Ultraviolet Catastrophe

by Jamie Grey

  “Right. Danvers.” Max took the chair beside me, but his gaze kept straying to the door as Asher and I told him what had happened.

  I was mid-sentence when the door to the med wing swung open. Max shot to his feet as Dr. Rosen stepped through. He nodded at us, his salt-and-pepper hair crazier than usual. “Zella is fine. She’s stitched up, on pain meds, and ready for visitors. But only for a few minutes. She needs to rest.”

  Max pushed past him, sprinting toward Zella’s room. Asher and I followed more slowly behind.

  “Guess he finally figured out he liked her after all,” Asher said. “Took him long enough.”

  “It was pretty obvious, wasn’t it?” I grinned at him. “Sometimes you geniuses just can’t see what’s right in front of your face.”

  “Hey! I take offense to that statement.”

  “Who said I was talking about you?” With a wink, I slipped my hand into his, and we pushed open the door to Zella’s room.

  Max was already at her side. Zella blinked up at him, smiled weakly. And then, before we could even blink, Max leaned down and kissed her gently.

  “Maybe we should give them some time alone,” I whispered.

  Asher’s fingers grazed my jaw, turning me to face him. “I think that’s a very good idea.”

  The tenderness in his gaze made my breath hitch in my throat. And when he bent his head and kissed me, I finally felt like Quantum Technologies was exactly where I belonged.

  You know it’s going to be a good day when the guy you’ve been crushing on all semester shows up first thing in the morning carrying two cups of coffee and a dozen donuts.

  “Help a guy out, won’t you?” Asher asked. The snow was coming down, and it had dusted his dark locks and tangled in his eyelashes. I stood in the doorway for almost thirty seconds before I realized I was staring at him.

  I grabbed the bag of donuts from under his arm with one hand, grabbed his shirt with the other, and pressed my lips to his. He leaned into the kiss, a soft rumble coming from his throat. I wasn’t the only one breathing hard when I finally pulled away.

  “Sorry,” I said, looking up at him through my eyelashes as I held the front door open for him. His feet had left dark footprints in the snow, and his car was already covered. My first snowfall in Tennessee — the only thing that could be more amazing than the first snow in Ohio.

  For one very specific reason.

  “You coming?” Asher asked from inside, slipping out of his boots.

  “Yep.” I shut the door on the wintry scene. “Thanks for the coffee. You’re a genius. Mom used the Bunsen burner to make coffee while she was working this morning. I can’t count how many times I’ve told her I won’t drink that sludge.”

  “Resident genius, that’s me. I’m glad you’ve finally recognized it.” He set the coffee down on the counter, leaning back against it to give me a once-over.

  I flushed but took advantage of the admiration, winking at him in response. “I don’t know. I might just give you a run for your money next semester.”

  He waggled his eyebrows. “We’ll see.” And then he chased me down the hallway to the living room. I giggled and shrieked as he grabbed my waist from behind, spun me around, and flopped backward onto the couch, pulling me along with him.

  I stared down into his eyes and blinked. His heart beat beneath my chest, strong and steady, and I took a deep breath. Yeah, I was laying on top of Asher Rosen, on the couch in my parents’ living room. It seemed crazy, but something about having narrowly escaped death with the guy had eliminated any nervousness I might’ve once felt around him.

  He cupped the back of my head, letting his fingers tangle in my hair, and took his time kissing me again. With the way his teeth snagged my bottom lip when he finally pulled away, I had no doubt about just how happy he was both of us had made it out alive.

  I let my body squeeze down in the space between his side and the back of the couch, and we settled back to watch the fire Dad had built earlier. He and Mom were out on a date, though they’d frowned at me when I’d teased them about it. I had a feeling Mom would be settling in Oak Ridge for good.

  “What time did you get home yesterday?” Asher asked, wrapping a strand of my hair around his finger and tugging gently.

  I swung my legs across his lap and nudged my chin against his shoulder. “About noon. I could barely keep my eyes open.”

  “Sucks to be the new director’s daughter.” His fingers brushed against my neck as he smoothed my hair back, and a shiver went through me.

