Books by Niki Livingston
Novelettes
A Web Through Time
Wicked Heart
Jolly Old Monster
Theia’s Moons Series
Eyes Wide Shut
Enyo’s Warrior
Protectors of the Stars
Guardian
A Web
Through
Time
Niki Livingston
A Web Through Time
This book is a work of fiction, including, but not limited to, characters, events, and features. They are all the imagination of the author and any resemblance of any aspect or persons, living or dead, is entirely circumstantial.
Copyright © 2018 Niki Livingston
Editor: Erin Sandlin
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations.
To connect: www.NikiLivingstonAuthor.com
Table of Contents
Chapter One – Stranger Among Us
Chapter Two – Raging Storm
Chapter Three – Second Earth
Chapter Four – Reunited
Chapter Five – Dysfunctional Family
Chapter Six – For Her Parent’s Sins
Chapter Seven – Revelations
Chapter Eight – Attacked
Chapter Nine – A New Earth
Acknowledgments
About the Author
For my Dad.
Thank you for showing me the stars.
Chapter One
Stranger Among Us
“You have to be kidding me,” Alex whispered, her jet black hair gathering around her shoulders as she fell back against her seat. “This has to be a joke.” She stared at the strange man across the table from her. “Who did you say you were again?”
His ice blue eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, intertwining his fingers together on the tabletop. “Trust me, Alex, I’m your uncle. I’ve traveled a long way to bring you home, and against my better judgement, I have given you this choice.” His eyes held a haunted look that only terrified Alex more.
“No way,” Alex snorted, rising from her seat, shooting him a freezing look of contempt with her matching ice blue irises. “You cannot waltz into my life, tell me I’m not from this time period and then ask me to trust you. Do I really appear that gullible?”
“I can prove we’re family.” The man stood up next to her, gripping her forearm. “Please give me the chance to show you where you came from.”
Alex yanked her arm from his grasp. “Don’t touch me.” She pivoted on her heel and darted through the door that led behind the counter. Her boss winked at her. She rolled her eyes at his greasy mane and glanced over at the strange man, who was now leaning against the other side of the counter. “What’s your name?” she asked, from a few feet behind the counter.
“Henry,” he replied, drawing in a long breath. His foot tapped incessantly against the faded brown tile. “I know this is a shock and if I had my way, this never would have happened. But now we have a chance to fix our mistake and I need you to come with me, in order to put things right.”
“I’m not coming with you,” Alex hollered, slamming her fists on the counter, regretting it immediately as the riveting pain shot through her hands and up her arms. Ignoring the ache, she glared at Henry, silently daring him to tell her to go with him again.
Henry nodded, holding up his hands in defeat. “You have your mother’s temper. She’ll be so proud.” He turned away without another word, yanking open the door and rushing out into the bitter cold night.
Alex breathed a sigh of relief, grateful the diner was empty tonight and the only ones who witnessed the exchange were Gale, her boss and Josh, the cook. Facing the back of the restaurant, she could see them both chatting near the refrigerator, sneaking peeks of her from the corners of their eyes. Alex shook her head, picking up the cleaning spray and rag, and wiped down the counters. “I don’t have any family,” she muttered to herself.
Moments later, the bell rang at the front door as a new customer entered, bringing in the freezing wind from the outside. Alex glanced up to see a tall woman, with a waterfall of auburn hair taking a seat at end of the bar. She wore a black beanie and gloves, along with a black down coat. The cascade of her red hair against the black of her coat was like a wave of fire.
Alex strode over to the woman, smiling as they made eye contact. “Working late?” she asked, stepping up with her notepad, ready to take the woman’s order.
“Something like that.” The woman drummed her fingers on the counter as a smile rose on her lips. “Could I please get a cup of coffee? Black, please.”
“Of course.” Alex nodded, her notepad still poised in waiting. “Is there anything else we can make for you?”
“No, coffee will do it,” the woman said, tugging at the fingers of her gloves until they slid off. “I don’t have much time and I have a long night ahead of me.”
Alex smiled, moving away from the woman and toward the coffee pot. “It’s your lucky night,” she said, over her shoulder. “I brewed a new pot less than an hour ago, so it’s fresh.”
“I believe it is my lucky night.” The woman chuckled.
Alex glanced over at her as she filled the mug with the hot liquid. The woman’s eyes were a bright emerald green and Alex wanted to ask where she purchased her contacts, but thought it might be rude. Instead, she finished filling the mug, catching a glimpse of Josh leaning against the wall, checking out the new customer. Her eyes narrowed as she caught his eye, but only received a laugh in return.
Setting the coffee mug in front of the woman, a flash of silver protruding from her coat caught Alex’s eye. She gave it a double take, before walking away and continuing to clean up, so once the woman left she could finally close up for the night.
“I left payment on the counter,” the woman called out, about ten minutes later. “Have a great night.”
Alex glanced up and waved. “You, too. Thanks for coming in.”
The woman opened the door as she shot Alex a wicked grin, sending a chill down her spine. Without another look, the woman glided over the threshold. Alex stared after her, watching her walk slowly down the sidewalk, unshaken by the wind.
