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universes or timelines. Some witches who have used the stones in the last sixty years have seen a future where our customs can be practiced openly and are accepted alongside traditional science as being a legitimate approach to inquiry and ontological stance. But none of those futures have happened, and they figure that those futures exist in a parallel timeline. You following? ”
    Abbey nodded and glanced at her brothers, who stared at Ian with mildly horrified expressions, no doubt wondering who would use the word ontological in a sentence.
    “ Anyway, some members of the Guild have been trying to figure out a way to get to that timeline. ”
    “ And that ’ s why you need Jake? To use the docks? ” Abbey said.
    “ Sort of. We ’ re still at the information-gathering stage. The potential ability to go back in time opens up a whole new range of options, and a whole new range of dangers. Optimally, they ’ ll get to the other timeline without hurting anyone. But not everyone in the Guild is of the same mindset. ”
    “ And unoptimally? ” Abbey said.
    “ What new ability to go to the past? ” Caleb interrupted.
    “ The witches from Nowhere can go to the past since the past is their biological future, ” Abbey said.
    Caleb ’ s brow furrowed. “ How many other things have you and Simon been up to without telling me? ”
    “ Nothing, Caleb! I swear. Ian just showed up and told us this tonight. ”
    “ Right, and nobody thought to give a knock on my door? ”
    Abbey shot Simon an agonized look. Caleb whirled and marched toward Simon ’ s door. He turned at the last second and looked at Ian. “ One window over. I ’ d be happy to get some lessons in witchcraft. ” He closed the door behind him gently, and the strains of Flo Rida picked up again in his room.
    “ We have to tell him, Si. We have to tell him or he ’ s going to hate us. ” Abbey tried to contain her tears.
    Simon ’ s face looked tight and pale.
    “ We went to Caleb ’ s future without Caleb, ” she said to Ian. “ And now we know things, ” she said. “ The future Caleb told us not to tell the present Caleb about it, and he ’ s really mad. ”
    “ Understandable. The desirability of knowledge regarding one ’ s own future is questionable. That ’ s why the creators of the stones set boundaries in place whereby one should not come into contact with one ’ s future self. The stones are supposed to allow some knowledge regarding one ’ s future, but not full knowledge. But they didn ’ t anticipate all of the developments of the current century that allow you to simply search yourself up and discover everything you ever wanted to know. Knowing everything that ’ s going to happen to you changes the way you live. Some people start living totally in the future, second-guessing every decision, wondering if there was a better choice, thinking that every moment in time could have been the moment their destiny was determined. There are those who want the stones destroyed as a result. ”
    An odd tingle of dread ran down Abbey ’ s back at the prospect of losing the stones, as if she, too, had already become an addict.
    “ So we shouldn ’ t tell him then? ”
    Ian shrugged. “ That ’ s not for me to say. There are no clear rules as to whether the wishes of the present person trump the wishes of their future selves. ” He paused. “ So, any decision on whether you ’ re going to give me Jake ’ s address or not? ”
    Abbey looked at Simon. If they didn ’ t tell Ian, would he just go next door to Caleb? Would that be worse?
    “ You ’ re not going to force him to do anything, are you? ”
    “ No. But the others have probably realized that they can use him too, and might already have tracked him down. He needs our protection. ” Ian withdrew a cigarette from his pocket and placed it in the corner of his mouth while he spoke. It flapped up and down.
    “ Fine, ” Abbey said. “ His last name is Hammond. He lives in