The wanderer, p.27
The Wanderer, page 27
Lizzy’s mouth fell open.
“What … how did you—” The detail of his recount was unequivocal.
Phillip shrugged, “My secret sources … which are not so secret anymore.”
Then she realized what he meant. “You’ve been time leaping into my past?”
Phillip released the reins and approached her. He kept his eyes to the ground as if he was too embarrassed to admit it.
“It started as a curiosity,” he mumbled. “While you’ve been staying with us, I just wanted to find out more about you. But the more I discovered, the more I wanted to know.”
“How many times have you gone back to see me?”
Phillip shuffled his feet, cleared his throat. “I first visited your past after I met you at Knox and since then, well, I’ve sort of lost track.”
“But why?”
“Because at the time, I couldn’t work you out. I wanted to get to know you …” he ran his hands through his hair. “I’m sorry. It’s the ultimate intrusion … trespassing in your life like that.”
“I’m not upset, but maybe a little disappointed you didn’t introduce yourself to me sooner.”
He smiled. “Believe me, there were moments where I had to hold myself back. Orientation Week in 2014 in particular. I nearly put you on my shoulders because you were complaining so much that you couldn’t see the stage, and thirteen-year-old Lizzy nearly bumped right into me at the super market once.”
“Once?” Jeez. What other awkward moments from her inept childhood had he witnessed? She wondered and hated to think!
“So, the cheesecake, the dipping sauce, the Italian food? You knew I liked those things because you leaped back to find out?” Everything clicked. “The perfume! It’s no longer in stock but you brought it back from the past for me?”
Phillip nodded.
“This is so unfair. I practically beg you to tell me things about yourself and you just dip in and out of my life whenever it suits.”
“What do you want to know?” he asked.
A vision of young Phillip came to mind, Lizzy wanted to see his past—his awkward boyish moments and all, but that would require leaping. She came right out and asked.
“Teach me how to time leap.”
He responded with a frown.
“I want to learn how to travel back to any time like you. Teach me how to do it.”
Phillip went to answer then hesitated. “Let’s learn to walk before we run … or in this case ride.”
“If I do this, will you promise to teach me?”
“Elizabeth, it’s dangerous. I don’t think you’re ready—”
“Nor am I ready to get on Tenebris but at some point we have to face our fears and do what scares us.”
Phillip raised an eyebrow.
“Look who’s so suddenly self-assured. Let’s exploit that confidence.” He went to take her hand but she snatched it away.
“Promise me, Phillip.”
“Fine.” He rolled his eyes. “I’ll teach you how to leap to a different time. Now can you please get on the damn horse?”
He got behind Lizzy and pushed her toward Tenebris. Oh, God! This was really happening.
“Will you ride with me?”
“I’ll be on Delilah,” he answered and with firm hands he helped Lizzy in the saddle, her legs hanging on either side. Instantly, she was transported back to her twelve-year-old self, feeling the familiar support of the saddle and to her surprise, it felt good. Habitual. She was even a little excited.
Phillip ducked into the stables and retrieved Delilah and a helmet. With ease, he swung into his saddle and leaned over to fit Lizzy’s helmet.
“I can do this myself, you know.”
Phillip concentrated on the strap, “Is that too firm?”
“It’s useful to breathe when riding, right?”
“Got it. Too firm.” Eventually, the helmet fit snugly but he still looked unconvinced that it was enough protection.
“If you’re really concerned about my safety, might I suggest we skip the physical horse part?”
“You remember the basics? Keep your hands light but firm on the reigns, have them hip level and elbows at your sides. Riding is more about balance than grip so allow your weight to fall into your heel. I’ve adjusted your stirrups so they should just hit your anklebone when your legs hang free.” He checked their length, “Perfect.”
“Phillip, please.”
“Right, too much information. Just look ahead, remember to breathe and try not to spook Tenebris.” Phillip made two clicking noises and the horse stepped into motion.
“Woah!” Each stride rocked Lizzy sideways. She could feel the power of the horse and squeezed her eyes shut as memories flooded back—she was catapulted into the air and recalled the wind being knocked out of her. Hooves danced above her and she was mute with fear.
“Lizzy!” Phillip interrupted her trance, “your knuckles are white, loosen them up.”
“I—I’m trying but all I can think about is being bucked off and nearly being trampled on. If there was some way to erase those memories.” Then Lizzy realized she had her own personal time machine trotting behind her. “Phillip why don’t you go back to the fall and stop me from getting on the horse? Prevent the incident from ever happening in the first place.”
Phillip rode Delilah up beside Lizzy.
“Two reasons. First, it would induce major suspicion to have a twenty-eight-year-old man randomly interpose a young girl’s horse riding competition and second, you can’t just go into the past and change it. There are always consequences to any adjustment in the course of time.”
“Not even if it was a matter of life or death?”
Phillip cocked a shoulder. “There are some exceptions. But your experience doesn’t qualify.”
Lizzy frowned and tried to focus her mind on something other than that day.
