"I can only imagine," Krista answered, rubbing my back. "You sure freaked the hell out of me, screaming your head off when you landed in front of me."
"I bet I did," I said, finally chuckling a little at the mental picture she presented. "Everything happened so quickly. One minute I'm chilling on my patio, the next I'm standing hundreds of feet over New York City. And then I was doing my impression of a skydiver with no chute."
"How do you feel after back-to-back travels? I'm actually surprised that you were able to travel back so quickly. When we first started Place Traveling, it would take us hours to travel again. We used to have to rely purely on adrenaline to travel anywhere. We've since honed our skills and no longer need adrenaline, but traveling twice in the span of a couple minutes is truly amazing."
"I'm sure falling to your death is the biggest adrenaline rush ever," Mark told her. "Does your body feel like it's been tossed around in a cement mixer, Jordyn?" he asked me.
"Um, not really," I said, moving my limbs to test their mobility.
"Can you stand up on your own?" he asked with interest.
"I think so," I said, leaping to my feet with my normal grace. My body felt completely normal. Even the lightheadedness I normally felt when Haniel and I would travel more than once in a short amount of time was absent. "I feel great," I continued, bouncing on the balls of my feet to emphasize my point. "Truthfully, I feel like I could do it again."
"Really?" Mark asked intrigued, looking at Krista. "Can you show us?"
"Sure, I guess. Where do you want me to go?"
"How about somewhere close, just in case it finally catches up to you," Krista suggested.
"That's a good idea," Mark agreed, standing up. "How about the steps leading down to the beach? You shouldn't have any trouble picturing it clearly in your head."
"Truth," I answered, already focusing my mind on the steps just beyond the French doors behind me. Krista and Mark faded out in front me only to be replaced by the crashing waves below. Hearing the doors open behind me, I grinned at both of them. Now that I'd gotten over my whole freak-out, I was already rapidly calculating the magnitude of my newest gift in my head. Freedom was no longer a pipe dream. I would never have to crave solitude again. Still smiling at Krista and Mark, I focused on our living room, and within moments, I was once again standing in the center of the room.
"How do you feel?" Krista asked, coming in through the patio door.
"Normal. Or as normal as I get," I added. "What does this mean?" I asked, wondering what my status was now.
"We're not entirely sure," Krista answered honestly, looking as mystified as I felt. "As soon as Haniel returns we'll finally have all the answers."
"How long should that take?" I asked, still murky on how the heavenly realm worked.
"It all depends on how long he has to wait to be granted an audience with The Light," Mark answered, stifling a yawn. "Let's hit the sack and we can discuss this more in the morning," he added, looking at the digital clock on the DVR box. "Are you at a stopping point in your novel?" he asked Krista.
"Yeah, I've totally lost all my writing mojo for the night," she said, picking up her laptop where it had been thrown haphazardly at the foot of her chaise lounge. Let me save my work and I'll shut it down."
"I guess I'll hit the sack for the second time," I joked. "Sorry about the heart attack," I added.
"You should be. I think you took ten years off my life," she said, stowing her laptop in its case and sliding it underneath her chaise lounge.
"Ha, you should try having your life flash before your eyes as you swan-dive toward a slab of concrete."
"You put the 'extreme' in extreme sports," Mark teased, holding his fist out as Krista switched off the lights in the living room.
"Truth," I said, fist bumping him before heading off to my room. Clicking the door closed, I debated climbing in my bed, but I felt way too keyed up to actually sleep now. Instead, I grabbed my laptop off the desk and sat on the edge of my bed with it open on my lap. Finally, when my server connected to the Wi-Fi, I Googled famous buildings in Rome. I'd been thinking about Italy since Emrys had mentioned it earlier that evening. I was curious to see the place he talked so fondly about.
Multiple sites pulled up from my search and I clicked on the first one I recognized. A large picture of the Pantheon popped up. Leaning in close, I took in the marble flooring and centuries-old architecture. Placing the computer on the bed beside me, I studied the image one last time, picturing myself standing beneath the elaborate dome of the building.
In an instant, I found myself lying atop a very irate overweight elderly gentleman. I jumped to my feet, reaching a hand down to help up the poor guy I had landed on.
"I'm sorry, I must have stumbled," I tried apologizing, but it came out as a laugh. He refused my hand, attracting even more attention by obviously cussing me out in a language I didn't understand. He looked at me like I'd appeared out of thin air, which essentially I had. I tried helping him up again, but my laughter only insulted him more. I left him behind, looking bewildered as I tried to maneuver around the crowds in the building. I hadn't even considered the time difference or the fact that the Pantheon would be teeming with tourists. Afraid the angry man I had just given a lap dance to would hand me over to security, I headed for the far side of the room, intent on putting more distance between us. After several minutes had elapsed without sirens and a lynch mob to drag me away, I loosened up and enjoyed the breathtaking sights around me. Sunlight worked much like a spotlight, streaming down from the small opening at the top of the dome. The rays danced across the marble flooring, showcasing just a small section of the room. Looking up, I was fascinated by the complexity of the massive dome above me. I could have spent all day there, but knew that it wouldn't bode well if Krista and Mark discovered I wasn't in my room. Moving away from the crowds, I found a relatively empty area behind one of the pillars. I focused on the bed in my room, intent on landing in the same spot I had departed from.
My bed bounced slightly beneath me as it adjusted to the sudden weight of my body. I smiled at Mouse who was nestled on the pillows on my bed.
"I did it, Mouse," I said, grinning broadly.
Mouse acknowledged my words with a plaintive meow that could have loosely translated to "good for you" before standing up and stretching and settling back in the same spot.
"You're just a big baby," I said, leaning over to scratch him under the chin where he liked. Fatigue finally caught up to me as I settled in beside him. I kicked off my shoes and dragged my quilt over me before sleep could claim me completely.