Arrows of Time - Kim Falconer [149]
‘Kali, are we in time? Can you bring her back?’ He looked up at the faces around him. ‘Where’s Kreshkali?’
Jarrod stood next to him. ‘She’s still out there.’
An’ Lawrence reached the mouth of the crevice in two strides, pushing Jarrod aside. ‘What do you mean, out there?’
Jarrod didn’t respond. He too became absorbed with the body bag.
‘She stayed with Everett,’ Grayson said, laying his hand on the Sword Master’s shoulder.
‘Why?’
‘To deal with the troops. I think she plans on scrambling a few more memories before she leaves this world. Something about the timeline. I didn’t wait to hear more.’
‘I’m lost,’ Shane said. He made his way over to the gurney, swallowing hard. ‘What do we do now that we have Rosette?’
‘We need to get her back in her body,’ Grayson answered. ‘Her spirit’s here with us, and we have her corpse. It’s just a matter of putting two and two together.’
‘Her spirit’s here?’ An’ Lawrence asked. ‘How can you be sure?’
Grayson laughed. ‘If you saw the walls she blasted just to get my attention, I think you’d agree.’
Jarrod joined the laughter. ‘She’s here. Relax. You’ll feel her, hear her, if you tune in.’
Everyone went still. A breeze rushed past and pebbles washed down the side of the cliff face.
‘As I said…’ Grayson indicated the entrance. ‘She’s here.’
‘Her familiar was right all along?’ Selene said.
‘Drayco was right.’ Jarrod was still gazing at the body bag. ‘We need Kreshkali to pull this off.’
‘Or Makee.’ An’ Lawrence nodded towards the depths of the portal.
‘That would be risky,’ Jarrod said.
‘Maybe, but we need to get moving. We won’t bring her back like this.’
‘Like how?’ Grayson asked.
‘Disconnected. Our thoughts are all over the place—confusion being the dominant one.’ An’ Lawrence spun around. ‘Where’s Teg?’
‘He panicked,’ Selene said. She told him what had happened.
‘And you let him go?’
‘Excuse me, Sword Master.’ The title didn’t sound like an honour. ‘He shifted into a rather large black wolf again and flew over my head. I didn’t think you actually wanted me to gut him, so, yes, I let him go.’
She tried to stop him, Rowan. But we didn’t. He’s gone to find Kreshkali.
‘You say he went into the portal?’
‘That’s right,’ Shane said.
Scylla, why would he go that way?
Because that’s where he can find her.
An’ Lawrence stared at his familiar. What do you mean? She’s out there. He waved his hand towards the lake.
That’s a different Nell.
What?
A different glamour.
Now you tell me?
I didn’t know it was important until Rosette said so.
You hear Rosette?
I hear Drayco. He hears Rosette.
Why can’t I hear any of this?
Probably because you aren’t listening.
He clenched his fists. The black maw of the portal was almost indistinguishable from the rock face around it. The plasma emission from the Entity was lifeless, not a spark. Teg had been brave to try the corridors alone, brave and strongly motivated. He wouldn’t have left Kreshkali, not with the fascination he had for her. He wouldn’t abandon their rescue of Rosette either, unless…
‘Jarrod.’ He tapped the man’s shoulder. ‘Rosette is communicating with you?’
He nodded.
‘And that’s not Kreshkali?’ He pointed towards the parklands.
Jarrod blinked. ‘It’s a version of her, but not the one we know. She’s not coming back. There is something she needs to do here.’
‘Are you certain?’
‘I am.’
‘Let’s go.’ An’ Lawrence rolled the gurney into the dark portal, the plasma coming to life.
‘Without Kreshkali?’ Grayson asked. He was at the Sword Master’s side.
‘Yes, without her.’ He looked behind him. ‘Jarrod! Hurry.’
‘But Kali…’ Grayson stopped.
‘She’s not who you think. Come on. I’ll explain.’
He ushered them into the depths, his thoughts locked onto Temple Los Loma and the blooming apple trees and red earth that marked the entrance.
Nell studied Everett Kelly while armed guards poured into the Sector Six Parkland. The young man had a pinched look on his face, like someone breaking all his own rules and not certain why.
‘Let me speak, Everett,’ she said, indicating the uniforms bearing down on them.