Timeless (12 page)

Alexandria thought about that for a long moment. "I see. So he knows you're a witch? Does he know that I'm a witch, too?"

Kat shrugged. "I guess so. It’s a family thing, after all. I figured you must have told him."

Alexandria shook her head. "I never said a word…" She paused for a moment, then continued. "So why were you throwing your shoes at him?" she asked, her mind in turmoil thinking about the host of possible reasons, none of which she imagined she'd like. She also wondered how long Bran had known she was a witch. Had he known all along?

"Did you
not
hear what I just said?" Kat said, jolting Alexandria from her thoughts. "He dragged me up the stairs by my arm like a common criminal, then barricaded me in my room! At my own party, in my own home. The cheek of him," she said, tossing her hair, then uncrossing and re-crossing her tanned legs. "He's lucky that's all I threw at him. You make sure to tell him that too, when—"

Alexandria cut her off abruptly. "You were going to practice witchcraft in front of everyone at the party?" she asked incredulously. "What were you thinking?"

"I was drunk," Kat said defensively, avoiding Alexandria's piecing glare.

"That's your excuse? You were drunk?"

"Lots of people were drunk. They probably won't remember a—"

Alexandria whipped up her hand. "Shut up."

Kat was about to object to the hand that materialized just inches from her face.

"Shush," Alexandria hissed, her eyes closing as she concentrated on the sound. "Do you hear that?" she whispered, opening her eyes, her gaze drifting towards the back door of the kitchen that opened out onto the back patio. Alexandria shot up out of her chair and ran out onto the patio overlooking the dark backyard and the gazebo tucked beneath a sprawling oak tree. The gazebo, a wreck of its former self, was propped up by vines, and the light cast from the silver moon filtered through the branches of the oak.

She ran in the dark all the way to the gazebo, the smooth stones in the path glistening in the moonlight lighting her way. When she reached the old structure, she climbed the rotting steps, which groaned painfully beneath each footfall. In the center of the gazebo, an old table pushed towards the back of the gazebo was overgrown by creeping vines. Amongst the vines something glittered, catching her eye. Hastily, she pushed the vines aside and discovered an antique locket. She picked up the chain and held it out at arm's length until the chain had completely unraveled. On the front of the locket was a pentagram, and to her surprise it was not a locket, but a pocket watch, which she recognized immediately.

Breathless, Kat arrived by her side just moments later. "I still can't hear anything. Are you sure you're not just imagining it?"

"I'm not imagining anything. It was a girl. A witch, I think. She's in danger. I could hear her, but…" Alexandria paused.

"But what?" Kat asked, slowly catching her breath. She looked at the pocket watch dangling on the chain. "Where did that come from? Whose is it?"

Alexandria shook her head, ignoring Kat's questions. "I can't hear her anymore." The pocket watch in her hand began to emit a whirring sound, and Alexandria opened the lid to see the hands of the watch whizzing around in an anticlockwise direction. "It's a pocket watch. I found it on the table just now. It was my father's. My mother gave it to him the Christmas before they died."

"So what's it doing here now? Someone must have left it here just recently. It couldn't have just been sitting here undiscovered for all these years. Raymond would have found it and flogged it off in some pawn shop the first chance he got. Thieving mongrel."

"I don't know," Alexandria murmured, lost in thought, then all of a sudden, she grasped Kat's hand in her own and squeezed. The gazebo creaked like old bones beneath their feet, then slowly it began to turn, gathering speed powered by the clasped hands of the two witches.

"Quick. Jump," Alexandria shouted over the whirling, creaking sound of the spinning gazebo, pulling Kat after her. They stood in silence at the foot of the gazebo as it continued to pick up speed, then abruptly fell deathly silent, transforming into a glowing, spinning orb.

"Jesus," Kat said, holding tightly onto Alexandria's hand, the breeze off the orb tousling their hair. "It's beautiful, but what the hell is it?"

"It's some kind of portal," Alexandria said, looking at the pocket watch still whirling in her hand. "This must be some kind of key or a power source of some kind. With our combined powers, I think we can control it."

