Shadow Boxer: NA Fantasy/Time Travel (Tesla Time Travelers Book 2) (34 page)

The man’s voice ricochets off the ceiling. I leap up and race around the bed, twin balls of lightning handy. Before I reach the door, I hurl a yellow sun of lightning down the stairs. A grunt and a curse, and then a body tumbles down a flight of stairs. I ease toward the banister and peek over. A man lies at a crooked angle half in my kitchen, half on the stairs. He moans and I hurl a green ball. It oozes downward and latches tight around his wrists.

But where’s Penya? I creep to the end of the landing and crane my head, searching every angle of the stairs below me. That wasn’t very warrior of me, and Constantine would be pissed at how I handled it, but I couldn’t let them open that door and blow us all to bits.

I freeze, and listen.

“Up,” the oily voice grunts. I think he strains against his bonds. Not sure how long those are going to last.

I slide against the wall, where I know the stairs don’t make a sound, and slip down the first flight. As soon as I turn the landing, I’ll be in full view of the kitchen. If I throw lightning at Penya, she’ll most likely vanish, possibly leaving residue to follow. I’ve had it out around her in a static state, and it doesn’t impact her like it does Ilif, so I don’t have a lot of choices for immobilizing her if she’s the light beam version. I have to hope she came as the real version. I ready a glob of green, and—even though this isn’t the time for experimenting—add a mirrored ball of yellow. The colors fuse and create a swirling multicolored ball.

Then the green stains the yellow and launches me into the kitchen.

I spin, flaring my lightning out in every direction.

Penya stands frozen next to the doorway, one foot heading up the stairs. She looks regularly human. I hit her again with a transparent yellow, stunning her. Scrambling across the room, I lob another ball of green at the guy and drag Penya into the room by her hair. Her eyes are wide and pissed.

“That makes two of us.” I jam her on a stool and trap her feet and hands in glowing green strands. She’s been around forever and can probably slip these in seconds, but I’ve got to try something.

The yellow wears off her quickly and she’s four feet of seething abuelita. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Why are you in my house?”

I just came from your father’s. I was under the impression you would want to know how their first training went.”

Oh. I point to the bucking, struggling douche messing up my floor. “Who’s that?”

“How should I know? I came to see you and he was here. I thought you knew him.”

“You thought I knew a greasebag prowler?” My voice is frantic and my hands are shaking. I don’t know what to make of her. Nothing adds up.
 

“Why aren’t you projecting anymore?”

She fidgets on the stool, and I add another layer of green to her feet.

“Is that really necessary?”

“Talk.”

“I escaped during Ilif’s last absence.”

Validating Ilif’s story, or at least part of it. “So you came here? Why?”

“I told you, I wanted to let you know I’d been to see your father and sister. Tiana’s going to be as stupendous as you.”

I want to believe her, I really do, but something about this entire thing isn’t sitting right with me.

The guy moans and I march over to tower above him. I nudge his head with my boot until he opens his eyes. “Who sent you?”

He strains against the bonds. “None of yer business, bitch.”

I kick him in the shoulder. “My house, my business.” I drip a bolt of lightning to within an inch of his face. He doesn’t flinch—none of this is new to him. He was expecting me. Which means either Morgan, Penya, or Ilif sent him. I suppose to be fair I could include Constantine in that list, but the thought of it makes me sick.

The lightning flares brighter, but his eyes never leave my face. Wicked malice colors his every feature. I jerk toward him, spreading my arms wide. Nothing.

I straighten and force my face not to betray my fear. This man is beyond a professional. Ready for anything, prepared to kill. I’m deadlier, but I still can’t kill a man in cold blood… and yet, I’m not sure I want to have to kill that one in self-defense, either.

As I walk back to Penya, a shiver crosses my body, but I don’t look back. I know he’s glaring daggers at my back, preparing himself for a moment of attack.

I stop in front of Penya and cross my arms. Now what? If I overreacted, I need to let her go. If I didn’t, I can’t. There’s no way I’m letting douchebag go…
 

“Evy?” Mr. Steinaman knocks as he pushes open the front door.

