Chapter 12
Mutant Wizards
“Hey!” Cate responded to the umpteenth person today. Her newfound popularity in this altered time line was wearing thin. Eve had nailed it when she said popularity was overrated. It was also exhausting. Her cheeks ached from all the polite smiling she’d done already this morning.
Eve bustled through the door, her hair more dishevelled than usual and her skin drained of its normal glow. She dumped her books on the bench and held her phone three inches from her ear. “Slept in and irate Mother,” she whispered.
Cate heard the angry buzz of what sounded like a man’s voice on the phone, not Eve’s mother.
“Mum, I have to go. Class is starting.” Eve’s face broke into a beaming grin and she beckoned with her hand. “Hey, Rose, I saved you a spot.”
Cate spun on her seat. Momentum toppled her onto the polished concrete floor. Through the legs of her upended stool, she saw Rose’s perfectly toned calves strut in. Rafe traipsed past and there was a sliver of daylight between the bottom of his boots and the floor. He was gliding ever so slightly above the polished concrete. She waited for the all-important third set of legs.
“What are you doing down there?” Zach’s pallid face leered at her. “Look up ‘klutz’ in the dictionary, and your name’s there in bold print.”
She glowered as Zach pulled out a stool and plonked his stocky self at her bench. “You cannot be serious?”
Zach ignored her question and held out his hand. “Need some help up?”
“Touch me and I’ll tie your little fingers in a knot,” she hissed.
“Nice...” Rafe chuckled from behind her. “I sense a deliciously awkward few minutes ahead.”
“She asked you to keep your hands to yourself,” Austin’s silky voice broke in. He offered Cate a hand up.
“Brace yourself, dude,” Zach said. “She’s no lightweight.”
With a withering glare at Zach, she took Austin’s hand. She started to smile and caught herself. Oh, no! She would not be distracted by Austin’s boyish good looks, charm, smile, or any other part of his well toned body for that matter today. Last night on the phone she and Eve had discussed why the Timesurfers might be so interested in her. They discussed her saving the world, because Naitanui talked about destinies and they normally involved saving the world in some fashion. They disregarded destroying the world because Cate had been to the future and the world was still there. Eve had way too much fun thinking of horrible things that Cate could possibly be going to do.
“Recovered from your wild ride yesterday?” Austin glided onto the stool next to her.
“I took it all in my stride. Hey!” She slapped Zach’s stubby fingers as he trawled through her pencil case.
“I need a pencil,” Zach said.
“I don’t care,” she said.
Austin nodded to Zach. “Salutations, incompetent Newbie.”
Zach harrumphed and opened his books. He was such an idiot to be a Timesurfer.
Eve dug the pointy end of her pencil into Zach bicep. “I saw your cousin Jonah styling some ridiculous fight moves at the park this morning.”
An abrupt silence descended around Cate. No pencils tapped; no papers rustled. No one looked at Zach, but Cate had the distinct impression everyone was listening.
“I find it astonishing he shares any DNA with a loser like you.” Eve smacked Zach on the head with her pencil, oblivious to the death stare Rose gave her. “He made even my girl senses tingle.”
“Well I for one can appreciate that is quite an achievement,” Austin said.
Austin looked better today than yesterday. He might be with Rose, but Cate couldn’t stop thinking about him. She wanted to scoot her chair over as close as possible to him and hold his hand under the desk. Which was so lame it made her want to slap herself. She was no better than the boyfriend stealing Brittany, who was apparently one of her BFFs now and drove her to school each morning. It was a little bit funny Zach was dating one of the walking dead. She scrawled “Zach and Zombie Girl” on her desk and chuckled as she outlined it with a love heart.
“How did your night go?” Austin asked.
“I survived it.” Cate drummed her fingers on the bench. What to say now.
“Would you like to get some frozen yogurt after school?” Austin asked.
“Umm...” She thought after yesterday he would have dropped the pretence of being into her. Rose was definitely the type to favour aggressive negotiations when it came to everything. Especially if she thought someone was moving in on her boyfriend, irrespective of what an outrageous flirt he was being.
“A coffee maybe? Your choice.”
Her traitorous heart popped each time he smiled. Frozen yogurt, coffee—she would happily eat dirt to spend time with him. No. She needed to focus. “You know, you could just tell me what you want and be done with all the games.”
“I live for the games!” He shook his head. “The more you know, the more you over think things, and the messier it gets. Trust me.”
She was unlikely to trust any Timesurfer in the near future.
“Cate, the monster trucks are in town. We should go and check them out,” Zach said in an overloud voice.
“Tempting, but I’m going to say no.”
“Admit when you’re beaten. She’s moved on.” Austin rubbed his hands together gleefully and bumped Cate’s shoulder. “It’s fun messing with him. Admit it,” he murmured under his breath.
Cate fought back a smile.
