Perilous Waters (38 page)

Julia and Kaitlyn stood only a few feet away.

“It’s here! The portal,” Julia yelled.

The glowing red circle was exactly as it had been in Paris, pulsing with darkness, only this time a pool of lava protected it.

“I can’t Journey us across the lava and battle all this dark energy at the same time,” Julia yelled. “I need a force field.”

“Kaitlyn, can you conjure one? With my help?”

“Definitely,” Kaitlyn said, holding out her hand. Angie took it, and Julia’s as well.

Kaitlyn threw her head back and almost immediately, a bubble of golden light encased them. Angie added her own strength to the force field until none of the oppressive darkness could penetrate it.

Julia shut her eyes. “Ready?”

Angie squeezed her fingers in response. A moment later they became weightless. Their bodies sped across the lava.

“There’s nowhere to land,” Julia said.

Lava bubbled around the pulsating orb of red energy. If Julia couldn’t maintain the spell, they would fall into the steaming molten rock.

Could they seal the portal while Julia still Journeyed them? Not without letting go of their connection to relink their hands in the portal.

But it might be their only choice.

“Bring us closer,” Angie called. “We will have to try to link within the portal while you hover us above it.”

An explosion of lava shot through the cave.

Julia’s face glowed red with fiery light. “This is insane.”

Kaitlyn sent a surge of energy through their force field. “What’s insane is that you aren’t doing what Angie says, now of all times.”

Julia grimaced. She brought them closer to the portal.

Kaitlyn reached out with her free hand. “Almost there—”

“I-I can’t hold on.”

“You have to hold on!”

They inched closer. Angie waited…
nearly there… nearly there…
The moment they were within reach, she thrust her hand into the throbbing circle of dark red, bringing Julia’s hand with her. “Don’t let go!”

Kaitlyn joined them, linking her hand to Angie’s wrist. Julia wriggled her hand until it touched Kaitlyn’s. The moment their hands touched within the pulsating mass, light shot out from within it and launched Angie’s spirit from her body.

~ Chapter 35 ~

Julia

Powerful
magic wrenched Julia out of her body. It flung her spirit into the cave wall. She tried to gasp, to scream, but without a physical form, she could do neither. The world held no feeling to her, but little by little she was drawn to her detached body.

Relief spiraled through her as her face broke through the rock and she caught sight of the Fates. She hovered near the other girls, each of their empty bodies left suspended near the portal.

Just relax
, she told herself.
You’re only a disembodied being about to be taken over by an ancient goddess.

The sight of her body mesmerized her, still in mid-air. They floated above a swirl of blackness looking vacant and limp, like dolls. All at once the three of them straightened. Their emotionless faces turned from one to the other with white glowing eyes.

Julia looked for Angie or Kaitlyn’s spirits. A chill passed through her essence as she observed the other girls’ ghosts, grayscaled and almost transparent. It would be all too easy for the Fates to leave them like this, floating on the fringe of existence.

Their three bodies rose above the portal, arms lifting in unison.

The one in Angie’s body spoke first. “They again found the portal in time.”

Before Julia could reconcile the low, powerful voice that came from Angie’s sweet, delicate face, Kaitlyn spoke. “And again, they made mistakes. More so than the first time.”

Watching the Fates speak through Angie and Kaitlyn was too weird. But not as weird as seeing her own lips move. Julia reflexively covered her mouth as her body moved and a rich voice said, “The mistakes they made will lead to remarkable good, if they remain united.”

“And if they do not, then the Great War is to be revisited on world,” Kaitlyn said, “for the witch grows strong.”

Angie’s face remained impassive. “It is true that the Daughters are easily swayed.”

“We must have faith in the priestesses we have chosen, Atropos,” Julia watched herself say.

“As we did with Indira?”

Julia would have sucked in her breath if she had been breathing. She exchanged glances with ghost-Kaitlyn and ghost-Angie.

Had Indira been like them? A Daughter of Fate?

“The goddess of sorcery has attempted dominion across too many timelines,” Kaitlyn continued. “Too many generations. We thought she would be but a millennia or two’s nuisance, yet now she has discovered how to manipulate the threads of time. And now that Indira has been set free once more, the threat of the Sorceress is that much greater.”

