by AR Colbert
“Thank you for the ride.” It was the best I could say. Getting involved with Emmaline had brought me nothing but trouble. But I was past that now. I may have been knocked down to the lowest rung of the Workers, but at least I was free. Alone, but free.
I stepped onto my porch, breathing in the scent of smoked applewood. It smelled like cozy fires in the wintertime, cuddled up with the family I no longer had. Opening the door, I realized the scent was coming from within my unoccupied house. The fireplace glowed orange with embers, and I stood entranced, watching the glow dance in and out of the burned logs. It was beautiful.
And it must have been from Cato. He must have started a fire before he left. I wished it would stay that way forever. I blew gently on the embers, testing to see if I could reignite the flames. I didn’t want to let go. I couldn’t.
When I finally found the strength to pull myself away I spotted a small white envelope placed in front of my old usual seat at the kitchen table. I approached the unmarked note cautiously, holding my breath as I slid my finger under the seal.
Claren,
If you're reading this, it means I'm gone and you need to know two very important things. First and most important- I love you. You've done everything right. You always do. Keep trusting your instincts. Which brings me to my next point- If I'm gone, it means there's a kink in the system. Trust no one. No one.
-Cato
A kink in the system? I’d spent the last few months of my life lying to nearly everyone I came into contact with in order to protect my brother, which was a disastrous failure. And now I find out that there’s a kink in the system? Well if I wasn’t responsible for Cato’s death, I was going to find out who was.
I clutched the note tightly, reading it over and over through tear blurred vision as my mind searched through the details of every encounter I’d had with the Outsiders. I was determined to find out who let my brother down. It was the only thing I had left to fight for.
Two hours, which seemed more like mere minutes later, I heard a vehicle pull up in front of my house. Peeking through the blinds revealed nothing but a black sedan with darkly tinted windows. No one got out.
I gathered my things and turned one last time to face the house I used to call home. It was mine no more. And gone with it was everything I thought I knew about my life and myself.
I opened the back door of the vehicle, nervous to see who was inside and where I’d be living next. But the face that greeted me was nothing like I'd expected.
“Hi, Claren.” Felix Walsh sat on the far side of the back seat with a sad smile. “Climb in. Let’s go home.”
***
THANK YOU for reading!
Claren’s story is only just beginning. Order Book 2, From the Earth, now!
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First I want to give a huge shout out to YOU, the readers who make this job so much fun! I love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to shoot me an email anytime at [email protected].
And I’ve got to give a virtual round of applause to my cover designer, Christian Bentulan for his amazing work. It is so nice to work with talented professionals!
I’ve also got to give big thanks to Debi and Luise, who help me edit and climb over stumbling blocks throughout the writing process. Your kind words and encouragement always keep me going. Thank you to Jackie and Becca for helping me polish my product. Thank you to Clint, who never stops lifting me up. Thank you to Abe and Laurel for all of your patience as I work my way through these major projects. And thank you to Jordan for being such an amazing cheerleader. Together you all make the greatest support system a girl could ever ask for. I love you guys!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AR Colbert is a wife, mother of two, and life-long daydreamer from central Oklahoma. She believes in the magic of a good story and would love nothing more than to spend the rest of her days getting lost in books. Her other hobbies include baking, cheering on the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and obsessively scrolling through Zillow.
