Capturing Today (TimeShifters Book 2) (4 page)

To gain some room, I slide to the left and step around Erik. “Let’s talk away from the barn.” I pace toward the sparse tree line near the house.

He follows me. “Whatever makes you feel more comfortable, Gabriella.” My name comes out like a slow caress that sends a creepy shiver down my back. As if he’s waited a long time to say it and enjoys the way it feels on his tongue. I know that’s a weird way of describing it. But that’s how it sounds. Erik almost takes on a Spanish accent as he draws out the syllables.

I spin around, making him stop abruptly. “If we’re going for comfort, I prefer Gabby.”

“Whatever you wish.” He inclines his head in a slight bow. Then his electric blue eyes capture mine. “You didn’t want Porter to see me?”

Was he spying on us? My heart thunders. “How do you know about Porter?”

“Oh, Gabby, I know everything about you.”

“That’s not possible.” My words come out more whisper than force.

“But isn’t it?” He tilts his head to the side.

This is the man who injected my mother with the Elixir. Like a howling freight train, the thought hits me, and my knees wobble, if only for a moment before I lock them.

He. Is. Dangerous.

Erik took my mother away from my father. Away from me. I should hate this man. Not chat with him. Why do I always jump into situations without considering the risks?

“You know what, this was stupid.” I pace away from him because if I make eye contact again I might keep staring into Erik’s intense eyes and listen to him. “You go back to wherever it is you came from and I’ll go back into the barn.”

“Don’t you wonder why your Pairing doesn’t work?” His calm voice stops me in my tracks. Is he bluffing? What does he know about my failure?

Too interested in what he has to say, I stay put but keep my back to him. Clench and unclench my hands at my sides.

“Tell me, Gabby.” Crunching gravel announces each of his steps, and then they stop. He’s inches away from me now. A spicy hint of cologne wraps around me. His breath is muggy against the side of my head when he speaks. “Have you met dear … old … Nick?”

I scrunch my eyes shut. “No.”

“Ah, lucky girl.” I feel him move behind me, giving me room. Finally, I pivot to face him again. Regardless of the source, I need to find out anything I can about Nicholas and the shifting world. Even if Erik is dangerous, he’s talking.

Erik wears a victorious smile when I turn around. Just as quickly, his smile fades, and he shakes his head in a slow, sad manner. “I’ve met him. Was forced to work under Nick for years.” Erik rolls his eyes. “What a bore. So domineering.” He takes a half step closer to me and leans in whispering, “So careless with his followers.”

Hearing what Erik says lifts a weight of guilt from my shoulders. He’s given voice to all my doubts about Nicholas. An idea tiptoes into my mind so quietly I almost miss it: What if Erik isn’t bad? What if he has valid explanations for everything that’s happened?

“He’s never appeared to any of the Shifters. Ever.” It’s out of my mouth before I have a chance to consider if I should be telling him things like that.

Erik shrugs. “That doesn’t shock me. Nicholas is … hmmm, how do I put this diplomatically?” He castles his hands and presses them to his lips for a moment. “A control freak. I think that may be the best way to say it. He sees the Shifters as pawns for his purposes. He doesn’t care about you. Not as a person. Which is a pity, don’t you think? People like you and Michael deserve someone who sees how special you are.”

Good or bad, Erik talking about Michael feels wrong. I carry the memory of Michael too close to my heart for some quasi Shade king to bring up his name. “Let’s leave Michael out of this.”

“But I can’t.” His eyes cloud over, like speaking against what I ask pains him. He presses his hand across his chest. “Michael’s involved in all this. In the turmoil you feel inside. Isn’t he?” Erik talks like a counselor, soft and comforting. “You want to see him again, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.” Since we parted, I’ve thought about Michael more than I care to admit. My motivations for wanting to shift again aren’t as noble as I like to believe. It’s not always about getting my mother back. Some days I wonder if I want to shift again just to see Michael. What I wouldn’t do to hear the soft rumble of his laugh and see his ready smile again.

Erik leans into my personal space. His face inches from mine as he raises his eyebrows. “I can make it happen.”

I don’t move. If he’s trying to intimidate me, I’m not going to let him. “How?”

