by Nina Crespo
Dalir glanced at him and went back to scrambling eggs. The Ancient tipped his head toward the coffeemaker sitting on the counter. “Coffee’s ready. Mugs are in the cabinet.”
As he poured his coffee, the vividness of the trees and sky outside the picture window stood out. The precise lines of the room and the heightened clarity of sound answered the larger question. They weren’t in the present. The dynamic pull of Dalir’s power surrounded them like the glue holding it all together—the same regenerative power he’d felt so strongly five years ago when the Ancient had taken them from the crash. Time didn’t exist in this dimension. It hovered.
Thane sat at the wood table at the end of the kitchen. Long sips of coffee soothed his throat. “I must have been in bad shape for you to bring me here.”
Dalir picked up a plate. He put a large spoonful of eggs on it along with some bacon from a pan sitting on the back of the stove. “Bad enough. You’ve been out for almost a week.” He walked to the table and put the plate and a fork in front of Thane. “I brought you here so we could talk.”
One thing he didn’t mind about this dimension, the food was always perfect. After a few hefty bites, he asked, “Why am I here?”
The Ancient sat down, booted feet planted wide as he leaned back and folded his arms. “What do you remember?”
Bit by bit, the blank spaces in Thane’s mind filled. “We were running surveillance in the future, nothing unusual.” He shrugged, trying to loosen the knots of apprehension with the slow unfolding of his thoughts. “A virus was being sold on the black market. We were lining up intel on the buyer and the seller—” Memory surged in. Something not quite right about the exchange, gunshots, he’d seen Celine. He’d almost lost Celine.
Appetite gone, he pushed the plate aside. “Did Reid get to the bags in time? Did we take them down? Did we stop the virus from getting out?”
“Yes, no, and yes.”
Harnessing frustration, Thane clenched his mouth shut. At least they’d stopped the pandemic. “Can you be a little more specific?
“Reid grabbed the bags, but the vials contained water. Not the virus.”
“We saw her take the samples from the lab on surveillance. She switched them out. Tell me we have her.”
Dalir shook his head.
Damn. They’d fucked up, but no way in hell was she getting away with it. “What about Red Path Anarchy? There has to be link that can give us a lead.”
“Jeff Miller’s younger brother is in prison, and one of his former cellmates is a member. That’s how they recruited Jeff, but we’re still not sure how Xenia’s involved with them.” Dalir’s gaze mirrored Thane’s frustration. “But Colby discovered a key piece of information in the future. She’d turned Fineway’s flu vaccine into a Trojan horse for her virus. That’s how it spread so fast.”
The work they made me do isn’t finished, but what I’ve done so far can’t get out. He’d never forget the scientist’s anguished face or his promise. They hadn’t hurt Fineway physically, but subjected him to the worst kind of torture. Tainting his life’s work. “So the reason Red Path kidnapped Fineway and his daughter was to make him turn his vaccine into a weapon.”
The Ancient released a long breath. “That’s the logical answer. His death may have delayed its production, but Xenia taking over his lab gave her all she needed to finish.” Dalir got up and walked to the window. “We can only guess at the full story. Miller is dead. He was on some sort of experimental hallucinogenic. We suspect it was courtesy of Xenia. The police didn’t have a choice. They had to take him down, and Xenia is gone.”
“We’ll find her.” Thane stood. “We’ll check out Red Path’s usual hideouts. Stake out her family and friends. She’ll surface, and when she does, we’ll be there.”
“No.” Dalir crossed his arms and kept his focus on the view. “You’re not hearing me. She no longer exists. She’s vanished from the present or any other timeline. As far as the world’s concerned, she never contaminated the vaccine or made a deal. It’s over.”
Over? The Ancient never backed down. “Wait a minute.” Thane stalked over him. “She disappeared and you’re saying you didn’t pick up on it? Your intel is never wrong. What are you not saying?”
“You know what’s important. Let it go.”
