Eternity's Wheel (InterWorld 3)

“No, it means you get to tell me what not to do, and it doesn’t mean I’ll listen,” I said. I was mostly teasing her back, but something about this arrangement still rubbed me the wrong way. “Assuming I even accept this deal.”

Deana gave me an amused look. “Assuming you accept?”

“You just said this is my ship. Like it or not, that means I’m in charge of InterWorld and everyone in it, and continuing the fight against Binary and HEX. I have enough on my plate without having to worry about TimeWatch telling me what I can or can’t do. If you’re so bent on controlling us, why don’t you take over the fight?”

“We have our own problems,” Acacia began heatedly, but Deana put a hand on her shoulder.

“I understand how you feel, Joseph. And Acacia is right. The fact is, our problems just became your problems.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. Acacia was also looking at her mother curiously.

“I assume my husband told you of the anomaly that bound you to the MDLF?” she asked. I hesitated, but nodded. I still wasn’t entirely clear on how it happened, but at least I knew what she was talking about. “This same anomaly occurred with the Techs and the Mages, what you know as Binary and HEX. Not with all of them, but with enough. There are a few now who share the characteristics of both, and these are more dangerous than anything you have ever faced—with the exception, I suppose, of FrostNight itself.”

Acacia’s eyes widened again. “You mean the . . . ?”

“Techmaturges,” I said, feeling my stomach descend about to my knees.

“Or something like them,” Deana corrected. “They are not exactly the creatures we have faced, but they share some similar abilities. Acacia will be able to help you against them.”

I looked at Acacia. She looked slightly less sure about this whole idea now. Her mother reached out to tuck some of her hair back, where it had come loose from her ponytail. “You’ve studied the most about this timestream, sweetie,” she said. “And your brother will take a while to recover. You’re the best choice for this mission—everyone thinks so. And you’re a Time Agent, Casey. You can come see us whenever you want to.”

Acacia visibly cringed at the use of the nickname, scrunching up her face. I couldn’t help it; I laughed at her, and she turned a furious glare on me. “I’ll slap you again,” she warned, and I smiled, remembering how she’d hugged me after.

“Would I get a hug again, if I let you?”

“No.” She glared, but then she stepped forward and hugged me anyway. I wasn’t entirely sure why, but I knew I was glad to have in her my arms—I was honestly afraid her coming on this mission with me would ruin any chance we had of an actual friendship. Frankly, I hoped hugging her now would help calm me in the future, when I’d inevitably have moments of wanting to strangle her. By the way she sighed, she was likely thinking the same thing.

There was a sudden flash of bright light, and Acacia pulled abruptly back. “Paisley!” she exclaimed, and her sister giggled again. I glanced down at the girl; she was holding what seemed to be an old-fashioned Polaroid camera, which explained the bright lights I’d seen before. She’d been taking pictures of everyone fixing up InterWorld.

Paisley stepped shyly up to me, offering the developing picture. It was white, the chemicals still oxidizi

ng on the film. “Casey hates pictures,” she said as I took the picture from her.

“I also hate that nickname!” Acacia said, reaching for her sister. Paisley ducked and ran off, Acacia not far behind. Deana turned to watch them go, smiling, and then gestured to the photograph.

“You should keep that,” she said. I tucked it carefully into my pocket, still looking at her.

“Did you know the Old Man?” I asked. I had a feeling I knew what the answer would be.

“Yes,” she said. “We all did, but my sister knew him best.”

“Acacia said her aunt died on my world,” I said. Deana nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” she said. “Acacia—my sister, my daughter’s namesake—wasn’t sorry. She waited all that time to be able to see him again.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. “Why couldn’t they see each other?”

“I hope you never find out,” she said, handing me the clipboard. “Go on inside,” she said, before I could ask again. “I have a few other things to look into, and you have to start restructuring your teams. InterWorld will be ready to go by the end of the day.”

She turned and walked away, leaving me with a clipboard I didn’t understand and a head full of questions and worries. TimeWatch was like that. I remembered the last part of the Old Man’s message, the one he’d had Jaroux record for me. It’s worth it, he’d said. I wondered if he’d still say so, now.

I turned and walked toward InterWorld, unsure of what else to do. My feet did most of the work for me, taking me up the ramp and through the halls without the conscious direction of my mind. I still felt incomplete, like something was missing. I supposed I’d always feel that way. No one had ever said this job was going to be easy.

I walked through the halls, returning the nods and greetings from my fellow Walkers, the infrequent handshakes and even less frequent hugs. No one questioned where I was going; the Old Man’s office was mine now, like it or not, and I had work to do. The five former members of my team would be officers; they could each take command of their own teams, although I might want to keep Jai as a senior field officer rather than a team leader. Either that, or only assign him Walkers like J/O (and the thought of him immediately brought on another pang of sadness), who had dictionary chips installed in their brains. There had to be others like him out there.

The Old Man’s office was just as I’d set it up before leaving to deal with FrostNight, though cleaner. Two of the long silver boxes that now contained all the memories from the Wall were used to hold up the massive slab of marble that served as a desk. The others lined the walls, some with padding and cushions to be used as a couch, others used as the base for bookshelves. Morbid as it was, it suited. These memories and the responsibilities that came with them would be mine alone.

I looked at the chair sitting behind the massive desk. I crossed around to stand near it, looking back at the door. I imagined how this must have looked from the Old Man’s point of view, when Walkers came in to debrief after a mission. I wondered if I would ever live that long and get that old. I wondered if young Walkers would fear and respect me the way we had him.