Timesurfers Page 18

  Jonah’s smile faltered and he pulled back ever so slightly.

  “Ah-ha!” She stepped back and folded her arms. “You pulled away. We’re not together in the future.”

  “You took me by surprise.” Jonah recovered quickly, but she knew she was right.

  “I can be sneaky and manipulative too. I will find Xavier and I will work out what’s going on. In that order. Also, how come your feet don’t touch the ground?”

  “It protects against the butterfly effect.”

  The doorbell fired up. Another verse of “Waltzing Matilda” started as someone repeatedly pressed the doorbell. She paused as her hand touched the door handle. “Which is?”

  Jonah rolled his eyes. “The idea that a butterfly flapping their wings creates tiny changes in the atmosphere that could potentially alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate, or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in a certain location. The flapping of their wings represents how a minuscule change is capable of triggering a chain reaction resulting in the large-scale alterations to an event. If the butterfly hadn’t flapped its wings, the outcome might have been vastly different and the tornado may or may not ever have existed.”

  “You lost me at the butterfly flapping its wings.” She wrenched the front door open.

  Chapter 18

  Eve

  “Happy Birthday!” Eve hurtled through the half open door and bear hugged Cate. An audible hiss escaped her lips as they both collided with Jonah.

  “Steady,” he muttered, righting her and Eve.

  Eve appraised Jonah from head to toe with a deliberate and unhurried gaze. “You are a true pagan Adonis. There’s a griminess to you that promises finesse in the wickedest ways.” She poked a finger on his chest.

  He took a hasty step away and a slow blush crept up his neck. He edged toward the door and stumbled slightly. This was Jonah. With his fierce predator grace, he was never off balance. His eyes locked on Eve, wary for the briefest moment. Something about Eve had spooked the unyielding warrior in Jonah. He kissed Cate on both cheeks. “Happy Birthday, Cate. It was a pleasure as always, Eve.” With a nod and tight smile he hurried out the door.

  “That guy has to get tired dragging such a huge net of sexy around twenty-four/seven. It’s obscene,” Eve said.

  Cate moved to close the door.

  “Wait!” Eve cried. “Let’s sit on the porch. The sun is glorious. I see you switched your black tights for black leather jeans today. Bold choice. Not sure about the green and black checked flannel shirt?”

  “You said I needed more colour.”

  “A flannel shirt does not count as colour in any fashion world. What are the boys doing penance for?”

  “It’s a long and convoluted story.” Heat stung Cate’s skin as she stepped onto the porch. Polka Dot stretched across the steps, mocking the boys working in the yard. He opened one eye, conveying his utter disdain that her footsteps had disturbed him.

  “You’re in luck.” Eve flopped onto the yellow striped sun lounge and nestled around to get comfortable. “I’m clear all day. Tell me your long, convoluted story.” She adjusted her Audrey Hepburn sunglasses against the glare. “I thought you were going ballooning with Austin.”

  “Already did it.” She breathed deeply, savouring the comforting smell of freshly cut grass. The boys had done that in record time; maybe one of their powers was super speed.

  “Any good presents from anyone yet?” Eve fluffed her hair. It hung loose with just an antique silver headband to hold it off her face, which was a very restrained look for her.

  Cate shook the bracelet on her wrist.

  “Oooo...Pretty. Who’s that from?” Eve stroked the bracelet.

  “Jonah.”

  “That guy’s just too perfect. What did your mum give you?”

  “Nothing yet.” Cate hesitated. “Eve, what do you remember about Xavier?”

  “Who?” Eve had the same deer caught in the headlights look that she had at the Neon Posse the other afternoon.

  “Xavier. He disappeared on my birthday five years ago. I wondered what you remembered about it. I found a flyer Mum must have put up when it happened in his room.”

  Eve fidgeted with the buttons of the cushion, clearly uncomfortable. “Not much. There were a lot of police around for a while, and you had those plainclothes security people with you around the clock for months afterwards. You and I never really talked about it.”

  “What if I told you Xavier was here yesterday?”

