Chapter 8

Chapter

Eight

PRUE

T he room goes silent. My pulse hammers in my ears. The blood rushes to my face. I want to ask how she knows my name, but honestly, that's probably the least of my concerns.

I walked into a bar where I'm the main attraction, and Grayson's words, before we hit the ground, finally come back to me. "Prue—ack—Don't—find you." I finally put together what he was saying. Don't let her find you. I'm assuming this is the her, and in typical Prue fashion, she didn't find me, I brought myself to her.

You're a Time Witch. Save the world. Don't get caught. I have officially accomplished zero of those things.

My heart rate escalates even more, and slowly, the same tingling feeling I experienced at my house rushes through me. My magic wants to play, it wants to come out. Carefully, I lift my hands and place them flat on the table in a small attempt to control myself and the power coursing through me.

I can do this. I can get myself out of this. Breathe, Prue.

"Well, if you're going to catch a girl off guard, the least you can do is bring me some water," I finally pipe out.

The blonde smirks. "Don't go anywhere."

"I'm pretty sure that isn't a choice I have." I say carefully.

"Smart girl." She winks at me and leaves.

The surrounding tables are talking again, and my hand goes back to my neck once more. The last time I felt truly threatened, I ended up in Haddlebrooke. Without knowing how or why. I spent the next couple of years convincing myself I must have experienced a mental break and blocked it out because that's what trauma did to a person. But now I know… I time jumped. I did it without knowing how, and that thought comforts me. I'll get myself out of here if I need to. I'm not helpless.

A glass of water slides in front of me and a piece of a pie. All right, so they seem to be big on hospitality here. I grab the water and down it, my body desperate for it after the hours of walking. A jug of water lands on the table, as another human slides into the booth opposite me.

It isn't the blonde though, she's walked back to the bar and is throwing off her apron.

This guy is tall, slim, he's got pitch black hair and dark brown eyes and he's perfectly put together. Not a hair out of place.

"Hello, Prudence."

I tense and grip the glass I'm holding. I inch slightly to the side, wanting to be closer to escaping. I size this guy up. He's perfectly calm, his face serene, his hands rest in front of him on the table.

"I take it you know who and what I am." I jump straight to it, opting to go the route of brute bluntness. I grab the pitcher of water, topping my glass up, hoping it makes me seem like I'm in control and not freaking out.

"Correct."

Fucking fantastic. Another guy who prefers to only answer in one or two word sentences just like Grayson. Where the hell is he? And why didn't he warn me that everyone knows who I am?

"Do me the pleasure and at least introduce yourself before we get into whatever this is." I gesture between us.

This guy chuckles; it's deep and sinister, and it raises the hairs on my arms.

He's about to reply when blondie slips in next to him. "I'm Marissa," she pauses and gestures to the guy next to her. "This is Cole."

"Okay, Marissa and Cole, what exactly can I do for you?"

She's taking me in, observing my every move, and it's like she's trying to permanently remember my features.

"You look like your mom," she says.

The statement rocks me. I know nothing about my mom. She pulls the pie she placed in front of me toward her. She's a smart girl too. There's no way I'm going to eat it. She elegantly picks the fork up, stabs the pie, and my stomach groans at the strawberry filling spilling out. I consider my next words carefully.

"I wouldn't know. But I'm pretty sure you know that too." She's here to get under my skin, to disarm me. She wants me to be vulnerable, which is ridiculous because merely walking in here blind exposed me.

"She's smart," Cole echoes Marissa's earlier statement. He's much more cavalier, and it makes him more threatening.

"Cole, what do you want?" I try not to reach for more water. Calm and collected, that's what I need right now.

"I want you to go home."

I huff and laugh at the same time. "Okay, well, I have good news then." I drop my earlier resolve and drink more water, then pull the plate back from Marissa. I'm hungry, and fuck this, I want pie. She doesn't stop me. "We have that in common. I want to go home too."

"Well, this's easier than expected." Marissa leans back.

"Let me clarify, I will go home after fixing the time streams, Marissa." I say her name aloud, and it feels wrong, like I wasn't meant to utter it or meet her. Cole's jaw ticks. Marissa flashes me a deathly glare.

"Re-think that, Prue," Cole orders.

"There will be no home to go to if I don't fix it."

"Did Grayson tell you that?" Marissa asks. "You shouldn't believe everything he says."

