Arrows of Time - Kim Falconer [32]
What is it, Maudi?
‘I just had a massive déjà vu.’
He leaned against her. I don’t get those.
‘I know, but I do, and it was a big one. Can you sense Jarrod ahead?’
There was a pause as her familiar considered. He’s not here.
‘What do you mean? He has to be.’
She cupped her hands to her mouth, tipped back her head and started to call out, ‘Jar—’ She stopped herself short. ‘This is really weird. I feel like…’
It’s okay, Maudi. You know how time can play tricks. He may have come through well before us.
‘That’s not what I meant…’ She strained into the distance, cupping her ear. ‘Do you hear that?’
Those birds?
‘It sounds like a flute to me.’
A bard?
‘Maybe.’
Bards, birds. Not much difference really.
She laughed before calling again. ‘J-a-r-r-o-d!’ Her voice echoed through the cave. Before it completely died away, pebbles trickled down the walls. The mountain answered with a deep rumble of its own. Rosette held her breath.
I wouldn’t be yelling until we are out of this hole. Besides, it’s not Jarrod. He doesn’t make the bard music. Why is that? Drayco rubbed his ear on her thigh as he sent the thoughts.
‘I don’t know.’
It’s someone else, Maudi. He’s strangely familiar.
‘I thought you didn’t get déjà vu.’
I don’t. Drayco’s hackles went up and she gripped her sword.
‘Whoever’s out there may know where Jarrod is.’
Of course, we will ask.
‘They might…’ She stopped short and drew her sword. It sang as she released it from the scabbard, the edge glinting in the dull light. ‘What’s that?’ A tremor ran up her legs; the ground beneath her rolled like the sea.
Earthquake?
‘Run!’ she screamed above the sound of tumbling rock. She sprinted towards the opening of the cave, Drayco loping by her side, the ground churning. Torrents of pebbles and dirt flowed down the walls, turning into rock slides. Dust swirled, grating her eyes and stinging the back of her throat. She couldn’t breathe. The ground cracked, splitting open. She ran hard to stay ahead of the rifts. The light increased, and beyond the mouth of the cave a landscape of dead trees and mire appeared. ‘Keep going!’ she said as they rushed out.
She sheathed her sword and hit the swamp, muck saturating her boots and caking her bare legs. Deeper into the mire they ran until the ground firmed up at the base of a huge oak tree. She turned in time to catch the thunderous clap from the mouth of the cave, which was suddenly obscured by boulders, rock and rubble. Dust rolled upward, plumbing above the newly reshaped rock face. Within seconds, the landscape went deathly still.
‘Drayco, this seems uncomfortably familiar to me.’
The temple cat didn’t answer. He bristled, staring up into the tree.
Rosette followed his gaze. ‘What, Dray? What’s up there?’
A man with a sword.
‘Shane?’
‘Rosette?’
What’s happening? She and Drayco said the words at the same time, looking at each other, then back up the tree as Shane dropped down to the ground in front of them. ‘This is more than déjà vu,’ Rosette said, looking from her familiar to Shane. ‘I think we’re going in circles.’
EARTH & GAELA—TIME: FORWARD
CHAPTER 8
‘Did you hear that?’ Jarrod asked. Selene stopped for a moment, cocking her head. A gust of wind rustled in the bare branches, shaking the twigs like nervous fingers. A raven cawed in the distance. ‘Hear what?’
‘Sounded like an explosion.’
‘You’ve got good ears,’ she said, moving on again. ‘It’s probably a shaker. We get them a lot this time of year.’
‘You mean an earthquake?’
Selene frowned. ‘I don’t know. Do I?’
‘The ground rolls like the ocean.’ Jarrod waved his hand through the air in undulations. ‘Teacups fall off the shelves, mountains slide, trees uproot, bridges fall.’
‘That’s a shaker. What do you call it again?’
‘Earthquake.’
‘Did you hear one?’
‘I think so, from back the way we came.’
Tremors rolled underfoot.
‘That’d be one, for sure,’ she said. ‘Worried about your friends?’
He pushed his hair off his forehead. ‘I’m…concerned.