He rocks back and crosses his arms. “The Shifters probably didn’t tell you this—” He laughs. “Actually, I’m sure they’ve kept you quite in the dark about a lot of things. But Shades control their own travel. They shift through time whenever and to wherever they want.”

“I don’t believe you.”

His lips form a grim line. “Why should I deprive them of the power to move as they wish? I don’t need puppets, Gabby. Those who leave the Shifters and come to me—who are brave enough to walk away from Keleusma—they are my family. Don’t you see that? I only want them to be taken care of and to enjoy their lives. I only wish to free them from Nicholas.”

“But—”

His brow lowers. “They really messed with your head there, didn’t they?” He lets out a long stream of air. “I worried they’d try to brainwash you. I just didn’t realize how—”

“No one brainwashed me.”

“Right. Of course not. You’re smart enough to see around attempts like that. Forgive me.” He holds up his hands. “And the Shifters are not bad. I don’t want you to believe I think ill of them. Most of the Shifters are correct in their pure intentions to do good. They’ve just fallen prey to a puppet master, I’m afraid.”

“So tell me. If you’re so
magnanimous
and allow people to move whenever they wish, why hasn’t my mother ever come home? She would have. Unless she …” The word ‘died’ sticks in my mouth. I don’t know why. It’s not like I ever knew her—not really. I’ve considered her dead my entire life. But tears burn the back of my throat, and if I say the word, I know my voice will crack.

“Let me put you at ease then.” He lays a hand on each of my shoulders. “Your mother is alive and well.”

I meet his eyes again. “Then why hasn’t she come home?” I hate the quiver in my voice.

“Gabby, Gabby, don’t you see?” Erik gently shakes me back and forth. “She’s terrified to see you. To disappoint you.” His hands move to my biceps, and he squeezes lightly. “Terrified that you’ll be upset with her after what she did.” His hands slip down my arms, and he ends up cradling both of my hands. “But she wants to meet you. She talks about you all the time.”

 “She does?” I can’t hold in my tears any longer. My mom is alive. She wants to see me. She might come home. My dad can be happy again. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

“She does.” He rubs his thumbs over the backs of my hands.

“Wh-where is she then?”

“Rosa lives in Mónatos, which is the equivalent of your Keleusma.”

“Is she happy?”

“I like to think so.” The corners of his lips tug up. The right higher than the left. “Your mother is one of my closest friends.” He pauses. “See, that’s another way I’m different from Nick. I live among the Shades. Mónatos is my home. I’m always accessible.”

I pull one of my hands away from him and rub my nose. “That sounds nice.”

“It is.” He takes a deep breath. “May I be honest with you?”

I nod.

“I know you don’t trust me. And believe me, I understand. With what the Shifters say about me—especially the Elders—I don’t blame you. Actually, I’m rather surprised that you’ve stayed with me for this long.” His fingers inch up the hand he’s been holding and grasp the wrist my shifting bracelet is on. “My hope is that, with that brilliant mind of yours, you will soon discern who is right when it comes to Nick and me. Who is worth your trust.”

I wish I knew what to believe. But I’d just as soon wish for something useful like brownies or ice cream to magically appear. I swipe the back of my free hand over my forehead, whisking away sweat. Ice cream would really hit the spot right now.

My head starts to ache. I don’t think I’ve ever been so confused in my life. Everything Erik says is appealing, but warnings are going off like flashing lights in the back of my mind, warnings I can’t ignore. Specifically, Michael telling me never to let Erik speak to me.

Of course I want to see my mother if she’s alive. But how do I know Erik isn’t lying? He could be. Nicholas has always been silent, which makes me suspicious of him, but my friends who I trust completely—Michael, Lark, Eugene, and Darnell—they are certain of Nicholas. They trust him completely. I can’t discount my friends’ belief so quickly.

But say Erik is the good guy; I don’t want to tick him off. Then again, I’ve never been a fan of strangers touching me—and because I was distracted talking about my mother, I’ve allowed Erik to get away with far more contact than I’d normally allow.

“Let go.” I narrow my eyes and try to jerk my arm away from him, but he holds firm.

In a fluid movement, he flips my hand over and traces one of his fingers over my shifting bracelet. He taps the black spot, and his eyes grow wide. At the same time, a huge smile paints itself across his face. “I knew it. I knew it.”

His hold loosens, and I yank my arm away, tucking it behind my back.

