Page 44 of Kiss Across the Universe
Alannah thought of the strange objects on the bed in the hotel room. The language he had used. “I think he’s from the future,” she admitted.
Kit stared at her for a long moment. “Because this is the past for future travelers,” he said slowly. “It’s…this is a whole new level of complication.”
“Not really. It’s just the same thing, from a different subjective point in time.”
“I meant…this is why he wants you,” Kit replied. “Iron Grey. I couldn’t figure out why he was pursuing you. But this is why. Because of your…abilities.”
“I’m a jumper,” Alannah said. “That’s what we call ourselves. Or travelers. But that makes me feel pretentious. And you can’t afford to be arrogant when you go back in time. Speaking of which….” She glanced to the north, where the wind and smoke and crackle of fire was coming from. “I’ll take you back, then I’ll disappear.”
“Into time?” Kit asked.
“Yes. Somewhere. Another timeline.” It was a risk, but it was better than letting Iron Grey get hold of her. But if he could track her across the timescape… She wouldn’t tell Kit that. She had a feeling that if she did expose that vulnerability, he would insist on sticking with her.
“What about your parents?” Kit said. “If they’re in Europe, they could come back, help with this.”
“They’re in the past,” Alannah said patiently. “Sorting out a different sort of problem.”
He studied her. Lookedthroughher. “It’s a whole different mindset, a completely different way of thinking…” he muttered to himself. He got to his feet. Finally. “If Iron Grey is from the future, then he can time travel. Why does he want you, then?”
“Not everyone is a jumper. He might have come back here with a jumper,” Alannah replied. She was hazy about how Nyara’s people used time. “He could have paid for a trip, then abandoned his traveler.”
“Time travel iscommercializedin the future?”
Alannah shook her head. “I don’t know for sure. Nyara and her people don’t talk about what it’s like where they’re from, because they don’t want to change time back here if they reveal too much. But they have paid travelers.”
“Nyara is from the future.” Kit blew out his breath. “Okay…”
She was handing out shocks that would have sent anyone else staggering, but he was taking it all onboard with barely a quiver. His stoicism was mind-blowing.
He frowned. “Iron Grey is from the future. He found you back here. Targeted you. Couldn’t he target you no matter which universe you’re in?”
“You picked that up? Multiverses? I didn’t even use the word.”
“You said timelines, plural. And I’ve studied physics. It makes sense.” Kit waved the topic aside. “Can he find you anywhere you are?”
“Possibly,” Alannah admitted.
“What if you jump to where Veris…your parents are? Can you do that?”
“Technically, sure, I could jump there. If I’m supposed to, there’ll be a bookmark I can find. But you don’t understand. Fifth century Britian and me on my own…it’d take two microseconds for me to get into trouble. My appearance…” She touched her hair. “I’d look like a local, but I wouldn’t sound like one or behave like one and that would make people suspicious and wary. And some of them might decide that I’m open season, if I’m a stranger. It’s way,waytoo risky.”
Kit considered her. “You do look like a Celt,” he agreed. “But how do you know that?”
She blinked, astonished. “How doyouknow that?”
“I don’t read fiction. I read non-fiction. A lot of it. Most of it history.” He shrugged.
Oh. She touched her hair again. “I know I look like a sixth century Celt because that’s whereAthar…Brody…that’s where he’s from.” She hesitated. “Only, I’m taller than most women back there because Taylor is tall, and I had all the advantages of being raised inthiscentury.”
“Decent food, warm shelter, lack of danger,” Kit murmured. “Good food alone would make a big difference.”
“Exactly.” His knowledge of history was making this much easier. Only, the sound of the fire was growing louder and the smoke thicker. “Let’s go,” she said flatly, moving toward him.
“Can you take us a year ahead?” Kit asked. “Not back to our time?”
“Why not back to our time?”
“Iron Grey. He’ll reacquire you as soon as we go back.”
