forward. Her fingers shook so badly she jerked her hand back, afraid
she would touch the transparent wall before she was ready.
You can do this. She wiped her palms on her trousers,
and kept up the mental pep talk. You went all the way to England, alone,
when you’ve never been out of California. If you can do that, you can do this,
for Kane.
Before she could change her mind, she lifted her hand and
plunged it into the wall of light.
She expected pain. The warmth that spread up her arm
surprised her, and she relaxed—just before it seized her arm in a vise grip and
yanked her through the light and into nothing.
~ ~ ~
The portal spit Elizabeth out.
She managed to get her hands up before she slammed into a
brick wall, so it scraped her palms instead of her face. She sucked in a sharp
breath at the sting—right before she doubled over.
Her stomach tried to twist itself into a knot and eject what
little she ate while she sat with Kane. It took every ounce of control she had
not to throw up.
Endless minutes passed before the cramping subsided. She
took in an unsteady breath, used the wall behind her for support, and studied
her surroundings.
Mac told her the portal chose a secluded entry point. It had
sent her to what looked like the back entrance of a brick building. She glanced
up, and saw a gleaming slinky of razor wire stretched across the underside of
the roof. Water swept through a small canal on her right. Her stomach rumbled
again at the sight of the rushing water.
She turned away and lifted her wrist to check the transport.
The screen flashed at her: Dover, 14 May, 1940.
Then the reality of what she’d done finally hit her.
She was really here. England, at the start of World War II.
The shiny new razor wire on what looked like a retail business told her this
wasn’t the England she walked just a day ago.
Wind bit at her as she moved around the corner, cold and
surprising. The small building had protected her from it until now. She tucked
strands of hair that pulled loose from her braid behind her ear, and jerked to
a halt when she saw Kane.
He stood over a petite brunette, whose curvy figure, wrapped
in a fitted red sweater, made Elizabeth look like a boy. The way he smiled at
the brunette had her hand itching to hit him, preferably with her fist.
She thought he was different, that when he kissed her like
he did before he left, he actually felt something for her. She ignored the
voice in her mind that argued his side, that he never expected to see her
again—
The voice faded as movement behind Kane froze her. She knew
that arrogant profile.
It was Guy.
“Kane—get down!” He spun around, eyes wide as he spotted
her. She ran at him, terrified that Guy would get to him before he understood
the danger. “Guy!”
He grabbed the brunette and dove for the ground. Elizabeth
flattened herself against the wall. The laser blast from Guy’s pistol hit the
wall inches from her ear.
She dropped to the ground. Kane’s furious roar snapped her
head up. He crouched over the brunette and fired his pistol at Guy’s back. The
man had luck on his side—he managed to get past the building and out of sight
before the blast from Kane’s pistol reached him.
Kane pointed at her with his free hand and snapped out a
single word.
“Stay.”
He paused long enough to say a few words to the brunette,
and took off after Guy.
This was not the reunion she envisioned.
She sat, and leaned against the wall, still nauseated from
her trip through the portal. The thought of doing it again so soon made her
stomach clench.
Footsteps echoed down the side street, headed for her. She
took the coward’s way out and kept staring at the ground.
“Elizabeth—” Kane didn’t let her hide. He gripped her arms,
hauled her to her feet and yanked her forward before she found her balance. She
caught the lapels of his greatcoat, met his furious grey eyes. “What the bloody
hell are you doing here?”
Not “are you all
she would touch the transparent wall before she was ready.
You can do this. She wiped her palms on her trousers,
and kept up the mental pep talk. You went all the way to England, alone,
when you’ve never been out of California. If you can do that, you can do this,
for Kane.
Before she could change her mind, she lifted her hand and
plunged it into the wall of light.
She expected pain. The warmth that spread up her arm
surprised her, and she relaxed—just before it seized her arm in a vise grip and
yanked her through the light and into nothing.
~ ~ ~
The portal spit Elizabeth out.
She managed to get her hands up before she slammed into a
brick wall, so it scraped her palms instead of her face. She sucked in a sharp
breath at the sting—right before she doubled over.
Her stomach tried to twist itself into a knot and eject what
little she ate while she sat with Kane. It took every ounce of control she had
not to throw up.
Endless minutes passed before the cramping subsided. She
took in an unsteady breath, used the wall behind her for support, and studied
her surroundings.
Mac told her the portal chose a secluded entry point. It had
sent her to what looked like the back entrance of a brick building. She glanced
up, and saw a gleaming slinky of razor wire stretched across the underside of
the roof. Water swept through a small canal on her right. Her stomach rumbled
again at the sight of the rushing water.
She turned away and lifted her wrist to check the transport.
The screen flashed at her: Dover, 14 May, 1940.
Then the reality of what she’d done finally hit her.
She was really here. England, at the start of World War II.
The shiny new razor wire on what looked like a retail business told her this
wasn’t the England she walked just a day ago.
Wind bit at her as she moved around the corner, cold and
surprising. The small building had protected her from it until now. She tucked
strands of hair that pulled loose from her braid behind her ear, and jerked to
a halt when she saw Kane.
He stood over a petite brunette, whose curvy figure, wrapped
in a fitted red sweater, made Elizabeth look like a boy. The way he smiled at
the brunette had her hand itching to hit him, preferably with her fist.
She thought he was different, that when he kissed her like
he did before he left, he actually felt something for her. She ignored the
voice in her mind that argued his side, that he never expected to see her
again—
The voice faded as movement behind Kane froze her. She knew
that arrogant profile.
It was Guy.
“Kane—get down!” He spun around, eyes wide as he spotted
her. She ran at him, terrified that Guy would get to him before he understood
the danger. “Guy!”
He grabbed the brunette and dove for the ground. Elizabeth
flattened herself against the wall. The laser blast from Guy’s pistol hit the
wall inches from her ear.
She dropped to the ground. Kane’s furious roar snapped her
head up. He crouched over the brunette and fired his pistol at Guy’s back. The
man had luck on his side—he managed to get past the building and out of sight
before the blast from Kane’s pistol reached him.
Kane pointed at her with his free hand and snapped out a
single word.
“Stay.”
He paused long enough to say a few words to the brunette,
and took off after Guy.
This was not the reunion she envisioned.
She sat, and leaned against the wall, still nauseated from
her trip through the portal. The thought of doing it again so soon made her
stomach clench.
Footsteps echoed down the side street, headed for her. She
took the coward’s way out and kept staring at the ground.
“Elizabeth—” Kane didn’t let her hide. He gripped her arms,
hauled her to her feet and yanked her forward before she found her balance. She
caught the lapels of his greatcoat, met his furious grey eyes. “What the bloody
hell are you doing here?”
Not “are you all
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