“The hell I will. Just because we accepted your gift, doesn’t mean you get to keep us in the dark. We’re not pawns on a chessboard.”
“Not knowing saves your asses.”
“Hold up. Did you miss the part where I took two bullets in the back? Or what about innocent people almost dying for you to work some fucking secret agenda?”
“Fucking agenda? That’s what you think this is?” Dalir pinned him with a hard stare. “In case you haven’t noticed, my agenda saves lives. I’m not the one who changed things.”
“Enlighten me. If you’re not responsible, who is?”
The Ancient’s gaze darkened with anger, and he spat out what sounded like a curse in another language. “I don’t know. I won’t find out until they surface again. Hell. I’m not even sure they’re on our side. Whoever or whatever erased Xenia did us a favor by eliminating the threat, but they fucked up the timelines. Fate, chance—it’s all at risk now.”
From day one, Dalir had drilled the principles of fate and chance into their minds. Fate was stronger than chance, but as long as chance existed, so did other possibilities. Fate could change.
“Is there anything we can do to stop it?”
“No, and it’s already creating problems. Your woman is in trouble.”
“You mean Celine? She’s fine. I saved her.”
The absence of emotion in Dalir’s gaze sparked frissons of unease.
“No. You said someone tampered with the timelines. They changed her future and that shouldn’t have happened.”
“She was supposed to die.”
Rage and disbelief twisted inside of him. “I don’t care what you or the fucking timelines say. Celine stays alive in the present and the future. You’ll have to go through me to change it.”
“And you’d give up your life for nothing. All of her timelines are unraveling as we speak. You saved a woman who doesn’t have a future.”
Dalir’s stillness, and what his words implied, chilled him. Was this his fault? If he’d left her alone, would she still have a future?
Desperation clawed inside of him. “There has to be way to save her. She exists in the present. Let me take her to a timeline further in the future.”
“It won’t work.”
“You said chance trumps fate. She has to have at least one.” He met Dalir’s gaze. “I won’t let her die.”
Hints of uncertainty lessened the harshness of Dalir expression. “There may be a way. You’d have to join your timeline with hers two years in the future. The fate of infinite time you received through my gift would also become hers.”
“Done. I’ll leave now.”
Dalir raised his hand. “Let me finish. Timelines are like threads. If they’re corrupted, they weaken. All timelines up to two years out are corrupted. Phasing into those dimensions is risky. You could end up in a time distortion for weeks or years or never get out. If you did make it, you could never phase again. There’s also no guarantee she’ll still be in the future. Whatever happens, you’ll face it alone.” The Ancient gripped his shoulder. “Centuries have passed since I was a warrior on the battlefield, but I haven’t forgotten how much our sacrifices take from us. I know you yearn for more with Celine, but sometimes we have to accept, because of the life we’ve chosen, what we want isn’t possible.”
“I’ll make it possible.”
“I searched for centuries to find someone worthy of my gift. Don’t throw it away lightly.” Dalir’s gaze bore into his. “I’m going after the force responsible for this mess. The team and I could use your help. Is she worth it?”
Thane willingly let him into his mind. He summoned his memories of Celine and warm tingles spread through his chest. He re
vealed what he liked about her. All he wanted to share with her beyond a single day in the park. He showed him what he’d never dared to hope for with anyone until he’d met her. Love. If one timeline still existed for them to be together, he’d square off with fate to give him and Celine a fighting chance.
* * * *
The present
Celine trudged from the back of her store. She heaved the small box she carried onto the counter of the cashier’s station. Taking deep, meditative breaths, she waited for her heart to stop clattering against her rib cage. The box weighed less than ten pounds but felt ten times heavier. What was wrong with her? Tears welled. Another round of medical tests had declared her healthy, but it didn’t make sense. Chills had her wrapped in layers in July. An eight-hour day left her beyond exhausted. Her ears rang, and at unpredictable times, flashes of light distorted her vision. Her doctor had suggested antidepressants and a talk with a psychologist, but she wasn’t crazy, grieving, or a hypochondriac. Something wasn’t right, and each day, she grew worse.
