Magic of Death

Five Hours Are Not Enough

"Why won't it go away?"

The question escaped TeeTee's mouth as a whisper, as if he were addressing Time itself rather than Joy.

Joy approached him and sat on the edge of the bed. "Who do you mean?"

He raised his eyes to her. "Por."

Silence settled in.

For a few seconds, Joy didn't know what to say. Then she reached out and took her brother's wrist, feeling the turbulent vibrations of magic beneath his skin.

"How many times?"

He didn't answer.

"TeeTee."

He closed his eyes. "Twice."

Her eyes widened. "This week?"

He nodded slowly.

Joy exhaled anxiously, then quickly pulled her hand back when she felt a small temporal flicker quiver around his body.

"You don't understand how dangerous this is. If you keep forcing time to rewind, your body will start losing its ability to distinguish between the present and memories."

TeeTee offered a faint smile. "I know."

"Then why are you doing it?"

He looked down at his phone. Por's message was still lit on the screen.

*See you tomorrow.*

He hadn't written where.

He didn't need to.

TeeTee knew.

And that was precisely what terrified him. Because Por didn't know the address of the manor. He didn't know the secrets of the sorcerers' realm. He didn't even know that TeeTee wasn't human.

Yet, he always showed up in the right place. At the right time. As if he remembered things he had never lived through.

TeeTee reached toward the phone, but before he could touch it, the screen went dark on its own.

Then he heard a voice.

Not from the phone.

From behind the window.

"TeeTee."

The blood turned to ice in his veins. Joy stepped toward the window, but TeeTee caught her arm instantly.

"Don't."

They both stared at the glass. Por was standing on the other side of the street. Far away. Beneath the dim glow of a streetlamp. He wasn't looking at the manor-he was looking directly at his window.

TeeTee swallowed hard. "How did he get here?"

Joy didn't answer, because something