“That is a burden for the Daughters to deal with, and not our affair,” Angie said. “We shall seal the portal. For now, the world will be safe.”

Kaitlyn’s hair blew back. Her eyes glowed more fiercely and her scar gleamed. “When will we let them end this war with the Sorceress? When will this arrogant, so-called goddess at last be dealt with?”

“Peace, Clotho,” Julia watched herself say, her voice warm and soothing. “Ours is not to determine her end. She is challenging the mortal world. We have equipped mortals with tools to defeat her. The rest is up to them.”

“We should have made an exception long ago for her.” A Fate-controlled Kaitlyn faced the portal with sightless eyes. “Now, with the talismans in her possession, her power is nearly boundless.”

Angie’s voice rose as she faced the other goddesses. “The power of the Daughters is strong, as well. Never forget, we created them.”

There was silence then. Julia sensed something shift between them… a tension that strung across the world, as if the discord between the Fates might cause the very air to snap.

“These mortal bodies we share lend us their conflicts,” Kaitlyn said. “We suffer them too long.”

“And we have left the world in limbo long enough,” Julia’s Fate-controlled lips whispered, her voice overlapping through the cave. “Come, sisters.”

Julia wanted to ask them to wait. To explain. How long ago had Indira been a Daughter of Fate? And what had they meant, about dealing with the goddess of sorcery? Were they the Daughters who would finally put an end to the Sorceress?

There was nothing to be done, though. As they had in France, the Fates faced the portal. The portal swirled and swelled. The girls’ bodies grew so bright that Julia couldn’t see the details of their features anymore. The entire cave burst with beams of white energy that shot from the portal as Julia’s spirit rushed back into her body.

Julia fell forward on the craggy ground. She couldn’t breathe. Cold sweat trickled between her shoulder blades.

“Illuminate,” Angie said in a shaky voice.

Their face lit with blue light in the dim cave.

“Let’s find a safe place to rest,” Angie said, pushing strands of pale hair out of her eyes. “The mission is complete. It’s time to regain our strength and go home.”

“The lagoon,” Julia said, remembering where they had rested before. “We won’t have to worry about being near the ocean now that the portal is sealed.”

“Can you teleport us, Julia,” Kaitlyn asked, her voice nearly muffled by the crash of a wave echoing through the darkness. “I would rather not go through the entire cave all over again.”

“Good idea,” Julia said, searching for Ethan’s presence. “Just give me a sec.”

Ethan?

I’m here,
Ethan said.
I’m all right.

Her eyes fell shut. For a moment she couldn’t speak, even through their minds.

I assume you were you able to seal the portal. The creatures dissipated into the nether all at once a minute ago.

Yes. I’m about to teleport us out of the cave now. There’s a pretty amazing lagoon close by. It’s peaceful, with a waterfall that flows right into the ocean. There are guava trees and mango and other fruits we can eat while we rest up and get our magical strength back.

All right. Summon me once you’re there—

“Julia?” Angie prompted.

“It’s dark and smells like dead fish in here,” Kaitlyn said. “Can we get a move on?”

“Oh. Right.” Julia accepted the meager flow of magic the other girls offered her until she felt certain it would be enough. She could sense the other girls’ fatigue, but they would be able to rest for as long as they needed once she got them out of the cave.

“Journey,” she whispered.

Her magic swelled and the world moved beneath them. Julia was surprised to see that night had fallen. She looked for Ethan outside of the cave, but she couldn’t see him against the dark ocean.

She followed the coast to the island’s opposite side, past the little village until the lagoon came into view. As soon as they landed, she took giant gulps of fresh ocean air, still feeling as though the cave might somehow jump up and rob her of this beautiful, starlit beach.

I’m here,
she told Ethan. And without hesitating further she held out her hands and whispered, “Find me, Wanderer.”

~ Chapter 36 ~

Julia

Mist
filled her lungs as Ethan’s form took shape. Julia tugged his hands, pulling him close. Solid arms wrapped themselves around her. She pressed her cheek against his warm chest and the fear that had been choking her heart melted away. Dark caves and creatures and savage pirates couldn’t reach her. Not now.

