“How did you comfort her?” Gabriel couldn’t quite imagine Ling playing the role of consoling companion.
“The same why I comfort everyone,” Ling said. “By giving her unrelenting grief until she’d forgotten how much she ached for her family.”
“Like stomping on someone’s toe to help them forget they’ve bumped their head?” Gabriel asked.
“Exactly.” Ling laughed again.
“She’s wrong about you,” Gabriel said. “You’re not like a caramel chocolate that’s all hard and chewy on the inside, you’re more like a cream-filled chocolate that’s soft and gooey inside.”
Ling sniffed and seemed to think about this for a moment. “You may be right.” She lowered her eyes from the stars to look into his. “But don’t forget that outer shell of chocolate is rock hard and will break your teeth if you’re not careful.”
“It’s an observation, not a criticism,” Gabriel said.
“Well, here’s another observation.” Ling squeezed her arm around Gabriel’s shoulders. It felt like a panther had caught him in its grip, but it filled him with warmth. “I’ve seen you do amazing things. Things I never thought I’d see any mage accomplish. If you say this plan will work, I have complete faith in you. And you have the best team in the castle to help you. Why worry?”
Ling slipped her arm up around Gabriel’s head and brought her free hand around to rub her knuckles lightly against his skull. Gabriel laughed and squirmed away as Ling chuckled in his ear. Her method of comforting might not be conventional, but Gabriel found it compelling in ways that brought tears to his eyes.
He found he slept better that night than he had all week.
The next morning, after a quick breakfast, the team assembled in the backyard and used their amulets to alter their appearances to blend in with the citizens of a Roman town. Gabriel looked at the team, his friends, his new family, as they waited for him to take them into the past, back to Sagalassos, and Teresa.
“Thank you. Thank you for believing.”
No one spoke. They didn’t need to. The stern smiles on their faces said more than could ever be articulated aloud. Gabriel took the chunk of statue from his pocket and looked at Aurelius, wondering how the man would respond to seeing himself carved in stone in the bathhouse. Then he focused on the magical energy of the imprints in the Sword of Unmaking, attuned his space-time sense to the piece of statue in his hand, and transported the team through time to save Teresa from her death.
Chapter 17: Return to Rescue
Cloaked in Sema’s Soul Magic and rendered nearly invisible to the patrons of the Roman bathhouse of Sagalassos, Marcus Aurelius squinted as he stared up at the fifteen-foot statue of himself.
“Not the best likeness I’ve ever seen.” Aurelius turned to Gabriel and the others. “There are far too many of those around.”
“Is everyone prepared?” Ohin watched as the others nodded agreement of their readiness. He placed his hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. “Let’s begin.”
Gabriel jumped through space, taking them all to the rooftop of the Nypheum, across the forum plaza from the bathhouse and near the street of Teresa’s deadly accident. He jumped far enough back in time to avoid being seen by any of his previous selves who were watching the street and ultimately, Teresa’s demise. He then jumped through space with each team member to their designated positions along the street, slowly releasing the cloak of Soul Magic around them. Except for Sema, they would each need to rely upon their training to remain unnoticed. They also relied upon their amulets to alter their appearances so there would be no chance of Teresa spotting and recognizing them by accident. Aurelius, with his limited training received at the safe house over the past week, blended in as well, if not better, than the others, appearing to be merely an old Roman man resting against the wall of a home.
When he had finished, Gabriel floated up through the air, hovering above the street to survey the extraction and await his part in the rescue. He observed as previous versions of himself warped space and time, popping into existence along the rooftops of the street. If he had not known when and where to look, they would have remained invisible. Eventually, Gabriel caught sight of Teresa walking across the stones of the forum, followed by the original version of himself.
