Don't Mess With Time

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Theresa was leaning on a tree and watching the sparks that had appeared in the air not thirty seconds before.

Red and white side by side.

She had glanced at the leaderboard and been surprised her cousin was out so quickly.

But she still had to deal with Aunt Nic, which was obviously going to be a problem.

She was brilliant and made Theresa feeling like a halfwit whenever they spoke.

She probably already knew where she and Amber were and had a plan to eliminate them that had probably commenced half and hour ago and was just biding its time before it came to fruition.

Amber seemed less concerned with Nicola and more worried about her sister.

"There's a reason she didn't come to meet up with us, I just don't know what it is," Amber mused.

Theresa refrained from pointing out that it might be because she planned to make her move before the end of this Trial.

Just then, sparks erupted from the sky.

Amber and Theresa locked eyes and tried their hardest to get a sight of the leaderboard.

After a moment, Amber just growled and stalked over.

"Give me a boost," she said.

Theresa frowned in confusion and stared at Amber.

She growled and tried not to focus on the heat that was seeping up from her neck and into her cheeks.

"I said give me a boost, Theresa," she snapped.

The princess was slow at first, but suddenly her face erupted into a grin and she scooped Amber up, throwing her onto her shoulders.

Amber instantly regretted it as she tried to balance herself on Theresa's shoulders by putting her hand on her head.

She completely forgot why she was up there for a moment and instead was distracted by the other girl.

She had always wondered what the girl's fluffy, bouncy hair would feel like... she would never admit it, but she'd daydreamed about it before.

Her imagination could never have come up with this.

It was a bit dirty from the fights, but it was still incredibly soft and it felt like she had her hand on a puppy's head.

"Can you see it?" Theresa asked, smirking.

Amber blushed and turned to try and catch sight of the leaderboard over the numerous trees that surrounded them.

She squinted for a moment before her eyes widened.

"Yeah, I can see it."

"Who was disqualified?"

Amber opened her mouth to respond, but she was interrupted by a loud, almost feral sounding howl.

But it was a weirdly, achingly familiar sound.

"It's-"

~

Nicola leaned against a tree and tried not to draw attention to herself.

She had climbed the closest tree to her and she was watching with baited breath as two figures walked beneath her.

She frowned in confusion as she saw that they were an Ever and Never, both walking close together and whispering.

She struggled to remember the names.