by Dawn Brower
“The person in control of the mirror has to have some kind of psychic ability. Eve is a telepath if the person is receptive to it,” Aubriella said. “I have empathic abilities. I wonder if that is enough.”
“Eve’s a telepath?” Trenton said. How had he not known that?
“Yes,” Regina said. “She used to talk to me.”
Trenton spun on his heels and faced Regina. He couldn’t have heard her right. How could Genevieve have talked to her, and when exactly had she? “Explain,” he demanded.
The muscles in his cheek twitched as he fought the urge to scream at her. What he really wanted to do was wrap his hands around her arms and shake her until she explained in detail everything he wanted to know. Why hadn’t she told him about these supposed conversations with Eve? Was that the reason she’d been so ready to forgive him and aid in his search? Did her altruism hide some ulterior motives he didn’t fully understand?
They were married once, and yes, he’d been the one to bail on her, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t speak to each other. What had Eve talked to Regina about? Was there something she hadn’t wanted Trenton to know, or was it all something Regina had decided to keep to herself? Either way, he wanted answers and he intended to get them.
“I didn’t tell anyone. It sounded so crazy…”
“Quit stalling, Gina,” he said. “Tell me what you know.”
“I don’t know a lot. It was after our marriage was over. I was on my way here the first time she contacted me. It was almost like a dream. She couldn’t stay long and her messages were all so cryptic. To make it short, she wanted someone to save her. I eventually figured out she wanted me to reach out to you. That’s why I’ve been helping you so much.”
Trenton swore and paced the room. Genevieve needed him and he wasn’t there for her. He had to find a way to get to her. Regina should have told him about the conversations with her. At the very least, he’d have discovered she was all right and it would have eased some of his concerns. He’d have still been insane with worry over her safety, but the fact that she’d communicated with someone—that was huge.
“Can you see this?” Aubriella said. She was staring into the floor-length mirror. “All the fog, and oh my…”
“What?” Trenton said.
“That’s one handsome man. He looks so lonely...” She tilted her head intent on the image. “I’m going to help him…” She dropped the book and stepped through the mirror, disappearing inside.
“Brie,” Trenton shouted and rushed over to the mirror, but only his reflection greeted him.
Shit. Now he had two people to rescue, but at least he had an idea of how it worked. All he had to do was find someone willing to unlock the secrets. He turned to look at Regina.
“Don’t look at me like that. I can’t make the mirror work if I wanted to.”
She was right. With her condition, he couldn’t ask her to do it.
“I know,” he said resigned. “But I am going to have to find someone else with some kind of psychic ability and pray they can make it work.”
It was a daunting task, but he was up to it. Excitement filled him. Finally, he was getting somewhere. Soon he’d be able to bring Genevieve home…
Chapter 2
Trenton still couldn’t believe Aubriella had jumped through the mirror without a thought. Clearly, she’d lost her mind. What had she seen that was so bloody important anyway? Some man who needed her? Well, he bloody well did too. How was he going to save Genevieve? Regina wasn’t an option, and she wasn’t even sure what her special gift was. Her special gift seemed to be more or less a sensitivity to those that had them.
Regina waddled back into the room. Her cheeks were red, and she was breathing heavily. He stopped long enough to make sure she was all right. She didn’t seem to be in any kind of pain… Hell, what did he know about pregnant women?
“Have you talked to your mother?” he asked Regina. She’d gone to check in with her parents and gather more information.
“I did,” she replied. “She said she doesn’t have any abilities. It’s my father who does.”
“Pardon me?”
Paul Dewitt had psychic abilities? That was…not what he’d expected. How had he not known any of this? It was like he’d awoken in an alternate universe and everything was backward.
“He has visions—dreams mostly.” She took a deep breath. “It’s how he found her to begin with. He saw her running and thought she needed help. I don’t know how this time travel thing works, but my mother believes he pulled her through time with him when they returned to the twentieth century.”
That was simply amazing. Genevieve had never told him that she had an ability. Did she feel as if she couldn’t share that side of her with him? He wouldn’t have judged her. He’d have willingly let her read his thoughts if it would’ve made her feel more comfortable. Maybe she couldn’t, and that was part of the problem. Aubriella had said Genevieve was telepathic. Maybe her ability was one-sided and listening was her solitary gift? No, that couldn’t be right either—Regina said she’d had conversations with her. Why was he the only one who hadn’t realized the woman he loved was a psychic? Did she not trust him with her secrets? What kind of relationship would they have if they couldn’t share everything with each other? He would have to find her to ask. It was how he could be certain of the truth. Paul might be the key he needed. Trenton didn’t have any abilities and couldn’t work the mirror himself.
“Would he be willing to activate the mirror?”
That was another thing... Could it be any mirror? The mirror in the Weston study had been in the family’s possession for years, and Bradford was almost certain it was the same one Elizabeth had discovered the ability to go through it. What psychic ability did she have? He had so many questions and no answers to speak of. All he wanted was to find Genevieve and have a shot at happiness. He had to make sure she was all right. He had to stay focused. If need be, he’d fly to the States and convince Paul to help him.
