A Times Journey Box Set (A Times Journey Novel Book 4)

by Bethany Shaw

  “I need to talk to Cadence.” Jamie shook her head and made a beeline for the door.

  Oliver leapt up, rushing to block her exit. His head spun and vision blurred as he stumbled on his feet. “Zak will find her, Jamie. Trust me, he won’t let Malcolm harm her. We need to focus on helping them in a way that we can actually do something. Contacting her won’t work. Zak has already tried.”

  “He’s not a witch!” Jamie moved to brush past him.

  “Please, Jamie. Zak will find her. I know my brother, and I see and feel how determined he is even at this moment.”

  Jamie rolled her eyes. “You can’t possibly know that.”

  Oliver pointed to his temple. “I do. I’m not supposed to be with Zak. He and Cadence left 1781 when I was with them the first time. Malcolm’s changed the timeline. Until it’s righted, this migraine from hell isn’t going anywhere.”

  Eli stood and walked toward him. “How long has this been going on?”

  “Almost two days.” Oliver leaned against the door for support.

  “You should get upstairs and rest,” Eli said after a long moment. “In the meantime, Jamie and I will find the next full moon in that time and plot out a time period for them to travel to. Then we’ll make contact with Zak and Cadence.”

  Jamie held her head up. “No. I’m going to speak with Cadence now.”

  “You’ll be wasting your time and energy. Contact Zak if you must. Give him an idea on how to find Cadence and tell him the plan.”

  “Why would I do that? He can’t contact Cadence anyway,” Jamie said as she tried to force her way out of the room.

  Oliver held his position. “He can, if you tell him how. There’s something you should know.” Telling Jamie about the bond might not be a good idea, but it was their best chance at finding Cadence.

  If something happened to the young blonde witch, his brother would never recover.

  ***

  “Where is she?” Zak asked with a snarl. He shoved the man into the stone wall of the cabin. His nails dug into the other vampire’s shoulder, tearing through the thin fabric of his shirt and sinking into his flesh. His eyes flashed golden, and spidery veins crept across his temples as his fangs dropped.

  The man quaked, shaking as his mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

  “He can’t tell you. Father has made sure of it.” Oliver placed a hand on Zak’s shoulder. “We’re wasting time.”

  Oliver was right. He’d sensed the compulsion the moment he’d begun questioning the man. Zak pulled back with a growl. Rivulets of blood beaded where his nails had been moments ago. He watched as they dribbled down, soaking into the shredded fabric. He didn’t feed off other vampires, but hunger clawed at him and his belly grumbled. There was only one person he wanted to feed from, and she wasn’t here. Cadence was gone. Lost.

  It had been five weeks. He needed to find her – to know that she was safe. He wouldn’t rest until she was in his arms again.

  “We should go. We still have lots of ground to cover.” Oliver tugged him backward by the bicep. “She was here only a few days ago.”

  Zak swiped his sleeve over his brow, mopping the sweat from his forehead. He’d hoped torturing the vampire before him would take away the churning anguish inside him. It hadn’t. Nothing would until he found her.

  “The woman in the village said she thought Cadence was heading west to the next village over. We’re close,” Oliver said.

  Zak turned around to face his brother. If Oliver weren’t here with him, he’d have gone insane long ago.

  “Not close enough.” She could be anywhere. Her movements were all over the place. One day she went west, the next north. Tracking her was next to impossible, but her erratic movements were smart in one way. Malcolm seemed to be having just as much of a hard time finding her as them. The elder vampire didn’t seem to care that Zak and Oliver were in close proximity; he only cared about finding Cadence. It was disturbing.

  “You don’t know that,” Oliver told him. “She could be one village over. If we hurry, we could be there in an hour, maybe less.”

  “She’s long gone.” Zak stomped to one of the lanterns that hung on the wall. Cadence was smart – too smart to stay in one place for any length of time. From what he’d gathered, she rested when necessary and was on the move the rest of the time.

