The Carnelian Legacy Read Online Free Page A

Carnelia,” Arrie said.
    “Right. Where exactly is that again?”
    He smiled. “You speak English, so obviously you are from Earth, which lies in a different dimension from ours. Judging from your accent, I’d wager that you’re from somewhere along the West Coast of the United States, perhaps Canada.”
    Her eyes narrowed at his. “If I really am in some other world, how is it that you know about Earth and can speak English?”
    “You are, in fact, still on the same planet and physical space but in another dimension. Obviously, you’ve traveled through a vortex.”
    “ What! Are you sayin’ that I’ve traveled back in time ?”
    “Shhh! Please keep your voice down. We don’t wish to draw any unwanted attention,” Arrie whispered.
    “Oh, right, right, I forgot,” she said.
    “No. Time travel is something entirely different. You are one of the few people to have traveled through a vortex from one dimension to another...”
    Arrie broke off as a woman brought three tankards of a strange drink, plunked them down on the table, and hurried off. Darian quietly took a sip.
    “What is it?” she asked, pointing to her mug.
    “It’s ale. Go ahead and try it.”
    “No thanks.” She pushed it away. “What’s a vortex?”
    “Let’s see, how do I explain this?” Arrie tapped his finger on the table. “Did you see three separate flashes of lightning? But without the thunder?”
    “Yeah?”
    He nodded. “Most definitely a vortex. You can imagine it as an invisible tube or funnel, shaped like a tornado, but you can’t see it until just before it’s about to open. Animals won’t go near them. They sense them better than we humans do.”
    “And that’s why Siena freaked out?”
    “Indeed,” he said, taking another sip.
    “So that’s how I got here? Through a vortex?”
    “That is correct.”
    “Can you hold on for a sec?”
    “Certainly.”
    Marisa pushed herself away from the table, stumbled outside, and quickly glanced around the bustling main street. With no idea where she was going, she headed down a narrow alley. She spotted an octagonal-shaped rain barrel against the wall and hurried over. She inhaled a deep breath and dunked her head under.
    She gasped from the shock of the icy water and collapsed on the ground. A few bewildered passers-by stopped to stare. Coughing, sputtering, and finally convinced she wasn’t dreaming, she ran a hand through her wet hair and glanced around.
    “Where am I?” she shouted.
    “Marisa, what are you doing back here?” Arrie said, hurrying over. He removed his tunic and threw it around her shoulders.
    “I—I...” she began, her teeth chattered.
    “Are you trying to make yourself sick? Come back inside.” He guided her shuddering frame back up the alley toward the main road.
    She ran her hand along the rough-hewn stones in the wall. As she felt their roughness, she forced herself to accept the truth of her new reality.
    “Arrie, am I dead?”
    He shook his head and smiled. “You’ve had quite a shock, milady. It would be best if you rested for a while.”
    They stepped back into the dimly lit reception area. The lounging travelers stared at them as they clutched their tankards, frozen in the same positions as when she’d left.
    Darian pointed silently toward the stairs. She followed him up a narrow staircase and to the end of a dark corridor where he stopped to unlock a door.
    The guest chamber was small but quaint. A single, octagonal window overlooked the busy main road. Darian opened it and fresh air drifted into the room along with the sounds of people, horses, and wagons. Marisa peered out across the valley up to the mountains from where they’d come, still trying to figure out where she was.
    Arrie coaxed her into the chair as he leaned over to examine her temple.
    “It’s just a small gash which should heal fairly quickly. Nothing to worry about,” he said with a smile. “Will you be all right here by yourself?”
    “I guess so,” she