Gabriel looked up the street and saw the log-filled wagon shuddering along the stones of the lane, the two men perched atop the tree trunks, one driving the oxen, the other talking as he held the axe against his shoulder while…
Sema, leaning against a nearby wall, consciously unseen by all who passed, reached out with Soul Magic to the mind of the man holding the axe, making a gentle subconscious suggestion that the man accepted and acted upon without a pause in his monologue to his companion, lowering the axe from his shoulder and wedging its blade into a log beside him, while…
At the far end of the street, the soldier urged the horses pulling the chariot onward with a crack of the reigns, while…
Aurelius turned his head, following the chariot as it passed him, his face pulled tight as he pressed his precarious Wind Magic knowledge to its limit, using it to push back against the chariot, slowing its passage by almost exactly a second, while…
Back along the street, Sema looked after the passing wagon, using Soul Magic again, touching the mind of the driver, convincing him to hold his hand, to pause in his constant flicking of the driving stick against the backs of the oxen, allowing them to act upon her magically induced direction to lessen their pace, reducing the wagon’s speed by nearly a full second, while…
Exiting from her home, a woman emptied a clay bowl of water onto the street, never noticing Rajan walking idly past as he focused Stone Magic upon the flowing water, altering its viscosity, making it thicker while gradually slackening its descent to the ground, adding practically a second to the time it took to fall across the stones, while…
The chariot thundered passed Teresa, her eyes falling on a large gray dog ahead of her, meeting the animal’s eyes, while…
Across the street, Marcus used Heart-Tree Magic to coax the dog into a vicious growl, causing Teresa to alter her path by stepping into the street a second sooner, while…
A sandy-haired boy kicked his wooden ball along the side of the street, running past Ling, who wrapped the rolling toy in a cloud of Wind Magic, slowing it down slightly as the boy’s foot made sideways contact and sent it skipping into the street, where he quickly followed it a second later than he would have, while…
The soldier standing in the speeding chariot strained at the reins, steering the horses around the oblivious young boy and into the street, while…
The side of the rear wheel of the wagon slammed into the chariot, while…
Teresa, walking across the street, looked up to the sound of the collision, her feet hesitating, uncertain which way to turn, while…
The frightened oxen charged, the wheel collapsing under the strain, the wagon rolling, logs tumbling into the street, while…
The gray dog, urged again by Marcus’s magic, barked and yelped, diverting Teresa’s attention for a second, while…
A slender log struck the ground, bouncing end over end, propelled and guided by Gabriel’s Wind Magic, hurtling through the air, while…
Teresa turned away from the barking dog and back to the street, exactly as the well-timed and expertly guided log struck her in the chest, knocking her to the ground, her body bouncing with the impact, the log rolling away as her head hammered into the stones of the street, her heart stopping, her eyes closing as she died, while…
Ohin stepped from the shadows of a building carrying a slender form wrapped in a sheet, enveloping the area around Teresa with a space-time bubble as Marcus strode over and knelt beside her.
Gabriel floated down from the sky and stood beside them.
Time within the bubble slowed and Gabriel reached out with his magic-sense to observe as Marcus placed his hand on Teresa’s chest, resuming the beating of her heart with a small pulse of Heart-Tr
ee Magic.
Ohin lowered the Replacement body to the ground and removed the sheet while Gabriel used Wind Magic to lift a still-unconscious Teresa into the air.
Ohin adjusted the Replacement body and stood up. The slender form lying in the street looked exactly like Teresa, but had never possessed the possibility of life.
Gabriel glanced across the street and saw his older self. He felt an odd twisting of his space-time sense, a bizarre blending of memories filling his mind, memories of seeing Teresa dying from an axe blow, memories of grieving, memories of seeing himself save Teresa with Ohin and Marcus.
He looked away before his mind could become overwhelmed by the paradox of his actions. His space-time sense gave no indication that a bifurcation threatened to form. So far, they had succeeded. He removed a rusted nail he had taken from the back door of the abandoned house in Maine and jumped through space and time, taking Marcus and Teresa with him.
