When Niki returned to his side, he nudged Jack in the arm. "Go say something. You'll regret it if you don't. It can be anything."
Jack hesitated. He took a deep breath before silently stepping forward in the dissipating rain shower to stand in front of the closed casket. He chewed on his lip as he looked around at their friends and allies who stared at him, waiting for him to speak. He shook his head.
"It's okay, Jack. She knows. She knows how you feel."
His lips quivered. "I love her."
Niki nodded his head and Opal began to cry.
Jack lowered his eyes to the purple lilies as he clutched the silver charm in his pocket. "I love her. I . . . I love her. I love her."
Someone broke down weeping and the wind died down. The rain shower slowed until it was a dying drizzle. For a few minutes, everyone was quiet until Sasha gave a short gasp and held her lace handkerchief in her fingers.
Jack opened his tearful eyes to see the hundreds of blue butterflies descending from the sky, carrying white daisies. Everyone looked on in wonder as they fluttered down to land on the casket, blanketing the oak in a sea of glistening azure. Their wings moved in unison as if they were waving farewell. As silently as they had landed, they took off in a flurry of cerulean wings, spreading out across the sky until they vanished into the rain clouds, leaving behind the pile of delicate white daisies.
Jack held out his hand to the disappearing butterflies. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
Opal ran to Jack and embraced him, gathering him up like he was a melting bundle of nerves and weakness. She smoothed his wet hair as he cried into her shoulder. "Come with me. Come over here and we'll finish up."
He stood between Opal and Niki as Leo said a few words and read a few verses from his worn leather-bound Bible. It was all Jack could do to remain standing. He thought he knew agony before, but he had no clue how much suffering the human soul could endure until that day at the hospital. He died a hundred deaths that day on his knees outside the hospital doors. It was still incredibly raw, but he was there, strong and standing for the love of his life. She needed him to be there for her.
After Leo finished, the others began to disperse and head back to their cars. Jack remained there, staring at the flower-covered casket, dripping with rainwater. He needed to be alone. While it was wonderful that so many people cared enough to attend her funeral, he needed to be alone with Ellie to process everything that still seemed like a nightmare.
Opal touched his arm. "We're going to the hotel where we have some food being brought in. You need to come eat something. We're all here for you, Jack. We won't let you go through this on your own."
"I'll catch up. You go ahead. I need a few minutes."
Niki and Opal looked to each other as if asking what they should do until Niki nodded. "Take as long as you need. Let's go, Opal."
Once everyone was back at their vehicles on the other side of the field, Jack approached the casket again and picked up one of the daisies. He twirled it between his fingers and brought it to his lips. He kissed the soft petals and breathed in the sweet fragrance before placing it on top of the others. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
The silence of the field was interrupted by heavy feet crunching on the grass and splashing in the mud. The footsteps stopped next to Jack before a familiar voice with a Puerto Rican accent spoke to him.
"She was too young."
Jack was too devastated to lash out at the heavyset man in purple who had dared to tarnish such a holy place. "What are you doing here?"
"She was my daughter, after all. I felt that I had the right to at least watch from the woods. I noticed something when you were talking. You truly loved her, didn't you? It wasn't just puppy love or a lustful teenage crush. You deeply loved her with all your soul."
"What do you want, Mr. Dawson?"
"I came to grieve my daughter, but I also came bearing a white flag of sorts. An olive branch. A truce, if you will. I think you will agree with me when I say that we've all had enough fighting. Too many good men and women have been slain over this conflict that shouldn't have existed in the first place. Hear me out, will you?"
"Say what you came here to say."
"Right. Jackson, if you could, what would you do to give Ellie another chance?" Mr. Dawson asked. "What would you do to bring her back? To hold her again? To hear her voice? To kiss her?"
"Anything."
"Anything. Good. Then let's get on that."
"What are you talking about?" Jack asked.
"In case you've forgotten, you're a Chronomancer. You're a time traveler. You can go back in time and keep her from dying."
"I can't and you know it. There are base marks all around that crash. The Zurvan Syndicate has things the way they want it, so they're going to keep it that way. You think I haven't tried? I spent the entire first night after leaving the hospital trying to warp back to anywhere with her in it, but it's all been locked down."
"We could change that. The Zurvan Syndicate locked the timeline so we can also unlock it. You said you would do anything to bring her back. There's only one thing you'll have to do, Carter. Join us. Join us fully and completely. Devote your life to serving the will of Zurvan and the greater good of mankind. Take the brands and be baptized in the River of Understanding. We will imbue you with the power to break through the base marks and change history to your liking. Join us and you can bring Ellie back. Marry her, Jackson. Xander will give her to you. You can live a happy life with your bride. Make some babies. Have the family you've always wanted. There will be controls put in place to ensure your cooperation, of course, but I think you'll find them tolerable to the alternative of living out your life alone."
Jack wiped the water from his face. "Can I bring Thyme? He needs me."
"Of course, but only after your initiation. He can become your Time Knight."
"Good. I need a new one."
"So, are you accepting my offer? Will you join the Zurvan Syndicate to bring Elizabeth back?"
