Alec yells back, “He only wanted you to live. Was that so wrong?”
Caroline gets eerily quiet and then continues. “You should have killed me after what they did to me. They took my Jase and left me with a reminder of what they did to me.”
Caroline waves the gun at Quinn and Remy jumps between them. Quinn wakes up from all the noise and sits up in bed, staring at all of us. Remy grabs him and takes him from the room, backing away from Caroline.
Evan looks at Caroline, shocked. “You mean Quinn isn’t Dad’s?”
“Why do you think I have never been able to look at him,” Caroline says. “Alec always knew. That’s why he stuck around and stepped in; his guilt for what he did made him step up.”
“I shot your assailant,” Alec yells. “I saved you first. Then I killed the other guy.”
“But it was too late,” Caroline says sadly. “He already killed Jase.”
“He tried to save you,” I say, attempting to distract Caroline from Alec, but I immediately I regret it.
“You!” Caroline spits out. “Why are you here? You should be dead. I regret ever sending my son to your dome. You’ve brainwashed him with your ideas. Can’t you see, Evan? She’s caused the uprising; she’s a threat to our way of life. Now she knows too much about our weaknesses. Let her leave, and she’ll return in a week and take us out.”
“She’s not like that,” Evan says.
“You don’t even know her,” Caroline says, her sadness replaced by her insanity. “She riled up the people tonight. One of them came to my house to attack me, but I showed him.” She waves the gun in the air again.
“No!” Evan yells. “It’s you I don’t know. All this time, I thought you blamed me for Dad. I’ve done everything I could to make you happy, but your demands just got more and more absurd. And Quinn! No wonder you treat him so badly. You never gave him any love. You blame him—he’s just a baby! You’re sick. You really are. You need help.”
“I’m not going to let you leave here,” Caroline says. “You are not going to leave me.”
“Caroline,” Alec warns.
“No,” Evan says, waving a hand in front of Alec. “This is between her and me. I am going to leave tonight, Mom. I’m taking Quinn with me. We are going far away from you, somewhere you’ll never find us. I’m not going to let you screw up his life anymore.”
Caroline’s face twists between craziness and sorrow. She slumps back into her chair, still holding her gun, and looks up at Evan. Her face contorts into its usual expressionless façade.
“Go then,” she says. “I dare you. If I ever see you again, I’ll kill you. You are a traitor. My son is dead to me.”
I can see the hurt cross Evan’s face, but he holds firm. This is what he was trying to get from his mother all along: permission to leave and live his life away from her. In the end, she is still his mother.
Alec and I leave the bedroom with Evan. Remy is waiting with Quinn by the front door. When he sees our faces, he quickly ushers Quinn out of the house, and the rest of us follow.
Remy lifts Quinn over the body outside while the rest of us step over it.
“Evan—” Alec begins.
“Don’t,” Evan says, holding his hand up. “I don’t need you to explain, Alec. Not now.”
“I’m sorry,” Alec says. “I should have told you earlier. I never thought you’d blame yourself.”
Suddenly a gunshot goes off behind us—it’s a little too close. I look to Evan quickly and see him flinch, his shoulders tightening. No one speaks. He quickly regains his composure and continues walking away.
We continue down the front walk to the street with Alec in the lead. He’s the one with the plan, the rest of us are just straggling behind. We end up at the perimeter, where Xara and Cardinal have two trucks loaded with supplies.
“I need all of you to go to the rendezvous point to meet the others,” Alec explains. “Cardinal is staying behind with me to try to save this place and stop the war. Don’t dawdle. Don’t look back. When you’re ready to make contact again, let us know.”
Some of the New Order members finish loading the trucks, and I overhear Alec speaking to one of them. “The Eagle has fallen,” he says. “Let Mason know it is time to make peace with the people.”
We climb into the trucks and drive away into the night to find our friends. I glance in the rearview mirror, ignoring Alec’s warning, and see him swallowed by the colony as darkness fills the void between us. A shudder trembles down into my body, and for a moment, I swear I hear the wind call out my name.
The ride is dusty; I forgot what it was like on the road. Remy rides with Xara, while Quinn has his head in my lap as Evan drives. This is our little bit of peace before we reach our new home—Dome 108.
I look at Evan and realize how much we have changed. Just two weeks ago we were traveling the opposite way, hopes high as he returned to his home. Now we’re weary. Too much has happened to us over the last few months. It’s been a non-stop ride of difficulties, and I’m not sure how much more I can stand. Don’t we deserve peace?
Up ahead our group waits for us at the edge of the woods—Nico, Jess, and Shell, who were able to get all the kids out safe. All except poor Georgie. I can’t shake the memories of his death from my mind. I don’t think I ever will.
I know on the other side of these trees lies the quarry, where Evan brought me for an evening together. It ended terribly, as did every experience I have faced at Dome 569. Now it’s time to move past all of that and keep going forward in search of something better.
Nico waves us over and we park near the group. It seems forever ago I was jealous of her and Evan being close. It all seems trivial now. I can see the kids playing behind them, running in and out of the trees. It’s much nicer here than at the hostel under the old bridge. Freedom breeds happiness. A wave of sadness overtakes me as I yet again remember Georgie’s fall to the stage.
