Capturing Today (TimeShifters Book 2) (23 page)

His face drains of emotion. My dagger struck home.

“You’re not fighting fair.”

Says Captain Subterfuge.

“Tough.” I rock back on the balls of my feet. “If there’s one certainty in life, it’s the whole
not fair
part.”

He scrubs his hand over his jaw as if it might hurt. “Believe me, I know.”

And I’m not able to argue with him there. Michael’s whole life could be catalogued in not fair moments. His Pairing’s death, his mother’s rejection, and watching his father die. All at age eleven. Then alone ever since. A Shifter, but an oddity like Lark, forced to live somewhat apart from the rest of them. To exist on the edge and not know much real friendship.

But I will not allow myself to feel sorry for him. If I do, I’ll remember that I love him, and the urge to erase his pain will grow too strong to ignore. I can’t. I won’t.

He doesn’t care about me.

I have to keep reminding myself that.

Michael jerks his head to the side and scans the tree line. “Listen, when we get back to Keleusma, you can rail against me for however long you believe I deserve. I’ll answer every question and explain anything you want. Anything. I promise.” His guarded gaze meets mine. “Not here, though.”

If only I trusted him still, but I’m not going back to Keleusma for more spoon-fed lies. And that’s all I’ll get from Michael. I can’t depend on the word of someone who pretended to be my friend.

He holds out his hand, silently asking me to walk back to the group. I step around his arm and start back without him. Branches snap behind me, and I shake my head. Michael sucks at covert movement—especially when the outdoors are involved.

There we go. Finally. Something he’s not good at.

Well, that and his recent loss of hearing, which makes two things.

Two things I can use to my advantage.

I hang back, allowing Michael to catch up so I can position myself on his left side. Near his damaged ear. He offers me a sad smile as he passes and then heads back in the direction of the graveyard. Dragging my feet, I fall back so I’m just out of his line of vision. He peeks over at me and quirks an eyebrow. I answer with a tightlipped smile. It must be enough because he returns to looking where he’s going.

The fog is still split-pea-soup thick—working in my favor. I have to test how bad his hearing actually is to know how quickly I’ll have to take off when I decide to make a run for it.

“Michael?” I whisper.

No reaction. But he may be agitated with me, ignoring me after everything I’ve said. I can’t blame him if he is.

I lick my lips. I’m going to have to whisper something shocking—something that demands a response.

“I’m going to leave now.”

Nothing.

Goodbye
. My gut clenches.

Now. Run. Now.

Quietly, I pivot, crouch, and then take off at a sprint. For the first time ever, I’m thankful I’m the fastest runner in Keleusma. Michael yells, but I’m not paying enough attention to catch his actual words. And I’m not about to look back. My heart pounds in my ears as I breathe deeply, in and out. Michael can’t catch me. He’ll never be able to stop me.

It’s all a bit of
déjà vu
. The scene plays out like the first time we met with me taking off and Michael running after. I’m even heading toward the Shades like I did then too. I didn’t kick Michael this time, so that’s a positive, right? However, I deliberately used his weakness against him. Which is cruel—probably far more cruel than the outright hostility of a kick.

I skirt a tree and skid down a small embankment that leads to a shallow stream. Splashing across, I follow the line of water out of the woods and into an open field. I have no idea if I’m on Eddie’s land anymore or not, but it doesn’t matter. I won’t be here long.

Hands clenched, I come to a halt and lift my chin. “Erik! Erik, I’m ready.”

Like impending lightning, the air suddenly feels charged with electricity. There’s a quick flash of light, and then Erik stands in front of me. My eyes lock with his startling blues. His smile can only be described as wolfish.

“Dear, wonderful Gabriella.” He holds out his hand. “Let’s go home.”

Summoning my courage, I slip my hand into his, and we disappear into time.

