Arrows of Time - Kim Falconer [42]
He grabbed his keys. There were still some hours before dawn, the start of his next shift. He might as well spend them here at the hospital. He’d need to check her anyway. If she woke up once, she might do it again, and he wanted to be in the building if that happened. He scooped up the tubes of freshly drawn blood sitting on the passenger’s seat and dropped them into his pocket before opening his door. ‘Are you sure she didn’t speak?’
‘Not to me, Dr Kelly, but maybe to someone else. Your student might know more. He was there.’
‘Thanks.’ He strode back into the hospital, feeling the nurse’s eyes on him.
‘Have you eaten today?’ she asked.
He frowned. ‘I don’t remember.’
‘Get a bite.’ She waved him towards the cafeteria block. ‘That’s where the med students will be this time of night anyway.’
‘Good idea. Thanks.’ He thrust his hands deep into his pockets and headed down the hall.
GAELA & EARTH—TIME: FORWARD
CHAPTER 11
‘Where are we?’ Shane whispered. He stood naked, gazing into the distance.
‘Gaela,’ Rosette answered. ‘Above the Dumar Gorge.’
He whistled long and slow. ‘It’s magnificent.’
The water glinted like gems spread across a glass surface. Walls of white granite, rippled with veins of rose quartz and gold, led down to the lake. The distance held rolling green hills backed by snowcapped mountains. A warm breeze brushed her face, bringing with it the scent of daffodils and lilacs.
‘Is this heaven?’ he asked.
Rosette smiled, dropping her bundle and kneeling in the soft grass. She touched her brow to the bright orange poppies growing among the clover, pressing her forehead to the ground. ‘It is heaven to me,’ she said.
Drayco inhaled the air, keeping his mouth slightly open to taste every nuance of scent before shaking the water from his fur.
‘Hey! Not so close, Dray.’
The temple cat ignored her and shook again. Who would have thought, Maudi? The cave fish river has led us home.
‘It’s wonderfully strange,’ she answered aloud. She lifted her face to the sun.
‘So we’re dead?’ Shane asked. ‘Figures.’
‘Not at all.’ She wrung out her skirt and spread her clothes over the carpet of grass to dry. The sun felt delightfully warm on her shoulders. She sat untangling her hair, her legs folded beneath her.
‘Where, then?’
‘Gaela is my home.’ She smiled at the northern mountain peaks, thanking every god, goddess and demon she knew, and any she didn’t, for her safe return. Drayco bow-stretched next to her, flopping onto his side. He rolled over and over in the grass, purring like a kitten.
‘What’s Gaela again?’ Shane asked, staring at the two as he wrung his clothes, the water splashing onto his bare feet.
‘It’s my home world.’
‘I thought you said you were from a place called Earth.’
‘I’m from there too. It’s not like this.’ Her smile faded. He didn’t seem to notice, but followed her gaze to the distant peaks.
‘I don’t recognise the mountains. How far from T’locity are we?’
Rosette straightened her back. ‘How far?’
Good luck, Maudi. I don’t think he’s going to grasp dimension shifting and the many-worlds theory right off the mark. Do you?
He studied at the Darkwood Mystery School. I think he went to third term.
Before he flunked out, Maudi?
Is that a joke?
Not really.
Shane repeated his query. ‘How far from T’locity? Do you know?’
‘Further than you can imagine, I’ll wager, but at the same time, not far at all.’
He scowled. ‘Witches’ riddles.’
‘Come on,’ she said. ‘There’s going to be afternoon sun against those rocks.’ She pointed to a tumble of boulders clustered near a small oak tree. ‘We need to dry our clothes and gather firewood before dark.’ She emptied her pack, frowning when she came across the letter to Nell. It was soaked, but the seal was still intact. She put it with her other things to dry, tempted to open it.
Will you, Maudi? Could be important.
‘I think not.’ She looked at Shane. ‘We have to hurry.’
‘What’s the