NOVA: The Time Bender Series Book 1

by Isabelle Champion

  “What was that blue tank you had to break me out of?” I asked quietly.

  Halo replied after a moment. “It’s new technology another city developed. It’s supposed to help preserve your body for long periods of time - feeding your body the same way a baby is fed in a womb.”

  A giant blue - fish tank womb. Great.

  “We have pods similar to it - adapted to show our Totem’s the best,” Halo continued.

  I nodded my head, full of questions but too tired and weak to ask any of them. Halo could probably kill me with a single punch in that moment, seeing as I’d said such terrible things to her in the past. But she didn’t. She probably pitied me - and I hated that - I hated the thought of anyone pitying me.

  One look at her scowling face and I relaxed - Halo most certainly did not pity me.

  We made it back up to the room where the floors had been cleaned and the others stood around.

  Aeron stepped forward first, engulfing me in a hug. For once he had nothing stupid to say, just clutched the back of my head and soaked me in.

  Cedrix hugged me from the side and Vix smiled at me tightly whilst Fynn pulled me into his chest and kissed the top of my head. “I missed you,” his voice cracked.

  Tears welled in my eyes but I blinked them away quickly, hiding my face in Fynn’s shirt as I held onto him tightly. I’d missed him too - missed him the most. In fact, being here in my best friend’s arms I finally felt at home. The surrounding walls and the pod hadn’t felt anything like it - but here with him, I could finally feel my body relax. Home.

  Ace was the last to stand up from his chair, he walked to me cautiously but I stopped him urgently by holding out a hand and shaking my head. He backed away confused.

  “Please take a seat Nova and we’ll grab you a log,” Vix said, wheeling on his chair and opening a draw from his desk.

  “No,” I said adamantly. “There’s no point in logs, it’s a waste of time,” I continued.

  The others looked me up and down cautiously. I walked over to one of the chairs, sitting on the end of it and looking around the room. My eyes stilled and my heart began thumping wildly in my chest as I looked at the dark, wet fabric on Vix’s desk.

  “What is that?” I rasped, standing to my feet and wobbling.

  I stumbled forward, lurching towards his desk and grabbing onto the sides. Several hands reached to help me but I stepped forward quickly, gently plucking the fabric that was covered in goo from his desk.

  “It was on the floor with the goo,” Fynn said softly. “Why?” he asked cautiously.

  “I… the well,” I gasped. “It came with me.” My eyes welled up and I bought the material close to my chest, staring at it with wide eyes.

  This was not possible.

  It couldn’t be possible - because… because Time Bending was the travel between minds - there was no physical swap over. It shouldn’t be possible - and yet here it was with me.

  Vix spoke first. “Okay... how is that possible?” he asked.

  I looked at him and shook my head dumbfounded.

  “How did you get back?”

  I blinked dazed. “A well… it was a sort of portal.”

  Vix opened his mouth to continue asking questions but Fynn stepped forward and looked at him sternly. “Let’s take a moment. She needs to process - start with an easier question.” Fynn stood in front of me and lowered himself so he was eye level with me. “Which life you were in? Did you see the Raven?”

  I swallowed tightly and flicked my gaze back down at the material - clenching it like it might be taken from me. “Jack,” I breathed and blinked the tears away from my eyes rapidly.

  Ace sighed irritated. “She clearly doesn’t want to talk about it. Either give her the cure or leave her alone,” Ace snapped as Vix began to pull out more equipment.

  I snapped my head to the side and sneered at Ace. “1661.”

  He looked at me lost. He had no idea. He couldn’t remember, he didn’t know.

  I stilled. Of course, he wouldn’t remember - I hadn’t bent the timeline.

  But he was - he was once that person on this timeline too. It was still him.

  “What? I was there? What happened?” Ace began to ask, stepping forward but I glared at him.

  Hot panic shot up my spine and I jumped back. “Stay the hell away from me or I’ll kill you again.”

