Logan stood near me. I refused to take his arm. He placed a hand on my shoulder like he did when he traveled with Ty. This time I didn’t need to know exactly where I was traveling, since Logan was going to direct us to the spot, and I needed to save my stone for my escape from the past. I was going along with him, but I refused to hold onto him. He promised to drop me off with my mother before going to get Seth and Dee.
We began our travels, and I got to see how he went through what he taught me. Our connection brought me into his time travel world. We floated above the earth as the globe spun to the Middle East. Zooming in and going back in time simultaneously, which I had yet to master, we came upon a large city. Brown and white mud brick homes spanned miles, each not much bigger than my bedroom, and all connected. They opened to curved streets that wove around the city in odd shapes. Far in the distance, yet surrounded by all the squat buildings, was a large, walled-off palace. The stone walls stood stories above the city, whether from being on a hill or just being larger, it was difficult to tell. Logan moved us toward the palace, and my nerves set in. I hadn’t seen my mom in a long time, and I was worried what she would think of me coming back to get her. I was even more worried to find her okay and happy in the past. Then I’d have to leave and go home without her.
I watched our approach to the palace and felt sick from all the mixed feelings. I wanted to see my mother badly, but now I wasn’t sure we planned enough. Would I get her home? Would she even want to go home? Could I do this?
My hand began to tingle in the familiar rush that took over my body. I knew exactly what it meant. Logan wasn’t lying about bringing us back, because Seth was in the city and close by. Seth was actually here. The person I had been waiting months to see was somewhere down below in the masses of people. I couldn’t help but pull away from Logan. I recognized exactly where I where I wanted to go. I knew precisely what would make me feel better. I needed Seth.
Without Logan behind me, I looked at the buildings beneath me. I hovered over each, seeing how the carnelian lines reacted. There was one in particular that drew me, and I knew Seth was inside. I found a dark side street next to the building without anyone around and let myself appear. I was in the past, and Seth was only feet away.
It wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but I couldn’t help myself. When I felt the tingles, and knew Seth was near, I needed to be with him. I had been missing him for months after my short visit into the past, and just knowing he was there made me change my course. Our plans to rescue my mother would have to change again, but I was fine with that if I was able to be with him. I still didn’t know how much I could trust Logan, but I trusted Seth completely, and wanted to see him, even if I still needed to go get my mom. I was sure he and I could figure that out together.
I felt the heat instantly as I appeared in the shadows. It had to be summertime now, and I wasn’t ready for it coming from winter. He was inside the building I was hiding by. The small alleyway wasn’t much, but it was at least shaded from the sun and passing people, and there were lots of passing people. The noise alone was surprising, not to mention the colors. I wasn’t expecting so much color since I thought I’d be in a desert again. It was a visual feast for my eyes, not to mention a cacophony to my ears. The building I was standing by had to be some sort of eatery judging by the smells that wafted out of it. I peered around the corner of the building. The cloth hanging as a door was pushed back, and I ducked back into the shadows. I couldn’t see who exited, but I couldn’t show my face the way I was. I had no idea where my mother was at this point. The fact that I looked like her could be either bad or good. I screwed up everything by letting go of Logan. I had once again changed our plans. I had to learn to concentrate better with this time travel ability. At least Seth was nearby. I could feel the tingles shoot down my arm. My stomach flip-flopped knowing that he was just around the corner.
Chapter 7
Finding Home
“What are you doing here?” a rich voice that brought back many memories asked me. I looked up into Seth’s chocolate brown eyes. He was concerned, but just as happy to see me as I was him.
“I love you,” I blurted out immediately. I needed him to know that. I didn’t tell him before when I was in the past with him, and who knew when I’d disappear from him again.
His hands wrapped around me and ushered me to the wall as he didn’t respond, but greeted me with his lips upon mine. He pressed me against the building and deepened the kiss. His hands held me tight, pressing the abundant cloth I was wearing to my sweating body. As a few more people left the eatery and passed by us. I hear some sort of words exchanged with Seth, yet his lips never left mine. He gestured to them, and they laughed, and kept walking. When he finally pulled back, he stayed only inches from my face, staring into my eyes.
“It’s been too long,” he said huskily, staring at my lips again. He tasted of something sweet and fermented, but I was sure he wasn’t drunk.
“How long has it been for you?” I asked. The passage of time wasn’t the same for the both of us. I looked to his lips and wanted them back also.
“Six months,” he replied. I was distracted by his perfect mouth as he talked. He had gone without me longer, but I missed him just as much. “I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again.” He sounded hurt. It had been too long.
I leaned forward and pulled his head down to meet mine. I kissed him again. I needed to. I needed to feel that he was real. Each time he went away, and my memories changed, it felt like I lost a part of him. In losing him, I was losing part of me. He was everything I ever wanted. It was scary to feel that way about one person, but it was true. Even Logan and our past couldn’t compare with the feelings floating around inside me at just the touch of Seth’s lips to mine. He was everything I needed.
“And you?” he asked as he pulled back a little.
“Me what?” I asked, looking up into his eyes. The desire I saw there was surely mirrored in my own.
