If you haven't read the first chapter I highly suggest that you do that. Other wise half of this won't make any sense.
"Kace?" I called softly; I didn't want to raise any suspicion from any one that might be near by. Then again I was desperate. "Kace!" I screamed. No one answered. Blood and violence I could handle, but stuff like this made me terrified; I did not want to get left behind.
"Kace!" I called again, but still no answer. I grabbed my backpack and started sprinting in the direction that I thought he had gone.
I ran through the woods calling out desperately, "Kace! Kace!" hoping that he would answer. I knew it was useless, he had probably left; I would be left here to fend for myself. But what if he was still here and I only had to run a little ways to see him. What if he was getting in his time-port right now and I wasn't there to stop him because I had given up, because I had given up I would have to spend the rest of my life here. Stranded. With that thought I called his name again and ran faster, my eyes peering behind every bush and scanning every shadow.
As I sprinted around a tree I saw something rushing at me and before I could stop, we collided. I looked up see Kace's blue eyes looking worriedly into mine. I was so relieved to see him that I wanted to kiss him. But I didn't, instead I collapsed into his arms; my fright had physically exhausted me. He tilted my head up so that I had to look at him in the face.
"Ree'ah, what's wrong?" he asked me, his eyebrows were bunched together with concern and his eyes searched my face.
"My time-port disappeared... I didn't know what to do... I thought you had left..." I managed to stutter, embarrassed. I saw his hand gripping his sword and I knew he probably expected me to say that someone was after me.
"Oh," he said letting go of his weapon, "you sure?"
"Yeah, I pushed the button about ten times and nothing happened."
"OK. Well you can ride with me."
I sighed with relief, "Thanks Kace."
"No problem," He shrugged as he started to walk away, "Besides I owe you."
I rushed to his side and looked him over. He too had changed into his clothes. He had on a deep purple tee that had wispy, black designs on it. There were rips and skids on his dark, skinny jeans; and black and white sneakers on his feet. His figure looked lean, yet sturdy. I could see that he was extremely strong for his age, but his muscles didn't ruin his figure by lumping on his shoulders or giving him a blocky form. His dark brown, molasses colored hair was no longer tied up, but lay loose around his head. It wasn't as long as I had thought it would be, it just tickled the bottoms of his ears. His bangs were flipped over one eye and they brushed against his dark lashes. He had very detailed blue eye that looked serious and understanding, but I could also see fun and humor sparkle in the corner.
My heart started beating faster, even though I constantly reminded it of my mothers warning.
Kace came to a stop beside a bush and his time-port appeared in front of him. He leaned over to pull his backpack out of the shrub. Unzipping the backpack, he pulled out a black, hoodless jacket.
"Just let me finish getting ready," he said putting his arms into the jacket. I nodded and leaned against a tree as I waited; apparently I had interrupted him. He finished getting into his jacket and bent over to tie his shoe. After he had finished he looked at his reflection in the time-port and ran his fingers through his hair. He leaned closer and peered at himself, shaking his hair and then flattening it. Finally he sighed and turned around.
"Do I have any more blood in my hair? I tried to get it out, but..."
I walked over to him and stood on my tiptoes to inspect the cut on his head. It was just above his ear and to the left; I raised my hand and picked out stray pieces dried blood. I realized what I was doing and what it must look like, and I stepped back embarrassed. "I got it all," I mumbled looking down.
Kace looked at me and nodded, "Thanks." I could feel my cheeks redden. I quickly grabbed my backpack and hopped into his time-port. He grabbed his and stepped in.
"2013," I told him.
"What?"
"2013," I repeated, "Don't you need to know where I live?"
"Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I have something that I need to do at my place first. Do you mind?"
"Yes," I said thinking of the meeting with the Time-Travelers that I was supposed to be attending in fifteen minutes. "What do you have to do? Is it important?"
"Yes," he said staring the time-port, "Band practice."
Before I could reply the time-port whizzed ahead.
When the time-port came to a stop I turned to Kace. "Band practice? You’re joking, right? That's what's so important?" I reminded myself that he had saved me from being stranded and I changed my tone. "Please, Kace, I'm due for an important meeting with my Time-Travelers counsel." Surely he would understand that.
"Sorry, Ree'ah, but this is important to me." he said stepping out of the port.
'What about what's important to me?' I wanted to shout, but I didn't; I knew that he had saved me, so I kept my mouth shut. But seriously, band practice over an important meeting?
"You coming?" Kace called over his shoulder. He was already halfway down the alley that we were in. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my backpack. The time-port disappeared as I stepped out and ran to his side. Once again we walked in silence.
As we walked through the city I looked around and guessed that we were in the 2100's. For one thing the buildings were bigger and better. Another thing was that the cars hovered at least a foot above the ground. But the main reason that I knew was because I had been on a mission at 2178 and this place looked similar to that time zone.
Kace stopped in front of a building, walked around to the back, and headed for a door that looked like a back entrance. Reluctantly I followed.
