Seventh Dimension - The King - Book 2, A Young Adult Fantasy by Lorilyn Roberts Page A

the
donkey. She must have traveled a long distance to carry that many
jugs.
    Judd said the
donkey’s name was Baruch. The animal appeared to be gentle, but I
wished he’d speed up a little. He could walk faster if he
wanted.
    As they neared, I noticed her stomach bulged. Was
she pregnant? Oh, no, don’t tell me that. My initial excitement at
meeting her paled in comparison with my despair that she was
pregnant. Maybe that was the secret and no one wanted to say.
    After a few
minutes of eyestrain fixated on the young girl’s belly—and feeling
guilty for my preoccupation with that part of her body, I decided
she didn’t have a bulging stomach. She had shifted, readjusted
herself, and something white popped up. Then it moved. I squinted.
No, it couldn’t be. A rabbit?
    Why would a
young girl on a long journey be traveling with a rabbit? Forget the
rabbit—I wanted to see her face, but her head covering shadowed her
features.
    I heard someone
approaching and turned.
    Judd acted nonchalant and cool, like this was any
other day. “What are you looking at?” he asked.
    “That’s our new
house guest. Scylla told me to receive her.”
    Judd squinted
as he gazed across the field before turning away. Maybe he wasn’t
interested in her, but his behavior seemed
contradictory.
    I couldn’t tell
if he was glad she was coming or hated the extra work that came
with her arrival. I’d have to work on trying to read his mind—after
I figured out how to read hers.
    As Shale approached, I hid behind the fence. I
didn’t want to look too anxious. Besides, she would want to meet
her father and would be very disappointed that he wasn’t here.
    The donkey stopped underneath some palm trees next
to the road. For whatever reason, he didn’t want to go any further.
The moment had arrived. I slicked back my brown hair and wiped the
perspiration off my face.
    As I
approached, I couldn’t contain my excitement. I should have gone to
the bathroom. Her keen eyes latched onto mine and I forced myself
not to stare. She was bright and fair, lighter in color than I
expected.
    Her mannerisms reminded me of her father’s, the way
she sat on the donkey and followed me with her eyes. She smiled
shyly.
    Then she looked down, as if checking her dress,
smoothing it out with one hand and holding the white rabbit with
the other.
    I introduced myself in Aramaic, “Can I help
you?”
    She responded
in kind. “I’m pleased to meet you. I’m Shale Snyder.”
    “Here, let me help you down.”
    “Thanks,” she replied. “It was a long journey and
I’m glad to be here.”
    I lifted the young girl off the animal, taking care
not to embarrass her in any way, and set her down. She seemed more
concerned about the rabbit than her modesty, clutching the small
furry creature.
    “I pray you had safe travels.”
    “Yes, I did.” She stretched her body and smoothed
her dress below her knees.
    “Your father has been expecting you.”
    A look of surprise fell across her face. “What? What
did you say?”
    I realized I’d said something I shouldn’t. But
considering the circumstances, what else should I have said?
    I changed the
subject. “You’ve traveled a long distance?”
    “Yes. But what did you say about my father?”
    At that moment Scylla approached. I was glad she
came before I made another faux pas.
    Scylla had dolled herself up to impress Shale and
walked with an edge of superiority. What a false façade. Could
Shale perceive her fakeness?
    “How are you, Shale? I’m Scylla, your father’s wife.
Brutus is expecting you. He’ll be back from Jerusalem shortly.”
    Scylla reached
out to shake Shale’s hand, much like two political leaders from
Israel and Syria would shake hands over a fake peace treaty. I
wished Shale’s father had been here to greet her.
    The young girl
was reserved but very observant. Physically she was tall for the
girls of this time. Her high cheekbones and long eyelashes made her
look like a Hollywood beauty. Maybe