Edge of Time

by Susan M. MacDonald

  Alec pulled away, but Riley convulsively grabbed onto him tighter. “Don’t,” she moaned before she could stop herself.

  “I’ll be right back. Promise.” Alec’s grin was jauntier than it should have been, considering that they were all going to die. He scrambled to his feet, slipping in the seawater, and managed to reach the door, only falling twice. He slammed it shut and slid home the dead bolt.

  The boat keeled to the left and Alec toppled, sliding down the wet flooring to land in a heap at Darius’ feet. “Any time you want to call for help.”

  Darius held the orb aloft for a moment, silently indicating the call was already in progress. Alec grunted and started to slop back towards the sofa where Riley was holding onto the table leg for dear life. He stopped dead.

  Sparkles. In the air.

  Alec screamed. “Riley, move.”

  Riley was frozen; her wide eyes focused on the rip and nothing else. Inside her head, the words you fall into them and just disappear were repeating over and over.

  “Riley, get out of the way,” Alec yelled.

  Darius added, “You’ll be pulled in if it touches you.”

  Alec dashed around the table, falling against it as the boat listed to one side. He groaned and grabbed at his hip, but didn’t stop until he was directly beside her.

  The sparkles grew brighter. She couldn’t tear her eyes away. The rip was between her and Alec.

  “Slide out,” Alec urged.

  The sparkles began to move. Closer.

  “Riley.”

  She forced her body to comply and slid to the floor, her head just missing the edge of the rip by millimetres. Alec, scrambling beside her, grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

  “Door,” she gasped as she tried to stand upright on the pitching deck.

  Alec seemed to have the same idea, whether or not he heard her. He was already pulling her towards it. He collapsed against the cabin wall and reached up towards the deadbolt.

  “Alec, no!”

  Alec froze, his arm outstretched. Darius’ control was so strong Riley could barely move herself.

  Sparkles. Hovering over the lock.

  “Back up. Move out of its way,” Darius shouted. The boat listed violently again and the steering wheel was pulled out of his hands. The walls of the boat groaned with the strain as another wave hit them broadside. With nothing to hold onto, Riley slid towards the table. Alec tumbled past her. She heard the crack of his skull against the wooden tabletop even above the howling wind and rain.

  Alec groaned. His free hand grasped his forehead. A small trickle of blood seeped beneath his fingers.

  “Okay?” Riley struggled for breath.

  “No,” Alec snapped. He cursed with proficient fluency.

  “Alec, it’s on the move again,” Darius warned.

  “I know, I know.”

  Riley grabbed Alec’s hand. He tugged her back, away from the second lot of sparkles, which were slowly but steadily advancing towards them. The first cluster, under the table, was unmoving but getting larger in diameter. It was as if the two groups were planning on meeting each other: one moving closer and the other growing. They were sandwiched directly in between.

  The houseboat bucked and thrashed. Darius scrambled wildly to reach the steering wheel, but another wave, this time larger and stronger than any previous, crashed through the windows over the sofa. Gallons of bitterly cold seawater poured in in a massive torrent.

  Riley could do nothing but take a huge breath and steel herself for the inevitable. Alec’s arms tightened around her as they were engulfed. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t see. She couldn’t even fight.

  Alec’s arms pulled Riley upwards. Their heads broke above water. Riley gave a strangled gasp. In the few moments she’d been submerged, several other windows had broken, including those over the bow of the boat and the cabin was halfway flooded. Sparks flew from the electrical panel. There was no sign of Darius. The sparkles were hovering just above the rising water and were still advancing.

  “Dariu–” Riley tried to gasp his name, but another wave hit her directly in the face and she choked. Alec was still on his feet. How, she wasn’t sure. One arm was like an iron band around her ribs. He was yelling something. She could feel the anger in him building and surging wildly.

  Another wave, another mouthful of water.

  Where was Darius Finn?

  “That’s enough,” Alec shouted in her ear. “Stop it. Now.”

  Electricity, enough to light a city, exploded from behind her, through her and outwards. Alec’s anger, in Tyon power.

