Stephanie came up and gave Sally a hug. “You okay?”
Sally nodded, pushing her hair behind her ear. “What’s going on?”
“More stuff with Van der Haak,” Jake explained. “The movement appears to be gaining traction. After the fire, they got so much attention for the work they did with the people affected that the group appears to be spreading around the country. More and more people are joining, saying they were inspired by the work they did.” Jake had a hand on his chin, examining the information coming in through TESSA.
“Not only that,” Yasif pointed out. “But we’re getting reports of small groups forming in communities that are banding together to create community ‘safe-havens,’ as they’re calling them.”
“It looks like the groups were an idea of Van der Haak to create safe places people could go in times of need for help,” Jake explained.
“I don’t get it. Why is he creating these groups?” Sally asked.
“Attracting new members would be my guess,” Lani answered. “People are drawn to a cause.”
“So, he’s what? Building a cult?”
“Possibly,” Lani said.
It didn’t make sense. They needed more to go on. “What about the book?”
“Already on it,” Yasif answered.
They followed him into the training room where a jackhammer lay on the floor beside a square hole in the concrete. Next to it lay an open metal box. The book was inside.
“You’re going to bury it?” Sally asked.
“What else can we do with it?” Yasif replied. “Idric can’t use it until he’s sixteen, and as far as we know, the shape-shifters have no idea about this place. We decided to bury it until we can use it. Then maybe we can find out what all this is about.”
“Or find a way to fight these things,” Lani added.
Sally watched as they mixed up a batch of concrete. Idric closed the metal box and sealed it with a spell before lowering it into the opening as though it were a deceased loved one. They filled the hole and smoothed out the top.
Yasif pointed. “Now don’t anyone go stepping on that until it’s dry.”
Sally placed a hand on her forehead. “What about the shape-shifters? Any news?”
Jake led them back into the control room and pulled up a few images from the school. “Mrs. Padilla’s gone, apparently. They’re saying she had a heart attack. They’ve brought in a new principal, a Mrs. Yatterly.”
“Principal?”
Jake shrugged.
“It seems they’re reorganizing a few things,” Yasif answered. “But that’s not the worst of it.”
Sally raised an eyebrow.
“Mrs. Conley is back,” Idric said. “She arrived yesterday. Word is Conley has been in the hospital from an injury.”
Sally smirked. “Yeah, one I gave her.”
Yasif chuckled.
“Oh, and they’ve started up a safe-haven group at the school,” Idric added.
Sally glanced up, shaking her head. “Seems like he’s got his fingers into everything. So if there’s a new headmistress—principal, or whatever—were we able to kill the bear-creature?”
“No way to know for certain,” Lani said. “But that’s a possibility. I’m keeping an eye on things at the station to see if anything suspicious comes through.”
“Is Conley going to be a problem?” Sally asked.
“I don’t think so,” Jake stated. “She knows we’ve got the footage from the gym. If she gives us any trouble, we can air it.”
“Why would they care?” Idric asked.
“The whole point of using shape-shifters is to hide,” Sally explained. “Whatever they’re up to, they don’t want it common knowledge. We air that tape, it’ll blow up on the Internet.”
“Speaking of blowing things up,” Lani interrupted. “The whole incident at the school is being blamed on a faulty gas pipe.”
Sally regarded her. “You’re joking.”
Lani shook her head. “Yatterly’s getting things cleaned up in a hurry.”
“She’s not one of them, is she?” Sally asked.
Idric shook his head. “I don’t think so. I was there when she arrived. I didn’t sense anything strange about her, not like I do when Conley’s around.”
It sounded as if the kid’s abilities were getting stronger. Sally leaned against a wall, closing her eyes, easing a sigh of exhaustion. “Well, at least we only need to make it to graduation.”
Yasif glanced at her, then looked away slowly.
“Yaz? What is it?”
He winced, holding out a letter. “It was taped to my door.”
Sally read it, her heart sinking with each passing word.
We regret to inform you that due to excessive absences, you are hereby no longer eligible to graduate pursuant to Georgia state state law HB 1190.
Sally felt her knees go weak. “Is this for real?”
Yasif nodded.
