by J. C. Hart
"How do we know that you want what's best for the colony?" a man asked. Madea recognised him as one of her father's colleagues, slightly beneath Carson on the food chain, and no doubt angling for a way to step into his shoes.
"I have always done what is best for the colony. I believe that there is room on this planet for all of us, whether we're Touched or not. And I believe that together, we can find a way to make the most of this life."
"And if we don't want to find a new way?" He crossed his arms. "The domes have protected us for a long time now, I see no need to change our ways."
"Do you really think these domes will last forever? I think it's been proven that they aren't infallible. Just look around." Madea shrugged. She would not be coaxed into making empty threats. It was of no concern to her if they wanted to hide away in the domes for the rest of their lives. "I'm going to leave you with this information, and the knowledge that we are here to help make this colony thrive, together. We'll be in touch." Madea brushed her fingers across the hastily constructed memorial to her parents before moving away.
"Wait!" A woman called. Jaxon’s aunt had followed her.
"Yes?"
"The Touched... My sister, she was Hollowed. I saw something about reclamation?" Hope wavered in the woman's eyes, which darted between the group lingering near the monument and Madea.
"We've had one case, yes." She stepped forward and placed her hand on the woman's arm. "It was Janae. I think that we could reclaim more, though it might take some time."
"Janae? You brought her back?" The woman covered her mouth with her hands, her sob breaking through her fingers. "She brought back my sister. She can bring people back! Did you hear? Everyone who was taken from us, there is a chance we can get them all back." The people murmured, more questions being asked, but not clear enough for her to hear.
"There is a good chance." Madea stepped beside the woman and addressed the crowd." I can't make any pro—"
"A chance is all we need. I'll help you with anything. We'll help you. If there is a chance we can get our Hollowed back."
There were murmurs of curiosity and then more people filtered over, asking questions, reaching out to touch Madea's hands as though she held the key to their salvation.
"Have you all lost loved ones?" she asked. There was a rumble of agreement. Grief and hope marked their faces. These were the masses of Diamara, and with them on her side, they could overcome anything.
"I can help," she said. "I can help you all, I know it. If you can help me put this city back together, if you can help me find a way to ease this transition, I can return the Hollowed." She knew the words were truth, knew it from the rush of approval from Anya, knew it from the surge of energy she felt from the ether creatures hanging in the air around them. Somehow, together, they would find a way to make this work.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Writer. Mother. Wife. Editor.
There are days when I consider myself a master of everything, and an expert in nothing.
Being a mother to three children keeps me on my toes, constantly exposes me to new ways of looking at the world and ensures that I never lose sight of the magic and fantasy present in life. Kids see the world in a different way than we do, and I'm never quite sure what the next day will bring.
Writing and editing though—now those are things I feel like I know something about. I write in a whole range of genres from science fiction, dark fiction, fantasy, to those stories with a slightly lighter take on life. You might find that a sliver of creepiness infests them all though. My characters are all pieces of me, invested with sparks from life and my overactive imagination.
I'm a big fan of Twitter, so you can hit me up at @JCHart if you'd like to get in touch, or you are welcome to email me at [email protected]. I love to hear from readers.
And if you're interested in my ramblings or would like to sign up for my newsletter, you can find my blog/website @ http://just-cassie.com
Thanks again for giving my book a go—I really hope you enjoyed it!!
