Broken Spells (Broken Realms, #6)

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5The transparent sphere exploded out of nowhere, filling the kitchen at the back of Ping’s Bakery without warning. Sam jumped in his seat next to the office, nearly dropping the book bag he rummaged through, while Ping almost fell over, since he was in the process of sitting at the table. Mara stood in the center of the expanded Chronicle and held out her hand. The globe surrounding her collapsed and turned into the jeweled copper disk that fell out of the air into her palm.

Stepping toward the table, she noticed Sam and Ping had bewildered expressions. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Their gazes shifted to a space beyond Mara’s left shoulder, and she turned to where they stared. Behind her, at the coffee urns holding paper cups, was another Mara. After filling them, she turned, gasped and dropped the cups, splattering hot brew over the floor between them.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Ah, Ping! I need your help here,” the newly arrived Mara said.

Ping approached slowly, walking in a wide arc, keeping space between them. He stopped at the side of the other Mara—the one in front of the coffee urns. “What realm do you come from?” he asked.

“This one,” Mara said. “You told me I needed to concentrate on the other elements of Reality when using the Chronicle, so that’s what I did. I focused on Time, because I needed to get back a few minutes early—before Sam left for Mrs. Zimmerman’s. It didn’t occur to me that I would run into myself.”

“I never told you to concentrate on the elements of Reality,” Ping said. “I admit that I have been meaning to discuss it with you, but I haven’t had a chance.”

The other Mara cut in. “Ping, who is this?”

Mara ignored her other self. “We’ll have that conversation in a few minutes. Or we would have, if I had not interrupted. This is confusing.”

“Fascinating,” Ping said. “You claim to be from the future?”

“Just an hour in the future.”

“Don’t believe her,” the past version of herself said. “I’ve never been able to move through Time using the Chronicle before, at least not intentionally. How could I learn it in less than an hour?”

“I am you—a little over an hour from now,” Mara said. “Jeez, that sounds weird when you say it out loud.”

Sam joined them at the coffee urns. “Her clothes are the same as yours. We’ve never seen that when we’ve met your counterparts from other realms.”

“That doesn’t prove anything,” Past Mara said. “Getting identical clothing isn’t exactly a stretch if you’re interested in pulling off a deception.”

“I understand your reluctance to believe me, but it is true. I traveled to Prado’s realm to ask the Mara there if she would build me a new biological body, and, when I returned to this realm, I intentionally concentrated on coming back at this time.”

Past Mara’s suspicious look softened.

Ping noticed and said, “Were you considering that?”

“The thought had occurred to me. Tell me something that only I would know and don’t make it embarrassing. Remember, the blabbermouth is listening.”

“Hey!” Sam said.

Mara thought for a moment, then said, “When I—we—woke up this morning, we didn’t recognize the digital clock or the nightstand. We were confused about not being in our bedroom in the old house, the one torched by the dragon.”

Past Mara faced Ping. “She might be me—I mean, this me, from this realm.”

“How will we explain to Mom that there are two of you now?” Sam asked. “Having one robot daughter is bad enough, but when she finds out there are two of you, she’ll really freak out. I guess we could tell her one of you is for spare parts.”

“Shut up, Sam!” both Maras said in unison. To Ping, they said, “What do we do?” They glared at each other.

“It might be best if we sit down and think this through,” Ping said. “I’ve got an extra chair in the office.” He retrieved the chair and placed it between where he and Mara sat. “Why don’t the two of you sit on opposite sides of the table? Sam and I will sit between you to prevent any accidental contact.”

“You think they might explode?” Sam asked.

“I’m not sure, since it appears they both come from this realm, but let’s not take any chances—just in case.”

They took their seats, the two Maras facing each other. “What did you find out in Prado’s realm? Did you find our counterpart?” Past Mara asked.

“Yes,” Mara said. “She can replace our biological body by using a cell from the engrams in our cranium. It would be identical to the one destroyed by the Aphotis.”

