“Why were we not informed of this?” Rocco slammed the Sunday paper down, furious.

Sitting at the breakfast table with the family, he’d just read aloud to the rest of us about last night’s details. The paper claimed Slade Vale escaped not long after the police took him into custody. Rocco was fuming, as was I.

“The man tried to kidnap Elz and kill Devon. Did they not think he might come back here? Someone will answer for this.”

We were in the smaller breakfast room, since our guests—family from Europe—were occupying the larger dining hall. I had already explained all I could remember learning of the crocotta. Of course, the others found it very hard to believe. Yet they had no choice but to believe in light of what they had seen with their own eyes. I’d contemplated telling them the truth about everything—who I was, where I was taking Elz, everything. But I’d decided that with Vale still running loose, the less they knew, the less they could tell, and the safer Elz would be. If they had no information to tell, they would be safer as well.

“And what about Elz now?” Olivia said appearing deeply troubled as she lowered her shaking hands to set down her coffee cup. “What’s going to stop that…that…Vale creature from coming for her again?”

“I am,” I said.

Rocco stared at me, and didn’t look convinced I could succeed against such a creature. He turned his gaze on his troubled wife, and I could almost see the wheels in his head spinning. He pointed a finger in the air. “We’ll hire bodyguards.” He looked at Elz and then me. “No. No. Better yet, we’ll all come to England with you until that beast is locked away for good.”

Bloody hell! How will I deal with this one?

He was on a roll and looked back at Olivia. “The boys and I will help Devon protect Elz. Besides, Liv, I’m not willing for you to be here in this house with that thing lurking about. In fact, we need to go ahead and send all these guests away, for their own safety. I’m sure they’ll agree after they read the morning paper and learn of Vale’s escape. Some have already approached me over the gunshot this morning. I told them Reed rid us of a possum.”

Elz looked at me with trust in her eyes. I knew what she was thinking because I was thinking it too—her father had a point. What if Vale used her mother, or anyone in her family, to get to her? Elz merely said one simple word, but it was said in such a way that it left me without doubt of her confidence in me. She felt whatever knowledge came out of my mouth would be exactly what we needed to do. Her one word was—“Devon?”

With all eyes on me, I smoothed my hand over my chin, as if weighing the options. Even though it really should have been a major decision, in truth, my heart had been set the moment Elz said my name as though she trusted me to make everything in her life all right. I could never refuse her anything, and knowing she feared for her family, there was nothing more to consider. Besides, Rocco had a valid point concerning Olivia’s safety and getting her away from Bainbridge. Even though my heart was set on giving Elz anything she desired, and I would have let them go back in time for no other reason than that Elz wanted them with her, I believed now that really the safest place for them all would truly be in the past, away from the chaos.

I looked at Jarrett. “Jarrett, would you please pull up Devon Phoenix the twelfth Duke of Seton on your laptop, and his wife as well?”

Jarrett’s eyes bugged open, pinning me with a stare. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I believe it to be the best course of action for all involved.”

Shrugging, Jarrett slid out of his chair and headed off to retrieve the laptop.

I drew a breath in hopes that I was making the right call, and I took the plunge, telling the Valli family the unbelievable truth about their daughter and sister—that she would become the twelfth Duchess of Seton, and I was indeed the man in the painted portrait in Elz’s room. I told them how it was Elz who’d painted it, and gave it to Edith Bainbridge with the strict instructions of inheritance. I explained that Jarrett was actually their ancestral grandson. I also told them about the book I found and about the mirror in the painting being the legendary Wall of Solomon. And lastly, I explained how I traveled through that mirrored wall to come for Elz and take her home with me.

At their troubled expressions, I assumed anyone would be dismayed at the thought of their family member being taken from them in such a way—not only hauled off to another country, but all the way to another century. I was quick to assure them that I’d always had every intention of bringing Elz back to see them anytime she desired.

Jarrett’s return drew my attention as he sat down at the table, opened the computer, and logged onto his personal page.

I turned my gaze from him and became painfully aware Elz’s family was still staring at me as if dumbfounded. It dawned on me that they didn’t believe me—their faces weren’t ones of dismay, but of horror at their decision to allow their treasured Elz to marry a hallucinating, mentally deranged man.

Jarrett turned his laptop toward them and said, “She’s all yours.”

They pulled their gazes from me and looked at the screen with all its information and pictures. Their horrified expressions turned to disbelief at what their eyes beheld—Devon and Elz Phoenix, the twelfth Duke and Duchess of Seton.

Jarrett pointed to the image of a cracked and incredibly old photo. “This one here is great. It’s not that high a quality since mankind had only begun shooting photography of people that very year. But I like it because it was the very first photograph ever taken at Wedlove, and it so happens to be the family of the twelfth Duke and Duchess of Seton. It was taken in 1839 on their tenth wedding anniversary.” He looked at Elz and me. “Your tenth wedding anniversary.”

“What?” Elz reached for the laptop and pulled it to her. “Let me see. I don’t remember seeing a photo like that, and I’ve seen everything on the web about Devon.”

Jarrett shrugged. “This isn’t on the open web. It’s on my own, personal page.”

