as the Camaro accelerated up the hill. Too fast. It was happening too fast, just like before.
“Please Robin.” I licked my lips. “Tell me, what can I do?”
He reached for my cheek, brushed his thumb over it. “Switch places with your echo self.”
“What?”
“Joey Whitmore is destined to get in that accident. But you can replace her in the car.”
Relive that crash. Fix my future. I hesitated only a moment and then dug the small hourglass out of my pocket and handed it to him. “As soon as I do, I want to go forward. Back to my own time. Will you promise to get me there?”
He took the hourglass from me and nodded.
I took a deep breath and turned. The engine roared as the car came up the hill.
Robin gripped me and turned me to face him. His expression was haunted, his tone bleak. “I don’t want you to do this, lamb. What if the accident is worse than before? What if it kills you?”
“Just get me back to my time,” I said. “I’m trusting you to do it.”
He let out a ragged breath and then stepped away.
The headlights crested the hill. Seconds remained. I only had one final chance to get this right. Switch me for her. Her place for mine.
The wand vibrated in my hand. Power built and built. One second, I was standing at the side of the road looking into my own wide blue eyes….
And then I blinked and found myself in the car. The scent of air freshener filled my nose as the Goo Goo Dolls blared from the radio. My echo self stood alongside the road. Her expression utterly stunned.
“What the hell?” Billy’s head whipped toward me.
“Look out!” I shrieked as he hit the wet leaves. Tires skidded. He jerked the wheel. Brakes screamed. The car skidded. Billy let out a strangled yell as the vehicle spun out. The phone pole was closing in. Fear flooded my body as we spun and spun, careening out of control.
Impact.
Glass crunched. Metal groaned. My body jerked forward though the seatbelt held firm as the airbag deployed, hitting me in the face. Instinctively, I clutched my bad wrist, preventing it from being trapped by the crumpling metal. The taste of blood filled my mouth and I knew that my nose had been rebroken.
But not my wrist. Not young Joey’s wrist. I’d spared her the trauma of the accident. She could go on to Olympic glory.
I did it. Triumph that I hadn’t felt in forever blotted out the pain and I started to laugh. After a lifetime of losses, finally one for the win column. Fate wanted an accident with Joey Whitmore? Well, I’d survived it, not once, but twice.
Fate could bite me.
A groan sounded from the other side of the car. My laughter cut off abruptly. Billy Tucker’s head lolled, his eyes fluttered. A stray piece of glass had cut a jagged scar into the side of his temple and blood spilled down.
“You okay?” I asked him.
He groaned again just as the driver’s side door was wrenched open.
“Billy!” My echo self screamed and dragged him out of the car.
“No need to thank me.” I spat blood and reached for the seatbelt. “Honestly. Don’t gush, it’s embarrassing.”
Dizziness washed over me, I closed my eyes, knowing I should struggle my way out of the car. I would after I shut my eyes for a moment. And then a familiar voice muttered, “I’ve got you, lamb.”
The cool autumn air of October 3, 1996, tunneled and faded into history.
Chapter 15
The familiar warm feel of flannel sheets on a winter morning caressing my body coaxed me out of my stupor. This wasn’t a normal morning though. For one thing, every part of me hurt, like my body was one massive bruise, though the pain was more acute around my face. Damn, what had I been doing yesterday? I would have to take a whole bottle of Advil to dull this throb.
To get more comfortable and snag a few extra zzzs I shifted from my left side to my back. A groan escaped as the soreness spread. That was no good either as not only did my nose hurt like hell, it was damn near impossible for me to breathe through.
It came back in a rush. Swapping places with my echo self to save my gymnastics career. Time travel with a fae prince.
My eyes snapped open to an unfamiliar ceiling. No settlement cracks, or ornate molding. Just smooth, white sheetrock gleaming in the winter