  It took all my strength to not climb the rest of the way into his lap, and I had to swallow before I could form a coherent sentence. “Actually, it had more to do with the equations for the catastrophe machine. Conveniently, I’d forgotten them. And with no record left, there’s not much hope anyone will be able to rebuild it.”

  “Yeah, they were pretty excited to hear about the virus I’d inserted into Branston’s network and the files I copied over. Hope it helps them.” His fingers moved lower to trace my collarbone, and my eyes drifted shut.

  “I love when you do that, Asher Rosen,” I murmured.

  “What? The collarbone?”

  “Mmm. That. But mostly the computer genius talk. You don’t need to flirt with me anymore, you know.”

  He responded with a gentle kiss on my temple, then one on my cheek. I bit back a whimper and tried not to burrow deeper into his arms.

  “Did they find Amy or her parents?” My voice came out husky, and Asher moved his fingers back up to my jaw. I opened my eyes in disappointment, but he smiled gently down at me before shaking his head.

  “The Greens were gone when security got to their house. I doubt they’ll ever find them. Branston is too powerful.”

  The thought of Amy being out there made me uneasy, but there wasn’t anything we could do. Hopefully the Greens had gone running to Branston and would stay there. They were wanted people now, and QT had plenty of resources to find them if they chose to.

  His breath was hot on my neck as he inched closer to press a kiss below my ear. “So…one semester at QT down. How are you feeling?”

  I was glad he was too busy with my neck to see the smile that twisted my lips. “That it might be time for you to give me some fishing lessons. I’m not very good at the whole catch-and-release thing. I seem to have the catching part down pretty well, but my release could use some work.”

  Asher’s lips moved up to my ear. “Lexicon, you’re stuck with me,” he whispered. “There’s no throwing me back now. I’m so hooked.” I rolled my eyes, and he gave me one of those wicked grins. “You know there’s only way to stop me from making bad puns, don’t you?”

  So I leaned in and kissed him again. And I wasn’t planning on stopping for a long, long time.

  There are so many people who’ve helped make this book happen, from beta readers and critique partners, to friends and acquaintances, that it’s impossible to thank everyone, but I’m going to try! And for anyone I forget by mistake, I’m sorry and THANK YOU.

  Mandy Stagg, thank you for being here from the very beginning of this crazy journey. You are one of the best friends and CPs a girl could ask for. Thank you for always supporting me, and encouraging me, even when I’m questioning all my decisions. And especially for the long conversations about what makes a perfect hero. You’re my sanity check.

  Thank you to Leigh Ann Kopans who has been the best friend, fan, and all around amazing person I’ve been lucky to know. I don’t know how I could have gotten through all of this without your constant support and encouragement. I love you.

  To Cait Peterson, the genius behind my gorgeous interior and all around amazing cheerleader. Thank you for not letting me give up, and for always being there for me to vent to. You are one of the best people I know.

  Thank you Becca Weston, my amazing copy editor and fact checker. Your patience and skill made this book so much better. I swear I will learn when I need to add commas for next time!

  To Krista Bal
l, who was one of the first people to ever tell me my writing didn’t suck and who actually wanted to read more. I appreciate the ass-kicking you gave me, along with the encouragement.

  To Melissa Schook, my work-spouse and first reader. You’ve been my biggest cheerleader and the one person I could trust to be completely honest if something was confusing or not working. Thank you so much for being there always.

  To the YA Misfits – your support has meant everything. I am so lucky to be part of such an amazing group. I love you all so much!

  To Nathalia Suellen, who made the most gorgeous cover possible – I can’t thank you enough for the amazing work you put into getting Lexie just right.

  Thank you to all of you who’ve read or commented or loved Ultraviolet Catastrophe – your kind words and encouragement have kept me going, especially Jaye Robbin Brown, Darci Cole, Alex Brown, Amanda Olivieri, Audrey Lockwood, Marieke Nijkamp, Dahlia Adler, Megan Whitmer, Chessie Zappia, Andrea Hannah, Erica Chapman, Gina Giocca, Alexa Hirsch, Deepali Stark, and anyone else I might have missed!