The three appeared beneath the shadowed branches of a chestnut tree in the backyard behind the abandoned house. Gabriel lowered Teresa to the grass with his Wind Magic and sat beside her. Marcus, still kneeling at her side, flooded her body with Heart-Tree Magic. Gabriel watched as the bruised flesh of her face and arms healed, turning from plum to nut brown. Behind them, Ohin and the rest of the team appeared. It had been Ohin’s responsibility to collect the other team members and bring them back to the house.
“She’s coming around.” Marcus pulled his hands away as Teresa’s eyes fluttered.
Teresa blinked and looked around, seeing Marcus, Ohin, and the team. Her eyes finally settled upon Gabriel. He felt his hands shake and his heart pound.
Teresa lived.
“Took you long enough.” Teresa frowned and leaned up on one arm.
He laughed as tears ran down his cheeks. Without thinking, he threw his arms around her and pressed his lips to hers. If the sudden kiss startled her, the surprise did not last long. She sat up, wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him closer.
Gabriel’s mind could not hold the tumult of thoughts colliding with it any more than his heart could contain the welter of emotions struggling to escape all at once. Time seemed suspended as Gabriel and Teresa kissed, a year of unspoken desires unleashed in a single, simple human act.
“Well, at least someone follows my advice on romance.” Marcus laughed, his deep baritone rumbling in Gabriel’s ears, soon joined by laughter from the rest of the team.
Their public display of affection finally registering to each of them at the same time, Gabriel and Teresa broke apart, eyes still locked together.
“Now that is the way to rescue a girl!” Teresa sighed, finally looking around at the others, bashful but excited.
“Sorry it took so long.” Gabriel held Teresa’s hand.
“I thought I was dead.” Teresa’s bewildered smile flickered away and then returned. “But I’m not.”
“You were,” Ling said.
“So we had to kill you,” Rajan said.
“A second time,” Aurelius added. “Or a third time. I find it confusing.”
“And by altering the time line slightly to do it,” Ohin said.
“Let me guess whose idea that was.” Teresa turned and frowned at Gabriel.
“I had to.” Gabriel squeezed her hand. “I couldn’t let you die if I had a chance to change it.”
“You’re an idiot.” Teresa shook her head.
“Maybe,” Gabriel said. “But, you’d never kiss anyone who wasn’t smart enough to figure out how to save you from being dead.”
“He’s got you there, lass.” Marcus laughed again.
“You’re right.” Teresa laughed, as well. “How did I end up in that Roman town? The last thing I remember is heading to meet you for the notebook switch.”
“Kumaradevi.” Gabriel felt anger return at the mention of her name.
“Naturally.” Teresa made a sour face. “Anyway, after I knew I had become part of the Primary Continuum, I thought for sure I would die there for good. I even considered trying to take my own life so there might be a chance I could be extracted, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I don’t know how you managed it, I don’t know how you could alter time without creating a bifurcation, but you found a way to save me. Thank you. Thank you all.”
Teresa squeezed Gabriel’s hand hard as she wiped her eyes and looked at the tearful faces of her friends and teammates. Gabriel rubbed his eyes, as well. Teresa lived. She hadn’t died, trapped in the past. He and the team had freed her from what had once appeared to be an irrevocable death in the ancient Roman Empire.
Gabriel frowned.
Free.
Some tenuous thought sought his attention from the hinter regions of his mind, clawing its way through subconscious darkness and braying quietly for attention.
Something about being free. What was freedom? What was the nature of freedom?
No.
Something else.
Who was free? Were we free? How did we become free?
No. Not quite right.
Teresa had been freed. What about her freedom was important? How they had freed her? Why they had freed her?
No. Still not right.
What sets someone free? What makes the difference between freedom and servitude or freedom and captivity?
Work?
Why work?
Work will set you free.
Yes.
That was it.
Gabriel realized his eyes had not moved from the grass at his feet for quite some time. He looked up into the concerned faces of Teresa and the team.
“What is it?” Teresa’s voice quavered with a hint of fear. “What’s the matter?”
