A Mutiny in Time (Infinity Ring #1)

Three floors down. A long hallway. A right turn, a left turn, and a second left. Another long hallway. Sera thought she’d keep track in case they had the chance to make an escape, but wherever they were, the place was built like a labyrinth.

And then, finally, they reached a small room with a table and four chairs. Two of those were occupied, by a man and a woman. They were both about the age of Dak’s parents. The man looked a little goofy — big nose, black hair sticking up — but the woman was stunningly beautiful, with dark skin and a flawless face. Sera wished Dak was in the mood to make one of his famously awkward historical speeches in an attempt to break the ice. It might bore everyone else, but right now it would lift her spirits. Dak remained silent, though. His face was sallow and droopy, and his eyes were red and moist.

On the table was a spread of food that looked too good to be true. Fruit and cheese and cakes and pastries. Sera’s stomach rumbled with hunger. The traitor.

The blond guard motioned for Dak and Sera to take the two empty chairs. Then, to their enormous surprise, he handed the Infinity Ring to Dak. “We’ll be right outside if you need us,” the guard said to the woman. She simply nodded.

The door closed behind him, and a weighty silence settled on the room. Dak clutched the Infinity Ring to his chest.

The man spoke first. “Well. Dak and Sera. We have so much to say to you. It’s hard to even know where to start.”

“Don’t you think we should start by telling them our names?” the woman asked, giving her partner a reproving glare.

“Oh, yes, of course we should.” The man cleared his throat. “My name is Brint, and this is my colleague, Mari. We, um, both know who you are. Although I guess you’ve figured that out by now. Please feel free to help yourselves to some food. If there’s anything else you want —”

Sera had reached the end of her rope. “We had a fridge full of food back at Dak’s house. You know, where we were when your goons trespassed on private property, set off explosives, and kidnapped us? We’re not in very good moods, and what we want is to know what’s going on!”

Brint had flinched at Sera’s outburst, leaning back as far as he could in his chair, a look of complete shock on his face. Mari hadn’t moved a muscle.

“Well?” Sera pushed.

“I like your spirit,” Mari said quietly. “You’re going to need it for what we’re about to ask of you. But rein in the outbursts and Brint will tell you everything you need to know. Brint?”

Sera watched as the man shifted in his seat uncomfortably. It was obvious who was really in charge here. But Brint quickly recovered and took on a serious air as he leaned forward and folded his hands on the table.

“We’re members of a group called the Hystorians,” he began. “You wouldn’t have heard of us, but our organization goes back many, many centuries. It was founded by the great philosopher Aristotle in 336 BC. We’ve lasted in a continuous line ever since, united in a common goal to one day save the world from a disaster that only a visionary like Aristotle could have predicted. And today you’ve given us the biggest breakthrough since he spoke of that vision. Time travel.”

Sera glanced over at Dak, who sat up a little straighter, eyes focused on Brint. She was sure he felt the same relief she did — they hadn’t been taken by the SQ after all. If these people weren’t lying.

“Time travel?” Dak asked. “What does that have to do with Aristotle?”

Brint tightened his lips and nodded. “It has everything to do with him. He knew time travel would be possible someday, and he knew what it would be needed for. To go back and correct the Great Breaks. To remove the Remnants that haunt us. To set right the world’s course and prevent reality from ending in a fiery Cataclysm.”

The man paused and gave a long look to Sera, then Dak. “History is broken, and we need your help to fix it.”





THERE WAS an emptiness inside Dak unlike anything he’d ever experienced. The shock and anger of losing his parents had worn off, leaving a numbness that was somehow worse. Numbness, and confusion. He had no idea what had happened, which wasn’t entirely surprising. The bad news was that Sera didn’t seem to know either. All he could say for sure was that they were gone, and the ache was like a choking smoke in his lungs.

But Brint’s words had pierced through the haze. Dak felt a spark of something. It wasn’t quite enough to make him forget his misery. But it was enough to get him interested.

“What does that mean?” Dak asked. “Fix history?”

“The world is not right, Dak, Sera. It’s gone off the rails, and we needed time travel to get it back on course.”

“But . . .” Sera began. “But history’s, well, history, isn’t it?”