lady Claudia drop, watched her disintegrate and shrink. He fell to his knees beside her body, unmoving, as she eventually rolled over and went still. Arthur didn’t move either. Right before his eyes, his mother and brother died at the hands of Klaus. Shock silenced him.

  Klaus stepped back. Released from his contract, his body cooled as the magic left him. As his mind cleared, he came to understand the damage he had done. The pain that must be overwhelming Nikolas, turning him quiet and rigid. Heartbreak wounded him. It tore into his muscles, taking his breath, dissolving his mind into sharp sparks of pain. He couldn’t breathe beyond a tremoring gasp. The world as he saw it darkened, breaking his willpower as though it broke his bones. Darkness gathered behind Nikolas’ back, creating a long black veil. The shadows shifted as they climbed out of the walls and up from the floorboards. Klaus looked down at the gremlins teaming together.

  “What are you doing?”

  Each rage filled pant exhausted more darkness around Nikolas, the thick smoke spiralling into dozens of spawning gremlins. His voice shook from the deepest part of his throat, wrenching up his agony. “If your intention was to break me, then consider me broken. But know this, Klaus, with every breath, every passing moment, I promise I will return the favor. I will do more than just shatter you, I promise to set your whole world on fire.”

  Klaus’ eyes widened, watching the shadows creep up and drench the walls and ceiling like shimmering moss. The house began to shake, the overhead light bulbs flickered and exploded in concession pops. Rage enveloped the room, pushing Klaus out into the hallway where he quickly sidestepped the crumpling debris from the ceiling and walls. He started to run, keeping one step ahead of the moving tidal wave of darkness. Elizabeth’s scent remained masked from him, but the death of the three girls lead him down the halls with the ease of following fire. Nikolas was going to tear the house down quickly. Klaus had to be quicker.

  #

  Elizabeth jerked around at the creak of the timbers snapping. The chandelier above her head bounced as though suddenly dropped and caught again. She stood up from the couch she sulked on, watching the shadows seep out of the furniture and the corners of the rooms. The floor beneath her shook with the ferocity of an earthquake. She grabbed the couch to steady herself.

  “Elizabeth?” A distant voice called. Elizabeth turned toward it. “Elizabeth?”

  “Klaus?” She ran out into the hallway and turned toward his voice. Klaus ran into view, propelling himself off the walls and lurched toward her. He didn’t slow on his approach, but instead pulled Elizabeth along into his sprint. She spun around and was dragged behind him, Klaus too rough with his panic.

  “Klaus!? What?!”

  “Just run!”

  The floor beneath them cracked, splintering the wood panels as the ground shuddered in stress. Elizabeth squealed as large junks of debris dropped off the roof, missing her head by inches. Klaus kept his pace, spotting a window. He didn’t slow to think what would happen to Elizabeth if they were to jump through. The second-storey drop was high enough to break bone, but not kill her. Hopefully. He held his arm up to shield his eyes from the incoming impact.

  Elizabeth didn’t have time to brace herself. Klaus leapt forward, shoulder first into the window, smashing the glass. He pulled Elizabeth into him tightly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and shielding her face against his chest. She felt weightless as they took to the air. Her legs tensed up, propelling her along the wind. As they dropped, instinct overtook Klaus’ body. As a nerve twitched, he shoved Elizabeth away. The sudden gesture forced Elizabeth to crash land into the bushes below, drawing long, razor cuts up her arms and gashed her cheeks. A sharp pain shot from her shoulder where she landed on it. She grabbed her arm, fearful the bone had popped out of its socket. Though the muscles felt swollen with bruises, she hadn’t broken anything. Klaus landed flawlessly right next to her.

  “Sorry.” he reached over and hoisted her up. “Collector survival.” Without wasting another moment, the two of them scrambled out of the way as the Beaumont mansion crumbled into ruins.

  #

  In Lady Claudia’s chambers, Nikolas exhausted smoke like a chimney of ash and despair. Arthur craned his head up, watching as the walls buckled into splinters. He then looked down at his mother, who was almost unrecognisable, and his brother’s dead body. Both were lifeless and still.

