by West, Shay
“Master will be thrilled to meet you. I told him all about what happened to us in Egypt and he’s worried something really bad is gonna happen.”
“Well, isn’t that just wonderful.” Alex sat down on the couch. “So when can we go see your Master? The sooner I ask him what all this is about, the sooner I can get back home.”
“We can go see him right now if you want. Just give me a sec.” Sean jogged into the kitchen, leaving Alex alone in the living room.
She wandered over to the entertainment center. It didn’t take long to figure out Allison’s aunt had a special love of knick-knacks. Every available space on the shelves overflowed with an assortment of figurines, vases, and family photos. Even the walls were covered in a plethora of pictures. Alex’s mom hated having a bunch of stuff lying around, claimed it was just there to collect dust. The walls in their house were mostly bare, with only a few pieces of artwork or family photos on them.
“I’m ready! Just had to leave mom a quick note and call us a taxi.” Sean came back into the living room.
“Aren’t you supposed to be grounded?” Alex pulled that little detail from Allison’s memory. “Something about getting bad grades or something?”
“Look, you want me to help or not? We’ll be back long before my mom gets home. And how the hell do you know about why I got grounded?”
“Allison knows.” Alex winked. “She overheard your mom talking on the phone.”
“So you can access the memories now. Anything else you can do?”
Alex ignored the sarcasm. “Let’s just go see your Master so we can get you back here before your mom gets back. I hate to think that you would suffer further punishment because of me.”
“I bet you’d be all broken up about it.” Sean gave Alex a friendly punch in the arm.
Before Alex could reply, a series of insistent honks sounded. Sean beckoned her to follow. “That’s our ride. Let’s go.”
Alex followed, wondering how far they would have to drive. The cab wasn’t anything like the ones she had seen. It was sleek, black, and looked like something a rich person would drive. “That’s the cab?”
“Yeah. Not all cabs are yellow,” Sean said with a wink.
“She shook her head and climbed into the backseat. The cabbie greeted them and asked where they were headed.
“Number Fifteen Bernard Street,” Sean answered.
The cabbie nodded and hit the gas, smashing Alex and Sean into the seat back, causing Alex to giggle like a little kid. She tried several times to talk to Sean about their gift, but he looked pointedly at the driver, and refused to answer.
Rather than talk to herself, Alex watched the scenery flash by. After only a few moments, she decided that if she ever won the lottery, or came into a huge sum of money by some other means, she would buy a house in Scotland. Everything was so lush and green. There were gigantic trees, fields of tall grasses, and flowers of every possible color.
“Will you at least tell me what part of Scotland we’re in?”
“Haddington, not far from Edinburgh,” he whispered.
Edinburgh. The name sang in her mind. She had always wanted to visit Edinburgh. The country had such a rich and fascinating history. When she first got the idea of becoming the curator of a museum, the idea popped into her head to have an exhibit dedicated to Scotland.
It didn’t take long to reach their destination. When the cab pulled onto a long, winding dirt lane, Alex caught her breath. The road was lined with evergreens interspersed with low bushes covered with delicate white flowers. Horses and goats grazed in the fields. An enormous white stone house came into view, surrounded by a low stone wall.
The taxi stopped in front of a black wrought-iron gate. Sean handed several pound notes over the seat, waited for the change, and got out. Alex followed suit, nearly falling over since she was staring at the house rather than where she was putting her feet.
“Need a hand?”
Alex rolled her eyes. “I’m fine, thank you.”
Sean pushed a button on the call box.
“Who goes there?” a gruff voice asked through the speaker.
“It’s me,” was all Sean said.
In moments, the gates opened to let Alex and Sean enter into the front courtyard. They passed multiple sculptures in smooth white marble or bronze. A fountain gushed off to the right, delivering cool, refreshing water to the colorful goldfish living in a recessed pond.
Sean tapped his foot impatiently while Alex peeked at the gold and yellow fish swimming in the pond. “I thought you were in a hurry?”
“I just want to see the fish!” Alex would never admit to him that she was stalling. Part of her was afraid of meeting his Master and getting the answers to her questions. What if he can’t help me?
Just as they got to the door to the house, it opened and a well-dressed middle-aged man stood with his hands hanging at his sides. He looked exactly like the butlers in the movies, right down to his white gloves and a tuxedo with long tails. She had never seen such silvery hair in her life. It was so white it seemed to glow from within.
“Right this way.” The silver-haired man led them through the spacious foyer and into a room covered wall to ceiling with bookshelves.
Alex gasped in delight. This was exactly like the library she wanted to have in her dream home. She even had sketches of it: the shelves, big cushy chairs, fantastic artwork, and maybe a cat or two settled in the sunbeams streaming in through the bay windows. She gazed lovingly at the rows of hardback books. Most of them were titles she wasn’t familiar with, but there were a few classics she had read in school.
She picked up one of the unfamiliar books and her face broke into a grin. It was a book on the history of Glasgow. Alex took the book and settled into an armchair, skimming through the book quickly, trying to absorb as much information as she could.
“Well, hello there laddie! What brings you...”
