Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman Page 0,153

so big I can’t even find his edges.

He laughs as I barely manage to bat him away, my vision darkening at the edges.

Kal lies still.

But I am on fire.

And I am burning

burning

burning.

Zila

I have always been agnostic. Faith is hard for me. I am not built for it.

But I wonder if my parents will be waiting for me.

We have failed, but I hope they will see how hard we tried.

Tyler

“WE’RE SORRY, TYLER,” Cat says.

I frown. “Sorry for what?”

An alert pings on the escape pod’s HUD, followed by a sawing alarm from the main computer.

“WARNING: MISSILE LOCK DETECTED.”

My stomach drops and rolls. Moments later, another alarm screams through the pod’s cockpit, lights flashing as a new dot appears on my HUD.

“WARNING: MISSILE INBOUND. REPEAT: MISSILE INBOUND.”

Headed right for me.

“Maker, help me,” I whisper.

Finian

I can’t look away from her.

She squeezes my hands with hers, and somehow, impossibly, she grins. Maker, but she’s luminous.

And somehow, impossibly, she pulls a grin from me in answer.

Scarlett

I’ve never seen him just smile before—no cynicism, no guard up.

He’s beautiful.

He bites his lip as we gaze at each other, and hey, it’s a matter of seconds until the Weapon fires, or a TDF ship blows us out of the sky.

So I use our joined hands to tug him in closer. He’s exactly my height.

All I have to do is tilt my head a little.

Finian

Thank you, Maker, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

I can’t help dropping my gaze a little—I’m about to close my eyes and go out in style, kissing Scarlett Isobel Jones.

I swear I’m not checking out her cleavage as my lashes lower, but my eyes land on her necklace.

Go with Plan B.

Plan B, my ass. It totally failed. And I never even found out what my pen was for.

But the hells with that. I’m going to …

… Wait a minute.

Scarlett

He drops my hands, reaching for my b—oh, my necklace.

“Scar,” he says, breathless. “This isn’t diamond.”

He lifts a baffled gaze to meet mine.

“This is Eshvaren crystal.”

Tyler

“IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL IN HERE, TYLER,” Cat says. “I WISH YOU COULD HAVE SEEN IT.”

I watch that blip, speeding closer, alarms screaming around me.

“MISSILE IMPACT IN FIVE SECONDS.”

I think about my squad, hoping they’ll be okay.

“FOUR SECONDS.”

I think about my sister, and it hurts, knowing I’m leaving her alone.

“THREE SECONDS.”

I reach up to the Senate ring hanging on the chain around my neck.

“TWO SECONDS.”

Wondering if he’d have been proud of me.

“ONE SECOND.”

“See you soon, Dad,” I whisper.

“IMPAC—”

Aurora

Everything is pain, and I can’t feel Kal anymore.

And the Eshvaren were wrong. I was never meant to burn it all away.

Love is purpose, be’shmai.

Love is what drives us to great deeds, and greater sacrifices.

Without love, what is left?

I don’t have to find out the answer to that question.

Because I love him.

I have my strength. I have my purpose.

His father’s poisoned mind is in tune with the Weapon now—all around us the crystal is thrumming, singing, screaming as it prepares to destroy my people’s sun.

I can’t stop it now. It’s too far gone, too close to the moment this incredible, impossible surge of power will be released.

But maybe, just maybe …

Zila

A beam of pure light ignites ahead of me.

It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

And then everything

is

darkness

darkness

darkness

darkness

darkness

GREETINGS, CADETS!

IT TURNS OUT WE WROTE SUCH A LONG BOOK THAT OUR EDITOR SAYS THERE’S JUST ONE PAGE LEFT FOR OUR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. OOPS. SO HERE WE GO, AS SHORT AS WE CAN MAKE IT: A LIST OF THE CRIMINALS AND REPROBATES WHO MADE THIS BOOK A REALITY. BE WARNED, THEY’RE DANGEROUS.

THERE’S BARBARA, MELANIE, KAREN, ARTIE, JAKE, JUDITH, JOSH, AMY, DAWN, KATHLEEN, JOHN, ARELY, HEATHER, TRISH, RAY, AND NATALIA, PLUS THE CREWS IN SALES, MARKETING, PUBLICITY, AND MANAGING ED. DEB AND CHARLIE, OF COURSE, PLUS ANNA, NICOLA, SOPHIE, AND THE QUESTIONABLE CHARACTERS THEY ASSOCIATE WITH. THERE’S ALSO JULIET, SHADI, AIMEE, MARK, KATE, MOLLY, BEN, HAYLEY, PAUL, LAURA, AND LUCY. AND LET’S NOT FORGET TO APPORTION SOME BLAME TO OUR INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS AND TRANSLATORS.

DON’T LET JOSH, TRACEY, CATHY, OR STEPHEN OFF THE HOOK, AND KEEP ONE BEADY EYE ON OUR FOREIGN AGENTS AND SCOUTS. DON’T TRUST THE CREW OF BOOKSELLERS, LIBRARIANS, READERS, VLOGGERS, BLOGGERS, TWEETERS, AND BOOKSTAGRAMMERS, WHO SPREAD THE WORD, EITHER. THEN THERE’S NICK, OUR AUDIO TEAM, AND OUR SQUAD OF NARRATORS. TOTALLY UNTRUSTWORTHY.

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T TURN YOUR BACK ON OUR OWN EXTENSIVE NETWORK OF CRIMINAL ASSOCIATES: MEG, MICHELLE, MARIE, LEIGH, KACEY, THE KATES, SORAYA, ELIZA, DAVE, PETE, KIERSTEN, LT, RYAN, THE CATS, THE ROTI BOTI CREW, THE HOUSE OF PROGRESS, TSANA, NIC, SARAH, MARC, B-MONEY, RAFE, WEEZ, PARIS, BATMAN, SURLY JIM, GLEN, SPIV, ORRSOME, TOVES, SAM, TONY, KATH, KYLIE, NICOLE, KURT, JACK, MAX, POPPY, MARILYN, FLIC, GEORGE, KAY, NEVILLE, SHANNON, ADAM, BODE, AND LUCA. ALSO SAM AND JACK.

AND LAST, MOST, AND ALWAYS, THERE’S AMANDA AND BRENDAN … AND NOW PIP.