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)
It was the spark.
If these up-city assholes can use it for their evil ends, why couldn’t the Maidens control it even better?
Maybe that’s why they had all those stupid Choosings, and galas, and parties? Maybe that’s why they kept them in a tower and took the prime years of their lives? Maybe it was never about coin, or men, or celebrity?
Maybe they just wanted to make sure the Spark Maidens never had the opportunity to understand who and what they really are. Never had the opportunity to realize their full potential.
“Jeyk wasn’t here.” She says this over the clamor of injured and frightened people like we’re just having a normal conversation.
“No. I didn’t see him either.”
Gemna nods, pressing her lips together like she’s come to some sort of conclusion. “He’s not one of them.” Then she lets out a breath, turns away, and starts walking across the rubble.
“Gemna!” I yell it. She doesn’t turn, but she stops. “You heard me, right? It’s gonna blow.”
She side-eyes me from over her shoulder, a glint of cyan-blue spark in her eye. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” Then she starts walking again and disappears behind some rubble.
This is when reality catches up and the clamor all around me becomes panic. Fresh and filled with fear. People are crying, and wailing, and screaming.
But when I look around, I realize that most of them are Council members and Matrons. Privileged up-city assholes who were gonna leave this place, regardless of the damage they caused. And now they’re not.
It’s sickly satisfying.
Almost all the Little Sisters were passed out on the ground after being milked of spark. They were crushed by weaponized glass and falling debris. They never had a chance.
I don’t care about the ones who lived. The Matrons and Council members can go fuck themselves.
I’ve got the only thing I care about.
“Hold on, Jasina. We’re leaving now.” I whisper this into her ear as I carry her back down the tunnel I came through earlier. There’s a lot of rubble at first, but the spark explosion was localized and there is almost no damage ahead, so my pace quickens.
I pass by Jasina’s slipper and have an urge to pick it up so I can present it to her, like a gift, when she wakes up. But the ground begins to shake beneath my feet and I know I’m out of time.
So instead, I turn into the other tunnel that leads to the trains and I run.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
“One more step, Stayn. I’m not fuckin’ around.” Tyse is in front of us, that weapon of his pointed at the men who are blocking our way out.
Anneeta reaches for my hand—an innocent gesture. But as soon as she makes contact, spark lights up my body, filling me up, and then the overlay comes alive all around us.
I’m looking right at Stayn when this happens and he’s not surprised. At first, I think it’s because he knows about it. He’s got some kind of inside information.
But that’s wrong. He just can’t see it. It’s just the three of us who can see it.
Suddenly, the overlay is reacting. To Stayn, or his men, or the weapons, or maybe it’s just Tyse. I’m not sure.
All I know is there’s a distortion in the air in front of Tyse and then everything in front of him is blown backwards. Like toy soldiers on the sand, they fall backwards. At the same time, a bright blue bubble forms around us. Protecting us from the barrage of fire coming from the enemy.
Everything goes quiet for a moment. But the moment feels long. So I watch as Tyse turns in slow motion, his mouth opening, no words coming out, but I don’t need the words.
Let’s go!
Time speeds back up as he grabs my hand and Anneeta is still holding onto me, so we are pulled through the passageway by Tyse. Down some more stairs, through more hallways—and the whole time, the overlay is with us. The spark is with us. And I know we’re gonna make it.
But as soon as those thoughts are out of my mouth, the ground begins to rumble and Anneeta begins to scream.
Tyse stops, picks her up, looks me in the eyes. “We’re at the tower boundary. You’ve got to feed her now.”
For a moment I can’t think.
And we don’t have a moment.
“Clara!” Tyse snaps at me. Not because he’s angry, but because I’m shutting down and if he allows me to do that, everything, all of this, is for nothing. “Take her hand. And run!”
I do. I grab onto Anneeta’s hand as Tyse begins to run down the passageway.
Anneeta, who was screaming just a moment before, settles and the screams turn into sobs. I can feel her taking the spark from me. It’s a little bit repulsive and I have to control the urge to pull away.