Lisa T. Bergren - Torrent (River of Time Series)

Praise for

Waterfall

I love stories about strong, capable young womenand I love stories set in other countries. Mix in a little time travel and some colorful characters, and Lisa Bergren has stirred up an exciting and memorable tale that teen readers should thoroughly enjoy!

Melody Carlson, author of the Diary of a Teenage Girl and TrueColors series

As the mother of two teens and two preteens, I found Waterfall to be a gutsy but clean foray into the young adult genre for Lisa T. Bergren, who handles it with a grace and style all her own. Gabriella Betarrini yanked me out of my time and into a harrowing adventure as she battled knightsand love! I heartily enjoyed Gabriellas travel back into time, and I heartily look forward to Cascade , River of Time #2!

Ronie Kendig, author of Nightshade

Praise for

Cascade

A romantic tale that twists and turns with every page, Cascade is the ideal sequel to Waterfall . A riveting tale to the very end, this adventure follows Gabi back into the arms of the dashing Marcello as the events of history unfold around them in the present. Lisa T. Bergren leaves us with only one question: Can their love transcend time? Read this bookyou wont regret it. I could hardly put it down!

Shannon Primicerio, author of The Divine Dance, God Called a Girl, and the TrueLife Bible study series

The River of Time Series

Waterfall

Cascade

Torrent

TORRENT

Published by David C Cook

4050 Lee Vance View

Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.

David C Cook Distribution Canada

55 Woodslee Avenue, Paris, Ontario, Canada N3L 3E5

David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications

Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England

David C Cook and the graphic circle C logo

are registered trademarks of Cook Communications Ministries.

All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes,

no part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form

without written permission from the publisher.

The website addresses recommended throughout this book are offered as a resource to you. These websites are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of David C Cook, nor do we vouch for their content.

This story is a work of fiction. All characters and events are the product of the authors imagination. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental.

LCCN 2011932486

ISBN 978-1-4347-6429-4

eISBN 978-0-7814-0783-0

2011 Lisa T. Bergren

The Team: Don Pape, Traci DePree, Amy Kiechlin Konyndyk, Caitlyn York, Karen Athen.

Cover Design: Gearbox Studios

First Edition 2011

Contents

Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

Winston Churchill

Chapter One

Wed shaken the dust from the gowns the guys had left the three of us and slipped on our medieval disguises, as I called them, but there wasnt a whole lot we could do for Dad.

Yeah, thats not gonna work out so great, Lia said, staring up at Dads T-shirt.

I looked him over, still not quite believing he was with us, alive. Wed buried him, laid flowers on his grave, and mourned him for sevenno, eight months nowand yet here he was, hands on hips, ready to take the lead in our family again. Like wed never been gone. Which, for him, we hadnt been.

From his perspective, wed grown up by a couple of years while he was at an afternoons dig.

Such was the nature of time travel.

His brown eyes flicked from me to Lia and back again, like he couldnt quite believe his eyes either. In our luxurious gowns we looked more like women than teens, which had to be freaking him out all the more. He turned toward the walls of the Etruscan tomb.

Adri, this is amazing, he said, reaching for the flashlight in his back pocket and taking in the frescoes, inch by inch.

Hed always been that way. Preferring archeology you could slice and dice, control, over teens who were sounpredictable.

Mom wrapped her arms around him and leaned her cheek against his back, closing her eyes. Yes, it is.

I held my breath and felt Lia still beside me, both of us staring at them. Mom and Dad. Together again. I swallowed hard around a lump in my throat and felt my eyes and nose begin to run.

He grinned over his shoulder at Mom. Whats gotten into you, Adri? He caught sight of us. We probably looked like we were seeing a ghost again. Literally. Girls?

I couldnt bear to keep looking at him. Not if I was supposed to keep it together.

Ill tell you. Soon, Ben, Mom said. After were out of here. She hadnt quite figured out a way to tell him that wed gone back in time to rescue him, before he was killed in an accident. Way before the accident. It would be hard enough to get him to believe we were time travelers, that he wasnt living some sort of wild dream.

She leaned back and reluctantly let him go. But first, we need to figure out what you can wear. Because Lias right that isnt gonna work. She looked him up and down. He was in his archeologists uniforma battered, old I Left My Heart in Roma Antica T-shirt, khaki cargo pants, and work boots. So handsome, with his broad shoulders and wavy hairwhich Id inherited, along with the big brown eyes and long lashes. My dad. Here. With us. I sniffed and swallowed hard, past the lump in my throat, trying to get my brain in gear. There were things to do, urgent things, if we were to keep him safe. And after losing him once, I wanted to do all I could not to lose him again.

The boots might be okay, I said, assessing. We could tell them theyre Norman. As long as they dont look too closely.

At least he isnt wearing sneakers, Lia said. She was crawling toward the entrance of the tomb, her bow hitched over her shoulder.

Youll have to stash that flashlight, too, I said, following Lia. That would totally freak them out. I reached down and picked up my broadsword, sliding it into the sheath on my back, then strapped onto my calf a leather dagger sheath, a seven-inch blade already in it.

Adri, Dad said blankly, our children are arming themselves.

Trust me, its a good thing, Mom said, picking up her staff.

Youre kidding, right? And what are you doing with that?

I didnt wait for Moms answer. I crawled after Lia to the tombs entrance. It reminded me of an igloo, in a way, something Mom said shed never quite seen in Etruscan tumuli architecture before. I tried to peek beyond Lia, see what season wed landed in. How much time had passed? Did Marcello leave us our gowns three daysor three years ago?

Lia reached the end and peered outside, first in one direction, then the other.

Go, Lia, I growled, feeling as if I might burst from the anticipation. It was like landing at some exotic airport and being in the very back of a packed jumbo jet, unable to get out. I well remembered the last time wed arrived in Marcellos Toscana, how wed run across them on the road to the castello, how hed taken me in his arms and held me like he never wanted to let go

Lia, go! I said.

She whipped backward and almost bumped her head into mine. Hold on, she whispered, staring at me with wild eyes. Enemy soldiers, nine oclock.

I leaned my back against the side wall, sitting next to her, and glanced back at Mom and Dad, coming our way. I lifted a finger to my lips and then closed my eyes, listening to the men draw nearer outside. They were talking, laughing, clearly not on alert.