Timespell (26 page)

“Yessss, Daughter ... look into our eyessss.”

The gorgon appeared, the only clear figure in the haze surrounding her. The chiseled face was breathtaking, terrifying in its beauty. Except for its eyes. The pupils that slit down like twin blades. A serpent’s eyes in a woman’s face. As soon as Julia looked at them the woman’s beauty twisted in on itself. Her flesh unveiled reptilian scales and her cracked, bleeding lips pulled back in a savage snarl. Julia tried to look away but her blood was thick with the venomous words that held her still, the eyes that froze her soul.

“Don’t look at its eyes,” Ethan yelled.

“Too late,” the gorgon rasped. “You are mine, Daughter!”

Magic engulfed her, scorching hot as the gorgon’s snake-hair reached out for her. The mark on her arm burned and she would have screamed if she could have broken away from the power of the gorgon’s horrible eyes.

A spray of white brightened the edges of Julia’s vision. She staggered forward and the gorgon’s face twisted with rage. Her snake-hair grasped for Julia, their mouths opened wide, dripping with venom.

“Use your power, Julia,” Ethan yelled. A pile of limp snakes lay at his feet and the gorgon in front of him clutched at her half-bald head. “Stun it.”

She writhed to avoid the monster’s gaze. Snakes lashed out
and bit her. One wrapped itself around her wrist. She punched with her free hand, only to have that wrist ensnared by the lashing snakes as well. “How am I supposed to stop this thing?”

White light sprayed through the gorgon’s chest and shot out of her eyes.

“Like that,” Angie said.

Julia freed her wrists from the lifeless snakes.

“Hurry. We can only stun them.”

“Ethan!”
Julia lunged forward, but Angie grabbed her by the arm before she could reach him.

“You have to come,” Angie said, “I don’t have enough magic to stun another one, and Kaitlyn’s being attacked.”

“But Ethan can’t do it alone.”

“The gorgon will turn Kaitlyn into stone.”

Julia yanked her arm away. “I can’t leave him!”

The gorgon kicked Ethan down the stairs and Julia raced toward him. Her heart tore in two as the gorgon leapt down the stairs after him. She couldn’t think of Kaitlyn, not now. She began gathering her magic.

“No!” Ethan shouted, blood gushing from a cut on his brow. “Go save the Daughter of Future!”

“But—”

The half-bald gorgon spun its head completely around, the move so unnatural Julia couldn’t speak.

“Daughter.”

Ethan leapt at the creature and held it back. Dozens of angry hisses followed. “Julia,
go.
I’m immune to the power of the creatures of Mythos. She can’t paralyze me. And I can kill her.”

“But she can kill you!”

“Go!”

She jumped at the thunder in his voice. A wave of anger rushed from his mind to hers, hot, insistent emotions that made it clear her help wasn’t welcome.

Fine. But he had better not die or she would be pissed off.

Tearing her gaze away, she raced back to the other girls. Angie
pushed magic out with her hands, but the faint traces of light made no impact on the gorgon holding Kaitlyn in its grasp. Julia gathered her magic within herself, waiting until the mark on her arm burned. With a grunt she thrust her hands forward and shot her magic straight at the monster.

The gorgon screeched and fell to the ground. White light flared from its eyes and chest. Julia almost fell to her knees before the gorgon finally collapsed.

“Daughters.”

“Holy cow, how many of these things are there?” Julia panted. She stumbled back to Ethan, who now fought two gorgons.

The half-bald gorgon grabbed him by the throat and Julia’s stomach lurched at the sight. She shot out her magic, making no impact on the creature. She tried again, crying out with the force of her power, but the gorgon wouldn’t let go.

Angie’s weak rays of magic reached the gorgon, who sneered and approached her.

“I’ve got this,” Kaitlyn said, setting her spike-heeled boots apart in a wide stance. Her eyes glowed bright green as her palms filled with magic. Twin rays of light left her hands, much more powerful than any Julia had ever seen. A creature went flying, and Ethan immediately sent bolts of lightning from his palms. He and Kaitlyn eyed each other and began working together, as if they were part of a choreographed magic fight. Stun-kill, stun-kill, until there was nothing left of the creatures except steaming piles of ash.

Kaitlyn touched the pendant at her neck as she sauntered up to Ethan with a sultry grin. “We make a good team.”

