The Pain in Our Veins (Maven Time Travel)

Prologue

I'm losing myself
In the darkness of the world
Catch me before I fall
Saving myself
Is all I really know
Seen it, been done before
- Dynasty by Rina Sawayama

Time travel is hard on the body. It leaves scars, sends your arms twisting in ways they shouldn't. Mandy still feels the ache deep in her bones, even after many visits to the healers. They always ask the same questions: Where were you? How did this happen? What did you do?

Nothing she'd answer, of course. They couldn't afford to turn her down, not with so few patrons at their disposal. Times were tough in Piedmont, depleted by war and government corruption, and while blood no longer ruled, money sure did. One of the few things she had Papa to thank for.

Not that she'd ever admit it.

"One last jump," she whispered to the wind. The wind said nothing, whipping a braid into her mouth as if to shut her up. Mandy gave it the finger.

She couldn't remember how many times she'd practiced, how many trains she'd taken to Archeon to witness the final battle. The one where Maven Calore lost his life.

Her jaw tightened. Grabbing him was less dangerous than Mother, but it still burned to leave her in the grave. No matter. She'd revive her soon enough. And this time, she'd have help.

"I'm sorry, Stepma." The words were carried away by the wind, left to echo in the hallows of the spirit realm. "I couldn't save you."

A single teardrop fell onto the ground. The rest had better things to do.

"Echo."

She whipped her head around, gritting her teeth at the man whose blood filled her veins. "My name is Mandy."

Papa sighed. "Darling, please–"

Her sweetest smile, flashed too quickly to be sincere. "Goodbye."

"Sweetheart, this is madness. She's not your moth–" The words slowed, distorting to silence, unfinished as time swam in place. She ran, ran until her legs burned and the train had almost left her behind. Almost.

Not quite.

Mandy leaned against the wall, reeling. The floor rattled beneath her, rushing past hills and rivers, all manners of land on the road to Norta. She knew the path by heart, every curve and bump familiar as the quick of her nails.

The train screeched, the cue to a halt, and she jumped from the door before anyone could question her. Rain began to fall, cold and heavy, soaking her braids from end to root. Still she ran. Still she made her way to Whitefire. She'd only have one chance to get it right. One chance to change history forever.

A deep breath, and the world froze.

Sparrows halted mid flight, trees stopped rustling,and the wind went still before blowing backwards. Rain rose to the sky, puddles drying, faster and faster until the courtyard was a blur. Her skin rippled, flesh peeking beneath, but she bore it all the same. One jump. One chance. One boy to rescue from his own ruin.

The world stilled once more.

And she fell beneath it.

Her knees collapsed, thick with cuts, and she gathered her breath, concentrating the momentum of the time jump onto the surface of her skin. She was no healer, but she controlled age, rewinding her skin to where it had been moments before. Smooth. Unbroken. Whole.

The wounds closed, younger, and she exhaled. A healer would've restored her waning energy, would've kept exhaustion from collecting deep in her bones. One more jump. One jump, little more than a year, and then she would rest.

Her eyes burned, bleeding as she stumbled upright. Stepma's voice wafted unprompted, carrying the scent of chicken soup. You're gonna burn yourself out, Munchkin.

Warm blankets and bedtime stories, all memories too distracting to focus on. So too were her families, Mama, Stepma, and Mother. The one who birthed her. The one who raised her. And the one Fate chose for her.

"I'm coming." She stood firm, gazing out onto the horizon. In the distance, a boy of spark and flame was running towards her, to what would become his death were she not quick enough. And quick she was.

One moment, she was hidden.

The next, she had hold of his arm, dragging him backwards as time, too, slowed in reverse. Bombs fell from the ground to the sky, Samos blades reattached the heads of their enemies, and her brother twisted and writhed as though he were caught in a nightmare.

"Keep still," she murmured.

He did not obey.

She had no choice but to fell him unconscious, barely breathing on the dirt as she mended his wounds. Time had long reversed flow to the norm by then, but that did not mean the danger was past. No. She could not stop until they were both safely in the shed.

"Keep still," she whispered. A command that he obeyed but her knees did not, swiftly falling to the ground as spots plagued her vision. No matter. They had already reached the shed.

The same shed she'd killed the previous Maven.