by Kim Falconer
‘What’s this?’ A woman’s voice. Horses approached, boots hit the ground.
‘Demons!’ It was the man talking now. ‘Take Marley, will you?’
There was a pause before a black steel-capped boot came into view. A man crouched down, his grey hair tied back in a ponytail, his brown eyes enormously kind. A wash of relief went over her. She relaxed. This was a good man. She felt it in her bones. She was safe, for now.
‘What trouble have you found, my lady?’ His voice was soft. He pushed the yellow dogs back. ‘It’s a black falcon, Lil. Some demon soul’s bound her…’ The rest of his sentence was a string of profanities.
Kreshkali couldn’t muster the energy to reply. It was enough to let the warmth wash over her. His voice was an enchantment, rich and deep. His hands gentle. A knife came out and sliced the bindings that ate at her legs. Instant respite.
‘She’s lost blood. We need to get her straight back.’
‘Who would do such a thing?’ The woman’s voice was edged with aggression.
‘I don’t know, but I’ll curse them if I find out.’
There were panting tongues again.
‘Settle, Zap.’ He pushed the larger dog away, snapping his fingers towards the horses. ‘We’re taking this one home. No more hunt today.’
‘I’ll do more than curse them,’ the woman said. She whistled to the dogs. ‘Get over here. The poor queen’s had enough terror. She doesn’t need you drooling over her.’
Kreshkali shivered. The rush of blood returning to her extremities burned like liquid fire. She was scooped up and wrapped in soft gossamer swaddling. She didn’t resist. She’d have to gain strength back in safety and it looked like these angels disguised as falconers were going to provide it. The rhythm of the horse’s gallop was like a lullaby. She didn’t know where she was headed, but it felt good. She would survive.
EARTH—TIME: FORWARD
CHAPTER 33
They’re here, Maudi. They’ve arrived!
Who’s here, Dray? Rosette didn’t want to take her attention off the glamour.
Jarrod! Scylla!
Oh, good news. Where are they? I can’t see them.
Jarrod’s coming straight towards you. Scylla remains with me. She can’t get into this world either. I told her to tell the Sword Master you’re here, but he still thinks I’m delusional. Drayco made a spitting sound.
Does he, my lovely? Never mind. When I get back into my body, I’ll kick him for you. He will apologise, I promise.
Unnecessary, Maudi, but an entertaining image nonetheless. Thank you.
She wanted to rough his neck. My pleasure. She risked diverting her focus away from her body to scan for Jarrod. I still can’t see them.
Up ahead.
There he was! She sensed Jarrod first, and his head jerked up the instant she spotted him. He was a long way off, walking between An’ Lawrence and a woman. Jarrod! Here! I’m here. It’s me.
Rosette? I can’t see you.
That’s because I’m disembodied, if you can believe it. I’ve run into a bit of trouble.
Drayco was right?
Of course, and he’s not impressed that no one believed him.
I knew it was a possibility but…where’s your body?
On the gurney. I’ve got a glamour cooking. We need to get out of here.
And the rush?
She wanted to laugh. I’d say that most of the armed troops in the city are looking for us right about now.
I can’t leave you for a moment, can I!
It’s been somewhat more than a moment, love. She revelled in his presence, soaking up the feeling of appreciation and bliss as their energies touched. He’d found her. Peace. But where was Kreshkali? They’d need her to help reanimate her corpse. She thought she’d be with Jarrod. Where’s Kreshkali?
Right here. Can’t you see?
Technically, I can’t see anything. I don’t have eyes.
Trust me, she’s here. She’s the one who found me, to bring to you.
Rosette shielded her thoughts. That wasn’t right. She could perceive everything around her and Kreshkali wasn’t in the picture. Drayco, who’s the woman with Jarrod?
Nell.
Rosette felt her glamour slip. Which one?
Torgan’s Nell, but the temple cat is not here. Curious.
Drayco, listen to me carefully. Who do they think Nell is?
Kreshkali. I corrected them, but they aren’t listening to me. Teg knows. He’s pretty upset.