“Gives new meaning to talking to yourself,” Sam said.

“She’s willing to do this?” Ping asked. “You’re willing to do this too? It could be risky. If she inadvertently touches you during the process, it’s likely you would die.”

“I know there’s risk involved,” Mara said. “But it’s not unreasonable, and I can’t spend the rest of my life in this synthetic contraption. I think it would drive Mom nuts, and that would drive me nuts.”

“What do you think?” Ping asked Past Mara.

“We may have two Maras at the moment, but I think only one opinion is at work here. Until I see something to lead me to think otherwise, I’ll trust her instincts.”

“I’m surprised that you have come around so quickly,” Mara said to her past self.

“Like I said, I’m on board until I see you do or say something I wouldn’t.”

“Our counterpart did have one condition before she would begin growing the body.”

“What condition?” Ping asked.

“She wants me to bring Sam to her realm.”

He perked up. “Cool. Let’s go. Anything’s better than algebra and essays.”

Ping looked concerned. “What’s her interest in Sam? Doesn’t she have a brother?”

“No. Her version of Sam died recently. She wants to see him again and have him visit with her mother.”

“Why am I always dead when we visit these realms?” he asked. “We have seen other Maras, other Pings and copies of other people, but everywhere we go—even in the dream realm—I am dead. How did I die in this latest realm?”

Mara paused, stared at herself across the table for a moment. Past Mara could sense something was up. “What happened?” she asked.

“I’m not clear on all the details, but when I returned the Aphotis—Prado’s spirit—to his realm, I upset some religious order, who now blames my counterpart for destroying their faith. They attempted to free the Aphotis, but they couldn’t. That sticky steam I created in the dream realm would not release him in the lightbulb world. Anyway, they’ve turned themselves into some coven and, while attacking Mara, Sam got caught in the cross fire and was killed. Obviously she blames me. The only way she’ll help me is if she gets to see her brother again.”

“What a mess,” Past Mara said.

Mara looked at her brother. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want. I will understand.”

“How long would we be there?” he asked.

“Four days. That’s how long it takes for the new body to form. Mara wants you there during that time, to be with her and her mother. I will be there—and Ping too, if he’s willing. I would bring us back a few minutes from now, so no one would even know we were gone.”

“Great. I would still have to go to Mrs. Zimmerman’s. And, after that, we could end up with three Maras.”

“This isn’t about getting out of your lessons,” Ping said.

“I know. I was just giving her grief,” Sam said. “Okay, I’m in. Let’s go see Mara and Mom in the realm where they put dead people in lightbulbs. Hey! Their Sam has a lightbulb, right? Will I get to see it?”

“I would assume he has one,” Mara said. “But I don’t know if it’s appropriate to ask about it.”

Ping leaned forward to catch Sam’s attention. “I understand your enthusiasm for a new adventure, but these people just lost their brother and son. They will be grieving, so being ebullient might not be appropriate. Follow what I’m saying?”

“I get it. I was just curious.”

“I have a question,” Past Mara said.

“For me?” Ping asked.

“For whoever can answer it.”

“What is it?” Mara asked.

“If we are traveling to Prado’s realm, which Mara will go? Past Mara or Future Mara?”

“Interesting,” Ping said. “That is a conundrum, isn’t it?”

As if an epiphany hit them, both Maras’ gazes widened, and they said, “Both of us should go.”

“Why do you say that?” Ping asked.

“When Hannah was here, she said that time was like a merry-go-round,” Past Mara said.

Mara nodded. “Hannah described a loop. We need to close this loop, or this timeline will split into two.”

“Going through the Chronicle together will close the loop,” Past Mara said.

“Or we’ll end up with four Maras when we get there. No, Five, counting the Mara who’s already in the realm of the dead lightbulbs,” Sam said.

“That won’t happen,” Mara said. “I told my counterpart we’d show up two hours after I was last there, so she would have time to finish working on the car. As long as I don’t show up early, I shouldn’t split into more Maras.”