They ran to the house at the end of the street, where Jade pounded on the door. Isabel peeked through the window and let them in. Mae sat at the table, sipping from a mug. Her hair had been brushed and her wounds bandaged.
“Mae!” Jade shrieked.
Mae screamed and reached out to Jade, knocking over her cup. They embraced, tears streaming down their cheeks.
Two days later, all of Millflower came to the town square to celebrate the victory over Gerard and his army. They set up a long table filled with steak and roasted pork, buttered vegetables, cornbread and biscuits, and fresh berry pies. Guitars twanged as people danced in the streets, grateful their homes and land had been spared, but even more—they were alive and with their loved ones.
Sammy’s mother held Alina for a long time, tears running down her cheeks, and little Sammy embraced her with his bandaged arms. His burns were not as serious as Alina had feared.
Even Nicole kept smiling at Alina with apologetic eyes, and Alina smiled back. She happily exchanged the bitter feelings for friendship. She hated one and longed so much for the other.
She danced with every boy in town and never stumbled, though she didn’t know the steps. Jade danced in her bare feet, clapping with the children and encouraging the reluctant dancers to join in. Rex watched her from the sidelines, eyes twinkling, his leg propped up on a chair.
At last Oliver cut in to be with Alina, and they glided on the beat, his turns complementing her twirls as the crowd clapped and whistled from the side. Then the music slowed, and he paused to catch his breath.
He met her eyes and held them for a moment. He reached for her waist and drew her in close, his blue eyes glinting, his hand pressed against the small of her back.
She blushed under his gaze. When she averted her eyes they rested on Maxwell, who was separated from Christine, Nicole, and the rest of his family. He stood under a black walnut tree motioning for her to join him, his eyes heavy with worry.
She stepped on Oliver’s foot. “Ouch!” he exclaimed. “Hey, are you so smitten with me you’ve forgotten how to dance?”
His flirtations had become bolder—each more daring than the one before. A strange tingle swept through her body as he held her close, but the urgency on Maxwell’s face sobered her.
“Sorry, Ollie,” she stopped, stepping out of his arms. “Max needs to talk to me. It looks serious.”
“Uh—okay,” he stammered.
“I’ll be right back,” she assured him as she hurried off.
Her stomach twisted with fear as she ran to him. “What is it?” she asked. “Have you heard from Stormport?”
He shook his head. “No. It’s something else. Come with me for a moment.” He took her arm and led her away from the celebration. Oliver watched them, frowning.
“The cleanup crew found something in the woods.”
Alina felt sick at his words. “Please, I don’t want to hear it. Those poor Sad Cases—”
“I don’t think this came from them,” he cut in.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s a surveillance chip.”
Alina dropped her jaw in shock. “Stan’s?”
“Possibly. It should have been destroyed. But we found it on the ground right in the heart of the blast, glistening in the sun—so bright it almost blinded us.”
“What did you do with it? Does it still work?”
“We’re not sure. We sent the chip with the freight crew that left yesterday morning for Jaden, so Camden could examine it. I just received word that when they entered the city, it didn’t set off the alarm like it should have.”
Alina stared at him. “Baylor worried about that. He believed Stan was testing the boundaries around Stormport.”
“And he wasn’t stunned, yes,” Maxwell said. “But his chip did set off the alarm. It should’ve in Jaden too.”
“What does this mean?”
He took a deep breath. “It means Sampson has figured out how to penetrate our security. His spies could enter Stormport or Jaden, and we’d have no way of knowing.” He paused. “Which means no one is safe.”
First, to all my readers—thank you! You’re the reason I keep writing. I love you!
I wouldn’t be here without the support and encouragement of my wonderful husband, Derek. He is my rock and my best friend. I’m thankful for my children: Elise, Isaac, Dayton, Spencer, and Jared, who teach me about character differences and help me become a better person.
I’m grateful for friends and family who read early drafts and provided encouragement and/or constructive feedback—Kristi Thom, Kristen Hogan, Lorinda Turley, Sophia McCutchen, Annette Mortensen, Jenny Mackay, Rebecca Erickson, and my first young fans: Aimee and Amber Cooper. A BIG thank you to my fellow Inklettes: Cori Cooper and Jackee Alston, who for years have given me helpful suggestions and honest critiques over the most delicious english muffins. And a special thank you to Cameron and Shayna Hansen for sacrificing their time to fully edit my story, paving the way for this dream to come true. I wouldn’t have made it without you!
I’m grateful for my supportive extended family: Dad and Margie, Tammy and Mike, Jeff, Kristen and Wade, Becky and Spencer, Lynette, Bryce and Robyn, Kevin, Darren, Ron and Marie, Jason and Amanda, Bret and Shelby and all their kids who read the book and encouraged me along the way. A special heartfelt thank you to my dear mother who passed away when I was writing draft one. I have felt her cheering me on all the way from heaven. Thanks, Mom.
Many thanks to the fantastic team at Immortal Works—Crystal Liechty who first read and believed in my story, for Holli Anderson and the acquisitions team, and to Ashley Literski and the creative team for capturing my vision with the book cover. A big shout-out to my awesome editor Audrey Hammer who pushed me to stretch my writing muscles and discover more about my characters and world, making the story infinitely better. I must also thank my fellow authors at
