NOVA: The Time Bender Series Book 1

by Isabelle Champion

  Sorry, I’m getting off track.

  In simplified terms: I’m able to not change my own timeline with this mistake.

  Whilst it took more energy after 1661, this time it didn’t take a lot of energy since my Time Bender abilities or ‘power’ had grown stronger. I put it down to the antidote the mystery person claiming to be Jack had given us. Now my Totem practically blinded me with its blue light.

  The worst part about the new way of coming back was the electrical impulses that hit my body in waves of blue goo. Thankfully Vix had found a way of getting me out safely without smashing the glass and had fixed a door above the tank that displayed me as if I were some naked goldfish. I didn’t see why that was necessary especially now that the Presidents workers had invaded the room and my privacy. I’m no prude but there are some limits.

  Don’t ask me why they were here or what the purpose of putting me in a fish tank and electrocuting me was because I had no idea. Not to mention the fact I had no way of breathing for hours - sometimes days that I was gone. Magic.

  Science was magic or was it magic that was science?

  Either way lying down and closing my eyes with a blindfold always seemed to work for me.

  But then again, that way had also almost killed me.

  I was still new to this.

  Well - we all were.

  The numbness gradually left and I realised I was back in my body when my eyes opened. Through the blue jelly I could see people with their heads down at computers and others moving busily around.

  Before I knew it two hands had grabbed my shoulders and pulled me out of the goo as if I were nothing but a rag doll. I lay on the cool metal above the tank taking long breaths and wiping the blue goo away from my eyes.

  When I could finally breathe and felt my legs go back to normal I knelt on my knees and stared at the two guards looking down at me as though they’d never seen a naked woman before - and they hadn’t because for guards it was forbidden.

  “Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” I panted, cringing at how overused the line was despite how relevant it was. Then I raised my head to look at the two men who turned their heads to each other puzzled. “That was a joke, ass-wipe.”

  Vix’s voice flooded my senses. “You were gone a while, don’t worry Halo already told us everything.”

  Ah crap, what had she said? Vix climbed up a set of metal stairs behind a door in his room that had been invaded. He wrapped a towel around me and I clambered to my feet with the support of his arm.

  “Is the blue crap necessary? The others don’t have to have it, I just look like a Smurf.” I sneered at the blue gunk.

  “It’s more effective in helping you back. The others have their own pods that help us get them back.” Ugh not this again. The first time I’d asked why I was in a tub and why I was able to survive Vix had launched into this whole scientific explanation that I hadn’t understood a word of.

  I yawned as Vix continued, “-this is by far the most effective method especially as it enables us to look into your mind.”

  My body froze and I stopped on a step, Vix turned to face me by the door expectantly. “Not literally.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s new technology friends from a different city told us.”

  “City? I thought most cities left were either less developed or destroyed?” I asked, catching up to him and wrapping the towel further around me.

  “Here.” He led me into a narrow corridor behind the lab and to a white shower cubicle lit up by blue strip lights. As I showered he gave a brief explanation to his words.

  “No, we’re currently second in development, Pleeno city used to be named uh... what was it? Seoul I think – formerly part of South Korea.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Is Korea still divided?”

  “Well, they no longer address it as North and South now,” he explained. “So I suppose they didn’t last – I think there was a war and the South won.” But like everything else – no one here knew what had entirely happened with the rest of the world – let alone our own city.

  “But the city only addresses itself as Pleeno.”

  What did a name matter? The place had a history that couldn’t be removed - the name only kept the past alive which didn’t really matter when there were Time Benders. Vix had a lot to say about that. Apparently, more Time Benders had been found. The new Seoul - Pleeno had 7 Time Benders and we were down by a Landon.

  I stepped out of the shower and accepted the clothes and clean towel Vix handed towards me with his eyes cast to the floor. “There’s more,” he said – his voice was tight.

  “About Pleeno?”

  “We made a trade whilst you were away.”

  I hated the use of ‘we’. He must have hated how people were taking over his equipment, working in his space - taking over his job and yet it had become ‘we’. As if he had a say in any of the decisions made here now.

  “How long was I?” I lowered my eyebrows and quickly dried off back in the cubicle, I put the t-shirt on the hook and pulled on some undies and jeans. It was weird to be in jeans again, part of me missed the long princess dresses despite how impractical they were.

  “Only about two days.”

  “Well, what was the trade?” I asked nonchalantly.

  “We traded for another Time Bender with a life in the correct period and location the Prospect leaders wanted.”

  An ice-cold hand felt as though it crept up my back and I held my breath fearing the worst. Hot anger crept through my veins and I slid the door open in just jeans and my bra.

  “What did you trade, Vix?” I spoke slowly, as though I was talking to a child who’d just done something they shouldn’t have.

  “Cedrix.”