Capturing Today (TimeShifters Book 2) (28 page)

“And this from someone who joined the Shades?”

Persona back in place, he winks. “Just call me Robin Hood.”

Yasmine drops to her knees and fishes a roll of paper out from under the couch. “You two are wasting time.”

Carl ignores her. “Let’s say you stay and have a child with Erik and that child is a Shade. From that moment on, Erik has no reason to allow any male Shifter to live.”

My limbs feel heavy.

Nine months. That’s all I buy Donovan, Michael, Eugene, and Darnell. Not enough.

“Now what if your Shade child grows up and is able to reproduce with other Shades? He’ll make you have more. Once more Shades can reproduce, it’s over. After enough time, Erik won’t need any Shifter to live whatsoever.”

“But that would be so far in the future.”

His lips curl. “You’re a Shifter. You should care about
all
time.”

Yasmine unrolls the papers onto the kitchen table. “The sooner we get you out of here, the better. After the exchange you just had with Erik, there’s no way he’ll let you out of his sight. Not once he cools down. He’ll move you to the center. I won’t be able to help you once that happens.”

“So you have less than a minute to make up your mind.” Carl’s lips form a straight line. “No pressure.”

I cup my hand over my forehead. Try to think through every possible scenario. “What about my mother?”

“Rosa?” Yasmine rocks back. “What about her?”

She doesn’t want me. She despises me. But—“I can’t just leave her. What if … what if …” I’m hanging so tightly onto fraying wisps of hope. It’s ridiculous. Even I know that.

Yasmine relocates the salt shaker to its original position. “She’s where she wants to be.”

“But maybe she’s forgotten. Maybe if I bring her back to my dad, she’ll—”

Carl spears me with a cold look. “You haven’t been here long enough to understand so I’m going to cut you some slack, but Rosa’s bad news. She acts as Erik’s right hand. His closest confidant.”

“But—”

They exchange a look.

“What? Tell me.” Seriously. Because nothing could be worse than discovering my mother happily set me up to become a Shade germinator.

Yasmine takes a deep breath. “Rosa killed Lark.”

Oh. That’s worse. That’s so much worse.

“You’re sure? You’re absolutely sure?”

They nod in unison.

My mother killed my friend. Knees buckling, I hit hard on the wood flooring and bury my face in my hands. It feels like I lost my friend all over again. Lark didn’t have to die. She was murdered because of her connection to me. It’s my fault. An urge to cry battles with a desire to toss something breakable.

Yasmine and Carl are right. I must leave Mónatos. Erik declared war on the Shifters long ago when he injected my mother. As much as I’d like to, it’s not something I have the power to stop.

I work my trembling hands together. “Where will I go?”

Carl raises his eyebrows in the universal
you’re kidding me, right?
gesture. “To Keleusma. To the Shifters.”

“I can’t.” I shake my head. “They’ll never take me back.”

“They will,” Carl says.

“After what I’ve done? They won’t.”

Carl looks over at Yasmine, silently asking her to interject since I’m clearly not listening to him.

“You belong in Keleusma. You’re going to throw yourself on their mercy. They’ll take you back. I’m sure of it.” Yasmine digs a huge coat out of Carl’s closet and tosses it at me. “Put this on.”

She makes me pull up the hood and then finishes unfolding the building plans on the table. She drags her finger across a roundabout path as she explains to Carl how he’ll sneak me out.

“I can’t go with you. It’s imperative that Erik continues to trust me.” She turns to address me. “And for Carl’s safety, he must believe you did this on your own. You won’t have much of a head start, I’m afraid. He’ll come for you soon. If he’s not looking already.”

“What about you?” I reach for Yasmine as she prepares to leave the room.

“He’ll be angry that you got away, but I’ll be fine. I always am.” She holds out her hand, and Carl joins her by the door. With Yasmine’s fingers messing his hair, they kiss. “Be safe,” she whispers to him.

Then she points at me. “Take care of yourself, Gabby. And start trusting your Shifter friends. You’ll need them. The Shifters are strong, and they outnumber the Shades. Even if they’re upset with you, they’ll protect you. That’s how they work.” Yasmine slips out the door without a goodbye.