"Awesome," Kat whispered. "Where does the portal go, exactly? Paris? I've always wanted to go to Paris. Do you think—"

"Or to whom," Alexandria said, looking at Kat and taking a step towards the orb. "I'm going in. I think I'm meant to save the girl. I think that's why I could hear her. It's like she is reaching out to me."

Kat tugged Alexandria back by the hand. "Are you serious? You can't just go charging in there like a bull at a gate. God only knows where you'll end up ... or if you can get back. I've read about these things," Kat said, motioning to the orb with her free hand. "You can't just hop on board and go whizzing around in God only knows what, to end up God only knows where. It
isn't a freaking carousel with a bunch of pretty horses that you can get off whenever you feel like it. We should wait for Aunt Mindy. Or Nina, the vamp, witch ... whatever she is." Kat was silent for a moment, deep in thought. "Unless of course you really think we could go to Paris. Just imagine the shoes and—"

"We don't have time." Alexandria pulled free from Kat's hand. "Don't you see, I have to go? Someone needs help, and they contacted
me
for help. I have no choice." She walked towards the glowing orb, the strong air current buffeting her body and whipping her floral sundress around her thighs. Suddenly she was jerked forward, as though the orb was surrounded by its own gravitational field.

Kat reached for Alexandria's hand, grabbed it, and then yanked her back. "Look. What's that in the center?" she asked, pointing into the bright center of the orb as a dark shape quickly began to grow. They both watched, mesmerized by the shape, as it transformed into a human figure. They looked at each other for a moment, then looked back at the orb.

Kat stepped a little closer. "Who do you think—" She sprang backward, wrenching Alexandria back with her.

A man in his early forties with long, fair hair tied back into a ponytail with a thin strip of leather appeared in front of them, as though the orb had spat him out. He was dressed in brown breeches and a white, long-sleeved, puffy shirt that was completely open down the front, exposing his broad chest. He stood in front of them, looking them up and down hungrily, then licked his lips, staring in disbelief at Alexandria's and Kat's bare legs. "Je crois que je rêve," he murmured, his eyes resting on Kat's cleavage.

Kat folded her arms across her chest and grimaced. "Do you mind, sleazoid? You're old enough to be my father." She looked him up and down in abhorrence. "Where the bloody hell did you come from, anyway?" she asked.

Moments later, a second man jumped from the orb, dressed in similar medieval garb, a sword in a gloved hand slicing the air above his head. “Arrêtez-vous la, fripouille crasseux!" he shouted at the first man.

Holding her breath, Kat's heart missed a beat. She was quick to notice that this man was much younger than the first. She unfolded her arms and flicked her hair, giving him a clear view of her cleavage. He was movie-star handsome, in a roguish kind of way. His long, dark brown hair hung loose to his shoulders, beneath a wide-brimmed hat. Under a long coat, he wore a laced gray shirt and knee-high leather boots over black, buttoned-up breeches. "Now
you
are definitely swoon-worthy," she murmured.

The young man, sweeping the cavalier hat off his head, bowed low, a lock of hair falling across his face. "Mesdemoiselles, un plaisir de vous rencontrer, toutes les deux."

The first man saw this brief reprisal as an opportunity not to be missed. He took one look at the spiraling orb, then hightailed it into the forest.

The second man spun on his heels, throwing his hat to the ground. "Arrêtez-vous la, fripouille crasseux!" he shouted again, watching the man disappearing into the dark forest. Exasperated, he turned quickly back to Alexandria, sheathed his sword, and then kissed her on the hand. "Mademoiselle." He bowed again, before turning his attentions to Kat. Taking her hand in his, he kissed it slowly, tenderly. "Mademoiselle. Votre beauté me coupe le souffle," he murmured, bowing again, his brown eyes not leaving hers for a moment.

Kat giggled, offering the dashing stranger one of her sweetest smiles. It took all of her resolve not to reach out and brush the stray tuft of hair away from his face with her fingers. "Who the hell are you, gorgeous, and can I take you home with me?"

