The Edge of Forever (34 page)

I start to smile, but it melts away as my last memories of them surface. Mom and Dad arguing. Dad saying we need to leave with him. Mom sending him away.

Later that night, some people from the DTA showed up. Mom ordered me to my bedroom. I was crying. Then I heard Mom yell, “Please, don’t!” She had warned me not to come out, but I had to know what was wrong. I rushed to the living room and saw a blonde woman and two men. Mom was lying in a pool of blood.

I screamed at the same time Dad materialized behind me. He pulled me back into my room and locked us inside. “Do you have your Jewill?” he asked.

I reached up to my neck, touching it under my shirt. He just gave it to me a few days before. He told me not to tell Mom about it.

Dad kneeled and looked me directly in my eyes. “Alora, this is very important. We have to go.”

“But, Mommy . . .”

“Close your eyes.” He took both of my hands in his. “And whatever you do, don’t let go. Do you understand?”

I couldn’t stop shaking, but I nodded.

The next thing I knew, we were standing on the edge of a river at night. The heat was suffocating. He told me how much loved me and he needed to get Mom, but he had to leave me for a little while. I was going to stay with his sister—a sister I didn’t know he had.

I shake my head, fully understanding what happened. Even though my shifting abilities hadn’t emerged yet, Dad was still able to take me to 2003 because I was born with the time-bending gene. But Dad wasn’t supposed to leave me with Aunt Grace this long. He was going to save Mom and bring her to this time. The perfect way to escape the DTA.

“What happened to my father?” I ask.

The girl’s mouth curls into a cruel smile. “My mother made him pay for what he did.”

I want to claw her eyes out. I’d give anything to hurt her, show her what it feels like to have your life ripped away from you.

From out of nowhere, a deep voice commands, “Put the gun down.”

50

BRIDGER

JULY 4, 2013

A
fter I erase Mr. Palmer’s last memories, leaving him unconscious, I race out of the inn. Lights flash behind me. I twist around in time to see headlights bouncing as a white auto speeds down the driveway.

Grace is here.

The knot in my stomach grows tighter. She’s going to find Mr. Palmer inside and wild out. Then she’ll summon the authorities.

I can’t deal with that. Alora is going to die soon. How can I keep her alive without changing history? Her death is on record. The only possible way I could save her without destroying the timeline is to somehow make everybody think she died tonight. But how can I do that when there won’t be a body?

The smell of smoke fills the forest. My nails bite into my palms. It’s just another reminder of Alora’s impending death.

Voices greet me as I near the river. A familiar female’s voice and Dad’s. It sounds like they’re arguing. A new wave of adrenaline explodes through my body. I run faster.

I stop before I reach the clearing by the river. Dad taught me never to rush into anything blind. I peer through the trees. Three figures are illuminated by the fireworks. Dad is standing a few feet away from two girls. Both of them with blonde hair. One looks terrified, hugging her arms against her chest. The other yells at Dad, pointing a weapon at the first girl.

I feel like someone blasted me with a stunner.

The girl with the weapon is Vika.

She’s alive.

I sway a little. How is that possible, unless she shifted here before her death? But why didn’t she tell me about it?

Behind me, footsteps close in on my position. “Alora!” Grace screams. “Where are you?”

Damn. She must have seen our footsteps on the dirt path leading to the forest. I’ve got to stop her before she ruins everything. Before she passes me, I deactivate my cloak and leap in front of her.

She starts to scream. I throw my hand over her mouth and whisper, “Be quiet. Alora’s in danger.”

Grace’s eyes are huge. When I lower my hand, she says, “What’s going on? I’ve been looking for her for hours.”

I wish there was a way to make Grace go back. I think about taking the Mind Redeemer out and erasing her memories from the past few hours. Before I can, the voices behind me rise again. Grace’s eyes shift from my face to behind me. Her mouth forms an O. “Holy Mother of God. They look so alike.”

I turn around. While I was busy trying to stop Grace, Dad moved closer to Alora and Vika.

Vika points her weapon at Dad. “I don’t want to hurt you. I’m only here to make sure Alora dies.”

Raw fear pierces my heart. Why would Vika want to do that?

