Page 212 of A Second Dawn

I might as well be dead.

But in the recesses of my mind, there is a glimmer of hope… like distant star light. A reminder of sorts that I will meet her again, that I will have another chance.

I close my eyes and pray.

Ella, next lifetime, promise me you’ll be mine.

Chapter Sixty-Two

Ella

Thesunhoversonthe cusp of the horizon as I drive through an Alaskan scenic wonderland. If I wasn’t so distraught, I’m sure I’d be appreciating it more.

It’s been the worst day of my life.

I lost not only Tiero but Aiden too, Rhia is on the other side of the world, and I’m pissed off with my only friend in North America. God knows if I’ll ever see Claudette again.

I’m utterly alone in the world.

My eyes grow wet, my vision blurring. But I make no attempt to wipe away the loose tears.

The adrenaline from this morning’s escape has long worn off, my limbs feeling as if they were made of lead.

Driving in this condition is anything but smart, especially having to navigate as well. We all know how good I am at that.

But what can I do? I need to get to the cabin Freemont organized for me.

My hands tremble, my heart thudding heavily in my chest. I can’t get this wrong!

There’s only ever one road to choose and the directions I’ve been given are clear. Turn left or turn right… not even I could mess this up, right? God knows where I end up otherwise.

Surrounded by a hungry pack of wolves perhaps. Do they have them here?

Here is the area around Homer in Alaska. It’s going to be my home for the foreseeable future.

It took half a day to get here, and I changed planes twice. Actually, calling these little flying shoeboxes ‘planes’ is quite an exaggeration.

But they did the job and got me here undetected. We landed on private airfields with nothing around for miles, and the first pilot had no clue about my final destination. Just like me, actually.

I felt like I was in theAmazing Raceand only given clues for the next leg of the trip.

Pilot number one was a man of few words. Unfortunately, that left me with plenty of time to wallow in my grief and let the darkness of despair take over.

Thankfully, pilot number two, Steven, a local to Homer, was the opposite. He talked the entire time, and I welcomed the distraction.

I could do with another distraction right about now. I’m so tired. My eyelids grow heavier with each passing minute, and I wind down the window to let the cold air freshen my senses. And jeepers, it’s cold. As soon as the sun settled low in the sky, the temperatures dropped.

A shiver runs through me, and I feel goosebumps on my skin despite wearing a jacket. Winter will be a killer. But then I’m already dead.

Officially, Ella Rose O’Neil no longer exists. She was killed when a car bomb went off this morning.

Now I am Elizabeth Grace. I don’t like the name. But I’m too numb to care.

Emotionally, Elizabeth Grace is a barren wasteland.

Letting out a sad sigh, I tighten the scarf around my neck and blink a few times to focus better on the gravel road. It winds its way through the dense woods, surrounded by towering spruce and fir trees that seem to touch the sky.

As I make my way deeper into this wilderness, the road gradually ascends and the car’s engine hums in response to the incline. It’s as though we’re climbing toward the heavens, leaving the world below behind.

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