by Jessa Ford
✽✽✽
Mustering the last amount of energy she had, Cora moved as quickly as she could. She held onto her control of time while letting go of everything else. She set her sights on her target and grabbed Nikol Delmarno while she began to visualize a future for him. Touching his forehead, she implanted the visions she hoped he would experience, just as she imagined them both in and above their current timeline. She held on tight to him, took a step, and they arrived in Malen’s bakery. Gasping for breath, Cora opened her eyes and looked around as relief flooded over her. It had worked, though her head ached as if she’d been under a boulder for weeks, and she was afraid her muscles buzzed from fatigue, rather than magic.
They arrived in the future she had thought up for him. In their training, Dari explained that traveling to the future was never accurate. Any number of events could alter even one detail and completely change the experience a Time Bender had in the future, making their previous trips to the future inaccurate. She theorized that if Cora was able to manipulate someone’s memories with thought seeking she may be able to manipulate a future that felt real for them as well. Since there were numerous possibilities in the future, Cora should be able to carry someone to see the future she manipulated, as long as it was a strong enough vision in both her and the other person’s mind.
In the false bakery Cora and Nikol watched Malen’s mother try to comfort their daughter. Malen sobbed, clutching a baby blanket. Future Nikol was in the room now, appearing much more like the scientist in Malen’s old pictures than the cold criminal Cora saw in the present. When the future Nikol walked closer to the pair and attempted to speak both women looked at him with such hatred it even made Cora shudder. “This is your fault,” Malen’s mother said, pointing at Nikol as tears welled in her eyes.
“I didn’t know...I was only trying to bring us together again. I had no idea it would change anything.” The agony in the false Nikol’s voice was desperate, but neither woman cared. “But it did change something,” Malen hiccupped, “Xave is gone. He never existed.” She clutched the blanket closer and began to cry anew. “Get out of this house.” Malen’s mother stood and pushed Nikol toward the door. “Anyone who would be this careless with our family is no husband of mine. I would have picked her happiness over my life every time. I never want to see you here again.” She closed the door in his face, and a speechless Nikol stood outside the window.
“Don’t you understand?” Cora looked up at the real Nikol who began to appear more and more like a tired old man as he watched the scene unfold. “If you bring back your wife you risk losing her all over again,” she hoped her logic was convincing. “If your wife comes back then you don’t become...well, you. And if that doesn’t happen then Xave’s father never flees to Arvendry, and he never meets Malen. She never has Xave. We don’t know for sure that we’ll be the only ones who remember. If she remembers, and it is very possible she might, she’ll never forgive you. Either way you lose your family.” He said nothing, thinking over the girl’s revelation. “So what love is greater? The love for your late wife or the love for your child?” Cora’s eyes bore an intensity that rivaled his own.
“You said it yourself, we don’t know for sure,” Nikol challenged her. Cora simply smiled. “It’s more complicated than that, actually. You see, this is all new to me, and I’m not certain what I can control, but there’s one last hitch in your plan. Xave is the one of the reasons I even know about my gifts. He trained me to be a Time Bender. My other gifts are because Malen tested my blood and told Xave. They helped me tap into them. Without Xave and Malen I may never discover any of my gifts, let alone time bending. Maybe I never bring you here and we can’t save your wife? All we’ll accomplish is erasing Xave from existence, and then you never find me, because I technically don’t exist the way I do now.”
Cora looked at Nikol, certain she’d played a winning card. “And if I determine the risk is worth the reward?” His eyes darkened, but she shook her head. “I’ll never do it. We’ll jump in time and I’ll keep us there.” “You’d risk yourself to save them?” He raised an eyebrow at her. “I already have,” she stood crossing her arms over her chest, “Xave and Malen are too precious to me. I won’t do something to hurt them. I’d rather they lose me to defeat you than risk the world losing them.” Nikol studied her. He’d not only underestimated her powers, but her tenacity. Most people simply bent to his will, fearful of his power, or eager at the chance to share in it. Cora had more heart than he had anticipated. Though young, Cora had seen how power corrupts, even if the intent was good. She understood how good outweighed evil, even at great personal cost.
