The Time Keeper (The Guardians of Time Book 1) (5 page)

‘So basically I’m going to have to prove to him that he can trust me not to get dead!’

David nodded.  ‘That about sums it up.  He’s going to be here tomorrow so the two of you can start work.’

‘Okay,’ Emilia agreed reluctantly.  Great – Seb, three days in a row.  Then something else occurred to her.  ‘Dad, how does this all work when I go to Stanford?’

‘Ah yes, about that.’  His gaze slid away from hers and Emilia’s heart sank.  ‘You might need to rethink that.’

‘I don’t get to go to Stanford?’ she wailed.

‘There’s a lot of preparation time that goes into a mission, which you need to do as a partnership.  You can still go to California, provided you can get Seb to relocate with you.’

‘Great.  Justin’s going to love that!’ she muttered sarcastically.

‘Yes, that may be problematic,’ David replied, and Emilia could have sworn he was fighting back a smile.  ‘You don’t need to decide yet, Emmy.  There are a couple of months yet before the first semester starts.’

‘I guess.’  Emilia stared glumly down at her hands.  In one afternoon, her whole world had been tipped on its axis.  ‘I haven’t even figured out what I want to study yet, so I suppose it’s just one more decision I need to make.’

David rose to his feet and retrieved his laptop from the desk.  ‘Okay, enough of the maudlin stuff.  I have a surprise for you.’

‘Not another time travel device, I hope,’ Emilia griped.

He threw her a reproachful look as he bent over the computer, tapping a few keys.  ‘There are some advantages to time travel and one of them is you have the ultimate edge insider traders would kill for – you know exactly what the future is going to look like.’

David spun the laptop around so Emilia could see the screen.  A browser window was open on a bank website and as she studied it, she realised it was a bank account in her name… a bank account with so much money in it her breath wheezed in noisily.  She raised her stunned gaze to her father, but when she opened her mouth nothing would come out.

Pleased, David grinned.  ‘I’ve made a number of investments in your name over the years, honey, and you also have an extensive stock portfolio.  You’re a multi-millionaire in your own right, Emilia.’

Her breath whooshed out and she said weakly, ‘That’s an insane amount of money.’

David shrugged.  ‘We all sacrifice a huge amount of our time and lives to this cause, the least we can do is enjoy some of the perks that go with it!  Trust me, once you’ve lived through some of the conditions you’re going to have to live through, a little luxury when you return home will be exceedingly welcome.’

‘That explains how Seb can afford his shiny black SUV.’

David nodded.

‘Right, well I’ve officially reached information overload so if you don’t mind, I’m going to bed.’

She hugged David goodnight and headed upstairs to her bedroom.  She hadn’t been lying – there was so much crazy stuff going on in her brain right now that all she wanted to do was sink into complete and utter nothingness.

*

Seb sat on the balcony of his apartment, cradling the soft drink he’d opened hours earlier.  He’d barely touched it, had long since forgotten it was there.  The night had closed in and the twinkling lights of Ithaca were spread before him, but he didn’t notice.

He’d thought he’d found some peace and, if not that, at least a way to live relatively comfortably with the demons of his past.  Eighteen months ago, he’d felt like perhaps there was some kind of purpose for his life after all, that he wasn’t just some monumental cosmic joke.  But then he’d let Megan die – sweet, bright,
crazy
Megan.  She’d been exasperating and most of the time he’d resented her presence in his life, but she’d deserved better than to die at eighteen of a third-world disease.  He should have been able to protect her; he should have been able to
save
her.  But just like before, he’d failed.

The break away from all the time travel stuff had been a relief at first.  But lately he’d started to feel ready again and he
needed
to get out there and do something useful instead of sitting around letting life pass him by.  He’d known David was getting ready to partner him up with someone new and he’d been hoping for another guy – someone physically strong, mentally tough and rational.

Not for one second had he considered Emilia! 
Why didn’t it occur to you
, he berated himself.  It ran through the generations, so of course she was a possibility.

When David dropped the bomb on him, he’d been unable to get his head around it.  Not Emilia – anyone but Emilia.  She was so delicate, so
fragile
.  Last night had eloquently demonstrated that.  When he’d carried her in his arms, she’d been light as a feather, as insubstantial as air. 

His fist clenched convulsively around the can and soft drink spurted out the top and over his hand, drizzling stickily down to his wrist.  He didn’t notice. 

He couldn’t travel with her; he wouldn’t be able to concentrate.  He’d be worrying all the time, waiting for something to happen to her, knowing that he wasn’t capable of rescuing her.  Because no matter how hard he tried, somehow he always failed.

