“I think it’s sweet that you’re concerned about him,” Kristoff said. “I’ll see what trouble he’s managed to get into since sunset.”
She said goodbye, then held the phone to her chest.
Elianna materialized in front of her, holding the iron and glass reliquary.
Red yelped, flailing her arms. “Holy shit, you scared me.”
The demigoddess wrinkled her nose. “Excrement isn’t holy.”
Whirling around from the campfire, the guys gawked at the newcomer. Vic grunted, lifting his beer can at her. “Didn’t I see you in a casino? You gave me your number.”
Red ignored him. “It took a while to get that skull. Are you ready to go to the caves?”
Paling, Elianna handed over the prison box. “I won’t be able to teleport when it’s unleashed. Even with it closed, the damnable sorcery around the statue repels my advances.”
“I never expected it to be easy.” Red flapped her hand. “Get us as close as you can.”
“All of you?” Elianna winced. “I’ll try.”
Red gave the other woman a description of their target area as Zach collected his bow and Vic grabbed his hunting kit. Once ready, they huddled close to the demigoddess. The little house in the forest clearing vanished and they were on the beach. Water lapped against her shoes, soaking them instantly.
Zach stared at the plump moon rising over the Pacific. “Wow!”
“You’re giving us a ride back,” Vic grumbled, marching to dry land.
“How close do you think we need to be?” Red asked, cradling the heavy reliquary box to her chest. The sea monolith’s position told her that they were less than half a mile from the hidden cave. If they could do it without climbing the cliff, that’d be a relief.
“The land breathes magic in this hamlet.” Elianna considered the scenery. “To avoid weighting it with outside energy, I daresay we should put the skull at the foot of the statue.”
“Then we’re hiking.” Red led the others down the beach. She told herself that she needed more arm days in the gym as her muscles strained halfway there.
As their destination neared, Elianna began to limp. Perspiration dripped down her cheeks. “I can’t. The wards…”
Red reassured, “I’ll take them down. You need to stay out of the box’s radius for your powers to work.” She opened the prison box, cringing as her own magic disappeared. It felt like numbing a limb.
Elianna sagged in relief. “It’s working! That ward is fading. With Hekate’s blessing, it should quell the rest of the enchantment on its own. We won’t need any more witchery.”
“Close it!” Zach said, looking up at the cliff top. “I felt something until my abilities died.” He drew an arrow and nocked it. “Someone.”
Bullets rained down from above. There was no cover on the beach, only pebbles and driftwood. Zach and Vic returned fire.
Hand grazed by a hot bullet, Red dropped the reliquary with a swear. Pain throbbed up her arm. The skull rolled out, wet sand crusting the tarnished gold sockets. She dove to put it back in the box and snapped it shut as another gun blast rang out.
Her magic flooded back like the tide.
Twisting around, she raised her mother’s ring to create an air bubble to shield her friends.
She was too late.
Vic dropped, knees collapsing under him. He landed with a splash in a tide pool.
Red screamed his name, running to him. His green hat floated in the bloody tidewater. Hyperventilating, spots rose in her vision. Her brain refused to compute the sight of him as she pulled his lifeless body onto dry land. Black anguish froze her veins as hot tears rolled down her cheeks.
Elianna materialized with Nadine in a headlock. She threw the weaponless woman to the ground. “We carry on. This is the last loop.”
“No, it isn’t.” Red pulled the snub-nosed revolver from her belt holster. Both were gifts from Vic. She didn’t hesitate to put a bullet between Nadine’s eyes. “We’re doing this over.”
She didn’t wait for the arguments.
Time Loop #95 – July 2, Sunset, California Arms Apartments, in Los Angeles, California
Red raced out of her bedroom and pulled Vic into a surprise bear hug. “Thank God. Yours, at least.”
Shooting her a smile like she was a lovable freakshow, he patted her shoulder and shrugged her off. “Happy to see you, too, but jeez, I nearly swung at you. You know I have catlike reflexes.”
