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105
The sight of Elodie handling the tool I’ll need to rely on to direct me back to the portal on time is enough to make my heart skip three beats before stopping completely.
“What’re you doing?” I cry, wishing I’d taken a moment to collect myself before I opened my mouth and basically announced how nervous this makes me. But now that it’s out there, it’s not like I can reel it back in.
“Keane is showing me how to program one of these. I’ve always been so curious, and he’s letting me act as his intern today.”
Elodie’s gaze locks on mine, and my vision blurs until all I can see is the image of her inside the portal with Jago—the taunting slant of her lips as she watched me run toward her, the way her fingers toyed with the clicker that could’ve left me trapped in the past forever.
“You didn’t sabotage it, did you?”
She rolls her eyes and hands the mask to Keane so he can go about fitting me. “Why on earth would you think such a thing?” She’s trying for an air of childlike innocence, but it’s not a good fit.
“This is your first solo, so let’s go over a few things.” Keane stands back to inspect me. “You’ve got your talisman?”
I tap a finger to the charm at my neck.
“You’ve got your list of Gets?”
I nod in response.
“Then here’s your clicker.” He hands me a beautiful white gold and sapphire ring I slide onto my finger. When he instructs me to tap the gem, I notice how the stone gives ever so slightly as it glows from within. “That’s only if you need to get out of there early. And it works only when you’re standing inside the portal, so don’t worry about accidentally clicking it and getting locked out.”
I nod again.
“Okay then,” he says. “Have a good Trip. And Natasha…” He pauses as though there’s something more he wants to add, but in the end, he settles for, “Bonne chance!”
The last thing I see before launch is the curl of Elodie’s lips tipping up at the sides, and the murky glint in her eyes as she waves goodbye.