Carl crosses his arms, disappearing into his coat. “Ready?”

“I guess.”

“Keep up and keep your head down.”

I follow him out the door and mimic his slouching walk. But my mind races. The Shifters outnumber the Shades? For some reason, I thought it was the other way around. I can’t ask Carl about it because there are other Shades prowling the halls.

Why don’t the Shifters initiate battle? If there are so many of them, they could finish the Shades off once and for all. Then again, if there are more Shades like Carl and Yasmine, I wouldn’t want them harmed by the Shifters. Everything is so complicated.

Much like when Yasmine led me from Rosa’s room, Carl directs me through air shafts. At first he takes me down deeper into Mónatos. We zigzag through the complex and then begin climbing ladders. He offers me a hand as I crawl out of a space the size of a manhole. Instead of letting go, I tug his hand until he looks me in the eye. “Didn’t Erik cloak the place? How will I get out?”

In a crouched position, Carl rocks back onto his heels. “He’s not as all-powerful as he likes to act. Don’t get me wrong, he can do a lot of impressive stuff. I mean, he’s got magic. But not like Nicholas. There are holes in what Erik’s capable of. Yasmine and I have made it our mission to discover his weaknesses.” He pulls me up the rest of the way. “So don’t worry. I’ll get you out.”

 “Why are you helping me?” I brush my hands off on my pants.

We’re in a narrow, underground storage area. A light at the far end of the room blinks and buzzes, ready to go out. Boxes and musty carpet squares are piled against the wall.

He glances over his shoulder, and a pained expression mars his features. “As a Shade—our existence has no point beyond ourselves. And while living for your own enjoyment might sound wonderful, after a couple months … it’s not.”

He tests a few spots on the ceiling until he’s able to slip his fingers into a groove that unlocks a tile. Dirt showers down on us like confetti as he slides the tile out of the way. “I’ll give you a boost, and you’ll crawl all the way out. When you see light, keep going.”

“If he finds out you helped me … what will he do?”

Carl studies the spot where the wall and floor meet. “You don’t want to know.”

I grab for his arm but only catch coat fabric. “You shouldn’t get hurt because of me.”

Expelling a long breath, he scrubs his hand back and forth over his chin. “Guilt’s a heavy thing to steal.”

“What?”

“Do you have a gun to my head?” He makes a pretend gun and holds it to his cheek. “Are you forcing me to lead you out?”

“No.”

“Then if I’m caught and punished for it, that’s my deal.” He lays his hand over his chest.

“My choice. My burden. You don’t get to take that from me.” He kneels and laces his fingers together, offering his hands as a foothold. “Now or never, Wondergirl.”

Using his boost, I brace my hands on either side of the hole in the ceiling and hoist myself up into what might as well be a gopher burrow. Completely dug through the dirt, the space is three feet at its tallest and even less wide. Tree roots and a rusty pipe brush my head. A skittering centipede races over my hand. I stifle a scream.   

 I turn around and dangle my hand down to Carl. “I don’t know if I’m strong enough to pull you up, but I’ll try.”

He shakes his head. “This is as far as I go.”

“What will I do at the end?” Humidity clamps around my neck. What if Erik’s waiting for me? Even if he’s not, what’s my chance of lasting on my own long before he hunts me down?

“You might try … I don’t know.” Carl toes the ground. “You might ...”

“Spit it out.”

“It’s not my place to say.”

“So say it anyway.”

 “Have you called out to Nicholas since coming to Mónatos?”

“I can’t. He doesn’t want to hear from me. I disobeyed.”

Just at the corners, his lips tug. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”

“Have you ever tried to call to him?”

“It’s too late for the likes of me. But you still can. It’s not like you became a Shade. I bet he’s waiting for you.” He rubs his hand across his forehead. “Then again, what do I know?”

“If you ever want to leave ...”

“Not possible.” He shakes his head. “Erik tracks us down if we try to escape. And even if I could, I won’t abandon Yasmine.” He rounds his shoulders a few times. “You better hurry.”

