I threw my stiff body off my chair, so I kneeled on the floor in front of her and took one of her hands between mine. “I want to help. Please help me empower you. No one should make you feel like this.”
Quinn shook as the anxiety she’d been holding back for days spiked. She let out a choked sob.
“Let it out,” I whispered. “You don’t always have to be strong.”
She did. Massive tears streamed down her face, and she trembled violently. This woman had been through so much. My family was supposed to help her, not make it worse. The three unwanted tethers in her back burned me as if I’d forced them on her myself.
I stood and held out my arms. She leaned forward and buried her face in my stomach. I put a hand on the back of her head and gently massaged her scalp until the shudders stopped wracking her body. Grief burned off, leaving only fierce resolve.
She pulled away from me and wiped her eyes. “I needed that.”
I pulled my chair closer to hers and returned to my cross-legged position. “We all need that sometimes. I’m lucky I have Ezra.”
Quinn nodded. “You really are. You have to fix it.”
“I do, and I’m working on it, but you are more important right now.” I steepled my fingers again. “What do we do to get your magic working?”
Quinn pursed her lips. “I’m looking for a patch that will make my magic compatible with this time… um. Like a magic wand.” She blushed. “Something that bridges the gap so I can interact with the magic here. I think my problem is my age.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Your early twenties is the problem?”
Quinn snorted. “Almost mid or possibly a lot older or maybe just not made from the same stuff… possibly not even made from anything at all.” She looked right at me, daring me to say anything.
I’d already guessed she’d somehow traveled to us from the past. Her memories, her clothing, and even her mannerisms were relics of a world I’d never seen. The fact she didn’t know how she got here was concerning, but not pressing.
“Your origins won’t change the present, but they are an important connection to getting your magic working.” I carefully did not use the words ‘past’ or ‘time travel’ because she hadn’t, which meant she wasn’t ready to hear them. “Have you talked to anyone about your theories?”
Quinn shook her head. “I like my friends. I like who I am with them, here and now. They know I’m looking for an item, but they don’t know it’s because my magic isn’t from here. Well, Cayden’s smart. He’s probably figured it out.”
I was the first person she told. Given it was because she didn’t include me in the friends-she-liked category and had no idea I was also the Architect. But I would still take it. A thrill chased up my back, anda new wave of determination matched hers. “Let me help you. Direct me.”
“I have a new idea.” Quinn’s eyes crinkled. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this, maybe because I just cried in your arms and admitted I’m different… and you’re still sitting across from me.” Her bottom lip trembled. “Ezra’s staying so tight-lipped about the Architect, and I’m running out of options. I need control of my future.”
Her words hit hard, ‘control over my future.’The very thing I’d taken from her. Guilt twisted through me, sharp and familiar, but I couldn’t let it stop me. I’d built this family to make things right. I was determined to give her the safety and control she craved. What came next rose from both me and the Architect. “Talk is meaningless. Let me show you. Let me help you. Direct me.”
Quinn met my gaze. “I think this ‘converter’ I’m looking for is in The Old Fortress. Something drew me to it. Winston said Professor Holiday’s body never adapted to the magic here. The only reason he is still alive is pure tenacity and manipulation.” She took a deep breath. “Ezra warned me to stay away from Professor Holiday. Winston told me the Architect’s alliance with him was one of the few mistakes the Architect ever made.”
I narrowed my eyes. Winston had never said anything to me. In fact, Quinn’s entire opinion of the Architect made me question what else my allies were saying.
“Right?” Quinn said, misinterpreting my facial expression. “Most of the people here worship the ground the Architect walks on. If it’s too good to be true, it’s a scam.”
My eyebrows furrowed as a completely different picture of my allies replaced the first.
“But it hasn’t been good?” I asked dumbly.
Quinn’s entire face scrunched up adorably. “My relationship with reality is really, really complicated. Good has a wide range at the moment.”
I took a deep breath. There was so much to unpack just in that one sentence, much less all the ones that came before it.
“I want to hear more, but right now, I want to focus on you.” I leaned forward and placed a hand on her knee. “You want to go into The Old Fortress to look for something, so let’s go.”
She gave me a skeptical look. “No ‘that’s too dangerous’ or ‘there has to be a better way’ talk?”
I probably should’ve objected, but I’d felt her fail too many times already. She was ready to try something different, and if she felt a pull, I wanted her to follow it.
“I make things happen, Quinn. That’s literally my job. Do you want to go into The Old Fortress or not?”
Quinn’s lower lip shook. “I do.”