I lean back in my seat and ponder over what we have to deal with next. Alec and Cardinal have stayed behind to help negotiate peace. They promised not to give away our location. Not until we make contact again one day.
“Are you okay?” Evan asks me. It’s the first we’ve spoken since leaving the colony.
“I will be,” I say. I’m sure it’s not a lie. “Are you?” I ask, remembering our last encounter with his mother.
“I’ll make it.” He reaches over and squeezes my hand before getting out of the truck.
“That’s not what I meant,” I say, worried.
“I’m okay.” He forces a smile, looking down at Quinn. “He is, too. That’s all that matters.
I watch him get out before I join the others. My boyfriend who had to grow up too fast—whose mother provided him with very little love when he needed it most. Maybe he will be okay. His plan all along was to come and rescue Quinn, and break free from his mother’s tyranny. Now we’re here, ready to move onto the next chapter of our life.
Quinn is already awake and playing with his friends, and I see Molly’s smiling face in the group. If she can recover from Georgie’s death and move forward, then we can too, right?
We check over the supplies, and then everyone finishes packing. They’ve been stockpiling, out here at Ray’s still, hidden in the trees where New Order members would rather get a stiff drink of alcohol than notice the trucks filled with supplies.
We will travel day and night to get through the canyon and back up the other side to reach Dome 108. There’s no bridge or easy access, and that’s what we want. No one can find us. Each of us has our own vehicle piled high with important items. Nico has a stock of weapons and materials to secure our perimeter (I don’t ask what). Remy has the kids and a stock of clothes and bedding for everyone. Jess brought agricultural supplies so we can grow our own food. Shell brought a shipment of the blue-stamped filtration systems—that way if the supervirus gets out we are protected. Even Xara takes a truck filled with medical supplies and books.
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In a way, we’ve each become our own band of Delegates. My only hope is we’ve learned from the mistakes of our elders. We don’t need rules painted on our dome, or mottos flashing on screens to tell us to be decent to each other. We’ve seen firsthand what fear and hate can do.
But where do I fit in this new colony?
Evan’s hand slips into mine. I was never meant to drive a truck, as I was an unknown variable. Would I come to the new dome, or would I run back to mine? One thing I know is that I’m tired of running.
I look out from the forest, toward the horizon of Dome 108, where skies surround us in every direction. Then it comes to me in a way like it was always meant to be.
I’m the girl who will always fight for what’s right.
THE END
Acknowledgements
It’s hard to know what to write in the acknowledgements, until you realize it’s not about you; it’s about all the people that helped get you where you are now.
I have to start out thanking Kahla Dombowsky, my co-worker (at the day job which shall not be named). It was because of her unbridled enthusiasm in my Dome 1618 series, I believed I could find a publisher who would love it just as much.
Next, there’s the team at Month9Books. Without their patience and understanding, Here Skies Surround Us would not be as good as it is. They helped me flesh out new ideas, and I came up with a new beginning and ending which I love to pieces. Cameron, you have been an amazing editor and I look forward to working with you in the future. Shannon, I’m glad I have you to back promotion for my series. And of course, cheers to Georgia for believing a Canadian prairie girl could produce a great story.
Since the day I signed with Month9Books, I have found fellow writers online, through my writing classes, publishing connections, and writing conferences. Jennifer Bardsley, Elisa Dane, E.M. Fitch, Shaila Patel, Jennifer M. Eaton, Nicole Conway, Amy McNulty, Jessica Gunn, Pat Esden, Dorothy Dreyer, and Vicki L. Weavil are all people who have become a part of my inner circle of bookish friends and though we all live in opposite ends of the world, it never feels like that.
Kristal Turner, Christina Ritchie, and Lisa Goudy are writers who help me push my limits. Chiante, Morgan, Ava, Catherine, Ashley & Autumn were all amazing students, when the Moose Jaw Public Library allowed me the honour of teaching novel writing while I was writing this story.
I could never forget the amazing bloggers who supported the Dome 1618 series since There Once Were Stars was released. Booktuber, Shaegeeksout, has become a wonderful friend. Bloggers Michelle at Bookaholic Banter, Olivia at Candid Cover, and readers like Hannah Ann and Kari Hennenfent all give invaluable support to me when I need it.
And finally, to my mother who taught me to follow my dreams no matter what, and my father, who has enjoyed reading this series as much as I’ve loved writing it.
Melanie McFarlane
Whether it’s uncovering the corruption of the future, or traveling to other worlds to save the universe, Melanie McFarlane jumps in with both hands on her keyboard. Though she can be found obsessing over zombies and orcs from time to time, Melanie has focused her powers on her YA series There Once Were Stars (Month9Books, LLC), and her YA urban fantasy Summoner Rising (Month9Books, LLC).
Sign up for the free prequel in the Dome 1618 series, Those Chosen Few:
www.melaniemcfarlane.com
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Other Month9Books Titles You Might Like
Here Skies Surround Us Page 23