Page 65 of The Girl Out of Time
The shimmering appeared in the far corner of the bedroom, next to a dressing screen. She let out a victorious cry and ran for it, Theo on her heels. It was only in the split second before contact that she noticed something was off. Beyond the passage was utter darkness, deeper than obsidian. Theo may have yelled for her to wait; she wasn’t sure, because she couldn’t stop her momentum, and she passed through. Her lungs seized from the frigid air, and she flailed around as her feet found no ground.
A hand pulled her back, and she slammed into Theo.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She took a large inhale of air, then coughed as the smoke tickled her throat. “Not through there,” she choked out. She frantically scanned the room, from the ominous glow behind the door, to the open balcony.Nomore time.And she needed time if she wanted to open another passage. Unless she risked her other trigger …
The balcony offered a stunning view of the ocean. They were far above: a hundred feet, if not more. She grabbed Theo’s hand and led him to the balcony. In the floors below them, flames licked through the windows like prisoners, yearning to break free. To the right, glass shattered, and smoke rolled over the walls, disappearing into the night. She clutched Theo tighter. “We have to jump.”
“But it’s much too—” His eyes widened. “The jump.”
“I saved us last time, didn’t I?” Her voice shook.
It was the only other option. Jump and hope that flight and fright triggered another passage. A safe one.
Theo glanced back at the door, his face contorting as if he was sorry to leave. Yet, he nodded. He sat on the balustrade and swung his legs over, one by one, then offered her a hand to do the same. With shaking limbs, she followed.
“It’s a shame,” he said, his complexion ashen. “It really is a lovely view.”
She wrapped her fingers around his wrist, his skin warm against her clammy hand. Her heart beat fast against her ribs; if she had a heart attack, would that be enough of an emotional upset?
“Ready?” she asked.
“Wait.” He turned toward her. “How much of an emotional surge do you need to open the passage?”
“I don’t know. As much as possible.”
“All right.” Before she could ask why he needed to know that, he leaned over, kissed her—and threw them off the balcony.
A tornado of feelings swirled around her as she fell. Theo’s lips on hers, anchoring her to him, to safety, to something she couldn’t name, but shecould feel it, in her bones, in her blood, in the very air in her lungs. The shock of the fall, the absolute dread of the sharp rocks waiting below—and then, with Theo’s hand on her cheek, peace.
All would be well.
The smell of freshly trampled grass filled her nostrils as she fell and kept rolling down the hill, blades of grass cutting her face, her body aching from the hard landing, until she finally stopped.
For long moments, she simply lay there, gazing at the bright blue sky with wispy white clouds, breathing in the clean air.
From beside her, Theo groaned, rising into a sitting position. Smudges of green and brown ran along his sleeves, and his hair was sprinkled with remnants of grass and fluff.
She stared at him, and then they both burst into a relieved laugh.
“We’re alive,” she said.
“You did it.”
“I need to work on my landings.”
“I don’t care.” He rose and helped her to her feet. “As long as you land us back here.”
She shook the grass off her clothes, but her skirt was smudged, as well. “I’m going to hear it from the duchess for this.”
“At least she has servants to turn over the cleaning to.” He brushed a bit of dirt off his shoulder, then made a motion as if to reach for her hair—did she have something in it?—but stopped as their eyes met.
He kissed me.
“I …” He blinked. “I’m glad it worked. We should get back.”
Emmeline gaped like a stranded fish, but Theo took to walking as if there was nothing else to be said.
