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

She extends her hand to us.

“I have a lot to thank you both for,” she says.

I stare at her, scanning her face for traces of the update. But her eyes are bright and clear, and she seems to be standing taller than the last time I saw her at Lake Baku.

“May I be the first to extend you an invitation back to Moncha HQ? I want you to have a front-row seat to all the changes that are being made.”

42

Two days later, we step inside Moncha HQ, this time in the footsteps of its founder. A sort of reverential silence descends on us both as we enter the building. Even though this is now the fourth time that I’ve met Monica, this is the first time I feel like I’m meeting the real person. And I’m more scared than ever that reality won’t live up to expectation. Jinx is by my side, his tail lifted high in the air.

>>Relax. The real Monica is the best. You’re going to love her.

“Wow,” says Zora, her neck craning back. “Linus, make sure you’re taking loads of pictures.”

>>I’m on it.

I grin. I forget she’s never been inside the headquarters before, the impressive cathedral of glass and light and greenery. It’s not an opportunity many people get. “This place…it’s like baku Disney World,” she whispers.

Monica hears her and laughs. “Not a bad idea, Miss Layeni.”

We jump, not realizing she was standing so close by. “Oh, you can call me Zora, Ms. Chan,” Zora stutters.

Monica nods. “And you can call me Monica. We’re all friends here.” We come to a stop in the center of the foyer, at the edge of a bubbling fountain. She smiles, the full intensity of her gaze upon us. “Well, Lacey and Zora, I can’t thank you enough. What you did to reverse the update… It worked. In fact, there are many people here who would like to thank you.”

All of a sudden, people appear from every doorway, and even at the balconies looking down onto the foyer. They launch into a round of applause that echoes off the red brick and surrounds Zora and me with happiness and praise. Even the bakus sing us a little song, chirruping or stomping the ground or barking and roaring to join the chorus.

“It wasn’t just us,” I say, the blush rising in my cheeks.

Monica smiles at me. “I know. And I’ve invited some of the others along too.”

She gestures behind me, and I spin around. The first person I see is Carter. He has Hunter next to him, restored to perfect condition. We nod to each other, still guarded in our interactions. I don’t think I’ll ever like him, but I do trust him a lot more. I know his devotion to his baku, and that reassures me.