All her hopes and dreams were gone. Her acceptance to Northwestern would be rescinded and she’d have to spend another year at Hidden Lake.
Just when she thought things couldn’t get worse, Jake spoke. “I’m afraid there’s more.”
She wasn’t sure she could take any more bad news.
“TESSA is getting strange news reports from all over. This stuff is weird, but TESSA thinks there’s a connection.”
Sally motioned impatiently for him to continue.
Jake hesitated. “There’s a rash of kudzu in North Georgia killing crops, reports of vampires in Phoenix, and something about faceless people in Chicago.”
Sally laughed. “You’re trying to make me feel better, aren’t you?”
It took only a moment to realize he wasn’t.
“You can’t be serious. These are a bunch of hoaxes.”
“TESSA seems to think they’re all related to what’s happened here.” Jake looked uneasy as if afraid to tell her any more bad news.
Sally tried to hide her frustration. “And you think TESSA is right?”
Jake nodded, albeit uneasily. “Her program is chewing through mountains of data faster than I could’ve ever imagined. She’s making connections based on what she’s found. Whatever Daniel programmed her to do, she’s doing it well. The only way to know for sure if she’s right is to investigate what she’s found.”
Sally eyed him, one hand on her hip. She was far too tired to argue. “Fine, but we all need rest before we do anything.”
She made her way into what they’d come to know as the living room. In the corner she noticed a cage, the strange creature that had saved them sleeping inside.
Sally approached, staring at the thing. It was the first time she’d gotten a good look at it.
Yasif appeared behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“So we’re keeping it then?”
Yasif gave her shoulder a squeeze. “It saved our lives.”
Sally squinted. “What is it?”
Yasif shrugged.
Sally turned to him, drawing him close to her. “What have we gotten ourselves into?”
“I don’t know, but we’re going to find a way to get ourselves out.”
Sally pushed away and turned from him. “I’m not so sure. I have a feeling this thing is even bigger than we realize.”
“Don’t doubt yourself now.”
“It’s not me I doubt. If any of this is connected to Billy and the others, and there’s every reason to think it is, I think we’re in way over our heads. I mean, how are we supposed to continue investigating with Mrs. Conley watching at every turn? And let’s not even talk about Van der Haak. You saw what he can do. How can we fight against something that powerful? I don’t even know what it was that stopped him.”
Yasif looked at her with a puzzled expression. “You don’t?”
Sally shook her head.
“When he attacked, the blast hit some sort of shield wall. I’d assumed it was Idric, but he thinks it was more than that. When we stood against
him, we created some sort of convergence that amplified his power. We repelled Van der Haak without even trying.”
Sally wished she shared his optimism. “Idric thinks that’s what happened?”
Yasif nodded.
“But he’s not sure?”
Yasif dropped an eyebrow.
It wasn’t like her to feel this way, but she couldn’t seem to shake off this feeling of impending doom. “Still, what have we accomplished? It sure doesn’t feel like a victory.”
“We stopped Van der Haak.”
“Stopped him from what? He got away! And if it weren’t for this thing, we’d all be dead, and we still don’t even know what this thing is.”
Yasif waited for her to look at him. “We faced him. We survived. Isn’t that enough?”
She shrugged, looking away.
“Look at it this way. This creature saved us. It’s here for a reason. Either someone sent it, or it chose to save us on its own, but it gave us the chance to stand against Van der Haak. We’re alive to fight him another day.”
Sally looked at the small animal, considering Yasif’s words. He had a point. It was reasonable to think the creature saved them for a purpose. She just wished she knew what it was.
A couple hours later, they decided it was time to return to the school. She dreaded going back. Feelings that were reinforced when she, Idric, and Yasif stepped through the portal.
Things had changed.
Extra guards patrolled the halls, students wore badges, and there were subtle, more conservative differences in their outfits. There were also fewer smiles, more nervous glances, and people didn’t seem interested in chatting between classes. The Hi-Li screens spewed forth reminders about expected behavior and schedules for upcoming safe-haven meetings.
Her session with Yatterly went as expected. The new principal was much different than Mrs. Padilla and offered not a bit of sympathy for Sally’s situation.