The soft call of wild birds mixed with the sound of water lapping at the shore. She couldn’t remember another moment that felt more perfect. When she lifted her face, she found Ethan staring down at her. His silver eyes shone like twin stars. Emotions churned in their depths. Julia swallowed tightly. She wasn’t ready to release the comfort of his broad shoulders. With a shudder, she curled her fingers into the folds of his shirt and let herself enjoy his warmth.

“Ethan,” she whispered, nearly choking on his name.

He exhaled and held her tighter. “If you’re hungry, I can gather some food for you and your Sisters,” he said gently.

She nodded silently, forcing her hands to slide down and away from him. The other girls sat on a bluff with their feet in the sand, talking softly to each other. She took a step in their direction, stumbling with the motion.

“Here,” he said, slipping his arm around her waist before she could fall. Julia leaned on his shoulder as he led her to the soft grass. Frightened as she was to trust in the consoling arms that held her close, she let herself forget the months of heartache and anger and focused on the here and now. No matter what had happened in their pasts, or what would happen in their futures, this moment was perfect. And it was the only one that mattered.

Ethan made no attempt to connect with her mind, which was probably for the best. She was on the brink of crying for no reason she could figure out.

Kaitlyn and Angie spoke in hushed undertones. Julia registered that they were talking about food, going back and forth daydreaming about the meal they would each have as soon as they returned to the present.

“I need a day at the spa,” Kaitlyn murmured, already nibbling on a mango. “How soon before you can Voyage us, Angie?”

Angie twirled her hand in front of her, bringing a sparkle of golden light to her fingertips. “My magic is still so weak.”

“Let’s wait, then,” Kaitlyn said. “We ought to have enough between the three of us for Julia to Journey us as soon as we return to the present.”

Julia nodded. Eager as she was to return to their own timeline, she remembered what the Fates had said. She didn’t want to make any other mistakes.

“How are you feeling?” Ethan asked, still holding her.

Her lips parted, but before she could speak, an explosion threw her from Ethan’s arms and shattered the peace that had grown in her heart. Air rushed from her lungs. She couldn’t move. The only noise she heard was a high-pitched ringing sound.

Kaitlyn rushed toward her as Angie cast a strange spell, her arms reaching out and sending golden light across the horizon. The starry sky had disappeared beneath billows of smoke. Julia tried to get up, only managing to prop herself on her elbows before another explosion shook the world. This time a glowing force field surrounded her. The bubble of light vanished as her vision went black.

Her body shook violently and she forced her eyes open to find Ethan’s face inches from hers. His lips moved as though he were yelling, but she couldn’t make out anything beyond the ringing in her ears.

Ethan held her against him and forced her to stand. She stumbled through her steps, gaining strength as they walked toward the tree line.

“Pirates,” Angie said. “They must be attacking that little fishing village.”

“What could they possibly gain from that,” Julia demanded. “Those villagers aren’t going to have jewels and gold—”

“Who cares,” Kaitlyn said. “We aren’t supposed to even be here. Our mission is over.”

“I care,” Julia said, racing through the dense tree line toward the rocks.

“Get back here,” Angie yelled, but if she said anything else, it was lost in the next explosion. She covered her throbbing ears, hoping to drown out the screams that curdled her blood. They should help these people. It was still early on in the attack. They could cast a spell of protection.

Gunfire boomed and smoke clouded her vision as she approached the town’s edge. She choked through each breath and the pain in her ears increased with each passing second, but she needed to get closer.

Someone took her wrist and tried to turn her around.

“No,” she yelled, but she couldn’t hear the sound of her own voice. She pressed her hand against her ear and said, “Restore.” When she lowered her hand, the pain was gone and the noise of the attack returned to her. She lifted her hand to her other ear. “Restore,” she repeated.

“What are you doing?” Ethan asked. “We need to leave!”

Her gaze flew to the tiny homes nestled in clusters near the shore. All of those people—

You can’t.

Ethan’s voice startled her. She hadn’t realized she had formed the connection with him, but his presence in her mind became a massive force. His silver gaze remained hard beneath his shag of dark hair. “This is not our timeline. You have to stop with these ideas.”