  A brilliant flash from the orb he held blinded her for a moment. Then, without warning, the boat blew apart.

  15

  Someone was holding him up by the scruff of his neck. His tee shirt was pulled taut and bit under his chin, enough to make it hard to breathe and impossible to swallow.

  “Can you swim?” Darius panted behind him, letting go of his neck the moment Alec moved under his own control.

  “Yeah.” Instinctually Alec began to tread water. There was no sign of the houseboat anywhere. Only whitecaps and angry sky.

  Darius was deathly pale and a deep cut over his left eye was bleeding sluggishly. He was holding Riley’s head up under the chin. Her eyes were closed, her head rested on his shoulder and her arms and legs were spread like a starfish. Darius had his hand cupped around her mouth to prevent her breathing in the seawater.

  “What happened?” Alec strained to be heard above the keening wind and the sloshing water.

  “Save your strength,” Darius yelled back. “Won’t be long.”

  The last thought Alec clearly remembered was the sparkles getting closer and water sucking at his arms and legs and attempting to drag him down. He recalled feeling furious. He vaguely recollected grabbing at his orb while he struggled to stay above water, but then what?

  He felt as if he’d run a marathon or stayed on the field for an entire double championship game. Alec desperately tried to keep Darius and Riley in sight. The fierce swells and the might of the wind seemed to conspire to pull them apart.

  The water temperature, even for July, was bitterly cold. His arms were aching and his legs seemed leaden. Alec’s mind became numb and the easiest thing seemed to be to drift off to sleep. He forced himself to think. About his mother, his father and friends in Toronto. What drowning would feel like. The orb in his pocket. Darius Finn, and Riley. Guess she’d never kiss him now.

  A wave slapped him across the face and he choked.

  The minutes stretched out and then ceased to matter. The waves continued to heave around him, tossing him up and dropping him down with sickening regularity. The wind blew rain and seawater without end.

  It was getting harder to keep close to Darius and Riley. Harder to move his arms. Harder to keep his head above water. He desperately wanted to sleep.

  There was a crack of distant thunder.

  Call for help. He weakly pushed his thoughts towards Darius. Call and save us.

  16

  Riley dreamed she was swimming. It was a pleasant dream, too, which was very odd. She was vaguely aware of the water’s chill and Darius’ presence, but they didn’t seem to matter. She distantly heard him shout something, but the sloshing water deafened the sound and she didn’t much care. She felt his arm grab her around the waist and drag her body under the water. She rather wished he wouldn’t.

  Something huge moved directly beneath them.

  Suddenly the dream state was gone. Riley’s senses returned to her in a massive rush.

  She was in the ocean.

  She wasn’t wearing a lifejacket.

  And she couldn’t swim. “Ahh …”

  Darius loudly grunted as she thrashed about in panic. “Stay still for God’s sake.”

  What had happened? Where was Alec? Or Bjorn’s houseboat? She had just opened her mouth to scream again when something hard hit under her feet and propelled her upwards like a rocket off a launch pad. She an
d Darius were pushed right out of the water.

  Seawater poured off the dark, curved surface of the craft as it rose upwards to float on top of the waves. Darius, still holding her so tightly she could hardly breathe, fell to his knees on the shiny surface. Riley fell under him. There were no protrusions to grab and the surface was slippery as ice. They were starting to slide off. Riley squirmed as hard as she could to free her arm. She slammed her palm onto the surface of the ship and tried to halt their inexorable slide.

  It wasn’t working.

  The metal began to vibrate as if a thousand furious bees were just underneath the surface. Suddenly the hull of the ship pulled apart beneath her and she and Darius fell into darkness through the open hatchway.

  Riley landed face-down in something soft and spongy that almost immediately curled around her and held her tight. Rain poured in until the hatchway closed. She thrashed about, trying to free herself but the material didn’t allow any movement. She could see, even with the dim light, that she was inside a small craft and that Darius had fallen beside her. Hands reached out to roll him over on his back.

  “Get the boy,” Darius croaked.

  “Zeroing in on target,” said an unfamiliar male voice.

