he was accustomed to seeing it in the night sky.
He was glad to be alone. Someone had been with him nearly every moment since he had woken from death. Keeping him occupied. Showing him wonders and filling his head with facts. It was nice to have a moment to think about where he was and what it all meant. And to think about his family.
It occurred to Gabriel again that although he was the one who had died that day of the bus accident, in some ways, it was as if his parents had died instead. They were alive in their time, but he couldn’t risk seeing them. Not really seeing them. He might be able to glimpse them from a distance someday, but he could never sit and talk to them. Never touch them. Never feel their arms around him. He felt the tears run down his cheeks as he thought about his parents. About his sister. About his friends. It was like the whole world had died and he alone had survived. They were gone and he still remained. And if what Ohin and Marcus said was true, he would remain for a very long time. He, who died first, would likely live longer than any of them.
He wiped the tears from him face. It felt good to let them out. To feel the pain of his loss. He knew these wouldn’t be the last tears he'd shed for the loss of his parents and sister, but he felt a little better. And after all, he wasn’t dead. He was alive. And more than alive. He was a Time Mage. Well, not yet. But he would be. And when he was...
The sound of someone walking along the fine gravel path encircling the courtyard reached his ears. Gabriel used the back of his white linen sleeve to wipe the rest of the tears from his cheeks. Looking up, he saw an elderly women approaching. She had short-cropped gray hair and pale gray eyes that complemented her alabaster skin. She was short, but not exceedingly so. It made her seem heavier than she was. She smiled as she approached.
“I see I am not the only one enjoying the stars this evening,” she said in a crisp British accent. That meant she really was British. Gabriel had learned that when someone spoke using the amulet to translate for them, the voice he heard in his head was always in his own Midwestern late twentieth century accent. If they had a different accent, they were speaking English.
“I’ve never seen the stars so bright,” Gabriel said.
“I’m not surprised, considering when you were born,” the woman said. “You were taken from the late twentieth century, yes?”
“1980,” Gabriel said. “I was born in 1967.”
“A short time,” the woman said. “Too short. Do you mind if I join you?”
“Sure,” Gabriel said, sliding over on the bench to make room.
“My name is Elizabeth,” she said, extending her hand. Gabriel shook her hand. Her skin was soft, but her grip was surprisingly firm. Now that she sat next to him, he noticed that she smelled like lavender. Then something occurred to him.
“You’re Elizabeth Palfrey,” Gabriel said, his eyes widening a little. “You’re the head of the Council.”
“Found out,” Elizabeth said with a wink. “I had hoped for a little anonymity for a while. I so rarely find any these days. Unless I’m traveling. I wanted to come and meet for myself the newest member of our little community.”
“Thank you,” Gabriel said. “That’s very kind of you.”
“Piffle,” Elizabeth said. “It’s totally self-serving, I assure you. Hardly anything I do is just to be polite. There is always a second intent, hidden or otherwise. The unfortunate side effect of being mistress of the manor.”
“You don’t seem to like being in charge,” Gabriel said, stating what seemed obvious before realizing that it might be rude to do so.
“Very discerning,” Elizabeth said. “No, I am not particularly fond of being the head of the Council, but someone has to do it, and the best qualified person has gone off to search for the meaning of her existence and the other possible candidate refuses to accept the mantle, so that leaves
He was glad to be alone. Someone had been with him nearly every moment since he had woken from death. Keeping him occupied. Showing him wonders and filling his head with facts. It was nice to have a moment to think about where he was and what it all meant. And to think about his family.
It occurred to Gabriel again that although he was the one who had died that day of the bus accident, in some ways, it was as if his parents had died instead. They were alive in their time, but he couldn’t risk seeing them. Not really seeing them. He might be able to glimpse them from a distance someday, but he could never sit and talk to them. Never touch them. Never feel their arms around him. He felt the tears run down his cheeks as he thought about his parents. About his sister. About his friends. It was like the whole world had died and he alone had survived. They were gone and he still remained. And if what Ohin and Marcus said was true, he would remain for a very long time. He, who died first, would likely live longer than any of them.
He wiped the tears from him face. It felt good to let them out. To feel the pain of his loss. He knew these wouldn’t be the last tears he'd shed for the loss of his parents and sister, but he felt a little better. And after all, he wasn’t dead. He was alive. And more than alive. He was a Time Mage. Well, not yet. But he would be. And when he was...
The sound of someone walking along the fine gravel path encircling the courtyard reached his ears. Gabriel used the back of his white linen sleeve to wipe the rest of the tears from his cheeks. Looking up, he saw an elderly women approaching. She had short-cropped gray hair and pale gray eyes that complemented her alabaster skin. She was short, but not exceedingly so. It made her seem heavier than she was. She smiled as she approached.
“I see I am not the only one enjoying the stars this evening,” she said in a crisp British accent. That meant she really was British. Gabriel had learned that when someone spoke using the amulet to translate for them, the voice he heard in his head was always in his own Midwestern late twentieth century accent. If they had a different accent, they were speaking English.
“I’ve never seen the stars so bright,” Gabriel said.
“I’m not surprised, considering when you were born,” the woman said. “You were taken from the late twentieth century, yes?”
“1980,” Gabriel said. “I was born in 1967.”
“A short time,” the woman said. “Too short. Do you mind if I join you?”
“Sure,” Gabriel said, sliding over on the bench to make room.
“My name is Elizabeth,” she said, extending her hand. Gabriel shook her hand. Her skin was soft, but her grip was surprisingly firm. Now that she sat next to him, he noticed that she smelled like lavender. Then something occurred to him.
“You’re Elizabeth Palfrey,” Gabriel said, his eyes widening a little. “You’re the head of the Council.”
“Found out,” Elizabeth said with a wink. “I had hoped for a little anonymity for a while. I so rarely find any these days. Unless I’m traveling. I wanted to come and meet for myself the newest member of our little community.”
“Thank you,” Gabriel said. “That’s very kind of you.”
“Piffle,” Elizabeth said. “It’s totally self-serving, I assure you. Hardly anything I do is just to be polite. There is always a second intent, hidden or otherwise. The unfortunate side effect of being mistress of the manor.”
“You don’t seem to like being in charge,” Gabriel said, stating what seemed obvious before realizing that it might be rude to do so.
“Very discerning,” Elizabeth said. “No, I am not particularly fond of being the head of the Council, but someone has to do it, and the best qualified person has gone off to search for the meaning of her existence and the other possible candidate refuses to accept the mantle, so that leaves
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