“So, you’ve made up your mind then?” he mused as he studied her. “I won’t hurt someone I love. I won’t risk him,” Cora stood slightly taller and her eyes narrowed. Him. Nikol realized he and Cora had something in common that worked against his plan. He hadn’t accounted for love. It was a strong motivator, sometimes to a fault. Nikol looked at his wife and daughter from Cora’s false vision one more time. It nearly shattered him to lose Malen’s mother the first time, and he had destroyed cities in the process of trying to rectify it. He was not sure even he could survive a second loss. If what he learned about the girl was true, though, there was still a way to salvage his situation. He could use his knowledge of her to barter for what he needed from the very people who had aided in his return.
“Take me back.” Nikol’s voice was flat. Cora blinked and held onto his arm with all her might. It felt too easy, but she didn’t care; she wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold the false future together with her mind. She pictured the School of Knowledge. She imagined marble steps in front, at least what was left of them; those steps that set her off on this journey so many months ago. It was fitting that she would end it there. In a flash they were gone, Nikol’s fake future along with them. Cora smelled the burning ruins of the school before she opened her eyes. She knew she had arrived in the correct place and time.
In an instant, Telgrian police surrounded them, weapons pointed in their direction. Cora started to speak, but a man ran down the steps shouting in their direction. “Stop! The girl is a student! She’s a Time Bender!” Cora wanted to cry. Martin Keenly, as fierce as she’s ever seen him, bounded toward her waving his arms like a mad man. He pushed through the police and pulled Cora toward him. “This girl is a student at Starbury Academy. She very well just saved us all.” The police stood in awe, and Cora heard the soft sound of clapping behind them. The sound grew as Cora noticed a huge crowd gathered at the foot of the steps. Martin moved in front of Cora to block her from the mob of people who had begun cheering for her.
The police moved in on Nikol and began to drag him away. He leered at Cora once more and bent down to whisper to her. Cora was as still as a statue, unsure of what she was supposed to do now. “I’m going to take her inside to have a Healer look her over,” Martin ushered Cora up the steps as the crowd began to grow. People were cheering, hugging, crying, and waving at her. When Cora and Martin reached the top of the steps he spoke so that no one else could hear, “When we walk through these doors, get to Dari’s as fast as you can.” Thankful, she did as she was told.
TWENTY-NINE
Cora was nearly breathless when she arrived in the kitchen of Dari’s home. She was swept up into Xave’s arms before she could steady herself. “Thank the heavens,” he tipped her head toward his and kissed her franticly. Cora grinned, “See how annoying it is when someone just up and sacrifices themselves for the greater good? At least I didn’t make you break into anyone’s house and steal a map to find me.” Xave shook his head and kissed her again, but this time his kiss was slower, as if it was the only thing holding him together and he was afraid to let her go. When they parted, Cora embraced Dari who thanked her for doing what she failed to do so many years before. “Where’s Malen?” Cora looked around the room for Xave’s mother.
Xave shook his head and Dari squeezed Cora’s hand. “She hasn’t awakened yet.” C
ora felt her stomach drop, “But how? When I controlled everyone’s magic it should have stopped the Thought Seekers.” “It did,” Xave stood against the wall, his face etched in pain, “it’s possible she was too far gone by the time you stopped it.” Cora felt fresh tears escape her eyes and Xave was at her side again. “If I had stopped them sooner,” she began, but both Xave and Dari spoke, contradicting her.