Laughing, the tightness in her chest loosened. “I’ll ring a bell next time.”
He quirked his brow. “What’s up with you?”
“I’ll tell you all about it over lo mein from Old Shanghai.” Her hands shook as she ordered.
---
In the shadow of courtyard palm trees, Red placed a cardboard box into the back of the Millennium Falcon. She was handling the last load as Vic fixed a broken light switch plate. It was more to distract him than any true desire to preserve their apartment’s security deposit. Her witchy sense sounded the alarm that she wasn’t alone.
“You’re late.”
Shoulders hunched, Elianna pulled her glasses off to clean the lens on her white sweater. She couldn’t make eye contact. “I assumed you needed quiet contemplation.”
“After my first murder-suicide? I need industrial-grade therapy.” Red sat in the open van door, her feet propped on the bumper as she rested her head on her knees.
Elianna tentatively asked, “Who is he to you?”
“Vic’s done more than save my life. I owe him a better fate than that,” Red said gruffly, eyes burning from tears. The memory of his floating corpse haunted her. “When we finish this, we finish it right.”
“I won’t argue that. There is a delicate balance at play. If we maintain the original timeline to a point, we can limit the damage. Yet, once that predetermined path runs out…”
“I know. I’ll have to make decisions and live with them. I want everyone else to survive them too.” Red glared at the smog, bile rising in her throat. “You said that all those timelines are real somewhere. I can’t stop thinking about what happens after I died. I set off some butterfly effects that must turn into hurricanes. That was different with him. It was the first time where I saw Vic die, but what about the others? I can’t stand the idea that there is a reality without him, and I caused it.”
“Chronos won’t stand for it either. I only know of one other sanctioned alternative timeline. I doubt our past misadventures will make regulation.”
Curiosity made Red perk up. “There is another timeline?”
“It’s not my specialty. We can both surmise that after this fiasco,” Elianna said, a glum pout on her perfect lips as her glasses drooped. “I heard about it from another Daughter once. It’s very much like this one. They are nearly mirror reflections.”
“What’s different? It’s a world without shrimp or something?”
“It has no magic. Not a bit, yet common people believe in ghosts even more there. They still remember the shadows that the Gods saved them from.”
“A world without monsters,” Red said, unable to picture it. “What else is different?”
“My friend said it was the little differences that amazed her. Pop culture, technology, and the sort. She was born on the mortal Earth, so she could appreciate it. I didn’t really understand the reference, but she kept referring to a children’s book series as an example of this Mandala Effect. It was called The Berenstain Bears.”
“You mean the Berenstein Bears.”
Elianna chuckled. “No. Apparently, they delight children in both dimensions.”
“Huh. What, was it interdimensional copyright like how in England Where’s Waldo is called Wally instead?” Red barely heard her quip as she ruminated on the Berenstain Bears.
It was a simple detail, but it spoke to the wider influence of the supernatural. How had humanity fared without the supernatural manipulating from the shadows? Had they had a 9/11 terrorist attack in New York? Did Nevaeh Morga
n win a Golden Globe? Inane questions about movies crowded the serious ones about geopolitical events, but it all boiled down to the same thing.
Red asked, “Is it better over there?”
“Don’t assume that their timeline is perfect without the supernatural interference. Humanity struggles both here and there. This pandemic will last longer there.”
“Don’t tell me you know the future too.”
“Not me. The seers do, but I remain optimistic that we make our futures.” Elianna smiled. “You have one waiting here. Don’t you want to see what July 5 will bring? We can make it a beautiful day.”
“This is the last loop then?” Red checked the time. “We’d better not be late.”
15
Time Loop #95 – July 2, After Sunset, Quinn Investigations, in Los Angeles, California
Shadows hung over Vic’s face as he parked outside Quinn Investigations. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“It’s only the first stop,” Red told herself more than him as her body went on autopilot and she stepped out of the van. She was in the office before she could process the distance.
