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I look out to the orchard.
Hannah and I are under our apple tree while the wedding party has a fruit picking contest. The reception will start soon, but no one seems to care about that.
Faith, being the competitor that she is, has one of her bridesmaids holding her dress up around her thighs as she stands on a ladder to reach some apples no one else can get.
Cody—fifteen years old now—stands with his clipboard in hand, acting as referee as he keeps score and makes sure no one is cheating. While that kid and I got off to a rocky start in the other universe, in this world, he and I are buddies. He’s taught me so much about technology, which I desperately need help with.
He starts flagging Faith for skirting the rules when she tosses a few of her apples to Chase to help him out with his lacking loot, and everyone laughs at the bride for thinking she could get away with it with Cody on watch.
“I guess you’re right,” Hannah agrees. “Faith loves Chase.”
I toy with a lock of her hair. “You know, I have a theory.”
“What’s that?”
“There are soul mates in the human realm. Maybe it’s not the magical connection we’ve experienced, but still. There’s a feeling when two people are meant to be together. And those two? They’re it, Hannah.”
“You really think so?” Her question holds a hint of doubt, but I’m positive.
“I do,” I state. “So, to get to my theory… Faith in your original world was selfish and backstabbing because her soul mate was somewhere else. Because of the bargain, she’d been robbed of him. She felt his absence, and she was trying to find something, anything, that felt right, even if that meant taking everything from you. The whole time, she was just missing a shadow she couldn’t see.”
“There you go with the shadow talk again.”
She rolls her eyes because she likes to give me crap about how often I credit parallel realities for déjà vu or hair-raising feelings, but she knows I’m right.
“That’s kind of sad, though,” she muses. “Because that means in the other universe, Faith will never have the person she’s supposed to be with, and she’ll always sense it.”
“Yes. That is tragic. That’s why it’s best not to make or break bargains. Too many people learned that lesson the hard way.”
I think of Ellister Number Two. How alone he is. By now, we’re almost a year past the date when he first met Hannah. Wherever he is, he’s been suffering from the loss of his soul mate. He got a taste of true love, only to have it ripped away days later. Then to be sent back to the Lost Land… I thought it was hell before. Adding unescapable grief would be unbearable.
Suddenly, there’s a quick, unnatural burst of air. The breeze ruffles my hair and Hannah’s, and she immediately straightens her spine.
I was just reminiscing about Number Two. I try to tell myself that’s all it is—I’m imagining things because he was on my mind.
Surely, he’s not here.
Hannah looks behind us.
Focusing on some spot over my shoulder, her jaw drops, and the pink drains from her cheeks.
Fuck.
I don’t need to turn around to know who she’s looking at, but I do it anyway.
There, hiding in a bush about fifty feet away, is my other self. He’s peeking out at us, his pale eyes zeroed in on Hannah.
On instinct, my hand goes to my shoe where I used to keep my dagger, but I’m not wearing my boots. I’m in human formal attire, complete with a black suit jacket and tie. Definitely not dressed for battle.
However, I do have a pocketknife that I keep on me out of habit. The blades are good for peeling apples for hungry little girls. It’s not going to do much damage in a fight, especially to someone who can suck me through a vortex before I can even pull out the knife, but it’s better than no defenses at all.
Before I can dig it out of my pocket, Ellister Number Two holds out a hand in a show of peace, then he gestures us over.
Hannah and I look at each other as a wordless debate passes between us.
She gives me curious eyes, and I have to admit I’d like to find out what the hell is going on. Why would he visit us now? Is he here to give us another warning?
When it comes down to it, we really don’t have a choice in the matter. Number Two could use his powers against me. Against our family.
