Page 77 of Forging Bonds: Part One

“Same,” Ransom replies, still staring at the woman with his eyebrows drawn down slightly.

Doc shakes his head, his frown deepening, “No, that’s not why I recognize him.”

“What?” I exclaim.

Doc didn’t come with the others to my town, and I have no idea how he could have possibly seen Pete.

“How do you recognize him?” Evander asks, looking confused.

Doc frowns and then suddenly winces as he lifts his hand to his head. He replies hesitantly, “I’m not sure.”

“Are you okay?” I ask. I don’t like the way he just winced like he was in pain.

He nods but doesn’t say anything as he continues to stare at the painting.

“Doc?” Griff asks, his eyes narrowing on him in a way that tells me that he has noticed the same thing that I have.

“I’m fine. My head just hurts a bit, that’s all,” Doc replies, still wincing.

“That can’t be good,” Raiden says, also frowning.

“Maybe you should sit down or something?” Van suggests.

Suddenly his eyes get impossibly wide as his expression clears of pain.

“Fucking hell, he was at the house!” Doc exclaims.

Confusion rushes through me, “What do you mean he was at the house? In the past?”

“I don’t remember him being at the house,” Reed says with a frown as he studies Pete closer.

“No, no,” Doc mutters, seeming to still be in a state of shock. “Do you remember when we got back from fixing the hole in the barrier? I said that I thought I was forgetting something?”

I frown, I have absolutely no idea where he is going with this. I was there, and I didn’t see Pete. I definitely would have remembered if I had.

Echoing my thoughts, Ransom says, “Yeah, I remember, but he wasn’t there.”

Doc nods, “That’s the thing though, he was. That’s what I had forgotten when Neith tripped . . .”

“I didn’t trip, the tree root rose up, and fucking pushed me,” I exclaim indignantly.

The guys stare at me incredulously for a moment as they try to absorb what I’m saying.

“Wait,” Raiden starts. “Do you mean that it literally lifted up and pushed you back into the barrier, or do you mean it like someone who was really clumsy would say the floor tripped them?”

“I mean literally,” I reply.

“What the hell,” River says.

I had completely forgotten to mention that to them after it happened again, other things got in the way.

“That might make sense actually,” Doc says and then frowns, “or maybe not.”

“Alright, we’ve gotten a bit derailed and off track,” Evander starts, “Doc, finish telling us where you have seen him?”

Doc nods, “When Neith fell into the barrier, everything suddenly clicked into slow motion, I thought that it was a reaction to the situation or something, but I’m beginning to think that it was more than that and that time really did slow down for a moment.”

“Our magic has been misbehaving lately,” River says.

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