“Don’t mind me,” Ty told me as he held my hand tight. I had a feeling he didn’t want me to let go and leave him in some unknown time. Glad to know he wasn’t going to sacrifice himself at the moment.
“Not a problem, just looking for the lines that lead to time travelers,” I replied and continued to scan.
The people below us began to fade, and another set showed up.
“Are we supposed to go somewhere else? I thought we were supposed to stay in Egypt.” Ty seemed concerned by his words, but the tone was completely confident in me.
I gazed closer at the little men and women. They seemed familiar enough to let me know that we were still in Egypt, just a different spot. The blurry moving picture before us stopped, and I tightened my grip on Ty. This was where we needed to be. I saw a line.
“There’s someone right there.” I pointed to a building that we couldn’t see inside. I concentrated on the house, and soon the roof disappeared and we could look within.
Ty grinned. “Nice trick. You’d be great at birthday parties.”
Inside the house was one lone person lying in the bed. I watched their line as it pulsed. It was stronger than the line that connected me to the man Logan had sent to mess everything up. I looked closer. This line didn’t lead to the person, but the stone in his hand. I didn’t know what to do next but knew I wanted the stone. In a flash, the vine that connected me recoiled and the stone appeared in my hand. I had just found a way to the stones!
“Okay. I was wrong. That was an even better trick.” Ty was still holding my one hand, but was staring at the other which was holding the stone. “The kids would love you.”
I rolled my eyes at him. I didn’t need to be distracted, but Ty at least found the fun in what we were doing.
I didn’t hesitate to look for more lines. I wanted to be back with Kye and Seth as soon as I could be. I remembered how fast Logan knew the stones were gone before when Kye took the stones to rescue me. Logan wasn’t going to be happy when this one was gone, and I was sure it wouldn’t take him long to figure it out.
“One down,” I told Ty. “Ninety-three more to go.”
Around me, the world glowed in various colors. I knew it wasn’t time to head back yet. I had one more thing to do. One by one I looked for the brightly colored lines. We didn’t move to new scenes but continued to stay where we were. As I snapped each line back to me, I felt the stone in my hand. The bright blue line brought me a blue stone. The white and black line brought me a black stone with white lines in it. A green line that matched the color in my arm brought me a nice matching stone. Ty wasn’t surprised in the least and just grinned at me as I looked for each line. I worked as quickly as I could.
Ty held out his free hand and took the stones from me as they began to pile up. I was only supposed to take one stone, but here I was. I couldn’t stop myself. They were all over the place, and there was nothing Logan could do to stop me. I was taking back the stones. He was losing his power, and people were heading back to the time they were always supposed to be in. He was going to be pissed, but I didn’t care. He was wrong. What he was doing was wrong. And this was about setting everything right.
I wanted a future with Seth, and I wanted to live out my life not having to fear Logan. I wanted the future the goddess always knew I was meant to have. This was the first step in getting that future. We had to collect them all.
I had no clue how long we sat there suspended in frozen time as I plucked stone after stone from history. Part of me felt bad. All those people that wanted to run away or have a new life would never get that. Questions would be left unanswered. But the other part of me felt like it was time to suck it up. Men were never supposed to travel through time. Fate wasn’t supposed to be messed with. Logan wasn’t supposed to change the future. I wasn’t meant for Logan.
“Ninety-four,” Ty counted as I pulled the last stone to us.
“Are you sure?” I asked. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to get a second chance. Logan was probably already seething over the loss of all the stones.
“Positive,” Ty replied, his free hand held all the stones cupped against his chest. The pile was huge.
“Then let’s go home.”
I focused on Kye and Seth where we left them. The world spun, and we dropped to the ground beside them. Kye looked at Ty, and his mouth dropped in shock. I grinned at the guys. I hadn’t been gone long, but it was long enough for us. We had done the impossible.
“How many?” Seth asked. He wasn’t shocked by the stones.
