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WHY NOW?
“Why would they arrest you? You saved people. The TSTA never charged you with an infraction before.”
My father handed me a piece of paper. “Read this. It’s from your mother.”
The paper was folded in three parts, stuck together with a seal that had been torn. Annoyed, I shot him a sideward glance. “You read this already?”
He shrugged.
After hissing a sigh between my teeth, I unfolded the paper and read.
Dear Calla,
I’m overjoyed that you’re safe and well, after all this time. I’ve been so worried! Ivory has told me the good news and the bad. Please thank Valcas for me, even though I hope to thank him in person very soon.
The TSTA will be hosting a party in honor of you and your father, here at the Headquarters. Everyone is eager to meet the two remaining Remnant Transporters. They want to know everything that has happened—what it was like to be caught in Susana, how you got there, and how you and your father were able to free the Lost. I’ve always been proud of you, but never as much as I am right now.
Don’t worry about money or clothing. I’ll have everything you need ready for you when you arrive, compliments of the TSTA.
Please extend this invitation to Valcas. Your other friends are welcome too. I look forward to thanking Ray and meeting his sister, Lily.
Much Love,
Doreen Winston
COMMUNICATIONS FACILITATOR, LEVEL II
TSTA Headquarters, Everywhen
“The TSTA knew about Susana.” I gulped. “Ivory couldn’t have known all that. It’s a trap.”
My father focused intently on the jar of salve in front of him, as if trying to memorize the ingredient list.
“Did you talk to Mom while you and Ivory were at TSTA Headquarters?”
“No.”
“What did you do, hide?”
He grunted. “I kept a low profile and allowed Ivory to do what was required of her to be able to come back here to visit Nick. Someone must take care of him in our absence.”
“You’re coming with us, then? You’re sure?” I wondered what had gotten into him. It was as if he’d given up, like he wanted to stop running. By attending the party he would be offering himself up to the TSTA. When the TSTA jets had shown up in Chascadia, he’d flipped out. We hadn’t even done anything wrong, and he couldn’t wait to flee. There had to be something more to it than the threat of arrest.
“Oh,” I said as a light bulb went on. A grin pulled at my lips as I considered something as long and drawn out as his battle with the TSTA—a passion he hadn’t been able to face. “You want to see Mom.”
Again, no answer. Not that I’d asked a question, exactly; it had been more of a conclusion. Either way, that jar of salve must have made super interesting reading.
Despite the prickling sensation of worry, a tiny part of me was excited. I couldn’t wait to see him all dressed up and bashful while Mom looked gorgeous in a party dress. I also wondered what his reaction would be when he noticed how much more quickly Mom had aged. My father looked so much younger.
“Okay,” I said, suppressing a smile. “When do we leave?”
“In the morning.”
“Will Valcas be healed enough by then?”
“His progress has been rapid. Of course, we must ask him if he would like to attend. But I see no reason why he can’t go. Nick, however—as I said, he will need to stay behind,” he added as if that last part wasn’t obvious.
“I’m sure Valcas won’t have a problem with that, especially if Ivory stays with Nick. He’s dying to get out of here—he’s bored.”
Ivory looked back at us. “Have you told Calla the news, Healer?”
My father raised his voice to a level much louder than it had been during our private discussion. “I have. Valcas, Nick, Lily: would you like to attend an event at TSTA Headquarters?”
“What kind of...event?” asked Valcas. His lips pulled back in disgust.
My father cleared his throat and explained what he’d told me, while I passed around Mom’s letter.
“How exciting,” said Valcas. His voice dripped with sarcasm. Then he looked at me, amused. “I’ll go under one condition. That I get to escort the more beautiful of the two Remnant Transporters.”
“Whatever,” I said, swatting my hands in his direction. I hoped I wasn’t blushing too much. I should have still been angry with him—you know, for acting like a jerk and rejecting me; but seeing him lying there in pain and hearing him say he wanted to take me to the party softened something in me.
He’d also explained his theory that his presence was what put me in danger. The story about his father wasn’t the type of thing that people made up. It was too painful. I decided one formal party couldn’t hurt. It wasn’t like we were getting married or anything. Besides, I doubted I could handle a third engagement with him.
“You’re really going, friend?” Nick said to my father.