  “I’m going along with your Timesurfers story, but if you start telling me that you’re seeing ghosts I think you might need help.”

  “Hear me out. The Timesurfers took Xavier. They went back in time yesterday and kidnapped him five years ago.”

  “Which Timesurfers?”

  “I don’t know.” Cate banged her heels against the floor.

  “But it was definitely a Timesurfer who took Xavier?”

  “Yes.”

  Eve blinked back some tears. “So are you really sad?”

  “I was...I am. But I just have to find him.”

  “Ok. That’s a great plan.” Eve didn’t seem keen to talk about Xavier.

  Cate focused on the cracks running across the decking, which aptly highlighted the multitude of paths her future could take. Nature and chance made those cracks. Had she made a dreadful choice joining Mortez? What would have made her do that? How would she ever make another choice without second-guessing herself?

  “Soooo.” Eve drew out the vowel sound. “Austin and Jonah, hey? You’ve turned into a bit of a tart now you’re sixteen.”

  Cate hurled a cushion at Eve.

  Eve settled the round, orange cushion behind her head. “The Timesurfers would never have sent anyone who’d been painted with an ugly brush. Jonah would be a hot bad boy in any century. Austin’s more of an acquired taste, but he has oodles of swagger and that weapon of a smile. Whether you choose bad boy or rock star, it’s all good.”

  If only it were all good.

  Balthazar marched across the lawn. He tossed the hedge clippers into the rose garden, sending pale pink rose petals raining on the freshly turned black soil. He leaned against the balustrade to yank his shirt over his head and looked expectantly between Eve and her.

  “That time of the month.” Eve rolled her eyes and pointed to Cate. “It comes around so quickly.”

  Balthazar blinked a few times, and his face went from blank to blushing. As the other boys wandered toward the porch he signalled frantically for them to stay back.

  Eve sighed. “Run over and tell your friends about the horror of being exposed to a woman’s monthly cycle.”

  Balthazar went a darker shade of crimson. He flung his grey T-shirt over the porch rail and hot-footed it to Gaspar and Melchior. After exchanging a few quick words, the three of them began digging with extra gusto, their back muscles clearly visible from the porch.

  “That look has skin cancer written all over it. Slip, slop, slap, boys,” Eve called to the hatless and shirtless trio, who each gave her a puzzled look. “Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, and slap on a hat.” She groaned as they continued to look blank. “That’s how you prevent skin cancer.”

  “I told you that,” Cate said.

  “And you should know. Australia leads the world in skin cancer deaths. Weed!” Eve called to the no one in particular and waved a finger toward the jasmine covered pergola. “I still find it unbelievable Jonah shares any DNA with loser Zach. Jonah has perfect hair all the time and his jeans hang dangerously low to tease everyone with glimpses of his insane abs.”

  “His abs are distracting.”

  “He’s long, lean, and ripped! Plus he’s so tall.”

  “Quick, wipe the drool from the side of your mouth.”

  Eve gave her the middle finger.

  “The cousin thing is rubbish.” A fountain of words bubbled through her stomach and gushed from her mouth. “Remember I told you Austin took me into the future and righ
t now you and I are living in an altered time line?”

  “Indeed I do. I’m still not onboard with the idea we never had any friends.” Eve lifted her sunglasses and quirked her eyebrow. “But go on.”

  Polka Dot stretched as only cats can and looked expectantly at Cate. “Ok, those three”—she motioned to the boys in the garden—“and Zach are also Timesurfers. Or Zach will be soon. He’s ‘crossing over.’” She used finger quotes to emphasise the words.

  “I hope it’s painful for the twat.” Eve screwed up her face. “Is everyone but me a Timesurfer?”

  “Yet again, you walk to the beat of your own drum.” Cate rolled her eyes. “Gaspar is attempting to get your attention. Acknowledge him before he chops off a toe.”

  Gaspar turned dirt over with a shovel, obviously declaring war on the weed Eve sighted as he shot furtive glances at her. When he realised Eve was watching a tentative smile crept across his face. She gave an enthusiastic wave and ear-piercing wolf whistle. He resumed digging with a self-satisfied smile.

