His being shot had sort of made me forget the news about our genetic handcuffs, but we needed to talk about Eva. And what had just happened. And what we should do to get us both out of here.

If we could get out.

Maybe most importantly, where did we stand?

Reluctant allies? Time-traveling buddies?

Less than that… Or more?

Whatever happened, we were stuck together. For worse…

And hopefully for better, too.

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

ALTAIR

I couldn’t wrap my mind around this new reality.

I’d almost died. Or did I die?

A dull whisper of the pain I’d felt still echoed in my chest. Six bullets, and I remembered each one.

Then Quanta took my face in her hands and…

Everything had rolled back. I’d watched it like a spectator, incredulous, but helpless to do anything except follow along for the trip. A numb roar had blotted out all other sound, and cerulean static had glittered at the edges of my sight.

Glimpses into other worlds? If that was true, then Quanta was more powerful than anyone had imagined.

Now she stared at me across the breakfast table.

It seemed a lifetime ago we’d sat eating, but here we were, reliving the same scene. Choking down the same gritty bacon. Acting for the cameras.

Again.

It was like we’d hit the reset button on one of Cassie’s VR games, returning to the save point, but it hadn’t been as easy as flipping a switch, and not everything was the same. The tone of Quanta’s skin looked off—slightly grayer than before with deeper, bluish circles under her eyes. She leaned a hand against her forehead, subtly rubbing her scalp, trying to dislodge the same headache that pushed against my skull. Nothing in her vitals was alarming though.

If anything, she seemed mildly hungover.

It was getting off fairly easy considering she’d just rewritten time.

Could she do it again? And how far back could we go? What were the limits?

I ached to know, but now wasn’t the time to start testing her. Both our deaths were on the table if something went wrong, and the cost to her was obvious enough. Her arm trembled as she moved her fork around her yogurt, not eating.

Neither of us were doing a convincing job with the original plan—showing Darren she was warming up to me. Then again, the plan had gone far south.

I’d never expected Darren to break like that.

His obsession with Quanta went deeper than I’d imagined if a few holos set him off. A chill settled into my bones. I’d seen the look in Darren’s eyes. He was obsessive but not insane—just making the most of an opportunity to get rid of his competition.

And apparently I was disposable here. As questions rolled through my head, conflicting emotions coursed through my body.