by Petosa, Jess
"Don't throw this away for some girl," Pax pushed off the wall and stepped toward Luke.
"She isn't just some girl," Luke responded, pointing his finger at Pax. "It's Ally."
"Well, she is gone now. She's probably run back into the arms of that Ordinary boy. Did you see her with him? You may have forgotten about her, but she didn't forget about you. All this time she has known you were in the City, and she has been 100 miles to the south, resting in the arms of someone else."
A guttural sound left Luke's throat as he threw his arm out. Pax flew backwards into the wall. “Don’t.ever.say.anything.like.that.again.”
He didn’t recognize his own voice.
Pax stood up, brushing his pants off. “I sacrificed so much to get you here.”
“What are you talking about?” Luke asked, keeping his arms raised.
“I was the one who suggested Aden use the memory wipe. It wasn’t even programmed to erase my memory, it was all for show. I got that stupid Ordinary girl pregnant so Ally would think you were over her, but you thought I was doing you a favor. I thought we could move to the top together. It is time to forget Ally, for good.”
Luke worked his jaw back and forth, trying to contain his anger. “Then you obviously don’t know me very well, because I could never forget her. I think I’ve proven that already.”
“Next time I’ll make sure the memory erase is permanent,” Pax said through gritted teeth. He pulled a familiar, metal cylinder from his pocket.
“Do you think I’m just going to willingly allow you to erase my memory?” Luke said with a laugh.
Pax reached behind him and pulled a small gun from the belt of his pants. “You will when I tell you that there is a cure dart in this gun. If you resist me, I will shoot you.”
“Go ahead,” Luke said as he dropped his hands to his side. “I’m over this, all of it. Go ahead…. SHOOT!”
Pax raised the gun in front of him, but Luke could read his anxious expression. He could see the sweat beading on Pax’s forehead, and the way his finger shook as it touched the trigger. He would either bail at the last moment or misfire from his nerves. Pax licked his lips and looked toward the door to the office, anticipating the next round of Guards that would come through to speak with Luke.
Luke took advantage of the moment and flicked his wrist, causing the gun to fly into the air and into his own hands.
“I’m still stronger than you,” Luke said.
“Are you going to shoot me, now?” Pax spat, his hand clenched into fists by his side.
“No,” Luke said, pocketing the gun. He stepped forward and reached toward Pax. “I’m going to kill you.”
He reached forward and took hold of Pax’s head, using his quick abilities to snap his neck. Pax dropped to the ground and Luke released the breath he had been holding. He slid to the ground, using two fingers to close Pax’s eyes.
Six weeks ago, he wouldn’t have dreamed of killing his best friend. He wouldn’t have expected to be on track to lead the City, and he wouldn’t have expected to be considering peace negotiations with outside Ordinarys. He also wouldn’t have been able to leave his home behind and follow the girl he loved.
He had changed. Everything had changed.
It was time to go get Ally, explain everything, and win her back.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to all of my readers. Thank you to those who have reached out to me via Facebook or email, and have shared your thoughts, critiques, and encouragement. Thank you for making my dream a reality, and inspiring me to continue the Exceptional series.
Thank you to Alexis, who once again sat down and told me exactly what she thought of my book, kindly of course. Thank you to Karen, Amber, Rebekah, and Rae, who proof read my story despite their own busy schedules.
Thank you to my husband and children, who once again put up with weeks of soup for dinner, lack of clean clothes, and dirty dishes in the sink.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jess Petosa is a Philly girl transplanted to the middle of Amish Indiana. Somewhere in between chasing two toddlers and meeting her one hundred books a year reading goal, she writes young adult fiction. She is a wife and mother, a reading teacher, and a photographer as well. You could say she likes to keep busy.
This is the second book in the Exceptional series. The first book in the series is available for both Kindle and Nook, and is available in print from a variety of sellers.
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Look for updates at…
http://jesspetosa.blogspot.com
