BooksBarbecue
Back Unleashed Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Part One
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. Part Two
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. Part Three
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. Part Four
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. Part Five
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. Epilogue
  54. Acknowledgments
  55. About the Author
  56. Back Cover

But I don’t do any of that. I’m strangely calm, my expression neutral. I don’t even let tears roll out onto my cheeks, even though they’re desperate to. It’s driving Eric wild; I can see that. He wants some sort of absolution from me, and I’m not about to give it to him. The only sign—if he could see it—is the way I’m gripping Jinx tightly to my chest, and the way I can feel his paws press against me, showing his presence. But I know he’s doing more than that. He’s soothing me, keeping me calm.

>>Stay strong, Lacey.

You too, Jinx. I won’t let anything happen to you. He might be trying to convince me what he’s done is noble, but I won’t be suckered in.

“You know something, I knew your father well. He was so happy when you came into this world. His vision for bakus was so far beyond what even Monica and I could have imagined. He wanted bakus to be body-independent—sorry, a technical term there—but essentially he thought that bakus could be passed down from generation to generation, become receptacles for our memories and a constant link between families. Why do you think we make it possible for people to upgrade rather than replace? Keeping a baku for life is what makes people happy.

“Isn’t having Jinx with you making you happy?”

“But Jinx isn’t controlling me; he’s soothing me!” I shout back, fiercely. “He hasn’t altered any of my hopes and ambitions or made me forget my feelings. Dad wouldn’t have wanted that, either, and that’s why you had to lock him away. Jinx helps me manage my feelings. It’s not the same thing.”

Eric shrugs. “Semantics. Now, hand Jinx over to me.”

33

There’s a roar of an engine, and another door to the dome flings open. Standing, silhouetted against the bright white winter light, is Zora—and a man it takes me a second to recognize.

“Lacey, don’t you dare give that man anything!”

My heart lifts at the sound of Zora’s voice. It’s as if all my prayers are answered at once.

Once they step into the dome, I gasp. Next to Zora is Mr. Baird. I’m immediately comforted to see his calm, confident face, his unwavering air of authority even in the face of Eric Smith, one of the most powerful men on the planet. Seeing him, a huge weight is lifted off my chest.