Jack held onto the silver daisy charm. "When will it happen?"
"We can leave from here, if you wish."
"I have something to tend to first."
"Take your time. I'll be waiting in the woods."
Once Mr. Dawson was again out of sight in the treeline, Jack went to the line of black cars where the others were gathered and approached Opal. "I need that vial of poison."
"You're stupid if you think I'm going to let you kill yourself."
"Opal, you said no questions asked. You gave me your word that I would have it when I needed it." He took her hands and looked into her eyes. "I swear to you that I'm not going to kill myself. I have something to live for now, something I have to take care of, and I need the vial. Please give it to me and trust me. What I'm going to do is for the betterment of everyone."
"You swear you won't hurt yourself."
"On the graves of my family."
She nodded her head and took out the vials of clear liquid from the top of her dress. She gingerly handed them to him. "Then I'll give you one vial of antidote as well. Please be careful with the poison. One vial is enough to kill a hundred people. I don't understand why you would want such a thing."
"I have my reasons." Jack secured them away in his pocket before turning to Niki. "Warp with me."
"What? To where? To when?"
"Just warp with me." Jack bit into his thumb then spread the blood onto his hourglass tattoo, drawing out the date and coordinates that he had been planning for weeks. He took Niki's hand and closed his eyes to warp.
With his body already weakened and his mind in a worse state, the static took a firmer hold on his vision and tossed him around in the darkness. He felt time and space chipping away at his fortitude, but he also felt Niki's presence soaking up most of the onslaught.
Before long, Jack was able to gasp in a breath of dirty city air as he steadied himself against a brick building with his good arm. He looked around at the alley that he had picked out l
ong ago as a central point for this eventual warp that he knew would come, but he hoped wouldn't for a while. It was time.
Niki groaned and held himself up on his crutches. He turned around, taking it all in. The early model cars on the streets where people in suits and hats, fur-collared dresses, and long coats strolled between shops and newspaper boys selling papers on the corners. Advertisements for soda, cigarettes, and peanuts plastered the main avenues with color. Tall buildings scraped the low-hanging clouds and lively music came from a nearby bar. "What is this? Where are we?"
"Do you like it?" Jack asked. "Does it somehow feel familiar?"
"Should it? Why are you talking like that? Who was that back there speaking with you in the field? Was that Mr. Dawson?"
"I don't have much time before I need to get back to the present."
"Okay, what are we doing here, then? At least tell me where and when we are, Jack."
"1932, New York City." Jack went to a stack of wooden crates and reached behind them to fish out the canvas bag that he had packed with period-appropriate clothes in Niki's size that a friendly inquisitor had gotten from Inquisitor Ivy's massive closet, some toiletry items, and a photograph of Ellie. He handed it to him. "You have two changes of clothes, a toothbrush, a pair of boots, and two vials of those meds you've been taking. I suggest you get weened off of them soon, or your withdrawals will be terrible."
"Jack, what is this about? What will I need this stuff for?"
"Oh, and there's enough money in there to keep you going for at least a week. Try to find a place that isn't rat-infested."
"Jack. Jack, are you doing what I think you're doing?" Niki asked.
"I checked around about a couple of weeks ago and there are tenement buildings near here where you can share a room with another family for pretty cheap. Ask for Mrs. Wallace. She runs the main one that I found with vacancies. She promised to give you a fair rate. There's a pizzeria a couple of streets over where one of your Italian ancestors works. He's a co-owner or something. They'll take you in."
Niki wobbled on his crutches as he held onto the bag and stared at Jack with his mouth open.
"There are places you can work once you're healed up. Your father's family came here about ten years ago and did pretty good for themselves. You'll fit in. You may even enjoy being with your family."
"You're not leaving me here, are you?"
"I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I think it's time we go our separate ways."
"Jack, I can't warp without you. I'll be trapped here. When are you coming back?"
"I'm not. I'm not coming back. This is permanent. This is, uh . . . this is goodbye, Niki."
"Listen, if this is about the tower, we can discuss it. I know it may have been a poor judgment call, but don't do this. Oh, God, Jack. Don't abandon me here."
"I'm taking Thyme as my new Time Knight, so you are relieved of your duties to me. You're free now. You can start over here and build a life for yourself."
"I don't want to start over. I don't want this life. This isn't my life. My life is in the present with you and Opal. I-I'm nothing without you. I was raised and trained, practically born to be your Time Knight. It's all I know. We're bonded. We're friends. We're brothers, Jack. You can't do this."
"I have to."
"No, you don't. We'll work through it. We'll work through whatever it is that you're mad at me about. I'm sorry. Whatever it is, I'm sorry for what I've done. Please, Jack. Please, don't leave me here. I need you."
"It's for the best, for both of us."
"You can't mean that. We've been with each other our entire lives. I'll listen. I'll hear you out. I'll try to understand. Just not here. Let's go back to the hotel where we can talk this through before you make a decision you'll end up regretting. You're under a lot of stress right now. Losing Ellie has your emotions in a jumble and you're acting rashly for no reason. Take a step back and realize what you're doing. Jack, I can help you. You don't have to resort to this to get your point across. I fucked up. Okay? I know I did. I failed you and I failed Ellie for not being there to save her. I should have been at your side at all times, but I wasn't."
