Storm Girls (The Juniper Wars Book 4) by Aaron Ritchey (best books to read for students TXT) 📕

for others, for my other big sister, Alice. Ha. And Sharlotte always thought she was so big.

“Hey, Pilate,” I said. “Back in Burlington, did you know they were alive?”

He nodded. “I caught Wren running recon outside of Burlington, and we came up with the plan. Sorry I didn’t tell you before, Cavatica, but we thought the less people who knew about our plan, the better. To tell you the truth, it was just me and your boy who knew. That’s why I made us go slow, and I dropped cigars so your sisters—all of your many sisters—could follow us. June Mai didn’t tell me she had troops in reserve, as well. Lucky we did. We needed that third army.”

Wren grinned, showing perfect teeth. “I know they call themselves Gammas, but hell, those girls smell like hogs all right.”

I frowned at Pilate. “And you yelled at me for not having faith. And you knew all along, you rat.”

“I do like cheese,” he said, grinning.

As for Wren, I couldn’t help but frown at her as well. Was she taller? Was the hair on her arms thicker? She didn’t seem chilly even though the wind was frigid. Had her face changed? It seemed wider.

I let go of my worries and went to hug her. “Glad you made it, Wren. So glad.”

“Do you have the chalkdrive?” Dutch asked.

Such a question, right then, what did he care anyway?

I pulled back from Wren. “Yeah, I have it.”

“That’s good. That’s real good.” Dutch opened his hand. Something the size of an apple rolled off of it.

It took a moment to see what it was. Then, inside, I froze up solid. A snake had slithered into my family.

Lying in the dirt was a grenade.

And Dutch had dropped it right in the middle of us.

Chapter Nineteen

Bury me with family, don’t bury me alone

My heart is heavy with sorrow, and my soul is just a stone

—Renee Crowell

(i)

DUTCH GRABBED ME BY my hair and yanked me away.

A second later, the grenade went off. Thank God, it was only a flash-bang. Still, it was loud enough and had enough concussive force to send everyone to their knees.

Dutch pulled me down the street fifteen meters before tossing me into the dirt. He plucked another grenade out of his vest. He pulled the pin out with a click and sent this new grenade rolling into the middle of my family.

This one wasn’t a flash-bang. This one was an M67 anti-personnel grenade.

It would kill them all. I launched myself up, running to throw myself onto the grenade.

Dutch wouldn’t have that. He kicked my legs out from under me. I hit the ground and ripped my palms open on the gravel.

I looked up.

I expected to see the people I loved most in the world blown to hell. Instead, I watched as Rachel did what I had failed to do. The grenade detonated under her.

A cloud of smoke, dust, and debris hid her sacrifice. She could heal most wounds, but she wasn’t going to heal a grenade in the belly. The shrapnel would shred her spine.

Micaiah and Pilate had been close to her. Both were on their backs, unmoving. Sharlotte was crouched down, hands on her ears, dazed from the flash-bang, then dazed again by the grenade. She couldn’t get to her feet. At least she was alive. So far.

Didn’t know about Wren.

I skittered away from Dutch’s reach. I heard a gunshot but didn’t feel any pain as I ran to Rachel where she lay, a mess of flesh and bone. A mess I won’t describe.

My hand found hers. “Oh, Rachel, Rachel, I’m sorry.”

She was fading, blood in her hair, blood on her face. She raised her other hand and touched my cheek.

“I’m not afraid any more, Cavvy,” she said, “I don’t feel the pain either. All I feel is love for you. For you, my sister.” A tear slid down her face.

“And I love you, Rachel. Always and always. You saved us.”

Once again, I was going to have to watch a friend die, but she wouldn’t die alone. No. I scooped her splintered body into my arm, my lap, and I rocked her.

Dutch wasn’t going for me. Didn’t know why.

“Emotions aren’t a liability,” Rachel whispered to me. “They made me human and more. What I feel now, I am a part of you all, and in that, I feel eternal. Always and always, like you said.”

“Always and always.”

She closed her eyes. “Tell Pilate I love him.” Wind blew down onto us. She didn’t flinch; she was smiling. “He was going to kiss me and marry me, and I was going to say I do. And I do. I will see him soon in your silly heaven.” Her eyes opened and took me in. “‘For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son ...’”

John, chapter three, verse sixteen ... Seconds left, and she was quoting scripture.

Her smile widened. “For God so loved the world that He gave the world me, so I could save you. I understand your Christian story, Cavatica, I understand it now ...”

She leaned into me, right close next to me, and breathed her last breath. I felt it leave her body.

The last of the Vixxes, turned good, turned into a real girl who laid down her life for us all. Who became a human, despite her genetics, with a heart full of love.

I bent and kissed her forehead. “Say hello to heaven for me, Rachel. If you’re not there, I won’t go.”

I wanted to cry, but my tears were gone, my heart and soul locked again in a cage of ice, too cold for sorrow. I wanted to feel. I couldn’t.

Which really was for the best. Feelings on a battlefield are a liability.

Only two warriors still stood in the last light of day. And me, right in the middle.

Dutch on one side; Wren on the other.

That villain hadn’t gone for me and the chalkdrive ’cause my sister had stared him down.

Both Wren and Dutch stood, eyes locked, fingers hovering over