Escape to Eden (40 page)

“You want to go first?” I ask Max after Audrey leaves.

He nods and cradles the cotton bundle to his chest and walks to the bathroom, but I stop him.

“Wait a second, Max.” I take three steps to him and lightly take hold of his chin, tilting it up toward me. His blue eyes look directly into mine. There is no avoidance, no shifting, no awkwardness. “What happened to you?”

He shrugs and turns back around. I stare after him as he disappears behind a closed door. Should I worry? Maybe this is only
temporary, moments of clarity brought on by the stress of our situation.

While Max showers, I retrieve Colt’s device from my pocket and study it. It looks to be some kind of earpiece. I push it into my ear and suck in air at the sound of Colt’s voice.

“Sage,” he says, “if you’re listening to this, then that means you’re safe and on your way to Eden.” He takes a deep breath. “And I probably won’t see you ever again.”

I drop to the nearest bed, my legs weak. He is silent for several seconds. Wind blows in the background like he’s recording while flying.

He starts up again. “I only have a few minutes since I just found out the Institute somehow discovered your location. I just hope I get to you in time.”

The wind picks up so he speaks louder. “What you did to me earlier, I get why you tricked me, but I don’t know your motives. Did you mean anything you said or were you just saying it so I’d get the injections because you’re a good person and you would do it for anyone? Did the kiss mean anything? I may never know.”

He hesitates. “But that’s okay. I know how I feel about you, and I can admit it now. You changed me, Sage. You gave me back my humanity and for that I will be forever grateful.

“I have to tell you something I overheard. I debated on whether or not you should know, but if it were me, I’d want to know. When I was coming to, I heard your father say to one of the other scientists that he gave Max some kind of injection. He said he was trying to make him better. This made me mad so when he came near me, I decked him hard.”

My father injected Max? Acid churns in my stomach.

Colt keeps speaking, “I know he’s your father and all, and he was going to help me, but I couldn’t stop myself. Besides, there’s nothing he could’ve done to convince me to get those injections anyway. Not until I saw you safely to Eden, even if it meant my life.” He swallows hard. “Which may just happen, but I’m okay with that. You see, Sage, I began dying the day I was born. The world held nothing for me. No parents, no siblings, no friends. No love. My heart was sealed shut like so many others.

“But then I met you. I knew there was something different about you the moment I saw you. I thought it was because you were an Original, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that it was much more than that. There was this fire in your eyes, a burning passion for life. And then you spoke of compassion and hope. Two things no one speaks about, let alone believes in.”

He’s quiet again. His silence makes the beating of my heart louder.

“I know the next time I see you will be my last,” he says. “If I mean anything at all to you, I want you to promise me that you will live a long life in Eden. That you will discover a world you hoped this one would be. And I promise you that if I survive this last journey, I will return to your father and get those injections, if he’ll still have me. If, by some higher power, I’m allowed to survive the Kiss, I swear I will bring back hope to this world. A world that maybe you can return to one day. Who knows? Maybe we will see each other again.” His voice grows quiet. “I hope so.”

“Goodbye, Sage.”

I listen to the recording a little longer to be sure there’s nothing else. There isn’t. I remove it from my ear and push it back into my pocket.

The air in the submarine is cold. I take a shaky breath, several of them, and drop my head into my hands. An ache twists my heart, and I don’t think it will ever right itself.

Max comes out then and rests his hands on the top of my head.

“Sage,” he says.

I look up at him. “I don’t know what Father did to you, but I do like hearing you speak.”

He smiles and then opens his mouth like he wants to say more, but nothing comes.

“It’s okay,” I say. “It will come in time.”

He throws his arm around me, giving me a tight hug.

I return it with just as much feeling.

“We’re going to be okay, Max.” And I mean it.

We will go to Eden where I will recover and where Max will be happy and safe.

But then I will return.

Somehow I will find a way to take down the Institute. All I need to do is find the right curtain and tear it down to expose the filth beyond the shine.

