Chapter 13 #3
Tristan gingerly worked his jaw, opening and closing it before shifting it side to side. “I understand.”
“Good.” I stepped back. “I’ll be back.”
Without another word, I tromped up the stairs and found Lee in the kitchen, seated at the table with Jack. They were deep in conversation, but both glanced up when I entered.
I pulled out a chair and dropped into it. “So, how exactly do I land at a specific time?” I asked, cutting straight to the point. “I’ve always just… landed places.”
Lee nodded. “The dagger is powerful, Roman.” He tapped the table for emphasis. “You must hold the place and the year in your mind before activating it. If your focus is strong enough, it’ll take you exactly where you need to go.”
I considered that. “All right.”
Jack pushed back from the table and stood. “And you can’t show up dressed like that.” He gestured toward me with a smirk. “I bought period-appropriate clothes for you and Tristan.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You did? How?”
Jack grinned. “eBay.”
I blinked. “What the hell is eBay?”
Jack snorted. “It’s an online marketplace. I bought them from an antique dealer. They’re not exactly from the 1500s, but they’ll look much more convincing than jeans and a sweatshirt.” He waved a hand as he hurried off to retrieve them.
As I sat there, I couldn’t help but remember the first time I met Olivia in Rome—how she wore strange, out-of-place clothes that made her stand out.
That moment felt like it had happened lifetimes ago.
And now… I was about to return to the past.
But this time, I wouldn’t be alone.
The rest of the day was spent practicing the sacred scripture, Lee patiently guiding me through each syllable, ensuring I committed every word to memory.
He also taught me the translation, breaking it down so I could understand the meaning woven within.
“Moon, protector of night, I call upon you to unleash the light and guide me through the dark. Allow the great sun to dance around you with love and passion. Together, open your gates and grant me the power to travel through time and space like the shadows of the night.”
The words were beautiful—like a hidden message tucked within their cadence, something sacred, something powerful.
As I recited them, flashes of memories struck me—images of Olivia, fragments of conversations I could barely grasp, and echoes of Malik from my recurring dreams.
I faltered, my mind momentarily thrown into chaos.
“Lee,” I finally said around midday, my voice quieter than before. “You never said anything about my recurring dreams. But today, they’ve been everywhere—glimpses of them keep flashing in my mind.”
Clouds of emotion flickered across Lee’s face. He hesitated for a moment before answering.
“I cannot offer you the answers you seek,” he admitted. “But I am certain that Italy can.”
I studied him for a long beat but didn’t bother arguing. I’d learned enough about Lee to know when pushing for more answers was pointless.
He would reveal things in his own time.
Finally, as the sun slid from the sky, I was ready to depart.
I hauled Tristan’s sorry ass up the basement stairs, ensuring his arms were still bound.
For extra security, I took a length of rope—the same one used to tie him to the chair—and fastened our wrists together.
I didn’t trust him. Not for a damn second.
Jack stood waiting at the top of the stairs, his face tight with concern.
His eyes scanned over me once, then flicked to the supplies.
“Do you have everything?” he asked.
I patted the shoulder strap of my rucksack—another one of Jack’s so-called period pieces from eBay.
“Well,” I said, my throat clotted with emotion as I looked at Jack.
Jack swallowed hard. “Well,” he echoed, his eyes glistening. Then, softly, “Godspeed to you.”
I nodded, wiping at my damp eyes.
Before I could react, Jack threw his arms around me, gripping me fiercely.
“I’m so glad Olivia has you, Roman,” he murmured, his voice rough. “You’re a good, good man.”
He pulled back just enough to slide something into my jacket pocket, giving it a firm pat.
“Make sure Olivia sees this,” he said. His gaze was steady. Serious. “And take care of her, all right?”
A snort broke the moment.
Tristan.
I turned, just in time to backhand him across the face.
He stumbled, coughing out a shuddered breath.
“What?” he muttered once he’d recovered, rubbing his jaw. “I just remember the last time I was in this situation. I had a gun to the old man’s head.”
My fingers curled into fists.
I took a step toward him, my expression turning to ice.
“And this time, you’re under my command.” My voice dropped to a lethal whisper. “Do you honestly think I’m done punishing you for your actions?”
Tristan’s face paled. His mouth opened—then shut again.
Smart.
I turned back to Jack.
“Goodbye, Jack,” I said, my voice quieter now. “I hope we’ll see each other again.”
Jack gave me a sad smile, lifting his hand in farewell.
I didn’t let myself hesitate.
I crossed the wooded yard, heading for the clearing I’d scouted earlier. The moon had begun its ascent, slipping through breaks in the clouds like a silver omen.
I turned to Tristan.
Without a word, I slashed his palm.
He hissed in pain, but I ignored him, smearing his blood onto the pendant before inserting it into the hilt of my dagger.
Then, I cut my palm.
I lifted my bloodied hand, letting the sacred words fall from my lips.
The dagger flared to life, pulsing with power.
And then—
Everything fractured.
Time splintered around me, twisting and folding in on itself.
I felt myself plummeting through the ages, ripped from one reality to another, each moment bleeding into the next.
For a brief, terrifying instant, I no longer knew what was real.
Who I had been before all this began…
Or who I would become once I landed.
Wonder and dread warred inside me as I tumbled through the void.
Because I knew—
Whatever was waiting for me in 16th-century Italy…
It would change my life forever.