Out Of The Ashes (The Ending Series, #3) (48 page)
Read Out Of The Ashes (The Ending Series, #3) Online
Authors: Lindsey Fairleigh,Lindsey Pogue
Zoe’s hands clenched into fists at her
sides, and she took another step back.
Her father let his hand fall down to hang
at his side.
“Is there anything else?” she said, her
voice cold.
Tom frowned. “Anything else?”
“Anything else we should know about? Now
that we know about Mom and her role in all of this…and that you’re alive. Is
there anything else?”
Her father started to shake his head.
“And, please, don’t lie.” She closed her
eyes, drawing in and then exhaling a steadying breath. “We can’t take any more
lies.”
When she finally looked at him, he shook
his head the barest amount. “Other than my Ability, no, there’s nothing else.
Not that I can think of.”
For the first time, Zoe seemed to notice
Jason standing there, staring at their father. “Jason, you were just staring at
him. When I came out here…how could you not see it was Dad?”
Her brother looked at her, a hard, cold
glint in his eyes. “He didn’t look like
him
.”
“You must’ve been able to see through the
‘glamour’ because your Ability’s so much like his, Zo,” Dani said from beside
Jason. She gave Zoe’s father a timid wave. “Hey, Mr. Cartwright.”
He inclined his head. “Dani. It’s good to
see you’re still alive and with the family.”
She shrugged and gave him a weak smile.
“I’m sort of a hard person to get rid of, I guess.”
He chuckled softly. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“Why didn’t you tell Jason who you were
this morning?” Jake asked, his arms folded over his chest. “Why ride here,
pretending to be someone you’re not?”
The man’s gaze leveled on Jake before it
shifted back to his kids. “I wanted to make sure this place was safe, that you
kids were safe and not here under some sort of manipulation.” When both Jason
and Zoe remained quiet, he continued. “When I saw you this morning, Jason, I
was so shocked, I wasn’t sure what to do. Everything I’ve done has been to keep
you safe, in the hope that, one day, I’d find you again. I had to stay hidden—to
live in disguise—if I wanted the chance to meet up with you again. I wanted to
stay in Bodega Bay, in case you returned, but I couldn’t stay there looking
like
me
.”
Jason started clenching and unclenching
his jaw.
“We thought you were
dead,” he said, his voice hollow as he repeated Zoe’s earlier words.
“I know, son, and I’m sorry. But it was
the only way. You’re not the only one Herodson put Monitors on.”
After a hesitant
moment,
Jason seemed to accept the
explanation, because he wrapped his arms around his father so suddenly that even
he looked a little stunned.
The older man
closed his eyes as a relieved smile tugged
at the corner of his mouth, and he returned Jason’s hug.
Jake looked at Zoe, whose eyes were
gleaming with surprise and confusion, with relief and uncertainty as she
watched her brother and father embrace. Focused solely on Zoe, Jake closed the
distance between them, intent on making sure she was alright.
Her shimmering eyes met his. “I…I can
hardly believe anything that happens anymore…”
Jake remained quiet and wrapped his arms
around her. “Neither can I.”
ZOE
JUNE 17, 1AE
The Farm, California
“I’ve seen Mom,” I blurted, unable to
suppress my curiosity. “Did you know she was still alive?”
My dad’s face brightened at the mention of
my mom, but only minimally. Like her, he’d clearly become well-adjusted to
masking his emotions. “I hoped,” he said. His gaze shifted between Jason and
me. “I hoped she was, but more than anything, I hoped that her hard work had
paid off, that you had Abilities…that you’d survived and were able to start
over.”
“Her hard work?” I glanced at Jason before
my eyes narrowed again on my dad. “She killed
everyone
.”
“It’s complicated, Zoe. You don’t
understand.”
“I don’t understand?” I wasn’t sure if I
should vomit or scream. “You have
no
idea what we’ve been through over
the past six months, all because of her…what our friends—the people we love—have
gone through. You’ve been hiding in Bodega Bay while we’ve been literally
fighting to survive. Our friends are dead.
Grams
is dead. All because of
Mom.”
“Zoe, please don’t—”
“No.” I held up my hand. “Let’s, just for
a minute, pretend she didn’t wipe out all of humanity. I’ve had friends die in
my arms. I can
see
and
feel
things no one should ever have to.” I
flung my arm to the side, pointing in Jake’s general direction. “Jake’s sister
has to have daily electrotherapy sessions just to stay alive. Jason has to null
Dani’s Ability every night to prevent her from turning into a wild animal. My
memories—”
I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked
back. Jason was standing behind me, a grave expression on his face. “Zoe, you
can’t blame him for being happy we’re still alive.”
