Saving Eden (Original Series book 3) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Epilogue

  Other Books by Rachel McClellan:

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Saving Eden

  Rachel McClellan

  Contents

  Other Books by Rachel McClellan:

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Saving Eden

  * * *

  A novel by Rachel McClellan

  www.RachelMcClellan.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book may not be reproduced in whole or part, by mimeograph or any other means, without the permission of the Publisher. Making or distributing electronic copies of this book constitutes copyright infringement and could subject the infringer to criminal and civil liability.

  Cover design by Rebecca Frank

  Printed in the United States of America

  Copyright © 2017 by Rachel McClellan

  All rights reserved

  Created with Vellum

  Other Books by Rachel McClellan:

  Fractured Light (book one)

  Fractured Soul (book two)

  Fractured Truth (book three)

  * * *

  The Devil’s Fool (Devil Series #1)

  The Devil’s Angel (Devil Series #2)

  The Devil's Soldier (Devil Series #3)

  The Devil (Devil Series #4)

  Escape to Eden (Original Series #1)

  Escape from Eden (Original Series #2)

  Saving Eden (Original Series #3)

  * * *

  Unleashed – A New Adult Jekyll and Hyde Novel

  * * *

  Confessions of a Cereal Mother

  * * *

  Simon Says (a horror short story)

  For my daughter Belle, who will one day rule the world with nasty arm bars and snappy comebacks.

  1

  His fist crashes into my lower back. My spine arches, and I collapse onto the mat, air exploding from my lungs. I think he hit my kidney this time. Moaning, I roll over to my stomach.

  "Oh man. Sorry, Sage," Jet says. He cringes, wrinkling his smooth, dark skin.

  I slide my knees beneath me and force myself into a sitting position. It feels like I've been stabbed, but I can't let him see how much it hurts.

  "You're okay," I whisper to myself, then louder, "I'll be fine."

  "I don't mean to be so rough." He reaches down to help me up, but I manage to do it on my own. "You really should be training with Link. I can't tell how hard I'm punching."

  "It's no big deal." I vowed two weeks ago, the night Max and Colt were taken, that I would sacrifice all that I have to get them back. Learning to deal with pain is part of that sacrifice. I need to be stronger and tougher to become any kind of a match against Primes.

  As soon as my legs are squared beneath me, I lower back into a defensive position. "Again."

  "I don't think I should—"

  I rush him, swinging a right hook into his jaw. He easily dodges it. I undercut my left fist, but he moves out of the way. I continue to punch just like Jet taught me, and just like my father taught me before that, but I'm still at a disadvantage in hand-to-hand combat. The best I can hope for is to exploit his weaknesses, but Jet is a regular Prime, one whose DNA was altered as a child per government requirements. This makes his weaknesses harder to spot compared to, say, a Titan who can't move quickly because their body mass is so much larger compared to their legs.

  However, after fighting Jet for the last several days, I finally discovered his weak spot. When he punches with his left hand, it's never accurate. For some reason, it always lands higher. I don't think he even realizes it.

  After my fists of fury, I take a step back to give him the opportunity to hit me. He swings his right arm first. It's not nearly as fast as I know he can go, but I don't complain because I can't handle his full speed. I duck and rotate out of the way. He jabs with his left. I predict where it's going to land and dart the opposite direction. Just as his arm crosses over my shoulder, I snatch it and roll backward, taking him with me. I smile big, thinking I have him now that he's on the ground, but he's already coming to his feet. I scramble to meet him, my hands rising to block his fist that's coming right for my face, but I'm not fast enough. It connects with my nose. I stumble back and drop to my bum, splotches of red and black crowding my vision. The pain is mind numbing.

  Jet crouches next to me. "Oh man, I'm so sorry."

  "What the hell is going on?" Jenna's voice. I can just barely make out her slender shape standing in the doorway.

  "I didn't mean to," Jet says. "I thought she would get her fists up in time to block me."

  "It's fine," I breathe with a nasally voice. "I'm okay."

  Jenna chuckles. "The blood running down your face would suggest otherwise. What are you doing fighting a Prime anyway? You know Anthony doesn't allow that."

  Jet looks at Jenna. "He doesn't? Sage told me it was fine!"

  I touch my face. Sure enough, blood drips from my nose. My face is too numb from the blow to feel it.

  "Of course she did," Jenna says and hands me a towel. "Patch here has a death wish."

  "You're not going to tell Anthony, are you?" Jet asks, his voice full of alarm.

  "Just don't let it happen again. And remember, Originals can only train with other Originals." Jenna tugs on my arm, helping me to my feet. I sway slightly but manage to keep my legs beneath me.