  The lights inside the cabin rose smartly to an almost too-bright level. Riley squinted as two hands clasped her shoulders and pulled her upright. A hulking blond man with a crew cut and pale blue eyes picked her up effortlessly and carried her to a narrow bunk against the wall. She sat up and looked around.

  They were inside some sort of ultra-modern submersible ship. There seemed to be only the one small, low-ceilinged cabin. A bank of what might be controls lined the far wall with two chairs mounted to the floor directly in front. There were no windows or view screens. Whoever had designed the ship had watched way too much Star Trek, Riley concluded derisively. The smooth lines, limited furniture and ultra-modern appearance were right out of a movie. Except this was real.

  Both the strangers wore one-piece, grey jumpsuits, similar to fighter pilots, and serious expressions. The only familiar person on the ship was the woman cradling Darius and soothing his forehead with her palm. The unflappable Ice Queen from the bunker.

  Darius’ eyes didn’t open to Anna’s gentle ministrations, nor did he respond in any way when Anna pulled out her orb and held it over his chest.

  The hatch in the roof opened without warning. Rain and Alec fell in.

  The hatch slid closed again. The foam circle lowered quickly until it was flush with the metal flooring. Alec lay unmoving in the middle of the foam, which retracted from around his body as the man who’d carried Riley moved to Alec’s side and rolled him over onto his back. Riley had a glimpse of Alec’s pale face before the man pulled an orb from the back pocket of his overalls and held it closely over Alec’s chest.

  The man frowned. Riley’s breath caught in her throat. The man placed his hand on Alec’s forehead. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

  Riley shivered violently. The interior of the little submarine was warm, but her clothes were soaked and her body deeply chilled. Hypothermia, she muzzily realized.

  “Is … is he okay?” she asked, her teeth chattering.

  “He will be,” the man hovering over Alec answered. He had the same non-descript, clipped accent as Anna. He straightened up and removed his hand from Alec’s forehead.

  “You must be Riley,” he said. “I am Dean. Our pilot is Tyrell. And you know Anna.”

  Anna glanced up and gave Riley a quick nod, before turning to Darius again. Tyrell didn’t turn at the mention of his name. Whatever he was doing seemed to take all his attention.

  Dean lifted Alec easily and carried him over to the bunk beside Riley. He pulled straps out from under the thin mattress and snapped the belts across Alec’s waist. Dean nodded towards Riley’s bunk. “Secure yourself. We’re about to dive.”

  Riley’s fingers struggled to fasten the unfamiliar clasps together and, without comment, Dean finished for her. Despite the warning, the little ship moved so quickly her stomach dropped to her knees. She grabbed onto the edge of the bunk, fearful of falling off despite the restraints. The pilot, Tyrell, waved his hands over the controls, not quite touching any of them. Riley caught sight of an orb in his right hand.

  Dean didn’t seem affected by the wild movements of the ship that was now straightening and propelling rapidly forward. He crossed to Anna and reached over her shoulder. He waved his hand and a small drawer appeared in the wall. Dean reached inside and pulled out a metallic beaker. He carried it across to Riley. Hesitantly, she took it.

  “Drink it,” Dean advised. “It will help with the cold.”

  “What is it?” she asked. They wouldn’t go through all the trouble of saving her just to poison her now, would they?

  “A heated restorative,” Dean informed her. He turned and sat in the chair next to the pilot.

  Steam rose from the milky beverage and bathed her face. Actually, it didn’t smell too bad. She took a tentative sip. The liquid, although unrecognizable, was quite palatable and gloriously warm. She took another mouthful, savouring the heat as it spread through her body.

  “We’re heading to Home Base,” Anna said.

  Riley looked up in surprise. Anna sounded almost pleasant. She continued to stroke Darius’ forehead, her free hand pressed over the neck of her jumpsuit, almost as if unaware she was doing it.

  “Darius said it was in Newfoundland,” Riley replied.

  “Under a small island off the south coast, yes.”

  Riley considered this for a moment. Then she voiced her concerns. “Is he all right?”

  “Alec or Darius?”

  Riley glanced over at Alec’s pale face on the bunk beside her. “Both.”

