by Amy Braun
“There are a lot of things I should be doing, Firecracker,” he replied seductively, letting his fingers drift higher. A shiver of pleasure rolled through me. “Resting isn’t one of them."
I laughed softly, falling deeper into the warmth of his eyes. Part of me broke when I thought I would never see that shade again. I don’t know if I would have recovered from that loss.
“Claire.”
Sawyer’s whisper broke through my dark thoughts.
“Stop worrying. Everything is fine.”
“I know,” I told him.
And it was, for the most part. All the surviving Hellions were gone, their connection to the Vesper severed irrevocably. Once Westraven and the rest of Aon realized that, the riots would start. The marauders would leap to create their own empires, building them on terror and bloodshed. There would be fires and butchery. We would be trading one war for another.
“You’re still worrying,” Sawyer reminded, half teasing.
I sighed, then gently lay down beside him. I rested my head on his uninjured shoulder. The other one was stitched together, and it would scar when it healed over. The wounds on his chest and stomach would do the same.
“I can’t help it,” I murmured, breathing deeply to inhale his warm, cedar smell. “When all this is over, the Spire destroyed and the Breach closed, what are we going to do?”
Sawyer’s fingers threaded through my hair, relaxing me against my will. Not that I had any plans to fight him.
“That’s the beauty of it, Firecracker.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “When this is over, we won’t have to do anything at all.”
Epilogue
Claire
Six months later…
“Who wants to do the honors?” Sawyer asked. The teasing glint in his golden eyes gave away his desire.
Gemma crossed her arms and leaned against Nash. “You already had your turn with Claire,” she argued. “Let someone else blow something up for a change.”
Sawyer raised an eyebrow. “But see, we did it together. Not the same as blowing something up alone.” He gave me a harmless smile. “Sorry, Firecracker.”
I shrugged. I was still replaying the scene from hours ago, now that we were safe on the other side of the Breach.
It took five and a half months for our engineering team to build another Palisade. Making the bombs large enough to surround and plant in the Dark Spire took another half month. I spent a lot of time with my mother during the last half year. We worked closely, learned from each other. She taught me more complex wiring systems, and I showed her some improvised tricks I taught myself over the years.
The strain between us remained, but it was healing. I enjoyed my time with my mother, especially when Abby snuck in to watch us. It felt like we were a family again.
When it came time to detonate the bombs inside and around the Dark Spire, Sawyer and I decided to press the detonation button together. We had a lot of ghosts to bury in that place.
I’d felt a sense of peace when the tower imploded in on itself. A calm I only felt when I was building something. I basked in it, satisfied that the Dark Spire was little more than a pile of broken glass now. The storm-maker was destroyed with it, giving us clear passage through the Breach.
Our final task was to use the Palisade to reverse the flow of energy in the Breach, essentially shocking it closed.
The only question now was who would push the button and seal Hellnore and its nightmares away from us.
I looked at my mother, who stood close to Beck. She gave me a weak smile and shook her head. “I’ve already closed that chapter of my life,” she said.
Beck put his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. She leaned into him contently.
I looked at Sawyer, who continued to provoke Gemma with his eyes. Nash had one of his hands on her shoulder, ready to pull his lover back if she tried to barrel over Sawyer to the Palisade. If he kept teasing her, she would.
“Can I do it?”
We all turned and looked for the small voice.
Abby shifted on her feet, uncomfortable with all the people suddenly staring at her. I pried myself from Sawyer’s arms and crossed the Dauntless’ deck to my little sister. I knelt until I was eye level with her.
“Of course you can, Abby,” I said with a smile. “I can’t think of anyone better.”
And I couldn’t. Abby had never known a world without Hellions in it. She’d never really been free. All of her nightmares came from that patch of blackness in the sky. It would be suiting that she would be the one to close it.
I took Abby’s hand and led her toward the Palisade. I showed her which buttons to press, explained its operation in layman’s terms, and promised to stay beside her the whole time. Our mother came to stand on the other side of Abby, across from me. She smiled and ran her hand down the back of Abby’s golden curls, giving her little girl a knowing, proud smile. My little sister beamed. She was simply happy to have a mother in her life for once.
Abby pulled the lever for the Palisade down. The generator on the deck hummed and churned with power. Lightning sparked in the glass tubes, channeling into the filaments and growing until the charge could no longer be contained.
Then it erupted into a powerful shock of light.
Abby jumped and grabbed my hand, squeezing tightly. I put my arm around her and held her to close. I was calm, knowing that she was safe.
