“Get on,” Mark calls. The Ball jiggles as he leans out of his harness inside. “Trig made me fasten in…just in case…and it’s chaffing.”
Nok bobbles toward it on awkward, probably fake legs, and climbs inside. The Ball shakes as he fastens in. Garrett is moving blocks away from the Ball, as if he’s already rehearsed the launch routine with Trig.
“We’re leaving on that?” Teagan gapes at the Ball. “How’s Miki going to ride in that? How’s any of us going to ride on that?”
“I made a special harness, just for you and the baby,” Trig says. “It’s right on the front of yours, so you can hang onto her the whole time.”
But Teagan backs away. Her face clouds with suspicion. “I’m not getting in that thing! You’re trying to kill us! You’ll get us in there and explode it!”
Trig cuts her off with a growl. “I’m trying to save you and Sean’s baby, you got that? And it’s time for y’all to go!”
Teagan’s face registers the shock as he turns away. She’s listening like I am as Trig chants softly to himself, “You’ll be safe. All I’ve got to do is hit the blue button on the wall. That’s all I gotta do.”
Blue button. I can see it, even in the shadows, a dull blue button on a panel of bright, rainbow colored buttons. Teagan glances at it too. The blue one is tucked up in the corner, with a label over the face of it. Three letters. DIE. Because no one from The Fury would ever touch a button that might end their own life. Beneath the blue button, there is a variety of green, yellow and red buttons all over the panel. I squint, focus. The buttons say things like, Yes, This One, Out, In, Escape, Gas, Engines. And I’d bet that none of those buttons do anything at all. Anyone trying to launch the Ball could be monkeying around for quite a while, trying to figure out which green button actually launches it.
And then the letters start zooming up off the control panel, one after another, exploding in front of my face.
G-pop-O-pop-G-pop-O-pop-G-pop-O-pop
“We’ve got to go!” I say, but it’s too late. The glass crunches behind us. A man steps out from the shadows, the redheaded guard with the lip that won’t close. His gun is pointed right at us and he’s got a hand-held, two-way radio in his hand.
He brings it up to his thin, pink lips and barks into it, “TRAITORS IN THE GARAGE! TRAITORS ARE IN THE GARAGE!”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Trig scoops up a handful of glass and fires it at the redhead. The guard ducks away.
The hall door that leads to the garage shakes as The Fury on the other side try to knock it down.
Teagan screams.
Garrett has one hand on me and one on Teagan, yanking us toward the ball. I tear my arm away.
“We have to protect Milo!” I shout.
Turning, I focus and zoom in on the redhead’s finger on the trigger. I am so focused on it, I can almost trace the bullet as it rips from the gun. I hear the air move as the bullet sears it, racing past me, missing me.
Striking Milo. All of a sudden, I’m hit with the surging need to protect him. Wounded, Milo isn’t projecting his energy away anymore. And it’s going to bring The Fury on us even faster.
Trig lunges at the guard.
Garrett and I pull apart. He points to Teagan.
“Get her and the baby on the Ball and I’ll get Milo. I can carry him if I have to.”
I just nod. I grab Teagan’s arm and drag her toward the Ball.
“I’m not leaving Sean behind!” she screams.
“That’s not Sean, it’s Garrett!” I shout back.
The door to the garage buckles. One more strike and they’ll have it.
“We’ve got to go!” I scream at her. She’s wriggling in my grasp and Grace begins to cry.
Garrett’s already got Milo slung over his shoulder. He’s stumbling through the glass field to the Ball.
“See, he’s coming! Let’s go!” I shout.
The crack of the gun hurts my ears. Teagan’s shriek hurts them even worse. My body reacts as Teagan stumbles and loses her grip on Grace. I dive and grab the baby before she falls in the glass with her mother. The wound in Teagan’s side is gaping. The blood is pouring out. Teagan’s hand finds the wound and then she holds her fingers up to her face to see the blood. She looks dazed as she gets to her feet, less like she’s hurt and more like she’s trapped in a walking nightmare.
“Take my baby,” she tells me. Her face is already white as milk. “Get her out of here.”
I know there’s no options.
“I’ll keep her safe,” I say.
“Yes.” Teagan says as she turns away. “Keep her safe. I’m going to hit the blue button.”
Before I can say anything else, Teagan’s stumbling in the direction of the control panel.
“Teagan! Get in a harness!” Garrett shouts, but Teagan churns past him and with Milo on his shoulders, he can’t stop her. I hold Grace close, her green eyes wide, but her tiny mouth closed. She looks up at me and blinks once, as if she believes in me. As if she knows I’ll keep her alive. Safe.
I will not let her down.
Garrett hauls Milo into the Ball. The redhead is lying at Trig’s feet as Teagan stumbles past him. He shouts for her to turn around, to get in the Ball. Teagan shakes her head. I focus and hear her. She tells him she’s going to save her baby. She is going to press the blue button.