“You were magnificent.” The old Time Bender looked upon Cora with kindness and empathy. “You couldn’t have done anything else. If anything, you saved her from losing her mind forever.” Xave stood with his arm around Cora who instinctively rested her head on his chest. She was unable to shake the feeling of dread, even when Xave gave her some good news. “Your parents are on their way from Arvendry. They’ll look after her and find out how to wake her.” Cora simply nodded and her whole body felt heavy as exhaustion began to set in. “You need to sleep,” Dari spoke softly. “I need a bath,” Cora managed a lopsided smile.
She walked off in the direction of one of the bathrooms. When she reached it, she entered and closed the door behind her. She sat on the floor, tracing her fingers against the cool stone underneath her. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there. Her arms and legs were sore, as if her muscles had been substantially overused. Her head hurt terribly, which finally prompted her to rise and fill the bathtub. When she looked in the mirror she gasped. Her face had a giant gash above her left eyebrow, and her clothes were burnt and torn. Her nails were caked in dirt and grime. She washed her hands hoping to rid them of it before finally settling into the warm bath water. Immediately, her muscles began to relax and she slowly put her head under, exhaling slowly, as if all of the horrible things from the past could be scrubbed away as well.
When she finished, Cora dressed and ran her fingers through her wet hair. Her hair caught on Malen’s ring and she realized she was still wearing it. She slipped it off, put it in her pocket, and found herself knocking on Xave’s door. He opened it before her hand left the wood and smiled. “Miss me already?” She rolled her eyes and stepped into his room. “I just came to give you this...again,” she held the ring out in her open palm for him. Xave’s grey eyes oscillated between the ring and Cora’s face. They finally settled on Cora’s face and he replied, “I think we both know it’s been yours for some time now.” “Oh, I couldn’t keep it. Like you said it’s the only piece of your mother you have, and it’s been so important to you, especially now.”
Xave smiled as he watched Cora fumble over her words. “She would want you to hold onto it for her,” he offered. Cora’s shoulders slumped. “How can you be so calm about her? About everything? I can’t stop thinking about how I could have done everything differently if I had trained more.” Cora's voice trembled. “I find it isn’t useful to dwell on events you can’t change, particularly in our line of work. Honestly, I’m just relieved that the two people I love are safe without the threat of Nikol hanging over us any longer.”
Xave looked at Cora as he said the last few words. Though she tried to hide it, it was obvious her breath hitched when he mentioned the word love. “The two people you…” she started, finally allowing herself to look Xave in the eyes. “I love you, Cora, but you already know that,” his gray eyes looked at her with such softness she wanted to melt. “I do?” Cora struggled to keep her voice even. “You saw my thoughts and felt my emotions, so I know you experienced how I feel about you.” It was as if a small part of her broken heart was being pieced back together, if only slightly. She shrugged, “It’s one thing to see it or feel it in your memories, but it’s another to hear it in person.” “It’s cheating to find out from my memories,” he smiled, taking the ring from her hand and placing it back on her finger. Cora felt a kind of belonging she’d missed in the long months which had passed since the Reading, and a small ember of hope began to burn again.
“So, what do we do now?” Cora wrapped her fingers around Xave’s. “Well, I have a job to get back to and if I’m not mistaken, you have a second Reading to reschedule.” Cora laughed and shook her head. “I think I’ve had enough experience with my gifts for now.” Cora went on to explain to Xave how she managed to stop Nikol. In working with Dari and remembering the many books she’d read on all the gifts, she realized time bending was still her dominant gift. Because she had control over the other magic in her blood, she guessed she may have control over anyone’s magical gifts as long as she possessed enough magic. It was a gamble, but luckily, she was right. It was how she was able to affect everyone’s magic.
Cora then went on to explain how she used thought seeking to create a false memory for Nikol. She appealed to the last sliver of humanity he had left and it had worked. “Cora, you’re astonishing,” was all Xave could say when she finished. “It was a total risk. It all could have gone horrible wrong,” she said. “I think it worked because of love. I was stronger because of my love for all of you. All this time I was trying to figure out how I could tap into my gifts with more ease, and it turns out I just had to think about protecting the people I love.” “And just who are these people you love?” Xave raised an eyebrow, and Cora grinned. “I would never have guessed I’d say these words months ago, but I love you, Xave Zellows.” She rested her head against his shoulder and closer her eyes. They sat together for some time, enjoying the silence that had fallen over the room.