The beam of lightning shot into the Breach. Blue bolts danced through the dark clouds, twisting them while the main stream spread across the open tunnel. They rippled over the sky in a riot of color and light.
I watched the edges of the Breach fold and close in on themselves, the darkness fading into the subtle grey light that I knew so well.
After twenty minutes, it was over. Black clouds churned away from the aftermath of the powerful bolt, but there was no gaping wound in the sky. No menacing chasm that led to another dimension, no scar to ever prove it existed.
Nothing in its place, except…
“Blue,” I whispered.
Beyond the fading black clouds, breaking through the hazy shade that surrounded Aon, was a steak of brilliant azure. Clean and spotless of any fog, the color slowly began to fill the void where the Breach had been.
Someone gasped. Another choked on tears. I was fairly sure that Gemma and Nash were kissing each other as my mother and Beck hugged one another.
“Claire?” Abby asked, tugging on my hand when I didn’t look at her. Confusion spread across her face. “What is that?”
Tears pricked my eyes. My baby sister had never seen a blue sky before. One I hadn’t seen in ten years. I blinked away the tears and smiled at her.
“It’s a blue sky, Abby. That’s the color the sky is supposed to be.”
Her green eyes widened, and she looked at the streak of blue stretching across the horizon. “The whole sky looks like that?” she marveled.
A gentle hand touched the small of my back. I leaned into a warm, comforting chest. A strong heart beat with love for me. My own swelled. I couldn’t hold back my smile.
“It sure does, Stargazer,” Sawyer said from behind me. “As soon as the clouds clear, I’ll show it to you.”
I rested the back of my head against his shoulder. Sawyer kissed my temple. Abby squeezed my hand with excitement.
I stared ahead with a smile, seeing that crystal clear blue stretch continue to grow.
Wondering how long it would take to explore every inch of it, and hoping that adventure was one that would never end.
THE END
About The Author
Amy is a Canadian urban fantasy and horror author. Her work revolves around monsters, magic, mythology, and mayhem. She started writing in her early teens, and never stopped. She loves building unique worlds filled with fun characters and intense action. She has been featured on various author blogs and publishing websites, and is an active member of the Writing GIAM and Weekend Writing Warrior communities. When she isn’t writin
g, she’s reading, watching movies, struggling with chocoholism and ice cream addiction, and causing chaos in Dungeons & Dragons games.
Website: amybraunauthor.com
Twitter: @amybraunauthor
Instagram: @amybraunauthor
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amybraunauthor
Praise for Amy Braun
OBSIDIAN SKY
“Amy Braun has brought an explosive and fitting end to her Dark Sky series. I loved this ending, and though I'm sad to see it go, I will always be rooting for my favorite buccaneers of the skies.” – Sarai Henderson, author of Hunter, Talon Saga Book #1
MIDNIGHT SKY
“Amy Braun is a story teller of the highest degree... She writes a face paced, action packed story with a lot of emotion and heart. If you want to delve into a world that is post apocalyptic steampunk, jump on in.” – Nell, One Book Two
CRIMSON SKY
“There are so many twists in Crimson Sky, you will be hooked immediately. Though this is an excellent stand-alone book; I see a great start to an action packed series. I would highly recommend this to any reader, regardless of genre preference.” – Boundless Book Reviews
SMOKE SKY
“Ms. Braun has an awesome way of pulling you into the story…” – Loves Great Reads Blog
AMBER SKY
“Like all of Braun's books, Amber Sky is nonstop action adventure… Braun's descriptions are so vivid, I sometimes felt like I was there.” – Christina Ochs, author of The Desolate Empire series
DAMNATION’S DOOR
“I enjoy Braun’s writing. It is fast-paced but not frenetic. She provides enough description to provide an almost immersive reading experience. The characters are solid and all provide something to the story. There are no wasted words.” – Quesarasera Book Blog
DARK DIVINITY
“In Dark Divinity, Braun creates a magical world with magnificently beautiful and terrifying characters. The reader is easily able to use their own imagination and can be instantly transported into the world of angels and demons. Once again, another stunner from Amy Braun!” – The Blonde Bookworm
DEMON’S DAUGHTER
“I’d say the Cursed series is going to be one to watch for any urban fantasy fan.” – Ivana, One Book Two
STORM BORN
“Riveting, moving and absolutely shocking in its intensity, Storm Born is a young adult fantasy that should not be missed.” – Tome Tender Book Blog
PATH OF THE HORSEMAN
“This woman is officially an auto-buy author for me!” – The Bookish Crypt
Wanted by law enforcement. Chased by drug cartels. Hunted by demons...