Who the heck is Teg?
The apprentice Lupin. Remember? I like him.
You like a Lupin?
This one, yes. He’s just headed into the portal. Off to look for Kreshkali. About time somebody did.
And I thought things would be simple once we found Jarrod…
Hurry, Maudi. Behind you. Troops!
She spun around. Grayson and Everett walked side by side, the gurney between them. They quickened their pace as Jarrod and the others came into view, Grayson assuring Everett that this was genuine help. They were by the lake now, not far from the portal. Everett looked over his shoulder and they broke into a run.
Behind them a squadron of armed troops followed at the jog. Grayson pushed the gurney to An’ Lawrence and Jarrod, the three of them racing up the path to the portal. Nell hung back, standing beside Everett, and turned to face the inquisition. Rosette didn’t linger. She flew into the portal ahead of her corpse.
An’ Lawrence stared at the body bag, his hands shaking. He mopped his brow.
Her body is very cold, Rowan. Like the day of the blizzard on Los Loma, Scylla said.
I know. I remember.
Can you revive her again?
Not this time. Not like that.
His familiar sat close, also staring at the black body bag. Drayco says Rosette is here with us now.
An’ Lawrence touched the edge of the bag. His fingers were burnt by the frost. He nodded.
‘Kali, are we in time? Can you bring her back?’ He looked up at the faces around him. ‘Where’s Kreshkali?’
Jarrod stood next to him. ‘She’s still out there.’
An’ Lawrence reached the mouth of the crevice in two strides, pushing Jarrod aside. ‘What do you mean, out there?’
Jarrod didn’t respond. He too became absorbed with the body bag.
‘She stayed with Everett,’ Grayson said, laying his hand on the Sword Master’s shoulder.
‘Why?’
‘To deal with the troops. I think she plans on scrambling a few more memories before she leaves this world. Something about the timeline. I didn’t wait to hear more.’
‘I’m lost,’ Shane said. He made his way over to the gurney, swallowing hard. ‘What do we do now that we have Rosette?’
‘We need to get her back in her body,’ Grayson answered. ‘Her spirit’s here with us, and we have her corpse. It’s just a matter of putting two and two together.’
‘Her spirit’s here?’ An’ Lawrence asked. ‘How can you be sure?’
Grayson laughed. ‘If you saw the walls she blasted just to get my attention, I think you’d agree.’
Jarrod joined the laughter. ‘She’s here. Relax. You’ll feel her, hear her, if you tune in.’
Everyone went still. A breeze rushed past and pebbles washed down the side of the cliff face.
‘As I said…’ Grayson indicated the entrance. ‘She’s here.’
‘Her familiar was right all along?’ Selene said.
‘Drayco was right.’ Jarrod was still gazing at the body bag. ‘We need Kreshkali to pull this off.’
‘Or Makee.’ An’ Lawrence nodded towards the depths of the portal.
‘That would be risky,’ Jarrod said.
‘Maybe, but we need to get moving. We won’t bring her back like this.’
‘Like how?’ Grayson asked.
‘Disconnected. Our thoughts are all over the place—confusion being the dominant one.’ An’ Lawrence spun around. ‘Where’s Teg?’
‘He panicked,’ Selene said. She told him what had happened.
‘And you let him go?’
‘Excuse me, Sword Master.’ The title didn’t sound like an honour. ‘He shifted into a rather large black wolf again and flew over my head. I didn’t think you actually wanted me to gut him, so, yes, I let him go.’
She tried to stop him, Rowan. But we didn’t. He’s gone to find Kreshkali.
‘You say he went into the portal?’
‘That’s right,’ Shane said.
Scylla, why would he go that way?
Because that’s where he can find her.
An’ Lawrence stared at his familiar. What do you mean? She’s out there. He waved his hand towards the lake.
That’s a different Nell.
What?
A different glamour.
Now you tell me?
I didn’t know it was important until Rosette said so.
You hear Rosette?
