Saving Yesterday (TimeShifters Book 1) Read Online Free

in 1861. Yup, I said it. Feel free to have your mind blown for a second.”
    “You don’t have to be rude.”
    “Why not? I did nothing but save your life back there and all I’m getting from you are snarls and snide comments.”
    A creeping sensation races up my spine. “We’re all dead, aren’t we?”
    That makes him laugh. “No. Very much alive.”
    “There has to be another explanation … I’m dreaming.”
    “Of course, and your mind has conjured me up as some sort of hero.” A humorless laugh escapes from his mouth. “Believe me. That should be the first indication that what I’m saying is true. I’m no one’s hero.” After a short pause, his lips tug into a soft smile. “Those guys were Confederate soldiers and Allen is a Union spy. His methods are the precursor for the Secret Service. With our help, he’ll turn the tide of the Civil War. Without it, the world you grew up in might not exist to return to.”
    I want to run until my breath leaves me. Doing that always chases my stress away. But if I start running, where will I end up? What Michael says, well, is complete lunacy—but his words somehow click in my mind. A rush of rightness courses through my body. It makes me feel warm despite the chill in the air.
    But I’ve watched enough shows on cable to know that criminals and killers are excellent at warping the brains of their victims. Self-defense class floods back into the forefront of my mind.
    No time like the present.
    Before Michael can react, I land a punch to his jaw. He yelps and gets ahold of me, but I drive the butt of my heel onto his foot. When he stumbles, I send a high kick to his stomach. He falls backwards. I have minutes on him, maybe.
    I’ve never actually hurt another person before, and the moan that leaves his lips as I take off bites at my conscience. Branches nick my bare legs as I hurtle into the woods. I run another few minutes and then stop. I spin in two clumsy circles, trying to gain a bearing for time and place. An owl hoots, branches sway above me, and the song of frogs finds me from a distance. My eyes dart in a frenzy, examining the trees. I search for a nook or a crop of rocks to hide in.
    The sound of someone lumbering through the forest throws me into despair. My knees shake. Is this how it feels right before you die?
    Suddenly, people draped in shadows converge into the small clearing where I am. They move slowly, like zombies. Their faces are human, but not sharp. It’s like looking at old photographs instead of living beings.
    “It’s her!” one hisses.
    A few others burst out in a strange, gleeful cheer that hurts my ears.
    As I back away from them, I trip and land against a tree trunk. The air races from my lungs. I’m trapped.
    One grabs onto my arm, his touch like ice. “Yes, we’ve been waiting for you to make your appearance.” From up close, it looks like his face is melting.
    Two more creatures take hold of my arms.
    “Finally. After all these years. Welcome home, Gabriella.”

 

    One of the shadowy figures steps closer. “You’re just what I pictured. Exactly.” His voice is strange, ancient. Words roll off his lips in an unfamiliar cadence. He leans closer and taps a long nail against my cheek, raising the hair on the back of my neck.
    “Everything we’ve hoped for … waited for,” another chimes in.
    There are too many of them. My kung fu moves might have worked on Michael, but I’m no Chuck Norris. I certainly can’t wiggle from their clutches and deliver a round-house kick. Taking out four at once like they show in the movies is highly unlikely. I want to rail against them, but my mouth clams up. My throat freezes in their horrifyingly magnificent presence.
    A commotion erupts on my right. Hissing, spitting—the creatures turn and advance. One still grips me tightly, his nails mining into the tender flesh of my upper arm. I crane my neck and catch sight of Michael. Gratitude surges through my veins. He smashes his shoulder