“Listen up!” Mr. Elms stood in front of the class. He taught calculus, not chemistry. “Mrs. Dent is ill and her replacement teacher won’t arrive until period three. That means you have two free periods. Do not leave the school grounds. I trust you are all responsible enough to use the time wisely.”
“Shall we catch some sun, Rose?” Eve tucked and retucked her hair behind her ears.
“Sounds great.” Rose stared at Austin’s fingers resting close to Cate’s. She rubbed a hand across her forehead and suddenly looked incredibly weary. When she noticed Cate staring, a look of pure hatred replaced the weariness.
Anger stabbed at Cate. Rose had the boyfriend with the wandering hands and “come throw yourself at me” smile. She should send her death stares his way.
“That sounds like fun, Eve,” Rafe said.
“I don’t remember inviting you.” Eve gave him a dark look.
Rafe quirked his eyebrow. “Not up for a bit of competition?”
Eve flushed beetroot red all the way to her hairline. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She kept her eyes on the books she was stacking and restacking.
That was a nice twist on your ordinary love triangle. Rafe had a thing for Rose, but so did Eve. Cate didn’t fancy either of their chances of luring Rose away from Austin. They were about as good as her chance of enticing Austin away from Rose. Not that she would even contemplate attempting to do that.
“You can hang with me, Cate. Come and experience life in the land of the popular.” Zach looked extra short and stocky next to Austin.
“Again...tempting, but I’ll decline.”
“You think you’re quite the charmer, don’t you?” Rose eyed Zach with distaste.
“Come a little closer and I’ll show you just how charming I can be,” Zach said with a completely straight face.
“I think your cousin Jonah might have something to say about that.” Austin stretched his arms over his head, and his white shirt rode up. “If you get past him, you’ll have to deal with me.”
That was a weird thing to say. Jonah and Rose weren’t together anymore. Why would he care who Rose associated with? Cate lost her train of thought as her eyes fixed on the sexy triangular stomach muscles flashing between Austin’s low-slung school trousers and shirt.
“Keep your opinions to yourself.” Rose punched Austin as she went by, ruining Cate’s view.
“You coming, Cate?” Eve trotted after Rose.
“I might catch up.”
Eve looked from Cate to Rose.
“Go.” Cate flapped her hands.
The classroom had emptied. It wasn’t until Zach scraped his chair that Cate realised he was still there. His blue eyes blazed at Austin. “I don’t like you and your friends. At all.” He jammed his books under his arm and stalked from the classroom.
“I thought he was going to pop a blood vessel,” Austin said.
“I need some answers.”
“Do you have specific questions, or are you making a general request for information?” Austin slid onto the desk, carved with random thoughts on school and the world in general, most rated PG 13 plus. He swung his legs and looked at her expectantly.
Cate stopped herself from returning his sexy smile. “I have plenty of specific questions.”
He threw his arms wide. “Ask away.”
She cleared her suddenly parched throat. A list would be handy right about now.
“Okay,” Austin said. “I’ll get the ball rolling with a quick recap of the salient points as I see them. On a mission to disarm a bomb, which Jonah had set, I ran into a complication...you.”
Cate rolled her eyes. This was going to be a very one dimensional and unflattering recount.
“Actually, I might go back a bit. Around 500 years ago...”
“Oh, come on! Seriously?”
“Hush and listen. A very resourceful young warlock, Elias, discovered the magic of time travel.”
“Jonah mentioned him...”
Austin held up a hand. “I’ll take questions and comments at the end. Elias learned changing history altered the present. The emperors immediately outlawed the use of magic throughout their lands and captured anyone suspected of sorcery. Most were executed, but the emperors hid and trained a small army to protect their lands against Elias and his growing group of followers. Naitanui was the wizard responsible for training their secret army, which they called Timesurfers.”
“The Naitanui I saw yesterday?”
Austin nodded.
“So he’s a 500 year old wizard?”
He nodded again.
“And the Elias guy is now rebuilding his army?”
“There are unconfirmed reports of that. Mortez overthrew him a few years ago. She’s Jonah’s commander.”
Cate’s jaw dropped. “Mortez is a woman?”
Austin’s eyes sparkled. “We’re an equal opportunity organisation.”
“Why are Mortez and Naitanui at war?”
“As Naitanui explained yesterday, he’s committed to a history untainted by magic, regardless of whether it’s good or bad. Mortez focuses on a history that gives her maximum control. It’s been a long and bloody dance.”
“Is Mortez a wizard like Naitanui and Elias?”
“She’s not a pure blood like them, but she has wizard blood.”
She folded her arms and contemplated him for a moment. “Do you have wizard blood?”
“All Timesurfers have magic in their blood. Most of our non-time travel magic has been lost or diluted over the years. Elias and Naitanui are the only pure blood wizards left. There are other pure blood wizards around who aren’t Timesurfers, but they keep well hidden. Elias in particular is always on the lookout for a wizard to corrupt or blackmail. The rest of us are mutant wizards with varying degrees of wizard blood.”
