by West, Shay
Drifter shook his head, feeling defensive. “There was no one but he and I...”
“If you speak another word I will have you gutted like a fish and fed to the coyotes. Is that clear?” The threat was given in his usual quiet, raspy voice.
Drifter held his tongue.
“If no one overheard you then perhaps there is another explanation.”
The older man did not speak for some time. Drifter became nervous and agitated. “Perhaps it is possible that time cannot be altered.”
Again, the man did not speak and Drifter wondered if he had angered his Master and regretted saying anything.
“Perhaps.” Master’s voice sounded like a snake’s scales sliding past one another.
“Shall I continue on with the mission?” Drifter asked.
“Yes. And this time do not fail me.”
Drifter left the darkened room where he and Master always met. His pace was measured and clipped, and his footsteps echoed in the empty hallway. He walked briskly to his car, his mind filled with planning the next mission.
He showed his ID to the man at the gate and waited for the white, metal swing arm to lift up before speeding on his way. As he drove, his thoughts wandered to the days when he first started working for Max Poder.
It had been Max who had insisted he join the military. It had also been Max’s idea that he train to be a sniper. Drifter still remembered the first time he had killed a man. It had been quite easy. The target never knew what hit him. After that, he looked forward to each mission, eager to test his skills.
He had also been eager to test his secret skill as a time traveler. Each time he successfully returned to his body, the feeling of invincibility grew until he felt he would burst.
Max had taken that talent and honed it to a razor-sharp edge. It had taken many years before he finally revealed his dark plan. Drifter was all-too eager to help. After all, it wasn’t everyone who got the chance to alter the course of history.
CHAPTER 26
“I CAN’T BELIEVE I will be on stage in a few short hours! I’m so excited and nervous I think I might burst. Or vomit.” Alex groaned. She lay on the bed chatting with Jennifer on the phone. Her mom was in the bathroom taking a shower and singing at the top of her lungs. Normally such behavior would irritate Alex to no end but she was too nervous to pay her mother’s awful singing much attention.
“You guys’ll be great. You could probably do this play in your sleep,” Jennifer said.
Alex rolled off the bed and passed in front of her full-length mirror.
The image shifted to the beautiful girl in the house with the red shutters.
“Jenn...” Alex had a hard time forcing the name past her lips. She felt herself moving toward the mirror, unable to stop her movement.
“Alex? Alex, what’s wrong?” Jennifer’s voice sounded worried. “Oh God! Is it happening again?”
Alex tried to answer Jennifer but she could not speak. The girl in the mirror shook her head, and yet moved forward as well, her arm coming up to reach for the mirror. Tears were falling and cords stood out in her neck as if she was fighting the movements with every fiber of her being.
“Alex? I’m on my way. Hold on!” The panic was evident in her voice.
Alex wanted to tell her to hurry but all she could manage was a throaty croak. She reached out with her right hand, her left still holding the phone to her ear. As her fingers touched the strange, liquid glass of the mirror, she hoped that she would be back in her own body in time for the play.
CHAPTER 27
ALEX AWOKE IN a large room. The sunlight warmed her face. A breeze ruffled her hair. The sound of a man’s voice drifted in through the open red shutters. She recognized the accent and realized she must in Spain.
Alex forced herself to get up off the hard wood floor. She grabbed at the edge of a large dresser as a wave of dizziness washed over her. The dresser was topped with a large square mirror set in an ornately carved dark wood frame. A four-poster bed stood next to the dresser. The linens were thrown back, as if the girl had just awakened.
Alex glanced in the mirror. The same dark-haired beauty she had been seeing stared back at her. The girl had flawless olive skin that seemed to shine with its own inner light. Her cheeks had a rosy glow and her dark brown eyes were large, wide-set, and rimmed with long black lashes.
This girl was a far cry from what Alex looked like and yet there was the same familiarity when she gazed into the black eyes in the mirror. If she ignored everything else about the reflection and simply focused on the eyes, she would swear she was looking at herself.
