Eclipse: Time Thief (Romantasy)

57. Ideas

"Again," Nash said.

"It doesn't matter how many times I do it." I swung my sword with both hands and groaned. "I never break your defense head on."

"You can't be good at everything instantly."

I tilted my head back and breathed out slowly. "Fine. Let's start over."

Nash glanced over at Elsie where she played in the courtyard grass. The temperature controlled-zone had given her the closest thing to home she could get while outside. "Okay."

When I'd imagined getting to know Nash better, I had thought it would be alone. Somehow I felt that I could never have glimpsed the true him without his daughter here. Sure, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want some child-free time with him. We'd had some time together while Elsie slept, but I'd quickly learned that I needed to sleep when she did. She was more exhausting than full days of training.

Still, I wouldn't trade the time for the world. I loved Elsie. Yes, already. She grew on me quickly. And her dad wasn't too bad himself.

I thrust my blade forward, knees bent. He deflected it again with only one hand holding the large sword.

"Damn it." I'd said I was ready, but frustration already clawed at my chest. "Not even close."

We trained until my arms felt too heavy to lift, and then met everyone for a lunch that Piercey had prepared himself. Leif passed a plate to his husband and son. Wren poured a glass of ale for herself. Piercey and Nash both took chicken from the platter at the same time. Trish and her husband sat down with Elsie, ready to eat their first meal since arriving at the school.

I let out a chuckle. One big awkward family.

Despite all that had happened, peace flooded me. I almost pushed it away, but denying joy wouldn't change what was coming. I couldn't change the future I'd observed anymore than I could the past that I'd lived. Everything I'd experienced existed all at once–past, future, and present. So much so that I hadn't even been able to die.

Strange. I'd avoided thinking about it so much that I never considered that I'd never seen beyond my death, or everything leading up to it. Not that I had expected to see beyond, but I didn't know what was coming. I'd assumed I was powerless in my death because I couldn't prevent it. What if I had more power than I thought?

I might not be able to change that I could die. What if I could choose why I would die? Or what if I could fight for my world after I died? I told Flare I'd fight her in the next life. Like so much I said, I'd only uttered in anger. Could I really do that?

Piercey sat down across from me. "Tell me what you think of the potatoes. It's a new–"

"If there's a passageway to the white room, then there must be a passageway to the after-life."

He blinked and lowered his fork. I thought he'd tease me for interrupting him with something like that, except that this was Piercey. His expression went from intrigued to despondent in moments. Fear clouded his eyes.

"What?" I asked.

"Have you thought this through?"

"No. I was realizing it when you sat down so I blurted it out."

"It's not a good plan." He looked around as if to make sure no one was listening. "You'll want to enter the after-life like you did the white room and tell everyone there about Dr. Henderson. You're right that there must be a passageway to the after-life, but there's only one way to get there. You have to die."

"Well, I'm going to die. We know that. It works out."

Frustration leaked into his voice. "There's no way we're going to figure out how to break into the after-life with our memories intact. It isn't possible."