“You brought this on yourself,” she’d said. If Sally wanted any chance at college, she’d repeat her senior year.
Her saving grace came in the form of Mrs. Conley when she showed up for math.
As Sally sat in her chair and looked up, there was something strange in the woman’s expression. For the briefest of moments, her eyes went red, betraying the creature that lurked inside. Sally expected Conley to be condescending, to look upon her with the arrogance of someone who’d won the day.
Instead, Sally saw something else. Something that made her sit straighter. As Mrs. Conley passed out papers, she avoided Sally’s gaze, but when their gazes finally met, Sally knew things hadn’t gone as planned.
For the first time since the incident with Van der Haak, Sally felt a glimmer of hope, for in the eyes of her most loathed enemy, she saw the thing she’d least expected.
Fear.
COMING SOON
SALLY SINGLETARY’S DISCOVERY
The disappearance of three fellow students and a teacher sparked Sally Singletary’s Curiosity and led to an investigation that changed her life forever. Now she must face her true challenge in this exciting sequel.
The shape-shifters are on the move, and their leader, James Van der Haak, is amassing support. With no leads, however, Sally must connect two strange and seemingly unrelated events: an unstoppable man-eating kudzu infestation in Georgia and bizarre reports of vampires in Phoenix. In an investigation that will require more than a bit of magic and quick thinking, Sally will face her inner turmoil. Can she survive long enough to uncover the true nature of Van der Haak’s insidious plan? Find out in this fast-paced, genre-bending thrill ride as the team races to unravel the mystery of Sally Singletary’s Discovery.
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT BILLY’S STORY?
ELEMENTS OF EAA: TEARS OF DESTINY
Sixteen year-old Billy Martin is not crazy. Regardless of what everyone says, his twin sister is real and not a figment of his imagination. Sarah was taken when their parents were killed in a tragic car accident, and Billy is determined to prove his sanity. He is left with only a few vague clues: a mysterious pendant, a pair of hands, and a cloaked figure in the rain. When the strange jewel whisks Billy away to another world, he must piece together the clues to his sister’s whereabouts and uncover a plot that threatens to unravel the fabric of reality itself. Billy must face an impossible choice between saving his sister, or saving billions of innocent creatures. Can he stop events set in motion eons ago? His only hope: Master the pendant and control the Elements of Eaa.
ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR
SNATCHED
Jimmy Figg is ‘snatched’ by a group of hideous creatures from space. Ironically, the thing that has always made him a thorn in his teachers’ side and an outcast among his peers has given him a unique advantage. He can control their technology and plans to use it against them. Can Jimmy use his ability to find out the truth behind his abduction, or will his captors succeed in their insidious plan?
MORE GREAT READS FROM BOOKTROPE
Forecast by Elise Stephens (Young Adult, Fantasy) When teenager Calvin finds a portal that will grant him the power of prophecy, he must battle the legacies of the past and the shadows of the future to protect what is most important: his family.
A Kingdom's Possession by Nicole Persun (Young Adult Fantasy) A slave girl inhabited by a Goddess, loved by a Prince, hunted by a King. The beginning of an epic saga.
Prince Charming by Sara Celi (Young Adult Fantasy) A modern twist on a classic fairytale, YA novel Prince Charming tells the story of Geoff Miller, an unlikely hero who finds love in the last few months of high school.
Omni by Andrea Murray (Young Adult - Dystopian) Seventeen-year-old Pierce is a Drudge, the lowest social stratum in the Omni society. For over two years, he’s hoped—prayed—that his upcoming aptitude test will finally free him from his virtual slavery.
Charis: Journey to Pandora's Jar by Nicole Walters (Young Adult - Fantasy) Thirteen-year-old Charis Parks has five days to face her fears against the darker forces of Hades and reverse the curse of Pandora’s Jar to save mankind.
Discover more books and learn about our
new approach to publishing at booktrope.com.
Table of Contents
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT PAGE
DEDICATION
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
CHAPTER FIFTY
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
CHAPTER SIXTY
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
COMING SOON
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT BILLY’S STORY?
ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR
MORE GREAT READS FROM BOOKTROPE
Sally Singletary's Curiosity (The Sally Singletary Book 1) Page 26