I hear Drayco. He hears Rosette.
Why can’t I hear any of this?
Probably because you aren’t listening.
He clenched his fists. The black maw of the portal was almost indistinguishable from the rock face around it. The plasma emission from the Entity was lifeless, not a spark. Teg had been brave to try the corridors alone, brave and strongly motivated. He wouldn’t have left Kreshkali, not with the fascination he had for her. He wouldn’t abandon their rescue of Rosette either, unless…
‘Jarrod.’ He tapped the man’s shoulder. ‘Rosette is communicating with you?’
He nodded.
‘And that’s not Kreshkali?’ He pointed towards the parklands.
Jarrod blinked. ‘It’s a version of her, but not the one we know. She’s not coming back. There is something she needs to do here.’
‘Are you certain?’
‘I am.’
‘Let’s go.’ An’ Lawrence rolled the gurney into the dark portal, the plasma coming to life.
‘Without Kreshkali?’ Grayson asked. He was at the Sword Master’s side.
‘Yes, without her.’ He looked behind him. ‘Jarrod! Hurry.’
‘But Kali…’ Grayson stopped.
‘She’s not who you think. Come on. I’ll explain.’
He ushered them into the depths, his thoughts locked onto Temple Los Loma and the blooming apple trees and red earth that marked the entrance.
Nell studied Everett Kelly while armed guards poured into the Sector Six Parkland. The young man had a pinched look on his face, like someone breaking all his own rules and not certain why.
‘Let me speak, Everett,’ she said, indicating the uniforms bearing down on them.
He took a step back. ‘And who are you?’
‘You can call me Nell. You won’t remember that, or much else, when the time comes.’
‘When what time comes?’
‘The time for you to forget. You’ll be older by then and this will seem like a dream.’
‘I think you’d better explain.’
She glanced at the troops. ‘I know what to do, and it’s going to get you out of this mess—get your world out of this mess.’
‘What business is this of yours?’
‘Unfinished.’ She took his arm. ‘Please step back. I’m going to set it right, and I need cooperation.’ She dropped her voice to a whisper. ‘I promise, you won’t feel a thing.’
He pulled out of her grip. ‘That’s exactly what I say to my patients before I put them into Cryo. What things do you have to set right?’
‘You named it already, Mr Kelly. Your cryo project is creating quite a few problems. I’m here to fix them.’
‘Problems where?’
‘In some of the many-worlds.’
‘Many?’
‘Some of them, yes.’ She exhaled, looking across the desiccated parklands to the entrance. The troops marched towards them. ‘What do they teach in your universities, Everett, that you don’t know about the many-worlds?’ Orders were barked, weapons aimed. ‘Never mind. Here it is, in a nutshell…’
‘A what?’
‘A concise form. Listen closely. Whenever multiple possibilities exist, the world splits—hence many-worlds—multiple realities—a different one for every new possibility. Each of these worlds starts out the same as the previous. It’s impossible to tell them apart, save for the one choice.’
‘That’s crazy. People are making different choices every day. Thousands of them.’
‘More than that, actually.’
‘Millions?’
‘Upon millions. And from that point of difference, that branching off, the new world develops in its own way without any communication back to the original world.’
He frowned. ‘Are you saying you’re from a different world, a different choice?’
She nodded.
‘But you’re communicating?’
Nellion? Her familiar’s voice flowed into her mind. What’s the point in explaining everything that was in the letter when you’re going to erase his memory in a few minutes’ time?
I suppose there isn’t any point, though if he knows it once, it might help him to learn it again. He’s got quite a task ahead.
What’s ahead are those uniforms. I think you need to do something about them.
‘And Rosette…is she from your world too?’ Everett asked.
‘No time. Here they come.’ This is it, Torgan, she said to her familiar.
You’re convinced it must be done?
I am. Are you ready?
As I can be.
I love you.
I love you too.
I’ll meet you on the other side.