  Thank you to the amazing Hafsah at Icey Books for generously posting my cover reveal.

  My street team was all around amazing and did a fantastic job with getting the word out about Ultraviolet Catastrophe. I couldn’t have done it without you ladies! Thank you Jen, Amanda Olivieri, Kristina Schafer, Darci Cole, Tawney Bland, Bridget Shepherd, Jolene Haley, Alex Brown, Jamie Krakover, Marie Meyer, Audrey Lockwood, Jenny Kaczorowski, Pilar Albarran, and KK Hendrin!

  A huge thank you to Lynne Matson and Susan Kaye Quinn who so graciously agreed to read Ultraviolet Catastrophe. You are both amazing and classy and I am so lucky to know you.

  To my parents, thank you for encouraging me to read and for filling our house with books. I wouldn’t be nearly this big a book worm without you guys.

  To Ryan, who has always encouraged me to write and to believe in my work. I would never have done this without your support and encouragement. Thank you for always being there for me and pushing me to follow my dreams. I love you.

  Lastly, to everyone who has read or will read, who’s left a review or comment, or just enjoyed the book. Thank you! I love and appreciate you so much more than you’ll ever know!

  Jamie Grey spent most of her childhood writing stories about princesses who saved the day and pretending to be a daring explorer. It wasn’t until much later that she realized she should combine the two. Now, as a tech-obsessed gamer geek, her novels mix amazing scientific developments, future worlds, and the remarkable characters that live in them.

  Jamie lives in Michigan with her significant other and their pets, who luckily tolerate her overspending on tea, books, and video games. You can learn more about her at www.jamiegreybooks.com, or follow her on twitter via @jamie_grey.

  If you want to get an automatic email when Jamie’s next book is released, sign up here. Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

  Coming Soon

  from author

  Leigh Ann Kopans

  The exciting sequel to ONE

  Elias and Merrin are on the run.

  ONE

  The first time I ever leave home, I’m escaping it, flying away at supersonic speed with the girl I love. Soot coats my jeans from the explosion she just caused in the Biotech Hub’s lab. Her hair whips against my face, and my arms hug her to me so hard they overlap and my fingers dig into her ribs.

  I’ve never been more terrified in my entire life.

  I squeeze my eyes shut and clamp my lips together to keep my whole face from flapping in the wind like a Basset Hound with its head stuck out the car window. Merrin’s cheeks press against the space under my jaw in a grin, and I know she’s delighted at the same time I know she doesn’t want me to see her smile — doesn’t want me to know how happy she is.

  Because she knows I’m not.

  Not that I could see her expression, even if I wanted to — we may have gotten a transfer of indestructability, but it’s still damn uncomfortable to feel the air tearing at my face. The wind whips past us so hard and fast that, after a few minutes, my arms start to tremble and ache for holding onto her so tightly. Because no matter what else happens, my biggest fear now is losing her again.

  We speed over cornfields and dirt roads, pass the wind turbines that turn lazily in the morning light, the same as always. I remember the pictures of home and try to burn them into my brain, preserve the still memories even with everything blurring around me. Especially since I don’t want to ever, ever go back.

  As my fingers dig into her back, a strange, fuzzy feeling builds up around them, and her skin feels warmer where my arms meet her body.

  “Mer!” I yell in her ear so she can hear me over the roar of the wind. “Our clothes! They’re not indestructible like we are!”

  Her chest shakes with laughter, but she nods her forehead against my collarbone and we slow, landing on frozen ground with sparse, tall grass.

  “That was fun,” she says, smoothing what’s left of her shirt down and inspecting her shoes.