  “They will both recover. Both Darius and Alec have more intense effects from the cold, as Darius was able to protect you somewhat from the elements. In addition, they are suffering from psychic and physical exhaustion. Both have extended significant Tyon power in the last several days.”

  Riley frowned. What power did Alec use?

  Anna answered her unspoken question. “Alec destroyed the boat you were on. We felt it as far away as the Base. It is a wonder he didn’t kill the three of you.”

  Riley bit her lip. She remembered the surge of electricity just before she lost consciousness. Was that Alec? He had no more training with these crystal balls than she did. It was totally unfair.

  “Alec’s ability is certainly remarkable. But highly dangerous. What was happening at the time?”

  Riley took another mouthful. “There was a storm. Darius was trying his best, but Bjorn’s houseboat wasn’t meant to handle that kind of weather. Then these, I don’t know, sparkles appeared. Darius called it a rip. He got totally freaked. So did Alec.” She paused to drink again. “They were after us. Darius said we’d die if they touched us.”

  Anna was frowning. “There were more than one?”

  “I saw two. Don’t know if there were any more.” Riley wrapped her hands around the now-empty mug as she remembered. “The windows blew out. The boat took on water. Darius couldn’t control it anymore. We started to sink.”

  “And then?”

  Riley shrugged. “I dunno. That’s the last I remember.”

  Anna’s fingers ran distractedly through Darius’ hair. She seemed to be deep in thought.

  “How long until he’s okay?” Riley frowned. It was annoying the way Anna was touching him, as if she had a right to.

  “Unspecified. He’s seriously overextended himself, saving you two. I hope you appreciate it.” Anna gave Darius a severe look, then eased herself out from under his inert form and stood up. She walked over to the controls and leaned over Dean’s shoulder, busying herself with reading the various screens.

  Riley clamped her lips shut and glared at Anna’s back while the ship continued its silent journey. It was impossible to tell how deep they were or in what direction they were travelling because of the lack of windows. She felt th
e ship slowing before anyone said anything. Dean rose from his seat and came over to kneel by her bunk. “We are docking in a minute. Remain secured until I have indicated otherwise.” He leaned over Alec, checking that the strap was still fastened.

  The boat slowed rather abruptly. There was a slight rubbing sensation, as if the outer hull was nestling against something solid, then the craft was still. A humming sensation that Riley hadn’t even been aware of until it stopped, ceased. A doorway materialized in the wall right beside Darius. The doors slid open.

  A tall, wide-shouldered man, older than any of the others Riley had seen before, marched onto the ship. He wore his grey uniform like armour. His blue eyes glittered with ice. The man glanced down at Darius. Riley noted the flicker of contempt before it was hidden.

  “Is the boy, Alec, on board?” The man’s imperious tone cut through the silence. Riley’s spine stiffened. He glanced over at her dismissively.

  Anna walked over to the newcomer. “He’s unconscious, Logan.”

  “Finn?”

  “Seriously weakened, but alive.”

  Logan’s lip gave a slight curl as he ordered, “Bring him to Med Ops. Anna, come with me.”

  He turned and left the ship, his shoulders nearly brushing the sides of the doorway as he passed. Anna fell in behind him without another look in Riley’s direction. They were out of sight in a second.

  Two more blond men, both wearing coveralls identical to Dean and Tyrell’s, entered without comment. One pulled a baton from his pocket, and with a flick of his wrist, the object unravelled to form a simple stretcher. Within seconds, they loaded Darius onto the contraption and bore him away.

  Dean undid the buckle and tossed the restraining straps off of Alec’s hips. He lifted the boy up into his arms. “Follow me, Riley,” he instructed.

  She undid the buckle and got slowly to her feet. Where else could she go? What else could she do?

  17

  Riley stepped out into a cool, dank tunnel of dark chiselled rock. The curved ceiling was so low she could almost touch it with her fingertips. The walls were practically oozing water, and here and there dark puddles had formed small mirrors in the depressions of the floor. Intermittent sconces held yellow, softly glowing lights, providing enough illumination to prevent tripping.