“How long has it been in your time?” Seth asked as he eyed me over, looking for any change in me.
“Five weeks,” I replied, watching his eyes roam over my body. When most men looked at you like that it was creepy, but the way he looked made my stomach tumble.
“And Ty was with you there?” Seth asked, finally bringing his eyes up to mine.
“Yes,” I answered, looking up at him. Did he really want to just talk after all this time apart?
“But he didn’t come with you,” Seth replied to my answer.
He balanced on the wall with only one hand, allowing his free hand to reach up and touch my face. I closed my eyes and tried to memorize his touch. No matter how I was with him now, it would never last. I had a feeling we would always have to fight to be together.
“No,” I responded, feeling his body press up against me. His lips met mine again, and I rested my hands on his bare chest. There were a few perks to the Egyptian military clothing, or rather lack of clothing.
“Why,” Seth began as he moved his kisses to my ear. “Are.” He kissed down my neck, sending tingles to my toes. “You.” He reached the indent where my neck and shoulder met. “Here?”
He finished asking his question, but the kisses continued as he pushed the fabric of the multiple tunics I wore out of the way to continue kissing down a line. He began moving back up my neck slowly as he waited for a response, but I was having trouble even remembering the question. It was hard to carry on a conversation when we couldn’t keep ourselves apart.
My mind was on a sensory overload just being able to finally touch Seth, and I couldn’t think of an answer to his question. Right at that moment, all I could think of was being with him. He was why I was here, but I was sure I was there for something else, too, maybe. I pressed my lips against his bare chest, and he wrapped his free arm around my back to hold me to him. I’d remember eventually what I needed to do in the past, maybe when I remembered to breathe correctly, but at that moment I didn’t want his kisses to stop.
“How did you get back here?” Seth asked, all in one breath, before kissing me again.
This conversation thing was really getting hard to do. I smiled as he trailed kisses down my neck again, allowing me to talk, but thinking was hard to do. His question went right out my ears, and I giggled at the butterflies in my stomach he was giving me.
“A stone?” he suggested an answer.
“Kind of,” I replied, pulling his lips back up to mine.
“Kind of?” Seth asked, his mouth still stuck to mine.
“Umm,” someone said from behind us as the person coughed again. I vaguely remembered hearing him cough the first time. “Seti?”
Seth pulled back to turn his head to the intruding person and caught his breath. I wasn’t the only one who needed to remember to breathe correctly. I smiled at him. I was happy that his reaction to seeing me this time was much better than the last time. Then he was mad, now at least he was happy. I hoped it wasn’t just the booze in him.
“Yes, Dee?” Seth said, without turning any further than to keep his eyes on me. He kept his eyes glued to me like I might just up and disappear.
“Dee?” I said, standing up straighter and looking beyond Seth’s shoulder.
Dee gave a sigh of relief upon seeing me. I smiled at him and gave him a little wave from the hand that was already around Seth’s back. I was actually happy to see him too. Seth’s best friend had done everything to save me from the men that wanted to use me to force Egypt into war. I thought Dee had betrayed Seth when he helped those men kidnap me, but he was actually a better friend than I could have ever imagined. He even gave me his chrysoprase stone to get to the future again, the green one that now joined the carnelian lines on my arm.
“Glad to see you under him,” Dee said, and then shook his head at his own words. His cheeks turned bright red when he realized what he said. “I mean, glad to see you there as I was worried he was drunk and passed out standing up again.”
I looked up to Seth. He shrugged. I guess he wasn’t having as much fun in his time apart as I imagined him having.
“He’s been moping since we reached the city months ago. He spent all his time thinking about you, and trying to find a way back to you when he wasn’t drunk,” Dee explained when Seth did not.
Seth looked over his shoulder at Dee. It must have been a man exchange as Dee reddened again.
“I was coming to find you to make sure you came back early tonight. Prince Saru has summoned us to the palace tomorrow to tell us his decision. If you showed up hung over again, he would be mad. We stand a better chance if you’re sober before the prince, if we stand any chance at all,” Dee explained quickly, he finally realized he was still interrupting us.
Seth nodded and waved his hand to dismiss Dee. “So be it.”
Dee left to stand at the end of the darkened walkway we were in, and we were back to essentially being alone. Seth turned to me and smiled. He saw me staring at Dee, and I turned back to him. Instead of resuming our greeting, he confused me by backing up a little.
“No more welcome home kisses?” I pouted. I didn’t quite have my fill of him yet, if it was even possible for me to ever get my fill.
Seth pulled me from the wall and grinned. After studying my clothing for a moment, he took the loose fabric hanging over my shoulder and pulled it over my head. He nodded to himself and then took my hand.
“How about we catch up somewhere more private, without an audience,” Seth hinted at Dee. I thought Dee was going to go eventually, but I guess he wasn’t going to leave us alone, ever the dutiful soldier.
I looked at Dee with his back to us, and the passing people that kept walking by. I had just been making out with Seth in broad daylight with tons of people passing by. At any moment people could see us there. It was dark in the walkway, but not that dark. I wasn’t one for public displays of affection, but that seemed to go out the door once Seth looked at me. I wasn’t too concerned about the people walking by anymore, but it would be nice to really be alone with him and we needed to talk. There was much I had to tell him that didn’t need to be heard by a passerby.