  Polka Dot hissed at Eve. He was the most unlovable cat, brimming with cynicism and loathing. He detested most people, but insisted on hanging around. Eve was his favourite. He only sank his teeth halfway into her ankle.

  “Sign me up for some Timesurfing action. Kicking some medieval butt would be awesome. Do you think they’d give me a real sword? How fun would it be to visit yourself in the future? I also could avoid that disaster elf haircut I got when I was ten.”

  Cate held her hand up. “You can’t sign up. You’re born a Timesurfer, and they only travel back in time. Not forward.”

  “Right. Time travel to the future...of course that would be hard to believe. Hang on. How did Austin take you with him to the future?”

  Cate pressed the heels of her hands into each eye. “It’s his present. They’ve travelled back in time to us.”

  “Right. I’d be keen to go and spend some time with Merlin, Arthur and Morgana.”

  “Well you can’t, because they aren’t real. They’re legends.”

  “Oh...you learn something every day. The Timesurfers must have a reason for dragging their sexy selves here.”

  “Me.”

  “You?” Eve sauntered over and leaned against the porch railing, her head propped to the side as she watched the boys. She was taking all this very calmly. “Enlighten me.”

  “I’m going to join Mortez. The boys are already on her team. She’s some kind of sadistic megalomaniac who feeds people to fire ants and cuts off body parts.”

  “Interesting choice, you.”

  “The other choice was Naitanui. Austin, Rose, and Rafe work for him. He protects history from the magical manipulation of Mortez. She took over from a guy called Elias.”

  A small smile danced across Eve’s face. “And what happened to Elias? I bet someone killed him with a sword. Or put a deadly poisonous snake in his bed. Or Mortez chopped his head off and stuck it on a spike for everyone to see.”

  “You have a particularly disturbing and gruesome side. Elias isn’t dead. He disappeared when Mortez ousted him, but reappeared at the Neon Posse the other day. What were you doing there, by the way?”

  Polka Dot growled and dove toward Cate’s ankle. His needle like teeth sank into her Achilles tendon. She yelled and shook her foot, but Polka Dot hung on and raked his claws down her shin.

  “Do something,” Cate hissed at Eve.

  “What if he has cat leukaemia or feline aids?”

  Polka Dot dropped her ankle and spun around. His back arched; the hairs along his spine stood to attention. He yowled at Eve, who dove on the sun lounge, tucked her feet under, and sat on her hands, minimising the bare skin Polka Dot had to target. He leapt the railing and galloped into the Fijian Firebush near the steps.

  Cate clamped a hand over her ankle, as hot spikes of pain seared up her calf. If Polka Dot so much as stuck his head out of that bush, she would kick him with her uninjured foot.

  Eve untucked her feet. “Maybe Polka Dot has a thing for Timesurfers. That would explain why he likes me and no one else. Do you need the first-aid kit?”

  “No. Timesurfers have powers, and mine is healing.”

  Eve gave an uncertain laugh. “Now you’re yanking my chain.”

  “That’s how I healed your leg the other day when you fell down the bus steps. I’ll prove it.” With her hand around her ankle, Cate squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated on wanting her wound to heal.

  “You look constipated,” Eve joked.

  After a nasty glare at Eve, Cate shook out her shoulders and took a few deep breaths. As the seconds ticked by, she felt nothing. She opened her eyes and sighed, unable to explain the failure. A warm tingle started at her toes and danced up her ankle. The stinging pain vanished. Relief washed through her as she twirled her now perfect ankle.

  “There’s not even any blood.” Eve ran her thumb over the ankle that no longer had teeth marks. She looked from Cate’s ankle to the boys, her jaw slack. “I want to know what they can do. Bo—”

  The rest of the sentence was lost as Cate threw herself on Eve and pinned her to the ground.

  Eve pushed against Cate’s shoulders. “If this is a come on, I have to reiterate, I love you, but not in that way.”

  She fought to hold Eve down.

  “I think now is a good time to throw out there that no means no,” Eve panted.

