Chapter 12

PRUE

I stir, it's early, but my body's already waking up, the deep sleep I was in fading. I don't want to move; the temperature dropped significantly overnight, but I'm warm under the duvet. I think back to the night at the sex club and the bar where Cole and Marissa were, and it hadn't been as cold. Granted, I'd been walking for hours and running on pure adrenaline.

I shift once more, then can't take it anymore, my brain firing on all cylinders. The insanity of the past couple of days prances through me. We'd devoured the pizzas last night and collectively agreed to go to bed. The dinner had been easy, not one bit of uncomfortableness between us. I mostly listened to Emmett and Grayson argue and just appreciated that Grayson could make a decent pizza, regardless of the over-kneaded dough.

Slipping out of the room, I creep to the bathroom. No one else is awake yet. I take the time to shower again and freshen up, this time opting for a pair of jeans, a red top, and a black fleece-lined jacket. Making my way to the kitchen, I find the coffee. The kitchen, has an array of fancy machines that's out of place in this type of cabin. My mind goes to Grayson mentioning that Emmett has a mansion, and a cabin kitted out with all the fancy equipment seems appropriate.

I pour a cup of coffee from the pot once it's finished brewing: two sugars, no milk. As soon as I hold the cup, the heat seeps into my hands.

"Morning." A gruff voice comes from behind me.

"Hey, Emmett," I reply awkwardly. "Coffee?"

He nods and moves around me to pour a cup, adding three sugars and cream. Evidently, he likes it sweet.

"You sleep, okay?" he asks.

"Perfectly," I reply, not sure what else to say.

"How does one sleep perfectly?"

I don't have an answer for him, and I'm thinking of something to say when Grayson appears. He doesn't greet either of us and goes straight for the coffee. He pours it black, no sugar, no milk. Typical. He stands next to me.

Emmett has moved to the couch, but Grayson doesn't budge.

"You ready?" he finally says to me.

I glance at him. "No," I answer honestly, because I'm never ready for anything I need to do, for anything he wants me to do. The weight of responsibility sits heavy on my shoulders. "What's the plan?"

"We're going to start training today." He takes a sip of coffee, inching ever so closer to me, his fingers grazing the top of my hand. The coldness that follows his touch is oddly comforting and familiar. "But before that, we owe you some answers."

My chin shoots up at that, and he catches my gaze. There's no pretense behind his words, and my stomach twists. I have a million things to ask, a million things I want to know. He nudges his head toward the couch and pushes off the counter. I follow, trailing him like I'm walking into a trap.

He settles on the single-seater couch, Emmett already lounging on the two-seater. I stare at them both before sitting next to Emmett. Something about their sudden desire to talk sets off alarm bells in my mind, making me question their true motives.

Emmett shifts to make more space for me. Grayson's jaw ticks as I sit next to his friend.

"Why are you willing to answer my questions?" I ask, suspicion coloring my voice.

Grayson's jaw ticks again, and he rubs it with his thumb. "I told you I'd answer your questions," he says and leans back in his chair.

To his credit, he did say that, but I have this inkling that there's a bit more to it than that. I glance at Emmett, who gives off an air like nothing short of a nuclear explosion could bother him right now. I readjust myself on the couch, considering all the questions I have. Why are the colors and tastes so different in this world? Who are Marissa and Cole exactly? Why's Emmett here? How do I put everything back together? How quickly can I get this done? My mind spins, and the questions flow like a tidal wave. How do I get back? Why is it cold here?

But then I stop. There's only one pressing question.

"What happened to the time streams?" I ask.

The silence in the room is deafening. Neither of the guys jump to answer. I've hit the nail on the head. Everything that has occurred, everything that will occur is because of the destruction of the link between the earths.

I'm here because Grayson's world unraveled, and mine's about to, I am here because I am the only Time Witch. Grayson, Emmett, and I are sitting here because of this destruction.

"What happened ?" This time, I lock my gaze on Grayson and stress the question.

He rubs his hand over his eyes, then takes a deep breath. "Time magic," he begins then sips his coffee, "Isn't an exact science. We know the basics. Time Masters can control two dimensions, can manipulate certain elements of time, and jump between time streams. You can do those too, undo and redo time, and all associated events. A faction of Time Masters believes if we destabilize the streams, it could reset the balance and create a way to access the magic you have." He pauses, his eyes darkening with a mix of anger and, oddly, regret.

"Another faction believes they can access other worlds if the streams are destabilized," Emmett says.

"But this destruction," Grayson continues, "Isn't about that. It's about you. It's about gaining the magic you have and the ability to manipulate the very fabric of time as they please. If you disrupt that balance between the steams, your magic may become accessible to all who can potentially tap into it."

"Okay, so someone's crazy enough to destroy everything for power." I chime in. "Sounds like the classic evil villain move."

"Your dad, to be exact," Grayson says softly, and the words take a moment to wash over me. A chill races down my spine, and my face stings like I've been slapped.

"I don't have a dad," I stammer the only logical thing I can think to say.