  "What are you doing here?" I ask her, my voice muffled through the towel.

  "Besides saving you? Rafe wants to see you."

  I groan. "Tell him I'm busy."

  I had managed to avoid the leader of the Western resistance for three days, ever since he arrived. Before he came, I learned all that I could about him. As a baby, Rafe was given the best Prime DNA money could buy. He was a lot like Tank in that way, but people said he lacked Tank's good nature. From everything I had h
eard about Rafe, he was brutally honest, expected a lot from the people around him, and could often be cruel in his methods, but he always succeeded. This success kept people rallying behind him.

  "Why do you keep avoiding him?" Jenna asks.

  I shrug, unable to admit the truth to anyone but myself. Rafe would see right through me, I just knew it. He would see that I'm not the Original he had probably heard about. My weaknesses to someone like him would be glaring.

  "Just tell him I'm down at medical," I say and wipe at my nose. It was still bleeding.

  "Why don't you tell me yourself," a deep and smooth-sounding voice says behind me.

  I turn around and nearly stumble. Standing before me is the most handsome man I've ever seen. His perfectly golden hair is longer on top and swept back away from his forehead. He's well over six feet tall with muscles practically popping out of his gray t-shirt. All of this is hard not to stare at, but it's his eyes that hold my attention. They are a vibrant aqua, like the color you'd find on a turquoise stone. He doesn't look much older than twenty-two, but by the way he carries himself, so confident, almost regal, I'd guess he was much older.

  "What happened here?" he asks and looks to Jenna and then to Jet.

  "We were sparring, and I hit her," Jet blurts. "It was an accident."

  Rafe's brilliant gaze flashes to mine. "You were fighting a Prime?"

  "It wasn't a big deal," I say.

  "It was stupid and reckless." He motions toward the door. "You've avoided me long enough. It's time we had a talk." He walks away, clutching a briefcase.

  I stare after him until Jenna nudges me forward. "That means you're supposed to follow. Jeez, Patch. He's like the hottest guy ever. Chase him!"

  "I don't… I'm not…"

  "Just go!" Jenna shoves me.

  I stumble after Rafe, wiping the blood from my nose as I go. As much as the man terrifies me, his presence is a good thing for HOPE. We are a small resistance fighting against Ebony and the Institute, but combining with the West will give us the edge we need to hopefully beat the Institute once and for all.

  "In here," Rafe says and ducks inside a small room.

  I stop at the entrance. I thought I knew every room in the training center, but this one is new to me. By the looks of it, empty shelving and the faint smell of chemicals, it probably used to be a janitorial closet. My jaw flexes. It will be just him and me, stuffed in this tight space, plus two chairs.

  Rafe slides onto a seat. "I know you don't like small spaces, so I'll make this quick. Come in and close the door."

  “How did you know that?” As far as I know, no one except for Colt is aware of my claustrophobia. I close the door and sit in the chair opposite him, forcing myself to relax and breathe slowly. My nose has finally stopped bleeding. I lower the bloodied rag to my lap.

  "It's my business," he says. "If I'm going to be working with you, I need to know all of your strengths and weaknesses."

  "You've been spying on me?"

  "I wouldn't call it that."

  "What would you call it?" I fold my arms, no longer caring who he is. He does not have a right to find out personal information about me.

  "Think of it like a job interview you didn't know you were applying for."

  "And that makes it okay?"

  He looks me square in the eyes. "When is the last time you looked around at what's going on in this country? Really looked. I don't have time to stop and ask about the morality of my actions."

  "But isn't that what separates us from them?"

  "Is that why you hesitated to kill that Titan before he shot and took Colt? Some moral conscience?"

  I stare at him, stunned, my face reddening. How could he have known that? Someone must've seen me. Not shooting that Titan was one of my biggest regrets. We had landed on Purgatory Island after learning it was under attack two weeks ago. I'd had a gun trained on the beast but waited a second too long before pulling the trigger. A few minutes later, that same Titan shot Colt. All because of me.

  "I apologize," he says. "This isn't how I wanted the interview to go. I'm not here to expose what you probably think are shameful qualities."

  "Then why? I have nothing to offer you. As you can see, I can barely handle myself." I blot at my nose again.

  "On the contrary. I know more about you than you probably know yourself. From everything I've learned, you are just the person I need."

  "To do what?"

  "Take down the Institute, of course."

  I laugh out loud. "You're talking to the wrong person. I'll go get Tank or Anthony." I move to stand, but he stops me.

  "What I have to say is for your ears only."