"What do you mean?" Her words have my attention now.

"Oh, our dear Grayson has left out some very critical information, hasn't he?" Marissa's talking to me but her eyes are on Cole.

"You don't need to be here. The time streams will fix themselves, and even if they threaten your earth, you can carve it out. Separate it from what's going on. You can ensure it won't be touched." Cole's jaw is no longer ticking, but he still appears pissed, his arms now folded in front of him, and he's moved closer as if trying to reach me across the table.

My ears ring. Are they telling the truth? Did Grayson drag me here, bending the truth to get me to fix whatever the hell happened in his time stream?

"You will forgive me if I don't believe you." I take a bite of pie, and the flavors are weird. It resembles strawberry but tastes like orange.

"But you believe Grayson?" Marissa asks, folding her arms then unfolding them. She opts to rather play with her ponytail.

I don't have an answer for her. She has a fair point, and for the supposedly smart girl I am, I haven't questioned Grayson any further on any of it. I've been preoccupied with not losing my home and maintaining control. I didn't stop to question if my home was at risk at all.

"I believe if I didn't need to be here, I wouldn't be." I lie. I didn't believe that. I've blindsided myself, and if I could kick myself, I would.

"Go home, Prue. You aren't a player in this game." Cole's words are sharp. He lurches across the table to reach for me. I instinctively move back. He's inches from my arm when he halts.

"Touch her, Cole. Go on. Let's see how that plays out for you." A voice growls.

Grayson's standing at the front of the table. Well, barely standing. He is deathly pale and his shirt and jacket are soaked in blood on the left side. His eyes are fixed on Cole and his stare is venomous.

While Cole considers Grayson, he flexes his fingers in front of my arm then retreats. He leans back and places his hands behind his head.

Grayson slips into the booth next to me, and I push my glass of water toward him. He needs it. He's sweating everywhere, the type of sweating which normally happens when in pain. I want to give him something to wipe his forehead, but nothing's around.

He moves closer to me, and his weight settles into me. His presence is heavy, and I hate to admit it, but I'm relieved he is here and next to me.

No one says a word. Cole's eyeing Grayson, his hands still behind his head. Marissa's tapping her fingers on the table. Grayson's still downing water. I can't stand the silence anymore.

"Well, since we're all clearly acquainted with each other." Every head at the table swings in my direction, and it is intimidating. "Should we wrap this up?"

To my surprise, Marissa laughs. "Oh, I like her." She runs a hand down her blonde hair. "It's such a shame that I like you."

Well, that's not scary at all to hear.

"It doesn't have to be a shame," I offer back.

Grayson hasn't said a word since sitting, and I'm worried his body is shutting down.

"See, Prue, we need you to leave, and if you don't, you're a problem we have to solve. And I'm a solution-oriented human."

"Shut up, Marissa." Grayson finally speaks. Even the sound of his voice stirs something in me, like I'm aching to hear it again.

"That's uncalled for, Gray." Cole uses a tone like he's known Grayson his entire life, and they're having a casual get together.

"You both know that unless you get explicit instructions, you need to leave her alone." Grayson is firm in his reply.

"How do you know we haven't received those already?" Cole shoots back.

"Because Prue wouldn't be sitting here right now if you had." Grayson says this so casually, as if that wasn't a bombshell to drop.

Okay, well, that clears up any confusion I may have about my life being in danger or not. I want to ask them what exactly they're talking about. I want to scream at them that I'm not a chess piece, and if they can please stop treating me like one.

But I have an out, and I'm not the girl who doesn't take an out when it is presented to her.

"Right," I nudge Grayson, indicating he needs to shift out of the booth. "I have no idea what exactly is going on, but I do know something seems to be holding you two back. So, I'm taking the exit." I shove Grayson a bit harder, who finally gets the hint and slips out of the booth.

Cole starts, "I don't think—"

"Cole," Grayson snaps. "Back off. Or make a move." It's a threat, and there's a dynamic going on between Grayson and Cole, a game they're playing and neither of them wants to blow the board up yet.

Cole settles for me, instead. He shifts his body toward me, making it clear his focus is on me. "See you soon, Prudence." His words ring around me.

"Let's go," Grayson says, and he grabs my hand, pulling me toward him.

I look back at Cole still sitting there, his hands behind his head again. Marissa winks at me. I get the sense that tonight played out exactly as they expected it too.