Carnelian (31 page)

He was a part of my soul now. I had gone to
the past and back, but one thing remained the same. I loved him
with every fiber of my being. The goddess must have seen this to
lead us back to the present together. Seth was mine, and I wanted
nothing more than just him in my life. I was his completely. It was
possible the goddess would send him back some day, but now I knew
how to go to him. We had survived going to the past, and we were
still together. Even time could not keep us apart. What life had in
store for us now was anyone’s guess, but I was prepared to face
anything that may come our way. It wouldn’t matter what happened.
We would get to work that out together, and lucky for us, we had a
lifetime to for us to figure it out.

Author note:

Thank you for
reading
Carnelian
! Keep reading for the first pages of the next book in this
series- but read at your own risk… the sequel will not be out until
summer time. Before we get there, I’d like to ask that if you
enjoyed reading this book, please consider leaving me a good review
on Amazon.com. You can do this even if you didn’t buy the book from
that site, and it’s one of the best things that you can do to help
me out so that I can continue writing and publishing. If you aren’t
sure how to post a review there, send me an email at
[email protected]. I’ll be more than happy to help you
with the process. If you’ve already left a review, thank you so
much! Look for updates on my website on my current works, or join
my mailing list at:
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I greatly appreciate all the support from
everyone and it keeps me going day in and day out! THANK YOU!

And here’s a sneak peek at the next book in
the series…. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK…. Next book will not be out
until summer 2014…..

BOOK2

Chrysoprase

I got up
early, seeing as I couldn’t sleep anyways. I was
too anxious to hear my boyfriend Seth’s voice. I needed to hear him
to reassure myself that this was all real. I had just returned from
traveling to the past where we had to escape people who were trying
to kidnap me, and what better way to disappear then to head back to
the future. Even with all my doubt, we made it. I was in the
present and home in my own bed. It was only 5AM on November
twenty-third, Thanksgiving Day. I hadn’t missed a day on my journey
to the past and back.

On top of everything, we learned my mother
was from the past as well. She was a Nahrin princess, of all
things. I couldn’t wait to tell my mother what I knew, and to ask
her some questions. How did she come from the past? Who was my
father? Why did she leave? My little trip back had revealed that my
mother had given birth to, and raised me, here in the present, but
Seth’s father knew my mother in the past. She was a Nahrin princess
sent off to marry the Pharaoh. I never imagined that. She had a lot
of explaining to do.

I looked at the clock and even at this time
my mother would be up baking. I didn’t have to join her until six,
but she started earlier. It was our Thanksgiving tradition after
all. The whole family dinner with a turkey, stuffing, mashed
potatoes, and cranberries. The complete fixings everyone has, but
all made by my mother. My mother, the woman from the past that came
to the future to raise me. That would still take some getting used
to.

Even with everything changing fast, I was
grateful to be home. Seth was right; as long as we were together,
we could do anything. We had found a way in his time to be
together, and nothing would stop us now that we were in my time. I
don’t doubt the goddess had us meet for one reason- to fall in
love. Seth was my other half. Being with him just felt right. I
loved him. I regretted that I still hadn’t had the chance to tell
him that, and now I had to wait until after Thanksgiving to see him
and tell him that I loved him, too.

I dressed quickly, choosing the longest
sleeved shirt I could find to cover my arms. When I met the goddess
to travel back to find Seth, she had marked my arm with the blessed
carnelian stone that hung above my grandfather’s desk. Now I had
permanent lines on my left arm. After talking with Mom, I was going
to have to apologize to Grandpa for losing his ancient carnelian
necklace. Well, not so much lost, but it technically reformed into
the light brown bands circling my right hand. I wasn’t exactly sure
how I was going to pass that one off yet. I needed to get back to
college. I was sure Sim, my roommate and expert at keeping things
covert from the parents, would be able to give me some good story
to use. Right now I was flying solo on the story part, and I didn’t
know what I’d say.

I paused on my way out and looked at the
green stone lying on my dresser. This was another piece blessed by
the goddess. Seth’s friend Dee had given it to me to get me home
when he didn’t know about the carnelian I’d have forever in my arm.
The green stone was different that the carnelian Seth had. Instead
of a round stone, it was more angular, almost triangular. It was
flatter and cooler to the touch. If Dee hadn’t given it to me, I
don’t even know if I would have looked closer at it. I had looked
up all the chalcedony types before my search for one to go into the
past, but I didn’t remember the green stone I had now. I dropped it
back onto my dresser and left my room.

I climbed downstairs soundlessly and stopped
in the kitchen. I had checked my clock enough to know I had the day
right. It was quiet, too quiet for it being Thanksgiving. Something
was really off. It was not like my mother just left for a moment.
It was like she never started. I looked around the kitchen and
nothing was there. It was empty. There were no pies being mixed or
a turkey thawed in the sink. What was going on?

Worrying that I had the date wrong, even
though I knew I didn’t, I ran down the hallway to my grandfather’s
study. He was always up before my mom was. I knocked and pushed the
door open before there could be any response. I stopped in the
doorway and just stared into the room. Inside, my grandfather was
sleeping on his couch while someone else sat in his desk. Mr.
Sangre stood as I walked in.

“Hello, Marcella,” Mr. Sangre said. I stared
at him, unable to respond. Why was he in my house, and why was he
with my grandfather? “Your grandfather just fell asleep. Can we go
somewhere where we can talk and not disturb him?”

I nodded and numbly led him back out of the
room and into the kitchen. My stomach sank. Something had to be
wrong if Mr. Sangre, the time traveling gatekeeper, was in my
house. This was the same Mr. Sangre I had met three weeks earlier
to tell me that Seth had gone home. He had not been a nearer of
good news yet for me. We stopped in the empty kitchen. It hurt to
look around and not find my mother cooking. I already guessed that
something happened, but the sudden appearance of Mr. Sangre made me
dread what I feared was the reason.