“Sometimes we need those trips and accidents in our life.” Phillip continued, “It’s those moments that teach us the most … there’s no evolving in a perfect life.”
My life with you in it is close to perfect, Lizzy thought to herself. As if reading her mind, he furrowed his brow, which only made him look darkly desirable and dangerous. She bit her lip to contain the urge to leap from Tenebris and take Phillip, her perfect disaster, here and now.
They continued down the dirt path and eventually Lizzy found a way to subdue her fears—humming. It was not enough to make her relax or enjoy riding, but it helped her breathe. Lizzy was halfway into the tune of humming ‘Dream Lover’ from the night of Li Jing’s party, when she noticed Phillip looking behind him.
“What is it?” Lizzy asked.
“I thought I heard something,” he said simply.
“Should I be worried?”
“It’s nothing.” Phillip reassured her and she slipped out the next question without thinking.
“Have you found the person who’s hunting you?”
Phillip brought Delilah to a halt.
“Is it even safe to be out here?”
He cleared his throat, “Xeno and I have made some additions to the premises.”
“What? Like booby traps or something?”
“Let’s just say I’d be surprised if someone entered the grounds and lived to tell the tale.”
“But are they still out there?”
Phillip’s eyebrows creased together, his shoulder’s flexed back. “Yes. But provided you all stay here, it should be enough time until—”
“Until we time leap and you have to handle this on your own?”
He ignored Lizzy’s comment and adjusted the reigns.
“You can’t protect us at the expense of putting yourself in danger.”
“I couldn’t live with the alternative,” he replied bluntly.
“But you’ve been teaching us to defend ourselves if we meet it.” Tenebris swished his mane in agreement and Lizzy gave him a pat.
“Oh, so you like him now, huh?” Phillip smiled.
“Don’t change the subject.”
He let out a sigh, “You’ve been training for two months, the others slightly longer. I’ve been training my whole life—this has been my life.”
“And now it’ll be mine …”
Her reply was met with silence. They both remained balanced on their respective horses, which stood still in the middle of the path.
“I’m so sorry, Elizabeth.” His eyes regarded her and the depth of their dismay was unsettling.
“You’re giving me that look again.”
“What look?”
“Like I’m a sick puppy you have to put down. You’ve been staring at me like that ever since I got my results. Has it ever occurred to you that I’m excited by the idea?”
Lizzy couldn’t handle his sympathy so she mimiced his clicking from earlier and Tenebris stepped back into motion—unexpectedly.
“How did you do that?”
“The perks of being a Wanderer, I guess.” Actually, she had no idea how she did it, even when she was riding in her prime she never mastered clicking to get a horse to move.
With fluid control Phillip lead Delilah up beside Lizzy again.
“It’s those remarks that scare me. This isn’t a perk and nor should you be thrilled by your abilities. Hell! You don’t even know how to use them.”
“All the more reason to teach me sooner rather than later. Look, here we are strolling through the countryside, on horseback—you’re ruining the ambience. Can we please just put all the predator crap to one side and pretend this is a date rather than training?”
“Is that what you want?” he replied silkily as he hoisted himself better into the saddle. The action distracted Lizzy and she marveled at his strong legs and built torso. For a moment she forgot she was still riding a horse—too absorbed in Phillip, she loosened her grip on the reins and didn’t even notice the noise from the forest that startled Tenebris.
Suddenly, he bolted into action and Lizzy launched backwards. In a frenzy, he galloped out of control. The repetitive jarring had her flopping like a rag doll above the saddle. Her feet were caught in the stirrups—the only thing stopping her from falling off. The world rushed past. Panic stricken, she let her body flounder and began slipping. Hooves pounded the path—Lizzy knew that if she fell off she would be crushed—mixed like an egg through a beater. She grasped helplessly for the reins. In a desperate scream Lizzy fumbled for them and finally heaved herself upright but to her surprise, she sat up straight into low-hanging tree branches. The last thing Lizzy remembered was covering her face.
Chapter Eighteen
“Elizabeth!”
She felt the warmth of his breath on her cheeks.
“Lizzy, please! Are you okay? Open your eyes.”
“Phillip?” His hands stroked her forehead and a soft sigh of relief escaped him.
“Yes. It’s me—can you move, Lizzy?”
She awkwardly shuffled and went to lift her arm but winced in pain. Phillip took her hand and brought it to his lips. Her fingers stung. She thought they were cut—but not badly.
“You can stop moving. How is your vision?”
Lizzy’s eyes whirled around, taking in the surroundings. They were under a canopy of trees and the way Phillip leaned over her indicated she was on her back.
“What do you see?” His voice was alarmed.
“Someone who looks undeniably repentant.”
Phillip stroked her cheek and nodded. “You have no idea. I’m so sorry, Lizzy.”
“What happened?” She tried to get up but Phillip eased her back down. The world seemed to spin and there was a familiarity to the unsteadiness. It felt later than she remembered.
“Did I time jump?”
