by BE Kelly
“I’d say it’s good to meet you, Patrick, but I’m in a hurry and don’t have time to make small talk or new friends. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have business to attend to.” Mr. Graystone tried to side step him again and he worried the getting in the man’s way again would only prove to piss him off further. But what if he was heading back to the woods to accuse his father of Bianca’s murder? Duff had to stop him from making such false claims—it was the only way he’d be able to help save their future.
“Wait,” Duff shouted. “I just met a man back in the dorms. He was looking for someone named Theodore Graystone. Do you know where I’d be able to find him?” Duff asked, already knowing his answer. Mr. Graystone looked at him as if surprised by his question.
“I’m Theo Graystone,” he admitted. “Who the hell was looking for me?” he asked.
“It’s good to meet you, Theo. A man named Dugan Kirkpatrick was asking about for you. Do you know him?” Duff asked. He smiled at Eden’s father, waiting him out.
“Shit,” he breathed. “You know where Dugan is? I was just going to find him myself.” Duff knew exactly why Mr. Graystone was looking for his father, but with any luck, by the time he found him, the authorities would already be on campus and the blame for Bianca’s death would rest squarely on the shoulders of the guilty party—Head Master Simmons.
“Well, I just left him back at the library,” Duff fibbed.
“The library?” Theo asked. “I thought you just said that you ran into Dugan at the dormitory.” Shit. Duff was fucking everything up. He needed to get his head in the game before he led Theo right to his father. He needed to find Anson and Eden before things got too out of hand.
“Right, but then we walked over to the library together and that was where we parted ways. I’m sure he’s still back there—I didn’t leave him that long ago. If you hurry, you’ll probably be able to catch up with him,” Duff said. He plastered on his best smile and turned to leave. “Good to meet you, Theo,” he said, waving back over his shoulder. “Hope to see you around campus,” he lied. That was the last thing that he wanted to do again and the sooner he got out of there, the better.
“Um, you too, Patrick,” Theo said. He turned to go in the direction of the library and when Duff looked back over his shoulder, to make sure that his deception worked, he was pleasantly surprised to find that it had. Theodore Graystone was on his way to the library to look for Dugan Kirkpatrick. Duff knew for a fact that Theo wouldn’t find his father there and that would give him and Anson time to find Eden and get the hell out of nineteen, ninety-one. Staying in the past was starting to affect their future and that wasn’t something that they could risk.
Anson walked across the quad and Duff wasn’t sure if he wanted to punch him or hug him. “It’s about fucking time,” Duff growled. “Things are about to go sideways and we’re running out of time. We need to find our girl and get the hell back to our own time before the shit hits the fan,” Duff warned.
Anson nodded, “I know just where we’ll be able to find her. Let’s go.” Duff followed his brother back to the woods and he knew that heading back to the scene of the crime couldn’t be good, but if that was where Eden was, then that was where they’d go.
Eden
Eden was about to call in Bianca’s murder when a tall blond fae, who seemed vaguely familiar, tapped her on the shoulder. “Don’t call just yet, Dear,” the fae said.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Eden questioned. The woman smiled at her and winked, shifting into human form right in front of her eyes.
“You might know me like this,” the fae said. Eden instantly recognized the woman.
“Glory,” she almost shouted. “How did you know where I’d be?”
“I didn’t,” Glory admitted. “Well, I didn’t know you at all until me from the future sent a message to me in the past.” Boy, this time travel thing could really get confusing. Keeping track of where they were, and what they knew and didn’t know in both times, was exhausting.
“I don’t follow,” Eden admitted. Glory pulled a yellow piece of lined paper from her pocket and handed it to her.
“I didn’t either, at first, until I found you. This morning I woke up and opened my English Literature book, and this fell out. Go on, read it,” she ordered.
Eden opened the note and began to read it aloud, “Go to the administration building and find a pretty brunette asking for a phone. Help to talk to Bianca.” Eden handed Glory back her note. “I hate to tell you this, Glory, but you’re too late. Bianca is dead and that’s why I’m looking for the phone—to call the authorities.”
“Oh—I see. Well, then, I was the right person for myself to contact,” Glory said.
