Read Online Now and for Never by Lesley Livingston - Free Book Online Page A

Ashbourne’s gaze sharpened and he reached out a hand, plucking at the embroidered hem of the rich, indigo-blue silk. His expression seemed to crumple a bit, the angry flare dimming behind a veil of faraway, long-dormant memories.
    Then his face went rigid again and beneath his moustache his lips pressed into a thin line. His gaze lifted and raked over Piper from head to toe as if he still wasn’t sure there weren’t parts of her missing. Then he turned to Clare.
    â€œI had no idea you would drag Piper into the sorcerous mechanics of this … this arcane mess.”
    â€œW-what? Wait!” Clare stammered. “We didn’t have a choice if we actually wanted to get back—”
    â€œThen maybe you should have bloody stayed there!” Ashbourne snapped.
    â€œWhat the hell do you mean by that?” Milo said, interposing his lanky frame between Clare and the professor.
    She did a double take. Milo’s recent demeanour had been … surprising. His laid-back, easygoing, brains-beforebrawn nature seemed to have much more of an edge to it of late.
    â€œDo you mean to say that Clare should have sacrificed herself?” he asked.
    â€œYes.” Ashbourne nodded gravely. “If it meant not putting anyone else in danger, then yes. Sometimes sacrifice is a necessary evil.”
    â€œYeah, see,” Clare said, “I’m not big on evil. Necessary or not. In the same way I’m not real keen on sacrifices. Which is why we’re here.”
    â€œI don’t understand.” Ashbourne’s eyes narrowed.
    â€œI need to borrow one of the coins your students found the other day.” She gestured to the tray on the desk. “One of them is a shimmer trigger. I’m going to use it to send me and Al back. I’m getting Mark O’Donnell and bringing him home.” She looked at Al. “ We’re bringing him home.”
    Al flashed a brief grateful smile at Clare.
    â€œYou are not going back. I forbid it.”
    This, Clare thought, from the guy who was all gung-ho on me shimmering back to relay the very information that would get him killed. Now he’s up in arms because I want to go back and actually save someone? What gives?
    â€œForbid all you want,” she bristled, moving to one side to get around him. “You don’t get a say in this. I need to see those coins.”
    â€œYou’ll have to step over my dead body first,” he said, blocking her way again.
    â€œBeen there, done that,” Al muttered.
    â€œNo more. It’s unnatural and it has to stop. You broke the curse and for that I’m grateful. But it’s over now. No more going back.” Ashbourne shook his head. “Certainly not with Piper as your anchor.”
    Clare tilted her head and regarded him. This sudden transformation from genial blowhard to angry commander was downright startling. Al had gotten to know the other Ashbourne a bit—the Roman army hard-ass who’d been used to barking orders and having them instantly obeyed—and had developed a measure of respect for him. But Clare didn’t suffer Roman army hard-asses gladly and she wasn’t about to make an exception.
    â€œDon’t you think you’re being a little harsh?” she said. “Especially since you’re the one who started the whole ‘arcane mess’ ball rolling? Let’s not forget it was your cranium that opened up this temporal can of worms in the first place!”
    â€œAnd now it’s time to seal that can shut,” he argued, almost toe to toe with Clare. “The dangers inherent in your shimmering—”
    â€œ Not unfamiliar with them. Doesn’t matter. I’m doing it.”
    â€œMarcus is stuck back there!” Al shouted up into his face.
    â€œAnd that may very well be my fault. But I’m not sorry for what I did.” Ashbourne’s gaze was flinty. “It saved countless lives. That the life of one young