forward, ready to go to the twenties. Esther stood between Kelly and me. Brand gave Kelly a nod then closed his eyes to prepare for his journey to the 1870s.
Chronos stared into his pocket watch and shook his head. He met our eyes each in turn, holding the gaze for a moment before moving to the next person. “I’m afraid I don’t have any more advice beyond this: kill all three aspects of Henry Winslow so you can come back to the present.”
“Good advice,” I said.
“I’m going to send you as close to where Winslow’s aspects went as I can, but it’s all guesswork. The first person out will be closest. I will do my best for the rest of you, but you may have a short trip to get where you’re going because my real focus is to make sure you don’t appear embedded in a wall or a tree. Are you ready?”
His words didn’t fill me with confidence, but we all nodded.
“In that case, you’re history,” he said.
A flash of light burst from the pocket watch, and everything went blue with white lights swirling around us. I kept hold of Kelly’s hand. The lights spun like a tornado with us standing in the center. I looked over at Rayna and saw her fly into the wall of light and disappear. Shortly after that, the lights engulfed Brand, and he was gone. Esther disappeared a moment later. Kelly and I stood still while the lights circled us faster and faster.
As quickly as they flared out, they disappeared, and we found ourselves standing in the middle of a desert with archers firing arrows in our direction. My guts twisted and I realized it was a good thing I hadn’t had breakfast. Kelly looked nauseated too. Then an arrow plunged into her chest.
“I think things just got interesting,” I said.
CHAPTER FIVE
RAYNA NOBLE
Rayna Noble felt nauseated as the white and blue lights encircled her; then in the space of a breath, she no longer stood within the whirlwind but outside it. The lights flashed brightly then dropped away, and she found herself standing in front of an old-time radio. She felt dizzy but the sensation passed a few moments later. A quick look around told her she stood in the center of a small apartment with old-fashioned furniture. A newspaper lay on the coffee table, so Rayna stepped over to check the date. The headline began:
TUNNEY WINS CHAMPIONSHIP, BEATS DEMPSEY IN 10 ROUNDS . . . She looked at the date: Friday, September 24, 1926.
“I’m really here,” she said. “I’m in 1926.”
And Jonathan was in ancient Egypt. They’d been together for only two months, but it was hard to imagine life going forward without him. It was as if she’d lived all her years to get to this one relationship and he’d lived all his years to reach her too. Why was she so worried? They were in love, and love couldn’t be bound by the hands of time.
She tossed her overcoat onto the sofa, moved across the hardwood floor to the window, and peered outside through the glass. The window looked down four stories onto a street with a Schorr Sporting Goods store; a W. Green Electrics place; and a bit farther to the left, a dentist’s office. It was daytime and people moved along the sidewalk. A few crossed the street in front of an old truck that looked brand new. A horse and buggy were parked down the block. The men wore hats, suits, and ties, while the women wore dresses, and it looked warm outside.
“This is incredible,” she said. “I’m in a completely different time.” And Jonathan was in yet another time. He didn’t even exist in the world she inhabited.
But he would soon.
Rayna left the small apartment, surprised that the front door wasn’t even locked. She didn’t know if that was unusual or if it meant the building had a doorman who maintained excellent security. She knew she couldn’t stay there, but she checked the number on the door—4B—in case she needed to know that then took the stairs to the ground level. Sure enough, a uniformed doorman stood at
Chronos stared into his pocket watch and shook his head. He met our eyes each in turn, holding the gaze for a moment before moving to the next person. “I’m afraid I don’t have any more advice beyond this: kill all three aspects of Henry Winslow so you can come back to the present.”
“Good advice,” I said.
“I’m going to send you as close to where Winslow’s aspects went as I can, but it’s all guesswork. The first person out will be closest. I will do my best for the rest of you, but you may have a short trip to get where you’re going because my real focus is to make sure you don’t appear embedded in a wall or a tree. Are you ready?”
His words didn’t fill me with confidence, but we all nodded.
“In that case, you’re history,” he said.
A flash of light burst from the pocket watch, and everything went blue with white lights swirling around us. I kept hold of Kelly’s hand. The lights spun like a tornado with us standing in the center. I looked over at Rayna and saw her fly into the wall of light and disappear. Shortly after that, the lights engulfed Brand, and he was gone. Esther disappeared a moment later. Kelly and I stood still while the lights circled us faster and faster.
As quickly as they flared out, they disappeared, and we found ourselves standing in the middle of a desert with archers firing arrows in our direction. My guts twisted and I realized it was a good thing I hadn’t had breakfast. Kelly looked nauseated too. Then an arrow plunged into her chest.
“I think things just got interesting,” I said.
CHAPTER FIVE
RAYNA NOBLE
Rayna Noble felt nauseated as the white and blue lights encircled her; then in the space of a breath, she no longer stood within the whirlwind but outside it. The lights flashed brightly then dropped away, and she found herself standing in front of an old-time radio. She felt dizzy but the sensation passed a few moments later. A quick look around told her she stood in the center of a small apartment with old-fashioned furniture. A newspaper lay on the coffee table, so Rayna stepped over to check the date. The headline began:
TUNNEY WINS CHAMPIONSHIP, BEATS DEMPSEY IN 10 ROUNDS . . . She looked at the date: Friday, September 24, 1926.
“I’m really here,” she said. “I’m in 1926.”
And Jonathan was in ancient Egypt. They’d been together for only two months, but it was hard to imagine life going forward without him. It was as if she’d lived all her years to get to this one relationship and he’d lived all his years to reach her too. Why was she so worried? They were in love, and love couldn’t be bound by the hands of time.
She tossed her overcoat onto the sofa, moved across the hardwood floor to the window, and peered outside through the glass. The window looked down four stories onto a street with a Schorr Sporting Goods store; a W. Green Electrics place; and a bit farther to the left, a dentist’s office. It was daytime and people moved along the sidewalk. A few crossed the street in front of an old truck that looked brand new. A horse and buggy were parked down the block. The men wore hats, suits, and ties, while the women wore dresses, and it looked warm outside.
“This is incredible,” she said. “I’m in a completely different time.” And Jonathan was in yet another time. He didn’t even exist in the world she inhabited.
But he would soon.
Rayna left the small apartment, surprised that the front door wasn’t even locked. She didn’t know if that was unusual or if it meant the building had a doorman who maintained excellent security. She knew she couldn’t stay there, but she checked the number on the door—4B—in case she needed to know that then took the stairs to the ground level. Sure enough, a uniformed doorman stood at
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