The Final Six (The Final Six #1) - Alexandra Monir Page 0,76

the outcome.

“From China, Jian Soo.”

My shoulders slump. I look from Asher to Naomi and back again. After today, I might never see one—or both—of them again.

“Lastly, from the United States—Naomi Ardalan.”

I hear her gasp, feel my own breath return to me. And then I throw my arms around her, unable to contain the huge grin spreading across my face. She smiles back at me, and I wonder if maybe, in spite of herself, she really did want to stay. The feel of her hair against my cheek and her body pressed to mine has me almost intoxicated. Something flickers in my chest as I look into her shining dark eyes—and I pull back before I give myself away. That’s when I see Asher’s face, and it hits me with a blow. He’s leaving.

Katerina scrapes back her chair and runs from the room, the sound of a muffled sob following her. I expect Beckett to run after her, but it’s Naomi who goes, calling out for her to wait. I move into the empty chair, next to Asher.

“I—I don’t know what to say,” I tell him, wincing at the uselessness of my words. “It should have been you, too.”

Beckett leans in.

“Don’t worry, you guys will see each other again. You’re not long for this either, Italian.”

Rage boils inside me as I whip my head to face Beckett.

“Are you serious right now?”

He gives me a cold smile before pushing back from the table.

“Well, they don’t need two underwater specialists on the mission. And we both know it’s going to be me in the end.”

“You’re delusional,” I call out to his retreating figure as he goes to congratulate the rest of the twelve like a true politician.

“Don’t let him be right.” Asher finally speaks up. As he looks at me, I can see the crushing loss and disappointment reflected in his eyes. “If it can’t be me, I want it to be you—and not Beckett.”

Eighteen

NAOMI

THE ELIMINATED FINALISTS ARE GONE BY MORNING. THERE’S no farewell breakfast, no exchanging of email addresses and cell phone numbers like on the last day of summer camp. They are just . . . gone, their belongings and presence wiped clean from the Hab floor. I feel a pang of regret that I didn’t get a proper good-bye with Asher. When he left the cafeteria after the announcement, I was sure he would come back, that we’d have one last dinner as a team. But he and Katerina never returned. And now it’s just me, Leo, and Beckett sitting around the breakfast table, with Lark between us as a buffer. While Beckett peppers her with questions about what’s next, I turn away, my eyes taking in the half-empty room.

“Hey.” Leo nudges me gently. “How are you feeling?”

“I—I’m not sure.”

The truth is, it feels like my mind is toying with me. I knew I wasn’t ready to leave yesterday, not yet, not with my discoveries still hanging in the balance—and not with Leo still here. But as I imagine an alternate reality with me as one of the eliminated ten, I’m overcome by a wave of sadness. I could have been on my way home this very moment. I could have been minutes away from my family’s arms. And now . . . who knows when I will see them again?

“What about you?” I ask, changing the subject.

Leo takes a deep breath. “It was tough to see Asher go. My room feels weird. Empty.”

I nod, thinking about Suki. “I know the feeling.”

“But I’m hopeful, too.” Leo leans in closer, giving me a small smile. “About everything.”

And as he looks at me, I feel a shiver working its way through my body—one that I know has nothing to do with space.

“Good morning to the Top Twelve!” Dr. Takumi strides into the room, and all conversation comes to a halt. “How does it feel to have made it another week?”

“Incredible!” Beckett yells. Dev lets out a whoop from the next table over, and soon the room is filling with cheers, my fellow finalists letting loose and celebrating in ways they couldn’t last night. I scan the room for the Canadian finalist, Sydney, possibly the only person here who knows how I feel. But even she looks caught up in the excitement, beaming in her seat between Dev and Ana Martinez.

“That’s the spirit I like to see,” Dr. Takumi says with a satisfied nod. “Now, since our pool of candidates is significantly smaller, we’ve done away with the teams. The twelve of you