Free Pure Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy, #3) by Melissa Pearl Page B

time!”
    Gemma flinched at the anger in her father’s
voice.
    “We’re running out of time.”
    “Don’t you think I know that?”
    “How could it have changed, Alistair? History
doesn’t do that unless we say so.”
    “We’re not the only ones out there who can
travel, Pen.”
    “Do you think it was one of the patronus ?”
    “Could be, although I thought they were
pretty scarce these days.”
    “Maybe one has resurfaced.”
    Alistair sighed. Gemma could picture him
behind the wood, rubbing his temple as if the weight of the world
was resting on his shoulders.
    “We’re going to need to do some
investigating… and I’m going to need to start my search again.”
    She heard pages being balled up and thrown
across the room.
    “Well, if anyone’s going to find it, it’s
you.”
    Gemma imagined her mother standing behind her
father’s chair and kneading his shoulders.
    “How are we going with the...?”
    “Fine.”
    “Suitable?”
    “Pretty perfect, I think. I guess we’ll find
out soon.”
    “I better get on with it then. I’d like to
make the trip beforehand.”
    Gemma’s brow creased. What were they talking
about? What was soon? And what did they need to find before
then?
    A huge part of her wanted to creep away from
the door and process everything she had just heard, but the wiser
part rapped on the wood and burst into the room with a breezy
smile.
    “Hey Mom. Hi Dad. I’m home.”
    “Oh hello, sweetie. How was school?”
    She kept her expression bored and shrugged.
“Same as always.”
    “Well, I suppose you better get on with your
homework then.”
    “Yep,” Gemma nodded with a smile, managing to
hide the shock at being dismissed without the usual interrogation.
Maybe they were saving it up for later. “I’ll see you at
dinner.”
    Shutting the door quietly, she ran to her
room and locked herself inside. The conversation she had just
swallowed tasted bitter and she couldn’t quite figure out why until
a revelation hit her. The shocking arrow of reason pierced her
middle and she crumpled to the floor like a rag doll.
    Someone changed history today and her father
had noticed. Someone had wiped his research pages blank and it was
most likely that that someone was her.
     

 
    Chapter
Thirteen
    St Augustine, Florida – 2011AD
     
    Harrison had barely slept a wink. His whole
body was geared for the afternoon treasure hunt. With boxes piling
up around his home, he was more than ready to produce a letter from
his father.
    His knee bobbed under the breakfast table
driving Rosie to distraction. After a yelling scuffle the family
was split and sent off to school. Tensions had been seismic as the
move to DC grew near. The only one who had packed anything was his
mother. Rosie was flat out refusing, Justin had “not gotten around
to it” and Sam was torn on loyalties so hadn’t done anything. Bryan
was spending extra hours at work trying to avoid the growing
acrimony. So the house remained in a state of chaos that no one
seemed able to fight their way out of.
    Harrison felt a swell of guilt as he pulled
out of the driveway. His mother was probably feeling very lonely,
but he couldn’t support her decision. He wasn’t moving! His lips
began to mutter a silent prayer as he drove north, his heart
begging for a goody box containing everything his mother would need
to remain put.
     
    He found Gemma at her locker. She looked to
be reading through her homework, but not absorbing any of it. Her
brow was wrinkled and her lips were curved south. Softening his
approach, he glided his arm around her middle and kissed her
neck.
    “Hey.” She smiled and turned.
    “You okay?”
    “Yeah, I just…” she faltered over her words,
took a breath then started again. “I overheard a conversation with
my parents last night and it’s…”
    “So, the love birds are back.” Darren’s voice
was dry.
    “Hey man,” Harrison fought to hide his
irritation at being interrupted.
    “How was your make out