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“What do you mean in here?” He glanced around, even turning in a circle. Everything was blurred and very still beyond the blur. He saw realm-folk on the cobbled sidewalks as though frozen mid-stride. The owner of a small grocery store stood in the open doorway. He wore an old-fashioned white apron. But he didn’t move either.
Rez knew him, of course. He knew all the villagers on the street.
“I don’t get it. And why don’t the Invictus advance?”
“Because we’re in the time-path. It’s a way of circumventing time, though we can’t stay here indefinitely.”
Holly’s eyes were bright with adrenaline. If he was to understand what was going on, he needed answers. He took hold of her arm just above the elbow and pivoted her to face him. “Talk to me. You mentioned it when you spoke of my mother. What is time-pathing? And where are we exactly?”
“We’re in a state of time-flow called the continuum. We’ve gotten here through my realm vibration that Vojalie has said is called time-pathing.”
“Vojalie. Right. Exactly how is she involved?”
“She’s been training me and several others. Emily can time-path. You’ve probably heard
the rumors about what she can do.”
Holly was right, but he hadn’t given them much thought. Emily was a blood rose as well and was bonded to his neighbor and friend, Mastyr Devyn. Devyn had remained with the Tannisford Guard.
“This is how I spoke with your mother. While in your kitchen, I felt called to the past. So, I went with my fae instincts. In the same way, as soon as you left the house, I knew you were in danger.”
He was still stunned by her revelations of past events and future premonitions. But if this was the how of it, his current situation began to make sense. “I didn’t believe the rumor about Emily. I truly thought time-pathing was a myth.”
She smiled, her lips twisting. “Like being a blood rose?”
“Point taken.”
“Here’s the deal, Rez. I don’t know why, but just a few seconds before you went outside, I began to experience a warning about the Invictus. My fae senses were shouting at me. That’s why I called after you and knocked you down.”
He glanced toward the street once more. “So, if we stayed here, in the continuum, what would happen?”
“We can’t remain here very long, if that’s what you’re getting at. Ten minutes creates a terrible pressure on the realm body. Vojalie had me do it once so I would understand the problem. I suffered a kind of paralytic lethargy afterward. I couldn’t move when I returned to the present.”
“You were vulnerable then.”
“Extremely.”
He watched her gaze shift erratically. He waited for her to continue.
“The thing is, I’ve never done this before. I’ve never taken someone in and out of the time-path like this. Vojalie said it’s rare to be able to do it. I’m not sure how to keep this going or what to do next?”
He stared at her. “You’re still a novice, is that it?”
“Very much so. But Vojalie has pushed all of us hard. I think she knew this was coming.”
“What exactly did she think was coming?”
She gestured with her hand, waving it back and forth between them. “This. The need for some of us, like Emily and Devyn, to work together against this latest form of wraith-pairing. At least for a time.”
He supposed that made sense, but the whole thing seemed so strange. On the other hand, if what she said was true, they should limit their time in the continuum.
He glanced in the direction of the Invictus. “One thing is clear. I need to take care of the enemy right now.”
“I agree. But don’t use your battle energy while time-pathing. Vojalie isn’t sure, but she either thinks we could disrupt time or we’d end up killing ourselves.”
“Got it.”
“Rez?”
