The Institute
Page 55
***
Cicadas chirp as I emerge from my unconsciousness. There’s a figure of someone standing above me, a girl my size with long auburn hair. I’d recognise that hair anywhere, even in the dark. That hair belongs to my best friend; standing in front of me is Ebbodine.
But she’s not the only one. I sit up, briefly taking in the woodlands that surround us, before looking at the faces staring down at me. The only explanation why the five people in front of me could possibly be here—and together—is if I were dreaming … or dead.
Awake, dreaming, or dead, I’m confused, bewildered, and disoriented. I’m staring at Ebbodine, at Chad, Paxton the Institute orientation guy, Aunt Kenna, and the fifth and final person. While her hair has greyed some, and she’s a little more wrinkled around the edges, there is no mistaking her. I’m staring at my mother.
She walks over to me and leans down so she’s at my level. Her face is as comforting and as beautiful as I remember. She strokes my cheek as I hear her voice for the first time in eight years.
“Welcome to the Resistance.”
******
Thank you for reading The Institute.
The sequel, Resistance, will be available through all outlets at the end of March, 2017.
Join my VIP reader list HERE to receive updates as they come through.
Exact date TBA.
Read about it on my blog HERE.
BOOKS BY KAYLA HOWARTH
The Institute Series
The Institute (Book 1)
Resistance (Book 2)
Defective (Book 3)
Through His Eyes: An Institute Novella (Book 4)
The Litmus Series
(An Institute Series spin-off)
**Exclusive to Amazon**
Losing Nuka (Book 1)
Protecting William (Book 2)
Saving Illyana (Book 3)
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