Free Crystal (Silver Hills #2) by Jacqueline Gardner

my thoughts."   My heart sank, but there wasn't much I could do.  Rimar had been right.  I didn't belong here and I couldn't stay here, even though I'd be returning to a world of chaos.
    "I'll never forget you either," I solemnly replied.   "And I'm sorry things with you and Dotti ended the way they did."
    " She has a passion for stirring up trouble," Zircon said, shaking his head.  "You will not be able to convince her to return home I'm afraid.  She won't leave unless it is her decision."
    "What?"  I hadn't thought much about Dotti - a.k.a Miss Spoiled Peridot.  I'd been too busy trying to save my own neck.
    "Crystal," he firmly stated.  "Where do you think Dotti has been all this time?  She's in your world of course."  My chest froze as the reality of it all hit me.  It made sense, but I couldn't imagine the chaos she might have started as a near twin of me in Silver Hills.  Crap!
    "Are you being serious?" I asked.  The anxiety that had followed me underground was slowly starting to return.  My limbs felt numb and tingly as a shortness of breath pulsed through my chest.
    "How do you think you got here?" he continued.
    "Because Dotti and that Nuum freak were messing around with random spells?" I suggested.
    "The spell they stole," he went on.  "It caused the two of you to switch places."  I cleared my throat, rubbing the smooth stone on my finger.
    "What do I do when I fi nd her?" I whispered.
    "She is a difficult girl to bargain with," Zircon sighed.  "You might have to trick her into coming back.  Chances are she does not want to return ."
    "Great," I mumbled.
    "And the spells," he added.  "She likes to experiment so . . . she could be anybody or anywhere."
    A pebble fell near my foot as the ceiling shook.  Zircon jumped, grabbing my arm and pulling me behind him.  He stared up the ceiling as it shook again - this time with more force.  The subtle rumbles made my body tense.  I pulled out the verse that would return me home, and clutched it in my hand.
    "Visitors," Zircon whispered.  " We've been here far too long."
    "Maybe it's someone visiting another grave," I hopefully suggested.  The ceiling shook again as stomping footsteps echoed into the underground tunnel.
    "No," he mumbled.  "I'd recognize that foot pattern anywhere.  Soldiers."
    "You father?" I gasped. 
    "Or Dotti's," he replied as the ceiling constantly rumbled with the sound of marching feet.  "Either of them won't give me a warm welcome."  He eyed every corner of the room.  There was only one way in and one way out.   My blood raced through my body as I bit the side of my lip.  I tightly squeezed Zircon's hand, looking down at the verse from Sard.
    "Don't be mad," I mutte red.  "But I can't let those lunatics punish you for something that isn't your fault ."  With my hand firmly latched on his, I whispered the verse.   Zircon's head immediately turned towards me as a green smoke lifted from the floor and swirled around the two of us like a twister.
    My head buzzed as Zircon began to mouth something.  He suddenly stopped, frozen in place as my hand throbbed with a stabbing burn.  My vis ion became cloudy and the sharp pains quickly crept across every part of my body.  I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out.  I was frozen again and hardly able to see Zircon.  Our hands were locked together as the swirling smoke turned faster.
    Zircon's fingers slowly started to slip as if another force were pulling him back.  I held on as tight as I cou ld as the sharp pains finally puls ed behind my eyes.  I groun d my teeth together, feeling the overwhelming urge to burst into tears as my heart pounded.  I couldn't even do that.
    My vision returne d and my chest felt heavy as Zircon's terrified face came into view.  I could see snow - lots of snow.  And the green needles of ev ergreens along a rocky mountain ranges .  I was almost home, but Zircon's hand slipped even further until we were hardly touching.  I opened my