Lucas waited for her with a shy smile and an uncooked bag of popcorn.
Vic filled up the room with his boisterous greeting. It was a shade more excited than necessary, but only Red noticed his nerves as he overcompensated on the friendliness. He disliked not telling Lucas, even if it wouldn’t reveal anything new.
The vampire delayed in turning on the microwave, but the fuses blew on cue as if fate demanded mood lighting. In the gloom, the popcorn smell intensified as Red’s sight dimmed. Surprisingly, Vic disappeared to fix the fuses instead of babysitting her.
Lucas drew closer, stormy gray eyes scanning her face. “You found your past. What about your future?”
“It’s in Oregon for now. I don’t know how it will work out. Am I really a small-town witch? I guess I’ll find out.” Her gaze roamed the office, flashing back to the old gang’s best times, before settling on the empty desk. “I grew here. I learned so much. This place was like a home.”
He touched her face, bringing her attention to him. That spark between them felt like a ghost.
Red put her hand on his, gave it a squeeze, and stepped away. “I’m glad I got a chance to say a real farewell.”
“You’re always welcome at the agency even—You’re just welcome.” Lucas rocked on his heels, hands in his pockets. His black hair flopped into his soulful eyes. “We’ve gotten there, have we?”
“The road awaits,” she said, meaningless filler as she processed his sad resignation. Had he always expected to be a stop on her highway? It wouldn’t have been the first time he knew her move before she made it. “I am going to start living my life. My real life. See how it feels.”
“You were living a real life here,” he said. “We were happy.”
“We were.” She kissed him on the cheek as the electricity returned. “Thank you for helping me on the journey.”
“See you later, Red.”
“Goodbye, Lucas.”
---
It was the last spin of the roulette wheel.
The streak of green lights on their way through the Strip to the Circe Casino convinced Red that the gods were on their side. She’d predicted every traffic warning before they came across it. There were no more secrets to ferret out.
She had to live like tomorrow was inevitable.
Las Vegas dazzled below the hotel tower. Perched on floor pillows, Red enjoyed a scrumptious meal, peppering Basil with questions and compliments. She played the time loop situation close to the chest, but freely revealed her dating life.
Basil had the same response, but she hugged him anyway.
“I’ll be careful.” She winked at him. “I’m not the one whose heart you should be worried about. And on that note, I’m checking on Hannah.” She walked out onto the balcony.
Hannah cried as she brandished her phone. “Jeremy broke up with me.”
Red hugged her, smoothing her hair. “I’m sorry. I have a playlist for this exact situation.”
“I thought we had something, or at least, I thought I was fitting in around here finally.” Hannah drew away, wiping her face with her cardigan sleeve. “I feel so stupid for putting myself out there for everyone to see.”
“You’re not stupid. That wasn’t all wasted time if you grew. You followed your heart. It doesn’t always work out right, but when it does…” Red smiled ruefully.
Hannah sniffed. “What is it?”
“I’m supposed to be giving you advice. Not myself.” Red chuckled at herself. “You’re gonna bruise that heart a lot. You’ll land on your ass with everyone watching. You’ll hear I told you so.”
The teen rolled her eyes. “So, it gets worse, is what you’re saying?”
“No. Life is a mixed bag, but you need to live yours. There is always something on the other side of heartbreak. Sometimes it’s better than you’d ever imagine.” Red put an arm around Hannah’s shoulders. She swept a hand toward the glowing orange grid of the city. “I have no doubt that your destiny will change the world. You’re a Hero.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because I’ve seen what you can do.” Red gave Hannah a squeeze. “How about you come back inside and finish your food?”
“Yeah, Basil spent all day making that stuff.”
“Don’t disappoint him by not praising every bite.”
