The Time Keeper (The Guardians of Time Book 1) Read Free Page A

a good time.  The extensive grounds at the back of the Halvorsten’s sprawling Cayuga lakefront mansion were littered with the toga-clad senior graduates of Ithaca High when she and Stacey came around the side of the house.
    Justin and Kevin were already there, probably having caught a taxi, and were seated around the pool with their bunch of friends.  Kevin grinned when he caught sight of them and loped over to wrap Stacey in a bone-crunching bear hug. 
    If anyone had asked Emilia what type of guy Stacey would end up with, Kevin wouldn’t have even occurred to her.  Solid and muscular, a football jock with a shock of dark auburn hair and a ruddy complexion, he was the antithesis of the pretty boys Stacey usually went for.  But Kevin was the class clown who had made Stacey laugh at a time she desperately needed to find some joy in the world after the loss of her brother.  Somehow the laughter had turned into something deeper.  Together for about eighteen months now, every time he looked at her Kevin’s eyes glowed with adoration.  Not many high school romances lasted, but Emilia had a feeling this one would.
    One arm around Stacey, Kevin reached over and knuckle-rubbed Emilia’s head.  ‘Car trouble, huh Em?’
    ‘Yeah, the engine overheated apparently.  Sorry about the timing.’
    ‘It’s no big deal.  I would have overheated too with two such gorgeous girls riding me.’
    ‘Kevin!’  Stacey whacked him in the chest, but she was giggling as she did it and Emilia couldn’t help but smile at his lame quip.  Kevin was an idiot, but a loveable one.
    ‘What?’ he asked mock innocently.
    ‘It’s lucky they’re gorgeous, because they sure don’t have a brain between the two of them!’  Justin finally joined them and by the mulish look on his face, he was still mad.  He held a nearly empty beer bottle loosely in one hand, which he feigned interest in so he could avoid looking at Emilia.
    ‘Don’t be such a prick, Justin,’ Stacey responded heatedly, her lip curling.  She had never liked Justin and only barely tolerated him for the sake of her best friend and boyfriend.  ‘Neither of us are brainless bimbos and you know it.’
    Justin glowered at her.  ‘Emilia must be, otherwise she would check her car before she drives it.’
    That was so blatantly unfair that for once Emilia couldn’t let it slide.  If he’d bothered to ever ask her about her school work he would know she quite regularly got better grades than he did.  But that knowledge would only dent his ego. 
    ‘Do you lift the hood and check the engine every time before you drive your car?’ she asked sweetly.
    He glared furiously at her, before throwing back his head and chugging down the rest of his drink.  ‘I need another beer,’ he muttered and stalked angrily towards the gazebo where there was a bar set up.
    Emilia sighed heavily and glanced ruefully at Stacey and Kevin.  ‘I’ve really done it now!’
    Kevin smiled sympathetically but Stacey tossed her hair back with an angry snort.  ‘Who cares!  Leave him to his beer and misogynistic fantasies.  Let’s go have some fun.’
     
    *
     
    Emilia had tried, she really had.  But Justin was avoiding her and every time she looked in his direction he glared resentfully at her, his eyes cold and unfriendly.  She looked miserably at the ground.  She shouldn’t have spoken back to him and normally she wouldn’t have, but her unexpected encounter with Seb had loosened her tongue and for a moment she’d forgotten how much Justin hated being contradicted… especially in front of other people.  Despite the confidence he oozed in bucket loads, he was pretty insecure about things like that.  She had learned early on that part of her unspoken role as his girlfriend was to prevent that happening as much as possible.
    As it got darker it was easier to watch him without him noticing.  He stood propped against the low brick wall enclosing the barbeque area, surrounded by