The Golden Spiral

  “Wait, I—” I stammered.

  But before I could finish, V was already back at Dante’s side, standing by the door, helping him lay out the tools Dante would need to fix and finish the black door.

  Leo must have seen my worry from across the room because he gestured for me to come join him.

  I stepped lightly around the door frame, skirting the blackened wood. For all that I was about to cross that threshold, I felt strangely reluctant to touch it before I had to.

  I sat down next to Leo on a square of white-and-gold marble. I held the hinge on my lap, unwilling to let it out of my hands. “This is nice,” I commented, tracing my fingers over one of the veins of gold running through the stone.

  “It’s one of the few things that survived the fire,” Leo said. “I’m glad it did. It was a gift from an old friend. He tried to teach me the art of sculpture, but somehow my pieces never turned out quite right. I never seemed to end up with what I wanted. My friend made it look so easy. When I asked him what his secret was, he said, ‘I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.’”

  “Sometimes it’s hard to see the ending from the beginning,” I said, watching as Dante chose a thin blade from among his tools and pressed the tip to the dark wood.

  “I know.” Leo rested his hand next to mine on the stone. “And sometimes it’s hard to keep your focus on the angel long enough for it to emerge from the stone. But when you do, and when it does, it’s one of the most amazing things you can see. I always thought that kind of creation was more like magic than art.”

  Dante deftly flicked his wrist, and a star-shaped spot appeared on what had once been a blank patch of wood. He brushed the edge of his hand over the wood, smoothing away any stray slivers. He touched the tool to the door again; this time, a swirl of petals appeared, a blooming flower caught in a breeze.

  V hovered nearby, holding an array of tools, ready to hand over whichever one Dante required at a moment’s notice.

  Dante stood before the door and left his mark in all the far corners and intricate patterns that decorated the freestanding frame and the door. He moved with confidence, never lingering in one spot for very long. His hands seemed to automatically select and discard the tools that he needed to transform a simple door back into a passageway through time.

  His dedication and artistry took my breath away.

  Sweat slowly darkened his shirt as he focused all his energy on the task before him.

  “I always knew he was talented,” Leo said quietly, “but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen him work at this level.”

  “You can tell that it makes him happy,” I said. “I just wish he had more chances to use his art for something other than working on that door.”

  Under Dante’s talented touch, constellations appeared and patterns formed. At his request, images came to life: scales and shells and stars. One by one, the grains of sand appeared in the hourglass in the center of the door.

  I could almost hear the slippery sound of them rushing through the narrow neck of wood.

  “This is a remarkable thing you have chosen to do,” Leo said.

  “Yeah, it’s either the bravest thing or the craziest.”

  “I’ve seen what you are capable of, Abby, and I would say you are braver than you give yourself credit for.”

  “I suppose we’ll see soon enough, won’t we?” I tilted a smile in Leo’s direction.

  At that moment, Dante stepped back from the door, the thin knife still in his hand hanging by his side. He scrubbed away the sweat from his forehead with the back of his wrist.

  “It’s done,” he said. His voice shook, though his hands were rock steady. “It’s ready for you.” He looked at me then, his eyes the same color as the marble. A hundred emotions flashed across his face, and I identified each and every one of them because I felt each and every one of them myself: excitement and anticipation, worry and fear, pride and love.

  I stood up, cradling the brass hinge in my arms, and walked the few steps to Dante’s side.

  V slipped away from the door, moving to stand by Leo.

  Dante smiled that small smile I loved so much and gestured for me to slide the hinge home.

  As I had done twice before, I opened the hinge to its full length and lined up the three prongs with the three gaps in the wood. The soft click of completion sent a shiver down my spine. I felt as though the door had suddenly come alive, humming with power.

  Heat rushed into my fingers as I moved my hand closer to the door. My breath tasted of possibilities. I tried to tap into Dante’s stillness and calm my racing heart. I pressed my palm flat against the black wood, but before I could push forward and take that first step that would lead me into the unknown, I heard a familiar voice ringing through the air.