  “I’m not coming on to you. You can’t just blurt out ‘show me your Timesurfer powers’ across the yard.”

  “Fine, my lips are sealed. Get off!” Eve gave her a firm shove. The only sound was them sucking in deep breaths. “Do you know what Jonah’s and Austin’s powers are?” Eve straightened her sleeveless white turtleneck and adjusted the purple and gold silk scarf tied around her neck. She looked more way more grown up than usual.

  “Jonah is a conduit. He can use any Timesurfer’s power as long as he can touch them, and they’re conscious.”

  “I’ll bet that’s what he tells all the girls,” Eve broke in with a short laugh.

  “No, I’ve seen him do it.”

  “Austin?” Eve pushed.

  “I’ve seen him stop time, and he’s pretty fast, but that’s all I know.”

  “Not following.”

  “He snaps his fingers”—Cate snapped her fingers for effect—“and everything and everyone except the Timesurfers are frozen for a bit.”

  Eve drummed her fingers on the wooden floor. “How long are they frozen for?”

  Cate shrugged. “A bit.”

  “Helpful. What about Rose and Rafe?”

  “Rose is a healer, and Rafe is überstrong and can control minds.”

  “That makes sense,” Eve muttered.

  “None of this makes sense.”

  A car horn blared. Cate smiled big. That was her ride to independence.

  ***

  The rest of the day she spent in a variety of queues. She waited in a queue for the written test for her driver’s licence, a queue for the practical driving test, and a queue for a driver’s licence photo. Finally, she waited in a queue to get her actual driver’s licence. The whole thing started again for her motorbike licence. She even had to stand in the photo line again because they couldn’t take the risk her driver’s licence photo taken two hours before was out of date.

  Instead of her usual “? YOUR DAY TEXT”, Pip sent her about fifty emoticons in reply to Cate’s “I’M HOME AND I DROVE MYSELF HERE” 6:00 p.m. text. Dinner with her mum and Eve was followed by a video montage that was equal parts embarrassing and hilarious. She waddled to her bedroom, her stomach uncomfortably full of pasta and trifle. She counted the flowers embroidered on her mosquito net and vowed never to eat that much food ever again. Now she had to come up with a plan to find Xavier.

  She prowled around her room, examining one knick-knack after another. At a lose end, she even tried a few moves at the ballet barre fixed to her wall for inspiration. She gave that up cold turkey when they moved. It was time to man up. There
would be no more waiting for Austin and Jonah to throw her scraps of information. She would go to the fight and stop waiting for it to come to her.

  A teeth-grating yowling outside the bedroom window startled her. She lifted the heavy silk curtains to see Polka Dot staring at her. “Great. So you’re stalking me too.” It must have been late, because she was positive the cat nodded.

  She wrenched the curtains shut and marched to her bed mulling over her options. Naitanui had been adamant about not controlling history, and that’s what he would have done if he had taken Xavier. That left the evil Mortez and the mysterious Elias. A face to face with Mortez was impossible, and she had no idea how to contact Elias, but she could get to Naitanui if she could convince Austin to take her. If she was so important, maybe Naitanui would help her find Xavier in return for her joining him instead of Mortez. That was her bargaining chip. She had a plan.

  As she dozed, she realised what had been gnawing at the edge of her brain all day. She never told Eve she was going ballooning with Austin. How had she known that?

  Chapter 19

  The Plan

  Cate exhaled with purpose and opened the front door. She had taken extra care when she dressed this morning. Black leggings embellished with leather, long black boots, cropped red felt jacket and a metallic silver top. She was wearing more colour today than she had in the previous three years combined. The rain last night had left a crisp, new smell in the air. It was a sign. Today was a fresh start. It was time to put into action the plan to get Austin to take her to Naitanui. She just needed to wander around until he found her.

  “Morning, Beautiful.”

  Austin! Her heart jumped into her mouth. The tin letter box tilted slightly, like she’d received a sharp left hook to the side of her head. Butterflies dive-bombed from her rib cage to the bottom of her stomach. Two freaking words from glamour boy and her plan vanished from her head. She was better than this.