Cole helps Lorenzo

  “I will do my best,” Lorenzo said. “Traveling back in time requires preparation. The longer you want to remain back in time, the more preparation I need.”

  “How long to be ready?” Cole asked.

  “Several days to prepare, minimum,” Lorenzo said.

  “Too long,” Cole said.

  “What if you send only one of us?” Jace asked.

  “That would help a little,” Lorenzo said. “The problem isn’t so much the number of travelers. You will all use the same wayport. Opening a way to the past requires an enormous amount of energy. And keeping you there takes additional effort. To be safe, I should send you back for at least six hours. If you want to risk it, I could try sending you for only an hour. But you’ll only get one chance within whatever time window we choose.”

(Additional text cut)

  “What if I boost your energy?” Cole asked. “Could it maybe speed up the process?”

  Lorenzo paused, looking at Cole uncertainly. “I’ve mastered the secret of perpetual youth—the skill a Grand Shaper of Creon must acquire to retire. I’ve improved my abilities for hundreds of years. The power required for time travel surpasses what even the mightiest shapers of other disciplines can imagine.”

  “Cole is amazing, though,” Violet said. “With his help, I can open a wayport anytime, anywhere, as frequently as I want.”

  “You should try it at least,” Mira said.

  Cole held out a hand. “See what you can do with me helping. If it doesn’t make a difference, no harm done.”

  Lorenzo hesitated. “You won’t try to alter my power?”

  “Have shapecrafters worked on you?” Cole asked.

  Lorenzo looked offended. “Of course not. I don’t want anyone tampering with my nature.”

  “I’ll just lend you energy,” Cole promised. “See if it helps.”

  Lorenzo took his hand. The Wayminder’s power was spectacular—complex and brilliant. Cole started small, then began pouring power into him.

  “Whoa,” Lorenzo said with wide eyes. “Easy, Cole, easy.”

  Cole pushed more gently.

  “Okay,” Lorenzo said. “I see. Yes. No wonder everyone is so interested in you. I expected a lot, but this is . . . unprecedented.” Lorenzo released his hand, then cocked his head. “You’re still connected to me.”

  “I can hold the connection without touching,” Cole said. “I haven’t figured out how to establish it without contact yet.”

  “I expect you will,” Lorenzo said. “The physical contact is just a crutch. Your power touching my power has very little to do with you touching me, as you can currently feel.”

  “Right,” Cole said.

  “I can get you where you want to go immediately,” Lorenzo said. “Give me one more big push.”

  Cole flooded energy into Lorenzo, and his ears popped when a wayport appeared off to one side. Cole only had experience with shimmery, delicate wayports. This one was utterly black, like a wound in the fabric of reality.

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  “A quick departure is better than prolonging this,” Lorenzo said. “I’m leaning on Cole’s power to hold the timeport open, but the effort remains strenuous. Cole should go through last.”

Chapter 16