by Abby J. Reed
I traced over the dials, searching, looking, any wire that could be cut, anything that could be rewired—
My fingers brushed a symbol next to the dials.
A little B. It was the same symbol etched on Brody’s pick in my pocket.
“Hurry!” Malani said. Her voice laced with panic.
My mind spun like the dials, all those symbols flashing—the only thing breaking through was the last stanza of Brandon’s song rising above the noise.
Let me sing you a lullaby, son
A lullaby of belief made clear
When angels take flight and in strength stand demons
Don’t hold on to your fears
And then the last line, only ever sung at the very end after all stanzas.
Hold on to your hope and hope will lead you home.
My thoughts slowed as the pattern clicked into place.
I understood.
How and why the Queen recognized me. How the Solterans found our galaxy to begin with. What it meant that the dark matter came through at a different time from the Queen and Extrats.
A laugh, raw and hard, burst from my throat.
I understood.
I understood it all.
I built this ring. I would build this ring. I already had in the past. And I would in the future.
I spun the dials and entered one seven letter word:
B-R-A-N-D-O-N
I slammed the switch.
The ring activated.
Epilogue
They held hands as the ring portal burst with light and transformed into a heavenly super-nova glow. They held hands as the portal channeled the energy from the dark matter into the singularity, as the tech already-built and yet-to-be built worked its magic. They held hands as the singularity morphed into something grander, bigger, a wormhole spanning the universe. They held hands as the interface connected and the coordinates solidified and the wormhole finished forming.
From the other side of the galaxy, nothing seemed to change save an almost-star shining for a half a wink. From a million galaxies away, the sky looked no different.
But from where they stood holding hands, the sight was wondrous and everything changed, everything began, everything ended. As they held hands and entered the wormhole, a single star fell to the bottom of the universe.
Also from Abby J. Reed and Soul Mate Publishing:
WHEN PLANETS FALL
(Stars Fall Circle Book 1)
On a planet where the only difference between three tribes is their blood color, war is on the horizon. Breaker, an amputee, wants peace for his family and home. Malani, a kidnapped POW, wants to return home. Luka wants justice for his home. All three teens come together when Breaker is given seven days to fix a wrecked enemy starship or their home, and peace, is forfeit.
Kirkus Reviews:
"In this richly imagined start to a new sci-fi series, Reed brings optimism to the goal of solving entrenched violence in a galaxy far, far away. Scarlatti, like a lush Mars, is evoked in lines like “From the burgundy and blush trees to the carmine peaks to the ruby glow of the suns, this land wore a blanket of blood.” The plot echoes real-world tyranny when King Oma manipulates Breaker and Malani to unlock the spaceship’s technology, thereby gaining the advantage when war ignites. The Humans too are ready to accommodate the Herons, believing that their red blood originates on Scarlatti. Yet, as Malani says, when you share someone’s home “all other details fade like background music.”
A propulsive, sharply crafted tale about a planetary war."
Available now on Amazon: WHEN PLANETS FALL
WHEN DREAMERS FALL
(Stars Fall Circle Book 2)
ESCAPE WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING . . .
Breaker sacrificed everything—his home, his hand, even his relationship with his little brother—for the chance to escape Scarlatti's war and find peace in their ancestral home. But time is running out. Supplies are low, Brody hasn't recovered from his concussion, and Breaker's right to lead is looking rather grim.
When a stranger arrives, Breaker realizes the world outside Scarlatti is so much bigger than even he could ever dream. Torn between the home he knows and the new home he wants, he will have to ask himself what else he's willing to sacrifice. With old friends, two new points of view, and more secrets to unbury, read the series Kirkus has called "a propulsive, sharply crafted tale."
WHEN DREAMERS FALL is book two of the Stars Fall Circle series and is meant to be read in order. Readers who enjoy multi-POV action-packed sci-fi will love this twisty tale.
Available now on Amazon: WHEN DREAMERS FALL