Surely David wouldn’t want anything to happen to his precious daughter, his only child.  He’d reminded David of Megan’s fate.  But David had been adamant and no amount of persuading, shouting or threatening would sway him.  David had said what they did was a calling and he was right – he felt compelled to save the lives of these unknown people.  In some part of his mind it made him feel like he could make up for the lives he hadn’t saved.  But saving those lives was easy; they were strangers to him, barely brushing his life.  It was the lives of those closest to him he couldn’t save.

The thought of the dangers Emilia was about to encounter, with only him to protect her, tore him apart.  He wasn’t fit to kiss her feet, let alone be the person she had to trust completely with her safety.

He stirred from his reverie and glared resentfully back at the penthouse apartment he owned.  It gleamed with polished white marble and stark, modern lines.  Occupying the whole top floor, it had cost a fortune but it didn’t even make a dent in what he was worth now.

Except no matter how much polish and sophistication he purchased, inside he was still the kid from the gutter – a worthless delinquent who hadn’t been able to save his mother or his sister.  He’d failed Megan.  Their faces tormented him by day, haunted his dreams at night.  No amount of magic could fix the mess that was his life; nothing could make him into a guy who could be counted on.

He threw the can into the corner of the balcony and dropped his head into his hands, smearing the sticky mess over his forehead and cheek.  Emilia was everything he wasn’t – goodness, kindness, beauty inside and out.  Where he brought darkness, she brought sunshine.  She was so full of life and he was going to crush that life out of her, he thought in despair.  Because it was only a matter of time before he failed Emilia too.

Chapter 3

After a night of dreams filled with turbulent images of disease and plague-ridden cities as she hurtled uncontrollably through time, Emilia trudged wearily into the kitchen the next morning much later than was her norm.  She was exhausted, so less than pleased to see Seb sitting at the table reading the paper. 

Mindful of what David had revealed the previous night, she attempted a cheerful greeting.  ‘Morning, Seb.’

A grunt was his only reply. 

‘You’re up bright and early,’ she persevered.

‘Some of us have better things to do than lie in bed all day,’ he muttered with a pointed look at the clock.  It was coming on ten thirty.

‘It was a late night and a day filled with…’ she hesitated.  How exactly did she describe what yesterday had been like?  ‘…
disturbing
revelations.’ 

He ignored her comment but finally looked at her, his expression unreadable.  ‘I see the boyfriend is attempting to get back in your good graces.’

She glanced involuntarily at the vase of roses in the middle of the table.  ‘How do you know they’re from him?’

‘Only Justin could be that unimaginative!’  He thrust the newspaper aside and swivelled to face her.  ‘Seriously Angel, does he know you at all?’

Selecting a mug from the cupboard, Emilia pressed a button on the coffee machine and inhaled the welcome scent of caffeine.  She glanced at Seb with a lifted brow.  He shook his head and gestured at his still half-full cup. 

‘What do you mean?’

Grabbing a sharp knife and an apple, she sat down at the table and began quartering the apple in between sips of the steaming hot coffee.

‘You’re not a red roses kind of girl, especially this kind of blah burgundy-red.’  He curled his lip in disgust.

‘I’m not?’  She was surprised he knew that. 

He waved his hand vaguely in the direction of the garage.  ‘You drive a garishly bright yellow car,’ he shuddered feelingly, ‘which oddly suits you.  Today’s favoured colour is obviously orange judging by your shirt and sandals.  Your toenails are always painted different colours but never anything conservative.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out you love vibrant, bright colours.’

Emilia looked down at what she was wearing – Seb was right.  She hadn’t consciously thought about it when she’d dressed but sure enough, she was wearing orange.  ‘So what would you suggest?’

‘If I was really grovelling – which
he
should be,’ he said with a dark look, as he swiped an apple quarter from her, ‘I’d go with a huge bunch of gerberas and tulips in pinks, purples, oranges and yellows, with a bit of that green ferny stuff to pull it all together.’

‘I see.’  She bit back a smile and snapped off a piece of apple.  Who knew he could be so creative?

He studied her out of the corner of his eye.  ‘Am I wrong?’

‘Not at all.’  She couldn’t help it; a huge grin spread across her face.

‘Then why are you grinning?’ he asked suspiciously.

‘Because you’ve been so busy with your one-upmanship you’ve forgotten to be surly and uncommunicative,’ she revealed delightedly.

