Fate's Surrender (Eternal Sorrows Book 3)

by Sarra Cannon

  “Where will he sleep?” Zoe asked.

  “He’ll keep watch outside the door,” Karmen said with a wink. “Zombies don’t need to sleep.”

  “And you’re sure you’ve got a lock on him?” Noah asked. “It won’t drop if you fall asleep or something?”

  “No, I’ve got him,” Karmen said. “I’ll have the others set up all around the building and I’ll keep the bird in the sky, watching out for any hordes and making sure we don’t have any surprises while we rest.”

  “How are you holding up?” Parrish touched Noah’s hand, and Zoe blushed again.

  Yeah, they were definitely an item now, which made her happy. Her sister had practically swooned over the dude since the day he moved in across the street.

  He was cute, too, but he was a mess. From the looks of it, he’d gotten hurt worse than any of them today.

  “I’m going to go clean up a little bit, and then I think we all need to eat something. It’s been a long day,” he said.

  But before he took off to one of the bedrooms, he crouched down in front of her.

  “Hey,” he said. “Remember me?”

  Zoe laughed and rolled her eyes. “It’s been a while and your face is messed up, but it hasn't been that long,” she said. “We did live across the street from each other all my life.”

  Noah smiled. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’re safe,” he said.

  Zoe threw her arms around him.

  “Thank you for coming with Parrish,” she said. “If there was anyone she’d have wanted at her side, I know it was you.”

  “Well, thanks,” Karmen said. “What about me?”

  Zoe made a face. “I didn’t think you guys liked each other much.”

  Karmen laughed. “No, I guess we didn’t back then, but we’re all in this together now.”

  Parrish introduced her to Crash, and for a while, they all sat around talking and going over everything that happened.

  Even though she had been reunited with her neighbors and her sister, Zoe couldn’t help but feel a little bit like the odd one out in this group, though. Sure, she’d known Parrish, Noah, and Karmen her entire life, but the five of them had apparently known each other for over a thousand years.

  She curled up against the corner of the couch with a blanket, listening to them talk about the island and their plans for tomorrow. Every once in a while, Parrish touched her leg or asked her if she was feeling okay, and Zoe always smiled and nodded.

  But there was something bothering her.

  Something more than just being the only outsider in their guardian group.

  Her arm was itching more and more the past few days, and for some reason, she’d been terrified to look at it. As if some part of her didn’t really want to remember that night back at the hotel.

  She’d been playing her violin, even though she knew it agitated the zombie locked away in the bedroom. She’d done her best to follow her dad’s orders before he’d died, but she wasn’t strong enough to move the heaviest furniture in front of his door.

  After he turned, the lock on his door had seemed to hold him in there good enough.

  Or at least she thought it was enough.

  But then, in a moment of weakness and loneliness so deep, she thought she’d lose her mind, she played her violin.

  A stupid mistake, just like with the curtain earlier. She wasn’t cut out for this survival life the way Parrish was.

  She remembered it now.

  The terror she’d felt when her dad pushed through the door, his eyes glowing red as he sought her out. She’d been afraid he would tear her apart until there was nothing left but a pile of bones.

  Instead, he’d left her with this.

  She peeked around the blanket to make sure no one was watching before she carefully pulled back the sleeve of her shirt, her hand trembling.

  It was just a small bite, really.

  And so far, it didn’t seem to be turning her into one of them. If it was going to turn her into a zombie, it should have happened already, right?

  She was fine. Parrish was here now, and she was going to make sure Zoe was safe from now on. It was all going to be okay.

  “You sure you’re feeling alright?” Parrish asked.

  Zoe quickly slid the sleeve of her shirt over the bite and smiled nervously. What would Parrish or the others do to her if they realized she’d been bitten? Should she tell them?

  Let’s keep this our little secret, a voice inside said to her. It was a voice she was sure she’d heard before, and it soothed her as much as it scared her.

  “I’m fine,” Zoe said. “Just tired.”

  “Me, too,” Parrish said. “Let’s get some rest. Come on.”

  But Zoe stayed awake long after the others had all gone to sleep, clinging tightly to her sister’s hand and trusting that somehow, Parrish would make everything alright.

  Fifty-Two

  Epilogue: The Dark One

  The Dark One opened her eyes and sat up, taking a moment to get used to her new body.

  The streets around her were littered with the dead. All her beloved servants, slaughtered mercilessly.

  She smiled.

  And each death had brought her just a little bit closer to freedom.

