CYRUS?” FORT SHOUTED, BARELY ABLE to believe this was real. He stepped forward and hugged his friend … except his friend wasn’t there, and Fort stumbled right through him.
“Oh, sorry about that,” Cyrus said, stepping out of his way. “You’re not really here, and I should have said something. The me in your present time sent you forward to speak to the me a few hours in the future, so I could give you a message. You know how it goes.”
Fort straightened up, staring at the other boy. “No, I really don’t, at all. What are you doing here? When are we?”
Even as he responded to Cyrus, Fort realized that was ridiculous. The other boy couldn’t actually see or hear him, because only his consciousness was here. He wasn’t exactly sure how Cyrus had known he went for a hug—maybe he just assumed—but there was no way he could actually hold a conversation with Cyrus.
“Oh, we’re only a few hours from your time,” Cyrus told him. “Maybe … two? And as for what I’m doing here, I just wanted to help you and the others. See this place?” He turned around and gestured at the cottage behind him. “When you get the book of Spirit magic, before you destroy it, bring it back here. I’ll be waiting, and we’ll be safe here.”
Wait, what? “You can actually hear me?” Fort said carefully.
Cyrus nodded. “Every word.”
“But how? I didn’t think I was really here!” And then something occurred to him. “Wait, can people in time visions always see you? Because we saw Damian burning London down in the future, and if he saw us—”
“Oh, no, it’s just me,” Cyrus said, smiling widely. “Nothing to worry about there. I just had more time with the book of Time magic than the others, before they were lost.”
“Yeah, they mentioned being lost, but wouldn’t tell us where they went,” Fort said. “Do you know?”
“Of course,” Cyrus said. “But you’ll find out soon enough anyway. For now, just focus on this cottage, so you can teleport back here when you have the book.” He stepped out of the way and vaguely waved at the cottage, like he was presenting a prize on a game show.
“I’ll remember what it looks like,” Fort said, getting a little irritated with yet another Time student not telling him anything. “But I have so many more questions. Were you here when the dome went up? What is this place? Why didn’t you help Sierra? She’s frozen back at the Carmarthen Academy, Cyrus. Not to mention that I’m expelled, and Colonel Charles might make me forget I rescued my father because I broke all his rules to come save you both. And now I find you hanging out in the woods?”
“Oh, don’t worry about Colonel Charles,” Cyrus said. “He’s not going to make you forget about your dad, not after what you end up having to do to him.”
Do to him? “Do to who?” Fort said. “Did you mean Colonel Charles or my father? And what do I do to … whoever?”
Before Cyrus could respond, a loud crash came from inside the cottage, and Cyrus sighed. “Eh?” shouted a voice from inside. “Do we have visitors, boy?”
“No, it’s nothing!” Cyrus yelled back, making Fort even more confused. “Just talking to myself out here!”
“Bad habit to get into,” the voice shouted, and more than anything it sounded like an old man inside the cottage. “Better quit it now while you can. I’ve been doing it for centuries.”
Centuries? “Who is that?” Fort whispered.
“No one,” Cyrus hissed back. “It doesn’t matter. I’m trying to shut him off, but I can’t get it to work. Hopefully he’ll be gone by the time you get here.”
Shut him off? What did that mean? Talking to Cyrus was always a bit confusing, but this was a whole new level. “Cyrus—”
“I have to send you back now,” Cyrus said, as something else crashed in the cottage, making him cringe. “Well, the me in the past will have to do it, but you get the point. He’s here too, in your time, dealing with him just like I am.” He nodded back at the cottage.
“Is that Forsythe?” shouted the voice from inside, and Fort’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you say so? Bring him in already!”
“It’s not time yet!” Cyrus shouted back. “And you’re not even supposed to be here!” He turned back to Fort, looking a bit desperate. “Come back when you have the book, okay? It’s vital that you don’t destroy it until then. Tell the others, and try not to get Damian too angry!”
“Too angry?” Fort said, barely able to keep up with the conversation, let alone the old man yelling from the cottage. “He’s about to destroy London!”
“And he’ll destroy you, too, if you get him angry!” Cyrus said. “So stay calm, and whatever you do, don’t let the others get into a fight with him, okay? Just trust me!”
Before Fort could respond, though he wasn’t even sure where to begin with that, the forest, cottage, Cyrus, and strange old man’s voice all faded away, replaced by the office once again.
A wave of dizziness hit him, and he stumbled slightly, only for Rachel to catch him. “You okay?” she asked, giving him a worried look. “Casting a teleportation spell hasn’t ever taken it out of you like that before.”
Fort looked up at her in surprise, finding everyone in the exact same spots they’d been when he’d opened the portal. In spite of talking to Cyrus for the last few minutes, his consciousness hadn’t been gone for any time at all. How was that even possible?
“I’m okay, just thrown for a second,” Fort said, giving Rachel a quick smile. He glanced over at Ellora and William, the former standing next to the portal, and the latter leaning on the desk. Both seemed to be giving him a curious look, so he straightened up. “Totally fine now, don’t worry.”
He could have told them all about Cyrus’s warning, and how they had to go to the cottage after they found the book of Spirit magic. But somehow he didn’t think that Cyrus wanted the other Time students to know about it. If he was hiding in the cottage now, then he had to have a good reason for it.
Besides, the Time students were keeping so much from him that it felt kind of good to have a secret from them.
“So you’re ready, then?” Ellora asked.
“As I’ll ever be,” Fort said, and waved for her to go through the portal.
“Where did you pick for us to hide out?” Rachel asked as she walked toward the teleportation circle next to him.
“Somewhere totally out of the way, where no one will think to look,” he told her. “Trust me—we’re going to be completely hidden there.”