This girl was older than the previous two had been, probably in her early twenties. Alex had assumed she would switch places with a girl close to her own age. She stood back from the mirror and blushed to find that this girl’s body had voluptuous curves, with breasts that would put any girl at school to shame, and long legs ending in hips that were wide, and yet not too wide. If I had this body, Beau would never even look twice at another girl.
Alex spotted a changing screen and a trunk filled with clothes behind it. She rifled through the clothing and picked a green gown. Alex giggled when she pulled out the bodice and separate sleeves. How the hell am I going to tie these darn things?
Just then, a tiny, wrinkled old woman entered the room carrying a silver tray with a tea pot, cup, and a plate covered with a white cloth. Alex managed to get the bodice on and the woman cinched her up while standing on a stool so she could reach all the way to the top of Alex’s back.
“What a lovely choice, Adriana. This color suits you.” The woman stood on the stool and tied the sleeves to the gown, carefully taking the bodice out through the gaps and fluffing it carefully, looking at her handiwork and frowning before rearranging it to get it just so.
Adriana. Alex liked the name. It sounded sultry and exotic.
“Thank you, Carmen.” The woman’s name came naturally to Alex’s lips.
“I will do your hair now. Then you can eat.” The woman grabbed a brush off the dresser and styled Alex’s long hair. The tight, smooth style felt strange. I wonder if I’ll be able to hear with all of this hair covering my ears.
“Your padre told me to tell you that he has purchased more horses. Señor Castillo will be arriving just after the noon hour to see the new stock.”
Alex felt a thrill of excitement that she was sure belonged more to Adriana than to her. She had never really been into horses. As she ate breakfast she wondered about Señor Castillo and whether he was just a friend or a suitor. I hope I don’t have to kiss him or anything.
The air outside was a little chilly so she threw a shawl over her shoulders and walked to the stables. The home consisted of a large single story sprawling adobe house with a red tile roof. There were several outbuildings for the servants also constructed of adobe with red tile roofs. The stables were located down the main road. Alex walked slowly, looking everywhere at once. The property was surrounded by fields of tall grass and she could see several white horses grazing.
Andalusians.
This name came to her mind along with a fierce pride that could only be attributed to the other girl. Alex walked over to the wooden fence and watched the horses. She had to admit they were stunning. Some of them had coats of pure white, while others were a mixture of white and grey. They all walked with their heads held high, their manes and tails flowing in the breeze. One of the horses spotted her and ran to meet her.
Alex reached out a tentative hand and patted the nose of the magnificent stallion. Its liquid brown eyes gazed into hers and she felt as if the horse were looking into her soul. She could not say how long she stared at the horse. Time seemed to stand still. Alex loved the feel of the horse’s coat under her hands, and the way he smelled. She scratched him behind the ears and threw her arms around him. The horse laid its head against hers and Alex was surprised to find tears filling her eyes. She had never had a pet, and she thought the emotions were coming from Adriana.
; She gave the horse one final pat and made her way to the stables to see the new stock her father had bought. There were men moving about, feeding the horses, cleaning stalls, and saddling some of the animals for trainers who were waiting to take them to the arena.
There was a thin, pale young man watching one of the trainers work. Alex felt drawn to him. She stood next to him and watched the man put the horse through its paces.
“He’s a fine animal, isn’t he?” The pale boy watched the man with the horse with a fierce intensity.
“He certainly is, Hernán.” Alex reached over and ruffled his hair. His name came to her as easily as did the name of her personal servant.
This young man must be Hernán Cortés!
Alex gazed at the horse pretending to be absorbed in its movements but she was really wracking her brain about what she could remember about Hernán Cortés.
He was a Spanish conquistador in charge of the expedition responsible for the destruction of the Aztec Empire. If she guessed his current age correctly, he would not be doing this for about another ten years or so.
