He leaned in. “I’m through playing your games.”
The few patrons scattered throughout the tavern turned toward us, their chatter dying mid-sentence. Mugs hovered in the air. Eyes widened.
“Keep your voice down,” I hissed, leaning across the table.
“Or what?” he snarled.
I faltered. “Or… or…” My words withered on my tongue. “I don’t know.”
The fire drained from me in an instant. My limbs felt heavy, my skull aching from too many sleepless nights and unspoken fears. I wanted to lay my head on the table, let the noise and fury fade—but there was no time for that.
“We need to go back to John James,” I muttered. “I don’t like being lied to.”
Dancing Fire stared at me for a beat longer, unreadable, then exhaled hard through his nose. He stood, reached into his coat, and tossed a few battered coins onto the table with a clink of finality.
Then he turned and walked away.
“Wait!” I cried, scrambling to my feet and rushing after him. “Where are you going?”
He didn’t stop until he reached the tavern door. Then, glancing back over his shoulder, he said simply, “Back to see John James. Like you said.”
His eyes flicked toward the moonlight spilling through the window.
“The full moon is happeningnow.”
And with that, he disappeared into the night.
We time-traveled back during a brutal heat wave. The sun beat down ruthlessly, turning every breath into a struggle. Sweat soaked through my clothes as I slogged up the hill, my boots dragging through the dry earth.
John James’ cabin finally appeared, nestled beneath the gnarled trees. He was seated outside on a stump, lazily fanning himself with a curled parchment. His eyes blinked open, surprised at the sight of us.
I had no energy to storm up and accuse him like I’d planned. Instead, I sank into the dust beside him and said flatly, “We didn’t find the daggers. You lied.”
He stood, stretching his back. “I certainly didn’t lie. Based on what my sources told me, I gave you the best information I had.”
“Well,” I muttered, wiping sweat from my brow, “they lied, then. That’s all I ever get. Lies, lies, lies.”
John James exchanged a glance with Dancing Fire, unreadable.
“I never said you’d find the daggers,” he said with a note of exasperation. “I said it was a promising lead. That’s all.”
I groaned and flopped back, staring up at the cloudless sky.
Then he leaned in slightly, his tone shifting. “What if I told you I’ve got a better lead now? Something new.”
I snorted. “You’d probably tell me to go to hell.”
He smirked. “You’re already living there, remember?”
I turned my head, eyeing him. “I’m listening.”
John James leaned forward, forearms resting on his thighs, eyes glittering with excitement. “While you were away, I came across something... recent. A name. A connection. My twin brother, Jack.”
I raised a brow, skeptical. “You have a twin?”
He nodded. “Yes. And he’s the key to all of this. Jack immersed himself in the future. Specifically, 1988. He’s become a leading mind in time travel, in ways even I can’t comprehend.”
I squinted, trying to make sense of it. “Why would I go looking for Jack James?”
