Transcender Trilogy Complete Box Set

by Vicky Savage

  “Thanks, Dad. Don’t worry about me. I’ll let you know I made it safely, and I’ll send pictures, so check your phone.”

  “Love you, Jade.”

  “You too, Dad.” Ash and I wave as we roll our suitcases inside the terminal.

  I giggle with glee when I find out we’re ticketed in first class. The flight attendant takes our drink orders the moment we’re buckled in our seats. She smiles engagingly at Asher and calls him “Mr. Steele,” in a British accent.

  “This is awesome,” I say. “We can watch movies and everything.”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty nice, but be prepared for a long, boring flight,” Asher grumbles. “Transcender travel is much more efficient.”

  After takeoff, I find my Oxford travel book and start flipping through the pages. “The first thing I want to do when we get there is see Hogwarts.”

  “You mean Christ Church College?”

  “Yes, but it will always be Hogwarts to me.”

  “There’s much more to it than just the great dining hall,” he says, an edge of weariness to his voice. “We’ll squeeze everything we can into two days, then I’ll be ready to get home.” He leans back in his seat and closes his eyes.

  For the first time, I fully realize how much Asher has sacrificed to make all of this possible for me. I place my hand on his arm, and he opens his eyes.

  “Ash, I’ve never told you thanks for everything you’ve done. I hope I haven’t seemed too self-centered or ungrateful. I’ve been dealing with a lot, but I’m truly and deeply grateful for the sacrifices you’ve made so I could be with my family and go to graduation. You’ve gone above and beyond.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Beckett. I’m just irritable because I hate to fly.” He closes his eyes once again, and I let him have his space. He’s more than earned his rest.

  THIRTY

  Charming is the only word to describe the town of Oxford. The buildings are stately and ornate, the homes straight out of a Victorian picture book. Delicate spring flowers bloom along the boulevards and in quaint planters and window gardens. The taxi drops us in front of the elegant wrought iron railed stairs to my new flat. Of course “new” is a relative term. The building was erected in the 1700s. It resembles a small palace from the outside, though I know I have only a few rooms on the ground floor.

  When we step inside, we’re greeted by a dank musty smell typically found in neglected old museums or abandoned houses. The rooms are dark with low ceilings, and the furnishings are from another century. It’s not quite as cheery as the appealing façade would lead one to believe. I have to remind myself that I’m not really going to be living here.

  We unpack our things and decide to nap for a couple of hours before setting out to see the sights. The bedroom has two smallish twin beds. Asher stretches out on top of one of them, his feet dangling over the end. He drifts off to sleep right away. I’m too wired and restless to doze, so I wrap up in a crocheted afghan and settle into a chair facing the living room window. The neighborhood is pretty and appears to be populated mostly with students or the elderly.

  I put in my earbuds and pull up a playlist from my phone. For a while after Ryder died, I couldn’t listen to music at all, especially love songs. They were painful reminders of what I’d lost. Now though, the old familiar songs are comforting, reminding me of my high school years and home.

  The gentle rhythm of the comings and goings in the neighborhood and the soothing music soon lull me into a hazy, dreamlike state. I’m completely taken by surprise when Zzzt! Urick and Nila land with a loud thud not two feet from where I sit.

  “Holy shit!” I grasp the arms of my chair to keep from falling out.

  They seem as startled to see me as I am to see them.

  Urick dips his head. His eyes furtively survey the room. “Sorry. We did not expect you to be here already.”

  I collect myself a bit. “Um, we got here about an hour ago. Asher’s sleeping.”

  “Not anymore,” Asher says, padding into the room in stocking feet. “Don’t you guys knock?”

  “We didn’t know you were here,” Nila says. “Narowyn wanted us to be on location when you arrived.”

  “Well, you’re late. So does that mean we’re all staying here?” Asher asks.

  Urick nods.

  “Okay,” Asher says testily, “but there’re only two beds unless the couch folds out.”

  “We do not require beds,” Urick says. “We will take turns on watch.”

  “Whatever you say. Jade and I are going out to do a little sightseeing and grab some lunch. You two want to come?”

  Urick shakes his head. “We will be around.”

  “Okie dokie. Well, Jade, let me put on my shoes and we’ll go.”

  We hail a cab that takes us to Tom’s Gate, the front entrance to Christ Church College.

  “Wow, this is huge,” I say, taking in the enormous size of the complex.

  Asher digs out his Barclays card and buys two tour tickets for us.

  The tour takes most of the afternoon with the gardens and the many buildings. The highlight for me of course is the Grand Dining Hall. Once we leave Christ Church, we make a stop at the American Institute so I can familiarize myself with the place where most of my classes are supposed to be—just in case friends or family members visit sometime.

  “I know a great place for dinner,” Asher says on the cab ride back to the flat. “The White Horse Pub. It sort of epitomizes what Oxford is all about, and you’ll get to sample some real British ale.”