I brace my knees, preparing for the impact that usually happens when shifting, but Erik and I touch down, hand-in-hand, as if we’ve only descended from the bottom step of a bus. What I assume is Mónatos gleams before us—a huge, opulent building that looks like a hotel for high rollers. To the right is a lake-sized swimming pool, glistening and clear in the bright sunshine. On the left are volleyball and tennis courts.

It’s nothing like the broken-down warehouse exterior of Keleusma.

A rock of ice forms in my stomach.

Michael. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

I lock a breath deep inside my chest and hold it for a minute then let it out very slowly through barely parted lips. No matter how many times I tell myself Michael never cared, that he’s not my friend, my heart doesn’t believe any of it. How could I leave him there in the fog screaming my name?

Because I had to.

Michael lied. Constantly. The Elders kept secrets. Nicholas doesn’t care.

A pain shoots up into my temples.
Unclench your jaw, Gabby
.

Is it such a terrible thing to want to survive without being controlled?

I fist my hands and fall into step beside Erik. We head down an even bricked walking path. From the corner of my eye, I notice he’s watching me. “Don’t you have to try to make it unappealing so you don’t draw in Norms?”

“The Norms can’t see it.” A smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Really, why have power if you’re not going to do the most you can with it?” He crosses his arms over his chest and tilts his head. “Do you like our home?”

Though the structure is beautiful, there’s a chance that the Mónatos architect was a bit wasted when he drew up plans. The bottom half looks like a modern craftsman home with large, wide pillars, a wrapping porch, and stones pressed into the front; the immense wings jutting out of the side of the main section are like sleek, glass hotels; and the top half is all pointy castle. My gaze traces over each of the turrets. Sixteen.

Orange Shasta daisies—my favorite flower—line the broad path leading to the double, front doors. Outside the mowed lawn, thick woods hem in Mónatos on every side. Featherlike wind rustles through the leaves, carrying the smell of the outdoors—dirt, plants, growth—undisturbed by anything manmade.

“I like it,” I finally admit.

“Then shall we go inside?” He offers his arm.

While Erik is my only hope, and I don’t want to offend him, we’re not at the physical contact level of friendship yet. Holding hands to travel is one thing. But strolling into Mónatos for the first time on his arm doesn’t feel right. He’s basically king here.

I fan my hand out as if I’m a concert usher. “Lead the way.”

His eyes narrow for a split second, but then he dips his chin and starts down the path. “There are many people eager to meet you.”

“Just take me to my mom.”

“All in good time, Gabriella.” He talks around a barely suppressed smile. The sunlight makes his mussed, blond hair almost too bright to look at. “All in good time.”

“Do I … do I have to become a Shade first?”

I was really hoping to put that part off for as long as possible. Or forever. Like a dentist appointment.

Erik stops. Using his thumb and pointer finger, he strokes back and forth along his jawline. His brows rise. “Tell me, do you even want to become a Shade?”

No
. Choose words carefully. “I don’t want to be controlled by the whims of a piece of jewelry any longer.” I lift my arm and glare at my shifting bracelet. Is it my imagination or has the black mark on the inside grown? As if I can remove the blemish, I brush my thumb over it.

Erik makes a
tsk tsk
sound. “Oh, dear. That’s not what I asked at all.”

My shoulder muscles tense. Here it comes. He’s going to kick me out. Reject me. Just like the Shifters did.

In an effort to refocus and to infuse myself with courage, I clamp my eyes shut. I can do this. My mom did. I’ll be fine. I just have to see her—talk to her first. Maybe we can even hatch a plan to leave—escape the world of Shades and Shifters and never look back. A girl can dream.

Erik barks out a laugh. “This isn’t a gameshow, kid. There’s no wrong answer.”

I peek at him. “Isn’t there?”

He throws back his head and lets out a booming laugh. “Not the one you think.”

“Meaning?”

“I don’t want you to become a Shade.” He leans right into my space, his nose inches from mine, and whispers, “Actually, I forbid it.”

