by Allison West
Orla cautiously strode up to the woman with her daughter. "Ma'am, might you be able to help me?" Orla embellished her accent. "I am trying to get to Times Square, but I'm turned around."
"You're quite a way from there," the woman said. "You'll need to catch the subway."
Orla spun around on her heels, glancing in every direction. "Where's that?"
The woman smiled politely and opened her purse, finding an old tattered receipt and pen. "I'll write the directions," she said, turning toward the building that they had stepped out from. She leaned on the door, using it as leverage, her back turned from her daughter as she wrote down the directions from each train, which one to take, and in what direction.
Arianna had one fleeting moment to make the right choice. It didn't feel right, but she knew regretfully that it had to be done. She covered the girl's lips and struck the dagger across the young girl's throat. She had one opportunity, and she had to be certain the girl was dead. It was horrific and vile, and Arianna would never sleep again, but the world would be safe. One murder instead of millions. She withdrew the blade and hurried swiftly with Orla around the corner of the alley, hiding in the darkness until they could slip away.
"Help!" the young girl's mother screamed in agony, shouting for assistance, begging for someone to call an ambulance and the authorities.
"Now, we must find my mother," Orla whispered, keeping her voice to a hush. "Hopefully, Lil and Hudson are already with her. Well, you still exist," Orla said, glancing Arianna over. The young human girl had not ceased to exist, yet. "I'm not sure if it worked or not."
Arianna didn't move, her body heavy like lead as she stared into oblivion, the image of what she'd done replaying over in her head. Guilt drenched her soul.
"Snap out of it. We don't have time for you to have a massive mental breakdown." Orla grabbed Arianna by the arm and dragged her farther down the road, out of sight and toward safety.
"It's not possible," Morgan stared at the wand that Lil and Hudson handed to her. The same wand that she held in her possession.
"Where did you get this artifact?" Morgan asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"We already told you," Lil repeated, growing frustrated that Morgan wasn't listening to her. "It was given to Orla after your people were murdered by Eilith."
Morgan stood from her chair and paced the length of the room. "I don't know this Eilith that you speak of. If what you say is true and that you've traveled through time, there are consequences for such actions."
"What kind of consequences?" Hudson asked.
"History might change," Morgan said. She lit the candles on the windowsill, using only her finger. A simple, magical touch brought fire to the wick.
"That was our plan," Lil said. Had Morgan been asleep when they had recounted all they had been through? "We intended to stop Eilith. If you don't believe us, Orla said that you could seek her out. There will be two of her."
Morgan rolled her eyes. "I am aware of my powers, child." She sauntered back to her throne and sat down. Her fingers caressed the material that looked to be made of ice; the soft translucent blue looked chilly.
A moment later, Arianna and Orla stood in front of Morgan.
"Mother," Orla exhaled, her eyes watering at the sight of the woman she had recently buried.
Morgan's eyes narrowed, and she stood again, reaching out a hand, caressing Orla's cheek and then her hair. "You're so beautiful."
"Is it done?" Lil asked, interrupting their moment together. They had materialized out of the air. There had been no vortex, no portal, no evidence of their arrival, other than their existence in front of them. Was it real?
Arianna turned around to face Lil and Hudson. "We can't know if it worked, but, yes, it's done." Her eyes were dark with tears, red and bloodshot as she swiped a few remnants that remained of the salty trail down her cheek.
"Mother," Orla said, staring up at the woman that had raised her. "I never thought I'd see you again." She rushed toward her mother, throwing her arms around the fairy queen.
"Time is a tricky beast," Morgan said, returning the hug before finally untangling from Orla's embrace. "Your history wasn't kind to me, but you've been brave and selfless. Arianna, I cannot erase the pain without taking your memories of your mother, and I suspect you wish to hold onto the truth."
"I do not desire to be an orphan," Arianna said, "any more than I have already been one." To know the past meant she felt pain, but to have it erased, changed, and rewritten, she feared what that would bring.