Seb’s brows slammed together.  ‘Damn,’ he muttered.

‘And now it’s too late,’ she continued.  He opened his mouth to object, so she shoved another quarter of apple in it.  ‘Just shut up and eat.’

‘Are you children finished playing?’ David asked from behind them.  He was leaning against the doorframe, his eyes dancing with amusement.  ‘I’m glad to see the two of you are finally getting along.  It will make things much easier.’

The amusement faded from Emilia’s eyes and she glanced apprehensively at Seb.  She expected to see anger or at least frustration, but he gazed ruefully back at her, resignation stamped on his features.  He shrugged as if to say,
I can’t fight the inevitable
.

They followed David to the study, where he handed her the timepiece she’d left lying on his desk the previous night.  She supposed that hadn’t been a very tactful show of appreciation for the gift he’d given her, but she hadn’t exactly been thinking clearly last night.

‘Yesterday I mentioned a partnership consists of a time keeper and a magic maker.  Obviously, you’re the time keeper.  Seb is the magic maker.’  David sat on the front of the desk, his legs dangling freely.  ‘I didn’t go into Seb’s role last night because I thought it would be better if he demonstrated what it is he can do… or at least some of it anyway.’

Seb was standing just inside the doorway, his hands shoved deep in his jeans pockets.  David nodded slightly at him and he pulled one hand free.  He gestured subtly and books from all around the room starting flying in a whirlwind around Emilia.  She jumped, startled.  He clicked his fingers and the books flew back to where they belonged, their spines perfectly aligned.

‘Cool.  That must make housework a blast,’ she said in admiration and a little envy.

The corner of his mouth lifted in a tiny smile, but he wasn’t finished.  ‘Open you hand.  Like this.’  He showed her his hand, held in a loose, upright fist.

She did as he asked and suddenly she was holding a bunch of gerberas and tulips, in all the bright colours he’d described. 

‘Oh, they’re beautiful,’ she whispered, a catch in her voice.

He inclined his head in a slight bow.  ‘An apology for my rudeness earlier.’

‘If this is what I get, you can be as rude as you like as often as you like.’

David chuckled.  ‘Don’t encourage him, honey.’

‘If you can do that kind of stuff, what do you need me for?’ Emilia asked, puzzled.  ‘Surely with a click of your fingers you could be any place, any time?’

Seb shook his head and wandered further into the room so he could perch on the arm of a chair.  ‘I’d have no way of being able to pinpoint or control where or when I ended up.  Only a time keeper can manipulate time.’

‘Right.  So what now?’  Still holding the flowers, she sat in the other chair.

‘Before you go on a mission, the two of you are going to do a test run,’ David shared.  ‘You won’t be going to rescue anyone or change events.  You’re simply going to pick a time and place to go to and travel there, so you, Emmy, can get the hang of the time device and get a feel for what it’s going to be like to travel through time.’

‘Anywhere in particular you’d like us to go?’ she asked and couldn’t help the spurt of excitement she felt inside.

‘You get to decide, Angel.’  Seb draped his arm across the top of his chair.  ‘But preferably not the Stone Age.’

‘Okay.  I’ll think about it over lunch.’

Emilia stood up and headed for the kitchen.  She retrieved a second vase, filled it with water and placed it on the kitchen windowsill with Seb’s flowers.  She cooked salmon steaks on the grill while she tossed a fresh salad and served them both with warm crusty bread.  The three of them sat around the table to eat and David and Seb talked companionably while Emilia thought about where and when in history she’d like to travel back to. 

David looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and Emilia realised he’d been deeply concerned about Seb’s state of mind.  Seb’s behaviour this morning and reluctant acceptance of a partnership with her had obviously set his mind at ease.

The two men made quick work of the dishes, while Emilia made coffee for them all. The second injection of caffeine was doing wonders for her and she was full of energy again.

Seb settled down at the table again and rocked back on the rear legs of his chair.  ‘Where are we going, Angel?’ he asked lazily, turquoise eyes clear and calm.  She wasn’t sure if it was all a show for her father’s benefit, but Seb looked like he didn’t have a care in the world.  She grinned inwardly.  Once he found out where she wanted to go, he might not be so relaxed.

‘Regency England,’ she announced with relish.  ‘I want to attend a debutante’s ball.’

The front legs of Seb’s chair hit the floor with a crash.  ‘You have got to be kidding me!’ he growled, and sure enough, his carefree attitude was nowhere in sight.  ‘What the hell kind of clothing did the men wear back then?’