Julia’s breath rushed out of her lungs.

“Yeah,” Ethan said, giving her a fist-bump that looked strangely natural. “That wasn’t an easy one.”

“Freeze time,” Angie said. “Ethan’s hurt.”

Julia nodded, swallowing bile. She shook her head and forced herself to get a grip. A pinprick of heat formed in her chest. It
grew, spilling out from her heart like acid overflowing inside her. When Kaitlyn took her hand she almost couldn’t touch her.

“Julia? Do you need more magic?” Angie asked.

“Hm?” Oh, right, freezing time. “No. Sorry.” She forced everything from her mind until the world fell away. She held the present in her mind. Every thought and action of every person on Earth locked in place as she released the magic and opened her eyes.

“Losing your edge?” Kaitlyn said, her smile nearly as unpleasant as the gleam in her eyes.

Julia ignored her, wiping her hand on her skirt as soon as she was able. Her eyes found Ethan, who braced himself against a streetlamp.

“Are you okay?” Her voice sounded loud without street traffic and the noise of the ocean filling the air.

“I don’t think so.” He groaned, slumping to the ground, unconscious.

She raced to his side. He was covered in bite marks and scratches. Blood dripped from the gash on his forehead. He was so pale. So still.

She put her hands above his chest, not sure where he was the most hurt. “Restore,” she said.
Please let him be okay, please let him be okay.
“Ethan, wake up,” she whispered. Ethan’s long, curled lashes lay motionless on the curve of his cheek. Why wasn’t he waking up?

Kaitlyn’s shadow fell over them in the faded lamplight. “Let me try.”

“No,” Julia snapped. Tears burned her vision as she realized Kaitlyn was stronger with that stupid necklace. She should let Kaitlyn heal him, but she couldn’t bring herself to let go. “Restore,” she said again. Magic flowed from her body, a gentle give beneath her palms. She forced herself to remain steady, allowing the healing spell to work on him.

His lids lifted.

Magic—Ethan’s magic—flooded her vision. She saw him,
but he was completely different. He laughed at something as he pulled her close on a beach drenched in sunset pinks and reds. She became lost in his eyes. Not the silver she had always known. They were dark, dark brown.

Just like Brian’s eyes.

“Jules?”

His voice cracked on the word, bringing her back to the present.

“I’m here,” she whispered, the vision clearing from her mind. Was that the past or the future? She searched the silver eyes that now blinked up at her, but he didn’t seem to know he had sent her a vision at all.

“Julia,” he said in a dull voice as he turned away.

He was okay. The relief brought tears to her eyes. Why did it matter to her so much? She hardly knew him. With a hard swallow, she brushed the hair from his face.

He flinched.

“We have to complete the task and seal the portal,” Angie said. “We can’t wait any longer.”

Julia nodded, looking up as Kaitlyn offered Ethan her hand.

He took it.

“Thanks,” he said, getting to his feet.

How could he just take her hand? And say thanks to her while Julia still knelt beside him?
How could he?

“We’ll need to do something about our clothes before we go,” Angie said.

“There’s a costume shop off Pacific Coast Highway,” Kaitlyn said.

“Good idea,” Ethan said. He turned to Julia and held out his hand.

She got up without his help.

“Thanks,” Kaitlyn said, sauntering up and leaning against his shoulder. “Wow, I think I hit my head. I feel kind of weak.”

Ethan glanced at Julia. “Do you have enough magic to heal her too?”

Julia saw red. “You have got to be kidding.”

“I’ll do it,” Angie said. “Julia spent a lot of time on you. She might not have enough power left.” She added in an undertone, “If Kaitlyn’s really that hurt.”

“I can manage without it, I guess,” she pouted, her eyes fixed on Ethan.

The little skank. How dare she pout at Ethan!

Angie cleared her throat. “Let’s get back to the task, then.”

Julia stormed up the stairs after Ethan, her feet sliding with each sandy step.

“Are you okay?” he asked, steadying her. “Your heart’s going a mile a minute.”

“I’m fine,” she said, wrenching her arm away.

“What’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing,” she said, though the word sounded harsh to her own ears.

He pulled her close but she held herself stiff. Kaitlyn and Angie’s presence bored into her consciousness, one watching from the rails, the other keeping her gaze carefully averted.

