Page 35 of The Devouring Time

Adrian nods. “But what is it? And why are they doing it?” He scribbles down the questions. “What else?”

“I was apparently involved in the cult during the period I can’t remember.”

“It sounds as though you were more than involved—you were calling at least some of the shots.” Adrian peers closely at me. “And you don’t recall any of this?”

“I swear to you, none of it is familiar.” My shoulders slump. “None of it even sounds like something I’d do. I’ve spent the years since the war keeping to myself for the most part, and now I’m running a-a cult?” A horrible thought seizes me. “Did I order them to kill James?”

I desperately want reassurance, but he only sighs. “Let’s hope not. So there’s a Timekeeper cult, and whatever group Irvin belonged to. Which apparently teaches its members how to transform into horrifying monsters.”

“After calling me an abomination, which seems rather hypocritical.”

“People are…complicated,” Adrian says ruefully. “It seems likely Irvin’s group are the ones who’ve been trying to kill you. Do we know anything else about them?”

“Not that I can think of.” I rub my hand over my face in frustration. “What else?”

Between the two of us, we come up with a list of everything we know, or at least think we know, even if we don’t understand why or how anything connects. In addition to speculation about the Timekeepers and Irvin’s group, it reads:

Key of Mithras—what’s in it? Who has it now?

Sterling awoke with a newspaper with date circled—knew he would have amnesia? Drug wore off?

Stolen painting of Aion in Hart’s possession.

Something being stored in Hart’s Leap basement. Liquor?

All books removed from Hart’s Leap and Sterling’s apartment.

Sterling posed as James when writing to Dr. Dane at Widdershins University.

Sterling can do magic now. Snowstorm and fire suppression. Implications?

Gabrielli said Sterling isn’t ‘him’—what did he mean by that?

Irvin’s group willing to murder innocent bystanders to get to Sterling.

Cannibal family—involved? Seems unlikely, but can’t entirely rule out.

We both stare at the list when we’re done. It reads like the ravings of a pair of lunatics.

“All right,” Adrian says at last. “I have a couple of thoughts on where to go from here. I mentioned back at Hart’s Leap that I have a contact who might recognize the Timekeeper symbol. Dr. Werner is a professor of religious studies at NYU. We can find out if he’s available for a meeting.”

“Good idea. Perhaps something will jog my memory, especially as it seems I was in this Timekeeper cult.”

Adrian studies me thoughtfully. “This must be very disturbing for you.”

“To say the least.” I grip my knees hard. “It’s not just having no idea what happened to me, but not knowing what I might have done.” If I ordered James’s death, killed another man over a book, oversaw the distribution of some terrible concoction that turned drinkers into automatons awaiting someone else’s commands…

Then I was a monster. Am a monster, somewhere deep inside.

Adrian’s expression softens. “I’ll place the call to NYU right away.”

25

I retire to the covered couch. The lingering excitement from the firebomb, the creature, our flight from Cleo’s Clam House, has finally drained away, and I find myself unable to keep my eyes open. I drift for a bit, Adrian’s warm voice wandering in and out of my consciousness as he speaks on the phone, until he gently shakes me.

I blink rapidly and sit up. “Did you reach Dr. Werner?”

“I did. He’s going to dinner, then has an evening lecture. But we can meet him after, at nine o’clock in his office in the Main Building off Washington Square.” He pats my knee. “I’m going to call the hospital to check on George, maybe make a couple of other calls while I’m at it. Why don’t you go wash up?”