Ty dumped them all on the bed.
“Ninety-four. All of them,” I said proudly.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect from Logan when you came back with a couple stones, but I do have an expectation now. He’s going to lose it.” Kye grinned as he spoke. He obviously liked the idea of Logan losing it.
“What do we do with all of them?” I asked. We couldn’t just let them sit around.
“Two stones on each of us should be able to get us back here safely,” Seth said. “Once I was inside the borders, I could use the stone, but we couldn’t to cross the border.”
I reached into the pile and took two brown-colored stones that would match Ty’s skin. Without having to think about it, the stones broke up into dust and landed on his arms. They dissolved into his skin, and you couldn’t even see the difference if you weren’t looking. I looked for ones that would match Kye, but he shook his head.
“Don’t put any on me. That would be tempting fate to make me permanent. I don’t want to be permanent. I want to fade away once we get this right.” Kye bent down and picked up a stone. “This is all I need. One stone shouldn’t make too much of a difference, and you can always call it back to you when you are done.”
I tried not to show how I forgot that part for a moment. Preoccupied with trying to keep Seth safe, I had forgotten that Kye was going to be gone the minute everything was back in order. I looked up at his purple eyes and tried not to let the sadness show on my face. I didn’t want him to disappear.
Seth reached down for a light tan stone and held it up to me. It matched him as perfectly as Ty’s stones matched his deep brown skin.
I made the stone into dust and sprinkled it across his arms like Ty. They both knew where the stones were and could see them if needed, but they were hidden from sight. I didn’t need Logan figuring that part out.
I looked at the rest of the pile of stones.
“What do I do with them? Create an army of time travelers to help us out?” I joked.
“Create a goddess,” Kye replied, picking up a stone and handing it to me.
“I can bring her back to life?” I asked hopefully. She had disappeared, but she wasn’t gone. She had spoken to me.
“No. You,” Kye replied.
“Me?”
I didn’t want the power. I didn’t want the ones I already had. No one person should have that much power. And I still dreaded the future. Kye was still with us. If I took all that power right now, wasn’t it essentially handing it over to Logan if he was still going to win?
“We are going to change this,” Seth told me as I looked at Kye. “He’s right. We need a goddess, and the one we’ve been calling on is gone. You need to take her place.”
“But what if this is exactly what gives Logan the power to win?”
“We won’t let him take you,” Ty added, trying to instill confidence in me. I needed it. I needed to be sure this was the right decision.
“But happens if he does?” I asked what I dreaded.
Seth stepped forward and took my hands.
“He won’t win. We will make sure of it. You will always be mine. I’m never going to let you go,” Seth answered.
Tingles warmed through me as he held my hand. I felt the confidence flow from him to me. He was so sure that I had to believe him. We were going to make it work. I was positive.
The stones were piled before us. This was the goddess once. This was all that was left of her. Th
e stones suddenly crumbled into dust and then rose up off the floor. Slowly they began to swirl. As they moved, they picked up speed, and I thought about where to put the stones. If I put them on my arms and back, it would be one large color. Not that I had never considered a tattoo before, it was a little much to be totally covering my body, even if the people in the room were the only ones that would see it. I looked over to Seth, and he smiled. He would love me not matter what I looked like. His blue rimmed brown eyes gave me the best idea.
The dust swirled and rose above my head. I felt it drop and settle on me from head to toe. The dust covered me in a rainbow of colors, but soon enough it was gone, and my skin was back to normal.
“Where did it go?” Kye asked as he stared at my bare arms.
I held up my hands and looked over them. I didn’t see a trace beyond the stones that the goddess had put in me.
“I figured if Logan does find me, he’ll still be looking for the stones. He won’t be able to guess that I have them all if they are hidden,” I replied. Hidden away was the only option I could come up with.
“Hidden?” Ty asked, now he looked around the room.
I smiled and looked back at Seth.