"How long will this take?" I asked stopping him before he walked in.
"Two hours," He shrugged, "maybe less." He reached for the handle.
Yep I thought my meeting will totally be over by then. I came up behind him and tried one more time. "You know, I did save your life."
Kace let go of the handle; and, with out turning around, he replied, "I know, thank you. With out you I wouldn't be here today." He turned around. His face was so close to mine now that when I opened my mouth I couldn't think of anything to say. I stood there, not sure of what to do with him being that close, and kept my focus on his shirt coaler. Kace, too, looked off guard; apparently he didn't realize I was right behind him.
But when I raised my gaze I saw that his blue eyes were staring passionately into mine. Our faces were so close together that when he breathed I could feel it gently tickle my cheek. My heart started beating faster again, but this time I didn't try to stop it.
"Thank you," he repeated in a whisper, and for an instant his lips touched mine. Then they disappeared as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
Falling against the brick wall of the building, I closed my eyes as many strange, new emotions flooded through me. I couldn't believe what had just happened. Though part of me was excited, the other part was pulling at my joy and reminding me of my mothers warning. How could love be a weakness? I thought; from the way I feel I would have thought that it was more like a strength. I felt more joyful and free then I have ever felt.
I stayed there, leaning against the wall, for about another ten minutes. At last I looked down at my watch and sighed as I remembered my meeting. Did Kace really have to do his band practice? The Time-Traveler counsel hated it when people were late, but for me to completely miss the meeting I would have to have a pretty good excuse for not being there, and something told me that band practice wasn't quite what they were looking for.
If only the time-port could travel through minutes instead of years I wished. I remembered when my mom had first explained to me how the time-port had worked; she had to tell me a couple times before I got it. The way that she had explained it was by saying that if it was 2009, March 3, 10:47 am. Then I could get to any year that I wanted to, but no matter what year I went to it would still be March 3, 10:47 am. So that was the reason why I had done this mission on New Years Eve, because the men were going to attack Abraham Lincoln before he signed the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves, on December 31.
I cast a glance in the direction that we had come from and wished that I had asked Kace if I could borrow his time-port. Oh well I thought with a sigh he probably wouldn't have let me use it any way.
Suddenly I heard screams from inside the building and I straighten with a start. Grabbing my backpack, I rushed over to the door and yanked it open. The door closed behind me with a thud and I found myself in a small, dimly lit hallway. There were two doorways, one on either side of the hall. I set my backpack on the floor and lifted my hand to my chin in concentration as I looked from one door to the next. The screams grew louder and I knew I didn't have time to think it over; I quickly opened one of the doors and stepped through. It lead to a huge room/hall. To the right end of the room I could see a pair of big, double doors that led outside; I guessed that it was the front door of the building. On the other side it went on for a ways and then turned to the left. I started to head for the turn, but then stopped and went back as I realized that I had left my backpack in the other room.
When I got to the door I grabbed the handle and tried to turn it, but it was locked. Great. Just Great. I thought jiggling the handle. Finally I gave up with a sigh and turned back to face the room.
I studied the room more carefully and noticed a pair of security guards at the end of the room by the door. They were talking to each other and hadn't noticed me yet. I saw more outside, and another farther down the hall to the left. I reached my hand into my pocket and grasped my nicciel hilt. Reassured by the hilt I took a step forward. The guards glanced at me but didn't seem interested and continued their conversation without stopping. I frowned in confusion; whose side were they on? If they were the good then why were they not concerned about the people screaming and in distress? If they were the bad then why were they letting me pass? I continued to walk down the hallway, but all of my senses were alert and my muscles were tense for anything that might happen. As I neared the end of the hall I noticed that the screaming that I heard didn’t sound like it was because of fear or distress, but from enjoyment.
When I had gotten to the corner I turned it. The room that I came to was much more busier. There were all sorts of tables and stands with people behind them all.
The screaming grew suddenly louder and then it stopped as a loud chanting took its place. By now I was so confused I didn't know what to think or do, none of this made sense. I had never heard anything like this. I did notice that the noise was coming from behind some doors that were at the end of the room; I headed that way, though still unsure of what was going on. A lady stood in front of the doors and I tensed as I neared her.
She smiled at me. When I came closer she asked, "Are you Ree'ah?"
I gripped my hilt harder and my arm was tense and ready to slash it out. "Depends on who wants to know." I replied, I wasn't about to give away my identity to just any woman that asks.
My answer must have seemed humorous to her because her smiled with amusement. "You can go through," she said waving her hands to the doors behind her. I glared at her suspiciously but walked on by her, towards the doors.
I opened the doors, and my mouth opened in surprise. What I saw was a huge room. The lights were down and dim, only a couple of spotlights dotted the ceiling. The room was filled with thousands of screaming girls chanting, "Kacey, Kacey, Kacey." And there, in the center of the stage, with a microphone in hand, stood Kace.