  “Okay, sounds great. Shall we invite Urick and Nila?”

  He looks dubious. “Do we have to?”

  “No, but they’ll be following us anyway. It seems only humane to feed them.”

  “All right, but I doubt Urick will say two words all evening.”

  Nila beams when we ask them to join us for dinner. “That sounds great. Doesn’t it Urie? I can’t wear this uniform, though. Jaden, do you have something I can borrow?”

  “Yeah, I brought a few fun things from home.”

  She chooses a white, sleeveless, embroidered dress that I bought for an outdoor concert last summer. When she steps out of the bedroom, she looks like Queen Bee herself. Shiny sable hair falls attractively around her bare shoulders, softly framing her flawless face. Her long arms and legs are buff without being bulky, and the creamy white dress is stunning against her dusky skin.

  “Are these boots okay with this?” she asks, referring to her signature black, stiletto knee-highs.

  “Oh yeah. You look amazing,” I say. Asher doesn’t say a word, but the way he’s looking at her, I may need to wipe drool off his chin any minute.

  The pub is within walking distance of my flat. Nila and Urick follow behind Asher and me. It takes a few minutes after we step inside for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. The strong smells of fried fish and beer hang low in the air, and the sounds of lively conversation and clinking dinnerware greet our ears.

  “Care for a table, luv?” The hostess asks Asher with a gap-tooth smile. Her hair is a shade of red that brings raw steak to mind.

  “Yes, ma’am. Four, please.”

  As we follow her through the dining room, all heads turn to gape at Nila and Urick—the Cimmerian Goddess and the Viking King.

  After we’re seated, Asher orders pints of Wychwood Hobgoblin ale all around. Everything on the menu looks great, but I’ve already decided on the fish and chips.

  A harried waiter delivers our drinks and takes our food orders. I cautiously sip the amber colored ale. It bites my tongue and makes my eyes water. I decide to switch to lemonade for the rest of the evening.

  “So Jaden,” Nila says once our food is served. “I hear you’re a third degree black belt in Tae Kwan Do.”

  “That’s true,” I say.

  “I practice Akido. Want to spar sometime?”

  “Well, since I haven’t worked out for a month, and you look like you could kick my ass without breaking a sweat, I think I’ll take
a rain check on that.”

  She laughs a rich infectious laugh, showing off her perfectly straight, white teeth. Surprisingly, she laughs quite a lot during the evening. Her style’s not nearly as severe as I’d originally assumed. Flashes of a quirky sense of humor and quick wit reveal themselves throughout our dinner conversation. Her manner is confident and easy with both Asher and me—in stark contrast to Urick who sits practically mute with his back to the wall and one eye always on the door.

  After the server has cleared away our dinner plates and we’re contemplating the dessert choices, a young man in shorts and a t-shirt approaches our table.

  “Can I have your autograph?” he says to Nila, laying a pen and a paper cocktail napkin on the table.

  “Now why on earth would you want my autograph?” she asks.

  “Well, besides the fact that you’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen, I figure you must be famous because you’ve got a bodyguard.” He nods to Urick.

  She grins at him. “Why sure, you can have my autograph.” She signs the napkin with a flourish and holds it out for him.

  “You can put your phone number on there too, if you want,” the kid says with a sheepish smile.

  “Honey, I’m sure we’re not even in the same calling zone.”

  The guy takes the napkin and reads aloud, “Tomae Gozen. Cool name.”

  “That’s me.” Nila says.

  “Thanks for this!” He snakes his way back through the crowded dining room, waving the napkin at his pals.

  “Tomae Gozen?” Asher says.

  “I know who that is,” I say.

  “Girl, you do not. Nobody knows who that is,” Nila says.

  “Only the most famous woman samurai who ever lived—on this earth at least,” I tell her.

  “Shut your mouth.” She leans across the table. “And how do you know that?”

  “Actually, I used to carry a katana back in Domerica. I studied Kendo for a while.”

  “Kendo?” Her voice raises an octave. “Shit, girl. Now we definitely gotta spar. You sure got a lot more going on than those other Chateau-dwellers.” She glances nervously at Ash. “Sorry, no offense.”

  He treats her to one of his special smiles. “None taken,” he says.

  We linger over dessert and return to the flat around midnight. With a belly full of fried food and lemonade, I feel contented, exhausted, and ready for sleep even though it’s only six o’clock back home. Nila tells Urick she’ll take the first watch, and Ash decides to sit up with her for a bit. Urick disappears somewhere into the night.

  THIRTY-ONE

  In the morning, Asher suggests we go out for an authentic full English breakfast. It sounds wonderful to me, but Urick and Nila decline. I let Asher order and I’m shocked when our food is delivered. It’s a full breakfast all right—eggs, sausage, bacon, baked beans, hash browns, roasted tomato halves, and toast.

  “Do people really eat this much so early in the morning?” I ask.