  “W-what did you do?” he shouted, unable to speak without choking on the dust. Nikolas turned his head upwards, his blood red eyes weeping beneath his matted hair. “Move it, Nikolas! I need to get out of here!” Nikolas didn’t move. He barely budged from his slouched position over Lady Claudia’s body, his watery eyes strained with pain.

  Arthur ran for the door, but it vanished beneath the carnage. The only exit was blocked and the roof above him struggled to hold. He looked around, realisation of his doom sinking in. “Nikolas! D-do something! Get me out of here!” Nikolas clenched his jaw. Blood trickled from his nose. “I said get me out!” Arthur screamed. A nerve snapped, spinning Nikolas around as he leapt up and snatched Arthur around the throat, effortlessly hoisting him up. Arthur gurgled.

  “You could have saved her,” Nikolas whispered. He took the blade from his belt, driving the point into Arthur’s chest. Arthur gasped as Nikolas threw him through the roof and out into the garden bed. He landed on his shoulder, snapping the joints. Pain drove him howling into the dirt. Behind him the house collapsed, swallowing Nikolas and the remaining Beaumont’s underneath a cloud of dust and rubble.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight:

  As the dust settled and ambulances surrounded the Beaumont mansion, Elizabeth and Klaus hurried back to the refuge of Harry’s place in Rosefire. Elizabeth tended to her wounds with a dampened cloth. The bruising in her shoulder stiffened her movements. Despite the terror, the pain, and her legal marriage to Arthur Beaumont, she still sighed in relief, finally feeling safe from Lady Claudia. Klaus did not mirror her feelings. He checked and rechecked outside the windows.

  Harry placed a warm cup of tea by Elizabeth before sitting next to her, helping cover some of the larger gashes with bandages. He unclasped the Beaumont choker and replaced it back with one of the Wicker crests from the mansion. She touched the collar fondly.

  Vehicles raced past by the dozens, followed by crowds of people coming out of their houses to watch the spectacle unfold. Large horns blasted the news on top of cars, calling it the Beaumont Reckoning. Elizabeth gave her account to the police, but refused to speak to the crowd of reporters trying to profit from her story.

  Klaus’ pacing was a constant click. He pinched his chin; his eyes focused downward. Elizabeth and Harry exchanged brief glances before Harry took his leave, taking with him the bowl of water.

  “Klaus, are you okay?” Elizabeth asked. He glanced briefly at her, implying he had heard her, but didn’t want to answer. Elizabeth tried again. “What happened back at the Beaumont’s?”

  “A mistake,” he growled before correcting himself. “No, more like a wasted opportunity.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Of course you don’t.”

  Elizabeth cringed at Klaus’ snappy comment. “Then explain.”

  Klaus swung around, irritated, “That bastard Timothy destroyed everything. Everything! I had Nikolas in my grip, she was going to time weave him!”

  “Time weave? Wha
t’s that?”

  “Pretty much the only way for someone to completely destroy a Time Collector. The sacrifice of blood and magic.”

  “Klaus, you’re not making any sense. Please, calm down.”

  Klaus slowed and took a big breath before taking a seat opposite her. He leaned forward so his elbows balanced on his knees, his face tight in his seriousness. “There are consequences to everything we do. Corrupted Time Collectors leave a rot in the people who contract with them. This rot builds with every wish, it disfigures their body, mind, and soul into a grotesque state. In the case of Lady Claudia, she had offered up Timothy as the bodement of her punishment. This is called the sacrifice, and can only be passed on to the wisher’s offspring. Timothy was to take the physical damage of her wishes, but she still carried the taint in her mind and soul. Of course, when Timothy died, the taint had nowhere to go but back onto Lady Claudia. She didn’t have much time left before the taint was going to destroy her anyway. That’s why she needed me. She had hoped to shove that taint back onto Nikolas instead, destroying him so she could live.”

  Elizabeth sat up higher in her seat. “Timothy died?”

