Life After Death

Porphia: wrong time entirely

{Porphia}

I had difficulty grasping the concept of present. To me, all time was present, like a map laid out. However, if I wanted to have conversations, meet people, or get married, I had to stop and stay in one place, letting time move at its own pace.

But Otherworld's government was collapsing, and everyone else was helpless to stop it.

"I have to go," I insisted. "If I can just find his identity, then we can stop him. We can trace him."

"We don't even know if he is male," Llaraine pointed out. "If she's as resourceful as we think, then you could be blindly walking into a trap."

"And then I just return here," I replied. "We're arguing over nothing. Even if it takes me a hundred years to find him, I can still come back to right now, walking in the door."

Blaise glanced at the door, and I admitted I wished I had walked through the door. It would have saved me the trouble of arguing.

"I say let her," Maewyn had dark circles under her eyes, as if she had been worrying about this all night. "Mikaela and Juliet will not be safe here unless we do. Adele is already dead."

Eldreial looked like he was about to protest, but it would not be wise to bring up Adele's death. It had only been a couple days, too soon to have to move on. Adele was one faery; we were trying to save a universe.

"Let her go," Gwen said softly. "Even if she doesn't find anything, we should at least try."

"It's not as if we can stop you," Blaise conceded. "Fine. At least go with the Cabinet's blessing."

Llaraine was the only one who was still opposed, but I knew that she was just concerned about my safety. I wasn't a fighter; I didn't know how. I had never had to wield time magic like a weapon.

"Thank you," I said. "I will return as soon as I can. It could be in seconds." I gave Llaraine a smile before vanishing from the table.

Within the time stream, I was safe, but as soon as I dropped back into 'present day', I was attacked. A bolt of lightning flashed and I dodged, rolling right into a stasis rune. I took a moment to recognize it as such but once I did, I glance up with fear.¿ I was frozen here, unable to leave.

"You thought you were so clever," he sneered at me. He was young, and had long fiery hair pulled back with a ribbon. "Time magic isn't so special, it's easy to pull you to a time and a place especially when I've met you before."

"Even if you keep me here, I'll eventually catch up with when I left," I told him, trying in vain to pull my leg from the rune. "You can't kill me."

"It is a difficult disposal, I'll admit," he shook his head. "But it would be too easy to just kill you. So I'll make you a deal."

"What kind of deal?" I asked warily.

"You find me at the beginning of magic," he replied. "I look the same, it shouldn't be too hard. If you do, I'll give you my name."

"That's it?"

"And if you can return to your time to deliver the news to Maewyn and Blaise, then I will not prevent you," he finished.

It seemed too easy to be real, but I was willing not to look too closely. As far as I could tell, he was most interested in the distraction offered. I was just an amusing distraction. It implied that he had done this before, not just with time mages, but countries and governments, that he enjoyed the thrill of process.

"Deal," I said.

The rune disappeared and I fell to the floor. When I picked myself up again, he was gone. The charred remains of the stasis was all that remained. I could see no doors or windows. I knew the time period instinctively, but I wasn't certain where exactly I was.