Secrets of Yden Read Online Free Page A

I was a stupid lawn ornament… like when Quixoran turned me into a statue?" Fred asked, dismayed.
    "Not exactly. Nobody was turned to stone," Jon said. "It was more like my encounter with Guinn Tanner, when he used his vanyean seed to stop time." Jon was uncomfortable discussing Brett's father right in front of her, so he left off the part about Guinn's deathgrip spell nearly killing him afterward. No need to remind her of that .
    Brett's green eyes grew moist nevertheless. "My dad can't possibly have anything to do with this, Dr. Hansen. He's on a Mediterranean cruise with Mom right now."
    "Guinn doesn't have anything to do with it directly, perhaps, but his magic was stripped from him when he went through the portal," Dr. Hansen said. "I wonder if we just experienced an echo of his ability to stop time?"
    "Wouldn't that mean the portal is active?" Jon asked.
    "The kind of widespread magic you experienced this afternoon can't work on Earth any other way," his father replied. "The barrier between the two dimensions is only porous enough to allow a minimum of magic here."
    "Jon and I saw the portal close!" Brett exclaimed. "If it hadn't, we would've been pulled in along with my dad."
    "Maybe the portal is like a tornado and skipped from one point in time to another," Casey said.
    "This is totally scary." Brett's usual peaches-and-cream complexion was pale. "What if it happens again?"
    "I want to know why the time freeze thingy didn't affect Jon," Fred said.
    Jon's fingers touched his ankh necklace. "Probably because I'm wearing the original Portal Key."
    "That would be my guess, too," Casey agreed. "The Key must keep you anchored in real time."
    "Can I wear it awhile?" Fred asked, only half-joking.
    Guilt clung to Jon's back like a two hundred-pound gorilla. He had to clear his throat before any sound would emerge. "Guinn used a copied key to open the portal, and Quixoran said the effects of copied magical artifacts were unpredictable." He paused. "What if this means the portal is still active… and unstable?"
    "We shouldn't panic. Today could have been a one-shot deal," Casey said. "Like a wave finally coming ashore."
    "Probably so," Dr. Hansen said. "But just in case anything else weird begins to happen, watch yourselves."
    Somehow that advice isn't terribly comforting .
    As everyone prepared to leave, Kira took Jon aside. "I sense you are troubled."
    "You could say that."
    "Please understand, you're not alone. What is the phrase… I've captured your backside?"
    Despite his anxiety, Jon laughed. "You've got my back." He squeezed her hand. "That's good to know."
    Despite Kira's reassurance, he couldn't stop feeling guilty.
    He fell into an uneasy sleep that night, waking up clammy and disoriented from his usual nightmare about Guinn. After he gulped down a glass of water, he lay on his back, wide awake, and stared at the planet mobile hanging from the ceiling over his bed.
    I created a dangerous artifact that may be causing serious problems in this dimension. Jon knew he had only himself to blame, and he wasn't entirely sure if he was capable of cleaning up the mess.

Chapter Three
    Superhero Dilemma

    The following day was Labor Day Monday, and Jon transported to Dragon Isle to tell Quixoran about the time anomaly. He materialized on Dragon Isle near the dragons' nest on the beach. Yden's largest sun was directly overhead, which meant Jon could usually find the dragons napping. But today only Adam, Eve, and the pretty white dragon, Alabaster, were present. All three lifted their heads when Jon appeared. Although drowsy from the heat, the dragons managed to purr a greeting before nodding off to sleep again. Jon gave them each a stroke or two on their scaly heads before leaving them to their naps. As he climbed over the rocky outcropping separating the dragons' nest from the remaining beach, Jon wondered where the rest of the dragons had gone. Had they overhunted the island and flown to the mainland for