‘Think
Pride and Prejudice
.  You know, tight pants with knee high boots, high-necked ruffled shirts and elaborate cravats.  That sort of thing.’

‘No way!  I am
not
under any circumstances going to wear
leggings
!’  He turned to David for support.  ‘Clearly this proves Emilia is not taking things seriously, David, and until she can, I don’t think she’s competent enough to be operating the time travel device.  She’s not ready.’

David smiled serenely.  ‘While you might be adverse to the costume, Seb, Emilia has in fact chosen very wisely.  Regency England is a very
safe
period of history.  What possible trouble could she get into there?’

Seb’s shoulders slumped.  ‘Fine, but I’m not going to any damn dance.’

‘But Seb I really want to go to a ball.’  She looked at him beseechingly, her eyes wide and guileless.  ‘I was sick the week of my Senior Prom and I didn’t get to go.  I had a beautiful dress, a bunch of us had booked a limo and it was supposed to be the night of our lives.  And instead I had to hear about what a great time everyone had, while I missed out!  Do you know what that was like for me?’

Her eyes misted over, a feat she was quite proud of.  ‘A Regency ball would go a long way to making up for that.’

Seb gazed into her big, brown puppy dog eyes and knew he was a goner.  ‘Fine.  But that’s the last time I’m letting you choose
anything
.’

‘Thank you, thank you, thank you, Seb!’  She grinned, but he looked so unhappy she had to look away… and instead met David’s knowing eyes.  His hand was covering his mouth and she knew he was trying to hide his smile at the way she had played Seb.  Emilia was as healthy as a horse and hadn’t been sick in years!

David cleared his throat.  ‘Well now that’s settled, you two will need to spend the next few days doing detailed research on your destination.  While this isn’t a mission as such, you still need to be careful.  No one must know you don’t fit in.’

Some of Emilia’s excitement disappeared.  ‘Research?  Are you telling me I have to spend my summer holiday studying?’

Her obvious disappointment restored some of Seb’s good humour.  ‘You didn’t think it was going to be all fun and games, did you Angel?’

‘Not exactly,’ she muttered, but she kind of had.

He got up and ruffled her hair.  ‘And since this particular journey is close to your heart, I’m going to get out of your way so you can make a head start on the research.  It will probably take you most of the evening to find an appropriate ball to attend, not to mention what our cover story is going to be to get into said ball.  You can fill me in on your progress tomorrow afternoon.’

‘I’ve got plans with Justin tonight, so I haven’t got time to work on it all evening.’

Seb’s amusement fled.  ‘Maybe you need to work out your priorities, Angel,’ he said quietly.

David stood up and headed back towards his study.  ‘I’ll leave you two to work out the logistics, but you need to be ready to travel by Friday.’  He paused and said over his shoulder, ‘Oh and Emilia, we’ll need to spend some time together so I can teach you how to use the device.’

Emilia nodded glumly.  So much for lazy days sailing and sun-baking on the lake.

Seb rinsed out the coffee mugs in the sink and put them in the dishwasher.  The flowers on the windowsill caught his eye.  He picked them up, turned to the table and plucked Justin’s roses out of the vase with his other hand, replacing them with his colourful arrangement.  He dumped the roses in the trash with a great deal of satisfaction.

Emilia’s head snapped up.  ‘Hey!’

His crossed his arms over his chest.  ‘You like mine better.’

She opened her mouth to argue, but since he was right she tried another angle.  ‘What have you got against Justin anyway?’

His eyebrows shot up in disbelief.  ‘You mean aside from what happened on Friday night?’ he asked sarcastically.

Emilia flushed but looked him square in the eye.  ‘He’s not usually like that.  He has a lot of really great qualities.’

‘Yeah, he’s a real Mr Nice Guy, I bet.’  He sighed and ran his hand through his thick black hair.  ‘I just think you can do better than him, that’s all.’

She looked surprised.  ‘That’s where you’re wrong,’ she said quietly. 

He wasn’t, but since he was supposed to be keeping her at a careful distance he decided not to argue the point.

‘Look, just be careful tonight.  If he tries anything funny, call me.’

‘What, and you’ll turn him into a frog?’ she teased.

‘You have no idea how appealing that sounds,’ he replied without a trace of a smile.

‘You can do that?’ she asked uneasily.

‘Yes.’  He headed for the front door, but turned back to face her.  ‘I mean it, Em.  Call me if you get in trouble.’

She studied him for a moment, her head tilted to one side.  Then she said quietly, ‘Okay.’