Heavy-hearted, I turn back to the smoking piles of the dead and rubble. How will I ever rebuild this fortress and lead the rebellion?
I keep my eyes focused on the ground to keep from falling into one of the gaping holes left from the cave-in as I walk back to the ruined courtyard. When I look up, two figures race toward me. Vlaz soars into the air, outflanking Wokee.
Vlaz is nuzzling my hand and twisting his body for me to scratch behind his floppy ear by the time Wokee catches up.
“I was thinking.” Wokee leans over as he catches his breath. “You’ll be needing a master botanist.” He screws up his face in concentration as he says the word, making it sound more like boat-nist. Wokee points the tip of his knife at the overturned trees. “These gardens aren’t going to replant themselves.”
My mouth cracks into a grin—the first since Brice….
“You’re right about that,” I agree, pressing the pain deep down until it is nothing more than a dull ache in my chest.
“You need me,” Wokee says with confidence. “And you need Vlaz, too.”
Vlaz lets out a low whine at the sound of his name and presses his body against my leg. Then, he’s off, flying to greet the two figures emerging in the distance.
There is no mistaking Ry’s flame-red hair and my aunt’s height.
Ry gives Wokee a playful shove, which makes Vlaz growl. She takes stock of what’s left of the fortress and then turns to smile at me.
“What?” I demand.
Ry’s eyes sparkle with devilish delight. “The Duskers aren’t going to know what’s coming for them. We’ve got the Bisecter on our side.” She says the word with pride.
“More than the sum of your parts.” Aunt Jadem wraps an arm around my shoulders and draws me close. She brushes a finger over the sun pendant dangling around my neck. “I nearly forgot what we were fighting for,” she murmurs, almost to herself. “You helped me remember.”
“Don’t cry,” Wokee commands, seeing the emotion on my face.
His look of utter horror makes me choke out a laugh.
Surrounded by these people, somehow the thought of all we face seems less daunting. My father will have to be found and his Zeroes destroyed. The Duskers will return, and when they do, we’ll need the strength of all the Solguards and Banished. But for now—
My father was right about one thing: change is coming. The Duskers’ grip on us all must come to an end. When their armies descend on us, we will be ready. I will be ready.
“Come on,” Wokee takes my free hand and starts to tug me back in the direction of the courtyard.
As we approach, the others stop their work to form a circle around us. They wait for my orders.
I look around at the people who have lost their homes, their family, and have been imprisoned in Tanguro. Their eyes shine with expectation and hope. For the first time, their lives don’t belong to the Duskers or my father, but are their own.
A tiny black bird, a kynthia, lands on a tree beside me. It looks at me with its intelligent eyes, chirping out its song before it flies off again. I think of my mother, without sadness for the first time, as the kynthia disappears into the brightness.
I look down at the swirling rays on my hand, which shine almost metallic in the sunlight.
I meet the gaze of those around me without fear or hesitation. I am no longer the scared girl abandoned to die in a cave.
I am Hemera. I am a Bisecter.
THE END
✽✽✽
Thank You for reading my book. Because reviews are critical in spreading the word about books, won’t you please take a moment to leave a brief review at your favorite retailer if you enjoyed Bisecter? Many thanks!
Book 2 in the Bisecter Series, Halve Human, is now available for purchase!
Acknowledgements
There are many people who helped take this novel from draft to published, and for that, I am beyond grateful.
To my amazing editor Ellen Schaeffer, for helping with this novel from start to finish. Your brilliant suggestions and gentle criticisms have made all the difference.
To the incredible writers who helped me with everything from content to marketing. Special thanks to Anne Brodsky and Jacob Davis, whose suggestions and insight were invaluable throughout the editing process.
To my readers, who have taken this journey and helped spread the word. None of what I do would be possible without you.
To all the teachers and professors who helped mentor me. Special mention for Laura Iodice, Carol Cranston, Constance Harsh, and Linck Johnson.
To Rachel Fazio and Julie Gibbons: thank you for every laugh, every phone call, and every cute video that started my day off right.
To my parents, who have endlessly supported and encouraged all of my ventures. Thank you for the family nights of reading out loud that made me fall in love with books and inspired my own creativity. Thank you for teaching me how to work hard and be a good person, and everything else in between.
To Andrew, for being my biggest champion and encouraging me to take leaps I never would have been brave enough to take without a little push. Thank you for making me laugh, sharing your office, and coming to the rescue when formatting issues almost got the best of me. Your love is a constant source of strength for me. Forever and always.
About the Author:
Stephanie Fazio is a young adult and new adult fantasy author. Stephanie grew up in Syracuse, New York, and prior to writing full time, she worked in the fields of journalism, secondary education, and higher education. She has an undergraduate degree in English from Colgate University and a Master’s degree in Reading, Writing, and Literacy from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Austin with her husband and crazy rescue dog. When she isn’t writing, she’s getting lost in parks, hosting taco nights, or ironically and miserably losing word games, but having fun while she does it.
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Discover other books by Stephanie Fazio
Halve Human
Book 2 in the Bisecter Series
Available NOW!
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