“No, I never pay any attention to it,” Bodhi said as he surveyed the activity around them.
“It figures,” Selah said, shaking her head. “You’d have to comb this curly mess to notice your forehead.”
Bodhi grinned. “I’ve got to see if anyone in TicCity security knows this bunch.” He strolled off in the direction of the command unit.
“Yeah, go on. We’ll talk about the haircut later,” Selah yelled after him. She watched his confident stride. Her heart ached with love . . . love that at this moment didn’t have a future.
“Hmm, this does not look good.” Mari sidled up to Selah and Mojica. “What I remember of TicCity politics from the times I came here with Glade is that the head of Council security never goes out on an operation. Her job is a ceremonial assignment.”
“They warned us at the last stop that we might find resistance from more splinter cells trying to capture me. Being the novarium and the hope of the world—whatever that means—coupled with my nine-month expiration date, and these hordes of men trying to capture me at every turn and I don’t even know what for—”
“Selah,” Mari said.
“What?”
Mari cracked a smile and shook her head. “You’re rambling again. Focus. The TicCity Council woman.”
Selah sucked in a breath. Every move she made had consequences for so many people, and at the moment they didn’t know if Taraji had succeeded. She squeezed her eyes then exhaled slowly. This would all work out. Her family could rest in peace in TicCity and figure out a careful plan to the West before she fractured. “I guess whatever the reason, it was fortunate to have TicCity security meet us on the road when we needed to be rescued.”
The tall, solidly built Council woman removed her head gear, letting long red hair spill from her helmet as she strolled toward Selah. She glanced at Mojica and offered a wry smile. “Well, finding you together saves me a trip.”
Mojica furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to reply. Selah shot her a look to cut her off. She understood what was going on. The Council woman thought Mojica was Taraji. Their Amazon-like stature and long dark hair made them almost resemble twins if you weren’t acquainted with either of them. It was easy to see how they came from the same clan. Selah decided she might need this mistaken identity to work in her favor.
“Thank you for coming to our assistance. My father would be pleased at your level of support,” Selah said. She didn’t like this woman. Glade had faced opposition from her at every Council meeting, but she had just saved the day, so gratitude was in order.
The woman pursed her bright red lips, which looked out of place with the tan-colored uniforms, and looked down her nose at Selah. “Yes, well, it was purely circumstantial luck at best. We got word of Glade’s demise from the convoy of your survivors that arrived. This will be the last assistance you get from the Council security. With Glade’s passing, the regime has finally and permanently changed in TicCity.”
“Congratulations on your new job, but the fact remains that I’m still the novarium and the legends have finally been proven true. We’re going west in search of the Third Protocol,” Selah said, hoping Treva was with the survivors.
“Good, then you won’t be upset at my announcement,” the woman said.
Selah watched the security forces gathering up the assailants into TicCity Council transports. “What announcement is that?”
A bored expression spread across the woman’s face. “Out of respect for Glade Rishon, I’m giving you forty-eight hours to clear out of TicCity or be sold to the highest bidder.”
Bonnie S. Calhoun has retired from being a clothing designer and seamstress to write full-time. She also has mad skills at coding HTML and designing websites.
Bonnie lives in a log cabin in the woods with fifteen acres and a pond full of bass, though she’d rather buy fish at the grocery store. She shares her domain with a husband, a dog, and two cats, all of whom think she’s waitstaff. Thunder, the first book of the Stone Braide Chronicles, was her first YA novel. Learn more at www.bonniescalhoun.com.
Books by Bonnie S. Calhoun
STONE BRAIDE CHRONICLES
Tremors (ebook)
Thunder
Aftershock (ebook)
Lightning
Surge (ebook)
Storm
BonnieSCalhoun.com
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Surge: A Stone Braide Chronicles Story Page 4