After global warming and a second civil war
devastated the former United States, two different societies rose from the
ashes – the Union, a towering high-tech utopia, hugging the perimeter of the
continent, and the devastated, untamed midsection known as the Ruins.
Seventeen-year-old Evan Taylor has an easy,
privileged life in the Union. What she doesn’t have is any idea what to do with
the rest of her life. She only knows she wants to do something meaningful, to
make a difference in the lives of others.
When she’s kidnapped and taken into the Ruins
as a pawn in a dispute involving her boyfriend, Bryce, her ideal world is
turned upside down. What she learns while in the Ruins shakes her faith in
everything she’s ever known, from Bryce, to her family, and even the Union
itself.
Now Evan must choose whether to stay with
Cyrus, the sexy, resourceful survivor who believes she’s in the Ruins for a
reason, or return to the only life she’s ever known. But when she stumbles upon
a dangerous plot that threatens both worlds, her decision could tear her apart.
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EXCERPT:
EXCERPT:
Sonia, Marcus, and
Cyrus are escorting me back to the Union. We’re leaving after breakfast, and
I’m trying to ignore the growing sensation that I’m not ready to go. My parents
must be worried sick, but this place and these people own a piece of me now, too.
After stripping the
sheets from the bed, I take one last look around what has been my home for the
past several weeks. My time here has transformed me in ways I still don’t fully
understand. Maybe I still haven’t found my purpose, but I believe I’m closer
than ever.
With a small sigh, I
turn and walk downstairs, dropping the sheets by the back door with the rest of
the laundry before entering the kitchen.
Sonia is at the counter
making tea while Lucien and Draya talk in low tones in the corner, Lucien rubbing
Draya’s arms. Marcus leans against the counter, his features pinched.
In the living room,
little Connor, one of Ally’s brothers, is curled up with a blanket on the couch
next to his sister, and she appears to be crying. Fear rolls through me like a
wave – something is very wrong.
Cyrus is nowhere to be
seen and neither is Ally’s other brother, Ty, sending prickles up my spine. I
walk over to Sonia. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Ty.” Tension
colors her light brown eyes.
“What happened?”
“He’s sick, very sick.”
“Sick?”
“I think he has
pneumonia.”
“Pneumonia?”
“Oh my God! What is
your problem?” Draya snaps at me from across the kitchen. “People in the Union
don’t get sick?”
I turn to face her,
ready to say something cutting when I see her face. The fear in her eyes chokes
the words off before they reach my tongue. “Yes, but not often.” I turn back to
Sonia. “What can you do for him?”
“We can’t do anything.”
Draya answers. “I’m sorry if it delays your return to your precious Union.”
“You really think that’s what I’m worried about?” Her
expression is defiant before she turns away. “You can’t do anything for him, no
medicine you can give him?” I ask Sonia.
“We can’t afford the
medicine he needs.” She moves to the stove as the tea kettle whistles.
“There is something he
can take, though?” Hope buds.
“It’s expensive,”
Lucien says.
“How much?”
Lucien rubs the back of
his neck. “More than we have.”
T.H. Hernandez Bio:
When I'm not writing, you can find me with my nose in a book, hanging out with family and friends, hiking, or knitting. I'm obsessed with Facebook, young adult novels, bad lip reading videos, pumpkin spice lattes, microbrewed beers, and the San Diego Chargers.