“Trig, come on! She’s got it!” I shout, just as the hall door to the garage bursts open. The Fury pours in. Teagan steps into the shadows as I pull myself into the Ball, with Grace cradled to my chest. Milo is strapped in already and I take the special-made harness beside him, fastening Grace to me, as Garrett secures himself in the harness beside Milo. I cinch my last buckle as Trig hops in. His fingers are shaking as he belts himself into the remaining harness, the one meant for Teagan.
I hear the roaring crunch of footsteps stomping over glass.
I hear the collective shouting from The Fury.
There’s no way of knowing if Teagan will even make it. If she will even be able to push the right button.
A gunshot cracks the air in half and Trig groans, gripping his leg.
I chant in my head, Please let Teagan get there. I’m sorry, but please let her press the button.
And then the white-hot force hits me and my ears pop with the tremendous roar of the Ball. My arms around Grace, my head ducked low to protect her face, every one of my muscles strains to hang on as we are fired up the ramp.
The cement walls on both sides of the ramp break apart with a tremendous crack. For a split second, I think I can even see the spirits that were caught in the Jamb. There is a tremendous white cloud that explodes after we’ve cleared the structure, it races up along beside us. I glance outside the Ball and against the twilight, I see a face I know better than my own.
The one that was over my crib.
The one that kissed my forehead and wished me sweet dreams.
The one who had the most beautiful crease in the middle of her forehead when she was worried about me.
My mother’s face rushes by me in a beautiful, smiling cloud that seems to light up the night. She is followed by the ancient, kindly face of my grandfather, that I only knew from pictures. Last, my father’s face comes looping by, like a happy comet, spiraling along and flashing me a smile and a wink, as my mother rejoins him. Then the three clouds of my family join together and become one before they zoom away.
And then there’s Teagan’s face, her hair swirling around her, as she zips by with her smile wide and eyes full. She blows a kiss to Grace.
Milo mutters beside me, I see you.
A blessing. My family, Teagan included, is finally free.
Grace giggles at the sight of her mother, just as the Ball does a sharp, upward climb and all the clouds disappear. The fresh air takes my breath away as I hold Grace close. One day I’ll tell her about her incredible mother and mine.
For now, my heart spins like a wind vane, powered by her beautiful giggle, even though I can’t
even breath yet. It’s okay. If I don’t breathe, this perfect moment can go on forever, with all of our families blessed and our new families safe. The Ball clears the trees by an even wider margin than Trig had hoped and we zoom up into the clear, open sky.
The world seems endless and we are free.
I catch Garrett’s eyes and I think of a million words and things to mouth to him, but I keep my lips closed and my gaze locked on his as I kiss the top of Grace’s head instead.
And he smiles at me, like he understands every word.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
We drift for hours, but Grace never complains. All the guys, except Nok, try to identify landmarks on the ground, but the cities are too mangled to make reasonable guesses. We drift like another moon over the riots that go on in the dark, screams that we can do nothing about, huge fires that we are shamefully grateful for, as they warm our skin. Nok just watches the ground, still itching his face and every inch of his body that he can reach, but he doesn’t shed his costume.
“I think the bleeding stopped,” Trig reports. His pant leg has dried and stuck to his wound. “How’s yours, Milo?”
“The bleeding stopped, but it hurts every time the air hits it,” Milo says.
“So, every second,” I say with a sympathetic smile and he nods. “Can you project again?”
“Yes,” he says shortly, almost embarrassed. He changes the subject. “She’s a good baby.”
“She is,” I agree. “Maybe her dad will let us tell her all about her brave mom and this crazy ride someday.”
“I bet he’d love that,” Garrett says.
The Hydrohome finally lights up and Trig’s relieved sigh brings me hope. Mark, who hasn’t taken his eyes off the thing, or even blinked since the Ball stabilized in the sky, sighs too.
“The Celare’s got our signal, right?” Mark asks. Garrett cranes his neck, trying to see where we are.
“Looks to be,” Trig says.
“It could be anybody with a Free Ball, you know,” Garrett says. “Like Zane’s nutty Uncle, Bubba.”
Mark groans. “Who cares? He’s still one of ours.”
Trig raises his hands. “It’s a good point. What we need here is a plan, just in case an enemy brings us down. Let’s all agree on a plan to make sure Grace, Nok, and Milo are safe.”
“I don’t think we have to worry about it,” Milo says with a laugh. “I see the Celare.”
Knowing it’s there, it seems like it takes hours to land. My back is sore, my legs feel twitchy from hanging in the harness, but I don’t say anything. Not when Baby Grace has been secured in her harness this whole time, without even a whimper.
When the Ball bumps to a halt and begins to drop, I whisper to Grace, “Feel that? We’re going home, Grace. We’re going home.”
Grace kicks her chubby little legs and squeals. We lower toward the roof of the Celare and even though I try to look down through the bottom of the Ball, it’s hard to see anyone. I finally catch a glimpse of the Procella that I remember from the courtyard Totus, except I can’t see anyone from our Cura there.
And then, the last face.
Van.
Garrett sees him too. So does Trig and Mark and Milo and even Nok. All our hands are on the harness buckles. We’re out of the restraints the second the base bumps down onto the roof.
