Secrets of Yden (18 page)
Authors: S. G. Rogers
Furthermore, Bailey had lobbed an accusation of murder at Jon. If anyone bothered to investigate the allegation, they'd discover Guinn Tanner alive and well on a cruise ship somewhere in the Mediterranean. Nevertheless, a murder accusation was a distraction Jon didn't need.
As Jon stewed over his dilemma, one thing was becoming increasingly clear; Bailey had landed a darned good punch. Not only was his lip hurting, but his jaw was beginning to throb. Thanks to January, his shins didn't feel great either.
Hang on⦠If time has stopped, the portal between Yden and Earth is open and I can use magic.
He closed his eyes and concentrated on healing his injuries. A short flash of light later, his pain was gone and he had one less distraction to deal with.
With a sigh, Jon decided he had no choice but to take January out of the anomaly to explain things. If he didn't, when time started again she'd be screaming her head off and he'd have another incident on his hands. If he could somehow make her understand, she'd have a little time to adjust.
He positioned himself next to January, who was frozen with a look of sheer terror on her beautiful face.
This is going to be as much fun as wrestling an alligator
. Sure enough, as soon as Jon's fingers closed around January's wrist, she began to fight again. When she started in with the pointy-toed designer weapons, Jon was forced to scoop her up in his arms. "Stop that!"
"Put me down!"
"Not until you leave off trying to damage my shins! Where's your sense of adventure, girl? You said you wanted magic to exist. You just got your wish."
January's hair had come loose from its pins, and a lock of it had fallen across one eye. She looked vulnerable, like a fluffy little Persian kitten â with pointy shoes. Jon sank down on a sofa with her on his lap, and gently pushed the errant lock of hair back so he could see her beautiful violet eyes.
Violet eyes
?
"Hey, weren't your eyes blue the other day?" Jon asked, confused.
"I'm wearing colored contact lenses."
"It's not the eye color, it's the person behind the eyes that counts. Anyway, about magicâ"
"You said there was no such thing as magic."
"No, I said magic would make life more complicated."
Jon gave January a condensed version of his life story from the day he'd turned sixteen to the present. Surprisingly, she let him speak without interrupting.
"That's crazy," she said finally. "You're insane."
"Probably, but it doesn't change the facts. Look around and tell me again what's insane."
January sighed. "So Chaz and Lynn know about Yden and everything?"
"Well, yes⦠but they don't know about the time anomaly. Since I don't have a solution for it yet, I didn't want to upset them."
January stared at his face. "Hey, your lip is all better!"
"Yeah⦠I kind of fixed it."
"You can fix boo-boos?" she exclaimed. "Awesome! You can fix my broken nail."
Footsies
After Jon used a repair spell on January's broken fingernail, she kicked off her shoes and sighed with relief.
"That's better, but now I'm hungry."
"We might be here awhile longer. What do you say we check out the vending machines downstairs?"
"How much longer?"
Jon checked his watch. "Another hour."
"Vending machines it is."
"I'm sorry, but you have to remain in contact with me, or you'll slip back into the anomaly. My ankh keeps me anchored in real time."
She tightened her grip on his hand. "I'll try to survive the torture."
With January in her stocking feet, they made their way hand in hand down the wide polished Terrazzo staircase to the vending area. A maintenance worker was wielding a circular floor polisher between the tables, but he was frozen in time just the same as everyone on the main level.
After scoping out the vending machines, January decided she wanted a diet soda, a bag of pretzels, and a package of animal crackers.
"I only eat low fat snacks," she explained.
"
Low fat?
" Jon scoffed. "What, like you've got anything to worry about?"
January suddenly spied a package of chocolate sandwich cookies and almost broke another nail against the glass as she pointed. "Ooh, if you're going to get those cookies, could I split them with you? I love the chocolate wafers."
"I recognize a subtle hint when I hear one."
It was like power yoga trying to use the vending machines. Jon kept one hand on the machine to keep it anchored in real time, and the other hand on January's shoulder. She fished the wallet out of his jacket, fed in the dollars, and retrieved the food. Worse, neither of them could stop laughing. Finally they settled down at a table.
"Okay, I have an idea," January said. "Take your shoes off."
"Huh?"
"We can play footsies under the table. We maintain contact but we'll have both hands free."
"That works."
Jon unscrewed the sandwich cookies and fed January the wafer tops.
"Mmm," she said. "I haven't had one of these since I was six years old."
"Why not?"
"I started working, and I've had to watch what I eat ever since."
"Doesn't sound fun. I used to love going to ball games with my dad, where we totally pigged out on junk food."
"You don't go anymore?"
"After I found out I was a wizard, my life changed. When I'm not in school here, I spend most of my spare time training on Yden â or fighting."
"Seems glamorous on the one hand and unfair on the other. You and I have a lot in common."
"Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have it any other way. The only thing is, sometimes it gets lonely."
"Are you kidding? You have loads of friends. Lots more than me," Jan replied. She studied his face a moment. "You must mean
girlfriends
. Don't tell anyone, but I've never had a boyfriend."
"Now you're kidding."
"I had some
manufactured
boyfriends. You know, relationships cooked up by the publicists."
"Like our relationship?"
She colored with embarrassment. "Yeah, but I consider you a real friend. I've actually had more fun with you than with any other boy I've ever known. Tonight's weirdness included."
"We started out pretty badly," Jon admitted. "But you've grown on me."
