He still didn't turn. Three minutes later, she shuffled down the dirt face of the mountain, kicking small pebbles and dirt clods in front of her. Leaping the last few feet, she practically slammed into Karl's back. If he weren't such a tall, solid man, the impact might have sent them both sprawling. It didn't.
She grasped his arm and turned him toward her. The lines of his face were rigid with anger, though she knew it was not directed at her. His face had looked like that since the eclipse. "Karl," she meant for her voice to come out firm. Instead, it sounded pleading and desperate. "You can't just leave."
He merely looked at her, his face stony.
"Where are you going?"
"To find Tenessa."
"You know where she is, Karl. She's with the collectives. You won’t be able to get her back on your own. It's something the team will have to do together. Something we want to do together. Let us help —"
"You can't help!"
Lila jumped when he yelled, taken back. Karl never yelled at her.
He studied at the ground and moderated his tone. “She's not here with the collectives anymore. They've taken her….” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I can feel her. Across time. The same way Marcus felt Maggie.” He looked up at her. “They Traveled her somewhere. I have to go get her."
“They sent her through time?" Lila asked, incredulous. “I thought the collectives didn't have a Traveler anymore."
Karl shrugged. “We've found more Travelers. Why shouldn't they?"
Lila stared at him a moment, then shook herself. "Karl, I get it. You still shouldn't go by yourself."
"I'm the only one who can go. I can feel the Traveling signature and trace it, follow her through time. Catch up eventually."
"No,” Lila shook her head. "Don't you see, Karl? That's exactly what they want. It’s probably a trap."
He shook his head. "I don't think so. They can trap me other ways if they want to. I think it's more about keeping her away from me, from us, than anything else."
"If that's the case, they’ll always be one step ahead of you. How can you hope to find—"
"I’ll figure it out,” Karl said gruffly.
Tears filled Lila's eyes. She saw pain in his face, felt his iron will. "Karl, you can't leave us. The group needs you. Marcus—"
"Marcus fought against me! He's the reason Tenessa is gone!"
Lila closed her eyes, weathering his anger. "He’s also the reason you and he are still breathing."
"Enough!” He cut the air with his hands, and turned away from her, looking out over the mountain. When he spoke again, his voice sounded soft, dangerous. “We could've found another way. I would never let the collectives take Maggie. He practically pushed Tenessa into their arms. They might torture her, maim her, take away her individuality."
"Marcus is your best friend," Lila said quietly.
"No,” Karl said firmly. “He's not. This group fractured in that canyon."
Lila took a step forward, desperation coloring her voice. "But we didn't shatter. We need you Karl. I need you."
Karl twisted just enough to look at her over his shoulder, his eyebrows drawn down. "Why?"
"Because the collectives took Jonah. Tenessa may not walk in this time anymore, but Jonah still does. I need your help to get him back."
Karl studied her. She stared back at him long enough to see sadness and understanding in his eyes. Hope that she’d convinced him to stay blinked warily in her chest.
"I'm sorry." He turned and moved down the slope again.
Lila reached out a hand, at a loss for what else to say. She searched for the words to convince Karl to stay, but came up empty. Fifty feet downslope, he winked out of existence.
Karl no longer walked in this time either.
Overhead, the clouds gathered and roiled. Thunder rumbled in the distance. The matter of the sky darkened.
Lila sat down hard on the slope and cried.
End of Book 3
Author’s Note
Thanks for joining Maggie and the Interchron team!
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Also by Liesel K.Hill
Do you enjoy other genres? Visit Liesel K. Hill’s website to check out her crime fiction and historical fiction series.
Crime Fiction:
Dark Remnants, Book 1 of Street Games (Writing as L.K. Hill)
Desolate Mantle, Book 2 of Street Games (Writing as L.K. Hill)
Damaged Hope, Book 3 of Street Games (Writing as L.K. Hill)
Historical Fiction:
Citadels of Fire, Book 1 of Kremlins (Writing as K.L. Conger)
Bastions of Blood, Book 2 of Kremlins (Writing as K.L. Conger)
High Fantasy:
The Hatching, a prequel to Dragon Magic
About the Author
L.K. Hill is an award-winning author who writes across three different genres. Her historical fiction is published under the pen name, K.L. Conger. Her sci-fi, fantasy, and dystopian are written under her full name, Liesel K. Hill. And her crime fiction is written under L.K. Hill.
A graduate of Weber State University, she comes from a large, tight-knit family and lives in northern Utah. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and cherishes her faith, her family and her country. (http://www.lds.org) She plans to keep writing until they nail her coffin shut. Or the Second Coming happens. You know, whichever happens first. ;D
Dark Matter (Interchron Book 3) Page 53