  I settle back into my seat, my curiosity piqued. What can this man want from me? I am nothing more than an Original who has gotten myself out of a few tight situations, thanks to my father's lessons. There is my photographic memory, I guess. Maybe he needs me for some project, although there were rare Primes with this ability too. He could've sought them out.

  "I've been waiting for someone like you for some time. An extraordinary Original with courage, fortitude, and the willingness to do anything for the people she cares about, no matter how insane."

  Shaking my head, I say, "I'm sure there are other Originals who have these same qualities."

  "But none who have been trained as well as you in every aspect of the Prime world. Not only are you a good fighter, but your photographic memory is invaluable. It would take us years to get someone to your level."

  I squirm in my seat. "I don't know about that. There's something else you're not telling me."

  "You're right." He stares at me thoughtfully. "Unlike other Originals, you have an immediate motivation to want to help me."

  "Max and Colt," I whisper.

  He nods.

  "What exactly do you want me to do?"

  He reaches down to his feet and opens his briefcase. From within, he removes a syringe and holds it in front of me. Blue liquid sloshes inside. "This is rare Prime DNA, created to enhance every powerful gene available. Speed, strength, heightened senses, you name it."

  I stare at it in wonder. As an Original, my DNA remains pure. My parents and their ancestors before them had lived off the grid for over a century to avoid getting the government's mandatory pDNA injections. At the time, pDNA seemed like a good solution to perfect the human species, but decades later, a horrible, incurable disease called the Kiss began to wipe out mankind. Only those with pure DNA were able to survive. This also made Originals a target as their blood helped prolong the lives of Primes.

  "Super pDNA?" I ask.

  "The first of several injections shot right into a person's bone marrow. It would be extremely painful."

  "Why are you telling me this?"

  He looks up at me. "This is for you. You're going to take it."

  "No." I stare at the liquid in horror. "I couldn't—"

  "Why not?"

  My mind works quickly. Why couldn't I? Hadn't I always wondered what it would be like to be faster, stronger? But there are consequences to pDNA, the kind that could kill you. "What's the catch?"

  "It's a big one, but just as big as the reward. You want your brother back? Save Colt and hundreds, if not thousands of Originals? This is how you do it."

  "In exchange for what?"

  He doesn't miss a beat. "Your life."

  2

  I shake my head, pretending I don't hear his last comment, and say, "Even if I were to agree, I don't understand how I could save that many people. I'm still just one person."

  Rafe places the syringe back into the briefcase. "You will be backed by an army the likes of which you've never seen before. All we need is someone inspirational to lead the way. People already know who you are. You've inspired more people than you realize."

  I snort. "By doing what? Getting captured? Tortured? Real inspirational."

  "By continuing to fight despite everything you've been through. That is rare."

  "What about another Pri
me? Couldn't they take it?"

  "It will kill them dead. It has to be someone with original DNA."

  I rub my head, trying to soothe a growing headache. "You said earlier that I'd have to give my life. Why?"

  He shifts his weight ever so slightly. "It's an overload of pDNA to your system. No one's done something like this before. The closest species is maybe Junks who live in the sewers, and, well, you've seen what's happened to them. They mutate to the point where they are unrecognizable, both physically and mentally. Eventually, they die when they get the Kiss."

  "Will I turn into one of them? A Junk?" The idea terrifies me. Even though it's been months since I've encountered one, I still have nightmares about them. The way flesh rots from their faces, or how some can barely breathe because of their exposed trachea. That could be me.

  Having lost my focus, I inhale a great breath to keep the pressure from tightening around my chest. The room is growing smaller.

  "You will get the Kiss before you reach that point."

  "How much time are we talking about here?" I wipe sweat from my brow.

  "My scientists estimate four to eight weeks."

  I rear back as if there's a sudden stench in the room.

  "Like I said," he repeats, "you will be giving your life to save others."

  "Can you guarantee that? Can you tell me for sure that everyone I love will be safe, and all the Originals will be free?"

  "You know I can't do that."

  I stare at him, shocked and horrified. "What if I say no?"

  He shrugs. "There is someone else we have in mind, not as qualified as you, but he's strong and a quick learner. His motivation rivals yours."

  "A boy? Who are you—" I freeze, knowing exactly whom he is talking about. I take in tiny sips of air. "You can't ask Link."

  "Why? He's almost the perfect candidate. And he would jump at this opportunity."

  I thump my fist on my thigh. "Stop this!"

  The idea of Link giving up his life nearly brings me to tears. His family has already suffered so much with both his father and brother being taken by the Institute. I'm about to bolt from the small room, when the door opens, bringing fresh air into the room. I suck it in quickly.