“Hidden inside me,” I answered. “Logan never guessed that Seth had the stone because it is hidden in his eyes. He will never be able to see the stones because they are more than just in my skin. They are inside of me.”
“Perfect,” Kye replied with a grin. “See? I told you that you were a natural at this.”
I shrugged and couldn’t help but smile at his praise. Maybe I was a natural after all. Seth reached for me and pulled me into a hug. His touch was amplified hundreds of times as the stones on both of us sparkled.
“I told you we can beat him. Don’t let anyone tell you any different,” Seth whispered in my ear.
I turned my face so that our lips were close. I missed him so much and couldn’t wait for this to all end.
Kye fell to the floor, breaking us from our moment. Ty caught him before he hit the ground and laid him down. Kye’s breath was labored, and he tried to take a few deep breaths. His eyes were scrunched shut, and he was in pain. Was this how he was going to disappear, in pain? I hated that I was changing everything and doing it to him.
“What’s going on?” I asked. I looked at Ty and Seth. They had no clue either. Maybe this was it.
“I’m fine,” Kye said as he tried to push himself up. The pain subsided, and he was still with us. His face was more relaxed, but he was anything but fine. “I guess the change in memories caught up with me.”
I looked at him more closely. The guys nodded and helped him stand, but I felt something was off. They didn’t seem to notice as Kye nodded thanks to each of them.
“I need to go talk to your father again,” Kye told us as he swayed a bit on his feet.
“You need to sit down and rest a second,” I replied. Kye pushed away Ty’s hand, and then mine.
“I’ll be fine, really. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt that much change.” Kye nodded to Seth and Ty. “Keep her safe while I’m gone.”
“Always,” Seth replied.
Ty looked from Seth to me. “I think I need to nap a bit more, too. Wake me when Kye gets back.”
I nodded. Kye made his way out of my rooms and out of view. Ty turned the corner and went to lie down. I was alone with Seth again, and that would have been great, but something was going on. Kye wasn’t telling us the truth, and I didn’t know if I should wait or follow him.
“Let’s go,” Seth said as he noticed my concern.
I grinned at him and kissed his check.
“We’ll have all the time in the world to be alone when this is all done,” I promised.
“We’d better,” Seth growled. “Now hurry up before I change my mind and throw you down on the bed to do the things to you I’ve been thinking about for months.”
Chapter 12
Logan’s New Game
I wasn’t far behind Kye after he left, but I didn’t see him as we walked down the hallway to my father’s room. We got there and the guards let us pass without a word. Walking into my father’s outer chamber, I realized that Kye was still nowhere around. My father was lying near the window by himself as I entered.
“Daughter,” he said to me as I entered. He moved to stand and greet me, but he paused and looked at me more. “Something has changed.”
I looked back at him. I had hidden the stones. What could he see? I still hadn’t had time to get to know my father better yet. I had a lifetime to do that if I corrected Logan’s changes. Who was my father really? How was he keeping Egypt safe?
“We got the stones,” I told him. He nodded like that was his own guess. “Have you seen Kye?”
My father raised his eyebrows at me.
“He stopped by earlier today. Has he sent you now to negotiate?”
“Negotiate what?” I asked.
Seth sighed from beside me.
“Kye wants your dad to spare Melissa and her baby, even when the child isn’t born with red hair,” Seth explained. He seemed indifferent that his ex-girlfriend was possibly going to either be his second wife, or executed, depending on the hair color of the baby she was carrying.
“I told him the only way she would be spared was if she would confess who the real father was, and who told her to say what she was saying. She refuses, so there’s nothing I can do,” my father replied with a shrug before sitting back down. He didn’t seem to care either.
I felt a bit of guilt at that. I understood what she was doing. She was in love with Seth and trying to keep him. I couldn’t blame her for that. And I had memories, even though they were fake, of good times with her. She was my enemy and my friend all balled into one.