My dad took a few steps toward me, and the
closer he drew, the more my volatile emotions consumed me.
I looked at Jason. “Of course not,” I said
softly. “But, Jason, we’re alive at the expense of everyone else.” I turned to
meet my dad’s pale gaze. I’d wanted a real family all my life, to learn the
truth and discover what it was that had always been left unsaid, but not at the
cost of everyone else. “You talk about it like everything that’s happened is
just a casualty of war, something that needed to be done.”
My dad took another step toward me. “I’m
sorry,” he said and offered me a weak smile. “I guess I’ve just been in this so
long that I forget how new it is, how hurtful…I know it’s hard to understand.” He
reached out to me. “But no matter what you think, know that your mom really
does love you. She wanted what was best for you, no matter how horrible you
think she is.”
Tears were hot on my cheeks. I knew her
intentions had been good, that in her own way she loved us, but it wasn’t enough
to overshadow the truth of what she’d done anymore. “Then why isn’t she here?
Why won’t she leave him? Why won’t she leave Peter? She won’t even bring him
with her. She wouldn’t even consider it—”
“Peter?” The confusion in my dad’s voice
sobered me. He didn’t know. “Who’s Peter?”
“Shit,” Jason muttered. He stepped up
beside me and rubbed his hand over his hair. “There are some things we need to
tell you, Dad.”
Dad didn’t know…
Part of me guessed it made sense.
When
was the last time he’d seen Mom? Does he know the extent of all she’d done, the
things she’s created?
“What the hell?” I heard Jake say
as he started down the driveway. I followed his line of sight, my feet moving
toward him of their own accord. I squinted at movement on the road, my gaze landing
on a figure in white—a person. Soon, more figures appeared, what looked like
dozens of them, maybe more.
Dread thickened in my throat and
my blood ran cold. I heard shouting and hurried footsteps behind me, but I
barely registered them as fear and curiosity paralyzed me.
I was preparing to open my mind to
them when Dani said, “They’re Re-gens.” I hadn’t even noticed that she was beside
me. “They’re
all
Re-gens.” This time her voice was only a whisper.
In my periphery, I saw Jason and
Dani draw their pistols, and I briefly wondered if we even stood a chance
against the approaching throng of Re-gens.
“It’s Becca,” Jake breathed as
soon as the figure in white drew close enough to make out clearly.
“Becca?” My mouth was suddenly
dry.
The Re-gens behind her stopped,
and Becca exchanged words with a bald, gangly man directly behind her before turning
back to face us.
Slowly, she alone began to walk
toward us, her pale gaze shifting from me to Jake.
“What’s going on, Becca?” Jake
asked as she drew closer.
Hearing the accusation in his
voice, I looked at his profile; his confusion was written plainly on his face.
“We need your help,” Becca said,
stopping just out of arm’s reach. “And one day soon, you will need ours.”
ENDING?
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BOOKS BY
LINDSEY
FAIRLEIGH & LINDSEY POGUE
Before The
Dawn
(2015)
I:
Carlos
II:
Mandy
III:
Vanessa
IV:
Jake
V:
Clara
VI:
Jake
& Clara
MORE BOOKS BY LINDSEY FAIRLEIGH
Resonance
,
a novella
Echo Queen
(September
2014)
Echo Gods
(2015)
Lindsey Fairleigh
lives her
life with one foot in a book—as long as that book transports her to a magical
world or bends the rules of science. Her novels, from post-apocalyptic to time
travel and historical fantasy, always offer up a hearty dose of unreality,
along with plenty of adventure and romance. When she’s not working on her next
novel, Lindsey spends her time reading and trying out new recipes in the
kitchen. She lives in the Napa Valley with her loving husband and confused
cats.
www.lindseyfairleigh.com
Lindsey Pogue
has always been
a little creative. As a child she established a bug hospital on her elementary
school soccer field, compiled books of collages as a teenager, and as an adult,
expresses herself through writing. Her novels are inspired by her observations
of the world around her--whether she's traveling, people watching, or hiking.
When not plotting her next story line or dreaming up new, brooding characters,
Lindsey's wrapped in blankets watching her favorite action flicks or going on
road trips with her own leading man.
www.lindseypogue.com