“Your mother’s time here was up last night.
She has been sent home. The goddess felt it would be too much to
remove all the memories your grandfather had with her in them. I
was beside him when it happened. He just fell asleep after spending
four hours going over everything,” Mr. Sangre told me. This was
what I dreaded.

I stared at him and tried to process what he
was saying. My mother disappeared four hours ago. She just vanished
and was gone. For everyone else, she never existed. I sat down in
the chair next to me as my legs failed to keep me standing. In this
time period, I was now technically an orphan with no father or
mother. The shock hit me hard, but no tears came. It didn’t feel
real. It couldn’t be real. My mother was gone. When I finally
looked up, Mr. Sangre was waiting for me to say something at
least.

“Four hours,” I repeated. Mr. Sangre nodded.
I had just returned four hours ago.

Had this been the goddess’ plan all along?
She had warned me my travels through time would affect everything,
but I thought she was meaning on a larger scale. If I started a
war, then that would change the history, and the future. Not that
my travels would mean my mother had to go back. She had nothing
left there. She ran away from that life, and spent the last
nineteen years here. She had lived more of her life in the present
than in the past. My mother belonged here with me and my
grandfather. My heart broke. What would my grandfather do without
her? We were his only family. It was just him and me now, and I
wasn’t even sure I’d end up staying in this time either.

“I told your grandfather I’d stay until he
woke,” Mr. Sangre said, still watching me for the breakdown that
was bound to come as soon as I could actually get some tears out.
“I should go back to watch over him. You can imagine it was quite a
shock to him, and it will take time for him to process it all.”

I nodded and watched him walk away. My
grandfather’s study clicked shut and I was alone. I really needed
to get back to college and find Seth. Right about now, I needed a
hug. Time was changing, and everything around me was changing too
fast. I wanted it to slow down. I wanted life to go back to normal.
I wanted to keep Seth and my mother. Why did either of them have to
leave? Why couldn’t they just stay in the present with me? Why did
it have to be complicated? I didn’t even notice the time pass as I
stared off out the window to our backyard. How could my mother be
gone? It didn’t seem fair. She belonged here in this time.

When I finally got up, I went back to my
room and noticed the letter on my desk. I had looked at my dresser
as I left and the green stone that was sitting there, but I hadn’t
looked at my desk. I sat down on my bed and opened it.

Dearest Child,

My time here is ending. I have known since
you went off to college that my time would end soon. The goddess
had promised me to let me stay here until you grew up. I knew that
day would come, but I have been dreading how to tell you about my
past. First, I didn’t think you would believe me, and then I didn’t
want to tell you as I was ashamed. The goddess reassured me you
would understand, so this is what you need to know.

I grew up as a princess in a time in the
past. I don’t even know where or when I was born, just that my life
was one of privilege. As privileged as I was to always have food
and a roof over my head, I also had no say in my future. When I
turned sixteen, I was given to a man twice my age as a political
marriage. My marriage would secure trade routes for both sides. I
didn’t know the man. I didn’t love him. It didn’t matter. Before I
could ever even meet him, someone tried to kill me. I don’t know if
it was from within the palace, or someone outside the palace. All I
know is there was another man that saved me. He protected me from
the attack and stayed beside me as I healed.

When I recovered, I was sent across the
desert to the king I was promised to. By this time, I found out
what love was. I loved the man who saved me, and I was pregnant
with his child. We didn’t know what to do. We could run away and
start over, but it was not that easy back then. The man I loved was
a military man. All he had ever known was the military. He had no
trade, and I was a princess. I could sing and play board games.
Neither of us were suited to start over. If anyone knew, the man
would have been killed. Agreeing to the engagement made me the
property of the king I was to marry. My love had touched the king’s
property. No one could save him, even his best friend, the young
general that ran the military. Paramessu had his own young son to
protect; he could not protect his friend or me.

When my love heard there was a way to get
away from all of it, we found a site to the goddess. We prayed
together, and she answered by sending me here. When your
grandfather found me hidden in his artifacts during a trip
overseas, he brought me back and he lied to get me into the
country, claiming me as his child. I had you seven months later,
and the rest you know.

I never meant for this to stay a secret so
long. You would need to know some day, but I was too ashamed.
Rather than stay and try to live out a new life with the man I
loved, your father, I chose the easy way. To run. I don’t ever
regret keeping you safe, but I regret you never knowing your
father. I wish you had known him, and he you. He was a great man
destined for great things. I know everything worked for the best,
but I can’t change the past.

I just hope I taught you enough. I know you
are a wonderful young lady. I wish I could be around to see you get
married and grow up. I wish I would see my grandchildren. I wish I
could stay with you forever, but I can’t. I am not of your time,
and never will be. I have to accept that and hope that I taught you
enough. Never think that I didn’t love you. Never think that your
father didn’t love you. And when you find that one man that steals
your heart someday, don’t let him get away. Love is worth fighting
for.

-Mom

I stared hard at the letter and reread it
two more times. She was from the past. Seth’s father, the general,
was right. My mom was a princess. I had tried to convince myself
that it was all a dream and not real, but deep down it was true.
Now after reading my mother’s words, I couldn’t deny it any longer.
My life just got a lot more complicated and a lot emptier. I felt
bad for my mother then and now. I couldn’t even begin to imagine
her life being sent off to marry a man she didn’t know. I really
needed Seth. Even if to just talk to him.

I got up and ran back to my grandfather’s
study. There was one way to talk to Seth. He was Mr. Sangre’s
adopted child, after all. Grandfather was still asleep. Mr. Sangre
looked up from his book as I entered.