  “She’s alive,” Oliver told him. “We know that for a certainty now.”

  Zak sighed, blinking so his eyes returned to their normal silvery blue. He ran his hand through his auburn hair and sighed. That was the first good news they’d had in a long time. Jamie had given him some advice on how to locate Cadence. It had helped some, but he still had no idea where she was physically. He could feel her emotions now. She was mostly scared and tired, but he hadn’t found anyone who had spotted her until the woman at the market had confirmed it an hour ago, thus leading them to the vampire chained to the wall behind him.

  He grabbed the lantern off the wall and walked to the window, yanking the curtains from the rungs.

  “Zak?” Oliver asked.

  “It’s time to leave. I don’t want to leave behind any loose ends.” He dropped the curtains and smashed the lantern to the ground on top of them. Fire flickered, billowing as the fabric caught.

  “Stay!” he compelled the vampire.

  The man whimpered but made no effort to move. Satisfied his compulsion was working, Zak led the way out of the small building and into the darkened night.

  “Do you want to split up again? We could cover more ground.” Oliver looked around the deserted street.

  Zak scrubbed a hand over his face as he contemplated his options. Malcolm had created an army of vampires to do his bidding. Hunted them down and compelled them to help him search for Cadence. His father’s obsession with the witch was sadistic even for Malcolm.

  “No. Not yet. This is the first solid lead we have. Let’s track it down together. As soon as we find her you need to leave and go to Brussels.”

  “You know, you could try to connect with her again,” Oliver said as he tapped his temple. “I know your bond isn’t complete but—”

  “And waste more time? No. I won’t do that again.” He’d already attempted to contact her three times using their bond per Jamie’s suggestion. It had turned up nothing.

  “It was just an idea. Your bond is strong. I’ve seen the way the two of you look at each other.”

  “She’d have to be sleeping for me to contact her.” Which she probably wasn’t doing much. “I wish there was another way.” But he couldn’t think of one. They’d have to keep pressing on until they found her. And they would find her. “Let’s go.”

  He didn’t wait for Oliver to respond before he whooshed away, running as fast as he could. His brother’s footsteps pounded on the ground behind him, barely keeping pace.

  The first rays of sunlight peeked over the mountain as they entered the neighboring village. Zak slowed and inhaled the moist, salty sea air. Cadence’s scent wasn’t there. He sighed and ran his sleeve over his glistening brow.

  The large fishing village was already beginning to come alive at this early hour. Ships lined the harbor and people moved about on the streets and the docks.

  Oliver stopped next to him, bending over. He clasped his knees as he drew in a deep breath that his lungs didn’t really need.

  “I have been waiting for you,” a feminine voice hissed from a doorway.

  Zak took a step forward as a woman stepped onto the porch and beckoned them over. He narrowed his eyes, using his senses. She wasn’t a vampire – a witch perhaps? Or someone compelled to do Malcolm’s bidding. He gritted his teeth, but made his way over anyway.

  “You are seeking the young witch,” the woman said.

  “What do you know?” Zak said, trying to contain the growl in his voice. If this was another head game of Malcolm’s, he was going to make the village bleed.

  “She is close. In town.”

  “Where?” Oliver asked.
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  The woman looked to him then back to Zak, stepping safely over the threshold into her home as they approached.

  If this were a trick, the woman wouldn’t have enough sense to get inside her home where they couldn’t reach her, unless Malcolm was giving more specific instructions. He wouldn’t put it past his father.

  “I know what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong. There is no trickery here. Come closer, but make no mistake, you will not be entering my home,” the woman said.

  “Witch,” Oliver said, keeping his voice low.

  The woman inclined her head. “I am more than a witch. A seer.”

  Zak studied the woman, trying to decide if there was anything different about her. She looked like any other woman in this era.

  “I sensed your lover’s magic. She is strong. I have never felt another presence quite like hers,” she said as Zak and Oliver stopped on the front step.

  “Where is she?” Oliver asked.