  The guardians believed they were in control now, their powers too great to be challenged, but they had no idea who they were dealing with.

  Every time they unlocked a new level of power, they gave more to her, as well. A little trick she’d set up from the start, thanks to Lily, the fatalis stone, and a handsome young farm boy.

  David thought he was so clever when he’d turned her own creation against her by using the stone to seal her powers, but he’d failed to see the one major flaw in his strategy.

  Admittedly, it had taken her time to see it, too.

  But time was something, it turned out, she had plenty of.

  While they’d been rewriting their memories and living mostly oblivious, human lives all this time, she’d been trapped inside her prison of ice for a thousand years, making her plans and biding her time.

  So far, they’d played into all of it beautifully.

  She stood, testing out her new legs and feeling more alive than she had in a very long time.

  This wasn’t like taking over the body of some rotting human without an ounce of power running through their veins.

  No, this body felt like her old self again. The power coursing through her now was close to her own in so many ways. Not perfect, but it would do.

  She walked over to the building where the guardians had retired for the night and caught her reflection in the window.

  Beautiful, but she was going to have to do something about this wound in her chest.

  The Dark One placed a hand on the gaping, bloodied hole where Parrish’s sword had run her through, and in an instant, she was healed.

  It was too bad the witch they’d called Lily had to die. She’d had so much potential, really, but in the end, she was unable to do what needed to be done.

  Not that the Dark One had ever really planned to bring her home again, anyway.

  She could never have shared her power and glory.

  So, it was only a matter of time before she’d have killed the girl, anyway. So what if it had happened a little sooner than she’d planned? At least this way, Parrish had done the dirty work for her.

  Besides, now she had this beautiful new body to play with.

  A Beast of a man growled at her from the steps of the building, and she hissed back at him. He whimpered, backing away into the shadows.

  She thought about killing him, along with the rest of the blonde girl’s pets, but in the end, she decided to let her presence remain a surprise for another day.

  For now, she had work to do.

  After all her careful planning, there was still one chance for the guardians to defeat her. One chance for them to save this pitiful world and those beyond, if they were smart enough and willing to make a few sacrifices o
f their own.

  She knew better than to underestimate their power, but at the same time, they were just children in this lifetime.

  And without the island, they would never be anything more.

  Besides, Parrish would do anything to keep her little sister alive.

  The Dark One laughed as she made her way down Fifth Avenue, a sea of fresh rotters kneeling as she passed.

  Tonight, she wouldn’t worry about the guardians.

  Tonight, she would celebrate this victory, because deep beneath the earth, in a prison made of ice, after a thousand years of praying for revenge, a single crack had finally formed.

  Soon, when she was free, entire worlds would bow to her once again.

  And that was something that no one, not even her daughter Parrish, could take away from her now.

  Book 4

  I sincerely hope you loved Fate’s Surrender. If you did, I would love for you to give the book an honest review.

  Reviews help so much! Thank you!

  If you’d like to hear about my other books, giveaways, and what’s coming up next, I’d love for you to join my newsletter here.

  I originally thought this series would be a trilogy, but as my husband says, “The Muse Always Wins”. There’s at least one more book in this epic magical tale, and I’ll update you soon with a title and anticipated release date.

  For release news and updates, make sure you join my newsletter, and follow me on social media. Turn the page for more links!

  (Oh! And if you have a moment to copy and paste your review to Goodreads too, I would sincerely appreciate it!)

  Looking for something to read next that’s already available? If you haven’t read my Shadow Demons Saga, you have GOT to grab it now. You’ll love it!

  Get the first three books totally free here in the Beautiful Demons Boxed Set.

  About the Author

  Sarra Cannon is the author of several series featuring young adult and college-aged characters, including the bestselling Shadow Demons Saga. Her novels often stem from her own experiences growing up in the small town of Hawkinsville, Georgia, where she learned that being popular always comes at a price and relationships are rarely as simple as they seem.

  Sarra owns her own publishing company and has sold three-quarters of a million copies of her books. She currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her programmer husband, her adorable redheaded son, and her beautiful daughter.

  Love Sarra’s books? Join Sarra’s Mailing List to be notified of new releases and giveaways!

  Also, please come hang out with me in my Facebook Fan Group: Sarra Cannon’s Coven. We have a lot of fun in there, and I often share exclusive short stories and teasers in the group. Join now.

  Want more? Come join us LIVE several times a week on my YouTube channel.

  Connect With Sarra Online:

  www.sarracannon.com