“Did you see her eyes?” Josh poked his head around the corner, before sauntering up to the door and locking it. He flipped the open switch off and turned on the closed signal.
Alex nodded, finishing wiping the last table. She placed the napkin holder back on top, along with the salt and pepper shakers, before turning back to Josh. “Those were wicked contacts. I would love to buy me a pair.” She turned off all the equipment and cleaned out the coffee pot.
Josh chuckled, shaking his head. “I swear those weren’t contacts, but I could be wrong. There was something strange about her. The way she moved and spoke. It almost seemed like I was watching an animation, rather than a real person.”
“Dude, you should stop doing drugs.” Alex joked, a corner of her mouth quirked up. “It’s beginning to do damage to that little brain you have, and considering the size, you don’t want to lose any more brain cells.”
Josh whipped her with his towel, chuckling as she squealed out loud and ran into the back room with him hot on her tail. Racing through the door, Alex nearly toppled over Gale who was fiddling with his cell phone.
“Chill out, you two,” he snapped. A muscle in his jaw twitched, obviously irritated by something other than their ruckus. “Finish up your work and clock out. I’m not paying you to play with each other.”
Alex and Josh burst out laughing, as they ran to the employee lockers, swiping their outdated time cards at
the clock-out machine before grabbing their belongings. Alex pulled on her oversized blue coat, zipping it up to her chin and flipping the hood over her head. She grabbed her keys and purse, waving at Josh as she left through the back door.
She paused at the door, her stomach swirling with anxiety. There were only three cars behind the diner and hers was the farthest away, and right now it seemed miles from her reach. The freezing wind slithered inside her hood, sending shivers rushing down her body. She stepped lightly, wary of the thin layer of shiny ice covering the cement.
As she neared her car, her stomach began to knot and an alarm rang in her mind, recalling the strange man who had claimed he was her uncle. She whipped around, searching every inch of the alleyway, but saw nothing. Rushing to her car, she fiddled with her keys, shoving the correct one into the lock and unlocking the door. Sinking into the driver’s seat, she slammed the door and pushed the lock down, checking out the area one more time before starting the car.
Alex sighed as she pulled onto the deserted street, seeing the flicker of a nearby streetlamp and looking forward to being snuggled up in her warm bed.
Driving slowly it took her almost fifteen minutes to reach her apartment complex. She maneuvered into her parking space and cringed from the lack of lighting, her eyes narrowing at the building encased in blackness. A breath caught in her throat and she swallowed hard, terrified to open her door and make the trek up the stairs in complete darkness.
“Why did I leave my phone at home today?” she scolded herself out loud. Timidly, she opened the door, grasping her purse in a strangle hold as she rose from the seat. Closing her car door, she stepped toward the building.
“Hello, Alex,” a woman’s voice spoke behind her.
Alex squeaked as she slipped on the ice, falling face first onto the pavement and smacking her left cheek against it. Flipping over on her back, she stared up at the red haired woman from the diner. Panic clawed at her chest as her pulse quickened to a frantic pace. “You followed me?” She rubbed her cheek with the palm of her hand.
The woman sauntered forward, holding out her hand for Alex to take. Alex shook her head, as she rolled to her side, rising on her own. “Answer my question,” Alex hissed, backing away from the woman.
“I’m here to protect you, Alex,” the woman replied, following Alex with her eyes. “My name is Tallisa, and I’m a friend of your birth parents.”
Alex groaned, easing her keys between her fingers, in case she needed to attack the lunatic woman. “Are you a friend of Henry’s?” Her brow furrowed as her lips set in a straight line.
Tallisa smirked and stepped closer. “No. Henry is your parents’ enemy. He’s your mother’s brother and has spent the past two years tracking down the portal that brought you to this time. If I hadn’t been tailing him, I wouldn’t have seen his discovery, and no one would have known he had made it back to kidnap you.”
Alex shook her head, backing up a few feet. “I’m leaving now and I want you gone.” Her voice grew in strength as it rose an octave. “My parents abandoned me on the side of a road when I was three years old. Don’t you dare come prancing into my life and start telling me these fairy tales.” She took another three steps back, her gaze locked on the woman. “I’m calling the police and I hope for your sake that you have disappeared by the time they arrive.” Whirling around, she sprinted across the parking lot and up her stairs, without another glance back.
Bounding up the stairs, her heart beat a frantic tattoo against her ribs and her hands shook as she groped for the key to her door. She bit back a shout of fear when Henry loomed, swathing the entrance to her apartment. He grasped her arm, twisting her to face him. “You have to come with me.” His eyes darted to and fro, looking like a cornered tiger.
Her knee made contact with his crotch before she could form the thought, and as he crumpled in pain and shock, she kicked him in the face. Racing down the hallway, her footsteps deafening on the metal stairs, she skidded to a halt in the parking lot, nearly slipping once again. Seated on the trunk of her car, calmly regarding her, was Tallisa.
“I told you to leave,” Alex screamed at Tallisa. “Why are you still here?”
“Was Henry waiting for you?” Tallisa asked, leaping off the car and landing gracefully in her high heels.
