“I was praying you would come much later,” he spoke softly then opened his eyes and scanned my face, the coldness already gone. He cupped my face in his hands, and I definitely did not miss the moonstone ring I gave him on his pinky. “For I know this shall be the last I see of you before you are reborn and we are reunited.”

My stomach tightened into knots. “What year is this?”

“1712.”

I placed my hands over his. “Only three centuries left. You’re getting so close.”

“I can already tell this visit will leave the deepest mark.” He groaned then leaned forward to rest his forehead on mine. I went to kiss him, but he pulled back with a shake of his head. He dropped his hands. “The drought is too severe. If I kiss you now, I may lose this carefully constructed numbness and thy quest be ruined.”

“I will kiss you before I leave here.” I reached into my magic bag for the potion vial again. “Prepare thyself.”

The smirk he gave me in response had my pulse fluttering.

Then I pulled the potion vial out and his smirk vanished. He scowled. “Whatever is that for?”

I pulled my sleeve up to show him Valathame’s words. “I may be new to this life, but I know in my heart I am not to question Her.”

That smirk returned. He nodded. I uncapped the vial and chugged. The liquid tasted like a Shirley Temple drink. My Aunt Kimmy used to make me those as a kid all the time. Heat slid down my spine, sending little tingles across my entire body. I held my arms out and watched as the color of my skin changed to a deep olive tone. Long, wavy black hair fell over my shoulders, hanging all the way down to my hips. Light flashed in my eyes for a second before the worst case of brain freeze I’d ever experience hit me. I squeezed my eyes shut and held onto Everest for support until it faded. Right as that pain began to lighten my teeth throbbed.

A few seconds later, all of the pain vanished. I exhaled and shook my arms and legs out. When I looked up to Everest his face fell.

“I miss your face already⁠—”

“Everest—”

“I know, you cannot go in there with your face or our future is in peril.” He took a deep breath. “Luckily I am used to it with . . . the others.”

I nodded and gestured to myself. “¿Qué te parece? ¿Cómo estoy?”

WHAT? I covered my mouth with my hands. I only spoke a little bit of Spanish and it had never just come out of my mouth on default. I shook my head. I asked him what he thought and how I looked—-in English.

“Lo siento, no sé qué ha pasado—” I gasped. “¿Por qué estoy hablando español?”