Eden rolled her eyes, “Yeah—that makes even less sense. Listen, the guys are counting on me to call in Bianca’s murder. I can’t let them down.”
Glory handed Eden another yellow piece of paper and this one had a picture of the twins inside. She read this note out loud also and smiled at the way Glory signed the note, “Love, Glory,” at the end. “These are the boys you will help to raise. They need your help—don’t let me down. Love, Glory,” Eden said.
“So, now you know what I know. How can I help?” Glory asked.
“You can tell me where I can find a phone,” Eden said.
“Or you can take me to Bianca and the three of us can have a chat,” Glory said.
“I’ve already told you that you’re too late for that, Glory. She’s already dead,” Eden said. She didn’t have time to stand around repeating herself.
“And I told you that it’s good that I sent me to help you. I can help you talk to Bianca, my dear. It’s a simple spell, as long as it hasn’t been too long since she died, we can talk to her spirit. I take it you’re a first-year witch, in your time. This spell is something you’ll learn in your third year at Graystone,” Glory said. “How long ago did she die?”
“She’s been dead for about forty minutes now,” Eden said. She couldn’t believe that she was considering the possibility of talking to her dead aunt. What would she even say to the woman? She just watched Bianca try to kill Head Master Simmons and then had to watch him shift and rip her aunt’s guts out. As far as bad days went, Eden was pretty sure she was living her worst one so far.
Glory made a humming noise and shot her a look of pity, “You have had a day of it, haven’t you?” she asked. “So, you’re Theo’s daughter then?” Glory asked.
“I am,” Eden admitted.
“And the boys in that picture are Kirkpatricks?” Glory questioned.
“Yes—and I’m afraid of what their futures will look like if we don’t help them, Glory. I can’t let them go back to the same man their father was before. We can’t let him be blamed for my aunt’s death. He didn’t kill her,” Eden insisted.
“You’re in love with the boys, aren’t you?” Glory asked, interrupting her monologue.
“What?” Eden asked.
“You’ve fallen in love with the twins, haven’t you?” she asked again. Had she fallen in love with Duff and Anson? She barely knew them, but that didn’t matter. Eden had felt a strange connection to them both since meeting them. She couldn’t explain it and she really didn’t have time to. Glory was right though—she had fallen in love with them both.
“I am in love with them—both of them,” Eden admitted. “We have to help them, Glory. Please,” she begged.
“Let’s see what we can find out from Bianca,” Glory said. “Then, I’ll help the three of you get back to your time. This won’t be pleasant, dear. Talking to the dead never is.”
“I can handle it,” Eden said. “I have to know why she attacked Head Master Simmons. She tried to kill him and that’s why he attacked her. He killed her and left her body in the woods. It’s this way,” Eden said, leading the way to the edge of the tree line. They ducked into the brush and Glory followed Eden down to Bianca’s leaf-covered body.
“That’s my aunt,” Eden whispered, as a way of int
roduction.
“Bianca and I know each other, Eden,” Glory said. “She was my friend. I’m sorry.” At first, Eden thought that Glory was offering her condolences over the loss of her aunt, but when she looked at Glory, she realized she was talking to Bianca.
“Can she hear you?” Eden asked. Glory nodded and shifted back to her fae form. She closed her eyes and said something in a language that Eden didn’t understand, and when she opened her eyes again, Bianca’s spirit appeared in front of her.
“Glory,” Bianca said, panic evident in her voice. “What happened?”
“Professor Simmons killed you,” Glory reminded.
“Oh God—it wasn’t supposed to happen that way. He should be the one laying there,” Bianca said, pointing back at her lifeless body. “Not me.”
“Why did you try to kill him?” Eden asked.
“Who are you?” Bianca asked.
“I’m your niece,” Eden said. “I’m Theo’s daughter—from the future,” she quickly added. “I came back here to try to help you but then, I saw your eyes. They were glowing purple. You tried to kill Professor Simmons. Why would you do that?”
Bianca smiled and looked Eden over, “I see the family resemblance,” she said. “You look like Theo. How long do I have before I disappear, Glory?” she asked.