Shit.
I hop over the body on the stairs and race down to meet him. Hopefully he brought reinforcements. I skid to a stop and grab the door so he can’t come in all the way.

He teeters against the door and pushes hard, then looks up with a frown. “Oh. You’re here.” He lifts his chin and tries to peer past me into the room. I move more of my body into the opening, blocking everything. “I made some calls. Whoever was in your house wasn’t FBI. Maybe a retired agent who’s been hired privately, but no one currently on the force. They have nothing to do with you.”

“Great, thanks. I’ll stop over in a bit.” Upstairs, a stool squeaks. I force myself not to look away.

“You okay?” He narrows his eyes and searches me with his piercing blue stare.

“Yeah, yeah. Just taking a break before I leave again. Anything else?”

His jaw clenches and he taps his cane on the floor. “You’d tell me, right?”

“Of course.”

He grunts. I need him to believe me right now. “And you’re gonna tell me about this appearing thing, too?”

“Of course.” The door’s almost closed. “Stop by in a bit.” I wave.

He turns and ambles to his house.

I push the door the last few inches, don’t bother locking it, and take the stairs two at a time, green lightning at the ready. My prisoner’s no longer in the doorway to the kitchen. I brace myself for whatever I’m about to find, arms out and cocked to fire.
 

Penya races past, shoving me hard in the chest and darts up the final flight, hell-bent on making the spare room—moving quicker than possible for both her age and figure.

Toppling backward, it’s clear I’ve underestimated everything about her.

Arms outstretched and falling into nothing, there’s only one recourse.

I throw the balls of lightning, needing to trip the explosion before she does. I need answers. I need her alive.

She’s at the door, hand on the knob.

“Penya, no!”

I crash onto the stairs and my head hits the corner, nearly blinding me with pain. Scrambling, I twist around to see up the final flight, to call Penya back.
 

The door opens and she’s gone.
 

A filament of residue hangs suspended in the air.
 

Green lightning drips from the doorjamb where I missed.

They both disappear in a giant fireball.

C
HAPTER
35

A
T
THE
LAST
second, I wrap myself in lightning and arc. Darkness snaps my head back and throws me into a tailspin. I fight to stay conscious. Before I can right myself, light flares around me, and my shoulder and back slam into the ground. My lungs compress and I’m struggling for breath again. Coupled with the spin, the lack of oxygen keeps me blind.

While I wheeze, hands pat my body. I brush them off and flail, drowning like a fish on land. Air won’t fill my lungs, no matter how wide I expand my chest. My vision narrows to a pinprick, and I’m losing my grip on both my sanity and my consciousness.
 

“Breathe,” Constantine’s voice says.

I gasp, and a drop of air lands in my lungs. Then another, tasting of dirt and old trees. My vision returns to Constantine’s face hovering a few inches away, concern and worry etched in the sharp lines. I wheeze.

I need him. Like I’ve never needed him. Tears spring to my eyes and I launch myself upward, wrapping myself around his neck and pulling him down. My heart is hammering in my chest. He curls an arm around me and croons in my ear. “Easy, easy. What has occurred?”

“I’m so out of my league.” I gasp for a deeper breath, overwhelmed by the confusion and terror of the last few minutes. “Penya… ”

I’m frantic. Losing my hold. Nothing makes sense.

“You’re here now. I have you. I will protect you.”

And with that declaration, everything else falls away. I suck in air and the trembling subsides. Somehow it’s all going to be okay. If I’ll let him help me.

He’s always had my back. Even when I didn’t need him…
especially
when I didn’t need him. He’s been waiting on me, but not waiting for me to become weak and needy… Waiting on me to figure it out and find my strength.

Warriors fight as a team for a reason. One man, no matter how fantastic his swordsmanship, cannot fight alone and win.

I get it.

Asking for help—and accepting it—isn’t weakness. It’s strength.

Whatever Penya is, whatever version of Ilif’s story is truth, with Constantine at my side, we’ll figure it out together. He will expect things of me, big things… and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m going to need to be at my best if I’m going to unravel all these questions and lies.

Without me saying a word, his face changes. Gone is the worry, replaced with pride.

