Roman
We landed hard, the impact jarring through my bones. A vast field stretched around us, rolling into verdant hills with wildflowers swaying in the breeze.
A flurry of movement startled me—pheasants, their wings beating wildly, launching into the sky in panicked flight.
I threw up my arm, shielding my face from their frantic flapping.
Then, I pushed myself upright, taking a moment to catch my breath.
I turned in a circle, scanning the open expanse of land, trying to settle myself in this unfamiliar world.
Did we land in the right place?
And how the hell would I even know?
A groan sounded from behind me.
“Christ on a cracker, that landing hurt.”
I turned just in time to see Tristan staggering to his feet, rubbing his ass like a child who’d fallen off a swing.
The restraints binding our wrists vanished in the leap through time.
“Christ on a cracker?” I repeated, arching an eyebrow.
Tristan grunted, shielding his eyes from the sun as he scanned the landscape.
“It’s a modern phrase.” He let out a long, exaggerated sigh. “Fuck. We’re in the middle of fucking nowhere.”
“Shut the fuck up,” I snapped. “I’m already sick of you—don’t make me any sicker.”
I turned on my heel and headed downhill, drawn toward the faint, distant murmur of water.
If there was a stream, there was a chance of a road. And if there was a road, it could lead to civilization.
Tristan ambled after me, snapping a wildflower from its stem.
“Do you have a plan?” he asked.
“Not yet.” My boots sank into the rich loam of the earth.
Tristan twirled the flower between his fingers before tucking it behind his ear, the delicate petals a ridiculous contrast against his arrogant appearance.
“Are you going to make a plan?” he pressed.
I scoffed, shaking my head. What an idiot.
“Of course, I’m going to make a plan.”
Tristan’s eyes flicked as if expecting something to jump out of the tall grass and devour him.
“Will you tell me when you make it?”
“Probably not.”
I tipped my head back, inhaling deeply. There it was—that crisp, clean scent of water.
Tristan opened his mouth, probably to say something equally annoying, but I cut him off.
