Tethered Souls | Books 1, 2, and 3

{Book Three} 168 | Empty

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ Tethered ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Chapter 42

━━─── • ───━━━

• Luna •

Noah Clark didn't have any more information, and Luna didn't think the guy would live long when she walked out of the house.

And he didn't.

She realized he died when Zander brought out Zain in his orange blanket. After seeing Zain's face, she closed her eyes and followed Selena.

Luna couldn't hear Amir, but she knew he was there. He comforted her. "What they did to Zain was horrible."

"Yes, it was," Amir said.

"I know we hadn't known him as long as Zander and Selena, but he wasn't that bad." Her eyelashes were damp. "Zain was nice and could brighten a room, you know?"

"Yeah. It's too bad he couldn't eat his lasagna." Amir tightened his grasp on her hand. "Let's go. Selena is getting ready to say goodbye to him."

Amir led them to Greer and Liberty. Luna took a deep breath. No one had strolled near the other bodies. They stood behind a cottage beside a granite bench.

None of them discussed or confirmed Noah's allegations. She didn't think anyone was thinking about it as Zander and Greer elevated their palms and connected into their energy. Amir joined. Luna followed.

No one spoke, no one mourned Zain, and no mark was left. A small patch of scorched dirt and a deep silence lingered.

Zander had said earlier that Zain asked to be cremated after he died, and now Zain's brother was carrying out his last wish.

If Zain were here, there would be no silence. He would laugh about Zander and Amir's new friendship. Selena said he was kind and didn't deserve to die. No one should die like that.

Luna only thought Zain hadn't seen it coming. There wasn't any pain. He took a breath and then didn't, which she acknowledged was a sign of comfort. As Selena mentioned, it wasn't fair or right because he was a genuine person.

Her tears and the moisture on her face mixed.

She had no idea how long they stayed until Zander spoke. "I know it's late, but we all need to get out before more of them come." He sighed at Selena. "We'll lead you guys out of the Chicago area, away from any outposts, and then you can be on your way."

• • •

Because there was no time to shower or change, the six of them crowded into two new vehicles parked behind the Explorer and Zander's car. A four-door Sedan and a Jeep Cherokee that were older models.

Greer drove the Jeep with Luna and Liberty in the backseat. Amir was in the passenger seat. Selena and Zander hopped into the Sedan. Sitting near her sister felt odd. Now Luna had three people instead of two.

While following Zander, the house looked ominous.

Zain should be here.

He shouldn't be ashes.

She leaned her cheek against the cool window, draped in a blanket she snatched from the upstairs bedroom. Her jeans were sticky in some places and tight in others. She was dirty, but she was alive.

They all were.

She repeated Noah's claims. A deadly outbreak threatened people. She remembered how Liberty looked when she was unconscious in the hospital center. A pharmaceutical injection changed the way she behaved? A doctor stopped her from changing?