Fate's Surrender (Eternal Sorrows Book 3) by Sarra Cannon (android based ebook reader txt) 📕

She’d slept for a full five hours without having to take anything and without having any bad dreams, and she’d woken up to the sound and sight of the ocean. She couldn’t have asked for anything more, so when a familiar smell greeted her as she walked into the kitchen, it nearly brought tears to her eyes.

The house they were staying in didn’t have power, but there on the kitchen counter, she found a fresh pot of coffee already brewed and waiting for her.

Crash had to have done this, but where was he now?

She beamed but then looked around to make sure no one was watching.

She didn’t want it going to his head or anything.

There was no sign of him in the kitchen or living room, so she allowed herself to bask in the joy of actual gourmet coffee, freshly brewed and piping hot.

Mug in hand, she wandered around the empty rooms, taking in the beautiful decor now that it was light enough outside to see it all, and looking for anything they might find useful on their trip.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been in such a good mood.

What she found in the hall closet put her in an even better mood.

She even felt inspired, for the first time since they’d been quarantined at Noah’s house, to get creative and make breakfast for everyone. Ingredients were limited, since there was nothing fresh or cold, but she found enough stuff in the pantry to make it work.

“Time to wake up, sleepy heads,” she called, throwing open the door of the master bedroom on the second floor. Her cheery tone surprised even her. “Come on, the sun's up, and we're at the beach!”

A pillow flew toward the door and smacked her in the hip, but she wasn't going to let anything bring her down today.

“There's fresh coffee and breakfast,” she said, knowing the food was her secret weapon. She didn’t even need to use her magical mind powers to manipulate them. Their stomachs did it for her.

Within minutes, the entire group was sitting at the kitchen table eating fresh cinnamon rolls dripping with cream cheese icing and staring out at the beautiful sunny day outside.

“I have no idea how you did this without a fridge, but I’m not complaining,” Noah said. “This is incredible.”

Karmen beamed. She had spent a lot of time growing up just playing around in the kitchen as a way to escape. She knew enough about how to bake to come up with some substitutes here and there.

“I was lucky to find some cream cheese icing in the pantry,” she said.

She’d also found applesauce, flour, sugar, and yeast. It was hard to make a perfect cinnamon roll without butter, eggs, or milk, but she’d done a pretty good job overall with what she had available.

“I couldn’t have done it without Crash turning on the power in the kitchen, though,” she said. “Thanks for that.”

She held up her second cup of coffee in a kind of salute. It was truly delicious. Hazelnut, her favorite.

Karmen savored it, not knowing when she might ever get another cup of coffee like this again.

Everything she'd ever taken for granted was now a luxury with a ticking clock.

At the table, the others discussed their next move.

“When we get the go-ahead from David, we travel up the coast,” Crash said, showing them what he’d discovered last night from the satellites. “Getting up to the bay won’t be an issue, but here’s where it all gets tricky.”

Karmen zoned out and chose to watch the ocean, instead.

She wished more than anything they could just stay here at the beach. They’d only seen a handful of undead since they got to this little seaside town. The houses here were all fully stocked and gorgeous.

There were worse ways to spend the rest of your life.

It wasn’t an option, of course. At least not right now, but what about after all this was over? What if they somehow managed to defeat the Dark One, and like the boy said last night, the virus was over?

There were still survivors who could rebuild this world.

Maybe someday, she and Crash could come back to this house and—

She cut off all her own stupid daydream thoughts and turned back to the conversation of routes and maps and rotters.

When there was a short break in the discussion, though, she seized the opportunity to speak.

“I know you guys are all anxious to make the plans and work it all out, but you're ignoring one important thing.” They all looked at her questioningly. “Our sanity.”

“I’m pretty sure you lost yours a long time ago,” Parrish said, laughing.

“Very funny, but I'm talking about all of us. Our mental health is not something we should ignore.”

“Karmen, what are you talking about?” Parrish looked annoyed. “Just tell us what you want, because I know this is leading up to something.”

“I'm trying to get a point across,” Karmen said, walking toward the big windows. “We’ve all been super stressed with the fighting and near-death experiences the past few days. We can’t just waltz into a city like New York without taking a little break from the death stuff for a little while.”

“Just spit it out,” Parrish said, dropping her head into her hands.

Karmen smiled.

“I think we should put on some bathing suits and go out to the beach for a few hours,” she said. “It’s a warm day, it’s sunny and beautiful, and we could all use a bit of fun for a change.”

There was a short beat of silence as everyone contemplated Karmen's idea. She knew they were tempted. They all needed a little release that didn't include shooting guns or worrying about zombies hiding behind a clothes rack.

“We still have to find a boat and get things ready,” Parrish said. “There’s a lot of work to do.”

“We’ve got time,” Crash said. “I don’t think we’ll be heading into the city for at least two or three days.”

Noah walked over and put