“I owe you, Robin Hood.”

“I’ll remember.” He grins and taps his forehead.       

On my hands and knees, I shimmy around in the closed space until I’m pointed in the direction Carl indicated. Then I summon my courage and crawl forward into the darkness. Soft dirt packs under my fingernails. My breathing becomes shallow. No light. Hot air.
Keep going. Don’t freak out.
It’s difficult not to though. Humans aren’t meant to travel by way of underground bunny trails.

Ten minutes pass. Then more time. How long is this tunnel? How did it even get here? Tell me Carl and Yasmine didn’t set me up to die, buried alive in this earthen casket.

“Please?” Eyes straining against the blackness, I whisper. “I don’t deserve it, but help me.”

When I open my eyes, a pinprick of light ahead encourages a warm tingle of hope to spread through my chest. A small, fuzzy creature scuttles between my hands and pinballs off my knee before squeezing past me. After congratulating myself for not screaming, I crawl faster. A mouse or mole or whatever it was means the surface is near.

A warm breeze tickles over my cheek. I could legitimately burst with happiness.

Not far now.

The darkness lightens to shadows which give way to actual colors.

Is this what it feels like to be born?

After a gradual bend in the tunnel, sunlight streams into an opening less than thirty feet in front of me. A tiny squeal escapes from my mouth. Is there such a thing as a crawling race? Call the Guinness book people and set one up. I’m fairly certain I’d win it after this experience.

“Thank you,” I whisper and then make my way to the opening. The tunnel widens until I can almost stand. When I do, my back and neck erupt in a series of cracking noises, begging me to rethink my crawling world champion ambitions.

Using my hand, I shade my eyes against the light so they have a few moments to adjust. Light reflects on the placid waters of a lake directly below me. If I lose my balance while climbing down the sloped rocks, there’s a chance I could tumble in. Beyond my impending rocky exit, a curve of cliffs hugs the lake. To the left, on top of the cliffs, a field leads to sparse woods.

And movement.

I duck and fold myself into the shadows of the tunnel. I can see out, but a person gazing in would have a hard time spotting me, especially because I’m still wearing Carl’s muddy brown coat.

I train my gaze toward the location where seconds ago I spotted movement. Shades on patrol? I can’t risk it. I’ll have to bide my time here until—wait. I squint. Two men. Both wearing black t-shirts and jeans. The taller has blond hair, and the shorter’s is mocha—

I’m out of the tunnel and scrambling across the narrow cliff face as quickly as I can. Too quickly. Harsh wind lashes through the rock formations so hard I wobble a little. My shoe catches on a lip, sending a rain of small rocks crashing down into the lake below.

Michael spins in my direction, and despite the fact that I’m fifteen feet higher than he is and at least forty feet away, our eyes lock. I can’t hear his voice, but his lips form my name. My heartbeat crashes unsteadily in my chest at the same time my muscles flood with relief. I grab for a handhold on the rock face. Try to stay upright.

With Donovan close at his heels, Michael sprints through the field and positions himself at the bottom of the shelf of rocks. “Gabby. Thank God. Are you okay?”

I bite my lip and nod because I don’t trust my voice. Tears swim on the surface of my eyes. I want to climb down the mountain and lunge into his arms, but I don’t have the right anymore, do I?

Michael runs his fingers over the rock wall, searching for a hand hold. “I’m coming up to get you.” He finds a spot and starts to transfer his weight, but Donovan clamps down on his shoulder, stopping him.

“No. It won’t hold you both. She has to do this alone.”

Alone. Right. Like—no. This isn’t a party of one, and I have to stop thinking like that. Just as Carl suggested, I called out for help and help arrived. Nicholas—in some facet—must care. Maybe it has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with not allowing Erik to have a way to create Shades. Even still, I’ll accept the guidance and protection offered.

With the tip of my shoe, I search for a lower foothold. I really only have to make it down five or so feet, and then they’ll almost be able to reach me. At that point, if I fall one or both of them will catch me. At the very least, I’ll land on them.