“But you said—”

“I said I’d free you, not that I’d turn you into anything.” He sets his hands on my shoulders. “Did you hear me at all that first time we talked?” A gleam lights his electric blue eyes. “You’re valuable, as is. We won’t change a thing.”

But unless I become a Shade, I will … Ants of dread march their way down my spine. “What if I shift and—”

“Shh. Trust me. There’s nothing to fear any longer.” His calm voice makes my eyelids feel heavy. Seriously, he should look into the audiobooks idea. “You won’t shift now. Not as long as you stay here, under my protection.”

I nod. But inwardly, I’m happy dancing. I don’t have to become a Shade. How—? No. Asking questions will make me look stupid. For some unknown reason, Erik believes in me. Let’s put off disappointing him until later.

Placing his hand on the small of my back, he escorts me up the steps. “It really is cruel to keep them all waiting.” He flings open the front door and shoves me inside.

I skid forward onto a steep landing, my arms spinning. Below in a cavernous room, hundreds of Shades have gathered. For what purpose?

A set up. Has to be. Why else would they be waiting in mass?

My fingers latch around the banister to hide the tremor that goes through my body. If they attack me, I can’t fight them off. Not that many. And I have nowhere to run. 

When Erik takes his place beside me, his arm brushes mine. As if I gulped down too much ice water after a hard run, a rush of coldness sweeps through me again. He raises his hands, and the murmuring crowd silences. “Friends, I have such wonderful news to share. Gabriella Creed has finally decided to join us. What do you say to that?”

The crowd breaks into applause, cheering so raucously I want to cover my ears. A chant starts—my name—then grows louder and louder. They’re all smiling. My grip on the banister eases. Way to completely overreact. I blame Michael. He’s given me trust issues. No. Those stem back much further than his betrayal. He simply reinforced them.

Forget the Shifters.

Is my mother among those gathered? Heart pounding in the back of my throat, I scan the crowd. Whenever I’ve seen a Shade during time travel they appear to have wax-like, melting faces. But here … here they are normal. Better than normal. While the Shifters are very diverse in looks and height, the Shades all appear to be airbrushed models. What makes them change forms so drastically when they leave Mónatos?

 I fix on one person—a young man. His frown and crossed arms make him stick out. Well, that and he’s the one who helped me shepherd Michael through the Portal. Our eyes meet, and I tilt my head, letting him know I recognize him. He puts one finger to his lips and ever so slightly shakes his head.

Erik presses near to me. “I know you’re not one for pageantry, but they would not be dissuaded.”

“They’re happy I’m here? I don’t understand.” The first time I entered Keleusma flashes through my mind: Shifters pulling away from me, murmuring behind my back, and the pin-drop silence.

Still close, his lips brush my ear as he whispers, “None more so than I.”

“Why me?” Okay, maybe that’s a dumb question. Maybe every single new person is treated this way.

“Don’t you know?” He cocks his head and offers a gentle smile. “You’re special.” He tucks my hair back behind my ear, and his fingers trace down the soft skin of my neck before he removes them. “You’ll see.” He steps in front of me and sends all the Shades on their way. As the crowd thins, he starts down the stairs. “Tour first?”

I grab onto the railing again. “How about you answer a question?”

“Like?” He traces his pointer finger over the groove on the railing.

“Why are you tearing down Portals? Why are the Shades feeding off of the Shifters’ despair? Isn’t there another way for your people to survive? Why—”

“So many questions.”

“Yes.” I ease my death grip on the railing but raise my eyebrows, challenging him. “But will you answer them?”

“Why concern yourself with what we do to the Shifters?” He crosses his arms and leans his hip against the railing. “You left them.”

“I still care about them. I didn’t leave because I hate them.”

“Then tell me, Gabriella.” He moves up the steps until he’s standing on the one right below me. “Why
did
you leave Nick’s overzealous band of heroes?”

“You have my mother.”

“Ah. Yes. Well. For starters, your mother is here by choice.”