Reaping
Page 38
I round a corner, and then I see it. Him. At the top of a building, his back to me, to everything. His arms are spread, as if ready to fly off the building.
And then I see the unmistakable blue crackle of electricity hit him square in the chest, and as he falls, his foot goes out as if expecting to step onto an invisible platform. But there is none.
“VALE!”
Two of the soldiers ahead of me whirl at the sound of my voice.
Vale falls, his body limp, seemingly moving against the rules of gravity: drifting, rather than falling, towards the ground. Like a feather.
Two drones, bearing a mesh net between them, catch him at the absolute last second, right before he hits the ground. The fabric expands with his impact, but his body never touches the ground.
I watch, aghast, as the drones carry his limp, unconscious body down the streets and away from me.
One of the two soldiers opens his mouth as if to shout. I pull up my Bolt and shoot him. He collapses in a heap of crackling static. The one next to him raises his weapon to fire at me, and I would shoot him, too, but my weapon needs a second to charge, and I don’t have a second. I move. I duck behind a compost bin, then run into an alley, listening as shouts behind me indicate that there’s a team of soldiers hot on my tail.
Vale is gone.
I run.
~ End of Book Two of the Seeds Trilogy ~
Coming Next
The Harvest, Book Three of the Seeds Trilogy, is coming Spring 2016. We invite you to connect with us on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest updates. If you enjoyed The Sowing and The Reaping we'd love to hear from you. You can leave a review on Goodreads, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble, or contact us directly online. You can find us at:
www.theseedstrilogy.com
www.facebook.com/TheSeedsTrilogy
Twitter:
@readwritenow - Kristy
@akmakansi - Amira
@Elena_Makansi - Elena
Acknowledgements
We’d like to thank everyone who has supported us by reading our drafts and giving us feedback, helping us understand the science we explore in the world of the Okarian Sector, contributing amazing original artwork (we're looking at you Kevin Weitzel and Elle Opitz), or just giving us an encouraging word. With three co-authors, we each have particular people we'd like to thank.
From Amira—To the brilliant friends, talented authors, and wonderful people who answered science questions, critiqued the manuscript, and supported me along the way: Alexander Augustyn, Charles Ayling, Jonathan Paul, Daryl Rothman, Nillu Nasser Stelter, and Jessica West.
From Elena—I want to thank my dearest friends who agreed to beta-read: Anjuli, Becky, Maggie, and Natali, y'all rock big time. A great big shout-out to my co-authors (and family) who encouraged me to continue working on The Reaping despite the craziness of ending college and entering the “real world.” Many thanks to dad, I love you so much. Sun, moon, and stars: thank you for reminding me that the universe is vast and beautiful and endlessly inspiring.
From Kristy—Thanks to my mother who believes I can do anything, to my sisters who believe in making every day better than the one before, to my husband who puts up with me, and to my daughters for believing in and exploring my dream, for bringing Remy and Vale (and the rest of the gang) to life, and for going along with me on the most gratifying adventure in my life.
About the Author(s)
K. Makansi is the pen name for the mother-daughter writing trio of:
Kristina Blank Makansi
Born and raised in Southern Illinois, Kristina has a B.A. in Government from University of Texas at Austin and an M.A.T. from the College of New Jersey. She is co-founder and publisher of Blank Slate Press, an award-winning small press, and founder of Treehouse Author Services, an author services practice through which she provides editorial and design services for traditional and self-published authors. In addition to the Seeds Trilogy, she has published Oracles of Delphi, an historical mystery set in ancient Greece.
Amira K. Makansi
Amira is a historian, writer, poet, winemaker, and wanderer. After earning a bachelor's degree in History from the University of Chicago, she traveled across America and France to learn the trade of winemaking. While traveling, she found her passion for writing through her journal and her blog (The Z-Axis). She now blogs avidly about wine, food, photography, and, of course, words. When she's not writing, she can be found at Peachy Canyon winery on Calfironia's Central Coast, where she works as a laboratory technician.
Elena K. Makansi
Elena graduated from Oberlin College where she majored in Environmental Studies and concentrated on food justice and food system politics. She has won several writing and poetry awards and scholarships and was honored to attend the Iowa Young Writers' Studio and the Washington University Summer Writers Institute while in high school. She is an artist and photographer, avid walker, vegetarian and vegan cook, tennis player, and overall curious lady, Elena lives in the central coast region of California. Elena aspires to be a hobbit when she grows up. Visit her website at elenamakansi.com.
Table of Contents
Cover
THE_REAPING_-_INTERIOR
Dedication
Prologue
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
What's Coming Next
Acknowledgements
About the Author(s)