  “Oh, good,” Zo said from the bottom of the stone steps. The light poured in around him like honey. His grin was as swift as a lightning strike. “The gang’s all here.”

  Chapter

  26

  Everyone seemed to move at once. Dante stepped in front of me at the same moment Leo stood up from where he sat on the marble block. V spun around and charged toward Zo, his hands already balled into fists.

  Zo, however, had moved as well. As fast as a thought, he was standing next to Dante instead of on the steps.

  V looked around, confused by the sudden disappearance.

  I gasped, stumbling backward. I didn’t know anyone could move that fast.

  Dante’s eyes narrowed, his attention fixed on Zo’s movements.

  Zo didn’t seem bothered by the sudden flurry of activity. He rocked back on his heels, his hands in his pockets. He looked up and down the wood and murmured appreciatively. “Very nice, Dante.” He tossed a glance at Dante, who shifted his body as though to shield me from Zo’s sight. “I’m assuming this is your work?” He strolled around the frame of the door as though he were examining a piece of art in a museum, debating whether or not to buy it. “You’re quite talented. Perhaps I should commission you to do some work for me.”

  “Save your praise, Zo,” Dante snapped, stepping away from Zo and taking me with him. “Why are you here?”

  Zo ignored him, instead cocking his head back toward V. “Good to see you again, Vincenzio. You’ve done some nice work here as well.” He offered up a small grin. “May I offer you my heartfelt congratulations on a job well done.”

  “What job?” I asked, looking from Zo to V with a cold stare. “What did you do for him?”

  “Nothing,” V said. “He wants you to think that I’m still on his side, but I’m not.”

  “Really? But you’ve helped me so much,” Zo said. “And rescuring Valerie from that wretched hospital . . . that was a nice touch.”

  A ring of dark red appeared around V’s neck. “I didn’t do it for you.”

  “If you say so. And to be fair, you also have done quite a bit to help Abby, too,” Zo said, his dark eyes as bright as polished stones. “You helped build this fine door like she requested, but—whoops, I guess you didn’t do it right the first time because otherwise, why would Dante here have had to come in and fix your mistakes? They were honest mistakes, weren’t they, V? I mean, you didn’t deliberately sabotage the machine, did you?”

  “Stop it, Zo,” V said, the red flush creeping into his face.

  “And then you’ve been here all day helping Leo like his own personal errand boy.” Zo shook his head sadly. “You had so much potential, V, but you’ve let it go to waste trying to get people like this to trust you.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at me, Dante, and Leo. “When you know very well that they don’t.”

  With a roar, V lunged at Zo, his hands outstretched like talons.

  But Zo was gone, sliding away in a blur of shadow only to reappear a few feet away; V’s hands clutched at empty air.

  I felt Dante grow still next to me, his concentration focusing on the spot where Zo had been and where he was now, as well as the space between.

&n
bsp; “You should really work on controlling your emotions, V,” Zo sighed. “Always acting first and thinking second. When you think at all.” He turned his gaze to me, smiling his sharp white grin that made me shiver. “I think it’s sweet that you thought V was still working with me. That you gave him enough credit that he could come up with a plausible lie and sell it so convincingly.”

  “I never lied to her!” V shouted.

  “Oh, I know you didn’t,” Zo said without releasing my eyes. “But I did. And sweet Abby, you are so trusting, I almost felt bad about what I did to you.”

  I bit down hard on my lip, my anger tasting sweet in my mouth. “So you lied to me about V for no other reason than because you could?”

  Zo lifted one shoulder in an elegant shrug. “You didn’t have to believe me.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Dante spat. “You never do anything without expecting something in return. What is it you want from Abby? Why did you lie to her?”

  Zo turned a dark eye to Dante. “I wanted to know how much she trusted me.”

  “I don’t trust you,” I said.

  “But you did once,” Zo said, shooting me a wicked grin. “And once was enough.”

