Anxiety gnawed at Aidan as he took flight. He needed to find a way out, yet he hated leaving Rhianna behind. The skies were the same as when he’d arrived—gray and overcast. He began at his entrance point and glided around the perimeter. The universe seemed to have definite boundaries but no fixed compass. It was comprised of the city, a valley, and a mountain range where there was a partially hidden fortress. Where Theodora lived, he figured.

He landed near a tree and shifted to his human form. Hoping to discover some clue about the structure of this universe and its boundaries, he examined the area near where he’d entered. Unlike on his side, there was a distinct line where he couldn’t progress farther. At that point, his hand disappeared into a fog and he felt resistance. It was not like a solid wall; it was similar to the elasticity of a balloon. He wondered if it could be penetrated.

He transformed into his tiger, unfurled his sharp claws and thrust his weight onto the boundary. As he forcefully dug in, the boundary shot him backwards. Still, he didn’t give up. He charged forward time and again, hoping to create a weak area that he could pierce.

The boundary remained.

Frustrated and disheartened, after he’d checked everything he could think of, he tore across the gray ground expelling some of his anger, in his effort to return to Rhianna.

* * *

The men had all left, and Rhianna pushed herself away from the wall. While she should probably stay here so Aidan could find her, she had to find out if her great-grandfather was here.

Aidan would no doubt be awhile. She would just hurry.

Even though the people had said the wars were weekly, Rhianna had to forcefully tamp down her fear that another war session would start unexpectedly. It had been too traumatic, and she didn’t trust Theodora. What if the sorceress changed the rules?

Rhianna hustled through the streets, asking all the passersby if they knew Katsu Mori. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined this could be where her great-grandfather had gone, that he could be alive. Yes, he would be elderly, but who was to say Theodora didn’t bring back those who died of old age or natural causes back to life? She did it with all those killed in battle, after all.

Rhianna thought of her grandfather at home. He might be going through his Tai Chi exercises right now. She recalled her last visit, when she’d promised him she’d do her best to discover what happened to his father.

With a sigh, she set her jaw resolutely. She could fulfill one dream, even if it was her last one. She could try to find her great-grandfather. If he was taken to this alternate world all that time ago, she felt certain he would be here now.

She snagged the wrist of the next person she passed. “Sir, do you know someone named Katsu Mori?” she asked.

The man eyed her warily. “Yes, I have heard of him. But I’m not sure where he lives.”

Her eyes widened, and her heart began to race. He might really be there!

“You may want to try the library,” he added. “Some people hang out there. Someone there might know something.”

She looked to where he was pointing. “Thank you!” she called as she ran toward the library building. She shoved the door open and rushed inside. The shelves around her were less than half full, but she was pleased to find that the stranger had been right: there were more than twenty people sitting in a huddle of sorts.

Rhianna knelt down to join the group and noticed the marks on their necks. She swallowed. “How long have you been here?” she asked the blond man nearest her.

“Since 1952,” he replied.

A woman with red hair leaned forward. “1820. I was sailing from Alaska, traveling to Russia to see my mother,” she explained, her voice bitter. “I never made it. This is where I ended up.

“I’ve been here since 2002,” a twentysomething man chimed in.

Rhianna’s brow furrowed. She couldn’t help but notice that they had not only come to this place at different times but they were all different ages; however, none of them were really looked very old. It was as if they had not aged. And if that one woman had been here since the nineteen hundreds . . . Rhianna shook her head. It wasn’t possible. But then a lot of things she’d thought were impossible were apparently real.

“What is happening in the world now?” the young man asked.

Rhianna licked her lips. She didn’t have much time, but she offered the guy two quick pieces of information he might relate to. “Donald Trump is president of the United States, and the Mars One is planning to establish a settlement on Mars in 2024.”

The young man smiled and nodded, his eyes looking glassy and sad.

“Have you heard of someone by the name of Katsu Mori?” she inquired then, taking a few steps away, preparing to move on if no one knew.

Several people nodded, but it was the young man who replied. “When you live in a community of around four hundred people, you know almost everyone. That’s what makes fighting so hard.”

“And Katsu?” She paused, tilting her head and smiling. “What of him?”

“He is one of the leaders. I will take you to him,” an older man said as he stood up.

She inhaled sharply, her chest pounding as if fireworks were going off in her heart. She thanked the others and then hurried after the man.

She exited the building to find Aidan marching toward her. He pulled her aside. “What are you doing here?”

His tone irritated her at first, but then the knot in her stomach eased. She hadn’t realized how tense she had been. Just having him near gave her comfort. If only he weren’t being so overbearing.

