Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 110757 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110757 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
At least some of them are feeling something. That’s new. They’ve always looked like miniature killer robots—shrewd and emotionless.
A baby wails as the kids gather in a group on the beach. The soldiers on board the boat waste no time pulling up the walkway and taking off, the motorized ship moving surprisingly fast.
Olin emerges from behind a rock formation, Pax behind him. One of the girls walks up to Olin and takes his hand, and some of the others make “Baby Shark” motions with their hands.
Stella walks out of the jungle wearing a fake grin. “Hey, guys! Want to play a game?”
My jaw clenches, a storm brewing inside me as I walk out of the cover of the brush, my gaze locked onto Stella.
“We’re going back to camp,” Olin tells the kids, ignoring Stella. “It’s safe again.”
“Hey,” Stella says when she sees me coming. “I’m so glad you’re okay. We’ve been worried.”
I play along. “I need to talk to you. Olin’s taking the kids back to camp.”
When Stella sees Nova, her false smile widens. “Nova, thank god you’re okay!”
Olin gets the kids lined up, and Pax approaches me.
“You want me to stay or go?” he asks under his breath.
“Go. Get Amira and Ellison back to camp and help them start pulling things back together. We’ll be there soon.”
Pax takes a baby from one of the Tider kids, gently holding it against his chest. They begin the walk back toward camp in a single file line, organized and led by Olin, who missed his calling as a preschool teacher.
“What’s our next move?” Stella looks between me and Nova. “I didn’t see Ingrid get on the ship. She should be easy to take out.”
Vines wave and wind at the edge of the jungle behind her, preparing. They’re getting more and more locked into my thoughts and feelings.
“Where’s Marcus?” I look between Stella and Niran.
Niran looks away, pained. Stella shrugs, eyes wide with pretend confusion.
“We haven’t seen him. He must be back at camp. He’s with Ingrid, though. I thought that was why you guys left.”
Nova walks over to Niran and says, “Give me your weapons.”
“What’s going on?” Stella puts a hand on her holstered gun. “Niran, what did you do?”
Niran passes a gun to Nova, his expression flat.
“That’s all I have,” he says.
“On your knees,” Nova orders him.
He drops to the sand, defeated.
“We trusted you guys,” I say, my throat tight. “I would have protected both of you with my life. Marcus would have, too.”
Stella’s still playing dumb, but I clock the slight movement of her fingers over her gun out of the corner of my eye. I grab her neck and pull my knife. She gets her gun out, but it’s too late.
I’ve already buried my knife in her gut. My arm muscles strain with the effort of dragging it down a few inches, giving her the same death she thought she was giving Marcus.
Her mouth gapes open, the life draining from her eyes quickly. Niran is crying softly, Nova aiming her gun at his head.
“I’m sorry.” He gives me a tortured look. “I’m so sorry. I know I deserve it. Just do it.”
Nova’s eyes find mine, one of her brows raised in question. Too many times, I’ve made decisions on my own and expected her to back me. I’m not alone anymore, though, and I need to stop acting like it.
“My vote is to do it,” I say, my shoulders sinking. “But you’ve known them both longer. I think you should decide.”
She cocks the revolver’s hammer, the click making Niran close his eyes.
“Niran, you’re not a bad man,” she says softly. “Your bitterness will eat you alive if you let it. So don’t.”
A few seconds of silence pass, and then a choked sound of stunned relief pours out of Niran.
“That’s it?” he asks.
“That’s it.”
I nod my approval to Nova and we head back toward camp, Niran behind us.
Stella’s body is still warm; a lion was standing in wait in the jungle behind us. With the prey shortages left by the volcano, she won’t be there long.
She’s another casualty of this brutal, merciless island. Even though we’re stronger together, power calls and alliances crumble. No one leaves this island without being tested.
I hope Niran doesn’t let his rage consume him. We all have choices; just because someone dies here, that doesn’t mean the island devoured them and won. Some people stay true to themselves until the end.
Like Marcus. A lump wells in my throat, because I’m furious and brokenhearted at the same time. I don’t know if I can handle seeing his body. To me, he’ll always be full of life.
I don’t know if he even realized he was his own worst enemy. He was so full of self-loathing over his role in creating and using aromium that he felt like dying for it was his only chance of redemption.