Brianna's shoulders slumped. "I hadn't thought of it that way. But Chad's different. He's responsible, level-headed."
"I hope you're right," Bas said, her tone softening. "But we can't take any chances. I want you to bring him in tomorrow for an evaluation. We need to assess the full extent of his abilities and start implementing stricter training protocols."
Brianna nodded reluctantly. "I'll let him know. He won't like it, though. He's been enjoying the freedom of studying at home."
"This isn't negotiable," Bas said firmly. "The safety of everyone, including Chad, has to be our top priority."
Brianna nodded.
As she turned to leave, Bas called out, "Wait. There's something else you should know."
"What is it?"
Bas hesitated, her usually confident demeanor faltering for a moment. "We've detected... anomalies. Temporal disturbances that don't match Chad's known abilities or training schedule."
Brianna's eyes widened. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that either Chad has been practicing without our knowledge, which would be concerning enough, or..." Bas trailed off, her gaze distant.
"Or what?" Brianna pressed, a knot forming in her stomach.
Bas met her eyes, her expression grave. "Or there's someone else out there with similar abilities. Someone we don't know about."
Brianna felt the blood drain from her face. The cold chill that ran down her spine had nothing to do with the weather outside. Her mind raced, trying to process this new information. "But how is that possible? You've been monitoring temporal anomalies for years. How could someone slip under our radar?"
Bas shook her head, frustration evident in her furrowed brow. "I don't know. We're looking into it, but so far, we've come up empty. The disturbances are erratic and unpredictable. It's like trying to catch fog with your bare hands."
Brianna paced the room, her earlier concerns about Chad now overshadowed by this new threat. "Could it be connected to Chad somehow? Maybe his increasing powers are somehow... I don't know, resonating with someone else?"
"It's a possibility we're considering," Bas admitted. "Which is another reason why we need him here for evaluation. We need to rule out any connection."
“Okay. I get it. He actually wanted to come to the Imbolc ritual. Could we possibly say you permitted me to invite him? Then you can evaluate him without his being on the defensive.”
Bas considered this for a moment, then nodded slowly. "That could work. Usually, we go to the Tennessee mountains for a week during the sabbats, but I’m reluctant to go so far away right now. It would give us a chance to observe him in a more relaxed setting. But Brianna," she added, her voice taking on a note of caution, "be careful. If Chad is involved with these anomalies, knowingly or not, he could be dangerous."
Brianna felt a pang of defensiveness on Chad's behalf, but she pushed it aside. "I understand. I'll be on my guard."
As she left the mansion’s foyer, Brianna's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Was he a time manipulator? When he told her to wait, she felt frozen, and not just physically. It was as if time itself had stopped.
The possibility of another time manipulator out there was terrifying, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Chad was innocent in all this. She'd known him for years. Now she was watching him grow into his powers. The idea that he could be hiding something so significant seemed impossible.
17
As the Imbolc preparations continued around her, Bas pulled Brianna aside into a secluded corner of the mansion's sprawling gardens. Snow blanketed the dormant flowerbeds, and their breath misted in the frigid air.
"I have a mission for you," Bas said, her voice low and urgent. "One that requires your unique abilities."
Brianna felt a thrill of anticipation mixed with apprehension. "What kind of mission?"
Bas's emerald eyes glinted in the pale winter sunlight. "I need you to travel to the future. To observe Chad and ensure he remains aligned with our cause."
Brianna's eyes widened. "You want me to spy on future Chad? But I thought we agreed to invite him to Imbolc, to evaluate him here?"
"We will," Bas nodded. "But we need to take every precaution. Your mission to the future will give us valuable insight into how Chad's powers develop and whether he remains trustworthy."
Brianna felt a knot form in her stomach. The idea of spying on Chad, even a future version of him, felt wrong. "I don't know,Bas. It feels like a violation of trust. And you know how tricky time travel can be. What if I accidentally change something?"
Bas placed a hand on Brianna's shoulder, her expression softening slightly. "I understand your concerns. But this is bigger than anyone's feelings. The fate of our world could be at stake. We need to be certain about Chad's role in all of this."