Constance Ramirez has more than her share of problems when it comes to protecting her adopted sister, Andromeda. Especially since Andromeda isn’t fully human, and her strange powers are dangerous and out of control.
But Constance will do anything to keep her safe, which won’t be easy with bounty hunters hired by the drug cartel she betrayed looking to capture her, and savage monsters seeking to take Andromeda for their own dark purposes.
Being a big sister has never been so hard... Or so deadly.
Chapter 1
It wasn’t the memory that woke me. I have a nasty habit of constantly waking up with one hand under my pillow, grasping the hilt of my hatchet like the lifeline it is, coated in sweat and feeling as tense as a wire.
It was the smell of smoke from the burning bed next to me. The one my sister was currently screaming in.
I shot out of the bed like a bullet from a gun, getting as far away from the white flames as I could. Despite the horrible screams she was making, I knew Dro wasn’t being hurt. At least, that was what she always told me.
Our bags were by the motel door, ready as usual. I only had the clothes on my back, so I didn’t have to change. I grabbed my knives from the table, holstering them on either side of my ribs, and then threw my black military jacket– my lucky jacket– over my shoulders. I hooked my hatchet to my belt, shoved on my boots, and glanced at the bed where Dro was still screaming.
The fire had moved from the bed to the walls, to the curtains, and then to the ceiling. The cheap, peeling wallpaper blackened and rained down around her, like black snow in a whiteout.
Dro suddenly stopped screaming. The nightmare was over. She realized what was happening around her, and that it was time to leave. I was already waiting by the door with her bag and mine in hand. She jumped off her burning bed, completely unharmed by the fire. It had sloughed off her like a second skin.
It never got easier seeing her burning like that again, but when you’re about to be smothered in what literally feels like ten thousand degrees, there are only two things that should cross your mind: Get out, and get out now.
Dro threw on her jacket and boots while I yanked open the door and took off down the hall. She would be right behind me. She always was. She knew the drill.
The rest of the motel residents were screaming and shouting for help into cell phones as the fire moved from room to room. I swerved around them as much as I could, but some I had to shove out of the way. Not very nice of me, but they didn’t know what caused the fire. I did. Getting caught wasn’t an option.
At the bottom of the second story, I could see the motel owner. He was roaring in outrage and panic. He was probably going to blame us for what happened to his place once the hysteria was over, seeing as we’d shown up covered in dirt and blood, demanding a room with no questions asked. Not that I was going to admit the fire had started in our room. It wasn’t like we planned it.
We raced across the street, the motel now practically glowing with brightly burning red flames now that Dro’s power had shut down. It would only last as long as she was conscious and in control of it, which happened about five times out of ten. There was no safe way to predict when Dro would be in control, and when she would simply lose herself.
It would take firefighters hours to put out the blaze, and even longer to figure out the cause. Not that they’d come to the proper conclusion, because cases of teenage girls spontaneously combusting weren’t normal.
But on the other hand, my sister had never been normal.
Even if they had a psychic on hand to see the truth and make them believe it, it wouldn’t matter. We would be long gone by then.
I ducked into a narrow alley behind a cheap, “genuine” Southern-style diner. It smelled like grease and stale French fries, but it was better than smelling something burning. Or sulfur.
I pressed my back to the wall, steadying my racing heart. I looked up at my sister, who was almost ready to cry. Her breath came in shuddering gasps, her arms wrapped around her pale body.
A dull sadness pulled at my heartstrings. I hated seeing Dro this way. She was blaming herself for what happened. A thing she hadn’t been able to control, that she had been born with.
“Are you okay, Dro?” I said in a rush.
She was looking down, gripping her elbows tightly and bent over like a hunchback instead of a sixteen year old girl.
As sisters went, Dro and I couldn’t look less alike. She was still a growing young woman, but she was becoming increasingly beautiful with each passing day. She was taller now and her perfect skin, once chubby from childhood, had stretched over her bones and turned into supple, womanly curves. Her hair continued to grow long in shining, white ripples down her back that for some reason wouldn’t hold any hair dye we tried to use. Her lips were full and perfectly shaped, her cheekbones high and noble on her heart shaped face. Her eyes continued to glow an icy blue, piercing and striking against her snowy, angelic appearance.
I was taller than Dro, my skin a brownish gold. I was more of the athletic body type, my curves smaller and not worthy of a sculpture the way Dro’s were. My black hair had been cut close to just under my chin because I hated when it got in my way during fights. My lips were thinner and my face longer. My eyes were the same chocolate color our father’s had been. What I lacked in beauty, I ma
de up in strength. My muscles were refined and powerful, my stomach and legs taut.