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Reika glanced up at the old-fashioned lightbulb with the bright filament and then away, the shape still highlighted in her vision for a few seconds.
Time-wielders were only in the stories.
Weren't they?
And yet, as she looked around the room again, there were no electrical outlets, no TV, not even an alarm clock or a radio. Just the one lightbulb overhead.
Add in the strange clothing and the doctor's medical bag, and Reika wondered if maybe she'd died after all and woken up in some strange in-between place. That would make more sense than ending up in the past.
Yesenia took her hand and squeezed. The action brought her back to the moment. "Listen, I know this is a lot of stuff to take in, and once it's light outside, maybe glancing out the window and seeing Victorian London will make it all the more real. But for now, can you just tell me your name?"
Wanting any sort of distraction, she whispered, "Reika."
"Ray-kah. I don't think I've heard that one before, but it's such a pretty name."
The comment was so normal; people always mentioned it was new to them. Reika seized on normal, needing something to keep her from thinking she was either crazy or dead. "It means beautiful flower."
Yesenia nodded. "Better than mine." She scrunched her nose. "Yesenia means palm tree."
The other female snorted and despite everything, Reika nearly smiled. Then she glanced back at the strange light bulb and blurted, "Is this really the past?"
"Yeah, I'm afraid so. It's totally my fault you're here, by the way. So if you're going to hate anyone, let it be me and no one else."
She met Yesenia's brown-eyed gaze again. "If it's true—and I still don't quite believe it—why me? You mentioned a fated one, but fae witches don't have them."
Or half fae witch in her case, but that didn't change the fact.
"Ah, but that's where things get complicated. My brother and I are fae witches, but this is the vampire's territory in London." She paused and added, "You're the fated bride of a half vampire and half shifter named Stone Riley. But you won't have to meet him until you're ready, of course. Although you couldn't ask for a better person to look out for you in a new place. He's like a secret service agent to the max, but a sort of movie star one. He's silent but sexy."
Reika had barely frowned at that comment when River returned with a tray. After a glance at her, he raised an eyebrow. "Dropped the truth early, didn't you, Senia?"
Yesenia stuck out her tongue at her brother and Reika thought maybe they wouldn't be murdering her, or selling her, or carving her up for body parts after all.
Maybe.
Focus, Reika.Right, she needed to hear what this fae witch had to say about her supposed fated guy, or whatever. "How does this Stone Riley dude know I'm his?"
Yesenia shrugged. "Simple, really—he touched your skin while you were unconscious, and you blooded him. I know, I know, maybe not the best way to go about it, letting random people touch you while passed out. But I'm still new at this and will try to do better in the future."
Great. A new time-wielder who didn't really know what she was doing.
Wait, was she now accepting Yesenia had time travel magic?
Rubbing her face with her hands, she tried to gather her thoughts.
Yes, she was half shifter, but her fae witch half was dominant. It meant she didn't have a fated one.
Although if the guy was also half shifter like her, did that change anything? Did those two halves seek out a fated one?
If only she could remember the finer details of her paranormal studies from her school days.
Although if this Stone guy was also part vampire, then she knew his vampire half would be dominant, meaning he definitely had a fated one.
Her.
Or so Yesenia had said.
Maybe if she were back home and discovered something like this, she could be more positive about it. She'd secretly hoped for a fated one like the vampires or shifters. After all, her mom had been her dad's and they'd had a great love story. If not for his death, they'd still be together.