He drops his lips to mine, a gentle acceptance of my place here. Our bodies press together, his leaning over me, protecting me, me drawing strength from him. There is a solidity to him, like the earth. I run my hands over his shoulders and sigh into his mouth.

He pauses and lifts his head. “Am I boring you?”

I smile and smooth his cheek. “Just glad to be home.”

One eyebrow lifts. I know he won’t ask me again.

I settle against him and link my hands behind his neck. “My life just went from bad to worse. I don’t know who to trust. And I could use someone to protect me.”

“Someone?”

He’s going to make me work for this. I kiss the hollow of his throat, where his pulse is racing, and I pull his head down closer so he can see the truth in my eyes. “No, not someone. You. I need you.”

The corner of his eye ticks.

He kisses my forehead and pulls back so he can search my face. “I will trail you to the furthest reaches of time. Under my watch, no harm will befall you.”

I catch the tear as it slips from his eye and pull his lips down to mine.

C
HAPTER
36

L
ATER
,
AFTER
WE
’
VE
sealed our promises with our bodies, I slip out of the house and make my way across the camp. There are a thousand worries I need to tend to, but if I’ve learned anything during this alteration, it’s that I must take care of myself. I am the core of how and why this works. Being here keeps me whole, helps me center. For now, Nikola’s papers are safe beneath miles of water, the duplicates have been destroyed, and Camaria has the missing ones to continue his life’s work far in the future. Yes, Penya’s on the loose, but that’s not new. I may know nothing about Ilif’s motivations, but did I ever?

I get to figure out those puzzles, but not in the next hour. Same with that hell of a mess that used to be my spare bedroom. And a lot of explaining for Mr. Steinaman.
 

At a small outbuilding, I stop and rap my knuckles against the archway.

A grizzled face peeks out from the shadows. “Lightning goddess.”

I smile. “Constantine says you used to tattoo the deserters and slaves.”

His eyes flick to the compass tattoo at my wrist.

“I’m neither, but will you tattoo me?”

“Slew Orpheus today, did you?”

I have no idea who that is, but since he looks impressed by the possibility of me offing Greek gods, I go with it and nod. “Not yet. I need more armor.”

His loud bark of laughter fills the small room. “Come then, let’s mark you to warn your man.”

As I settle into the warm depths of his ancient tattoo parlor, a calm settles over me and I relax into it, letting my eyes drift closed.

I’ve had better Wednesdays, but I’m on the right track.

A ripple disturbs the air, but I keep my eyes closed. Another rap against the doorframe. My artist doesn’t pause in his tattooing.

“Evy?” Ilif’s voice.

“Mmm.”

“Tiana never made it home.”

My arms flail, but I can’t touch anything. I swear my eyes are open, but a darkness surrounds me. Butterflies quiver in my belly, wherever that is because I can’t feel it. I bring my hands to what I think is my middle, and the warmth of my hand is echoed back through my skin. I’m trembling, but at least now I know I’m in one piece.

Lights, colors, and sounds explode around me like a wicked, crazy kaleidoscope. My mouth is flooded with tastes, like the colors and noises saturate all my senses. I’m kneeling on something hard, and I blink twice to clear my vision.

Colors become things and it’s obvious I’m no longer in the warehouse with Evy, but I’m not home like she said I would be, either.

A wide plain stretches before me, and the tall grass tickles my nose. I press my hands into the dirt and push up. My tongue mellows out and I can only smell the wheaty, earthy smells of wherever I am. I wrinkle my nose. There are some other funky smells, too.

Footsteps tread on the crunchy grass behind me and I spin.

My guts relax. It’s only Penya.

END OF BOOK TWO

Book 3 of the Tesla Time Travelers series,
Storm Front
, will raise more questions than answers. Now more than ever, Evy must figure out she can trust and who will lie at every turn.
 

Getting the truth wrong will cost the ones she loves their very lives.

Buy your copy here—>
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Stormfront

Tesla Time Travelers Series. Book 3.

With the people she can trust dwindling to a handful, Evy must again head into danger. This time, she’ll have Constantine at her side, and she’ll need him.