"I have a confession to make," she said. "I knew who you were."
"What?"
"When we first met. At the airport. I knew it was you the whole time."
Jon stared. "Then whyâ?"
"Lynn had gone on and on about you, that's why," January blurted out. "She made you seem absolutely perfect. It was disgusting. I started to feel like I couldn't measure up. And sometimes when I'm meeting new people I get super nervous. I didn't plan to be awful, but after I got started I couldn't stop myself."
"How did you know I wasn't going to tell Lynn?"
"I knew you wouldn't rat me out because she told me how gentlemanly you were. She was right. I'm sorry."
Jon was speechless. Then, to his surprise, she took his hand and leaned across the table to give him a kiss.
"See? I knew you wouldn't bite me," she said afterward.
"January, I should tell youâ"
"Shh, it's okay. You're into someone else. But if you should ever change your mindâ¦"
"You'll be the first to know," Jon said, bewildered.
This has been a wild night.
A few minutes before the anomaly was supposed to end, Jon and January disposed of their soda cans and snack wrappers and returned to the main level.
"We need to be standing about where we were before the anomaly began," he said. "Lots of people were probably watching you."
"They were watching
us
, you mean."
January retrieved her shoes and joined him underneath the science fiction and fantasy art exhibit banner. At the last moment, he scooped her up in his arms. Despite being prepared for the resumption of time and sound, when it happened it was disorienting nonetheless.
"Wow," January said, shaking her head as if to clear it. "I had no idea how quiet a time freeze could be."
Jon deposited her on the sofa and sank down next to her.
"You know, after the initial shock wore off, you've taken this whole bizarre situation pretty well. Chaz told me Lynn needed several days to adjust."
"I think it's because I want it to be true. I want to go to Yden."
"I dunno. There may be a Prime Directive against it."
"Oh, don't tease me. If you took my sister, you can take me too."
"Well⦠maybe I'll take you as soon as this anomaly is solved."
"Cool. By the way, how can you be certain I won't tell anyone?"
He crooked his finger and she leaned in close. "Because if you say anything, Miss Jane, everyone will think you're crazy."
January giggled just as a couple stopped in front of them.
"You two are so cute together," Davy said. Startled, they glanced up to see him with Kira at his side.
"Oops," January said. "Hello there."
Jon's eyes widened. "Kira! You shouldn't be here."
"I noticed." Her tone was clipped.
"No, you don't understand. Jon and I were just talking," January said.
Kira leveled a cool look at her. "Then why is he wearing your shade of lipstick?"
Jon wiped his hand across his mouth, and Davy rocked back on his heels with silent laughter. Before Jon could say anything, there was a commotion. Reporters had spotted Kira and were rushing over.
"Say, are you
Warrior Princess?
"
"Princess, what's your name? Where are you from?"
"How do you know Jon Hansen?"
The situation was Jon's biggest nightmare. Kira's dream was to simply go to school like a normal teenager. If anyone started digging into her background, they'd find out she didn't have a past. She'd have to disappear from Earth, and that would spoil everything. Desperate, Jon grabbed Davy. "Do Kira a huge favor and get her out of here
now
. I'll explain later."
"Yeah, okay."
Jon took January's hand and pulled her in front of the cameras. "January Beck was the model for
Warrior Princess
."
January picked up the cue and played along by cozying up to him. "I loved posing for you." The reporters were delighted when Jon and January exchanged a quick kiss.
"Does anyone have any questions for me?" Jon asked.
"Is it true you killed someone called Guinn Tanner?" someone called out.
Shaking his head, Jon forced a laugh. "Of course not. The guy who attacked me must be some kind of crazy stalker. Guinn Tanner is the father of a former girlfriend. Mr. Tanner might have wanted to murder
me
a couple of times, but he's absolutely fine."
The reporters chuckled. Out of the corner of his eye, Jon could see Davy hustling Kira from the museum.
"So who was the man who attacked you?" a reporter asked. "Do you know him?"
Jon shrugged. "Obviously he's some nut job who wanted to get on TV."
The impromptu press conference lasted until the police officers arrived. Charles spoke to them briefly, gave them his card, and arranged for Jon to be interviewed after he'd sought medical attention.
Without further delay, Charles escorted Jon and January from the museum. By the time they reached the car, Jon had a massive headache. And that was before an irate Charles lit into him.
"What in the world were you were doing? I told the reporters you weren't going to be answering any more questions!"
"I'm sorry, but I had to create a distraction," Jon said. "Kira showed up and I couldn't let them ask her anything."
A muscle worked in Charles's jaw. "You took a big risk, kid."
"My whole life is a risk," Jon muttered.
"I'll contact the investigators and tell them you won't press charges," Charles said. "I expect there will be an investigation anyway, but hopefully it won't involve you."
"I think it was sweet of you to protect Kira," January said from the back seat. "I hope I didn't mess things up. She sure looked jealous."
"She did, didn't she?" As he considered the idea that Kira had been jealous, his headache didn't hurt quite so much⦠until he remembered the anomaly.
He contemplated transporting to Dragon Isle to speak with Quixoran when he got home, but then he chickened out. His grandfather wouldn't be happy to see him after he'd missed training last Sunday, and Jon wasn't in the mood to get dressed down. He was scheduled to go to Dragon Isle the next afternoon anyway. In the meantime, he needed to formulate an apology.