Rogue (36 page)

And then there were the Sparks of Lex and Driggs—empt
y, dark. The same as they’d been ever since they disappeared, all those years ago.

***

Except.

Except in the dead of night, when Grotton would cover all the others up. Ever the scientist, he’d blow out his candles and make the cabin as dark as he could. Only then could he see them. Even with those old eyes, he could see them—one in the center of each of their Sparks—specks so faint they were virtually invisible, like pinpricks—

He knew he was being foolish. He knew that where they’d gone was nothing but emptiness, nonexistence, Annihilation. He knew that it was absurd to believe that somewhere in the vacuum of nothingness, their souls had found a way to exist—or, even st but emptimore absurd, found each other. As a man of science, he knew better than to entertain such notions.

And yet he did.

Because right down to his final moments, Grotton could have sworn that something deep inside those Sparks was glowing.

And getting brighter.

Visit
www.hmhbooks.com
to find all of the books in this series.

G
INA
D
AMICO
is the author of
Croak
,
Scorch
, and
Rogue
. She received a degree in theater and sociology from Boston College, where she was active with the Committee for Creative Enactments, the country’s only collegiate murder mystery improv comedy troupe. She has since worked as a tour guide, transcriptionist, theater house manager, scenic artist, and movie extra. She lives outside of Boston with her husband, two cats, and a closet full of black hoodies. Visit her website at
www.ginadami.co
.