“But then Kye didn’t just stop by?” I asked. I really had to deal with Melissa later.
“No. He hasn’t been back.” My father looked at Seth and then to me. He didn’t know what was going on, but neither did I.
“Where did he go?” I said out loud. I was worried. They were worried too, but it didn’t seem like they were concerned for Kye.
The look that passed between my father and Seth told me everything. They didn’t trust Kye, and now were worried what his disappearance meant. Their wheels were turning, ready to blame Kye for something. I put my hand up to stop them from talking. They might not have trusted him, but I trusted Kye with my life. He didn’t have to free me from Logan. He didn’t have to stay by me once I was free, and he didn’t have to help me learn about my powers. Kye was on our side, no matter whose son he was.
“Don’t say anything,” I warned both of them. If I had to go all mama bear on them, I would. Even if I didn’t really feel a mother bond with Kye, I did feel a bond. He was family.
My father shrugged, and Seth wisely kept his mouth shut. My mother entered the room and looked at me with the two guys. She picked up on the tension immediately.
“Everything okay, sweetie?” she asked, whether to me or my father. I couldn’t tell.
“Yes, Mom,” I replied as she gave me a quick hug. I answered before my father could. “I’ll see you guys later.”
I turned and left before my father and Seth could gang up on me about Kye. They didn’t get it. Kye wasn’t the bad guy. I was angry with Seth and my father for being suspicious, but I was more concerned as to where Kye had gone.
“Kye is on our side, but something has changed. He said that he was feeling weak from new memories before he came here. None of us had new memories at that moment. Maybe they were just meant for him.”
We made it back to my rooms and Ty was sitting up waiting.
“Maybe Logan did something.”
“Like sent him a message to go home?” Seth asked under his breath. I chose to ignore him.
“Where’s Kye?” Ty asked.
“That’s the question,” Seth replied, a bit of sarcasm dripped through. If I didn’t know better, I almost thought Seth was jealous.
“He wasn’t w
ith my father. We didn’t see him anywhere,” I answered, hopeful that he had returned to Ty, but I could see that wasn’t the case.
“Why don’t you do your whole meditative thingy and look for his string? Can’t you just check in on him?” Ty asked, ignoring, or not noticing, the looks Seth and I were giving each other.
I was glad that Ty was still around. At least he could give me productive suggestions instead of just blaming Kye like Seth wanted to. Blaming didn’t help anything. Kye was missing, whether it was his fault or not, and my gut told me it wasn’t a good thing.
I let the energy of time flow through my veins and was taken back. The new stones made everything much easier and more powerful at the same time. I staggered to a chair and sat down. Wow. Ninety-some stones was a lot.
“Are you okay?” Seth asked as he held my arm to steady me from slipping out of the chair.
“Actually…” I looked up at him. Everything was clearer to me now. I could see, even in the dim room light, every little detail on Seth’s face. I stared into his eyes and couldn’t look away. The blue flecks from the chrysocolla stone were evenly placed in his own chocolate-brown eyes.
“Mari?” he asked, concern laced his voice.
I shook my head to snap out of it. Everything about Seth was mesmerizing to me now.
“I’m fine. Really. I think I’m better than fine. I think I can see everything now,” I explained. The world was so much purer.
“So look for Kye,” Ty prompted me to keep on task.
I nodded to him and decided it would be best if I closed my eyes. Seth wouldn’t be distracting that way, and believe me—he was distracting. We needed time alone and not fighting. It felt like this was a never ending battle. I was tired and ready to be finished with it, but Logan just wouldn’t go away.
The lines were brighter now and there were much fewer. Since I had all the stones, the only lines I saw were my loved ones. I looked until I found the chain to Kye and followed. I realized time was lurching forward. The world passed by, and I quickly changed my course back to Seth. I was unsure if Logan could trace me through time, but I wasn’t about to take any chances. I had enough of an answer to know Kye was no longer in the past.
Chrysocolla Page 17