✽✽✽
Down another hallway, Soph sat on the floor, folding a heap of bandages. Next to her, Willem collected the rest of the medical supplies. The silence between them was one of understanding and comfort. They’d been thrust into an impossible situation and luckily had each other to lean on. It created a unique kind of bond that could neither be easily replicated nor severed. “So,” Willem spoke after closing the lid on the last medical kit, “what will you do now? You clearly found your gift.” He watched her with wonder as she finished wrapping her injuries.
Soph blushed. “Headmaster Keenly approved my transfer to the School of Healing without a second Reading. He recommended that I be allowed to enter my second year, as my field experience should suffice for missing my studies during the first year. What about you?” “I missed first year exams, but they’re going to allow me to take them late. I should be able to pass and move onto second year as well.” Willem stretched out and moved Soph’s legs on top of his own in an attempt to make room for them both to stretch out. Though they’d spent many hours in similar positions pouring over records and making escape plans, they did not have the threat of imminent danger clouding their minds this time. It opened a new window of possibility.
“How nice that kidnapping and threats on our lives won’t interfere with our education,” Soph joked. She hadn’t noticed the sparkle in Willem’s eyes when he was amused before. “I’m surprised they didn’t fast track you to graduation with all the work you’ve done today alone.” He pointed to the bandage on his arm and traced the stitches that had begun to heal on Soph’s leg. After they were safe, Soph had worked immediately on mending any of the injured outside the School of Knowledge. She smiled up at Willem. She was starting to question Cora’s sanity for changing her mind about him. He was clearly innocent in his actions, but it elicited a strong desire that surprised her. Perhaps it had been there all along and they were too preoccupied to pay it any mind.
“It will be kind of strange to join a new group of students. I'll miss Cora, too. Maybe I’ll have classes with your girlfriend,” Soph offered, attempting to look innocent as well. To her surprise, Willem shook his head. “That’s not likely. There’s no girlfriend anymore.” “Oh?” Soph turned her head to look at Willem who motioned for her to move closer. Obliging, she inched near him as he continued, “The more I thought about it, the more I realized it wasn’t a good fit. When I came back after the caves, she was inconsolable in public, but less than comforting when it was the two of us. It was obvious she was more concerned about how she could benefit from that situation than how I was doing. Plus, I don’t know how resourceful she would
have been chained to a cell wall, and I keep finding myself in situations where that kind of knowledge is useful.” Soph couldn’t help grinning at him.
They were sitting close enough their shoulders were touching. Willem was playing with Soph’s dark curls, letting his hand brush the back of her neck every so often. “And it got me thinking,” he stopped and pulled Soph’s face close to his, “I should probably appreciate what I have in front of me. I already made a pretty big mistake in that area once before, and it nearly cost me a friendship.” “I fully intend to allow you to appreciate it.” Soph smiled mischievously and kissed him before he had the chance to move. Even though they didn’t possess any magical gifts, it was obvious something came alive when their lips touched.
Though not a complete stranger to kissing boys, Soph had never felt this connected to anyone before. When they finally parted, grinning at each other like fools, Willem spoke first. “Do you think I could see you this summer? I live conveniently close to your best friend, seeing as she's also my best friend, just if you happen to find yourself in the neighborhood.” Soph pretended to ponder his request. Instead of waiting for an answer, Willem kissed her again, ensuring she would want to spend as much time as possible doing just that.
✽✽✽
Cora awoke in the early hours of the morning warmly nestled between Xave and the wall, his arms draped around her. A newfound sense of calm had washed over her in the house since her return, but she couldn’t keep a small seed of worry at bay. She kept replaying her last exchange with Nikol over in her mind.