Immersed

by Jenetta Penner

  "Avlyn?" Aron says in a voice that could be miles away.

  The brightness returns, but dims as I acquiesce to the darkness chasing it.

  ~ ~ ~

  My lungs gasp for air as my eyelids pop open. I squint, trying to take in my surroundings, but the brightness burns my eyes and I snap them shut again.

  "She's coming to," a muffled female voice says.

  A moan escapes my mouth, and I straighten to sit, but my body feels like it weighs a thousand pounds. I collapse backward. Something pinches my neck and I gasp once more.

  "There," the voice soothes. "Is that better?"

  My head clears and I roll in the direction of the voice. I make out a female shape with short dark hair sitting in a chair by me.

  "You're safe. We have you," the familiar girl says in a sorrowful voice, stroking my cheek.

  "Sanda? Where ... where am I?" My eyes flit around the space. It's some type of sparse room with green fabric walls

  "Hi." Her eyes are filled with moisture she's somehow holding back. "You're at an Affinity camp. Mom—" Sanda's voice cracks and she pauses, taking in a deep breath. "Mom must have known what might happen, so she recalculated the coordinates to lead you here."

  I replay all my memories from the night. "Ben?" I mumble.

  "Ben's okay."

  The words relax me. I try to sit up again, but my muscles refuse. "I need to see him."

  Sanda gently touches her hand to my shoulder and guides me back to the bed. "You need to rest. Whatever they stunned you with did a number on you. I think they realized their mistake not totally knocking you out the first time."

  "How do you know?"

  "Oh, Aron told us what transpired. Meyer saved you all, you know."

  A replay of the minutes before the world went black rockets through my head: the incoming ships on the screen; Meyer racing of Water's ship; I chased him, and a pulse hit me; Aron pulling me into the pod.

  Everything else until now swirls together into an inky haze. My heart pounds in my chest and I force myself to sit up, brushing Sanda's hand off my shoulder.

  "Where's Meyer?" I demand.

  Sanda's jaw tightens and she glances from me. "We don't know yet."

  "You don't know?"

  "All we are sure of is he got that ship up and running and led an attack on the approaching ships. Aron flew you all out of there as fast as he could."

  My body floods with emotion I have no idea where to place. Red and black pour over and through me, mixing and mingling, consuming me.

  My eyes snap up to Sanda, anger and fear burning in my chest and throat. "How are you just sitting there? Your whole family is dead. Gone. Everyone. Jayson, Gabrielle, Meyer—Ruiz is dead, too. I saw her get blown to bits. I doubted her, and she died, too!" I scream.

  Sanda sits stunned, the expression on her face collapsing. "I still have you," she whispers.

  Her words overwhelm me, and I throw my arms toward her, pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry—I'm sorry," I sob. For some reason, she accepts my offering and returns the embrace.

  "Sanda?" a new, soft female voice I've heard asks.

  Sanda unwraps her arms from me and shifts to face Cynthia Fisher, backlit in the opening of the fabric-walled room.

  Just as before, when I see Cynthia, something about her tells me I know her. The way her slightly longer than shoulder-length hair skims her chest and her voice that fills me with both a sense of dread, and somehow home. Yet, other than seeing her on vids, I've never met the woman.

  "Sanda, let me have some time to speak with Avlyn," Cynthia says, gesturing out the flap serving as the room's door. Beyond it is scrub brush and a grouping of trees. Several people walk past, ignoring anything that's said in here.

  "Okay," Sanda says, turning back to me. "I'll look in on Ben for you."

  I give her a slight smile. "Thank you."

  Sanda nods and leaves. Cynthia steps forward, taking in a deep breath as she sits. "I heard some of your conversation, and yes, Ruiz is gone. Only a few escaped from Thornton."

  The townspeople? Are they dead too?

  I open my mouth to talk, but she raises her hand to me.

  "Ruiz knew the risk. She knew the odds. But getting you out of there with Ben was her priority."

  There she goes about Ben again.

  "Now Meyer, we don't know yet. He's missing in action, but not presumed dead."

  I lock onto her hazel eyes for a second, then my eyes move over the graying brown strands of hair. "So, he could still be out there?"

  She bows her head slightly. "I don't want to give you false hope, but yes. Good soldiers have gotten out of worse situations, and we are looking."

  I ignore the emptiness in my stomach and try to settle on her words. At least some hope may exist.

  I have to fix this.

  "So, what happens next?" I ask. "What do I need to do?"

  "It's what we need both you and Ben to do. First, we'll work on getting him well with the help of the data you brought."

  My heart surges at the reminder of the drive and blood sample from Gabrielle. At least Waters didn't find them. I touch the pocket that held them, but they're missing.

  "What do you mean Ben and I?" My chest tightens at the thought that Ben's been exposed without intending to be.

  She tips her head and places her hand on top of mine. "I know he's your twin, and that you both share a unique ability."

  "Who told you? Gabrielle?"

  A soft smile comes onto her lips. "No. I've known he was your twin since you were born, but only recently did I come to understand your immersion abilities."

  My mind spirals. "I'm so confused. I don't understand."

  "I know you don't. When Ben is well, I will explain it to you both." She rises and pats my shoulder once more. "For now, rest."

  Cynthia turns to exit and then glances back, giving me a tight smile that makes the skin beside her eyes crinkle. Her skin is slightly tanned, weathered, making the freckles on her face more prominent.

  The expression hits me like a wave. I do know this face. I'm unsure why I hadn't seen it before. It's Bess … in thirty years. Me in fifty.

  Cynthia Fisher is my grandmother.

  And she needs Ben and me to put the world right again.

  ~ ~ ~

  Book two of Avlyn's story is at an end, but you can find out what happens next in Actualized (Book 3 in the Configured Trilogy) when it releases.

  Dear Book Lover,

  Thank you SO much for your support. I am truly humbled. I would be incredibly grateful if you took the time to leave a review on Amazon. Short or long is JUST fine. Your review will make a big difference and help new readers discover The Configured Trilogy.

  I would also love it if you joined my book club at JenettaPenner.com. hen you do, you will receive a FREE printable Configured YA coloring book, as well as YA book news and information on upcoming releases. You can also follow me on Facebook.

  XXOO,

  Jenetta Penner

  Final Thanks

  I'd like to thank my readers for first reading Configured and then moving on with Avlyn's story in Immersed. I am constantly in awe that so many people love the Configured Series.

  Thanks to my husband and children for supporting me, as well as my parents. Big thanks and a million cat gifs to David R. Bernstein and Stacy Morgan. You guys keep writing fun and are a fantastic support. Thank you to Kathy Ziegler, who's been a friend since my wedding photography days for your expert advice on horses.

  And lastly, thank you to Saint Louis Covenant School. You don't know how thrilled I was to have Configured featured for your Extreme Read in 2017.

 

 

 
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