  Fynn grabbed hold of Ace’s shoulder and forced him backwards but Ace lashed out, pushing against Fynn’s shoulder and working his way back to me. Two hands were placed on my shoulders and I slapped him across the face.

  It was silent for a moment. Then Ace’s head turned to face me and he backed away pale.

  Please no more hallucinations.

  “Landon?” I asked with realisation. I’d been searching the room for anything different before I finally had the feeling of something missing.

  No one replied. They looked at the ground and then at each other before Halo finally broke and spoke in a monotone voice.

  “We prolonged it as much as possible but eventually we were forced to pull the cord.” I looked at the ground processing the information and repressing the burn in my chest.

  “I did some tests. The main factors causing this were his age and the number of times he’s gone into the past. It was always bound to have physiological and physical effects on your health,” Vix explained, clasping his hands together.

  “Why didn’t you pull it on me? The entire time I was worried my mind would become unplugged and that would be it.”

  “I hope you understand why we couldn’t find you. But we did try - until we all started to show signs of fatigue.” Fynn held on to my hand and I nodded numbly wondering why he hadn’t answered the real question.

  “There’s a cure,” I stated and they nodded their heads. They meant they had a way to cure me. I didn’t know how. Jack had told me only the Rebellion had created a cure and I didn’t know how they’d have created a cure too… so many unanswered questions.

  “We were privately contacted... well rather bribed into saving you or losing you. The Rebellion.”

  “Why would they do that? They wanted Jack to kill me.”

  “Well... we aren’t entirely sure it was the Rebellion. This is why we need to know,” Vix began.

  “What happened? You lost your Totem we guessed, but how did you get back? What happened with the Raven?”

  “Jack,” I corrected Vix, clenching the material tightly in my hands.

  “The Raven is really called Jack?” Ace questioned. I nodded my head, hating the sound of Jack’s name on his tongue - his accent was different from Tobias’ but watching his mouth move made my stomach turn.

  “He’s the one who gave it to us. He said we could either save your life or the Rebellion would make it their best interest to take you. We didn’t understand why they needed you,” Fynn said.

  “I... I don’t understand.” I shook my head, staring at my fingers that numbly picked at the fabric.

  “It’s kind of obvious don’t you think?” Aeron piped in, staring at the room in shock. “They were there together for god knows how long, both had lost their Totems and had no way back. Why would they have wanted to kill their only way out of there?” He looked at Ace and Fynn. “They clearly... you know... bonded? And now he wants to save her from what happened to Landon. He’s probably convinced the Rebellion they could use her as a symbol against Prospect and when we refused he gave us the cure as proof.” He smiled proud of himself.

  “You don’t understand,” I replied quietly. “Jack is dead. I watched him die and he didn’t have his Totem - there was no way he could have gotten back.”

  “He’s not dead Nova.” Aeron stopped in front of me with a wide smile, purple hair slightly faded and the mole above his lip twinkling at me.

  “It’s impossible,” I emphasised.

  “How did you get back?” Vix asked suddenly, swivelling his chair past Aeron and in front of me.

  “A well in Scotland, we had to
throw our Totems in and then jump in ourselves... a woman told us - you know what, it’s a long story that can wait.”

  Vix continued. “Do you not suppose he threw his Totem in - a Raven before he died. When he did die he could have followed his Totem back?”

  My eyes grew wide. I needed to be sure. But of course… He’d almost jumped in after throwing in the feather but I stopped him. Really the well would have brought his Totem back like it did mine and then he could have followed it back before his mind died with his body.

  “I trust that you’ll tell me everything you… you’ve experienced - time portals and all.” Vix scratched the back of his neck. “But perhaps if… this fabric being here is possible-” His eyes lit up as he stared at the fabric between my fingertips. “Then the possibility of Jack being alive is not so far fetched after all.”

  Vix’s words processed in my mind and I sat up straight. “Did you see him?” I asked urgently. “Is there a way I can talk to him?”

