Whiplash (Through Time 2)

“Transition—you have the power, Seelie Prince, to keep her calm … use it.”

Trevor, Prince of Lugh, held her against his chest and concentrated all his thoughts into one compulsion, Be at ease.

They watched as Jazz relaxed and fell limp against him. He embraced her, held her tightly wrapped in his arms, and rocked her a moment without knowing why.

“Good,” said the image before him. “You may come and go from my retreat as you please, Seelie Prince, but I must leave you,” the soft female voice said.

“Wait,” Trevor called out. “Thank you.” His voice shook on the words.

She inclined her head. “You will have to help her through transition. I wish you well, Trevor of Lugh, as I did your brother.”

“Again, thank you,” he said earnestly. “Is there anything I should know—anything more I can do for her?”

“My time is dear, and I have only one thing I must do at this moment. My beloved has even a greater need of me than you and yours. He is losing himself to energy, and the process must be stopped immediately. I must go … but before I do, yes, you must train her to deal with her new blood, her new body, for she is no longer human. And … tell your queen that to seal the Prison Wall you will need a magic thread my King calls twalla. She has the power to create this, but it will be very difficult. She must go into her mind and find the source that only she can call on. It is the magic of Queen Bridget, of Danu, and has been long forgotten.”

He felt a shift in the atmosphere and knew she was gone. Jazmine Decker trembled in his arms. He rocked with her, kissed her forehead, her nose, her ears. He buried his tearful face inside the hollow of her neck and whispered her name.

~ Thirteen ~

JAZZ BLINKED INTO consciousness. Had she been sleeping?

Where was she? What had happened?

The last thing she remembered was everything going dark, but then … nothing more. She opened her eyes wider and tried to focus on her surroundings.

Trevor—where was Trevor?

She touched the blankets and realized she was in a bed. She looked and saw that she was in a bedroom. Had Trevor found a way into the glass house?

Everything was so hazy … yet, her eyesight seemed better than ever!

She looked at the walls of her room. They were odd, cloudy glass walls, but a fire burned in the large, pot-bellied stove in a corner of the room.

She started to prop herself up onto her elbows and felt a surge of strength flow through her body. She felt … wonderful, strong, stronger than she had ever felt in her life.

She must have had a great sleep.

Damn, she thought, it was as though some kind of secret power surged through her, leaving her feeling resilient and ready to take on the—what the heck was going on?

It wasn’t just her body—her mind felt different.

It was as though a computer chip was compartmentalizing information, storing, wielding, and setting it all in place in her brain. She put her hands to her head. It felt the same on the outside, but inside? Way different. A part of her began to panic.

“Trevor …?” she yelled. And then she remembered goop—she had been covered in the thick, sticky, disgusting substance, and Trevor had been shouting at her …

She sat up completely, and the sudden rush of movement nearly sent her flying into the air. What the hell? She realized she was naked and hurriedly sank back down as she grabbed for and pulled the quilt all around herself. “Trevor?” she called again uncertainly.

What the hell was going on?

Wherever she was, gravity seemed to work differently. How could he just leave her alone like this? Where was he? Where was she? Sudden panic took over, and she released a scream. “Trevor-Trevor-Trevor!”

He shifted in, and she wanted to dive into his arms. Instead, she held herself in check and regarded him gravely, one eyebrow arched inquisitively.

He sat beside her on the bed, took her hand to his lips, and murmured, “Jazmine Decker.”

His voice sounded like a caress, and all at once she couldn’t stop herself. She threw her arms around him and hugged him like she never, ever wanted to let go.

It was odd, but she felt as though all her thoughts, all her emotions, had been heightened. She held on tight and said, “Where are we? Wh