Alex stood when Sean’s Master entered the library. Waves of goodness emanated from the man. It was much the same as what she felt when in Sean’s presence, only magnified. He was a tall, regal looking man wearing a button down shirt, maroon bow tie, and slacks pressed so they had a perfect crease right down the center of each leg. Alex thought he would look quite at home in front of a college classroom.
“You must be Alex. Name’s Gavin Shaughnessey.” He held out a hand to Alex.
She took his proffered hand. This adult behavior always made her feel uncomfortable. It seemed weird to be touching the hand of some stranger to say hello. Why can’t they just say “hello” and be done with it?
“This is so exciting! When Sean returned from his Egyptian excursion, he spoke of you. I’ve always wanted to meet a traveler such as yourself. You’re the stuff of legends, yeh know.” Gavin laced his hands behind his back and sauntered around the room.
“Here he goes again. Last time your name was mentioned he went on and on about it for hours.” Sean rolled his eyes and flopped down into a sofa.
Gavin had moved so far away that Alex couldn’t hear what he was saying but it was obvious the man was still excited.
“Should we interrupt him?” asked Alex.
“Nah. Let him get it out of his system. Better that way.” Sean laid his head back and closed his eyes.
“Very funny, boy. I suppose you think being a smart-ass is amusing, do yeh?” Gavin moved up behind Sean’s chair and gave him a light whack upside his head.
Sean grinned and winked at Alex. She smiled, beginning to relax a little. Gavin walked to the far wall and pressed a button on a wall speaker. He ordered the butler to bring refreshments out to the patio.
“Come. It’s too nice a day to be trapped in here,” said Gavin.
Alex gave one last longing look at the books and followed Gavin and Sean outside to the covered patio. While they seated themselves around the table, the butler brought tall glasses of some sort of orange-colored beverage and little sandwiches with the crust cut off. Alex sat back, nibbled on t
he cucumber sandwich and sipped her drink.
Gavin sipped his drink, gazing at Alex over the rim of the glass. She squirmed under the intense scrutiny. Sean seemed completely oblivious to the tension building around the table as he wolfed down the cucumber sandwiches in one bite.
Gavin Shaughnessey set his glass down with a small smile. “Now then, I do believe it’s time we had us a little chat.”
CHAPTER 18
“I IMAGINE YOU HAVE lots o’ questions for me. Sean told me you don’t have a Master and are traveling blind. I’ll do my best ta’ help.”
Now that the moment had come to ask her questions, Alex found her mind totally blank. Or rather, the questions flashed so quickly that she couldn’t grab hold of one long enough to get the words past her lips. Get a grip, Alex!
Gavin smiled at her, waiting patiently, as if he knew of her inner struggle and was willing to wait as long as it took for her to gather her fleeting thoughts.
“What is my purpose?” she asked.
Gavin laughed. “Your purpose is to protect the timeline from being tampered with. But I think you already knew that.”
Alex nodded. It was the first thing that popped into her head and she had blurted it out without really thinking. “You’re right, I’ve figured out that much on my own. So why is it that I keep going back to stop the same guy?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that question. I’ve checked the Master’s book and never heard mention of anything like this.”
Alex groaned and rolled her eyes. “So why me? Why am I the one that has to deal with this guy? I’m only fifteen!”
“Might as well ask why accidents happen, why some are born with disease and others are born normal, why parents outlive their children, why some are born smart and others are born with mental deficits. Sometimes things just happen and it’s no good asking questions about things you can’t control.”
“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
Gavin let out another belly laugh. “I hear the same thing from my Sean here. He prattles on and on about how life isn’t fair. My answer is: life is never fair. Life is just life and all we can do is get through it as best we can. You, and the others like you, have been shouldered with a terrible burden. But without you to protect the past, all our lives would be in danger.”
Alex felt guilty for acting like such a baby, but she couldn’t help it. She didn’t want this gift, didn’t want to be responsible for protecting the world, didn’t want to be special. All she wanted was to be normal. Is that too much to ask?
“Okay, so why did Sean and I appear in Egypt at the same time? I’ve never sensed any other travelers before. Is it just totally random or is there a reason we met?”
“I don’t know the answer to that either. Sean has never encountered another traveler either. I have scoured the texts and can’t come up with an explanation. Perhaps it is Fate.”
“What do you know about the special travelers? Sean thought I might be one of those.”
“He told me of your escaping the void. Remarkable, indeed. The Master’s texts speak of those like you. But you are shrouded in more mystery than fact, I’m afraid. No one really knows what those like you are capable of.”
“So you can’t help me at all, is that it?” Alex shoved her chair back, body shaking with barely suppressed fury. “Guess I’ll just go back to my own time and try to stay alive as long as I can to save the damn world.”
“Hey, Alex—” Sean said.
“What, Sean? You don’t understand what it’s like! You have someone who’s helped you along the way. I’ve had to do this all on my own! Even though I figured out how to get here to see you and your Master, it seems as though that was a total waste of time.” Alex fought against the angry tears that threatened to fall. She had hoped that Sean’s Master would be able to help her, to give her some information to keep her alive.