  “Most important meal of the day,” Ash says, stuffing an entire sausage in his mouth.

  “I hope we’re going to walk this off later.”

  “I thought we’d rent bicycles. It’s a great way to see all the quaint side streets and hidden shops.”

  “Sounds fun.” I shovel my sausages off onto Ash’s plate.

  “Hey, have you let your dad know that we made it here safely?”

  “Yeah. I called him last night and told him all about our day. But that got me thinking. My cell won’t work in Arumel so how am I supposed to communicate with people back home?”

  “We’ll program your cell number into your polycom and you’ll use that.”

  “Okay, but how will that work when we pick up time going back to Arumel? Will there be a big time gap in my communications? I don’t want Dad to be worried.”

  “You’ll do what Narowyn did when she called your dad about Oxford. For a while, you’ll need to call or text backward in time, but eventually you’ll catch up. I’ll show you how to do it before we rent the bikes. I got kind of good at it when we were in Connecticut.”

  “That sounds a little weird.”

  He shrugs. “Not that much different from calling someone in another time zone. You’ll have to finesse it a little in the beginning, but you’ll be texting and emailing in real time well before you go home for a visit.”

  “I can email too?”

  “Yeah, after we program your polycom, just sync it to your computer in Arumel and it’ll work the same way.”

  “If you say so.” I’m constantly amazed at how much I don’t fathom about parallel worlds.

  We get in a half day of bicycling around Oxford’s neighborhoods before Asher’s polycom rings. After a short conversation, he says, “A Garugian has been sighted on a Confederation earth. Urick and Nila need to leave immediately, which means you and I must return to Arumel now.”

  Urick and Nila wait for us while we drop off the bikes. I stuff everything I can fit into my embroidered bag—my favorite dress, a pair of flip-flops, a photo of Dad and Drew, and two books Dr. Rivera gave me. Then, Zzzt, we’re off—Asher and I to Arumel City, Nila and Urick to hunt Garugians.

  The shift back to Arumel seems normal, even though we recoup the time we lost traveling back to Madison. It’s early evening when we land in the downstairs foyer of the Chateau du Soleil. I feel slightly disoriented and shake my head briskly to clear out the cobwebs.

  Narowyn comes to greet us as we arrive. She embraces Asher warmly and plants kisses on both my cheeks. “Welcome home, you two,” she says. “Jaden, we’ve all been rather anxious for your safe return. Ralston, in particular, is looking forward to seeing you.”

  “I can’t wait to see him. Where is he?”

  “We thought it might be best to ease you into your first visit with him now that he looks quite different. Why don’t you and Asher put away your things, freshen up if you like, and join us in the library. We’ve put together an impromptu reception for the two of you.”

  Ash and I take the elevator to the third floor. “Want me to come and get you?” he asks as I turn toward my apartment.

  “Nah, I’ll just see you in the library. I’m going to shower before going down.”

  “All right. Catch you later.”

  When I open the door to my apartment, a shuddering gloom gusts through me like an icy wind, bringing back memories of the first time I set foot inside this apartment—covered in Patrick’s blood, only minutes after witnessing Ryder’s fall. Although I’ve done a few things to make the place cozier, it still feels alien to me—the frozen tundra of my exile. I wonder if it will ever feel like home.

  I slip the embroidered bag from my shoulder and pull out my wrinkled sundress. At least this is familiar. I shake it out and take it with me into the bathroom, hoping to steam away the creases while I shower.

  Thirty minutes under a stream of hot water does wonders for my outlook. A warm excitement fills me up when I think about being reunited with Rals. I’ve missed his quiet, nurturing support these past weeks. I’m going to need him now more than ever to help me adjust to this new existence.

  I dress quickly and take the elevator downstairs. The library is one of my favorite rooms in the Chateau. One wall is floor to ceiling windows, specially treated to block out harmful UV rays. All of the other walls are lined with bookshelves, which I was pleased to see hold real hardbound books—some very old and rare.

  The room now brims with vibrant, chattering people, sipping from crystal goblets and munching exotic finger foods. As I enter, Narowyn steps forward to greet me and the crowd erupts with applause. This enthusiastic reception surprises me. I’m not a queen or princess here. I’m just an ordinary member of the household, and that’s all I want to be. I smile and nod, feeling a little shy.

  Narowyn slips an arm around my waist, and several people step forward to welcome me home. I haven’t spent enough time in Arumel to recognize everyone, but it’s reassuring to find a few familiar faces in the room
.

  “Ah, here is someone I believe you’ve been waiting to see,” Narowyn says.

  She turns me in the direction of an attractive man in his mid-forties with wavy, sandy-colored hair and a raffish smile.

  “How are you, old girl?” he says with a slight British accent.

  My jaw falls slack. I know the voice, but it can’t be. “Ralston?”

  “It is I,” he says. “What do you think?” He holds out his arms and does a full three-sixty.

  “No. This is just wrong,” I say.