The Soldiers of Halla Read Online Free PDF

could feel his whole body rock, as his tail wagged happily. I reached down and held his head with both my hands.
    â€œHi, Marley-Mar,” I said through my tears. “Where’ve you been?”
    That’s when I knew where I was. The buildings. The polar bear. The penguin. I was standing next to the sea lion pool in the zoo that was on the edge of New York’s Central Park. At least, what was left of it. The huge, tilted building in the distance was now all too familiar. It was the Empire State Building. I was on Earth. What I still didn’t know was when I was. At that moment, I really didn’t care.
    â€œDid you have to grow up so fast?” the woman said.
    I had to hold myself back from breaking out in tears. Or bursting with joy. It’s a fine line. I turned around to see them. My family. Mom. Dad. My little sister, Shannon. Though she wasn’t so little anymore. How old was she now? Thirteen? She was now a young lady in jeans and a pink sweater. She looked perfect. They all did.
    We stood facing one another, nobody really sure of what to do. I was suddenly hit with a fearful thought. I had been down this road once before, and it didn’t have a happy ending.
    â€œIs this a Lifelight jump?” I asked.
    â€œA what ?” Shannon asked with a wiseass look that can only come from a thirteen-year-old girl who has been working long and hard to perfect it.
    â€œNo, Bobby,” my dad answered. “It’s us. For real.”
    I couldn’t move. It was too much for me to comprehend. I hadn’t seen my family since the day they’d left me at home to go to the basketball game at Stony Brook Junior High. They had disappeared. My life had disappeared. Finding them was one of the driving forces behind everything I had done as a Traveler. Maybe the only driving force. And now, they were standing in front of me.
    â€œSo who won the game?” was the first question that came to mind.
    Shannon rolled her eyes. “You’re such a dork.” But she gave me a sly smile. I loved Shannon.
    â€œStony Brook lost,” Dad said. “Bad. They needed you.”
    â€œAnd I needed you,” I replied.
    â€œI know,” Mom said, barely holding back her own tears. “That’s why we’re here.”
    That did it. I ran to them and threw my arms around my family. The moment I had longed for all those years had finally arrived. We were back together. The Pendragons were a family again. I don’t know how long we stayed hugging that way. It could have been a week for all I cared. I wasn’t going anywhere. I didn’t want to let go, for fear they’d disappear again.
    Dad put his hand behind my head and held my neck. His eyes were as red as mine were. “I’m proud of you, Son.”
    I nodded in thanks and burst out in tears. I couldn’t help myself. The floodgates of emotion and relief were open. Things were going to be okay. When I finally got my act together, I straightened up, wiped my eyes, and said, “So what the hell is up with Uncle Press? You gonna tell me what that guy’s about or what?”
    â€œWe are,” Mom said with a chuckle. “You’re going to learn everything. But first we have to go home.”
    â€œTo Stony Brook?” I asked hopefully.
    â€œNo,” Mom answered. “We’re going to the place where you were born.”
    I let that sink in, then added, “Something tells me we’re not going to Second Earth.”
    â€œWe’re not” was Mom’s simple, direct answer.
    It was the right answer. The only answer. Though it scared me to death. I was finally going to learn the truth.About me. About the Travelers. And maybe most important, about Saint Dane.
    â€œThen let’s go,” I said.
    Dad led the way. Mom kept her arm around my shoulders, Shannon’s arm was around my waist. Marley ran in front of us, his big bushy tail wagging.
    We took maybe two steps when I