The Source: Book III of the Holding Kate Series (38 page)

No. NO. NO! She had to get out of here. She needed to think. Her feet shifted, anxious for action.

“Go,” the queen instructed. “Come to me if you decide to stay. Otherwise, I wish you well with Gregory.”

Kate backed out of the queen’s chambers and ran.

KATE CAREENED THROUGH
the streets of Lumisfere seeing things differently now. The fountain was a sphere, not a globe. It was obvious to her new eyes. The original town was built in the layout of Heartwork Village. The palace was situated in the same place as the Admin mansion, the fountain where the Staying Well would be. The shops angled out exactly the same way as the shops back home.

Home.

She huffed a hysterical laugh as her tears blurred her vision. She had no home. Corey had chosen another. Hadn’t he? If Tara’s words were true, then Kate had betrayed her faith and her vows, everything! She was a harlot! She had lain with so many men she did not even remember them all. If she was still in Corey’s heart, he would be crushed by her evil and wickedness. She couldn’t face the idea that Corey was still true, chaste, reserved only for her while she had spread herself out like cheap butter on every bun that walked by.

NO! It was too horrible! She couldn’t bear it.

The queen was insane, senile. Or perhaps she was controlled by the dragon. Yes, between Gregory who saved her life, loved her, and had overlooked her many discretions, and this mad queen who told wild unbelievable stories, she would have to believe Gregory. Besides, she had seen the proof of Corey’s betrayal in the quantum wall.

NO! The queen was wrong. Kate knew the truth. She had watched Corey in Najwa’s arms, the kiss, the hugs, the caresses, the vile things they did in her bed. Kate bent over and retched. She had not allowed these thoughts to run unchecked in her head for a decade, it was too much to handle.

“Are you alright?”

Kate looked up and saw the first mate of their ship. He recognized her. “Kate, darling.” He reached for her.

“No!” She held up her hand and backed away from him, stumbling over a basket of fruit, then turned and ran as fast as she could.

NO. NO. NO!

She whirled around a corner and slammed into Gregory.

“Kate, darling, what are you doing out here?” He whipped his head around and scanned the streets, furtively. “No matter. We have to leave. Now.”

“What?”

He dragged her along as he walked swiftly toward the docks.

“We’re leaving. I have just talked to the Captain and the ship will be ready in half an hour.”

“Gregory! What has happened?”

“Nothing you need to worry about, darling.” He glanced behind them and quickened his pace.

“What is happening?” Kate jerked her arm out of his grasp and slammed her feet into the ground. “Tell me!”

He whirled around and took two strides back to her side. “Kate, these people are not as they seem.”

Kate let out a snort. That was an understatement.

“They are jumpers, or at least they used to be. I don’t know what their motives are but I get an uncomfortable feeling around King Taraj. He has plans for you and I don’t think they are in your best interests.”

“What did you hear?”

“The servants were talking in the dragon caves about how the king has decided you cannot leave. I don’t know what you did or said to him during that dance, darling, but he has fixated on you for some reason. I am getting you out of here, today.”

She nodded and matched his pace. She remembered the seething rage of the king as he glared at Gregory last night. Tara might be willing to let her go, but Trip was a different story. Eleven hundred years or not, they were obviously not in their right minds. Trip had already suggested locking Gregory up in a dungeon, and Tara’s bond with a dragon made her frightening. Whatever they once were to her, they had changed. They had always been dangerous to their enemies. If they perceived Gregory as an enemy, then he was in grave peril.

They moved through the city rapidly, stepping around carts and horses, skirting harkers and vendors, passing neighborly chats, and breakfast conversations. With every step, Kate’s dread grew. What was she doing? Was this the right thing? Was there a chance that Tara spoke the truth? Her heart grew more and more constricted and anxiety sketched her features.

They reached the dock and found the ship being readied for the journey. Crates and supplies were being hurried up the gang plank and the Captain bellowed out orders as the first mate checked off the items that were brought aboard.

As Gregory and Kate passed the first mate, she could feel him trying to catch her eye, but she stared straight ahead and would not look at him. They stepped onto the deck and the Captain greeted them.

“We’ll be under way soon. Your belongings have been stowed in your cabin.”

Gregory thanked him and led Kate to the bowels of the ship. When they entered their room she collapsed on the bed and sobbed.

“Kate, my love.” Gregory sat beside her and stroked her hair gently. “I know it has been a dramatic couple of days. I’m sorry I ever brought you here.”

She just continued to sob into the pillows.