  “Why would I trust you?” Zak asked. For all he knew, this woman could be leading them right into a trap. Witches hated vampires. It wouldn’t be a stretch for them to work with a vampire hunter like Malcolm.

  “There are two types of powerful witches. Ones like your bond mate, powerful and in control of the elements around them, and seers like me. The rest have simple powers and can perform spells and parlor tricks. My duty is to nature, and I must restore the balance. Your presence is disrupting the timeline. Your presence is disrupting the timeline even as we speak...” She paused and pointed to Oliver. “You have been affected greatly. You should not be here. I see a rupture between the path you were supposed to go down and the one you are currently on. Your future self must be in great pain. I fear if you do not right your path soon, there will be severe consequences.”

  “What are you saying?” Oliver asked with a frown.

  Zak glanced to his brother with concern. Jamie had already informed them of this, but she hadn’t said anything about it bringing Oliver harm.

  “Neither of you should be here. That is why I shall help you find her.”

  “Where?” Zak asked. “Is she all right?” His chest clenched at the thought of something having happened to her. No. She was fine – she had to be.

  “For the moment she is well, but danger lurks nearby. I see multiple paths where you reach her and the pair of you leave on one of the fishing boats, but you must hurry. There is a path where the hunter captures her and—”

  “Stop!” Zak smacked his hands on the doorway. “Where is she?” Enough games. If the witch knew where she was, then he wanted to know too.

  The witch blinked at him, cocking her head to the side. “Go now. To the church three blocks over by the market. The hunter is already there. You must run if you’re to reach her before him.”

  Zak rushed off, sprinting down the streets as fast as he could. I have to get there in time. Please don’t let this be a trap.

  ***

  Shouting drew Cadence from her slumber. The small cot creaked beneath her as she stirred. She blinked her tired brown eyes open and squinted to see through the sleep-induced haze, trying to remember where she was. Montessori. The room the priest had led her to was small and drab, but it was better than sleeping outside in the cold. Another yell pierced the air and she stood alert. She fixed her dress, then grabbed her cloak and pulled the hood over her wavy blonde hair. She went to the door, listening.

  Footsteps pounded down the hall toward her, and she gulped as a crash sounded in the distance. A tremor shook her to the core. Malcolm. She twisted the knob and peered out. One of the priests sprinted toward her. He reached out as he drew nearer. When he was close enough, he took her hand and yanked her from the room. He spoke quickly and frantically, but she didn’t understand the language.

  Cadence allowed him to guide her down the hallway where they stopped in front of a rock wall. The man pressed his hand against a lantern on the wall and tilted it to the side, allowing a passageway to open. He motioned for her to go inside. Cadence gulped, staring into the darkness. More shouts echoed through the hall and she stepped inside, gasping when the door slid shut behind her.

  Blackness surrounded her, and the chaos outside grew louder. I can’t stay here. If its Malcolm, and I’m pretty sure it is, he’ll find me. Was it only a hiding spot, or did it lead somewhere? Didn’t they talk about underground tunnels in history class at one point? Dammit, I really should’ve paid more attention in school. Who’d have thought I’d actually need it?

  Swallowing, she felt around with her foot while her eyes adjusted to the pitch-black abyss around her. Her shoe slipped off the edge, and she inhaled sharply as her foot found its footing again. Stairs. She blinked as her eyes mostly adjusted, at least enough to make out some of the winding staircase before her. Her fingers shook as she placed them on the cold wall, and she started a slow descent. The yelling had stopped. She didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing.

  Her bottom lip trembled. This was a church. These were good people, kind enough to take a scared woman in for the night. Malcolm wouldn’t harm them, would he? She didn’t want to know the answer.

  Pushing her emotions aside, she made her way down the stairs. Malcolm and his goons wouldn't stop looking until they found her. Hopefully there was another way out of this underground cavern. Surely the man wouldn't have led her here if there weren’t.

  Light flickered ahead and she increased her pace, finally able to see more than a few feet in front of her. She hurried down the steps, stopping at the bottom to look around.