Orla reached for her mother's arm, gently touching her. "I have but one final request, Mother."
"Yes," Morgan said, retreating once again back to her throne. "What is it, Orla?"
Orla stood beside her. "Will you send us back to where we belong? We have friends lost in the future in Orenda, on an island that is probably remote. Though, now, I don't know what might have become of them."
Morgan held the wand in her hands, her fingers stroking the tip as she listened to her daughter's request. It was not an impossible task, if she had all the information required. "What are their names?" Morgan asked.
Lil stepped forward, giving their names as they asked to return to their rightful home.
"Very well," Morgan said with a nod.
Hudson reached for Lil's hand.
"I shall also return you all to your rightful time. Although, please know that the world you've come to be familiar with has changed."
They would have the opportunity to see the future, the Orenda that they had changed. If another demon sorceress had taken over, or Eilith was alive and nothing had truly changed, then they could escape. Would they be able to protect Lil's world? No one knew with absolute certainty until they discovered what they were up against.
Epilogue
"What happened?" Willow asked, finding herself sitting on the floor in her loft. Jamie lay beside her, shirtless, the stitches raw, but the color in his skin had begun to return. Her childhood home had pictures on the walls, her parents in images she didn't quite recognize but knew that meant one thing: they had lived past the last moment she remembered with them.
Lil sat on the floor across from her, with Arianna, Rawlie, and Hudson all gathered around. They looked worn, filthy, and like they'd been through hell.
"I think we did it," Arianna said. "We changed the future." She didn't elaborate on what she'd done to stop her own mother. The details, she vowed never to share with anyone.
Jamie grimaced, still quite in a bit of pain from the recent surgery.
"Let me help you." Lil bent down, kneeling beside Jamie, her hands touching him, healing his body. The stitches slowly vanished as Lil once again had the ability to heal.
The front door squeaked open, and footsteps could be heard downstairs.
Everyone froze, upstairs in the loft.
"Who do you think that could be?" Jamie asked.
Willow's eyes widened as she peered cautiously around the banister to see who had come inside. Had it all been for naught? Was there another evil sorceress in Eilith's place?
"Willow, Jamie?" a soft, familiar voice echoed from downstairs.
"Mom?" Willow jumped up and tore down the stairs, her eyes glistening with tears. She threw her arms around her mother, Jamie trailing a few steps behind, his injuries healed.
"Hey. What's wrong, sweetie?"
Willow merely shook her head no. Her mother wouldn't remember the past that never was, and she couldn't tell her. It would seem nonsensical. "I just missed you, that's all."
"Do you have friends over?" her mother asked, hearing soft chatter coming from upstairs.
"Yes." Willow nodded slowly. She hadn't been used to having an adult around. "Is that okay?" The last thing she wanted was to disappoint her mother.
"I think it'll be fine. We can call and ask your father if he doesn't mind picking up some extra food at the grocery store. If he's okay with it, we can invite your friends over for dinner."
"Thank you, M
om," Willow said, holding back more tears. It all seemed too good, too real, too happy. Was she dreaming?
"Why aren't you wearing a shirt?" their mother asked and laughed, giving Jamie a hug. "Put some clothes on and call your father, Willow. Your friends are welcome to come downstairs. There are plenty of snacks in the cabinet. Let them know to help themselves."
Willow felt dazed until she glanced up toward the stairs. How would she explain to her mother the presence of Lil? They looked nearly identical. Not to mention she had two boys over, Rawlie and Hudson. It had been so long since her mother died, she hadn't known how she'd react regarding boys in the home.
Maybe sneaking them out would be a better idea.
"I should be heading back home," Lil said. She kept her voice down, not wanting to interrupt the moment between Willow, Jamie, and their mother.
Hudson laughed, reaching out for Lil's hand.
