Author: Laury Falter
Series: The Apocalypse Chronicles
Genre: Teen Dystopian
Publisher: Audeamus LLC
Release Date: January 16 2014
Editions/Formats Available In: eBook
Synopsis:
The second and final installment in the two-book series, Apocalypse Chronicles...
a dystopian romance about five high school seniors who set out to cure an apocalyptic world of a contagious infection.
Bestselling author Laury Falter finishes off this two-part series--a dystopian romance filled with an electrifying plot, a powerful romance, and unexpected twists.
Excerpt
He laughed to himself. "You're always my strongest supporter, Kennedy, and therein lies the problem. That blind loyalty could get you…" He closed his eyes and seemed to swallow back the words, or one in particular. "Could get you killed."
"What are you saying?"
"Kennedy," he exhaled patiently but with a great deal of effort, "I'm not sure how much venom my body can take, what the effects of it have been on me, or even how it is merging with the antibodies. Every time I'm bitten I put you in danger, everyone who is near me is in danger." He exhaled in frustration. "Why do you think I wait for sixty seconds after I'm bitten to come near you?"
That had never occurred to me, but he was right. I remembered seeing him move away from me after an attack; he'd gone so far as to put a muzzle to his head. I'd even caught him positioning himself within range of Doc, Mei, and Beverly.
"Wait…," I mumbled, an understanding of something forming in the recesses of my mind. "Wait a second…"
Then it hit me. He had been training them to defend against the Infected's strengths…the same traits that he possessed. He had trained them to detect weaknesses, the same weaknesses he possessed.
"Wait…" I said again, bile rising in my throat.
He had done this in front of me, with my help, and I hadn't even realized what he had been doing.
"You…," I whispered. Clearing my throat, I tried again. "You…"
He was watching me now, waiting for me to wedge free the statement that was so rigidly stuck in my throat. "I…?" he said coaxingly. "I what, Kennedy?"
What began the fire of infuriation in the pit of my belly was that he knew. He knew what he'd done and he knew I'd figure it out sooner or later. This was that moment.
The memories flooded back to me then. The shift in his positions around the group after he'd been bitten, the line of sight he'd maintained with someone, anyone but me on our team to take him out if it was needed.
"You trained them to kill you," I uttered.
"What are you saying?"
"Kennedy," he exhaled patiently but with a great deal of effort, "I'm not sure how much venom my body can take, what the effects of it have been on me, or even how it is merging with the antibodies. Every time I'm bitten I put you in danger, everyone who is near me is in danger." He exhaled in frustration. "Why do you think I wait for sixty seconds after I'm bitten to come near you?"
That had never occurred to me, but he was right. I remembered seeing him move away from me after an attack; he'd gone so far as to put a muzzle to his head. I'd even caught him positioning himself within range of Doc, Mei, and Beverly.
"Wait…," I mumbled, an understanding of something forming in the recesses of my mind. "Wait a second…"
Then it hit me. He had been training them to defend against the Infected's strengths…the same traits that he possessed. He had trained them to detect weaknesses, the same weaknesses he possessed.
"Wait…" I said again, bile rising in my throat.
He had done this in front of me, with my help, and I hadn't even realized what he had been doing.
"You…," I whispered. Clearing my throat, I tried again. "You…"
He was watching me now, waiting for me to wedge free the statement that was so rigidly stuck in my throat. "I…?" he said coaxingly. "I what, Kennedy?"
What began the fire of infuriation in the pit of my belly was that he knew. He knew what he'd done and he knew I'd figure it out sooner or later. This was that moment.
The memories flooded back to me then. The shift in his positions around the group after he'd been bitten, the line of sight he'd maintained with someone, anyone but me on our team to take him out if it was needed.
"You trained them to kill you," I uttered.
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