“I’m sorry, but I must. There’s the threat of arrest, and I want to find out what’s behind the TSTA’s sudden interest in me and my daughter.”
“I won’t mind being alone with Ivory. With enough practice, she’ll make a lovely nurse.”
“Careful, Trav,” Ivory sang out. “As soon as I find any patch of you not covered in burns, I’m going to punch it.”
Nick grinned. “See what you’ll all be missing?”
“Do you think Lily is well enough to go?” Ray looked at his sister with concern as she stared back at us, one hand posed over Nick with a washcloth. “I’ll stay here with her if you think—”
My father beamed at him. “Both of you should come with us. If there’s information to find, it can’t hurt to have two Detail Technicians.”
Ivory snorted. “I’ll admit it’s a fantastic excuse to snoop around the TSTA.”
“Okay,” said Ray. “If the TSTA already knows about Susana, then maybe I’ll finally learn who did this.” He pointed, indicating his tattoo. “Lily doesn’t know how I got it either.”
***
BRIGHT AND EARLY—OKAY, purple and whenever—the next morning, my father, Valcas, Lily, Ray and I climbed the Clock Tower.
Due to Nick’s injuries, my father prohibited him from transporting us through the portal to TSTA Headquarters. My father planned to take us there with his baglamas instead.
Once we’d climbed high enough, my father started the process by counting. “One. Two. Three. Four!”
He swiped the baglamas through the air, scooping it back and forth. The strings hummed. The sound deepened, like swarm of angry bees. Next came the disorienting rush of the air bending. I’d traveled this way before, but it was still weird. The sound waves created an invisible vortex of air. Unlike transporting through the portal or with the travel glasses, the vortex sucked us in and pulled us together through time.
“Let go!” I just barely heard my father’s voice over the buzzing and wind. “Jump from the Clock Tower.”
My stomach flopped as we plunged. The wind took my breath away. We hovered. The air shifted again, pulled us in with a sucking sound, and then crammed us all together inside the vortex. Valcas’ chin pressed into my upper arm. The amethyst sky spun around us; actually, we were what spun, but that was what it looked like from my point of view until, suddenly, it felt like a floor dropped from below us. We fell. I smiled through clenched teeth as white light eclipsed the purple sky.
Our route was more direct than Valcas’ had been—back when he’d escorted me to my TSTA hearing. We landed outside the glossy blue building that had TIME AND SPACE TRAVEL AGENCY stamped on the door.
We immediately grounded ourselves for the impact of our arrival. Lily crouched next to me. I smiled. I was getting used to her looking up to me, even though we were close in age. She was so sweet and fragile. I wanted to help take care of her forever.
The security camera scanned each of us and then receded back inside the door. With a click, the door opened. Out of the corner of my eye I caught Valcas grinning. “This door seems to open just fine anytime I’m near it,” I muttered, crossing my arms. “Even now, when I’m not supposed to be in trouble.”
Valcas stepped in line behind Ray, who led us through the door. “Whether you’re a special guest or not, I’m sure we’ll find plenty of trouble here.” His smile faded. After working his jaw, he wrapped an arm around me. “Please try not to stay separated from me for too long.” Lowering his voice, he added, “This could be a trap.”
“Don’t think I haven’t thought of that,” I said, looking around. I recognized the bend in the hallway that led to the waiting room I’d used when I’d first visited.
“This way,” said Ray, pointing to an elevator in the opposite direction. “We can start with my office. Calla, I’ll call your mom and we can find out where to report from there.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out. My throat had gone dry. Even though I’d done nothing wrong and wouldn’t be defending myself at a hearing, something about being at TSTA Headquarters again made me nervous. Everything from the bare walls to the perfect spacing of the lights intimidated me as we walked deeper inside the building.
Valcas dropped his arm; his hand found mine. “It will be okay,” he said, rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb. In a low voice he added, “Think of this as our own personal mission to find out what the TSTA knows. We have our own plans; we’re not being ordered to follow theirs.”
I took a deep breath and nodded. Fear gripped me by its icy fingers, holding on tighter the deeper we got inside headquarters. How could I have been so excited about dressing up for some dumb party? What kind of messed-up dream was that? I should have stayed at the Clock Tower with Nick, in hiding. We all should have.
None of us knew what the TSTA was planning. And no one could trust their plans.