Free Crystal (Silver Hills #2) by Jacqueline Gardner Page A

mouth, finally able to force a few words as I felt my feet touch down on a snowy floor.
    "Zircon," I forced myself to yell as his fingers slipped from my hand.   A pain stabbed my chest as his face moved farther and farther away towards the snowy peaks surrounding Silver Hills.  A tear burst out of my eye and ran down my fiery cheek.
    As Zircon's gleaming hair fell out of view, his frozen face finally softened.  He stared intently at the tear in my eye and mouthed his final words before I lost him completely, "I will find you."
    The green smoke cleared and the throbbing pain faded.   My skin shivered as the winter winds blew across my hot face.   I studied the old school and my heart thudded as all eyes fell to me - eyes I didn't recognize.  A pale girl with black and blond hair was standing next to me.  She looked about my age.
    "Crystal?" the girl muttered.  "It's me."  I looked around the room again, desperately hoping to see Zircon emerge from the shadows.  I looked down at my hand and the ring on my finger.  The burning had finally stopped.  My hand was still intact.
    "Alright.  Alright."  A man with shiny, blond hair and a pointy nose stepped forward.  The metal end of his pistol pointed right at me.  He smirked as his mischievous eyes danced down to the ring on my finger.  "Give me that."   I gulped, remembering the bloody ooze in Rimar's eyes.  I'd made him a promise.
    "The ring," I muttered to myself, I took a step back.
    "At last," the man excitedly exclaimed.  He looked to the girl next to me.  She had a stone on her finger.  "Give them to me."  My eyes went wide as I searched again for Zircon.  I needed his help.  Whoever this man was, he knew.  He kn ew about the transport stones. I glanced around the snowy school house.  Dotti could be anywhere . . . or anyone.  
     
     
     
    The story continues in Amber , the second Silver Hills Novella.  For updates and other works by the author visit www.jacquelinegardner.com
     
    JADE (Silver Hills #1): Six years ago, Crystal snuck out to meet her long-time crush.  She never came home.
    Now her younger sister Jade has returned to Silver Hills, the place Crystal disappeared, only to find hostile townspeople, and a creepy admirer.  Silver Hills isn’t what it seems, and Crystal’s ghostly image has made reappearance.  Jade’s suspicions only lead to trouble as she slowly starts to realize that history is about to repeat itself.
     
    CRYSTAL (Silver Hills #2): Six years ago a game was played and a curse was read.  Crystal woke up only to find she had switched places with a teenage girl who looks much like her, apart from one thing - her black eyes.  As Crystal tries to unravel the mystery behind the Keeper's curse, she discovers that she hasn't just replaced a young debutante on a neighboring planet.  She's replaced a soon-to-be bride.
     
    AMBER (Silver Hills #3): When Amber moved to Silver Hills, she never expected to get caught up in the frightening disappearance of her classmate.  Rumors circulate that Crystal is dead but Amber still sees her face.  And Crystal won't leave her alone.
     
    PERIDOT (Silver Hills #4): To change her fate, Peridot makes a deal.  But she soon learns that a deal with a madman is not a deal worth making.