"Is this goodbye?" Lil asked. She already knew the answer. He had family in this world who hadn't died and a home to return to. There was no way that she could ask him to come with her, even though she wanted to keep him to herself, steal him away from his world and bring him home. It felt like she'd never see him again, but she hated goodbyes.
"I don't want it to be, but I think it is," Hudson said, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her in for a hug. "Thank you, for everything."
She smirked, her own arms embracing him even tighter. "If you ever decide you need a vacation, one far from home, come look me up." Lil knew traveling between worlds wouldn't be easy, and with Eilith no longer hell bent on destroying both worlds, the gate being open was probably no longer an issue.
He leaned in, his fingers caressing her cheek before capturing her lips in a soft, warm kiss, holding her close.
The memories and feelings that had been stolen by Morgan seemed to resurface, causing tears to slip past her cheek as she kissed him, not wanting to loosen her hold. Lil knew she was being selfish; this was good for him, for his world, and his family, but she hated that she wouldn't see him again. "I don't want this to be goodbye," Lil confessed. "We—do you remember?" Her heart ached a thousand times more now, knowing what she would miss, his love.
"I almost wish I didn't." Hudson gasped as the memories flooded through him. "We can make this work, you and me."
"How?" Lil couldn't find a reason to stay in his universe. Even if she wanted to, her sister was back at home, her life was… practically non-existent. Her grades were terrible, and she had no plan whatsoever for her future but leaving. What would she do in Orenda? "I don't know. I mean I'm open to it, but—"
"There's open enrollment for Nightblood University. The academy is like a prep school for uni," Hudson said. "We could still see each other and be together."
Lil grinned, rising up on her tiptoes to capture his lips in hers. "I would like that. I need to return home, let my family know what's going on. Maybe I could convince Jamey to attend Nightblood Academy." It had already been brought up by their mother, and Lil wanted to keep an eye on her sister. She had been healed by the fae, but with the future having changed, Lil didn't know how she was doing back home. If she could help her sister, she would do anything in her power to protect her and heal her, all over again.
Arianna sat silently on the floor.
Lil released her hold from Hudson and bent down to face Arianna. "You should come with me."
"What?" Arianna's brow furrowed. "I don't know." She looked the least happy of the group, and for good reason. She was an orphan now that her mother was dead. The world was a better place, but she had partly sacrificed her own happily ever after.
Rawlie gestured for them to be quiet. "Keep your voices down. We don't want to startle her mother."
"We're your family, Arianna," Lil said. "Your mother is gone. Do you have anyone else? I'm going to try to enroll in Nightblood University. I'll be back in Orenda soon."
Arianna shook her head. "If I leave, I'm not sure I want to come back."
"That's your choice. You can start fresh, a new life, with new possibilities," Lil suggested. "I know you've been through a lot, and no one, either world, is going to know it but us. I think it's important you have people who know what you're going through. We can help with that." Lil didn't know how Arianna had come to survive, perhaps some strange paradox involving time travel had allowed her existence to remain, or maybe it had been the fae that had used a bit of their magic without anyone else's knowledge.
"We could help too," Hudson said. "Arianna and I spent years together at the academy. If she doesn't want to leave this world, I'm sure we can find her a home with us."
"I think I'd prefer to leave this world, at least for now, if you don't mind." Arianna slowly stood from the floor, nodding. It would be a new life for her, a better life for her and everyone else. No one else could have made the same sacrifice, murdering Eilith without risking Arianna's existence. "A fresh start."
"How will I return?" Lil asked, squeezing Hudson's hand. She wasn't sure that she would still be able to travel between both worlds.
"Your mother attended Nightblood Academy. I don't believe it will be a problem. We'll make sure the headmaster accepts your enrollment and sends you a formal invitation." Hudson wrapped his arms around Lil once more. "Until we meet again," he said, covering her lips with his, his fingers moving down her back, holding her tightly to him.
"Mom?" Lil unlocked the front door, stepping inside with Arianna just a few steps behind her.