"This is not about losing Ellie."
Niki struggled over to the wall where he tossed one of his crutches to the dirty ground and picked up a piece of rusty wire from a broken fence. "I'll take another penance mark. I'll take two, ten, fifty! However many you want me to. I'll do anything but this. Please."
Jack gritted his teeth as he watched the tears swelling in his dear brother's single desperate eye. "No."
Niki dug the jagged wire into his skin and tore it open with frantic slashes. "Please! Don't leave me."
He seized the wire from his friend and tossed it aside, sending terrified cockroaches scurrying into a nearby window. "Stop. Hurting yourself will not change my mind."
"Jack, don't leave me."
Jack placed his hand on the back of Niki's bandaged head and kissed his forehead. "I made you a promise. You probably don't remember it, but I swore something to you. I have to make good on that promise now. We're done, Niki. We're over. This is the end for us."
Niki shook his head.
Jack pulled away and retreated to the end of the alley. He smeared away the blood then wrote out the details for the present. He gathered up his strength for another warp. "Have a good life, Niki. You have always been and will always be my brother. Try your best to forget about me. Arrivederci."
Chapter 35
Dressed in a light lavender robe that went to the top of his bare feet, Jack stood on the riverbank in the unknown place where a Syndicate agent had taken him from the field with Manuel. He was surrounded by agents in their purple suits with long brass staves topped with hourglasses. His hair had been shaved off, his body had been rubbed with white powder, and a stripe of glittering gold leaf had been applied down his forehead, nose, and chin, dividing his face down the middle. His arm had healed in time, like the rest of his body.
His broken teeth had been repaired before leaving the present with Mr. Dawson at some Syndicate clinic. Then, he had trusted someone he despised and left without saying goodbye to anyone. After warping, he found himself with a group of Xander's closest Syndicate agents in the wilderness for eight months of training, indoctrination, and servitude. Now here he was, prepared to take the next step in his transformation from rogue Chronomancer to agent of the Zurvan Syndicate.
The agents joined hands as they chanted in an unknown language below the wide open sky in the middle of some secluded forest. A waterfall roared nearby from the top of a rocky cliff. Blue herons waded in the sparkling rapids to snap up fish. Birds filled the treetops and squirrels hopped from rock to rock in order to cross the river in the shallow places. Green metallic dragonflies darted around the shores, avoiding the mouths of the colorful fish that jumped up to snatch them mid-flight.
Xander himself pushed through the circle of agents, wearing a beaded robe of four different shades of purple and a crowd of twisted obsidian and bronze. A heavy amulet of amethysts hung around his neck. He smiled at Jack before taking a branding iron from the nearby brazier filled with hot coals. The end glowed bright orange in the shape of an hourglass.
The agents knelt down and placed their staves in front of them on the sandstone rocks.
"We are gathered at the River of Understanding to bestow the brands of Zurvan on Jackson Kai Carter. It has been a long and trying journey to bring our new initiate to this point, but the past eight months of training since Elizabeth Dawson's death have more than proven his desire to serve the greater good of mankind. He will certainly follow in his father's legacy as well as surpass it in time. We know who you are, Thysian. We will help you to hone your abilities and awaken the power that lies dormant within you."
The agents whispered something in unison.
"Will you now take the brands of Zurvan onto your body to show your devotion to our cause?"
Jack knelt at Xander's feet, his knees grinding against
the rough stones. His eyes paused on the glowing metal before lowering submissively. "I am prepared to receive the brands, if I am worthy."
"Very well. Remove your robe."
He slid the robe over his head, leaving him in the pair of tight shorts and nothing else. Jack braced himself for the pain. The flash of searing heat pressed into his lower back for a brief few seconds before the process was repeated on the other side. He bit back the yelp that rose in his throat and clutched two river rocks in his hands as his muscles twitched.
As quick as it happened, it was over.
Jack panted as the hot metal was removed from his burned flesh and an odd euphoria washed over him with the surge of adrenaline. He smiled.
"Stand, Initiate."
Wincing in pain, he stood and faced Xander.
"You have now received the brands of Zurvan. Now you will partake in the blessed wine, anointed by time and space itself." Xander handed the branding iron to one agent before taking the decanter of red wine from the other. He held it up so the sunlight shined through the dark liquid. "This wine has traveled back to the first known gathering of Iskaydrians and has been blessed with Avelayan blood. It is untainted, pure, and sacred."
Jack bowed his head.
"All will drink to commemorate this initiate's joining."
One by one, the agents lined up to have their golden chalices filled with the nearly purple wine. They returned to their ceremonial circle and knelt down with their chalices held high. They waited until everyone was back to their places before lowering it to their lips and drinking.
Xander poured himself a glass then handed one to Jack. "The agents have imbibed. Now you must as well. Drink with me, Initiate Carter. Feel the power of Zurvan flowing through your veins. Feel his power awaken in you the abilities you never thought possible."
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