Arrows of Time - Kim Falconer [75]
I’m with you, Maudi.
I thought I’d have to drag you away from all these kitties.
I’m ready to go.
Trouble there as well?
Torgan’s eyeing Fynn. It’s definitely time to go.
I’m coming. Rosette hesitated. I just have to work out how to get Shane. I can’t see him anywhere.
He’s here, with us.
Is he having problems too?
He is. Best hurry.
Has he got my pack, by any chance?
On his shoulder, but, Maudi, I think it’s been searched.
Rosette slowed. Demons!
Maudi?
The letter! The one from the library at Timbali.
It might be gone now. Nothing for it. Hurry.
Rosette redoubled her pace. What about Fynn? He hasn’t wandered off?
I’ve got him. Meet us up here.
Where?
Edge of the woods at the top of the long steps. We’re in front of the portal.
Which one?
Ours. Can you see me?
She shielded her eyes as she scanned the cliffs above the temple grounds. I’m on my way.
Rosette slowed her pace further, allowing more apprentices to fill the gap between her and Nell. The High Priestess was in deep conversation with another woman. They talked in hushed tones, heads bent towards each other. Rosette kept her spell weaving and her mind shield up, and as the flow of people turned right around a corner, she ducked the other way down a short flight of stone steps. Hitting the bottom, she broke into a run, dashing over a wooden bridge, past a garden pond and waterfall and out the main entrance. She didn’t look back but hiked her skirt and kept running, her boots thumping softly over the close-cropped grass. As the lawn gave way to fern and moss, she bolted towards the cliff steps and started to climb.
Drayco and Shane were just ahead. She spotted them halfway up the stone steps, both watching her progress from outside the portal. Fynn raced down to greet her, holding up her progress as he tangled around her legs, yipping and jumping.
Hush, silly one. This is an escape, not a carnival. We don’t want to announce ourselves. She gave him a quick pat, taking the steps two at a time, the pup at her side. He leapt, nipping at her hand as they ran. She reached out for Shane without slowing down, nodding towards the portal entrance. ‘Come on! We can’t dawdle. Into the corridors, quick, Drayco.’
Right behind, but so is Torgan.
‘Damn. I thought you’d ditched him.’
So had I.
They tore up the last few steps, the surface almost completely obscured by vines and rubble, and stumbled into the portal just as the gong sounded again in the distance. She didn’t wait to see what that might mean, though she thought she heard shouts over the sound of rushing water. Torgan bounded towards them, only a few lengths behind. Rosette checked for all three companions before placing her hand on the plasma waves. Purple light jumped out from the edge of the Entity, linking to her with tingling bolts of lightning. The force of it slammed her back into the corridor wall. ‘Jarrod!’ she said, her breath coming in gasps. ‘Take me to Jarrod.’ With Shane’s assistance, she picked herself up off the ground.
‘What was that?’ he asked.
Rosette brushed herself off. ‘I don’t know. Something’s going haywire with the Entity.’
‘Which means?’
‘We’re travelling blind.’
GAELA & TENSAR—TIME: FORWARD
CHAPTER 17
Nell hung back, watching the young witch race up the steps. Perfect. She’d fallen for it, leading her straight to the occult portal. She should have known it would be right on their doorstep. ‘That wasn’t so hard, Rosette de Santo.’ She focused her thoughts on her familiar. Torgan, can you track her? Quickly!
She braced her hands against her lower back and watched Torgan spring up the steps. She huffed. Rosette had claimed to be her daughter in another world or another time. How interesting. And she wielded a sword as well. That was too intriguing to pass up. Nell didn’t know quite how she’d get the girl to take her through the corridors, but that was no longer a problem. She hadn’t even had to