Alex wondered what sort of danger threatened this young man. He was an important figure in history and Alex was fairly certain he would be the target of the evil man. I’ll just have to keep my eyes peeled.
It seemed hard to believe that anything bad could happen on such a beautiful day. She guessed the time of year to be late spring. It just had that feel to it. She gazed about her, getting a feel for Adriana’s home. The Cortés land was beautiful and serene.
Footsteps on the gravel interrupted the silence. Alex turned and her heart fluttered in her chest.
A tall, handsome man strode purposefully down the road and his dark eyes smoldered as he admired her. Alex, feeling a boldness and confidence that was very unlike her, stood taller and placed a hand on her hip, and thrust out her chest. This has got to be coming from Adriana! Alex smirked as the man swallowed hard and stumbled just a bit.
He kept his eyes locked on Alex’s own as he walked up to where she still stood at the fence. “Señorita Cortés, it’s a pleasure.” He bent over and kissed her hand. Alex felt a thrill of electricity pass through her at his touch.
“Carlos Castillo,” Alex said his name with sensual heat. Hearing her family name spoken was all the proof Alex needed that she was the elder sister of Hernán Cortés.
Alex barely noticed the servant standing just behind Carlos. She only had eyes for Carlos.
“What do you think of Father’s new stallion?” Hernán asked.
“He is truly magnificent. In his veins runs the blood of a warrior.” Carlos gazed appreciatively at the stallion, who sensed he was being admired. He tossed his head and snorted, pawing at the ground.
The trainer spoke to the horse quietly and patted him on the side of his neck. With imperceptible movements, the man guided the magnificent beast through his paces, forcing the animal to march from side to side, his legs criss-crossing in front. The trainer made the horse back up and turn this way and that. With a light touch, the horse reared, pawing the air and kicking out violently with his front legs.
Alex watched, enthralled. Watching the horse stirred something primal and eternal that touched her soul. To her, it looked as though the man and beast were moving as one, the horse seeming to know what the man on his back wanted and acting accordingly. Alex wondered if this closeness of man and beast could be behind the mythological centaur.
“He will do well in battle. See the ripple of muscle beneath his coat? He is strong,” Carlos said, his voice full of passion.
Alex stood close to Carlos, their arms touching. She tried to concentrate on her breathing instead of thinking about the heat of his body.
Suddenly, Alex felt someone staring at her. But it was more than that. It felt similar to what she had encountered when the enraged man spoke during Veronica’s trial. Her body stiffened and she was too terrified to turn around. Act natural. Don’t let him see that you’re scared out of your wits. She took a deep breath and began to pretend that she was in a play, one in which she was supposed to act like a girl enamored with the handsome man standing at her side, and that she did not have a care in the world other than him. She made sure to laugh loudly and punctuate this with light caresses to Carlos’ arm. She turned her body toward him, a gesture that spoke volumes.
While in this position, she pretended to be embarrassed by something that Carlos was saying, and turned her head just enough to catch a glimpse of who was behind her.
The only person there was the servant but he was not watching Alex at all. He had his head bowed but Alex could see that he was staring at Hernán from underneath his lashes. She was surprised that Carlos continued to speak, completely unaware of the malevolent emotions pouring off the servant. She could feel them as though they were ocean waves, striking her again and again, leaving her barely able to draw a breath.
“Let’s go for a walk, Carlos.” Alex grabbed his arm and gave him a coy glance. She was hoping the servant would follow, giving her time to think things through while he was away from her little brother. Alex was feeling the protective instincts of a big sister, something she had never felt before, since she was an only child. She knew that she would do whatever it took to protect young Hernán.
A part of her was torn about this visit. Hernán Cortés was responsible for the fall of the Aztec Empire. If the servant did indeed stop Hernán from conquering Mexico, then perhaps the Aztecs would survive. She wondered if it perhaps she should ignore this one and let the evil man kill the boy. His death would mean that many thousands would live. Alex shook her head. This sort of thinking would drive her crazy. History shouldn’t be changed. It’s not up to me to judge. Besides, who is to say that the Aztecs wouldn’t do something much worse if they are left alive?