GAELA—TIME: FORWARD
CHAPTER 34
Teg shifted back to two legs as he landed inside the portal. He let his hand pass over the plasma emission, bowing to the Entity as he skidded to a halt. He’d seen Kreshkali do this many times. He didn’t have the blood, but he knew the ritual. Keep your mind on where and when you want to go, she had said.
His thoughts honed in on Kreshkali and the forest near Treeon Temple where he last saw her. He didn’t let doubt enter his head. That was crucial. The Entity would respond to confusion in kind. He had to keep his focus tight on Kreshkali—the smell of her, the angle of the moonlight where she had last stood, the carpet of leaves beneath her feet, the sound of her voice when she said his name. It wasn’t a difficult exercise. He’d thought of little else since they parted.
The corridors were dim, the contours soft and blurry. He leaned against the back of the portal, gazing at the energy flowing past, winding its way like a river through the twists and turns. The speed and flash of it burned his eyes after a time, but he didn’t look away. How long would it take to get there? Where was ‘there’? He didn’t know. Time travelled at a different pace inside the corridors.
That was an understatement. He suspected he might be outside time altogether, above it somehow, or beside it, no longer part of the arrow, whichever way it was pointing. He finally closed his eyes, still keeping the ‘when’ in mind as much as the ‘where’. The subdued light calmed him and his breathing steadied. He opened his eyes and took a tentative step forward, ready to jump out as soon as he could visualise solid ground and a still frame in front of him. The instant the rushing stopped, he leapt.
The clearing was empty, though he wasn’t sure what he had expected to find. Did you think she’d be standing here waiting for you, arms crossed and foot tapping? Or maybe arms open wide, overwhelmed with gratitude that you’d come back for her? He chided himself, then chided again for the self-denigration. Treat yourself as you would your most treasured friend. Her words came back to him, and he let out his breath. He realised he’d been holding it for some time. All right, good friend, he said to himself. Let’s find our mentor.
He scented the air, expanding his awareness, searching for Kreshkali with both mind and heart. Chills went down his back. She’d been here, he was certain, but her scent was faint. Had too
much time transpired? ‘When’ was he anyway? He looked at the sun. It could be only a few hours after they had left with the impostor.
The earth vibrated beneath his boots. Cantering hooves churned up the ground and he turned towards the sound, ducking behind a blackberry thicket before they charged past. Two riders were heading north-west. They were followed by several dogs, golden barrels with legs—Labradors, bounding along happily, oblivious to his scent. Their tongues were long and panting—a hard run. He narrowed his eyes. It was a hunting party, and both of the riders carried birds of prey on their wrists. Falconers! Nothing unusual about that, but what was the other scent he caught? Blood. From the kill? No. It was Kreshkali’s blood.
Every cell in his body screamed at him to follow. He checked for threats. The Treeon guards were nowhere about. All he heard was the sound of crows in the distance and a babble of water behind him. He bounded out from the cover, taking off at a dead run. Using four legs meant he could catch up faster and his shift was seamless. He was downwind of the charging beasts and the dogs. So far, the other animals hadn’t caught his scent.
He followed the hunting party north to the foothills of Mt Pele, a lush and rolling pastoral land crisscrossed with creeks, oaks and hay fields. The horses were walking now, cooling off from the sustained gallop. He kept a fair distance back, the terrain lacking the cover he needed to stay close and concealed. He marked where they turned down a driveway and shifted back to bipedal form. The area was dotted with small farms, no place for a Lupin to be seen prowling about, but a young man would pass more or less unnoticed.
He paused at a stream and drank deeply, bathing away the sweat and grime from his soaked vest and letting the sun dry his skin and hair. He didn’t want to burst in on them and raise suspicions. It was only an hour’s ride from Treeon. There may have already been word of the murder and the escaped suspects. He didn’t want to look the part.
The falconers had gone into a prosperous estate, judging by the finely bred horses in the surrounding fields. He’d clean up, and come a-calling. It wouldn’t take long to find out why he smelled Kreshkali’s blood. He shivered, even though the sun beat down on his bare shoulders. Kali, where are you?