Page 89 of The Time Of Queens

What had come to light was that she had made her way to the fountain and that despite her not wanting to say, I knew that Draven had been involved. Because it wasn’t hard to piece together the rest, especially if she believed I had switched places with her. And so as not to make her feel bad, I had simply nodded, allowing her to believe this had happened. When in fact, the Draven of her time had accomplished nothing but disappointment.

Because unlike mine, her timeline had remained intact, even after she had left it. As Jared had remembered his encounter with her thirty years later. Of course, I had no idea why she was the exception, only that it must have something to do with Fate needing Jared to recognise her decades later. But who was I toquestion Fates’ plan, when the proof of why I landed myself in 1867 was still sitting in a bag over my shoulder?

Of course, as soon as Draven had returned from speaking with Ella, the battle of the sexes had begun. Although what had been most surprising was when the HellBeasts had turned up after first finding Ella. Or at least, this was the way Pip had put it. Meaning Draven had been quick to look down at me and warn,

“This conversation is far from over, troublesome little wife of mine.” Of course, my reaction to this was to roll my eyes and mutter,

“Oh goodie.”Something I could get away with now I was back in my own time.

However, as for time, Jared had his own problems. He explained all he had been through, before Draven admitted the part that he had played in Ella’s Fate. Although, I hadn’t had a chance to correct him on the assumptions he had, that Ella and I had switched times, something he would soon learn hadn’t exactly been the case.

But really, with all that was happening, when did I have the time? Since coming back, it had been a whirlwind of information. Most of which, I still had yet to tell. And speaking of an information bombshell, one started to explode as the HellBeast’s story unfolded, giving us even more to worry about.

I felt mentally exhausted after the men returned from ensuring that Jared, Ella, and their band of merry ‘Woohoo we are now out of prison’ men, left in the cars Draven had provided.

Which was why the moment Draven returned, I had my argument all ready for him, hoping to get this over with quickly.

“Before you start with all your… how could you, Keira…? Here…” I said, pulling forward the bag at my side. “You… well, past you… wanted me to give you this. Something I assume must be important enough if Janus let me bring it through,” I told him, pulling the square piece of jade, with its corner of gold,out from the satchel and handing it to him. His reaction was pure astonishment, as his eyes grew wide when taking it into his hands.

“The Heirloom Seal of the Realm,”he said, his voice distant and clearly stunned.

“If you say so,” I replied, only knowing of it as the seal.

Although when Pip whistled and Sophia gasped, I gathered thirty years in the supernatural clan wasn’t enough for me to know it all. Damn it, did this mean Draven was going to recommend more studying? I hoped not… or did I? As I certainly enjoyed all those times he got to play professor and I his unruly student. Although it also had to be said…I didn’t exactly learn much.Not unless you could count the study of his desk and learning just how sturdy it was. Okay, so definitely not the time. Hence why I ignored Pip’s knowing grin as I blushed. Something she told me once was a clear giveaway to my wandering naughty thoughts about my husband.

“How did you get this?” he asked in amazement, jarring me back to the now and not past Professor Draven dressed in tweed, wearing glasses and looking like Clark Kent.

“Like I said, you gave it to me, but this was after all the Demons arrived and started attacking Witley Court,” I said without thinking about it… because yes, my mind was still in the classroom.

“Demons!” he shouted, making me wince.

“Well, they set it on fire first,” I replied, not knowing how this was going to make things any better, but I stupidly said it anyway. Something that had him yelling for a second time.

“Fire!”

“Where… oh, I see, wrong time,” Pip added after looking around to see we were safe.

“You went back to the year 1937? But I thought you had replaced Ella?” Draven asked, making me frown at the question,as this shit just got a lot more complicated. The year he mentioned was when the fire had actually occurred in my time. Jesus, and there comes that headache again.

“No, I went back to 1867… but that’s right, I forgot the fire was much later… anyway, forget that… the year was definitely 1867 and I would have told you that but I wanted you to speak with Ella first,” I told him.

“Gods, 1867!”he hissed, making me grimace once more.

“That would make sense, seeing as this was the same year it was found and then lost again,” Zagan offered, making my husband tense.

“Wait, you lost the seal shortly after finding it?” I asked, making Draven frown, before arguing,

“I didn’t lose it. It was taken, there is a difference.” This last part was directed at Zagan, who looked like he was trying not to smirk, as Sophia muttered,

“Still sensitive about it, I see.”

“Okay, so who took it?” I asked, directing Draven’s scowl from his sister who, like her husband, looked like she was trying not to laugh.

“We never found out who, and despite expecting the fallout of it being taken, it never happened. To this day, our search continues.”

I grinned, lifted up his hand the seal was still held in, and said,

“Tada! Found it… Yay me, right?”

---