“You don’t have to do that, Vika,” Dad says in a soothing voice. “She’s not supposed to be here. She needs to go back to our time.”

Grace tries to pass me, but I hold her back. “Wait,” I hiss. “That’s my father out there.”

“And that’s my niece. I have to help her.”

Another round of fireworks blasts at the same time. It casts everyone in a faint greenish glow for a moment. Vika pretends to think, tapping her chin. “You should know better. There’s an obituary for Alora. She
has
to die.”

“What does she mean?” Grace asks in a high-pitched voice.

“Nobody is going to die.” I stare hard at Grace. “That’s why I’m here.”

But apparently Grace doesn’t believe me. She kicks me. Pain rips up my leg and I bend over, letting go of her.

Which I should’ve never done because Grace brushes past me and bursts out of the forest.

Immediately, a shot rings out.

Grace crumples to the ground.

51

ALORA

JULY 4, 2013

M
y legs nearly buckle. I scream and try to run to Aunt Grace, but the crazy girl—Vika—says, “Don’t move or you’re next.”

I want to tear her heart out, like she’s done to me. All I can do is watch as Aunt Grace curls her legs close to her body.

“See,” Vika yells to the man. “You made me do that! She wasn’t supposed to get hurt!”

“If you’d put the gun down nobody would get hurt,” he says.

I can’t take my eyes off Aunt Grace. “Please, let me check on her.”

Vika seems unsure. She’s breathing hard. “Fine. But don’t try anything or I’ll kill you right now.”

I run over to Aunt Grace and kneel by her. She’s clutching her right shoulder. “Can you hear me?”

Her eyes flutter open and she moans. “Yes.”

“Let me look at it.”

Aunt Grace’s fingers shake as she lets go of her shoulder. The metallic smell of fresh blood hits me. I try not to gag as I inspect the shot. It doesn’t look life threatening.

“How is she?” Vika asks.

“She needs to see a doctor.”

I want to slap Vika when she says, “It’ll have to wait.”

She turns her attention back to the man. “Now, the best thing for you to do is leave. None of this concerns you.”

“I can’t do that,” he says.

“This is interesting. My mother has given me access to a lot of info, and yet there’s one thing I still don’t know.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re supposed to die, too, Mr. Creed. What I don’t know is
how
it will happen.” She tilts her head to the side. “I wonder if I’m supposed to do it.”

Terror pools in my stomach. She said Mr. Creed. As in Bridger’s father? How could she be so cold?

Vika straightens her spine like she’s preparing to fire.

“You don’t have to do that,” the man says in a disbelieving voice.

“Oh, but I think I do,” Vika answers.

Another voice penetrates the tense atmosphere. “Put that gun down. Now.”

My heads whips around, searching for the source. Immediately I sag in relief.

It’s Bridger.

52

BRIDGER

JULY 4, 2013

M
y body is shaking as I emerge from the shadows. This is not the Vika I know. Vika was always stubborn, but she was rational. She was kind. She was gentle. She’d never threaten to kill anyone, especially my father. She always admired him.

This girl is none of those things. She’s not my Vika.

Dad twists around, looking shocked. “Get back, Bridger!”

Vika looks equally shocked. “What are you doing here?”

I can’t look at Alora and Grace as I pass them. I have to focus on getting Vika to put the gun down. When I reach Dad I fight the impulse to throw him behind me. “Please,” I begin, glancing from Dad to Vika. “Let everybody go. I don’t know what’s going on, but we can shift back to our own time and sort things out there.”

“I can’t do that,” Vika says.

“Why not? Who says anybody has to die?”

“You don’t understand. All I’m trying to do is make sure things happen as they’re supposed to happen. You can’t go messing with the past, Bridger.”

“Isn’t that what you’re doing? Who says Alora has to die? If anything, it looks like it’s going to happen
because
of your interference.”

For a moment, I think I’ve gotten to her. She flinches as if my words are physical blows. Then she shakes her head. “That’s not true. Her death is a part of history. If I hadn’t interfered, that man at the inn would’ve done it. He abducted her this afternoon, not me.”

I think of Mr. Palmer, unconscious back at the inn. Son of a bitch, it
was
him. But why would Vika save Alora just to turn around and kill her later? She’s acting unstable. Crazy.