“You’ve had a mild concussion.” Then it came back to her. The horse … the galloping …
“I fell?”
Phillip nodded. “I didn’t think Tenebris would bolt like that, it’s not like him. I’m so sorry.” Phillip lifted her onto Delilah, hopped into the saddle and secured Lizzy between his arms.
“Sit back into me.”
Lizzy leaned her body against him and allowed her lids to droop.
“Have I mentioned how sorry I am?”
She answered with her eyes closed, “My memory’s not so good right now, but I recall something along those lines.”
“You’re going to be fine.” Lachrisha flicked off her small flashlight and Lizzy’s vision adjusted from its brightness. “But keep an eye on her for the next forty-eight hours.”
“Just like old times.” Lizzy chipped in from her bed but Phillip wasn’t amused.
“How did she fall off?”
“Tenebris got a fright from something in the trees.”
Lachrisha’s brown eyes grew electric.
“It was nothing. Xeno checked it out—just a rabbit that set off an arrow trap.”
“When was the last time you set up one of those?”
“Vietnam.”
“What?” Lizzy interjected.
Lachrisha giggled, “I remember when you came home and you were so excited about learning all the different trap techniques. You spent a whole month dedicating yourself to perfecting their set up—‘Channeling Charlie’ we called you at that time.”
“I was obsessed,” Phillip agreed.
“What happened to classic home security?” Lachrisha asked with a titter.
“I’ve got that in place too. I just wanted to see if I still had it in me to set one up … it works apparently.”
Lizzy faked a cough and interrupted their little exchange.
“I’ll leave you both to it.” Lachrisha exited and Phillip closed the door behind her.
Lizzy was glaring at him, “You fought in the Vietnam War?”
“Huh?”
“You said you were there—”
“I was there. For a holiday after I graduated from University, not to serve in 1962.”
“Sorry, I just thought you meant ... I mean you can understand why I assumed—because you could have been there—with what you can do and all …”
Phillip sat on the bed beside Lizzy, watching her trying to form sentences.
“That place and time has never been on my bucket list.”
“So, where have you been?” she asked.
Phillip shrugged, “I’ve wandered here and there.”
“Any specific milestones of history?”
He bit his lip, a telling sign that he had some stories to share. Lizzy kicked her feet under the covers.
“Tell me what you’ve seen!”
“Another time, Elizabeth. You get some rest.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “I’ve been thinking about what you said when we were riding. Let’s do something, with just the two of us tomorrow. No training, no lectures, no responsibilities, no—”
“Horses?”
Instantly, Phillip’s eyes dropped to the floor, too ashamed to look at her.
“Hey, I’m fine,” Lizzy reassured him.
But he was unconvinced. “I didn’t expect the damn horse to do that—if anything happened to you …”
“But nothing did.” She changed the subject, “Tomorrow sounds wonderful.”
Lizzy made a last-minute decision to take a coat. But before she put it on she took a moment to inspect herself in the mirror. Her body did look different. It was lean, defined. The long brown hair that once fell flat had volume and shaped around her face. It was naturally highlighted from days of outside training. Lizzy’s blue eyes shone and she realized that she liked the person staring back at her. She looked healthy, strong. As she slipped on the coat, she fetched her red lipstick that matched perfectly.
“Good morning Red Riding Hood, sleep well?”
Phillip rested against the bottom of the stairs. He was dressed in light pants, a navy sweater and a casual blazer. Lizzy shook her head in disbelief that she had captured the attention of this gorgeous man. He held a Stanley flask.
“Coffee for the road,” he explained.
God, he’s perfect, she thought.
He led her outside and asked if she would be warm enough.
“Why do you ask?” Then she turned and saw what they were driving. Her mouth fell open. It was the most stunning car she had ever seen, a classic convertible with curved edges and vintage bug-eyed lights. The color was a light cloudy blue. Phillip noticed her expression.
“Like the looks of her?”
“She’s flawless …”
Phillip didn’t take his eyes off Lizzy. “I know.”
She rolled hers back at him. “What kind of car is this?” He opened her door and she slid in.
“1952 Jaguar XK120 but she’s chilly without a roof. I haven’t taken her for a spin in a while and wanted to do the honor with you.”
“This is yours?” Lizzy’s hand glided over the dashboard as he joined her in the car. “It’s in perfect condition—as if she’s never been used.”
“So it should be, I bought her recently.”
“But you just said you haven’t driven her in a while?”
Phillip brought the car to life.
“Correct, I purchased it yesterday … sixty-six years ago. She’s been in storage waiting for our date.” He said this as if it was no big deal.
“You know some guys just make reservations.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “It was an impulse buy—I fell for the color. Can you blame me?”
“I see the appeal,” Lizzy replied and Phillip chuffed as if she’d missed the inside joke, and then put his arm over her shoulder.
They wisped down the country lanes until they were out of Bentham and Lizzy couldn’t recognize the scenery. She felt completely free with the fresh air filling her lungs and the wind letting her hair fly behind her.