  Vix’s eyes grew wide as he looked at me and then reached into his pocket, handing me a tissue and pressing my hand to my nose.

  “Can we trust him? Yes or no?” Vix asked urgently.

  I pulled the tissue away and stared at my blood, red, alive. I nodded my head quickly. “Of course we can.” I felt myself begin to shake with excitement.

  Jack. He made it.

  He survived the sword of Tobias, he survived his heart being ripped free from his chest and he’d flown from his cage like a Raven. Alive. He was alive.

  “Well, it’s this or nothing,” he said wiping my arm clean and taking out a long needle.

  CHAPTER 40

  Time: Present

  Location: Prospect

  “We can’t be sure - what if it was someone from the Rebellion posing as the Raven,” Ace exclaimed.

  Fynn rocked back on his heels, shaking his head. “Vix, we can’t risk it.”

  I shrugged. “Sure we can. Just the other morning I planned on dying because I thought Jack was dead. If this kills me then it means Jack is really dead and someone pretended to be him, but if this cures me then he’s alive and I’m going to find him.”

  Ace’s eyes widened and he watched hurt as Vix flattened my arm against the table top beside me. I kept the material in my hand, watching it with my heart almost leaping out of my chest.

  Fynn glowered at me and exclaimed. “This isn’t some Romeo and Juliet crap Nova. This is serious!”

  Ace stepped forward quickly. “You’re the first person who will have been injected with this. They won’t even know if it would work-”

  Vix paused for a moment, holding the syringe at my arm. “There’s a first time for everything,” I replied, nodding my head at Vix to continue.

  He closed his eyes, looked away and began speaking. “This won’t be the first injection, you’ll have to go through more before you’re completely really cured. That’s what I was told. We’ll have to find a way to replicate this though for more, I’ve already taken samples-”

  I nodded my head. I didn’t care. “Vix, it’s okay,” I assured him, smiling. I’d always been his lab rat. Today would be no different, just that my life was on the line either way. He nodded his head and plunged the needle into my arm before Fynn or Ace could object.

  The room seemed to fold in on itself as everyone leant forward eagerly waiting. I took my arm back, crossed my legs together and sat back.

  There was a beep from Vix’s monitor and he swivelled around to answer it. I watched curiously as his face turned pale and he sent an urgent look at Fynn and Cedrix. They moved to the door and began speaking under their breaths.

  I raised an eyebrow. “So whilst we wait for me to die, does anyone want to tell me what’s got them so panicked?” I pointed to the door.

  No one spoke at first. They shared concerned looks before Halo finally stepped up to the task of telling me. Her voice was bold. “We bombed West Prospect.”

  They what?

  “We?” I growled.

  “Not technically us-” Aeron started to explain before cutting himself off exasperated. He took a deep breath and continued. “Prospect leaders. Clients, the President ordering Guards to bomb-”

  “What the hell? Why?”

  “For one it was to break up violence-”

  “Violence?”

  “There’s a civil war,” Ace replied in a sombre voice. My eyebrows pulled together and I placed a hand on my mouth. “They framed the bombs as the property of the Rebellion - to cause fear against them.”

  It was silent for a moment. I processed the information by myself quietly. “And so how are we safe?”

  Halo answered. “We’re with Elite Power now. We work for them and in return, we’re protected from the Alliance.”

  “What? Take it back. The Elite Power? Alliance?”

  Fynn held a hand out for me and pulled me to my feet, then walked with me out the door and into the pod whilst explaining. “The Elites are the guards, the President and us. All those fighting against the Rebellion.”

  I nodded my head slowly. So I was still a bad guy. Would I always be a bad guy?

  “The Alliance are more sided with the Rebellion, they fight with the other half of the city who side with the Elites,” Ace explained. So it really was a civil war.

  “And we’re stuck with the Elites? The bad guys. We’re always the bad guys.”