Regina shook her head. “He’s not comfortable with it.” She sighed. “He said he can’t in good conscience send you on a path of no return. He can’t go with you on the off chance you don’t find Genevieve or…”
“Don’t you dare say it. She’s alive and I am going to find her.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s always a possibility. We’ve not found any more information on her and you might have to accept she may be lost to you forever.” She moved to his side and placed her hand on his arm. “My father wants someone to go with you. He said it would be beneficial in aiding your goal to save Genevieve. Tell me you understand what I’m saying and know he’s right. This isn’t a solo mission.”
Damn it to hell and back. Why was everything so difficult? He pulled away from Regina and crossed over to the mirror. He stared at his reflection for several moments glancing at himself and the lack of changes in the mirror. Aubriella had seen smoke or fog. He saw himself—the face of failure. Genevieve was waiting for him. He could feel it deep in his gut.
“I don’t know who to ask. It’s not as if psychics are lining up to help me.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” a female said. “The butler let me in and told me I could find Trenton in here.”
Trenton glanced up at the sound and met Serenity Drake’s gaze. Why was Aubriella’s stepsister at Weston Manor? How was he going to tell her that Aubriella was missing? Would she even care? He had no clue how close they actually were.
“No need to apologize,” Regina said. “Please, come in. Have we met before?”
Serenity and her sister Peyton had both been at his wedding to Regina—the one that didn’t last. But, at the time, they hadn’t made a lasting impression. Regina hadn’t been interested in anyone that day, especially women she hadn’t been personally acquainted with. She probably didn’t remember them. Especially after the chaos of Alys going missing at the reception. Serenity’s red mahogany locks were pulled back into a braid that went down to the mi
ddle of her back and her blue eyes were almost as light as Genevieve’s.
“Briefly,” Serenity said and glanced at Trenton. “I really need to talk to you. Peyton would’ve come too, but she’s too weak.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Trenton asked. He didn’t like the way she kept staring at him. Something about it made him uneasy, and goosebumps were forming on his arms. A chill spread over his body that he had trouble shaking off.
“She had one of her visions.” Serenity rushed to his side. “It was about Aubriella. I came as fast as I could, but the drive was nearly two hours. Her phone went directly to voicemail.”
Was every damned person around him a bloody psychic of some sort? Did Bradford have an ability he was hiding? It was clearly in his bloodline after his ancestor married Alys Dewitt. Did it skip generations? Now he was back to having more questions than answers. That was going to start changing with Serenity.
“Let me guess. She saw her step through yon mirror,” he said sarcastically and gestured toward it. “Do you have some kind of gift too? How is it both you and your sister do? I’d believe it more if you were actually related to Aubriella, but this doesn’t make any damn sense.”
Serenity chewed on her lip. “Actually…”
Yes. Definitely an alternate universe. “Please enlighten me.”
She didn’t say a word and damn near ignored him. Serenity’s presence was getting on his nerves. She had some random vision about Aubriella and rushed to find her. What was she going to say and then decided against it?
“I’ll go request refreshments,” Regina said. Her stomach growled loudly echoing through the room. “I’m starving.”
Regina left the room and Trenton turned his attention back to Serenity. “You were saying…”
She started to pace the room. Her nervous energy was almost contagious. He had the urge to follow in her path. Perhaps that was her ability—to drive a person crazy.
“I can’t tell you. Lives are at stake, and it’s not my secret to tell.”
“Cross my heart,” he said and did the movements to go along with the words. “If you tell me, I won’t say a word to anyone. Now please stop stalling.”
“Right,” she said sarcastically. “I’m supposed to take you at your word. Sorry that isn’t happening
“Fine tell me about your psychic ability. Do you know how it is passed on or where you inherited it from?” Serenity began to fidget. She wouldn’t look him in the eye. “What are you not telling me?”
He wasn’t sure how much more he could take. Serenity was driving him crazy, and her lack of information wasn’t helping. If she wasn’t going to be forthcoming with any details, then what good was she? Her reason for coming to Weston was gone—literally. As far as he was concerned, she could turn around and leave the way she came in.
“It turns out that my mother and Aubriella’s were sisters. My mother sought to marry Aubriella’s father because she’d been jealous of her sister. They had the same father, but he pretty much ignored her. He wasn’t a good man—he cheated on his wife, and my mother was the result. Neither Aubriella nor her mother knew. I’m not sure if it would have made a difference or not.” She sighed. “My mother puts Aubriella through hell because she is a reminder she’d rather not have. It doesn’t help that she is almost a replica of her mother.”
Trenton pinched the bridge of his nose. It was all too much, but at least he may have found someone to go through the mirror with him. He had to gather a few more details though before he took that leap. What would it take to get her to help him through the mirror? Serenity’s might be the answer he’d been looking for—depending on her psychic ability. He wasn’t entirely sure how it all worked.
“Your sister has visions,” he said.
“Yes,” she replied. “You do believe me, right?”