A blond woman breezed in and looked through the display of bath salts. Cute, tanned, and summery-looking in a peach tank top and shorts, she made Celine long for a normal day at the beach. She’d feel sun on her skin instead of cold chilling her from the inside out.
Air blasted down from a vent in the ceiling, and Celine’s teeth chattered. As she pulled down the sleeves of her gray sweater, she eyed her blue one on the shelf underneath the cash register.
The woman laid two packages of lemon–lavender salts on the counter and offered a sympathetic frown. “It sucks to work when you’re sick. I hope you don’t have to stay here all day.”
Working up a customer-friendly smile, Celine rang up the items. “Two more hours and I can go home.”
“Good for you. I recommend a hot bath with this.” The woman held up the bag with her purchases. “Lavender is so soothing after a long day. I feel better in no time.”
The woman left and more customers drifted down the aisles. Work brought a welcome distraction from her woes. The store cleared. The same blond woman from earlier breezed into the store and went to the bath salts display.
She must like those bath salts a lot. Maybe I should give them a try.
The woman laid two yellow packages on the counter.
Celine rang up her purchases. “Did you decide to pick up more for a friend?
The woman gave her a quizzical look. “No. Not today.”
Twins, of course. Celine chuckled. “What a coincidence. Your sister came in and bought the same thing a minute ago.”
“Sister? I don’t have a sister.”
Then she was the one who had come in earlier. Why was she lying? “I’m sorry.” Celine bagged the purchases. “I must have gotten it wrong.”
“That’s okay.” The woman’s expression morphed into empathy. “It sucks to work when you’re sick. I hope you don’t have to stay here all day.”
Was she playing a joke? The sincerity in her gaze stalled Celine’s judgment. “No, I’m leaving in two hours.”
“Good for you. I recommend a hot bath with this.” The woman held up the bag.
Some sort of dementia or a brain injury? What else could explain the poor woman’s behavior? Maybe she shouldn’t complain about what was happening to her. It could be worse. Celine offered a polite smile. “I agree. Lavender is so soothing after a long day. Someone gave me good advice. They said if I used it, I’d feel better in no…”
A prism of light shimmered at the entrance of the store. Three blondes, same hairstyle, same peach-colored outfit, same tan, appeared. They walked to the bath salts display, seemingly oblivious of each other, and picked up two yellow packages.
“Are you all right?” the clone standing in front of her asked.
The three identical women headed toward the cash register. Celine pointed and stumbled back. “Don’t you see them?”
“See what?”
More prisms of light opened up a cacophony of voices. Celine covered her ears, trying to shut them out. No, please. This isn’t happening. Overwhelming vertigo washed over Celine, and her heart pounded as she fought to breathe. Knees buckling, she fell to the ground. Grayness tunneled her vision. The world spun and she tumbled into darkness.
Chapter 12
The future
“Come on, you two. Hurry up.” Celine nudged through the crowd and secured a table near the stage. Seconds later, her friends joined her and sat down.
“It’s crowded for a Thursday.” Lauren looked around The Song. “What’s going on?”
“Some new solo act.” Celine snagged the drink menu. “He’s supposed to be good.”
“I hope so.” Ari frowned. “Hey, does anybody remember why we stopped coming to this place?”
Ari looked from her over to Lauren, and they all shrugged.
“Since I dragged you guys out tonight, first rounds on me.” Celine dug through her purse and pulled money from her wallet. “I’ll be right back.”
On her way to the bar, she squeezed past the chairs, enthusiastic partiers, and servers delivering drinks. One of her favorite tracks played over the house speakers, and she swayed her hips to the beat on her way to the bar.
A dark haired guy winked at her and she smiled. Maybe later. He was kind of cute, and if just dancing interested him, they could have fun. She was still riding the celibacy train, and she wasn’t ready to jump off yet. Over the past two years, she’d focused on building her new business, rediscovering all her favorite places, and enjoying her friends. For now, she would take in the view and discover more about what she wanted in life. Not that she’d given up on love or anything. If the right guy came along, well, who knew?
