four-dimensional travel company on Earth. As one of the senior members of the Guardians of Time, he still has access to confidential files on all time missions. I accessed the files on my mission and saw his name. Travis returned to 2122 forty-eight hours after I did. His mission report said that clean-up was straightforward. One female to eliminate. It had to be you. I checked the newspapers from that time and you were reported missing.’
God. I was supposed to be dead.
‘How did you get back here? You said that time travel was difficult. That almost no missions ever get approved. That fuel’s hard to come by and that travelling back to a time where you’ve been is dangerous.’
We’d reached the cove. The tide was high and the water flat and still. There was no suggestion of the storm from the night before other than the seaweed strewn along the high-water mark. I followed Ryan across the pebbles to the rock I’d once seen him sitting on while he sketched picture after picture of me.
‘I stole a ship. The one we used to get here the first time. It was supposed to be scrapped because it had sustained some damage during our portal home. I tinkered with it a bit. I got hold of some fuel.’ A shadow crossed his face. ‘But it took months to get my hands on it. They don’t just leave these things lying around.’
‘But you were only gone for a day.’
‘One day in your timeline. Nine months in mine.’
‘You were gone for nine months?’
He nodded. ‘I knew I had to get back here, but I knew there was no way an official mission would be sanctioned. My dad – the board – would have considered one life an acceptable price for the future of the planet. But it wouldn’t have been fair. You’re the one who saved the planet.’ He smiled at me. ‘You’re the one who made a fool of herself ensuring that Connor didn’t get to look through a telescope.’
‘Thanks for reminding me.’
We sat on the rock, side by side. ‘So I came back. To change history one last time.’
I frowned. In the last ten minutes Ryan had told me that he would be living in the farmhouse for the foreseeable future and that we didn’t have much time. Much as I didn’t want to know when he was leaving, the not knowing was worse. ‘When will you return to your time?’
He shrugged. ‘I won’t. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. There was only enough fuel for a one-way trip.’
I let that sink in for a moment. He was here for ever. ‘You’ve given up so much for me. Your destiny. The life you’re supposed to live in the time you’re supposed to live.’
‘Eden, I haven’t given up anything. My destiny might have been in the twenty-second century, but my heart was back here with you. Do you remember you once asked me if I believed in Fate?’
I nodded. ‘You said to ask you in a hundred years’ time.’
‘Well, I’ve seen a hundred years later and I know the answer to that question. I don’t believe in Fate. I believe that we make our own destiny. And my destiny is with you.’
As we sat on the beach, the sky charred and blackened as the world turned away from the sun, towards the feeble light of distant stars.
‘These Guardians of Time. Won’t they be able to tell that you’re here?’ I asked, gripping his arm. ‘You said before that they looked for energy signatures.’
‘Yes. But I portalled in yesterday. Just one day after we originally portalled out. With a bit of luck the energy signatures will be muddled and they won’t be able to tell.’
‘And what about Travis?’
‘His funeral will be in the newspaper. They’ll see that he died on the job. His wife will get his death benefits.’
‘He was married?’
‘Apparently.’
‘What if they do come for you, Ryan?’
‘I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. But I’m not planning on getting caught.’
‘But . . .’
Ryan put a finger on my lips. ‘No more worrying about what might happen. I’m here to stay. And you’re alive. I’d say we have quite a bit to celebrate.’
He pushed the champagne cork out of the bottle with a pop. I held the two glasses while Ryan let the champagne spill into them. I wondered if I would like champagne, if it would taste the way I’d imagined. Above us a million stars turned on like possibilities.
‘You once told me that your perfect date would be spent drinking cold champagne and eating warm strawberries while watching the sun set over the ocean.’
I felt my heart surge.
‘With someone I love,’ I said.
He looked me in the eye. ‘I’m making assumptions here – I guess I’m hoping that you feel the same way about me as I do about you.’
‘You don’t really need to ask me that, do you?’
He smiled shyly. ‘I’ve made quite a leap of faith.’
I clinked my glass against his. ‘Here’s to making our own destiny. And watching the sun set over the sea with someone you love.’
And then he kissed me and time stood still.
About the Author
Helen Douglas was born and raised in a small beach town in Cornwall. After leaving home to go to university, she lived in London, California, New Jersey and New York. She is now back in Cornwall, where she combines writing books with teaching secondary school English. A keen stargazer, one of her first memories is of getting up in the middle of the night to sneak outside and watch the Perseid meteor shower with a friend. It was a telescope that she received as a birthday gift that helped inspire