Alex ignored the woman’s infuriating question, shoving her keys back into the keyhole and unlocking her car again. “I’m going to the police station. Leave me alone.”
Tallisa grabbed Alex’s arm. “Who taught you to fight the way you do?”
“No one,” Alex shouted, shaking off her grip. “Please go away.”
“I can help you, Alex.” Tallisa stepped forward with something silver wrapped around her hand. She pressed her thumb and finger on Alex’s forehead. “Let me show you.”
Alex froze. The wind howled, whipping around the two women. Alex’s vision began to fade as flashes of silver and white sparked around them both and numbness spread across her body, just before the blackness tugged her into its quiet domain.
Chapter Two
Raging Storm
Her head throbbed as her eyes struggled to open, with the pounding light beating down on her face. Alex propped herself up on her elbows, blinking to clear the film from her eyes and groaning from the pain in her head. Surveying the area around her, the blue skies above stretched on for as far as the eye could see. Her body rocked from the sway of the dusty, old boat and sweat trickled down her spine from the realization of her whereabouts.
“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” Tallisa purred behind her.
Alex scooted off to the side, twisting to see the red haired woman. “What have you done? Where are we?” she hissed, trying to hide the quiver in her voice. Her eyes slanted into a glare.
“I’m taking you home,” Tallisa replied, stretching her neck to one side and then the other. She was unfazed by Alex’s hysteria.
“You kidnapped me from my home, you idiot,” Alex shrieked. She rose from her spot on the ground and sagged against the side of the boat as it swayed to and fro.
A smile tugged at the edges of Tallisa’s lips. Her gaze shifted back to her hands as she peeled an orange and set the slices in a bowl in front of her. “You have no idea who you are, do you?”
“Ugh, stop talking in riddles or I’ll jump from this boat and swim my way back to shore.” Alex stepped toward the life preservers, gripping the nearest one and glancing over at Tallisa.
Tallisa laughed, rising up from her chair. “Suit yourself. We’re hundreds of miles from the nearest land mass and you wouldn’t survive a day out in those waters.” She popped a slice of orange in her mouth, a smile dancing across her lips as she chewed.
Alex scanned over the calm ocean, failing to see a safe way off the ship. “Why?” she asked. Her chin quivered from the thought of never returning home.
“I’m taking you back to your mother,” Tallisa replied, chewing on another slice of her orange. “Although, living in the future is not for the faint of heart.” Her eyes danced with delight. She seemed to be enjoying the torture she was inflicting on Alex. “You’ve had an easy life living in this time period. Now you’ll join the rest of us, thousands of years in the future, where the technology has far surpassed your smart phones, the moon has fallen into an erratic orbit and we’ve already re-established millions of our people on different planets. The world you are about to leave, is not the same as the one you’re about to meet.”
Alex stared at Tallisa, her jaw becoming slack, wanting to say something but not finding the right words. Her pulse beat ferociously in her head as she lurched to the side, searching for a way to overpower the lunatic woman. The boat was a decent size and there was nothing in reach for her to use as a weapon. Her shoulders slumped, realizing she wouldn’t even know how to survive the ocean, let alone navigate her way back to land on a boat she didn’t know how to drive.
“You. Are. Crazy,” Alex screamed, turning to face Tallisa. “Please take me home.”
“I am.” Tallisa wiped her hands together and sauntered along the gangway and down the nearest stairs. “The storm is rolling in. We’ll need to take cover, until the vortex opens. I suggest you stay close.” She kept walking, without another look at Alex.
Alex shook her head in disbelief. Searching the skies for a storm, she noticed a dark cloud had emerged on the distant horizon. Not knowing what Tallisa meant or knew, she raced to catch up to the woman, scared out of her mind as she took one last look at the obscure cloud. In just those few moments the storm had spread across the ocean, the howl of the wind thrusting it rapidly toward them. Several flashes of lightning struck the water near the boat and Alex screamed, bounding quickly down the last of the steps.
“What is happening?” Alex asked, feeling her heart skip, as she ducked through the small door below.
“We’re going home,” Tallisa replied, throwing a rain parka to Alex and then sliding her arms into her own. “It will be a wet ride, but if we make it back in one piece, everything you’ve ever wondered about what separates you from the rest of humanity, will finally be answered.”
“You and your damned riddles,” Alex grumbled, yanking the parka on and zipping it up.
“Hold on tight, little girl,” Tallisa grinned again, pointing toward a chair. Did the woman ever frown? “Buckle up and prepare for the ride of your life.” She settled into her own chair, easing the shoulder straps over her body and securing the three buckles.
Alex rushed over to her seat and followed Tallisa’s instructions. Her gaze wandered over to the porthole, watching the water swirl around it and praying that the boat survives the storm.
A light flashed in the window, followed by the boat jerking to the side and another bright light. Alex screamed as she felt the rush of the boat heaving in the storm, the swells of the water slamming into the sides and causing it to tip. Water came spilling in from cracks in the boat frame, washing up against Alex’s feet and drenching her ankles. As the boat began to right itself, Alex saw the dark clouds in the window, her eyes growing large with fear, seeing the bright flashes of lightning in every direction.
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