"Lil, is that you?" Her mother rushed out of the kitchen and around the hall, pulling her daughter into her arms. "We were worried sick about you. Where have you been?"
Lil wasn't sure how long she'd been gone. She breathed a sigh of relief, catching sight of her sister Jamey rushing down the stairs to throw her arms around her older sister.
Her eyes slammed shut as she held Jamey against her, relieved her sister was all right. She had hoped she'd found her way home and Bray had managed to take care of her. Had she even remembered what had happened, or had it all vanished from her mind?
"It's a long story. I'm sorry, Mom. I'm home now, and safe. I brought a friend with me. She needs a place to stay; I hope that's okay."
"Let me call your father and let him know you're home. We were all worried sick about you running off for the past couple of hours. I know we shouldn't have sprung the brochure for Nightblood Academy on you girls, but we really thought sending you both would be in your best interests." Lil's mother headed for the phone in the kitchen. The girls followed behind her.
"Nightblood Academy?" Arianna whispered from behind Lil, glancing at the brochure on the counter.
Lil cleared her throat, confused. "You wanted to send us both to that boarding school?" She had remembered her mother wanting to enroll Jamey. Had things changed back in her world too?
Lil's mother left a quick message for her husband about Lil returning home before hanging up the phone, returning back to their conversation. "I felt guilty about our talk that we had this morning. I guess I didn't realize how selfish I had been not enrolling you when you came of age. I know it's late now, but they have a program that you both can join, including a college curriculum for you, Lil, just across campus at Nightblood University."
"We talked about this, this morning," Lil repeated, having remembered it had been some time ago that her mother had shown her the brochure. Which meant she hadn't been missing long, and her trip to Italy hadn't yet happened. Maybe it wouldn't if she agreed to attend the academy. As much as a trip to Europe sounded fun, an adventure with her friends in another universe was an even better idea. "You want to send us to Orenda?"
Their mother glanced briefly at Arianna before smiling tight lipped, probably trying to avoid the specifics on where this school was located. "We can discuss it more over dinner. You haven't been taking your studies seriously, Lil, and I would like to see you both get a proper education. It's never too late to enroll."
Lil glanced back at Arianna. She wasn't going to leave
her friend behind. She would convince Arianna to join her in Orenda. "I would like that very much."
"Do I get a say?" Jamey asked, folding her arms across her chest.
Lil's mother glanced Arianna once over and smiled, momentarily ignoring her youngest daughter's plea. "You are welcome to stay as long as you like, but please make sure your parents know where you are and that you're safe. I'd hate to have them worried like we were when we couldn't get ahold of Lil."
Arianna smiled politely. "Of course." She didn't elaborate, and Lil's mother didn't ask any further questions.
"You girls have a few weeks until the next semester begins. I'd like to start the paperwork and get you enrolled in the academy. We'll discuss it more in private, later." It was clear that she didn't want to speak of it any further in front of their guest.
Lil smiled weakly and headed for the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water. "I think we're going to hang out for a bit. Let us know when dinner is ready?"
"Will do. Have fun, girls."
Fae magic had left an impression on the two worlds, forever creating a new timeline. Orenda had been an alternate universe Lil had never expected to exist. Two worlds divided by a single event unbeknownst to them. Arianna’s actions had once again split the worlds that they knew, creating a third world, a new timeline that they now live in, a better world for Orenda, without a demon sorceress. Lil had returned home, to a world she knew but it had been Willow's world that had changed its history and its future. Orenda had divided once again, splitting into another reality, an alternate universe that had with the magic of the Fae saved a girl who had saved her world. For without her, Orenda would be forever doomed.
The End
Allison West
Allison West is a #1 International Best-Selling Author in Erotica, BDSM, Romantic Erotica, Sci-Fi, Victorian, and Historical Erotica. She also writes young adult novels under the name Ruth Silver.
