Clockwork Kiss

Temporal Key

Torian’s grip on my arm tightened, snatching my attention back to the council and away from the dark figure. “Darling,” he said the word through nearly clenched teeth, struggling to contain his irritation. “Did you hear what I asked you?”

“Oh,” I swallowed, my gaze flicking between his and those of the Council members. “I am so sorry,” I breathed, lifting my hand and delicately pressing my fingertips to my temple, “I’m afraid my earlier headache has returned, the pain distracted me.”

I watched as he swallowed, and tried to read the expression in his eyes. I could feel the tension radiating off of him. “Allow me then to accompany you back to your chambers so you may rest.”

“Of course,” I nodded, managing a small smile.

The Council dismissed us with well wishes, and we stepped down from the dais. I searched the crowd for the figure as he led me back through the ballroom, but they were gone. My hand was tucked into the crook of his elbow, and he placed his other hand on top of it, squeezing just enough to draw my attention back to him. “What in the Dark Realms was that?” he asked, not hiding his rising anger. “I gave you the simplest tasks and you couldn’t follow orders.”

“I’m sorry,” I repeated, my whisper a hiss. “There was someone watching you,” I let the confusion show in my tone, hoping he would understand that this wasn’t just some mortal inability to play a role. This was something urgent and dangerous. “It didn’t feel right, they…”

The words were lost on my tongue. I was uncertain of how to explain how I just knew he was in danger. I swallowed as my brow furrowed.

He stopped, gazing down at me with a sudden softness I didn’t expect. “Come with me,” he said suddenly, leading us out of the ballroom and back down the glittering hall as if his grip on me gave me any choice to do otherwise.

We stepped into another chamber, a large sitting room with plush velvet sofas and chairs, a pristine, white marble table sat in the middle of them. More of those incredible glowing orbs lit the room. “Tell me exactly what you saw,” he demanded, depositing me onto a sofa.

He stood in front of me, tall and imposing. I swallowed.

I pressed my back into the softness of the velvet, sucking in a breath and closing my eyes as I tried to focus my thoughts. I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me even though my heart was once again hammering against my ribs. “There was a figure by the window,” I explained, opening my eyes to meet his again. “That big one that looks like it leads onto a balcony…” He nodded, confirming he knew which one I was talking about.

“They were completely hooded,” I continued. “They weren’t watching the Council or the dance though. Even though their face was covered I just knew they were watching you. I don’t know how, it was just this…overwhelming sense.”

Torian waited, unmoving, his voice a severe mask of stone.

“They were too still,” I gestured with my hands, trying to capture the wrongness of it and express how chilling it had appeared. “They made a gesture with their hand, like winding a clock. It was slow and methodical.”

The words landed, not with a crash, but with a silent, devastating impact. Torian’s eyes narrowed and his expression of cold irritation evaporated, replaced by a focused fury.

He paced once, then stopped. “Your nutcracker, did it have a watch?”

I nodded, “It was a silver pocket watch, attached by a chain and hanging from its hand. I set the watch and next thing I knew, the world was blindingly white. Then I was in the coat closet.”

Torian inhaled sharply, running a hand through his long, dark hair. He was no longer looking at me, but through me, at some unseen danger. “That confirms it,” he muttered, his voice barely audible. “The figure is an agent of Valerius. He aims to challenge my claim to this realm, but his true purpose is far more insidious.” His gaze finally shifted back to me. “The object that brought you here isn’t just some portal. It’s a focusing lens. A temporal key.”

“A temporal key?” My brow arched, my voice laced with more confusion. I was definitely either dead or in a coma. There was no way any of this was real. “Why would they want a nutcracker that can time travel?” Not to mention, jump dimensions.

“They don’t want the nutcracker, Anya.” Torian used my name with a sudden, charged intimacy, and I swallowed. “They want the power locked within its magic. If Valerius uses it, he can destabilize the very timelines of Aethelgard, as well as those of other worlds. He would not only rule, he would rewrite history.”

Just as the enormity of his words settled over me, the door to the chamber opened with a soft click.