“Traitor! Van’s a traitor!” Mark screams. But before we can hop out, the Procella are on us. Angus drags me out of the Ball and onto the roof beside him and Rolan has Garrett. Trig doesn’t resist Hyo. Wojtek has Nok and Sisi holds Mark, her hands tight on his upper arms.
Grace begins to wail, still in her harness, and one familiar voice breaks through all the others.
“Where’s my daughter! Give her to me!” Sean steps forward as Kaya takes Grace from the Ball and hands her out to her father. “Where’s my wife?”
None of us can meet Sean’s questioning gaze but Garrett. He shakes his head and drops his eyes. Sean holds Grace closer.
“Let go of me!” Mark struggles against Sisi, but she holds firm.
“I told you they’d say that,” Van says. “They’re the traitors. You said yourself Rolan, you saw Milo take out some of your own in the ambush.”
“You son of a…” Milo snarls, but Van just smiles.
“I won’t let you hurt my community,” Van shouts. “And now they know the truth.”
“That you’re a liar? That you’re the Mastermind?” Milo fires back.
“Me?” Van puts two fingers on his chest with an innocent laugh. “You mean Trig.”
“That’s a damn lie,” Trig snarls.
“Might as well give up on the lie,” Van says. “It’s over. They all know what’s happened.”
Mark kicks to get free. “That you organized The Fury? You’re running The Program? You’re gathering the Cornerstones and trying to find the Core to stop the Reset?”
“The Cornerstones? I have them?” Van sneers. “I’ve been searched, questioned and proven to be loyal. You were the ones who stole our Cornerstone from Addo Larry and snuck away with it!”
“We know that it is true. It was in the toy bear,” Hyo says. “You are innocent if you brought the stone back. Show it to us.”
“Your zombies took it,” Mark snarls at Van and Milo falls silent.
“Just shut up, Mark,” Garrett says. “Don’t tell them anything else.”
“You see?” Van says. “They’ve turned. We need other options for them than just isolation.”
But Kaya shakes her head.
“We’ll do what we agreed to do. Isolate them, until we can learn more.”
“Us?” Mark explodes again. “What about Van? Don’t let him near the Addo!”
“No one gets near Sean,” Kaya says. That is true enough. She even keeps herself between Sean and Van.
“And no one can get to Addo Larry now,” Wojtek says. “He is gone.”
“Gone?” Nok asks.
“Long gone,” Sean says, cuddling Grace close. “Long, long gone.”
I don’t know what that means. Gone as in left or gone as in dead. I don’t want to ask and it doesn’t matter. I don’t think they’d clarify anyway.
“We have to find the Core. The Fury is going after our Veritas!” Mark shouts.
“Please,” I say. “Please listen to him.”
“Sure, we will,” Rolan says. It’s the least convincing words I’ve ever heard a man utter.
“Please…”
“Quiet,” Nok says. I look at him and he nods once. “We get through this.”
Four words. Nok spoke four words to me. Then Grace giggles and I shut my mouth. We all do.
I go quietly then, letting them lead me down into the Hotel. Rolan pushes Garrett forward and his chest knocks into my back. His touch sends an indigo wave through me that melts my fear. Combusts it. They can not disconnect us. I walk down the steps from the roof with my family all around me and Garrett at my back.
THE END
SPECIAL THANKS
Thanks to my husband and kids. Without you I wouldn’t even be me.
Oh my gosh, thank you thank you thank you to my mom, who has the best brainstorming on the face of the Earth. You always have the right questions to ask and the right ears to listen.
My Debbie Ulbrich and my Patti Ulbrich, who shoulda been my sisters, but who kinda are now.
Love to my blogger babes and my awesome author amigos, that constantly help to let others know about my books. I will never be able to thank all of you enough, but I will try to thank some of you here, in no particular order:
Candace, from Candace’s Book Blog; My Tsk Tsk girls, Kathryn Spell Grimes and Shelley Bunnell; my girl, Michelle and her inspiring daughter, Willow, from Novels on the Run; Dani Morales from The Crazy Book Chicks, who helps and helps and helps; Janet Wallace and her gang from the Utopia YA Conference- who blew me away with an invite to their ShaBang (thank you again!); my girl, AM Hargrove (GO TEAM ANNIE!) ; Starla Huchton, my Skypeneesta with the carrots; Heath
er Gunter, who always lends a hand, from Into the Night Reviews; my crazy girl, Kelly Schwertner, who blows the whistles and rings the bells for me; my Mary from Book Nerds Across America; Christy from Christy’s Love of Books and Heather from The Flyleaf Review; Cayce from Fighting Dreamer who rocks the Playlists; Tiffany King and Adam Kunz, who have both become instant, huggable friends; Haley from YAaholics; Mandy Anderson from I Read Indie, who really loves the Indies and works her tail off to help them succeed; and last, but very not least, my Brend (Brent Taylor) who I adore
MORE BOOKS BY MISTY PROVENCHER
The Cornerstone Series
(Young Adult)
Cornerstone
Keystone
Jamb
Contemporary Romance
(New Adult)
Hale Maree
Dark Fantasy
(New Adult)
Mercy, A Gargoyle Story
Jamb (The Cornerstone Series) Page 25