Total pages in book: 210
Estimated words: 200837 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1004(@200wpm)___ 803(@250wpm)___ 669(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 200837 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1004(@200wpm)___ 803(@250wpm)___ 669(@300wpm)
I want to look at Jasina one more time. But I can’t. I can look only at my mother as she comes towards me and, once again, takes both my hands in hers.
They are cold. And it’s weird. Because all my life I’ve felt only warmth from her.
“The Little Sisters are almost done.” My mother turns, panning a hand at the short line of still-standing Little Sisters in front of Donal Oslin—who looks like he’s been in the down-city taverns all day. He’s drunk on the spark that he’s stealing from the girls.
There are only five left. And he’s taking the spark pretty fast because he finishes one in the few seconds that we’re watching.
“One he’s taken them all,” my mother continues, “the glass will be primed and he’ll power it up. And once that happens, the door will open and we will all walk through.”
She lets out a breath of spark, but this time she pans her hands to the people waiting in a dark corner. The Council, of course. All the district Masters, including Donal’s father. And the Matrons who are not directly involved in the stealing of spark.
But there’s another face over there. One more staring back at me.
Mitch.
Not Jeyk, but Mitch.
He gives me a weak smile when my gaze meets his.
I turn away and find myself looking at Jasina, and Gemna, and the other girl behind the glass. Whatever Jasina’s plan is, it’s working. Because there is a firestorm of blue spark filling up the room beyond the glass.
Everyone must see it at the same time because the room suddenly erupts in a chaos of panic.
“Turn it off!” someone is yelling. “We’re not ready! He’s not ready!”
I think it’s Donal’s father. Indeed, Donal is not yet done with the last of his girls. There are still three waiting in line. I have an idea what this is about. But honestly, my understanding of the situation hardly matters.
Because Jasina Bell is here. And whatever she’s planning on the other side of that glass, it happens now. The blue spark coalescing between the two women builds to a dramatic climax and suddenly the Looking Glass explodes.
I laugh as I’m blown backwards and the ceiling falls down on top of me.
Because of course it explodes.
I would expect nothing less from the willful, redheaded girl filled with blue butterflies.
I lose time, I’m certain of it, because when I wake up there is nothing but sparkdust in the air. Glittering, beautiful, cyan-blue sparkdust all around me.
Everywhere I look there is broken glass. People are bleeding, and screaming, and running. The ceiling is creaking and croaking like it’s about to completely collapse.
But I get up.
I don’t know the plan. I don’t give a fuck about the plan. I have one job here. Just one.
I cross the boundary that used to be made of thick glass, heading for the circular contraptions that are no longer there. And I should be worried. I should be panicking. I should be saving myself. I should be on that train and getting the fuck out of here because we’re not done exploding things yet.
The Extraction Tower explosion is still very much on countdown.
But I’m not leaving. Because I know she’s alive. And this is my one job.
To save Jasina the way I could never save Clara.
Jasina Bell or Clara Birch?
It’s not even a fair contest.
Clara is my past.
Jasina is my future.
I find Jasina Bell buried under a pile of rubble. After removing some rocks and thick shards of glass, I find her pale, her whole body speckled blue with spark that seems to be attached to her in some way. Sometimes floating off her body like the butterflies on her dress, but more often it appears to be inside her. Glowing from within. But she’s breathing, just like I knew she would be. And that’s all that matters.
I look around and the next person I see is Gemna. She is alive as well. No one came to save her, but she didn’t need saving. She got up and is now taking stock of the situation. Her dress is tattered, her face smudged with dirt, and like Jasina, the spark is all around her body. Much thicker. Deeper too, I think. Her skin looks translucent and her long blonde hair is wild and alive with static that makes her look like a beautiful monster.
She is mad.
I’m gathering Jasina up in my arms when Gemna and I lock eyes. Hers narrow. She hates me. I think she might want to kill me. “It’s gonna blow,” I say. “The Extraction Tower is rigged and it’s gonna blow. If you want to save anyone, now is the time.”
It’s a little bit selfish, me redirecting her anger like this. Because I just want her to leave me alone so I can get Jasina the hell out of here. But I don’t want Gemna to die. She’s made it this far. I don’t know what they were doing behind that glass. I don’t know how they got themselves free and made it all explode. But I can take a good guess.