“In any event,” Merrick said, “there is plenty of time to get to know each other. You’ll want to tour the gardens and meet all the others. But for now, Leon, why don’t you show Emily to her room. Layne—”

Before Merrick could finish that sentence, we heard the front door open, and the guard speak to someone in the foyer. Then Freddie Halston was rushing into the room. Layne stood with a cry and ran toward him, both of them meeting in an embrace. “You’re here. Oh, thank God. You’re here,” he said.

I looked away, my heart simultaneously rejoicing for them and grieving the loss of the person I wanted to embrace.

“I was getting so desperate. Then I ran into Leon and he got me here. I wanted to go back to LA with Leon, but he said he had contacts—”

“Shh,” she said, putting her fingers to his lips. “We’re together now. We’re both okay.”

He let out a gusty exhale. “Thank you, Leon,” Freddie said as he and Layne parted. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

I stood. “Hi, Freddie.”

“Nova!” His eyes widened when he saw me. “Oh my gosh. How—”

“There’s lots of time to talk tomorrow. I think we could all use a good night’s sleep,” Leon said as he rose from his seat.

I agreed. As much as I wanted to see more of this beautiful place and meet all the residents who sounded so lovely, and hear what Freddie had been through too, my eyes were so heavy. A few minutes more and I wouldn’t be able to keep them open. We all said good-night and Leon grabbed my backpack for me and led me upstairs to a bedroom. I barely took the time to look around. All I cared about was that it had a place to sleep.

I locked the door behind Leon and then tumbled onto the mattress. And yet, despite my exhaustion, I lay staring at the ceiling, sadness rolling over me in waves.

I’d made it to my new home—a beautiful, safe home the likes of which the whole world was looking for right now—and yet, I felt utterly lost.

chapter forty-three

Tuck

Day Twenty-Two

A legacy is everlasting. Those words echoed in my head as I walked the property, taking stock of the damage and also what had been spared. Mr. Swanson hadn’t had a chance to surveille every inch of his property, too busy in the last few weeks with fighting off invaders, and then basic survival. But if they were going to rebuild, they needed to know exactly what work lay in front of them, and what should be prioritized.