She caught the eye of one the bartenders, and his face lit up. “Three mangotinis,” she called out.
The bartender nodded, set up three glasses in the prep area, and worked on the drinks.
She looked over her shoulder at her friends. Ari chatted with a group sitting at a nearby table while Lauren ignored some poor guy who was practically drooling on her new Manolos. Laughing to herself, she turned back to the bar and slid into one of the empty, high-backed chairs. A flyer similar to the one that had been left at the store lay on the counter. The black and white photo of the guy walking away from the camera and carrying a guitar case had an artistic quality.
Oh, who was she kidding? The way his jeans cupped what looked like a nice, firm ass made him more than just a little interesting.
The bartender showed up with the drinks, and she gave him the bills in her hand. “Keep the change.”
Celine interlaced her fingers around the bowls of the glasses and carefully lifted all three of them. She turned to get up from the chair, and a warm scent filled with citrus and amber wafted up her nose. Drawn to it, she turned her head and the glasses wobbled in her hands.
“Whoa, careful.” The gorgeous guy wrapped his fingers around hers, steadying the martini glasses.
Tongue-tied, she couldn’t think of what to say, but she could look into those beautiful, golden-brown eyes all day long.
He took his hands away but warmth remained on her skin. “What are those?” He pointed to the drinks.
“These—” Her mind went blank for a second. “Mangotinis.”
“Are they good? I’ve never had one.” Moving closer, he laid his hand on the back of the chair, and as if pulled by gravity, she turned more toward him.
“Try it.” Before she realized it, she sat down and offered him the glass at the tip of the drink triangle.
His mouth tipped up with a smile. “I think I will.”
Celine followed the glass up to his lips. He had a mouth made for nice, slow kisses. “Do you like it?”
“I like it a lot.” He studied her, as if taking in every feature of her face. He smiled. “Maybe I’ll order one after I finish my set.”
He’s the guy? Damn, the picture definitely didn’t do him justice.
“Where are you sitting?” he asked.
&nb
sp; She pointed near the stage. “See where the blonde is in the white dress?”
He stopped one of the servers headed to the floor. “Lilith, would you mind delivering her drinks to the table where the blonde and brunette are sitting?”
Lilith looked out to where he pointed. “Sure thing.” The server slid the two mangotinis out of Celine’s fingers and left.
He handed back her drink, and the proximity of his chest, inches away, tempted her to touch the hard curve of muscle accented by his shirt or, better still, run her hands over him without it. Celine lifted the glass to her mouth and the cool, icy sting of alcohol and sweetness of the drink wet her throat.
Stop thinking about him naked. She peeped up at him, and his grin widened as if he knew every wicked thought running through her mind.
Her cheeks flushed. “Shouldn’t you be on stage?” No, no, no. Wrong question. She didn’t want to get rid of him.
“Yeah, my set is about to start.” Gorgeous man looked her over all the way down to her high heels and back up again. He put one hand on the back of the chair and the other on the bar, boxing her in. A smile she could become attached to lifted the corners of his mouth. “But, right now, I’m distracted by something.”
“What?”
He leaned in and a delicious shiver moved down her spine. Every cell in her body felt like it strained through the barrier of her dress, begging for contact. “I don’t know your name.”
“Name?” She sounded like a total airhead. What was wrong with her?
“Yeah, your name. A close friend told me once an introduction was the proper way to get to know someone.”
Did close mean girlfriend? She hoped not. “Celine.”
“Hi, Celine. I’m Thane.” His hand closed around hers, and a small shock driven by a bit of déjà vu jolted through her. It sparked and bloomed, clicking something she hadn’t realized was missing into place. Rightness, destiny, sitting on the verge of something she hadn’t looked forward to in a long time. A future with someone special.