She rested her palm on his chest. “I’m collecting information,” she said matter-of-factly. “What about you? Did you discover anything?”

He glanced at the man beside her. “Yes. I’ll tell you when we get back to the station.”

“Well, I may have struck pay dirt.” She smiled up at him. She look to the man who was helping her and smiled at him, too.

Her escort didn’t seem too pleased that Aidan had joined them, though. He backed away from them, saying, “Maybe we should do this later.”

“No.” Aidan flashed a grin, obviously trying to charm the man. “I only want to help.”

Slowly, the man stepped forward. “Katsu is usually at his home. This way.”

She didn’t know if any of these buildings could truly be considered a home, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to find her great-grandfather.

Aidan slipped his hand behind her back as they walked. She leaned into him, savoring his touch. At least that was something real that she could hold on to, unlike the rest of this . . . this . . . make-believe world. She was at a loss of how else to think about this place.

When they made their way halfway across town the man stopped in front of a small building that had no door in the frame and no windows to be seen. “This is it,” he said. “If he’s not here, then I don’t know where he is.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate your help.

Her guide left, and she reached across to take Aidan’s hand in hers. “I’m nervous.”

“After all that’s happened, this is what makes you uneasy?” He gave her a half smile, obviously trying to calm her.

She shrugged. Everything else that had happened hadn’t had expectations attached to it. It had all been a flat-out shock and surprise. But her great-grandfather . . . She’d wanted to know about him for as long as she could remember. Her palms grew moist, and her breathing turned shallow.

Aidan squeezed her hand. “Have courage.”

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded.

Once she opened them again, Aidan slapped his hand against the entry wall. “Hello?”

They walked slowly inside, stopping at the inner doorway. A man sat cross-legged in the center of the room, his head dipped down. He appeared to be meditating.

“Katsu Mori?” she whispered.

“How may I help you?” he said without lifting his head, his eyes closed.

Rhianna shuffled forward. “I don’t mean to interrupt your mediation.”

“Yet you have.” He looked up, raised an eyebrow but then smiled.

Aidan came up beside her.

“You are Katsu Mori, yes?” she asked quietly, squatting.

He lifted his head a little more, seaming curious at her question. She glimpsed a single row of black marks now visible on his neck. He hadn’t died very many times considering how long he’d been there.

“I am,” he said.

“I am the daughter of Akira Mori, who is the son of Shirō Mori . . . your son.” She sat back on her heels and waited for his response.

A double blink of his eyelids was the only sign of his surprise.

“I believe I am your great-granddaughter,” she said.

If she had expected a show of fanfare at her announcement, what she got was far from it. The lines on his face tugged downward. “It saddens me that you are here.”

“You do not wish to see me?” Her heart sank, especially after all she’d withstood before coming here, to get to this point.

“I do not wish for you to endure this endless life.” His eyes lacked any spark or joy as he spoke.

Aidan eased forward. “We intend to escape this place. Do you have any information that might help us?”

“Meditate. It is the only means of escape.”

“We’re after something a lot more permanent,” Aidan said.

“Then I cannot help you,” Katsu retorted. “If there was a way out, I would have found it years ago.”

“What of the boundary. When I found it, it seemed flexible,” Aidan said, surprising her. He hadn’t yet had a chance to tell her what he’d found out. “Can it be pierced?”

Katsu shook his head ever so slightly. “No one has ever left.”

Rhianna averted her eyes and swallowed hard as disappointment fanned in her chest. She tried to control her breathing as she fought her emotions.

Don’t cry.

“What about Theodora? What is her weakness?” Rhianna straightened her spine as the idea materialized. “Maybe if we stole her scepter! It seems to be the source of her power. Surely that would get us out.”

Katsu’s eyes met hers for the first time. “No one has accomplished that, either. And Theodora is a master of torture.” He glanced to Aidan and back to her. “It will not work. Do not try it.”

Disillusionment and frustration flooded her. She wondered what sort of torture he spoke of and how he knew. Her gaze slid to Aidan. She didn’t want to see anyone she loved be put to the test.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. She held her face in her hands. “I’m sorry. I’m tired . . . and . . . and I never imagined this world existed, let alone feared being here.”

Aidan eased her up and put his strong arms around her, holding her to him. “I’ll find a way. I promise.”

“But you’re on the right track in one respect,” Kastu said. “Any answer lies with the sorceress.” He stared intensely at Aidan, as if trying to impart a message.

Rhianna glanced between the two men. Were they exchanging some sort of communication? Could there be more to Aidan’s powers than she knew?