To her surprise, he nodded slowly and solemnly. “Zani, I believe you.”
From that moment onward, Papa Lathrop and Flora became her co-conspirators. They would meet in the library during Flora’s night shifts, poring over ancient texts on dimensional magic.
“There must be a way to send a message forward,” Flora said one night. She handed Zani a small plate of oddly shaped dumplings she’d pilfered from the kitchen rejects.
“I’ve tried several things, but my wards make it difficult,” Zani explained. “I’ve set up some rather complex protective enchantments to prevent timeline contamination.”
“Such a clever witch,” Papa Lathrop murmured. “You’ve thought of everything.”
“Except how to get home without a porter,” Zani said bitterly.
The nights of research continued without breakthrough. As weeks stretched into another month, Zani finally accepted that she might have to spend the rest of her life in the past.
One evening, after another fruitless session, Flora walked Zani back to her quarters. The mouse shifter had become a loyal friend, bringing small comforts and unwavering optimism. Zani wasn’t sure how she could ever repay this kindness, but she wanted to give Flora something. Something meaningful.
“Please take this,” Zani said impulsively, unclasping the small golden butterfly charm from around her own neck. “I want you to have it, as a thanks for everything. It should make your travels easy and bring you luck.”
Flora’s eyes widened as she accepted the delicate piece. “It’s so beautiful.” She traced the intricate wings. “I don’t know what travels I’ve got to look forward to. Although Lionel and I have wondered…” her voice trailed off. “Anyway, I’ve always loved butterflies, particularly the way they gather to harvest earth magic. Have you ever witnessed mud puddling?”
“Mud puddling?” Zani asked, once again feeling the tingle of synchronicity.
“Oh, yes, I should love to be a butterfly fluttering at a mud puddle!” Flora sang out, making it sound like the most spectacular kind of party. She fastened the charm onto the chain around her neck and threw her arms around Zani. “Thank you, my dear friend. I will treasure this forever.”
* * *
Two days later,Zani was rearranging the flowers in a vase in one of the lesser halls. She was killing time, waiting to deliver a note to Papa Lathrop.
Suddenly, she felt her Pair Tag grow warm. The air in the hall seemed to shiver and pop. Her heart jumped as a familiar sensation washed over her—the unmistakable distortion of a temporal disruption.
She abandoned her task and ran toward the source, ignoring the startled exclamations of passing courtiers. Finally, rounding a corner into an empty corridor, she found him.
Zani blinked her eyes, almost unable to believe what they were telling her.
Will Porter looked messy, and his costume wasn’t quite right, but he felt wonderfully real. Behind him was an older man, dressed much more convincingly. Zani suspected Will had loaned the cloak to him.
“Will!” Zani couldn’t stop herself. She rushed forward and flung her arms around him, nearly bowling him over.
Will staggered slightly, but held her tight. His eyes filled with tears. “Zani! It’s really you. You’re okay. Thank the stars!”
Something shifted inside her. All those weeks of uncertainty, her fears of being forgotten, evaporated. The conflicted feelings about her growing affections that she’d tried so desperately to ignore were no longer confusing. Perhaps she’d been able to deny her feelings for Will before, when they were both in the present. But there was no denying how happy she was to see him. She thought her heart might crack open with relief at the mere sight of him. They were both in the past. Together again, at last in the same here and now.
He had come back. For her.
Everything crystallized into a single impulse. Zani pulled back just enough to look at his face, then impulsively pressed her lips to his, fervently, ardently, and with complete abandon.
Will froze for half a heartbeat, then kissed her back with unexpected intensity. She loved the feel of his scratchy beard against her face. As she tangled her hands in his hair, she nearly laughed out loud with joy.
“I thought I’d never see you again! How?” she whispered against his cheek, which she found as damp with tears as her own.
The older man cleared his throat loudly. “Perhaps we could continue this reunion somewhere less conspicuous?”
They broke apart immediately, both flushed. Zani led them farther down the hallway to a storage closet that she knew would be empty.
“How did you find me?” she asked once they were safely hidden behind stacks of linen and a rack of empty vases. “I’ve been here for over three months!”
“It’s only been three days for us,” Will explained. “But they were the longest days of my life! I wish we could have come sooner, but finding the exact temporal coordinates in your time was nearly impossible. I couldn’t have done it without Burnside’s help. Burnside is the porter I told you about.” Will looked from his friend to Zani.
“The one who famously lectured about time travel, and got himself blacklisted from the major universities?” Zani smiled admiringly at the older man.