“I realized something.” Gabriel took a deep breath and exhaled to calm himself.
“I know where the Apollyons who found us at the medieval castle are hiding. We have to find out what they know about the Great Barrier…and how close they are to destroying it.”
Chapter 18: Preparations
An ant crawled across Gabriel’s arm, tickling the skin as it clambered over fine black hairs. He raised his arm and sent the ant flying into the grass with a short puff of breath. The team sat amid the tall grass behind the abandoned house, sheltered by dense trees from any potential passersby. They ate a simple lunch of tuna sandwiches, canned baked beans, and potato chips. Ling had used Wind Magic to mat the grass down in a swirling pattern Teresa laughingly referred to as a crop circle. She had pouted and complained that no one ever understood her jokes.
“We can’t trust the Council.” Rajan raised his tuna sandwich to his mouth and paused before taking a bite. “We don’t know who we can trust at the castle anymore.”
“All the more reason to act alone until we know more.” Marcus, to the surprise of everyone, drank a slender bottle of Coca-Cola rather than his preferred beer.
“I agree.” Ling shooed a curious bee away from her plate of baked beans. “We risk a spy in the castle informing the Apollyons that we may know one of their hiding places.”
“You’re certain it’s Auschwitz?” Sema took a slice of apple from a dish sitting in the grass.
“It makes sense.” Teresa snatched a potato chip from Gabriel’s plate. “The Apollyon who appeared while we were captured definitely mentioned the phrase ‘Work will set you free’ to the rogue Apollyon.”
“It’s not the kind of phrase that comes up in conversation very often.” Gabriel held a spoon of beans to his mouth. “Arbiet macht frei. Work sets you free. It’s the phrase on the gate to Auschwitz. It’d be a perfect place for them to hide and maintain a link to an enormous supply of Malignant imprints.”
“What is this Auschwitz?” Aurelius sat with his hands in his lap, his food as yet untouched on the plate resting in the grass before him. He had been too focused on following the conversation to think about eating.
“A camp for working strong people to death and for killing the weak and the old in large numbers.” Sema’s lips twitched as she spoke.
<
br /> “You’ve had little time to come to terms with how much history has happened since your extraction point.” Ohin sat his plate down while he spoke.
“One thing never seems to change. War. There is always war. In the Twentieth Century, there were two great wars that engulfed nearly every nation on Earth. In the second of these World Wars, the ancestors of the Germans you died fighting invaded much of Europe and parts of northern Africa. A man named Adolf Hitler led them.
“He and his senior officers were obsessed with killing the Jews in Germany, Europe, and the world. They created a series of camps where they worked healthy Jews and gypsies and political prisoners to death as slaves. The rest they killed in chambers filled with poison gas and then cremated the bodies. They killed over a million people that way in Auschwitz alone.
“The castle maintains an observation base there, but the team guarding it was pulled away to help with the attack on the Apollyons at Dresden, a German city that was fire-bombed to near-oblivion in the same war.”
Ohin’s brief history lesson brought a haze of silence to the picnic.
“I can’t imagine the people I fought would be proud of their descendants.” Aurelius frowned. “A great deal may have happened since my time in the world, but you are right, certain things change very little.”
“Some things do get better,” Rajan said. “But not quickly, and not for everyone.”
“Things will be a lot worse for everybody if the Apollyons manage to break through the Great Barrier,” Ling said.
“Yes,” Ohin said. “Gabriel and Teresa are right. We need to follow this hint of a trail to where it leads. We’ll return to the castle once we’ve learned what we can and inform Akikane alone. I know we can trust him.”
“If we can’t trust Akikane, we might as well all slit our own throats now.” Marcus frowned with the thought and took a sip of his cola, scowling when he realized it wasn’t beer.
“It’s the second part of the plan that worries me.” Ohin focused his deep brown eyes on Gabriel and Teresa.
The Sword of Unmaking (The Wizard of Time - Book 2) Page 18