Whiplash (Through Time 2)

at happened? The last thing I remember was being stuck in goop. I see that you got me out, for which I thank you … but where are we, and why don’t I remember getting here?” And then she was aware of something in her mind, something that was calm and practical, something that was aware of things beyond the room, sights and sounds that were outside, in the Dark Realm. She could hear beasts screeching in pain … yes, hungry beasts, just outside. She put her hands to her ears and sank back against the pillows.

“Something is wrong with me, Trev! Am I hallucinating because of that stuff? Did it get into my system—am I sick?”

Her quilt had slipped, displaying the fullness of her breasts, and she saw Trevor’s gaze linger there for a moment before he lifted the quilt to her neck. He was such a gentleman, she thought—and then wished he weren’t.

But for the moment she couldn’t think of that. She had to get a grip. What was wrong with her? She held her head and whispered, “Ugh … things are moving … outside—fighting and killing each other, I think. I hear them—how do I make it stop? This isn’t normal … why do I hear them?”

“Hush, Jazmine Decker, quiet yourself. Think in waves of calm, and it will be so,” Trevor said and touched her cheek with his palm.

Silently she yelled in her head, Calm—waves of calm, but it didn’t work. She scowled at him. “What is that supposed to mean? Think in waves of calm? I don’t know how to do that.” It had to be an adverse affect from the goop.

“Think of a mill pond, how gentle, serene … and quiet yourself. We will work on getting your hearing adjusted and teach you how to lower the volume when you wish.”

Jazz considered him. “Oh, yes … my Fios sometimes could hear things my human couldn’t … but this … is different.” Her pulse beat out of control. She felt flushed suddenly and confused. She needed to do something, and so as he suggested, she pictured a dark pond. Sure enough, all at once, like turning off a switch, it worked. Her mind settled in, and she had control of her hearing, of the jabbering going on in her head. She sighed gratefully.

The nerves in her body still throbbed, but they were no longer wildly out of control, and she felt a state of composure take over her frazzled mind. Something else disturbed her, something that wouldn’t let go. It wasn’t only her hearing; it was everything she was.

She felt magic exploding in her veins, like fireworks on the Fourth of July. It didn’t hurt; it felt … empowering. Super-charged power rippled through her blood, and she felt different inside, as though her organs had somehow blossomed into something else and shifted inside her.

She eyed him and said, “It isn’t only hearing—did I have some kind of a reaction to that awful stuff—is that what’s happening to me?”

* * *

He choked on the strange constriction that took over his throat when he thought of the moment in which she had died. He couldn’t think of it without hurting. It was still too fresh in his mind.

Now, he was going to have to tell her. Humans were unpredictable, and though she was no longer human, her learned and natural behavior would still be so.

He said on a heavy sigh, “You could say that.” He reached for her chin. “You have to listen to me and not get yourself worked up. There isn’t time for hysterics, and I know what I am about to tell you might, in fact, elicit such human behavior—”

“Trevor, just tell me what you have to tell me, or I will get hysterical before you say another word.”

“Yes, right, very well,” he said, feeling miserable. “As I said, I have something to tell you, and I am not certain you will be able to comprehend it all. You are, however, a Fios, which might help you understand. You were to begin with not quite human, so you should be able to comprehend it all, as you were aware of Fae abilities and culture. Indeed, it might not sound all that strange to you—”

She reached up, grabbed his mouth with her fingers, and pinched his lips together. “Shut up and tell me already.”

* * *

He took her fingers off his lips and then brought them back to kiss them. She felt her entire being react to his touch, and her eyelashes fluttered. Hot dayam, she thought. She wanted him more than ever!

He said softly, “I will start by telling you where we are.” He eyed her hopefully before proceeding. “The Dark King, as you know, created a habitat for his consort, Crystal, called the Retreat. We are in Crystal’s Retreat. This structure is almost like a living thing and responds only to her. However, she has allowed us to remain here while we continue our mission. In fact, she created this room especially for you to be comfortable in when you … came through the first part of your … transition.”

“Transition?” Jazz didn’t like the sound of that. In fact, she was getting a sick notion that the career she had planned as a marine biologist was a lost hope.

“Yes, I found some reading material she left for me about the process you have gone through and what must be done next. I have made myself acquainted with what to expect,” Trevor said and took her hand. “We will work through this together.”

“Work through what?” Jazz asked as that awful feeling grew.

“You died, Jazmine Decker. You died.”

She stopped and considered him, thought out in step-by-step clarity what he had just told her. Well, people died, and then they used a defibrillator to shock them back. She was certain that was how it was done. She had seen enough movies to know that was how it was done. That was what he meant, right? Sure, she decided and asked, “Huh, how did you get one of those defibrillators here? Amazing. So you are saying you shocked me back?”

“No, it wouldn’t have worked even if I had had one of those human inventions on hand at the time. You were gone and just about to cross over. I had no choice, so I used something else, something we Seelie Fae are forbidden to use, forbidden …” His voice trailed off.

She had died came through loud and clear. Trevor had told her that she had been gone and that he had been aware she was about to cross over. Did that mean she would have gone to heaven? As pleasant as that might have been, she wasn’t really ready to go yet, so thinking about this she was damned grateful he had broken the rules.

Her mind, her brand new, expanded mind, wrapped around everything he had just said and was oddly at peace. Why would he think she would be hysterical? The knowledge of what he had done for her superseded all other considerations. And that overwhelming truth, the one that spoke the loudest, was that he had turned his back on everything he believed to save her. “Ah, Trevor … just what did you do?”

“I used my blood to bring you back. The giving of Fae blood is very different than the healing power we have. You see, our healing ability works off our energy, but even a Royal’s science and magic cannot bring back a human that has died and is about to cross over.” He shook his head and paused before saying, “The use of Seelie blood will revive a human from death, yes, but it also changes that human. The act cannot be taken lightly. That is why it is forbidden—because it changes the human.”