Cate chuckled. “Mutant wizards. You don’t think that sounds a tiny bit funny?” She shouldn’t laugh. But come on.
“No.” There was no amusement in his voice or his face.
“Okay.” Cate fixed a serious look on her face. “So you’re a mutant wizard.”
“People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. You have magic in your blood. You seeing all the changes and your powers are remnants of magic.”
Her fingertips turned white as she clutched the edge of the bench. “My powers?”
“Your awakening of Brittany and ability to compel Rafe are your powers beginning to develop.”
A migraine threatened behind her left eye again. “Do I know you in the future?”
Austin screwed up his face. “If you’re who I think, I may have seen you once. You aren’t a big socialiser.”
Excellent, she was so unmemorable, Austin wasn’t sure if he’d seen her. “Jonah knows me.”
Austin shrugged. “Or he may want you to think that.”
“Like reverse psychology?”
“Exactly like that.”
“Jonah is with Mortez. So if he does know me it’s highly likely I’m with her in the future. I chose the evil team.” She dragged her hands down her face. That couldn’t possibly be right.
“I don’t know if evil and good are the right way to look at Mortez and Naitanui. Mortez does break the rules Naitanui holds so dear which sometimes saves lives. Other times not so much. Mortez is also big on using time travel for personal gain and rectifying what she determines to be wrong.”
The second hand ticked over on the silver and white clock above the door. When it had completed a full revolution, she broke the silence. “Naitanui said he couldn’t confirm who I am because someone was cloaking my identity with powerful magic. It’s more logical Elias the 500 year old wizard would be responsible for that. Not Mortez. I might have chosen him.”
“That’s an enormous and dare I say it unfounded assumption.”
“I’m not an evil person. I wouldn’t be with Mortez.”
“Jonah is the most decent, noble and brave person I know. Choosing Mortez doesn’t mean you’re a bad person.” Austin squeezed her shoulder. “You can go round and round with this stuff for days and get nowhere.”
“Maybe my destiny is to unite all the Timesurfers. That would save them having for choose between Mortez and Naitanui.”
“That’s not a destiny. It’s a fantasy.”
“This is horrible. I’m going to be second guessing every single decision I ever make. I’ll go insane. So unless that is your plan, I need to know what you want me to do so we can all move on.”
“I can’t say anything more. The magic won’t let me. It’s your birthday tomorrow, right?”
She blinked at the monumental change of subject. “Yes.”
He placed his index finger under her chin and tilted her head until their eyes met. The world fell away, and a delicious warmth swirled through her stomach. His warm cheek brushed hers as he whispered close to her ear. “Instead of us getting a coffee this afternoon, let me take you on a real adventure. I’ll pick you up at five tomorrow morning.”
Wasn’t it dark then?
“Dress warm.” His thousand watt smile sent her pulse through the roof. He called Naitanui, and disappeared.
She was hooked. Just like that. She needed Austin in her life more than air, Rose or no Rose.
***
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. After four exhausting periods of her considering hundreds of possible futures, the final bell rang. She ignored Zach calling her and strode to her locker. Wrenching it open, she stopped abruptly. Inside was a miniature hot air balloon with a wicker basket full of rocky road chocolate. A note propped in the wicker basket read, “Can’t wait.” She did a little happy dance as she reread the message. They were going ballooning. Was it possible to explode with happiness or excitement?
“What’s got you dancing?” Eve peered into the locker.
Cate slammed the door. “Nothing.” She wanted this to be just between her and Austin.
Eve shook her head and returned to packing her locker. “How goes it with Austin?”
“What do you mean?” Cate concentrated on pushing the cuticles on her nails back.
“Don’t insult me,” Eve said. “I see this thing you two have going on.”
“There’s no thing.” In true best friend tradition, Eve was displaying excellent intuition. “I’m pretty sure he has a girlfriend.”
“What? No!”
“I do like him.” Saying it aloud was a relief.
Eve grinned devilishly. “Likey lots, methinks.”
“Methinks you likey Rose lots.”
Eve’s grin disappeared. “Would you be weird with that?”
Cate laughed. “Absolutely not!”
“For real?”
“Of course.” She hugged Eve’s tiny shoulders. Whether Eve dated boys, girls, or both made no difference to Cate. Rose might not be the best choice though. “Are you sure Rose doesn’t have a boyfriend?”
“I asked her flat out if she was seeing anyone, and she said no.” Eve’s eyes glowed, her delicate facial features animated as she spoke.
Had Austin actually said he was dating Rose?
“Oh, look.” Eve closed her locker with a clang. “It’s raining godlike men—I see a weapon of mass seduction headed your way.”
“What?”
“Jonah at two o’clock.”