“A few minutes at best, Bianca. And this time, I won’t be able to bring you back. You’ll be gone for good,” Glory whispered.
“Understood,” Bianca said. “I cast a spell to kill Professor Simmons because I found out that he’s the one who has been killing witches and burying them in these woods.” She motioned to the land around them and Eden looked around, inching closer to Glory.
“There are more witches out here?” Eden asked.
“Witches and fae. He wants to kill us all,” she said. “If you don’t stop him, the murders will continue. He’ll get away with it, just as he has for years now. He’s a murderer and someone needs to stop him.” Bianca was fading and Eden could tell that it was taking every ounce of her strength to stay in this world to tell her what had really happened. Her aunt wasn’t a murderer, Head Master Simmons was. He was alive in both times and he was probably the shifter who killed Geneve.
“You have to stop him, Eden. It’s your obligations as a Graystone,” Bianca said.
“I’m so sorry, Bianca. I shouldn’t have thought you capable of murdering someone. I should have helped you and maybe you wouldn’t be—” Eden looked down at her aunt’s lifeless body and back up to find that she had completely disappeared.
“This was how it was meant to be,” she heard Bianca’s voice whispered on the soft breeze that fluttered around them, and then she was gone.
“Thank you,” Eden whispered to Glory.
“For what? I didn’t do anything,” she said.
“You allowed me to meet my aunt. You helped me to find out the truth about what happened here today and now, I know what I have to do. I must stop Professor Simmons from doing this to anyone else,” Eden said.
“Eden,” Anson called from the edge of the forest. He and Duff were together and they were safe. She breathed a sigh of relief at just seeing them both again.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing coming back here?” Duff asked. “You were supposed to call the authorities.”
“I know but then I met—” Duff looked Glory over and crossed his arms over his chest, staring her down.
“Who the hell are you? Why would you bring her back here, Eden? This isn’t show and tell,” Duff growled.
“I bet I’ve had to wash your mouth out with soap quite a few times,” Glory said to Duff.
Anson laughed, “Yep,” he agreed. “He is the mouthy twin. I’m the good one,” he said.
Glory looked Anson up and down and smiled, “I highly doubt that,” she teased.
“It’s good to see you Glory,” Anson said pulling her in for a quick hug.
“Glory?” Duff questioned. “You don’t look like you. How did you get here?”
“I already was here,” she admitted. “Future me has been busy sending past me—well, me,” she said, pointing to herself, “notes to help the three of you.” Duff looked at Glory as if she had lost her mind and Eden giggled.
“Don’t try too hard to understand all of that, Duff. It took me a few tries at first too. Your Glory sent herself letters in the past, telling past Glory to help us,” Eden said, trying to help.
“Okay, well you’re here now and that’s all that matters,” Anson said. “Why would you bring her here, Eden?” he asked, looking down at Bianca’s body.
“It was my idea,” Glory said. “I can talk to the dead—well, their spirits. Eden needed to find out why her aunt tried to kill Professor Simmons and we only had a window of opportunity to talk to Bianca before she disappeared forever.”
“You talk to spirits?” Duff asked.
“Is he always this slow?” Glory asked Anson.
“Yes,” Anson breathed. “What did Bianca tell you?” he asked.
“She told us that Simmons is the one who has been and will be killing witches. It’s not just Bianca and Geneva,” Eden said. “These woods are littered with dead witches and fae—he’s killed them all. We have to stop him. Maybe if we can stop him, Gen will be alive in our time.” She saw the hope in Anson’s eyes and Eden hoped that she didn’t just give him false hope for a future that might not happen.
Eden heard someone approaching them and they all turned to find Head Master Simmons. “What are you four doing here?” he asked, standing just past Bianca’s body.
“You killed Bianca,” Glory accused. She practically launched herself at Simmons, but Anson stopped her stepping between the two of them. Eden could feel the static in the air—it was usually the same when the guys shifted. It felt electric and that hummed through the forest right now.
“Get Glory out of here, Eden,” Duff growled. He stood next to Anson, blocking them from Simmons’s path.
