“That’s lucky, because that’s where we’re going. Envision it.”
Easy peasy.
In my mind, I called up a memory of the iconic arena. It was so vivid, I could smell the dirt on the ground, and sense the warm, Roman sun on my skin as I walked in the ring.
“Now, open a warphole.”
This was familiar to me too, and I did it without issue.
“Very good,” Morgan breathed softly. “Now take that image and place yourself back in time. When you see the strands of time forming around you, grab the one I point out.”
“I didn’t have to do that before. Threads of time just spun around me, and we moved through the warphole.”
Morgan smiled and tapped my totem with her finger. “That’s because I was guiding you. You brought time into being around you, and I claimed the proper strand. Otherwise, who knew where you’d end up?”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. I hadn’t thought about that so deeply. When we’d first arrived here, we’d all been so happy to be safe and away from the demons, details were forgotten. But now that I considered it, her explanation made so much sense. I hadn’t even gone through the warphole first, my friends had. So yes,obviously, someone other than me had to have chosen the era we landed in, and they’d done so very purposely.
“Thank you. I’m sorry I didn’t say that sooner.”
Morgan smiled. “It was my pleasure. Now, envision the Colosseum.”
I nodded, and closed my eyes. I imagined myself in the ring, wearing this dress, and staring up at a crowd of cheering Romans. Someone resembling a leader—a caesar, I supposed—waved. The air around us grew hotter than it normally did when I made warpholes.
“Odette, open your eyes.”
I did as she said and gasped. All around us, strands of time spun. Sounds came from them, mostly cheering. Although I heard a couple guttural screams too.
“That one,” Morgan said after squinting at a specific strand for a few seconds longer than the others. “Take that one. As soon as you latch on, pull your warphole toward us.”
I blinked, unsure how she knew which strand to grab. They were all colored differently and measured various lengths, but gave no indication as to the era they led to. Still, I trusted her, so I did as she said.
My arm stretched out of the protective circle. I plucked the short bright yellow strand of time out of the air.
I was immediately hit with the sensation of oil being poured over my body, and then dirt being blown over top of the oil coating me.
Gross.
“Pull the warphole into the protective circle,” Morgan whispered, bringing me back to the task at hand.
Calling the portal to me, I did as she said, allowing its inky darkness to slip over my head, and the heat, followed by a snowstorm of cold, to wash over me.
Both being veteran warpers, we slipped through the warphole naturally. I grinned, barely daring to believe that timewalking could be this effortless.
Suddenly, the strand of time dissolved, taking with it the icky sensation of oil and dirt on my skin.
“Wow,” I breathed as a beam of sunlight blinded me at the same time our feet touched the ground.
I closed my eyes, waiting for the spots to vanish and relishing the heat on my skin. Dust filled my nostrils, alongside a tangy scent that I couldn’t quite place. The sounds of a cheering crowd hit my ear.
My heart rate kicked up a notch. We’d made it.
“How did you know what strand to pull?” I asked.
A chuckle left her lips. “It’s part of your natural magic. Once you become more comfortable slipping through time, they’ll start to call to you. You’ll figure it—” She stopped speaking and her hand tightened around my arm. “Odette, back up slowly.”
I blinked my eyes open and shielded them with my hand. Morgan’s face came into focus against the stark sunlight. Her eyes were wide as she guided me backward.
“What? Why?” I blinked again, and the rest of the world came into focus.