Like a clone.

The air rushes from my lungs as the final piece of the puzzle clicks in place. Vika
did
die. Just like Nate Walker died, then somehow reappeared, alive, over a century after his own death.

Someone has been illegally cloning Time Benders.

The image of Vika lying on the ground at the Foster Assassination flashes in my mind. I remember the cloaked Time Bender standing over her—the Unknown who could have been from our future. That person must have taken a sample of her DNA and extracted her consciousness.

And now all that’s left is a shell of her.

Suddenly I want to punch something. I know Colonel Fairbanks and General Anderson have to be behind this. But for what reason?

“Bridger,” Dad says. He’s staring straight at Vika, as if he’s steeling himself to do something. My blood turns to ice as he says, “Get Alora out of here.”

53

ALORA

JULY 4, 2013

B
ridger’s father whispers something to him. Bridger shakes his head as if to say
no
.

The gun swings from Bridger to his father, and I realize this is my chance. If I can make myself appear behind Vika, I might be able to get the gun away from her.

I close my eyes and wish harder than I ever have before, concentrating on the area just behind Vika.

Please
work.

When I open my eyes again, I’m there—behind her.

But I’m too late.

54

BRIDGER

JULY 4, 2013

V
ika’s attention shifts from Dad and me to where Alora is sitting by Grace. “Where is she?”

Alora isn’t there anymore.

“Where did she go?” Vika yells, looking all around.

Alora materializes a few feet behind Vika. I almost allow myself to feel relief. Until Dad lunges toward Vika.

And Vika sees Dad coming.

In that very moment, I realize Alora is the reason Dad will die. I should stop him. Try to tackle him or something. But I don’t. Something Dad told me once rings in my ears.

Everything happens for a reason
.

Those few words make me stay still. A part of me dies as Vika fires the gun.

This time hitting my father.

55

ALORA

JULY 4, 2013

I
’m too late. Mr. Creed flies back and falls to the ground. Bridger stares at him, frozen.

So I take the chance to subdue the psycho. I charge and slam into her back. We tumble to the ground, and I dig my fingers into her arms.

She twists away and kicks at me, knocking me in my stomach. An explosion of pain rips through me, but I keep fighting. My fists swing and connect with her face and chest.

Vika’s weight suddenly disappears. She’s gone. I sit up and ask, “Where is she?”

Bridger breaks out of his numbness long enough to grab the gun that’s lying a few feet from me. “Do you see her?” he asks in a hollow voice.

“No,” I say, my head twisting in every direction.

Suddenly Bridger’s mouth drops open and his arm snaps up. He’s pointing the gun in my direction. Before I can move, he fires.

The sound is deafening, even louder than the fireworks overhead.

Then I turn around. Vika is lying on the ground with a perfect circle in her forehead, her lifeless eyes fixated on me.

56

BRIDGER

JULY 4, 2013

H
e’s dead. He’s dead. He’s dead
.

Those words echo in my mind as I study Dad’s still form. I can’t believe I did nothing to stop this. I’m a furing idiot.

It feels like everything is moving in slow motion as I walk over to him. It’s like I’m here and not here. I’m numb. I might as well be a Null.

Before I can reach his body, a shimmer appears next to him. My comm-set searches through different cloaking frequencies. This one doesn’t register.

It has to be a Time Bender from my future. The ones we’re supposed to stay away from.

The shimmer hovers around Dad.

“What’s wrong?” Alora asks. She’s still sitting where she fought with Vika, as if she can’t move.

“Someone’s here with us,” I say, keeping my eyes on Dad’s body. I want to move closer, but something tells me stay put.

Alora jumps up and backs away. “What do they want?”

“I don’t know.”

All I know is that I let my father die. I could shift back and try to save him again, but I don’t. That could create a paradox. I can’t change what’s part of my history. By all rights, Alora should be dead too. But Dad wanted to save her. She needs to return to her own time. I have to honor that even though I’m dying inside.

The shimmer moves to Vika’s body and stays for a little while before vanishing.

“Whoever it is just left,” I say.

Alora rushes over to Grace and checks on her.