“Come on, Glory,” she whispered. “We need to move.”
“They’re shifters, aren’t they?” she asked.
“Yes—move,” Eden shouted as Simmons shifted and launched at the group of them. He didn’t care if she and Glory got caught up in their fight, but Anson and Duff did. They waited as long as they could before shifting, giving her and Glory time to get clear of the pending fight. She grabbed Glory’s hand and pulled her to the edge of the forest.
“I can hear Anson,” Glory breathlessly called. “He’s telling me that we need to call the authorities.”
“But if they get here while they are fighting, the guys will be suspects in Bianca’s death. We can’t let them get caught up in all of this. You, well you in the future, told me that we can’t mess with the timelines too much. I’m betting that the twins being taken into custody for Bianca’s murder, might just mess with the timelines,” Eden said. She wasn’t sure what to do. If she left the guys and did as Anson asked, she could be putting them both in danger. Eden turned to look back to find Duff on the ground and Professor Simmons running toward her and Glory.
“Run,” Glory shouted.
“We can’t outrun a wolf shifter,” Eden whispered. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the spell that her grandmother spoke all those years ago when they were attacked. The same spell that she watched her Aunt Bianca use when her eyes glowed purple, just an hour earlier. She just needed to remember the words and she’d be able to help them—even Duff. Eden hoped that she wasn’t too late. She whispered, “On this day, I invoke the powers of fire to protect us from all who want to hurt us.” Glory grabbed her hand and chanted the words with her over and over again as Simmons continued to run toward them. Glory held their joined hands out and Eden felt like her arm was on fire. She opened her eyes and saw the purple bolt of electricity shoot from their joined hands and hit Professor Simmons directly in the chest. He flew through the air and to the ground. Anson’s wolf stopped short of trampling Simmons’s body.
“Killing me w
on’t stop what is happening here. I’m not the person in charge of all of this. You fools won’t stop them. They will all still die,” Simmons breathed. The smile on his face made Eden shiver as the life drained from his eyes and he took his last breath. Eden knew—she and Glory had killed him, just like Bianca tried to. They had stopped Simmons and now, he wouldn’t be able to hurt any more witches or fae.
“It’s over,” Glory breathed.
“What did he mean about everyone still dying?” Eden asked.
Anson shifted back to his human form and pulled on the sweatpants he was wearing earlier. “I don’t know but we can’t stick around to find out,” Anson said. “The cops are on campus. We have about two minutes before they find us here with Bianca and Simmons’s bodies. We need to get out of here.”
Duff’s wolf cried out and Anson ran down to his brother. “Can you shift back, Duff?” Anson asked. Duff’s wolf whimpered and he shifted back by the time Eden and Glory got down to him.
“Is he all right?” Eden asked. Anson looked his brother over, finding that his thigh had been gashed open and he was losing blood.
“He’ll heal but we need to go—now,” Anson said. “We’re running out of time.”
“I need to send you three back,” Glory said. “It’s the only way. I’ll tell the police what happened to Bianca. I’m a fae—they’ll believe that I have the capability to take out a shifter. If all else fails, I’ll persuade them to listen.” Eden knew how convincing Glory could be when she wanted to be. She also knew how powerful the fae was. Eden felt that power when they worked together to bring down Simmons.
Eden hugged her and stood by Anson. He had helped Duff up to his feet and he wrapped his other arm over Eden’s shoulder for support.
“We’ve got him,” Anson said. “Send us home, Glory, and thank you.”
“I’ll see you three soon,” Glory promised.
“Take care, Glory,” Eden whispered as the wind picked up around them. Glory was chanting the same spell she had taught Eden the day before, changing up a few of the words to reverse the time-traveling spell. She held tightly to Duff, trying to help steady him as the three of them traveled back through time. It was as if they had taken a quick trip in an elevator, at top speed, leaving her body tingling all over. It was so different this time. Before, they had fallen asleep in one time and woken up in another. This was like watching everything wiz past her at top speed while they stood still, holding onto each other. Eden closed her eyes and wished for it all to be over and before she opened her eyes again, she could feel Duff’s big hand stroke down her cheek.
