Page 19 of Resurgence of the Pack

‘Not as far as I know,’ she replied cheerfully. ‘But then again, I’m not privy to Council matters.’ She paused. ‘There might be an easier way for you to find out if the witches are involved.’

I blinked, feeling a fool as a sudden idea occurred to me. ‘I could scry for it?’

‘Do you have any chippings from it? Any great emotional connection to it?’

‘No?’

‘Then no scrying.’

‘Bugger. Okay, so… What is the easier way?’

‘You have a third triangle on your head, Lucy, and access to a portal. You do the math.’

I blinked. Could it be that simple? Could I go back in time and somehow circumvent the theft? There was a fly inthe ointment, however. ‘How will I know what time to go to?’

I expected my question to stump Amber but as usual she was unflappable. ‘I guess you’ll need to do some research.’

‘But how?’

‘Must I wipe your bottom as well as spoon feed you?’ she huffed, but her tone was still quite warm. ‘Find some journals – I saw enough of them in your personal library. Failing that, go to the Great Library. Family journals are kept there, thousands of them.’

‘And where is that?’

‘Oxford. Got to go, I have a patient.’

‘A patient?’ I asked curiously.

‘A client,’ she corrected hastily. ‘Don’t bumble around in the Third, leave the timeline alone, and don’t be seen. And Lucy?’

‘Yes?’

‘You can only go a few times to the Third. Three times max.’

‘Or else what?’ I asked. I’d been twice so far, once with Jess and once with Grandy. If I went a third time, that would be my final visit.

‘Or else you start to lose your mind.’ Her voice was low and mournful. She hung up before I could pry further;there was a story there but it didn’t seem like it was one she wanted to tell.

Nina, could you tell mewhenthe theft happened? What day, month and year?

The house was silent for a moment.I’m sorry,she said in a small voice.I don’t note the passing of time like you do.

I gasped as I suddenly remembered her comment when we’d first met; she’d said that I had taken my sweet time. I’d thought she meant that I’d taken my time to approach the house, but with the thoughts of the Third swirling in my head her words took on another meaning.

Nina, have we met before? Before recently, I mean?

She hesitated.I’m not sure I should say.

You should.

She sighed.Long ago.You said you would be back but it took so very long for you to arrive.Her tone was so lonely that it cut me. It also confirmed that I’d travelled back in time – yet Nina still didn’t have the orb.

I’m sorry,I said softly.Very sorry.

Nina forgave me.It’s okay, Lucy.You’re here now.

I am.I patted her walls.

Sara was watching me curiously. ‘You can commune silently with the seat of power,’ she noted.

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