  Vix looked at me shocked, as did Fynn. “You should be more grateful,” Vix said. Cedrix nodded his head in agreement. Halo seemed to be somewhere in the middle unsure of where she sided so I was left to face Ace and Aeron with my mouth open in protest.

  They shared a looked between them - a knowing look. A look I now saw in myself.

  Whose side were they on?

  “The reason we didn’t pull the cord on you was partly because of the President forbidding us to. You’re too important to the Elites,” Aeron explained briefly, I nodded my head. For once I didn’t want to be important.

  “Where are we going?” I asked as Vix slid the pod doors shut and a bright light filled the glass structure as we came to the outside of the building.

  But it wasn’t as bright as one might have thought. I turned to face the city shocked. Grey smoke filled the air and in the distance was a view of broken-down buildings, fires and suffering. And beyond that, just in the horizon, you could finally see the white wall, which was usually covered up by white buildings.

  Now it was black with ash and crumbling, it stood undefeated but damaged.

  But that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was the streets below us. We were in an untouched part of the city, but that didn’t mean it was fine.

  Below us were crowds of people running. Guards dressed in white uniforms turned grey were forcing them away from our building and fights were breaking out from either side of us.

  “What is this?” I croaked.

  The doors slid open and we entered the meeting room. Except it was no longer ours. Various people were moving around, a cup in hand and screens in the other as they moved around each other.

  Guards were occupying our screens, our holograms and our files and by the skyline window, a woman dressed in white swivelled to face me: the President.

  “We’re under their control now,” Aeron growled under his breath and Ace stood on my other side despite me trying to stand as far away from him as possible. I hated the thought of having to tell him what he did and why I couldn’t stand even breathing the same air as him.

  “Assholes,” Ace snapped as someone brushed past his shoulder.

  Vix and Fynn led us to the President who waited patiently for us to arrive beside her.

  The other 5 - no longer 6 stood back with Vix watching bored as I stood to face the President.

  “Ma’am.” I nodded my head politely.

  “It’s good to see you back on your feet. The Raven?”

  A test? Did she know about the cure he’d somehow given my friends or had they kept it quiet? I placed my hand over my pocket,
the fabric beating against my thigh still shocked and confused about how it was possible. I turned and faced Vix who nodded his head discreetly. “The Raven will no longer be a problem.”

  She narrowed her eyes and then released a long breath smiling with relief. “Good. Then we can move on to our next movement, our last, hopefully.”

  I clasped my hands together and looked back at my friends. Ace and Aeron stood together with their heads focused on the tragedy outside.

  “Take out the Rebellion. Cut them down, go back and erase everything.”

  My head snapped round to face her in shock. “What?” I found it came out more of a yell than a question. “No,” I growled more quietly.

  “I think you’ll find you’ll do as I say,” she said under her breath, I shook my head again.

  “That is too high of a risk - we’d be erasing thousands. Changing everything.”

  “No?” The President laughed. “The Rebellion has been around for hundreds of years. They developed from a discreet group of people. But we never cut down their roots,” she sneered. “They are a weed that needs to be destroyed. An evil cult that has caused panic and destruction.”

  “You’ve caused panic and destruction,” I snapped. She sounded insane and I briefly remembered Jack telling me that the rebellion was part of the old world. I didn’t know what to believe. Definitely not this whack job.

  She raised her eyebrows with a glare and turned to face the window, examining the terror she’d caused.

  “Do you want to survive this?”

  “I don’t understand,” I replied. It wasn’t the Rebellion causing all this; it was her. Why was she so determined to erase a small group of people and completely change the entire world?

  “You wouldn’t even know what’s happened. I could wipe out the entire city from existence if I don’t even know how it began. How did this shitty Dystopian-”

  “We’ve done the hard work. You won't be erasing enough to change anything too drastic,” she laughed. “Look around. I have a team of incredibly clever and devoted people. We have worked out every possible outcome over the last year. And the Rebellion no longer has a Raven to stop us from killing the ones who matter the most.”