Page 43 of Kiss Across the Universe
Lord, I hope so,Alannah breathed mentally. “You don’t like reading stories?”
“That’s not the point.” He turned again, assessing. “Iron Grey just vanished. No…you pushed me. Then…it went black. Just for a split second.” His gaze came back to her. “What did you do?”
“Me? I pushed you out of his way. Iron Grey.” It was better than calling the man ‘the man’, even in her mind.
“Then it went black, then we were here. Which isn’t where we were. And it’s…” He turned again, as if he was casting for evidence, for truth. “It’s not even thetimewe were in. The trees are the same, but they’re smaller. Ergo, we’re in the past.” He turned to face her once more. “Youcan time travel.” His expression was one of stunned awareness.
Alannah gave up. “Most people get hung up over the time travel. But you’re surprised thatIcan do it?”
Kit pushed fingers through his hair in a gesture that seemed distracted. “It’s more that this is what your family is hiding…it’s the whole family, isn’t it?” His gaze came back to her.
Alannah threw out her hands. “What iswrongwith you? Can’t you be shocked? Hysterical? That’s what normal people do!”
“You tell alotof people about this?” Now he did seem surprised.
“No!” She wanted to stomp her foot. “Stop focusing on the wrong things!”
“Don’t worry. I’m getting the main points, too,” Kit told her grimly.
The thick, breath-robbing smell of woodsmoke was growing stronger. “I should jump us somewhere else,” Alannah said. “It’s dangerous, being out of your subjective time.”
Kit’s eyes narrowed. “Dangerous…” he repeated. “You’re not just talking about bushfires, are you?”
“See?” she cried. “That’s what I mean! I tell you it’s dangerous and you start sorting out categories of danger! You’re supposed to freak out and want to go back!”
“Categorizing risk is an occupational hazard,” Kit told her.
“Then categorizethis,” Alannah shot back. “Iron Grey isn’t human. He’s a vampire.”
Kit stared at her. His expression didn’t change. His narrowed eyes didn’t move. Then, slowly, he crouched. Then sat heavily, as if his legs had given up. He rested his arms on his knees, staring at the ground between his boots. “Vampire…” His voice was hoarse. “If time travel is real, then vampires…it tracks.” He lifted his head. “Verisis a vampire.” His voice was still strained. “It explains everything about him I couldn’t fit in.” He frowned. “Yourfather?”
Alannah nodded. Finally, Kit was reacting with the shock she had thought a normal person should display if the facts of her very unusual life were revealed. It took facts aboutpeopleto move him. Abstract facts—that time travel was a thing—had barely moved the needle.
Facts about people he knew, though. That Iron Grey was a vampire didn’t seem to bother him as much as Veris being a vampire.
“It’s the time travel,” Alannah explained. She might as well tell him everything now. The damage was done, and Kit was focused upon the people equations, anyway. “Farand mom travelled far enough back in time to when he was still human. They got my sister Marit out of that jump. Another time, they jumped to Constantinople, whenAtharwas human and a slave. That’s where Aran and I were conceived. Sixth century Byzantium.”
Kit stared at her. “It’s all of them…” he breathed.
“Mom was turned only a few years ago,” Alannah said. “It was that or die.FarandAtharweren’t about to let her die, so…” She shrugged.
Kit lifted a hand and touched the tips of his fingers on the other hand. “Veris, Brody, Taylor.” He considered. “Alexander. I’ve never seen him drink. So Rafe, too? Yes. Sydney…maybe. London, no. She appreciates food too much. But Remi for sure. Neven…maybe. David, too. Nyara and her friends…uncertain. They eat and drink but there’s something about Nyara….”
It was frightening how easily he had catalogued which of her family were the vampires. “You’re not supposed to be able to tell what they are,” she pointed out.
“Only I’ve spent enough time around them to spot the inconsistencies. Andthis, vampires, and the time travel…it explains everything. Even how all your extended family can indulge in endless travels around the globe.” He looked up at her. “Aran is human.” He said it flatly.
“So am I.”
“I know.” His voice was flat. Sincere. Then he swore. “The time travel. It’s not just through time. It’s space, too. You can stay in the same time, but jump from point to point.” He rolled his eyes. “Aran didn’t rent a helicopter at all. Hejumpedhere. Even while he was talking to me on the phone.”
“Aran is good at it,” Alannah admitted. She cleared her throat. The smoke was grabbing at the back of it, making breathing hard. “We really should move,” she added.
Kitdidn’tmove. “If you take us back, how does it work? We’ve been here for four minutes, more or less. Does that mean four minutes will have elapsed when we get back? Or do you return to where you left?”
“I can go anywhere I damn well want to,” she muttered. “I canhearthe flames.” And she could. It was far away, but it was distinct.
“This is important,” Kit said. “I need to know how to deal with Iron Grey when we get back. If it’s the second after we left, that’s one thing. If time has passed…” He paused. “Doesheknow about time travel?”