“I can feel your anger, and although I’m doing my best to block out your emotions, I can tell you’re confused about us.” The words were low, his mouth close to her ear. She sucked in a breath, her eyes sliding shut. “But don’t be. Let me make it clear for you. There can never be anything between us. Ever.”

Her muscles turned to jelly. She hated the thickness clogging her throat. “You’re the one who kissed me. You messed with my head.”

“And you’re the one dating my
brother
,” he rasped, the words sounding like they had clawed their way up his throat.

Her heart rose in her chest. “I don’t have to be.”

He let go of her, backing away like she was toxic. “That won’t make any difference. Not now. I won’t let anything come between me and Brian.”

Words hung unspoken in the air as his gaze hardened on her.

Not even you.

He left her, rejoining Kaitlyn and Angie as the breaths she took burned her lungs and choked her throat. She hadn’t known Brian was his brother. Somehow, she still felt like the mess she was in was all her fault.

T
he costume shop wasn’t far. She spent the entire time-frozen walk ignoring Ethan. It actually wasn’t that hard to do. She couldn’t wait to get the task over with. The sooner she did, the sooner she could forget about him and live like a normal human being for a change.

“Can we get on with it?” Kaitlyn pushed the sleeves of her princess gown down off her shoulders.

“These clothes are all wrong,” Angie said. “Your dress is definitely Renaissance and mine looks medieval—”

“I’m not changing again,” Kaitlyn declared.

Julia drew up her knees. “Let’s just go.”

Angie and Kaitlyn sat down beside her, their gowns fluffing around them like melting scoops of ice cream.

“I guess it’s the best we can do,” Angie said.

Julia held out her hands. As soon as the other two took hold of her, she recognized the pull of magic, grateful for how smoothly it blocked out her thoughts, flowing through her veins as thick and sweet as warmed honey. She saw Kaitlyn’s eyes shut briefly. The magic felt so good she almost closed her eyes too, but she was aware of Ethan, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. His face was laced in shadow, his head lowered, even as his gaze remained fixed on her in the semi-darkness.

She tore her gaze away.

“Kaitlyn, you start,” Angie whispered. “Use your sight. Show us the threads of time.”

Kaitlyn tossed back her dark hair and began drawing out their magic. Julia didn’t resist, allowing her as much as she wanted to take. Kaitlyn’s emotions surprised her, though. Her longing to be
in control was overwhelming. Julia almost took back her hand, but the golden threads spread out in front of her.

“I did it,” Kaitlyn said, triumphant.

“Help me search through the different possible futures. Maybe we can figure things out.”

“Okay,” Julia said. She chose the thread closest to her. Colors swirled, forming shapes and a soundless world.

She saw a beautiful room filled with people wearing masks, laughing and dancing. She chose another thread at random and found everything fast forwarded to a room of angry people. They kept pointing at Kaitlyn. A man dragged her to her knees, while a woman sneered and ripped her dress. Jewels spilled out, bouncing across the gleaming floor.

“No, no, no,” Julia repeated, backtracking out of that future and into another. In this one Julia and Angie didn’t leave Kaitlyn’s side. The dancing went on as they looked through room after room. The last room down a long corridor overflowed with dancing slippers and wigs, a dressing room. Angie’s eyes grew wide. She reached out and grabbed a golden goblet.

“I see it,” Julia cried. “The second jewel!”

Angie shook her head. “There are some really terrible futures here if we separate.”

Julia kept searching through the future, confused by the new sets of choices in front of them. No matter which thread she chose, she kept finding them in the center of an enraged mob.

“I can’t anymore,” Kaitlyn said, the words coming out in a rush. The golden threads evaporated into a glimmering mist.

“That’s okay,” Angie said. “I know which one to follow.”

Julia waited as Angie built up her magic. Fleeting sensations coursed through her. She could tell that Angie was trying not to share her emotions, but she could only hide so much, and her love for David pumped through her like a pulse. Could the others sense her feelings for Brian and Ethan? She tried not to think of anything, especially not Brian or Ethan.
Hurry up, Angie.

It takes a lot of magic to time travel,
Angie said.

Julia sensed Kaitlyn’s curiosity probing against her mind.
Stop it.

Kaitlyn was fully in Julia’s thoughts now, an overwhelming presence. She felt her memories being unlocked—embarrassing moments, private moments—and she sensed Kaitlyn’s cruel humor like an echo of laughter through her memories.