“I—” Excuses scramble through my head. “I need to talk to you.”
“It can wait.” He shoos us toward the exit, moving to shut the door.
“It can’t!” I insist. “Because—it’s an emergency!”
His eyes widen with concern. And, as if on cue, an agonized, high-pitched wail sounds from down the hall.
What the hell?
Mr.Whelehan barges between Lionel and me, rushing out to find Sabine theatrically collapsed on the floor, clutching her ankle. Her performance is over-the-top, but Mr.Whelehan doesn’t notice. As her fake shrieks grow louder and more dramatic, he races toward her, abandoning William in the empty office.
This is our chance.
I send a silent thank-you to Sabine as we burst back inside. William leaps from his chair. He’s dressed identically to the first time we met, cravat and all, looking extremely relieved.
“We’ve got to go!” Lionel exclaims.“Now!”
William doesn’t need to be told twice. He’s by our side in seconds. “I apologize for this inconvenient timing.”
“Not your fault,” I say. “But hurry. We don’t have much time.”
As we scramble from the office, Mr.Whelehan shouts a stern,“Hey! Stop!” from down the hall. But he’s too far away, still preoccupied with Sabine, and we’re quick to scurry out the exit.
We avoid the sprinkler commotion in the courtyard, sprinting toward the outer loop as we create distance from the school. It’s the longer way to the houses, but there’s less chance we’ll be seen and stopped. Once we’re on the familiar path, we double our speed as we bolt into the night, our legs carrying us to where it all began.
Above us, the sky transforms. Smears of brilliant green shift and move like a living thing, particles colliding with the earth’s atmosphere to produce a glowing stream across the sea of stars. My breath catches, a puff of air releasing on my exhale. It’s an extraordinary sight.
Lionel leads the way as we diverge from the loop’s path. We weave through towering trees that expand into the wooded area. Snow lies thick on the earth, dampening my sneakers and soaking the bottom of my dress. My pulse is a staccato rhythm. How long until Mr.Whelehan alerts Ellerby about William’s escape?
Up ahead, Sumner’s using a flashlight to inspect the isoborometer. His head lifts when he hears us, eyes lighting up when they find me.
“Hi,” he says, breathless, pulling me into him. His thunderous heartbeat pounds against my cheekbones. “We need to move fast.”
My stomach twists. “Is it working?”
“I think so.” He tucks his pen behind his ear. “I measured the strength of the field, exactly where it begins and ends, and ran thecalculations a few times. Each result showed the strongest point was here—”
I track his gaze toward the isoborometer. Mechanical clicking and whirling oscillate at a rhythmic pace, a sign it’s registered energy from the storm. Relief bows through me. As long as we’ve succeeded with our engineering, it should begin to reverse the direction of the vortex by stimulating its core, shifting the time pathway from now to then.
“We’re not certain it’ll pull the force we need—it’s all theory, at this point—but weshouldsee results when the geomagnetic activity is at its strongest.” Sumner checks his phone. “Eleven minutes from now.”
I look to Lionel for confirmation. He nods.
“And I’m to stand here?” William asks quietly.
“Yes,” Sumner says, the word a whisper into the night.
I can’t help but notice concern pinched between his brows. “What aren’t you saying?”
Sumner catches Lionel’s eye, then releases a taut breath. “I told you it’s theory,” he starts, raking a hand through his hair. “We’re not sure how much it may take. The vortex is wide. Anyone could end up at its starting point unless we’re out of its margins.” He looks between us. “It’s why I measured. I needed to be sure.”
William’s eyes drift toward mine. This is happening. I thought I’d be ready. I mean, I thought we’d have all evening together at the gala, but now everything is happening so fast. It’s an awful, sinking feeling knowing he’s on his own from here.
Lionel hands William his journal, shaking his hand one last time. William thumbs over the leather before tucking it inside his coat. He retrieves my old phone from his pocket and passes it to me. His eyes find mine, somehow fearless and forever regal, so I try to match his bravery.
My lungs fill on a shaky inhale as I slide the phone into my coat. “You’ve helped me more than you know,” I say. “It’s been an honor to know you.”
His smile is soft and sad. “Delaney, the honor is all mine.”