  Laughter bubbles out of her throat, and I try to mirror her happiness in my own expression but it doesn’t work. I know that going supersonic was everything she ever wanted, and I should be excited for her. For us. But I can’t get the image of my sisters — skeletally thin, bald, and hooked up to tubing in a tank of green goop — out of my mind. Julian Fisk, the president of the Supers’ Biotech Hub back home, the one institution our parents taught us to trust with our lives, did that to them. I’d hooked my glasses onto my shirt, and putting them back on feels like stepping into my old self. I lace my fingers together and cup the top of my head with them, staring at the ground and letting out a huge sigh. A little bit of a growl sneaks out.

  Merrin’s face falls, and she steps into me, wrapping her arms around my waist and pressing a kiss to my chest.

  And that’s when I know it’s going to be okay. One way or another. Merrin only ever wants to fly, but she doesn’t know just how much it means to me when she anchors me to the ground.

  “So, obviously, the next order of business is getting ourselves superhero suits,” Merrin says, her voice muffled in my shirt. “Because we’re gonna want to do that again.” There’s something anxious and excited behind her words, like an engine revving.

  I laugh. “I suppose so.” I glance down at my arm, where the tough nylon band of my cuff has started to shred. Out of habit, I tap on the screen to wake it up, but nothing happens. A long crack radiates across its surface, and debris has scraped across it so that it’s rough to the touch. I guess the high speed completely destroyed the insides.

  I hold my arm up, showing it to Merrin. “I guess this is why no one’s figured out exactly where we are. Is yours dead too?” I ask. When she glances down and taps at her own mangled cuff, and it doesn’t light up either, I know it is.

  We’re standing in the middle of another cold, grassy plain, and I finally give in to the trembling in my limbs and sink down to the ground, stretching my legs out straight in front of me.

  “At least we had my bag between us,” she says. “At least the formulas are safe.”

  “Oh. Good point,” I reply, trying to pretend to be excited that the bag holding the vials full of DNA-altering substances tailored to Merrin’s genetic makeup is still intact. If I’d had my way, all those formulas would have been destroyed forever when we left the Hub.

  “I hardly noticed the clothes, you were holding onto me so tight,” Merrin says “I won’t fall, you know. When you’re close to me, I can fly on my own. Remember?”

  I eke out a nervous laugh. No matter how well my brain knows that fact, remembers the moment when Merrin first took off on her own back in Nebraska, I can’t shake the feeling that, at any moment, she could plummet to the earth. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to chase it away.

  “Hey, you okay?” Merrin sits down next to me. Her clothing has worn away to threadbare where her body was exposed to the air. My eye catches the curv
e of her nearly-bare hip, and I have to clear my throat and look away.

  “Same as before. Still in some pain.” I don’t mention the panic starting to run circles around my brain at not knowing where my sisters are or how they’re doing. Merrin’s the only person I can trust, and I want to confide in her but I don’t. Part of me still wants to protect her, and part of me doesn’t want to ruin her happiness at flying like that. Not until I have to.

  I look at her and see her arms trembling, too. Not the fits-and-starts shiver that would mean she was cold, but the same full-limb rumbling she had after we first flew together. “You?”

  “Other than scared shitless, I’m fine.” Her smile is tight.

  She’s lying. I know she’s not fine, but she’s well enough to talk to me — at least for now — so I don’t press it.

  “Where are we gonna go?” she asks, her eyes wide and fixed on mine. When it comes to flying, she’s brave and alive. Now that we’re on the ground, the reality of the events at the Biotech Hub must be hitting her again.

  I scoot over until my body is flush with hers, wrap my arm around her shoulders, and hug her until she turns into my body. I speak against her hair, inhaling the sweet smell of her. “The Social Welfare Hub is closest. I know how to get there, and I know how to get in.”

  She pulls back to look at me, takes a deep breath. “You really were getting ready to leave town, weren’t you?”

  I nod, squeezing her hand, because I hear what she’s not saying. When Merrin told me Mr. Hoffman, her organic chemistry teacher and an undercover Hub official, had taken her blood for testing, I’d known we didn’t have a lot of time left to escape before the Hub’s tests turned deadly. I’d packed the trunk of my car with cash and supplies to last us weeks, planned three separate locations for escape, figured out how we could arrive safely. The only reason I didn’t leave before everything got really bad was because Merrin protested.