"Absolutely," he replied in perfect English. "My name is D'Artagnan, and I would love to be of service to you," he said, a mischievous sparkle in his eye, a wide grin spreading across his face. He took a second to look around, then said, "Ferntree Falls. How lovely to be back," then, without any further explanation, he returned his gaze to the pretty, dark haired girl blushing profusely in front of him, and he smiled the most gorgeous smile Kat had ever seen.

She giggled again, thankful for the cover of night concealing her reddening cheeks. "You can call me Kat."

Alexandria frowned, shaking her head. "D'Artagnan? The D'Artagnan, from the Musketeers?" she asked dubiously, staring at him in utter disbelief.

"Yes and yes," he said, slightly amused, not letting go of Kat's hand. "The very same one, Mademoiselle."

"All for one, and one for all … those musketeers?" Kat asked.

"All for one, and one for all," D'Artagnan said with gusto, repeating the phrase. "I do like that. I may use it sometime."

"Oh, you will," Alexandria whispered, then, raising her voice above the whirling sound of the orb, she said, "Okay. Well, it certainly is a pleasure to meet you in person, D'Artagnan. Although I do have to confess that it is somewhat of a surprise, and I really do hate to be the one to throw a damp cloth over this whole chivalrous thing you've got going on here, but, you see, there's a girl in there," she motioned towards the spinning orb with the whirling pocket watch still in her hand, "that needs help."

D'Artagnan lifted Kat's hand, kissing it once again before turning it over and kissing her tenderly on the palm, at which a small sound escaped involuntarily from between her lips. "I shall return momentarily, Mademoiselle Kat," he said, freeing her hand and turning back to face Alexandria. "You have my undivided attention, Mademoiselle. Now, how do you propose we save this girl you speak of?" he asked, brushing his shoulder length hair behind his ears. "What is your plan, Mademoiselle?"

"My name is Alexandria," she said.

"Very well, Mademoiselle Alexandria. What is your plan?" he repeated with a teasing grin on his face, which she decided to ignore. This was no joking matter. A girl's life was in danger, after all.

"We go in there and I follow her voice until we find her, then we save her," Alexandria said simply.

D'Artagnan nodded. "Not bad. Do you have a plan B?" he asked, taking the pocket watch dangling from the chain in her hand and hanging it around Kat's neck. "For safe keeping," he said, his lips brushing her cheek, making her blush all over again.

Alexandria shook her head. "No. There isn't any time for a plan B—"

D'Artagnan seized Alexandria's hand in his, and holding on tight, he pulled her into the orb after him. "I didn't think so," he shouted over the whirring sound as they disappeared into the bright center of the orb.

Kat dropped to the ground and sat cross-legged on the grass. She leaned over, snatched D'Artagnan's hat off the grass, and crushed it against her chest. "Be still, my beating heart," she said, patting the hat with her hand. "I think I just died and went to bloody heaven."

Seconds later, the light emitted by the orb blinked out, the whirling wind fell still, and in the silent orb's place stood the gazebo, returned to its former beauty and the charm of bygone years. Masses of white fairy lights – or were they millions of tiny fireflies? She did not care to investigate – set the gazebo ablaze, like a timeless sentinel waiting for reinforcements.

A few moments later, a beautiful while wolf with amazing blue eyes appeared from the edges of the forest. He sniffed the ground, the gentle breeze tousling his fur, then trotted stealthily across the clearing to the gazebo. He sat for a moment, sniffing the air again, then walked over to Kat and sat down, licking her hand.

Kat ruffled the fur on his back. "Don't worry, she'll be alright."

The wolf nodded his head once, then dropped his snout on his front paws.

Kat looked up at the starry night and chuckled. "I actually think I know how you're feeling," she said, looking back at the wolf beside her. "That's a first for me, hey?"

The wolf licked her hand again, then whined, his blue eyes blinking in answer.

Chapter 12 – À Tout À L'heure.