He did. After all of the information he’d uncovered, how could he not? There was too much evidence to point him in that direction to ignore. Besides, he wanted to believe her. His heart wanted to find the love of his life. So he was willing to take a leap of faith and trust her.
“What is your ability?”
“I see auras.”
That was not what he thought she would say. But hell, it wasn’t as if he even knew what he expected. Seeing auras was rather…lame. He opened his mouth to ask her if she felt cheated, but decided against it. Peyton saw the future and all Serenity could do was…? “What exactly does that mean?”
“I see energy around a person. It’s like seeing a rainbow, but not all the colors come out to play.”
That didn’t sound very helpful. What did colors tell her? It was a letdown and mediocre at best. How did it even work? “I think you need to explain it a little more for me.”
She smiled. “All right. For example, you are glowing yellow. That usually means you’re honest and loyal to a fault. At the same time, you have an outer layer of purple and an inner core of green. One is intelligence and the other is a bit of skepticism. You want to believe me, so you’re making yourself do it. It doesn’t hurt to question things though. Don’t stop; it might one day save your life.”
“So each color represents an emotion or something about a person?” All right, maybe they weren’t as stupid as he thought. Seeing an aura might be useful in certain situations. He wasn’t exactly sure what yet, but there were possibilities. Having visions still seemed cooler though.
“That’s the easiest way to explain it. Reading the colors is an art. It isn’t cut and dry, but I’ve been doing it all my life and I’ve gotten rather good at it.”
It seemed like a rather tame gift all around. There had to be more useful or interesting gifts to have, but he’d take it or rather her ability. It might not be exciting but it would be the key to going back in time. He was going to save Genevieve.
“How do you feel about time travel?”
“It doesn’t matter how I feel about it,” she said candidly. Her expression didn’t change, and she didn’t even appear surprised by his question. What exactly had Peyton seen in that vision of hers?
He quirked a brow. “How so?’
“Because we are going to go through the mirror much the same way Aubriella did. It was part of Peyton’s vision. That’s why I knew I had to come.”
That’s right. When she first walked in she’d said they’d needed to talk. The vision had been her reasoning for seeking him out. The one question he had was who was she more concerned with—Aubriella or Genevieve. If she was coming to him, she must realize that he’d only go if he was saving Genevieve. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about Aubriella, but she’d never been his goal.
Regina entered the room before Trenton had a chance to respond. She looked back and forth between the two of them. “What did I miss?”
“Nothing much,” Trenton said. “Serenity was about to agree to help me travel through the mirror and save Genevieve.”
He wasn’t sure if that was what she was going to do one way or the other. All he was certain of was that she would do it. If she was aiming to help Aubriella, then they could cross that bridge when they got to it.
“Then we’re in agreement?” Serenity said.
“Yes,” he said. “The question is—when do we go?”
Trenton wasn’t sure how any of it worked. He may have watched Aubriella step through the mirror, but he couldn’t see what she had. He didn’t know where she went or even if it was the same time and place Genevieve was in.
“No time like the present,” Serenity supposed.
She walked over to the mirror and placed her hand on her reflection and stared into it. He’d have to trust her as much as he didn’t want to. He turned to Regina and said, “We will be back.”
With those words, he walked over to Serenity and held onto her hand. She slowly led him through the mirror. The path wasn’t quite liquid, but at the same time it was fluid—always moving and changing. It was almost suffocating and he had the urge to yank his hand out of hers, but she held on tight. Sh
e must have known and planned for it. Trenton choked as he breathed in the smoky film and then everything went black.
Chapter 3
Trenton jerked awake as a deep, intense burn spread through both sides of his nostrils and engulfed him in pain. The sensation of drowning had him in a panic. He reached for something—anything to save himself from certain death. No aid was coming, and he had to find a way to save himself. The room was dark, and he couldn’t make out where he was. Whatever was in his stomach found its way onto the floor next to him. Queasiness continued to roll through his stomach and the pressure of laying in his current position wasn’t helping. With careful movements, he rotated onto his back. He forced himself to take slow, even breaths and then took note of his surroundings. God, he was a mess.
Where was Serenity?
He sat up slowly so he wouldn’t gag or dry heave. There wasn’t anything left in his stomach to lose, and he’d prefer not to go through that ordeal a second time. Time travel sucked.
“And who would you two be?” a man asked.
The sound of a match striking against a rough surface followed the question. Soon light filled the room from a lone candle on a nearby desk. The man who lit it sat on the corner of the desk and stared down at Trenton. Serenity was sitting up on the other side of the room, her focus completely on the stranger. Where the hell had they landed? Who was the man glaring down at them both? Nothing looked familiar, and judging by the man’s clothing they were definitely not in the twenty-first century any more. He had on form-fitting breeches and a loose billowy white shirt, open at the neck, but was missing the tell-tale cravat worn by nineteenth century gentry. The question was not only when had they landed, but where. He’d thought the mirror would have a corresponding partner, but this particular room had none to speak of. How did the blasted things work? The mirror must have dumped them in a random place. Would they actually be able to return? He had so many questions, and with each answer more would sprout in their place.