---
Breakfast was a lively affair. Red had everyone sample multiple buffet dishes, getting a vote on the best ones. Basil wore a bright yellow ascot and smile with his gray suit. Hannah piped up happily after every sentence. It almost felt like a new day.
When Ian arrived with Ortega, Red couldn’t stop looking at the female Gendarme. She had only hours to live…at least in some timelines. Would this be the one where she survived?
Red hugged Basil and whispered in his ear, “Don’t let Ortega park so close to the action. You’ll be fine either way.”
“Is that something I’ll understand later?” Basil touched her arm. “Your soul feels different. More experienced. What’s really been going on in Charm?”
“You know me.” She grinned. “If I have a normal day, it’ll be real news.”
He wagged his finger. “You’d better text me later about this mood you’re in. I know you’re up to something.”
“We need to go,” Ortega said to Basil, leading him by the elbow.
Red noticed Vic’s nervous expression and whispered, “Hey, don’t psych him out yet.”
Vic huffed. “You work in mysterious ways.”
“Enough goodbyes.” Ian waved them on. “We have an agenda here, people. Back to the dormitories, Hannah.”
“Yeah, be good.” Red winked over his shoulder at the teen.
Hannah hid her mischievous smile as she departed with her buffet tray.
Ian guided the hunters on a route that Red could do in her sleep. The walk under the banyan canopy to the platform felt dizzyingly short before they were through an archway and underground in the portal garage.
The Millennium Falcon waited for them like always.
“Take care, Ian. I mean it,” Red said, hopping into the van.
“I’ll get by.” He brandished the remote to a rolling door.
Vic patted the wheel. “It’s going to be a long drive.”
“We’ll get there.” She put on her sunglasses and turned on the stereo. “Time in a Bottle” drifted out of the speakers in a haunting melody. They’d open the bottle this time.
The portal gave way to the high desert of Nevada. In some ways it was the easiest trip. She knew every speed trap and the best bathrooms along the route. Yet the conversation was harder as Vic probed for more details about her loops.
“I don’t get it. Why didn’t you seal the deal in the last one? You keep dancing around it, trying to distract me with bears and bedtime stories.”
Red’s throat tightened from dark memories. “Isn
’t it enough that I know exactly how to finish this job now?”
“It would be if I didn’t think you might choke again.”
Her cheeks heated, and she swallowed her sorrow. “Hey, I didn’t. I kept as cool as I could, considering all the ammo littering the beach.”
Vic rolled his eyes, nose wrinkling like he smelled manure. He might have thought it was bullshit, but he didn’t remember. It would have slapped the smart look off his face if he did. “I don’t care if you deflect now, but you’d better promise not to flinch if whatever it was happens again.”
“Nope. I can’t promise that.”
He ground his teeth. “Why? Give me one good reason to be stuck in a Fourth of July purgatory.”
“Because it was you, Vic! You died.” She jabbed his arm. “You! That isn’t being written in stone. I’ll do this nightmare-go-round a hundred more times before I lose a friend and let him stay that way.”
“Shit.” His voice rumbled in his chest. “Then how’d you reset? You killed Nadine.”
Looking everywhere but him, she muttered, “I told you I was shot.”
His face crumpled in grim realization. He squeezed his eyes shut, knuckles whitening on the wheel. “Dammit, Red.”
“Don’t start on mortal sins, church dude. You know you’d do the same for me. Lashawn, for sure. You’d definitely avenge us.”
“That’s not it. Of course, if someone puts a cap in my ass, take ’em out. How you reset creeps me out. That was the only time you, um—” His voice dropped to a whisper. “—did it like that, right?”
Cold despite the summer heat, she nodded briskly. It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the full truth. “Yup.”
“Good. Good.”
Firming her resolve, she crossed her arms. “We’re going to follow the original timeline for this last one. You’re going to spend the Fourth eating cereal with a Bigfoot.”
Witch in Time: A New Adult Urban Fantasy (Red Witch Chronicles 6) Page 21