  “We’re done talking,” Dante growled. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and shook out his fingers. The gold chains glinted like bracers on his wrists.

  “Oh, are we finished with the banter now? Good. It was growing tiresome.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Dante,” Leo said from across the room. “I don’t trust him—”

  “I can handle it,” Dante said sharply, cutting his hand through Leo’s words.

  “Come, now—is that any way to talk to your brother?” Zo asked. His gold bands seemed to writhe around his wrists as he folded his arms across his chest.

  I sucked in a breath and held it, fearful of what was coming next.

  “No, Zo, don’t—” Leo said, his tone halfway between a command and a plea.

  “Brother?” Dante said at the same time, confused. He looked to Leo, who looked away.

  Zo laughed in delight, leaning against the door frame and kicking his foot out so the point of his boot made a solid thump as it hit the floor. The wood frame creaked a little under his weight. “Oh, hasn’t he told you?” Zo looked past Dante to Leo. “I’m sorry—was that supposed to stay a secret?”

  Dante rounded on Leo, his face as pale as snow, his eyes as still as ice. “What’s he talking about?” When Leo didn’t respond, Dante turned to me. “Abby? Do you know what’s going on?”

  I opened my mouth, but I didn’t know what to say. The air was heavy in my lungs.

  Leo licked his lips and swallowed hard. “Dante,” he said, “please, I can explain.”

  “Yes, please do,” Zo chimed in. “I can’t wait to hear you tell the story of how you betrayed your country and your family and then dragged us all through the time machine after you.”

  “Be quiet, Zo,” I snapped. “That’s not what happened and you know it.”

  “It’s close enough.” Zo shrugged.

  “Is that true?” Dante stepped closer to Leo. “Is that what happened?”

  Leo slumped on the marble stone, the answer written in the curve of his shoulders.

  “They said I was a traitor,” Dante said slowly. “That’s why they locked me in prison, why they sent me through the door—but it wasn’t me. It was because of you.”

  “No,” I said quickly. “It wasn’t Leo’s fault. Zo was the one who turned you in.”

  Dante was taken aback. “You knew about this too? Why didn’t you tell me? I didn’t think we had any secrets left between us.”

  “This wasn’t my secret to tell,” I said with a sad glance at Leo. It wasn’t Zo’s secret to tell either, and I felt a flare of hate burn in me that he had done it anyway.

  “They had already punished me,” Leo said, some strength returning to his voice. “I didn’t know they had plans to do the same thing to you. I swear, Dante, I didn’t know.”

  “I knew,” Zo said brightly, raising his hand as though volunteering information.

  “You stay out of this,” I said, hot tears burning my eyes.

  “Why didn’t you say something?” Dante asked Leo. The hurt was clear in his voice. “Why did you keep it a secret?”

  Leo dragged a hand across his eyes. His fingers came away wet. “I don’t know,” he said heavily. “I wanted to—but your transition through the door was complicated. I didn’t want to make it worse. And then . . . it never seemed like the right time. You always spoke so highly of your older brother. I knew how proud you were of him.” He bowed his head. “I was afraid of what you would do once you knew the truth. I was afraid of what you would think of me.”

  “I thought you were dead,” Dante said, his lips barely moving.

  “I thought it would be easier that way.”

  “Easier for who?”

  “Ah, Leo—a coward to his core,” Zo said.

  Dante turned away from Leo and walked back to stand beside me.

  I think I was the only one who saw the old man draw a hand over his face.

  “Dante?” I ventured, but he shook his head once without looking at me, and I let the subject drop. For the moment. Family was important, and now that the truth was out about Leo and Dante, I wanted it to bring them closer together, not drive them apart.

  Zo clapped his hands together a single time. “As entertaining as this little family reunion has been, I actually did have another reason for coming here.” He strode back to the door, looking it over one more time, before turning to me with a regretful sigh. “I’m afraid I can’t let you go through this door, sweet Abby. It’s not safe.”