Alex wished again that an adult had this strange ability she possessed. She felt that a fifteen year old shouldn’t be forced to make these kinds of decisions. There were so many “what ifs” and she did not feel emotionally prepared to deal with it. I am the only one here. I have to deal with it.
She forced herself to listen to what Carlos was saying, and trying to keep an ear out for the servant. She had been relieved that he had followed them as soon as they left the fence. Alex found it difficult to concentrate, between her fear for Hernán, the identity of the man, what his purpose could possibly be, the implications for changing history, hoping she could stop the man from whatever it was he planned, hoping she made it back for the play, and the warmth of Carlos’ hand as he placed it gently over hers. She felt she was being pulled in a dozen directions.
Carlos led her down the dirt road leading out to the pastures. The grass was so tall Alex felt as if she were standing in a great ocean of green. The wind blew the grass, causing it to crest and dip, much like the waves in the sea.
“You are truly a vision.”
Alex turned to find Carlos staring at her. Her breath caught in her throat. There was something so compelling about his eyes, something that spoke directly to her soul. She wanted to stare into those eyes and just forget everything, the time traveling, the play, her troubles with Catelyn. Her heart overflowed with the feeling that she knew him, and knew him well.
Her servant interrupted their moment. “Your madre wishes you to return to the house to help prepare the evening meal.”
“Of course.” Alex was both relieved and disappointed. She wanted to spend more time with Carlos, and yet she feared her own body betraying her. She was quite certain that she was not ready to allow those feelings to take over, but a part of her wanted to find out just how ready she really was.
Both servants walked behind Alex and Carlos. Alex could feel the same hatred and something she could only describe as determination. She could not ignore her mother’s request, and yet she was afraid to leave the man where he could get his hands on Hernán. As they passed the corral where the trainer was just finishing with the new horse, Alex called out to Hernán to come and help in the kitchen. She knew
that he actually enjoyed cooking and would not think it strange that he was being asked to help.
“You will stay for supper, won’t you?” Alex gave Carlos her best smile.
“It would be an honor to share your table, Adriana.” Carlos left her at the door to the main house and went in search of the men, who would be in the stables, sharing cigars and talking about what they knew of good horse flesh.
Alex breathed a sigh of relief when Carlos and his servant both left.
“Are we going to get dinner ready or stare at Señor Castillo?” Hernán teased.
“I was not staring.” Alex opened the door to the kitchen. She gave her mother a kiss on each cheek. The woman was stunning. She had one white streak in her jet black hair, and dark eyes that matched her daughter’s. She tied an apron around her tiny waist. Alex and Hernán each took an apron and helped prepare the meal.
Alex, pulling from Adriana’s mind, knew her mother had refused her father’s offer to hire a cook. Maria Cortés loved to cook and she thought the woman of the house should be able to cook for her family. When she had taken Adriana into the kitchen for the first time, Hernán had followed, fascinated by all of the tools and food, and the ability of his mother to create culinary masterpieces. Maria let Hernán help whenever he wanted, enjoying spending time with both of her children.
Alex informed her mother of inviting Carlos to stay.
“I am glad you asked him. I think he will ask your papa for permission to ask for your hand soon.” Rosa gave her daughter a mischievous look and laughed when Alex blushed. She hugged her daughter close. “Carlos Castillo is a good man. You are fortunate, my daughter.”
Hernán rolled his eyes. “I would just as soon they marry and be done with it. That way, they can coo and stare at each other in their own house.”
The servants set the oak table in the large dining hall. The shutters had been thrown open and the setting sun bathed the room in golden light. Fresh flowers were placed on lace doilies in the center of the table. There were beautiful paintings on all four walls in tones of red and gold.
