of them are already questioning,” Lily allowed. “But they’re trapped. I think with you back, there might be many who are willing to reconsider their choices. Without you, Myrddin seemed to be the better bet for witches. Though you should understand that there are many who are true believers.”
“Like Olivia Carey?”
Lily nodded silently.
I took a deep breath, feeling sorry for Kelsey and Casey. I knew Casey still felt something for Liv because I’d heard him telling Daniel he thought Myrddin had influence over her. I hated the idea that someone I’d cared about would be on the other side of this war.
“I want you to know that I’m going to do everything I can to help you win this war, Your Highness,” Lily promised. “I know my sister is gone, but I hope you understand that you can look to me if you need me.”
“Is she really gone?” I’d asked the question all day, the answer becoming heartbreakingly clear.
“Yes. I don’t feel her. If my sister was alive, she would make contact. I worked with Neil to try to find her. I don’t think she ever left the building.” Lily’s eyes shone with tears. “I miss her. I miss Mia and Felix, too, but Sarah… I don’t remember a time in my life when she wasn’t there. I know there was, but even my oldest memories have her in them.”
I let the moment sit between us, trying to decide if I could trust her. Lily had power. I needed a witch and magic if I was going fix this timeline. “What if you could get her back?”
Lily sniffled. “I would do anything to see my sister again.”
Lily knew a lot about magic. She wasn’t as talented as Sarah, but then almost no one on the Earth plane was. But she came from the same magical line.
“What do you know about the painting we fell through?”
“Only what Trent and Sasha’s spies have told us.” Lily sat up, wiping her tears. “Your Highness, you went through a slipstream, a magical wormhole of sorts.”
“Is there a way back?”
She seemed to think about it for a moment. “I don’t know. That particular wormhole is closed, but there are time spells. It depends on how you lost that time. What if the years you lost didn’t happen because of the plane you were on? The king mentioned you were on several. Last night he told us some stories about a Vampire plane.”
We hadn’t actually set foot on the Vampire plane, but we’d heard enough about it to know how unique it was. “Yes. It’s where Dean was raised.”
“I don’t understand the time differences, but I suspect they don’t all line up,” Lily said. “Not twelve years’ worth, and you would pick up time on planes that run slower.”
Finally I was getting somewhere. “Do you think we lost the time inside the wormhole?”
She nodded. “I think it’s possible. And if it’s possible to lose time in the wormhole, it could be possible to gain it back. That’s not the right way to say it.”
But I understood what she meant. “It’s a form of time travel. The question is can I get back the same way?”
“If you got back, you could save Sarah.” The words came out on a quiet gasp.
“Yes, I could save us all.” A little hope lit through me because Lily was clearly thinking about the problem. And she wasn’t telling me no. I pushed back thoughts of all the complications that could come from going through time again. I would deal with that later. I only wanted a chance to set things right. To go back to the world I understood. Even if we won this war, this wasn’t my world.
“I need to think about this.” Lily stood, straightening her skirt. There was purpose in her eyes, and I knew I’d found an ally. “I understand how to open a wormhole to get to another place. It’s a form of teleportation, and I’ve gotten good at it. I would need to figure out the time element.”
“I would appreciate anything you could do,” I assured her.
Lily nodded. “I’ll begin immediately. Like I’ve said since yesterday—your return brings us all hope.”
She strode away, back to the eastern side of the base where there was a neighborhood of cottages.
I was warmed by more than the fire. If Lily could find a way, I might get my life back. I might get my children back. I would have to be careful. There were things that needed to