“My darling, my dear, dear Kate. Let me comfort you.” He gathered her into his arms and she sobbed against his jacket. He kissed her brow and spoke soothing words.

“We will jump,” he stated. “We don’t have to live here anymore. When we get back to Dragon Castle, we will choose another home and jump there. You won’t have to worry about them coming after you.”

With that Kate’s sobs reached a heartbreaking peak.

She woke with a cold damp pillow pressed against her cheek. She had cried herself unconscious. Her head pounded and her eyes felt puffy. Her body still snubbed involuntarily, recovering from the traumatic breakdown.

Sunlight poured through the porthole window to form a circle on the filthy floor planks. She rolled over and pressed the back of her hand to her swollen eyelids. Now that the old Kate was out of her shell and fully coexisting with the new Kate, she needed to think. There had to be a way to know the truth from the lies.

Someone was playing her.

Was it kind and tender hearted Gregory? The man who loved her to an almost obsessed degree, the man who had cared for her every need with kindness and gentleness, the man who was uncharacteristically frightening in his dual personality a couple of nights ago.

Or was the Queen Tripka, aka Tara, insane? Had her longevity on this world caused senility to take root? Had the dragon she bonded to warped her mind?

King Taraj, aka Trip, seemed to corroborate her story about how long they had lived here. He did seem upset that Kate had given up on Corey. Wouldn’t they pity her plight more if Corey and Najwa actually were together? But he was just as old, perhaps he shared the queen’s delusions.

If only she could be a fly on the wall in Corey’s life…

Wait! She could see everything that happened between Corey and Najwa while they were in Spear Cathair! Gregory had the technology to show her all of the significant moments. But if Gregory was playing her, then that meant he had already shown her an altered version. She needed to see everything! Not just what Gregory wanted her to see.

But by the time they got back to Dragon Castle where she could access the wall, Gregory would be pressing her into another jump to get away from these “jumpers.” She wouldn’t have any guarantee that she would have time to slip away unnoticed and access the stream alone. She had to know before Gregory took her to another world or time. This was her only chance to get back to Corey, if it were true that he still cared.

Oh God! Let it be true!

Her heart pounded in her chest at the thought that Corey might still love her. There was no protecting herself now. Old Kate was out and all of her hope and love ricocheted around inside. It was painful, this growing seed, this possibility of hope. It stole her breath and caused her mind to melt into a puddle.

I need to find out sooner. The further I go away from Lumisfere, the harder it will be to get back in time. If only I could access the quantum stream on the ship.

Wait a minute.

Kate jumped out of bed, staggered for a moment to gain her sea legs, then knelt down at Gregory’s trunk, flinging it wide. Gregory had seen her and the first mate while they were on this ship! He had a remote access to the stream. If she could find it, then she could see the truth. She tore through his belongings frantically and finally came to a square silver case she had not seen before.

She lifted it out of the luggage and sat it on the bed. She rubbed the sweat from her hands and unlatched the three clamps holding it closed. Opening the container, she saw a contraption the size of a remote nestled in black cut foam. She picked it up and it activated in her hand.

The window gave her a selection and she tapped the word “project.” A laser shot out of the lens to three feet in front on her. She aimed it into the dark corner.

It was the quantum wall. She glanced down at the window and hit the scroll icon. The wall scrolled forward and stopped on an image of her holding the device just as she was now. There was nothing in the future.

“So Tara was right about that, the future cannot be accessed.” She scrolled backward through her multiple sexual encounters and cringed at each one. There were a few of Gregory in his lab. She scanned past those until the image of Corey and Najwa on the streets of Spear Cathair showed up. She braced herself and hit play.

The image was just as before. They walked along arm in arm, grim faced as they talked. They paused in front of Najwa’s home, embraced, then Najwa leaned forward to kiss Corey and he stepped back.

He stepped back!

Kate’s eyes widened as she saw Corey speak apologetic words. She saw him say her name, then turn and walk away, leaving Najwa alone on the street.

Kate’s breath came in rapid gasps as she realized what this meant. Gregory had lied to her. She wiped tears away and scrolled to the next image. Najwa and Corey in the lab, but they weren’t alone, Eunavae was there saying something scathing. Corey seemed to snap out of a trance then stiffen, and asked Najwa to leave.

The next image was Najwa standing naked in front of Corey, but Corey was sound asleep in this image, not awake and stimulated as he had been when Gregory showed her this incident. Najwa walked toward the bed where Corey slept and stopped as though considering something. Then a pained look crossed her face and she gathered her clothes and left him asleep.