Sera just squeezed her grip and rested her head on Aristotle’s back, wanting to close her eyes — as if that would make it all go away. The scenes of battle — the horror of it — made her wince. It was all just so awful. She hoped — desperately — that they could achieve what Alexander had promised once her explanations had been given in the tent: to find Dak and Riq, to find Dak’s parents, and to take them away from the raging war. To take them to safety.
Sera had saved Alexander’s life, though not until she’d seen the hegemon die from the poison. But perhaps that’s what was fated to happen all along. For Alexander to lead the armies of Greece, here and now. For Alexander the Third to become Alexander the . . . Great.
“There!” Aristotle roared, shockingly loud considering the noise around them. “I see them!” He was pointing madly to their right. And then came the words that eased the cinch around her heart for the first time in hours. “They’re still alive!”
Alexander altered course.
Dak hadn’t lived that many years when it really got down to it. But in his decade or so of life — especially since being recruited to the Hystorians — he’d experienced a lot of different emotions. Happy and sad. Victorious and disappointed. Despair. Anger. Love. Hate. Lots of stuff.
But never, not once, had he ever felt the thing that swelled within him at the sight of his parents, alive, huddling in each other’s arms as armies fought around them. It was a thing that he’d never be able to explain and would probably never feel again. Tears stung his eyes and a wonderful pain filled his chest. There they were.
His parents.
“Mom!” he yelled. “Dad!” He was already sprinting toward them, almost oblivious to the danger that swarmed in from all directions. From what he could see, it looked as if his mom had tripped and fallen over a wounded soldier, and then his dad had joined her, practically on top of her, like a shield.
Dak slid to the ground on his knees, coming to a stop just a few inches short of his parents. Finally, they both turned their heads to see their son. Even as they did so, two men clashed swords right above them, the crack of metal against metal vibrating through the air. Luckily, the soldiers, swords locked, moved to the side. The sounds of war everywhere else raged on.
“Dak,” his dad said. The poor man’s face was pale with worry, his skin tight, fear burning in his eyes. The word came out almost as a whisper, more disbelief than anything else.
“You’re safe now,” Dak replied, having no clue what else to say.
His mom saw him, but her whole face was pinched up and tears streamed from her eyes. Finally, Dak just lunged forward, and they all hugged, gripping one another and crying and trying to say words but none that came out intelligible. Death and mayhem surrounded them, but for that moment, they were all alive, and they were together. After months of chasing through time after time.
They were together.
It took a universe of effort for Riq to stand still and allow Dak to have his moment with his parents. He couldn’t think of a much worse place to have a family reunion, but the Smyths hadn’t had much choice in the matter. Finally, when the hug and joy had gone on for a good twenty seconds, Riq had to speak up.
“Dak!” he called out. “None of this will do much good if we get ourselves killed. We need to protect ourselves!” He did a quick turn, his weapon held out, ready to fight off anyone close. They’d been lucky enough to find themselves in a random clearing of the fight, but that wouldn’t last much longer.
Dak scrambled to his feet, slyly wiping a tear on his shoulder. He helped his parents stand up, then they all moved closer to Riq, forming a circle with their backs to one another. A man with a veil over his face, spear held high, charged at them, screaming words too laced with bloodlust to comprehend. Fear thumped inside Riq, but he kept it at bay, waiting, forcing himself to remain still until the very last second.
With a yell, he lifted his sword with both hands, striking the spear just before it slammed into his own chest. The man was taken off guard, losing his balance as he tried to rebound from his spear being swatted upward, and he fell flat on his back. Riq raised his sword and screamed, glowering with all the anger he could muster at an enemy he didn’t know. It was just enough that the guy rolled away, got up, and ran back into the thicker melee of battling soldiers.
“Not bad,” Mr. Smyth said. “Looks like you guys have picked up a few tricks while chasing us through time.”
“Lovely spot for a family vacation,” his wife added.
Riq didn’t have time to respond. The man he thought he’d just defeated reappeared, and this time he had seven or eight of his companions with him. After pushing his way through a wall of clashing soldiers, the guy raised his spear and pointed its sharp tip right at Riq.
And then they all charged in.
SERA’S ELATION at hearing that her friends were still alive only lasted a moment. When she finally got a good look at them — when Alexander changed their course and the other horses followed — she saw that Dak and the others were backed together in a group and a crowd of robed soldiers was coming at them with weapons raised.
“Dak!” she screamed, as if that could help him at all. “Riq! Run!” She felt so hopeless, and the words sounded stupid. Trying to will the horses to gallop faster, she stared, her heart rattling with terror.
The leading man — holding a spear out in front of him as if he wanted to pole vault — reached Dak’s group first, but Riq took a step forward, swinging an old, dented sword in an arc that snapped the spear into two pieces. Sera cheered loudly before she could help herself, and despite knowing that it’d been a lucky shot and that plenty of death was coming in right behind the first guy. Swords were raised. Battle yells were roared. For a split second, Sera caught a glimpse of Dak’s face, and it was painted white with fear. She felt such a rush of concern and love for her friend that it felt like she might explode.
And then Alexander was on them.
His mighty horse, Bucephalus, charged into the crowd of onrushing soldiers, tossing them to the sides like stalks of corn. They scrambled and dove, and a couple of them weren’t lucky enough to avoid the hammering hooves of the beast. Riq turned away from it, and shoved Dak and the Smyths to safety, even as Alexander stood up in his stirrups and started swinging away with his sword, cutting down the enemy at a speed that seemed impossible. His companions joined in, just as more of the robed fighters appeared to help their friends. In a matter of seconds, it had turned into an all-out battle of clanging swords and shouts of pain.