“My gosh, Jarrett.” Elz gawked at the screen, her finger moving across it. “Have you ever truly looked at this picture? Surely you would have recognized yourself. And there’s Mom and Dad…and Reed and Griffin, and…Jaymi holding your hand.”

“What?” Jarrett yanked the screen back around. “How could I have missed—?” His question faded as he stared at the screen. Everyone in the room scrambled out of their seats and toward the laptop, squawking simultaneously—most of the words emerging at the same time.

“Oh, bull,” Reed said.

“You’re making that up, Elz,” Olivia said.

“Let me see,” Rocco said.

“I’m holding Jarrett’s hand?” Jaymi asked.

“You’re right, darling,” I said.

“There’s no way she’s right,” Griffin said, standing in the back, fighting for a better view.

I stepped aside, giving him my place, and Elz’s family all stared in disbelief at the captured image of themselves taken two centuries before.

“How did you miss this, Jarrett?” Elz looked at our distant grandson.

“Well, Elz, I haven’t seen this picture since long before I met any of you. I didn’t recognize anyone but myself, and I certainly never assumed I was the man in the photograph. I thought it was another ancestor to whom I bore a striking resemblance, just like I bear a striking resemblance to Devon. Why would I assume I was the man in the photograph? Did you ever imagine it was you in all the photos of Devon’s wife?”

Her brows shot up and she gave Jarrett a guilty grin. “Point to you.”

As for the rest of the family, after taking some much-needed time to swallow all they’d been told and what they’ve just seen with their own eyes, including the shape-shifting incident with Slade Vale, they finally believed me, and I informed them of the travel plans the four of us already had laid out.

The Valli family agreed to join us on such an adventure. They realized after seeing the evidence, they’d always been meant to travel into the past at some point.

Everyone parted ways, but I remained seated, staring at the computer and pondering the photograph…

If Elz’s family was in this photograph, and the sole reason for me revealing our family’s time-traveling secret is because of Slade Vale, then who the hell is he…really?

 

 

 

My family dove into action, packing what few things they would need. My dad and brothers were all close in height to Devon, so they would be able to borrow clothing from his abundant wardrobe, just as Jarrett planned to do, though I imagined the shirts and coats would all be too big in the chest and arm width for them all. They would just have to make it work, or better yet, maybe Devon’s brothers and dad would be the ticket. Mom would share my wardrobe—Devon had told me he’d had many gowns made for me, plus I’d had several gowns and outfits made over the past few months in preparation for the trip. Jaymi had had several made at the last minute.

Feeling crummy about a few things, I headed for Mom and Dad’s room where I knew they were packing.

I knocked and heard Mom’s voice. “Come in.”

I opened the door and stepped inside. Dad was standing at his dresser, and Mom was coming out of the closet.

“Hi.” I smiled. “Do you mind if we talk for a minute?”

“Not at all, sweetie.” Mom gave me a once-over, and she clearly knew something was up. “Everything all right?” She reached for my hand, and we sat down on the bed. Dad continued to pack but watched from the corner of his eye.

“Yes, everything is fine—sort of. I just wanted to make sure you aren’t hurt because I haven’t been honest with you. The reason I never told you about hearing Devon’s voice was, well…what would you have thought if I’d told you I was hearing the voice of a man who was born over two hundred years ago? I had no way of proving it, so I assumed it would only worry you to the point of insanity, and I knew you would have sought doctors to try and help me. I sure didn’t want that.”

Chewing over my statement, Mom’s mouth screwed to one side. “Yes, I suppose you’re right, Elz. I’m glad you pointed that out because honestly, we were a bit hurt to find out you’ve been able to keep something so momentous from us for so long. But I see your point.”

Dad came to the foot of the bed. “As do I. Although I don’t understand why you didn’t tell us back when he first came through time, Elz.”

Regret sank in. I didn’t want my parents, whom I’d always been so close to, to feel discarded. “I hate that it had to be that way, Dad, but I’m not the only one to consider here. I have all these descendents who come after me, from our son Heroson, whom we’ll call Eros, all the way up until Jarrett, and still ones beyond him, who I don’t even know of. There was also the chance that you and the boys would’ve tried to prevent me from leaving with Devon, thinking he was a loon or something. Think of what would have happened to my descendants and the Phoenix bloodline if that had been the case. That was a chance I just couldn’t take. Please understand—I truly had no choice.”

Mom shared a look with Dad, then gave me a compassionate smile, pulling me into a hug. “Forgive us, Elz. We had no idea the heavy burden you’ve had to carry all alone. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me either, Mom. I’ve never had to carry the burden alone. I’ve always had Devon right beside me—even before he came for me. If his presence hadn’t been so strong, I would have thought I was going insane for sure. Even though I questioned my sanity many times, his powerful love always spoke to me deep in my soul and kept me on this side of sanity. Now that he’s here, I’m truly not alone.”

Mom brushed my cheek with the backs of her fingers, and I felt Dad’s hand on my shoulder.

Mom said, “Devon is a remarkable man. With him as your partner, you’ll never be alone, sweetie.”