  I shook my head. “I’m going through that door and you can’t stop me.”

  Zo raised an eyebrow. “That sounded like a threat.”

  “Did it?” I said coolly. “I meant it as a promise.”

  “She’s made her choice, Zo,” Dante said, his fingers finding mine by my side and holding fast. “You should leave.”

  “And miss all the fun?” he said, slanting a grin at me. “I don’t think so.”

  He turned on his heel, and between one step and the next he vanished, only the rippling air marking his passage.

  Just as fast, though, he reappeared across the room, next to V.

  V lashed out and tried to grab him, but Zo was gone again.

  “What’s he doing?” I asked Dante, clutching at his hand.

  Dante focused on the patches of air. “He’s traveling. But not far. Just fast. And I don’t think he’s changing anything. Yet.” His body moved, automatically following Zo’s flickering appearances.

  “I don’t understand. Why travel if you’re not going to change something?”

  “I don’t know,” Dante said, his eyes moving as fast as a bird in flight. “But there must be a reason.” He let go of my hand and darted two paces to the left. “And I’m going to find out.”

  Dante pulled back his fist and swung just as Zo appeared in front of him.

  The blow glanced off Zo’s cheek, but it was enough to make him stumble and take a step back.

  “Very good,” Zo said, rubbing at the spot that was already turning red. “But not good enough.” And then he was gone again.

  This time Dante went with him.

  I blinked in surprise as both of them disappeared into a flicker of rippling air.

  I looked to Leo and V, who were standing off to one side.

  “What’s going on?” I demanded. I moved toward V until I was close enough to grab his wrist and leave a mark on his gold bands. “You’ve done this same trick—I’ve seen you. What are they doing?”

  V didn’t flinch at the harshness in my voice. “Dante was right. Zo is traveling along the river. But randomly. There’s no pattern. Just there and back.”

  “Can you see them? Can you see where they are?”

  V almost nodded. “They’re so fast,” he said, awed. “I knew I was no match fo
r Zo, but this . . . this is beyond what I imagined he was capable of.”

  “Can you help Dante stop him?” I demanded, looking over my shoulder and only catching glimpses of dark hair and gold chains, only hearing the thump of boots hitting stone and the ragged breathing of exhaustion.

  V hesitated, then shook his head. “I’m not skilled enough. I’d never be able to keep up with them.”

  Dante flickered into the room at the same time as Zo. “Stop!” he roared.

  Zo laughed. “What, Dante—am I too fast for you?” And then he was gone again.

  From across the room, Dante saw me with V. “Keep her here,” he barked at V.

  “We have to do something,” I said.

  “Sometimes all you can do is wait,” Leo said, resting his hand on my shoulder.

  I spun away from his touch. Between the blurs humming around me, I spied the door standing tall and untouched in the center of the room. “That’s not true. I can put an end to this right now.” I took a step forward.

  “Abby, no!” V said, reaching out and grabbing my arm. He hauled me back and pinned me against his chest. “Dante said to stay here.”

  “Let me go! If I can go through the door, I can close the loop. I can stop this!” I struggled against V’s grip, but he was stronger than I was, and I couldn’t break away.

  Zo rippled into the light, Dante hard on his heels. “I’m impressed, Dante. I didn’t think you could keep up with me.”

  Dante’s grin was as narrow and fierce as his eyes. “I didn’t think you’d be so slow.”

  Zo’s eyes lit up and his smile was all teeth. “You think you know what’s going on, Dante. But you have no idea. Your confidence would be amusing, perhaps. If it weren’t so pathetic instead.”

  My ears rang with Zo’s words. I’d heard them before—when Natalie and I had met V in Helen’s Café. Back then, I thought I was hearing snatches of a conversation that had

  already happened, or was happening elsewhere. But I was wrong. It was happening now.

  “I’ll just follow you wherever you go,” Dante said, his chest heaving with the strain of maintaining his focus. “And eventually I’ll stop you.”