Saving Yesterday (TimeShifters Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

I glance down the street again, and I’m left in the same position as before. If I break into a run, where will I go? To the cop? No way. While I don’t know much about history, I do know that they used to not hesitate before locking a person in an insane asylum. Especially someone spouting time-traveling madness. Besides, the chill induced by the shadow people still clings to my skin. Michael saved me from them. I can trust him—for now .
    I crouch beside him.
    He turns to me and studies my face with an intensity that makes me drop my gaze to the ground. Seconds later, he clears his throat, drawing my eyes back to meet his.
    “You’re Gabriella Creed, aren’t you?” He shakes his head, flipping some of his hair out of place. “I’m so stupid. I should have known right away.”
    Tension floods my body. “How do you know my name?” I bite my tongue before asking him if he’s a stalker.
    “They called you Gabriella back there.”
    I lick my lips. “But they didn’t say my last name.”
    “Still, I should have known.”
    A group of people pass near where we hide. Michael wraps his arm around my waist and drags me further into the building’s shadow. It’s then that I notice the pungent smell of trash and fish. Right, New York doesn’t have alleys. I really miss Chicago.
    Once we’re safely hidden, Michael releases me.
    I scrunch my nose, taking small breaths through my mouth. “But why? It’s not like we’ve met before.”
    “No.” He rubs his jaw. “We sure haven’t.” Clearly straight-to-the-point answers are not Michael’s strong suit.
    “Yet you know who I am, why?”
    He shakes his head, letting me know the topic is closed for discussion. Crossing my arms, I level a glare in his direction. Michael shrugs back. Oh well. I can play nice, but only because I need his help. If he stops being useful, I’m out.
    “What were those things? Those creatures in the forest.”
    “Shades.” He lets out a sigh. “Hey, back there, did you wish to be somewhere else?”
    “When those scary things were hot on our trail? Absolutely.”
    Slowly, Michael reaches over and touches my bracelet. “May I?” He doesn’t wait for an answer. He cups my wrist in one of his hands and twists the metal around to examine every inch. When he arrives at the section snug against my inner wrist, he taps on a small black mark on the bracelet. “Fascinating,” he mumbles. “None of the rest of ours has this.”
    Michael’s lost in his own thoughts, so I consider him. Now that I’m seeing him in daylight, I can make out all his features. His lips are thin. His eyes are gentle. The skin around them crinkles the couple times I’ve caught him laughing. For that matter, the fact that he has smiled at all during our exchange speaks to an even-keeled personality, someone who smirks at danger yet takes action when the stakes are high. If he’s not intent on killing me after all, then he might be someone worthy of friendship. The jury’s still out.
    The edge of his thumb brushes against my wrist. His touch shoots electricity up my arm. My heart thuds erratically. I jerk my hand from his and the feeling stops. I look at him, and he’s examining my face. His eyes narrow, but not in an angry manner. No—they’re curious, full of silent questions.
    Michael inches away, putting space between us. “It doesn’t happen like that.”
    “What? The time traveling?” Heat rushes up my neck, either from my reaction to Michael’s touch a second ago or from voicing pure absurdity. It’s a toss-up.
    Relief washes over his features. “Of course, yes, the time traveling.” He lifts his arm, tapping the metal bracelet on his wrist. I failed to notice earlier that he wears a matching one. “We have no power over when and where in time we’re pulled. We stay in a place until we accomplish our mission. Then we either return to Keleusma through a Portal or we’re pulled to wherever we’re needed next. Never by our own power, not like