  “He had wished for me to take his mother’s voice and the time owned to me would kill him. He took her only chance of saving herself by removing her voice. She couldn’t speak to Nikolas. Even with her voice back, the taint was so deep it had completely incapacitated her.”

  “Oh my God! Is she dead too?”

  Klaus smirked. “Nein, but she may as well be. In his overwhelmed state Nikolas decided to tear the house down. He’s always been like that. Overdramatic and irrational.” Elizabeth cringed at Klaus’ heartless dismissal. Klaus caught the look and straightened up in his chair. “What? Do you consider me cruel?”

  “I didn’t say anything,” Elizabeth said.

  “You don’t need to speak. I can read it on your face.”

  “It’s…just heartbreaking.”

  “Why are you sympathising with him?” Klaus grew defensive, hardening his voice. “Even after he tried to kill you?”

  “He didn’t try to kill me.”

  “So pulling the house down while you’re still inside isn’t considered attempted murder?”

  “Klaus.” Elizabeth put the damp sponge back on the table, feeling Klaus’ frustration at her grow. “Why are you so mad? Is this still not a victory?”

  “No, this is the exact opposite. This is a loss. Before, when Nikolas had Lady Claudia, he had a weakness. A thing to which he was leashed, but now he is free and incredibly angry at me. And it’s thanks to you that he now has a real chance of destroying me once and for all.”

  “Thanks to me?”

  “Yes, you, and your mortal life. The big difference between Nikolas and myself is that Lady Claudia was his source of power to gravitate toward but you are just a hooked hand I cannot rid myself of. He wanted his flaw, I do not.” His words hurt her as though he had reached over and slapped her. Elizabeth promptly stood and Klaus quickly followed. “No, wait, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that.” He reached out and grabbed her arm. He stepped in close to whisper, but his nerves rattled his voice, revealing his panic. “I am in trouble, Elizabeth.”

  Elizabeth looked down at his frightened grip. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “Time Collectors cannot track each other and that is how I’ve been avoiding Nikolas for all these years, but now that you and I are linked together, he will always find me. My only chance to kill him first is with the gun.”

  “Can’t you time weave him?”

  “Time weaving is only achievable through mortals. I cannot do it on my own.”

  “I’m a mortal.”

  Klaus rolled his eyes and stepped away. “It’s not that simple. I need that gun, Elizabeth. If not to stop Nikolas, then what is your purpose? What is your point in being here? He killed your mother, Elizabeth. Don’t you wonder why her? Was it on purpose? Was it an accident? Doesn’t she deserve justice?”

  The memory had been buried down deep that remembering it unearthed pain. Remorse swelled up from the back of her throat. “Is revenge my purpose in life?”

  “Not revenge,” Klaus corrected. “Justice. Truth.”

  “Miss Elizabeth?” Harry’s voice called as he stepped back into the room. “There was a letter that came for Sir Wicker, it was marked as important.” He shuffled forward, extending out a letter. Elizabeth flipped the note over but she couldn’t recognize the sender’s name.

  “Thank you, Harry.” She flipped the note over before tearing the edge open. “Lady Rose? I’ve never heard of her before.” She read over the short message.

  William,

  My, how you turn my hair grey! I have tried calling you many times to no avail. You seemed quite distressed on the phone before we lost connection, and I am surprised after six years of silence to hear from you so suddenly. I worry you are in some kind of trouble (again) despite my many, many lectures. I hope you are alright.

  I have managed to get word out to others travelling in your direction, they should be calling on you in the next few weeks. I am aware they have arranged accommodation at The Rap Rips down by the docks, please call on them and ease a sister’s worrying. Despite my verbal misgivings, my dear Catherine has insisted on joining them. You must take responsibility and look after her. I hope to hear from you soon.

  Sincerely,

  Margaret.

  Elizabeth quickly tucked the letter into her pocket. Margaret, William’s sister, was the last person William spoke to before he died. He had warned her about Klaus, but Elizabeth couldn’t be sure exactly how much Margaret Rose knew before the phone call was cut off.

  “Is everything okay, Miss Wicker? You’ve gone pale.”