“While I can’t give you all the answers you seek, Alex, I can give you information that can help you in your fight. The Master’s book is full of spells and information that will be helpful to you. But first, I want to hear about your trips thus far and what you know of this man you keep encountering.”
The kindness in his voice caused the tears to trickle down her cheeks despite her best efforts to control them. She sniffled angrily and wiped her eyes with her knuckles. Her other trips through time were something she tended to keep at the back of her mind for the most part, especially the one in the Civil War South that nearly ended in her death. She took a steadying breath, trying to gather her jumbled thoughts before speaking.
Alex spent the next hour telling Gavin and Sean about all of her previous trips through the mirror and the feeling she got every time she saw the evil man. The butler brought more drinks and another tray of sandwiches. Gavin sat quietly the whole time she spoke, hands steepled under his chin. Alex was grateful that Sean’s Master listened without mentioned her tears. His calm demeanor helped to calm her nerves.
She noticed Sean squirming and wondered if he had to use the restroom or something. Suddenly, she remembered he was supposed to be home by suppertime.
“Master Gavin, we have to go soon. Sean’s supposed to be grounded.” Alex tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. She wanted to stay and see the book and speak to Gavin more about traveling.
“We’ll come back first thing in the morning, I promise,” Sean said, as if sensing her disappointment.
Rather than calling a cab, Gavin ordered his driver to take Alex and Sean home. She felt like a real lady as the driver held the door open for her. This is nicer than Aunt Karen’s car!
Sean glanced at his watch every ten seconds on the drive back to his house. Alex wanted to reach over and smack him. “Checking that thing won’t make the guy go any faster, ya know.”
“You’re not the one who isn’t supposed to be here. If we’re lucky, we’ll make it back before mum gets home. But it’s gonna be close.”
Alex looked out the window and ignored him. She wished she would have stayed behind and taken a cab or had Gavin’s driver take her home later. It’s not like I’m grounded. But she knew it wouldn’t be fair to leave her fellow traveler sitting at home.
The driver pulled up to Sean’s house and Alex rolled her eyes when he flew out the door, shouting at them to get going before his mom got home. Alex was about to get out of the car, thinking the driver meant for her to walk the short distance to her own house. Allison’s house.
“I’ll take you to your own house, miss. Where to?”
Alex told him where to go, feeling a little odd at being driven to her house when it was less than a mile away. I coulda walked. As she exited the car, she realized she didn’t know if they were supposed to take another cab ride out to Gavin’s or if the driver was going to pick them up. The only way to know is to ask.
“So, ummm...are you gonna be picking us up tomorrow then?”
“Aye, Master Gavin asked that I come back tomorrow at nine to get you both.”
“Just come to Sean’s. I’ll walk there.”
“It’s no trouble to come here—”
“I don’t mind the walk, really. I’ll just go to Sean’s tomorrow.” She waved as she jogged to the house.
Her mother hollered at her from the kitchen, asking her to help with supper. A few seconds later, another bellow directed at her brother Kevin to turn down his music. The volume of her brother’s rock music didn’t diminish in the slightest. Alex shook her head. She knew this was the usual routine.
Allison’s father barged through the door just as she and her mother finished setting the table. He shouted a quick hello as he turned on the television. Soon, the sounds of the soccer game competed with the music coming from her brother’s room.
“A person could go deaf with all this racket!”
As she ate dinner, Alex let her mind wander to her impending visit with Gavin. She decided to write down any questions she had. While Allison’s father complained about his day at work and h
er mother gossiped about the folks in the neighborhood, Alex collected her thoughts and tried to remember all the things she had asked Sean while they were in Egypt. Maybe I should focus on each of my trips and see if I can think of anything else.
It was her brother’s job to do the dishes after supper, so once she was finished eating, Alex was free to go to her room. She searched through Allison’s small desk and found some crinkled notebook paper and a pink glittery pen. Alex bobbed her head to the beat of the bass rumbling past Kevin’s closed door and hers as well. It didn’t take her long to fill one sheet front and back with questions and thoughts. Just seeing that made her feel more in control and less frustrated than she had earlier that afternoon.
I wish they had iPods back in the eighties! Alex found that blaring music directly into her ears helped when her mind was racing. She lay in bed and heard the customary banging on Kevin’s door and Allison’s father bellowing for him to cut the racket or else. Whether fearing his father’s wrath or finally deciding that he needed peace and quiet to sleep, Kevin shut off the music and the house was blanketed in silence.
Alex lay in bed, the silence deafening. She could actually hear the absence of sound and it distracted her from sleep. She sighed, filled her mind with thoughts of Drake, and eventually drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER 19
GAVIN’S DRIVER SHOWED UP at Sean’s promptly at nine as promised. Though he was still grounded, his mother allowed Allison to come visit, thinking she would keep him company and out of trouble. Little does she know. Sean fretted and fidgeted until his mother left, certain the driver would show up early.
“If he does, we’re busted!” he whispered furiously while his mother finished getting ready.
“Don’t worry! She’s gonna suspect something for sure with the way you’re acting.”
Sean rolled his eyes at her, bit his nails, and crossed and uncrossed his legs until his mother left the house. He ran to the window and didn’t calm down until she disappeared from view.