“Come with me, Gabby. Come to Mónatos.”

Do I …? No. Why am I even entertaining the thought? I know nothing about Mónatos, but I’ve seen the Shades on my missions. I saw one
kill
a woman. How did that detail slip my mind? Stupid, blue, enchanting eyes. The Shades are creeptastic with a capital C. They’ve haunted my nightmares for the past eight months.

Erik must be bad.

If my mother is still alive, he might be holding her as a prisoner, which is why no one has seen her in eighteen years. That’s the only thing that makes sense. And if that’s the case, then going with him is a trap. I need to be wise and only take actions I’m sure about. After all, my mother’s waited eighteen years for freedom—waiting a little longer shouldn’t be a big deal. She’d want me to be careful, wouldn’t she?

I tighten my hold on the loops of my backpack. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“You’re frightened.” Erik slips his hands into his coat pockets. “I see that now. I’m sorry. I let my excitement get the best of me. I’ve waited a long time to meet you, but I don’t mind waiting longer. You’re worth it.” He lowers his voice, dropping it to an intimate level. “I’ll wait however long you need. This is all completely up to you.”

Gathering my courage, I square my shoulders. “You say you’re different—better than the Shifters, but you’re not. You may speak more, but it’s riddles. Not real answers.”

His left eyebrow arches. “Riddles? Not me. I’ve been nothing but honest with you.” He scrubs a hand across his stubbled jaw. “As an act of friendship, I’m going to grant you what you most want.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Oh, really? And what’s that?”

A wolfish smile colors his striking features. “To shift.”

“You can do that?”

“I can. And what’s more, I’ll send you to the one person you most wish to see.”

My mom? So he’s trying that angle again. I fight an eye roll.  “Weren’t you listening? I’m not going to Mónatos.”

“
Tsk. Tsk
.” He smirks. “Now who’s the one not being honest? We both know your mother is not the person your heart desires right now.”

I don’t give hope a voice. Instead, I narrow my eyes. “Why would you be willing to do that?”

He shrugs. “I delight in giving people what they want. That, and I sincerely do aspire to gain your trust. I’m willing to do whatever it takes. Give you whatever you want.”

“Even if I won’t go with you to Mónatos? I’ll never have anything to do with your freaky Shades.” I wait for any trace of anger to mar his features but get nothing.

“No strings, Gabby. No strings.” His voice is warm, gentle. “But keep in mind, never
is
quite a long time.” He eases closer to me by a step. “What you don’t understand is that it’s already in your blood. You will want the life I’m offering. You just don’t realize it yet.”

“I won’t.”

“Even still, I’m happy to shift you. Come here.” He holds out his hand, palm up, inviting me to place mine inside.

I hesitate.

He lets out a loud breath. “I am not going to hurt you. Believe me, that’s the last thing I want. However, I do need to touch your bracelet in order to shift you. Which will require this one, tiny act of faith in me, please.”

Nicholas obviously isn’t going to shift me—that’s been made abundantly clear in the past eight months. The offer from Erik—while admittedly not a great one—is my only hope. Sure, he may be sending me to a cage in Mónatos, but even then, at least that’ll place me back in the shifting world which would give me a chance to join my friends at some point and get more answers. Or rescue my mother. Between my helpless father and my failed Pairing, there is nothing to stay for at home.

I place my arm in Erik’s outstretched hand.

His fingers close around my wrist. He gives my arm a tiny tug, making me lock eyes with him. “Should you ever need me, for any reason whatsoever, all you have to do is call to me. Use my name. Because of your blood, you have that power.”

I spear him with my best glare. “I wouldn’t hold up dinner waiting for me to do that if I were you.”

“Just promise me you’ll tuck that knowledge away for the day when you want answers—real answers.” His fingers trace over the scar that runs under my shifting bracelet.

I fight against the shiver racing down my spine. “Sure.”

“Promise me.” He gives me a hard look that says he’s not going to do anything until I actually say the words.

“I promise.”

“Then I’ll see you in another time.” With a wink, he removes his hand, and instantly my bracelet starts to heat up.

I take a wide stance, preparing for when the sensation of being tugged off my feet happens. I can’t even make myself hate the tight feeling that stifles my lungs and cramps my body like I usually do. No, if I could find the breath to laugh right now, I would.