  A tunnel of pillars led into more darkness, and she breathed in deeply as she took a step forward. She pulled one of the torches from the wall and held it in front of her to light the way.

  Something creaked behind her, and she heard voices from above. They echoed down into the cavern and vibrated off the walls. Crap. Someone had found her hideout. She grasped the wall as she shoved the torch back into place. The last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself. She needed to hide, and fast. Vampires would be flooding this cavern any moment, and unlike her, they could see in the dark.

  She looked down and squeaked in surprise, dropping the human skull she’d been holding. The voices grew louder, and she stumbled backwards into the darkness. She was in a catacomb. Great. She shuddered as her mind drifted to the dead bodies surrounding her. Would this be her final resting place, too? No. I’m getting out of here.

  Gulping, she prayed as she moved around in the darkness, using her hands to feel her way around. Light flickered again ahead and she sped up, trying to stay as light on her feet as possible so she wouldn’t give away her position. Tombs lined the room and she rushed ahead, ducking into a small nook beside a coffin. She squeezed into the space, trying to ignore the sticky cobwebs. Gross. She wiggled into the tight space as far as she could before ducking down and pressing herself into the wall. Hopefully she could stay out of sight.

  A few of Malcolm’s goons had found her on several occasions, and she’d taken care of them thanks to her magic. But his henchmen were growing in numbers. She was strong, but she didn’t know how many vampires she could take on at once and she didn’t want to find out. If she could stay hidden long enough, she would backtrack and escape.

  Judging by their footsteps and voices, they'd broken into groups and were scouring the catacombs looking for her. Shoes crunched against the gravel and cement flooring, drawing nearer to her hiding spot. She held her breath and called upon the magic swirling inside her, wanting to be ready to strike if needed.

  How long could she continue to evade Malcolm and his men? Would it be long enough for Zak to find her? Her heart dropped. What if she never saw him again? Or worse, what if she did him again – only for Malcolm to slaughter her in front of him?

  Footsteps scuffed against the ground, drawing her from her thoughts. She sucked in a deep breath, watching as a shadow danced over her space. The figure slunk past her, stopping for a long moment near her hiding spot before shuffling away. />
  Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked, letting the salty liquid slide down her cheeks. How long can I stay hidden?

  A voice cried out in a language she didn’t speak, causing her to stifle a gasp. Did they find me? Footsteps thundered over the ground as more shouts erupted. Instead of the footfalls drawing closer, they grew quieter, further away. She frowned and licked her lips as she questioned her luck. Maybe it was a trick to find her faster.

  “Cadence?” Zak’s voice called out, his voice barely above a whisper.

  She swallowed and closed her eyes. Is it really him?

  “Cadence?”

  His velvety voice came closer, causing her heart to lurch. Her intuition kicked in. It’s him. “Zak?”

  Footsteps tiptoed toward her, and she closed her eyes, praying she hadn’t just given away her location to her enemy.

  A familiar form darted into her nook, causing her to gasp. She swallowed, too afraid to move for fear he wasn’t real. Zak’s eyes searched the area before landing on her.

  “Cadence.” Zak wiggled between the coffins to reach her.

  “Is it really you?” she asked, too afraid to hope.

  “Shhh, it’s okay. You’re safe,” he said. His voice soothed her, and he wrapped his arms around her waist while resting his chin on her head. “I’ve got you.” He squeezed her tighter almost as if he needed to assure himself that she was real too. “Let’s get you out of here.”

  “There are men all over.” Malcolm’s men would see them for sure.

  Zak shook his head. “Oliver has led them away so we can escape. They think they’re chasing you.” He grinned. “He put on quite the performance for you – even dressed the part. Come on.” His hand slid down her arm, and his fingers curled around hers.

  Zak led the way, slipping out of the tight space with ease. The stones scraped against her skin as she wedged herself free. Zak let out a breath before hinging forward to pick her up. He whisked her through the catacombs, back up the stairs, and out into the light of day.