I will not live my life confined to a secret island. I will not live my life without love. And I will not live my life in a world without hope.

I’d rather die.

THE END

pDNA (prime DNA):
DNA that has been eradicated of all impurities. In addition, pDNA can be altered to give any human their desired traits, i.e. height, strength, physical characteristics, etc.

Prime:
A human with pDNA.

oDNA (original DNA):
DNA from a human that has not been altered in any way.

Original:
A human with pure DNA who has never had an injection of pDNA.

Techhead:
A Prime with extreme intelligence. They are defined by abnormally long foreheads and tall height. They do not function well under chaotic situations, which can be used against them. Techheads control the majority of the world’s technology as well as medical knowledge. Because of this, they are the governing force.

Noc:
A rare Prime with the ability to fly and see well in the dark. Nocturnal pDNA injections were outlawed by the Institute decades ago, but the offspring from some Nocs survived.

Canine:
A Prime with an insatiable desire for blood. Once they taste the blood, they can track their victim anywhere. They are identified by their yellow eyes and sharp claws. Only known weakness is an aversion to bright lights.

Junk:
Primes who became addicted to all kinds of pDNA injections. Over time, they mutated into smaller creatures void of any kind of human reasoning. The Institute attempted to eradicate them, but they took refuge into the city’s tunnels.

Rhine:
A prime with all-black eyes and distinguishable spikes
on their head. They don’t tire easily and can endure long stretches of physical activity. They have excellent hearing.

Titan:
An abnormally tall Prime with massive muscles and low intelligence. The majority of them work as soldiers for the Institute. Characterized by narrow, black eyes and unusually small legs.

Mudder:
One of the stronger Primes with excellent fighting skills. Eye color varies, but they can be defined by their high cheekbones and narrow jaws. Their only weakness is they tire easily.

Speeder:
The fastest of all the Primes, characterized by one green eye and one brown. No known weaknesses.

Ray:
A Prime with a photographic memory and distinguishable lilac-colored eyes.

Dresden:
Tall, strong Primes who are trained in combat on account of their size and natural abilities. They can also jump unnaturally high. Defining mark is black hair with a blue stripe in the middle.

Spotter:
A Prime who has the ability to sense poor health in others through an abnormal sense of smell. They are characterized by all-white eyes.

Serpen:
An unusually thin Prime with snake DNA. Their spit contains poison that is toxic to others. They do not function well in the cold.

Peccarian:
They have thick skulls and leather-like skin, making them hard to kill. Characterized by abnormally large heads. Tissue is softest beneath their chin.

Trix:
A Prime with all-black eyes and dark hair. Their bones and joints can be stretched unnaturally, but not for long periods of time.

Purgatory Island:
An island off the state of New York. It was used as a prison for Primes, but was later shut down when the world’s population declined. It is overrun with severely mutated animals and some Primes. The Institute still uses it occasionally for Primes they consider to be violent criminals. HOPE also secretly uses the island as a refuge for Originals.

Eden:
A sanctuary for Originals hidden on Purgatory Island. It was built by Sean Radkey, Sage’s grandfather, forty years ago.

HOPE (Helping Originals Protect Eden):
A movement started by William Radkey in an effort to protect Originals and Eden. They believe Originals are their future and must be protected at all costs.

“Continuous effort—not strength or intelligence—is the key to unlocking our potential.”

Winston Churchill

R
achel McClellan is the author of the bestselling Devil Series and the young adult Fractured Light trilogy. When she’s not in her writing lair, she’s partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel’s love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was . . .

© 2016 Rachel McClellan

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This is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, places, and dialogue are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. The opinions and views expressed herein belong solely to the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or views of Cedar Fort, Inc. Permission for the use of sources, graphics, and photos is also solely the responsibility of the author.

ISBN 13: 978-1-4621-2587-6

Published by Sweetwater Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.

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Cover design by Rebecca J. Greenwood

Cover design © 2016 Cedar Fort, Inc.

Edited and typeset by Justin Greer