  Elizabeth jerked at Harry’s voice. Even Klaus seemed to be paying her too much attention, having now stopped his pacing and angled his body toward her. Elizabeth quickly nodded.

  “Yes, it was a letter from William’s sister, Lady Margaret Rose.”

  Klaus turned away, quickly losing interest. Harry said quietly, “That is surprising. I am aware Lady Rose and Sir Wicker weren’t on speaking terms.”

  “He had tried reaching out to her before…” Elizabeth cleared her throat, not needing to remind everyone what happened to William Wicker. “She doesn’t know.”

  Harry slowly nodded. “Despite not having much family left, Sir Wicker and Lady Rose weren’t very close. A long history of family turmoil, I believe. I had thought that was the reason why Lady Rose wasn’t present at his funeral. It wasn’t my place to request her attendance.” He turned toward the phone. “I will make the call. She has a right to know.”

  Elizabeth settled into her chair. She elected not to tell Klaus about Lady Rose’s contacts by the docks, especially if they were sent to them to deal with him.

  #

  Elizabeth stood at the threshold of the Raps Rips motel the following day, staring up at the large twin doors leading into the low star establishment. The noise from the docks pressed up to her ears, surrounding her with the grunt of working fishermen and the crashing of waves. The letter did not reveal a lot of information about the contacts Lady Rose had sent, nothing beside a woman’s name: Catherine.

  Elizabeth walked inside the motel foyer of the Raps Rips and into the heavy fog of second hand smoke. One man stood behind the front desk in what appeared to be a throne made of newspaper stacks. Keys, pens, and business cards scattered across the front counter. Behind his head was a switch board with fifteen different light bulbs aligned in columns of five. One of the lights turned orange, following by a quick three ring whistle.

  Elizabeth cleared her throat. “Excuse me? I am looking for a guest.”

  “Name?”

  “Miss Catherine Rose.”

  Without taking his eyes off the newspaper, he reached across and picked up a clipboard as though to read it before tossing it back onto the table. “Nope.”

  “You didn’t even check.” Above their heads, footsteps
paced the room upstairs. Muffled voices rose into an argument, before the distinct thump of a falling body shook the roof. The orange light promptly changed to red. Without peering away from his comic, the man picked up a phone and said, “Clean up, room 22B,” before hanging up again. The light changed green.

  “Your room will be ready shortly.”

  “I don’t want a room. I’m looking for a guest staying here.”

  “If you don’t want a room, then get out.”

  “I just need your assistance.”

  “No room, no service.”

  Elizabeth pushed away from the counter. “Incompetent.” She made her way back outside. She had only gotten a few steps away when a voice called her back.

  “You must be her.”

  Elizabeth turned as a man around her age approached, his hands tucked into his pockets and ice blue eyes peered beneath shaggy brown hair. Over the top of his vest and tie were sleeves of knives, bullets, and holstered twin pistols. Immediately, Elizabeth felt weary.

  “You’re looking for Catherine, yes? We’ve been waiting for you.”

  She carefully nodded. “Who are you?”

  “Hudson, an acquaintance of Lady Rose. Are you here alone?” His eyes shifted out across the busy street. Elizabeth nodded again. “If you would like to follow me, I can take you to her.”

  “Take me where, exactly?”

  Hudson indicated over his shoulder. “She’s visiting family.”

  #

  The chaos of the docks brought stark contrast to the sombre emptiness of the Memorial Park. Grave stones peppered the lush fields, breaking up the sea of green much like frothy waves hitting the shore. Hudson led Elizabeth toward the graveyard before indicating for her to wait. In front of her father’s grave stood a lone woman. Hudson touched her back. She turned and wiped her tears away. He whispered to her, immediately swinging her around to face Elizabeth.

  The family similarity was striking. Elizabeth didn’t share many traits with her half brother and sister, but the Wicker gene proved strong in her and Catherine. Despite Elizabeth carrying the white hair and blue eyes, and Catherine inheriting long, twisted dark brunette curls matching with green eyes, they could almost be mistaken for twins.