Which means it hasn't happened yet.
And if it hasn't happened yet, I can stop it.
Gods, I need Alexis’s brain right now.
Professor Chen drones on about "temporal fluidity" for another twenty minutes, but the words slide off my brain like water off oil.
I stare at the clock on the wall.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Why does time move slower when your world is falling apart?
Every second that passes is a second closer to that vision becoming reality. A second closer to Wes becoming an unredeemable monster.
My leg bounces under the desk, a nervous rhythm I can’t stop. I need Alexis.
I need his strategy, his calm, his soldier’s mind to help me dissect this nightmare.
When the bell finally rings, signaling the lunch hour, I don't walk.
I tear from the room like all the hounds of hell are at my heels.
29
“Alexis!”
The door to my office flies open, and Theo comes stumbling in. Her eyes are wide and full of panic.
“What? What happened?” My chair falls over as I hurry to my feet.
“Gods, it’s Wes. I saw him, I saw…”
Her words trail off as she realizes that we are not alone. “Shit, sorry.” She takes a deep breath and tries to pull herself together.
Amos looks between us both and shakes his head. “I-I should be going.”
I press a heavy hand to his shoulder. “No, Bernard, no need. Just give me a moment.Wait patiently and ignore our conversation.”
Theo blinks away tears as I pull her close.
“Quickly, tell me what’s happened.”
“I was in divination,” she gulps, “and the Lumina must have ignited my seer ability or something. I saw Wes; he was in a white room, and there was a child strapped to a table. Wes was involved in doing something terrible to him. How do we stop that from happening? There must be a way.”
Seer abilities, too?Helvetti minus!
“Take a breath, pulu. Foresight can beanytime in the future and it’s not set in stone.” Even so, I make note never to let Theo be alone with Wes Hart.
“It’s as if Wes is evil now. But why? I don’t see the dark essence in him. How do I help him? Change him back to the sweet, loving man he really is?”
I wish I had answers for her. “Wes is with the others, yes? For now, we must make sure he’s not left unattended. That’s the best we can do immediately, but we’ll find a way to…reprogram him, or whatever he needs. I believe you when you say he’s intrinsically good.”
She calms a little. “Right, yes. OK, you’re right. One thing at a time.” Theo lets out a long breath, then squares her shoulders. “I’ll text Donovan, tell him to keep Wes close.”
She sends her message, then looks up, focusing on Amos.
“Er, what’s with him?” She gestures to the professor.