"Everyone has a dad, Prudence," Grayson replies, and his voice softens.

I don't feel like debating the semantics with Grayson. I huff at Grayson and turn away from him to face Emmett, folding my arms and tilting my head, as I wait. He sighs, placing his coffee cup down.

"Grayson's right. Your dad started the plan to destabilize the streams," Emmett snags my gaze. Again, there's something so familiar about his light green eyes, yet so foreign at the same time. "You don't know him, and he's...no longer alive, but his actions set this all in motion."

My head whirls. Turns out somewhere in the universe I did have parents. Which had to mean they'd abandoned me. I think back to being placed in the foster system, not really understanding what was happening. I was found in a shopping mall wandering around by myself as a toddler. I had always acted like my parents had died, and I'd clung to that thought. They would've collected me if they'd wanted me. That realization kept me going when the coldness of the foster system overtook, and the darkness seeped in.

I want to ask more questions; I open my mouth then shut it when the words get stuck in my throat.

I gaze at Grayson.

"Your mom sent you to your earth to keep you away from your dad when you were a child," Grayson sits beside me, squishing me between him and Emmett and continuing on.

It should be awkward, but I find it oddly comforting.

"Your dad was essentially the leader of the Time Masters, and when you were born, everyone assumed you had no abilities. But your lineage carries those powers. There hasn't been a Time Witch in centuries, and only one exists when they are needed. So, no one suspected you were it. For a couple of years, everything was okay." He nods at Emmett, who picks up the story.

"But when you were about three, you started doing some weird things, and your mom panicked. Your dad wouldn't stand not having all the power. And she worried he would use you and figure out a way to take your abilities. She sent you to your earth and bound your powers so you couldn't accidentally use them until you had to. Years went by, and your dad just let it be, assuming you hadn't survived. Then little anomalies of time magic started popping up that were never strong enough to pinpoint."

"But your dad grew more unstable." Grayson's voice is tight. "In a desperate attempt to reclaim what he believes was his, he set in motion the plan to destroy the streams. He... He didn't live to see it through, but others picked up where he left off."

"Cole," I say, the realization dawning on me. Emmett shifts beside me, his fingers tightening around his coffee mug.

Grayson nods, his gaze flicking to Emmett. "Cole eventually took over, and...well, he managed to pull off what your dad had started. That's what led to the destruction of my world first."

The guys stop talking, and I balk, then I can't help it—a laugh bubbles out of me. I lean forward as another laugh overtakes me.

I shoot up and spin toward them. "This isn't funny," I say as another laugh escapes me. I wipe my eyes. "This is stress." I clutch my stomach and give into the urge

Grayson, Emmett, and I exchange a series of bewildered glances, our eyes darting back and forth like we're caught in some ridiculous dance. The absurdity of the entire situation hits me like a ton of bricks. This is officially too much.

I suck in a breath and pull myself together. "So, let me get this straight, my dad, crazed faction ruler, planned to destroy the time streams to try and gain even more power. He died, but his plan was carried out anyway. Which resulted in your world," I point to Grayson, "being wiped out. You found me and here I am, Time Witch of the century with a universe to fix and enough daddy issues to last me multiple lifetimes? Is that correct?"

"Yes," they say together.

Well, at least we're all on the same page. I let the silence settle over us for a few more seconds then ask the one question burning its way through my head.

"Where's my mom?" The question hangs in the air, but my gut already knows the answer. My chest tightens, and a familiar emptiness settles over me, confirming what I don't want to hear.

"She passed away years ago," Emmett says, and he averts his gaze.

"How?" I ask sharply.

"She got sick and didn't survive." Emmett replies and finally looks back at me.

I'm back to not having parents. No one to try and find, no family, no connection to who I was.

I swallow and sit. I rub my chest. I only want to know one more thing. "What's Marissa's role in all of this?"

Her involvement doesn't quite make sense. She doesn't have access to time magic, so why does she care about any of this?

"Marissa hates that she has no power at all, and we think Cole has convinced her that he can give her access to your magic."

I nod at Grayson. This insanity about people not accepting what they have and choosing to steal instead has really messed with my life.

"Oh, okay, so they both want to destroy me and the universe to gain my powers?"

"Yes," they say in unison.

"And you're here to help us?" I ask, turning to Emmett.

"Yes, he's rather resourceful," Grayson answers for him.

It's a half-answer, but I'll take it for now. "How long do we have?"

"If we're lucky, one month max. Marissa and Cole being here means things are destabilizing quicker than we expected, and they're getting ready on their side. We can only wait so long before you won't be able to undo what's been done. Once it passes a certain point, the universe will take over, and we won't be able to weave the threads back together."

There's an urgency in Grayson's tone. His body tenses, and his shoulders square with the stress.

The weight of everything settles across us all. My dad set this in motion. He's dead. My mom, who tried to protect me, is gone. Cole and Marissa want to see this through, and we have very little time to train me.

"Okay, so why are we sitting around having coffee when we have two people after me and a universe to repair?" I ask, my voice tight with a mix of fear and determination.