I finally let him pull me away from my hiding place as my answer.
“Won’t they question an Egyptian soldier walking off with a local girl?” I asked, pointing to my clothing and then his. We certainly didn’t belong together. He was in his small, white military skirt, and I wore several tunics similar to the women who passed by on the street. We did make a strange couple compared to the others who only grouped together with similarly-dressed people.
Seth smiled. “If they knew who you were they might worry, but around here no one is going to give you a second glance, as long as you keep your head down. Soldiers hook up with women in the various cities we visit all the time.”
Hooked up? Great. They were all going to think I was a prostitute. I never imagined pretending to be that role before.
“Keep your hair covered, and as much of your skin as you can. Anyone as pale as you with that hair would be assumed to be royalty, and I don’t need you making a scene for us. Who knows what anyone would do if they thought or knew as much,” Seth explained. “Keep your face down, and I’ll lead. Dee will follow behind us.” Seth waited for my response before he would move.
I nodded, and he began to walk. I looked down at the dirt, even though my instinct was to look around me. I couldn’t even tell where we were heading, or how to get anywhere, not that it would matter being that I had no clue where I was to begin with. It was hard to keep my head down as I wondered about where I was. I was curious by nature and this new adventure made me want to know more. But I needed to stay safe. The only anchor I had was Seth’s hand, and I trusted him completely.
The world I had just traveled into was far different than what I was expecting. The Egyptians I had met were in their sterile white linen and polished armor. This world was much more colorful as women and men both passed in colors other than white. I could only stare at the hems of their tunics and their shoes as we passed. Seth kept us moving forward through bends the twists of the street. Normally I’d be concerned by not knowing where I was going, but holding Seth’s hand was reassurance enough that I was safe.
Soon we stopped at another building. I glanced up at it before looking back down again. This one was two stories tall, and noisy even from the outside. Seth pushed back the cloth doorway and walked into the large open room. I glanced up to see the inside, but Dee bumped me to remind me to look back down. Seth led us through the tables and chairs scattered around the room. They were mostly filled with rowdy men. A few women walked in between. Seth didn’t stop to talk to any of the people, but many made jeers at me and him as we passed. Seth didn’t acknowledge anyone.
We made it through the rowdy room and passed through another doorway. This led to stairs and the second floor. The second floor was much quieter than the ground level, and I barely heard the singing and talking down below. That was until Seth opened one of the doors that lined the hallway, and the noise traveled through the open window into the room. Seth pulled me in behind him. Dee halted outside the door.
Seth nodded to Dee and moved to shut the door, but I stopped him before he could.
“Thanks, Dee,” I said.
I never did have a chance to thank him the last time I was in the past when he gave me his stone to get me to the future. Dee smiled and nodded before walking away. He could see in Seth’s eyes what I already saw. Seth wanted to be alone with me. It normally would have scared me to be alone with a guy, but it didn’t scare me with Seth.
Seth shut the door and tugged on my bulky tunic. I turned to find myself already in his arms. He pulled me down to the bed and onto his lap.
“You came without Ty,” Seth said, almost like he was scolding me.
“Um, yeah, about that,” I said while keeping my arms around him. “There was a plan about saving my mother and you guys. I kind of messed it up.”
Seth raised his eyebrows. “Do tell,” he replied.
>
“I kind of got distracted when I knew you were here,” I answered, looking into his chest to keep myself from seeing his reaction. It wasn’t like me to not follow through on a plan. I was a little embarrassed that I had let emotion take over.
There was a fresh scar beneath my hand. I looked back up to Seth, forgetting that I was embarrassed.
“What happened?” I asked of the red line that ran just under his ribs.
“I spent a little too much time with your captors,” Seth replied. “They found us after you left. There wasn’t anywhere else to hide in those caves, and they just sent more people into them. They were desperate to have you. When I couldn’t tell them where you were, they didn’t think I was worth keeping around, eating their supplies.” Seth shrugged like being carved up wasn’t a big deal, and to him it probably wasn’t now that we were back in the past. I bent down and kissed the raised scar.
“I’m sorry,” I said as tears began to well up. I had caused this to happen to him. If I had planned more, and knew what I was doing, I could have found a better way to Seth. I could have stopped my mother from leaving me. It was all my doing. I had messed up then, and technically I messed up again now by letting go of Logan and changing the plan.
Seth pulled my face up to his. “This isn’t your fault,” he scolded me. “The fact that you would come back into the past for me has kept me going. You keep me going. I’d have given up a long time ago if it weren’t for you. My life was planned out for me. My dad was going to marry me off. I was to have children and keep the family line going. It was never about love. You are the reason I have ever known what true love is. Never be sorry for being you.” He held my face between his hands and stared deep into my eyes. His chocolate brown eyes were filled with love. He meant every word he said.
Tears spilled down my cheeks, and he rubbed them away. “I thought you would move on without me,” I whispered my deepest fear to him. I truly had believed Logan’s word.