I let out an exasperated sigh before dropping to my knees and helping Poppy refill her bag. She grumbles under her breath and I nod in agreement, wanting nothing more than to wrap my arms around Zac's neck.

I know the gravity of the situation and that we need to move sooner rather than later. And, in his mind, leaving us to follow behind them, was the right thing to do. The fastest thing to do.

The minute Zac leaves me behind, you know it's serious.

"Let's get going then," I grumble to Poppy. She pouts before nodding as we step into the trees after our family. We're speed walking for three minutes before jogging for five, alternating our speed in order to not completely annihilate me.

Gia's imprisonment has taken a higher toll on me than I ever could have realised.

I'm a fucking hindrance.

Gritting my teeth, I grab one of my knives from my trousers, twirling it over and over in my hand as we walk. Poppy glances towards me, sympathy evident on her face.

"We're making good progress," she says softly. "We're probably only fifteen minutes behind them."

"Fifteen minutes is a long time—"

"When someone's planting explosives and getting ready to blow England into the United Kingdom?" Poppy smirks. "I know. But you can only do so much. We're human."

"And yet Zac—"

"Zac's running on adrenaline," she retorts. "He'll need help the minute that drains away from him. By you resting slightly more now, you can be there for him when he needs it."

I cock a brow. "You think that's why he left us behind?"

Poppy snorts. "Hell, no! That man does think he's invincible. It's stupidity at play."

I stifle a smirk and nod. "That's true."

Poppy smiles, lifting her leg and leaping over a log. "I know. You're both as bad as each other."

My head snaps towards her. "Hey!"

"I say only what I see," Poppy teases with a smile. "You ready to run again?"

She doesn't even give me a chance to respond before she launches into the forest, leaving me — seething — behind. Narrowing my eyes at her back, I push forward, jogging at a safe, but steady, pace.

The wall emerges on the horizon before we have to slow to a walk again and I exhale with relief, pushing my weakened legs onwards with newfound determination. Zac's somewhere here... and so are Callum's sheep.

We made it.

We made it before they blew it up. That in itself is a damn miracle.

I come to a stop besides Poppy. Leaning over, I place my hands on my knees and wheeze in, and out, desperate to catch my breath — and fast.

"Can you... see them?" I ask her.

She shakes her head. "Where's Callum's body?"

I frown as I straighten up. "You don't want to see that, Poppy."

She purses her lips. "I do."

"We have bigger things to worry about," I retort, shaking my head at her and stepping left, running my eyes over the great big fucking wall that stretches beyond us. We're still over 40 metres away from the monstrosity and I squint my eyes along the landscape, desperate to find my husband.

Please be safe. Please.

We didn't even get to give one another a proper goodbye.

I'm biting my lip, swallowing the lump in my throat as I step through the grassy terrain. My eyes survey the area. I'm sweating now, heart racing and stomach churning with every passing minute.

"Zac? Jordan?" Poppy suddenly calls out behind me. Whirling on my heel, I gape at her, wide eyed. She shrugs. "Right now, there's a higher chance that Zac, Jordan, or one of Callum's people will hear us than any Slayers. I'll take my chances."

Whether it's the sheer desperation that's swirling inside my head, or how absurdly exhausted I am, I agree.

Averting my gaze back to the front, I open my mouth and call out their names. My tone is desperate and strained. I'm pleading to the air around me as I shout. Beg. Cry.

Poppy nearly trips up behind me and I reach back, gripping onto her wrists to steady her. She smiles up at me but it's empty, emotionless. Her eyes give away her worry.

Taking a shaky breath, I lift my hands to grab hold of her cheeks and force a genuine smile onto my face. "Don't panic," I tell her softly. "We'll find them. They're safe."

She nods and I drop my hands. Poppy reaches out, wrapping her fingers around mine and squeezing them tightly. "They're safe," she echoes.

Stepping forward together, I open my mouth and call out once again. She follows suit, the two of us parrots as we make our way along the bumpy terrain, eyes peeled and ready for anything. It's over five minutes before Poppy tugs on my hand, yanking me to a sharp stop.

She lifts her spare arm, pointing ahead to the horizon. Wide eyed, I follow her finger, spotting two figures pointing towards the wall. One of them, the taller one, seems stressed, lifting his hand and running it through his dark blond hair before shouting something inaudible. The other stands beside him, rucksack still on his back as he holds something — someone — in front of him. He's a lot calmer than the first man. Just like usual.

"It's them," I breathe out. Without another word, Poppy and I are sprinting forwards, tearing across the open field as fast as we can. "Zac!" I call out, breathless, yet somehow still extremely loud.

Both Jordan and Zac's heads whip towards us. My husband's tense expression instantly relaxes, if only slightly, and I force myself onwards, not stopping until I barrel into his open arms.

"You're okay," I choke out before pulling back slightly and looking up at him. His brown eyes bore into mine as he nods, arms curling around my waist and gently squeezing.

"So are you," he murmurs softly.

"As if I'd let anything happen to her," Poppy jokes before turning her attention to Jordan. And the woman he's holding in his arms.

Zac smiles briefly before lowering his lips to my forehead. The slightest touch of my skin and the rigidness leaves his body.

"What are you doing, Kiki?" Poppy tears our attention back to reality as she questions the woman.

"She won't give us her walkie," Jordan retorts, tightening his grip around her waist.

"What?"

"Kiki!" Poppy steps forward, gripping onto the redhead's shoulders and roughly shaking her. "It's important! We need it."

Kiki scoffs, shaking her head. "If that were true, Callum would have given you your own one."

"Callum's not in charge anymore," Zac comments, a snarl dominating his words.

Kiki's bushy brows rise. "Why not?"

"Because he's a fucking bellen—"

"Alright!" I cut Zac off and step forward. "Kiki," I force my voice to remain calm, "We need to stop what they're going to do to the wall."

"Why?"

"Because it's dangerous," Poppy snaps.

Kiki just snorts. "It's dangerous now. Can't get much worse."

"I beg to fucking differ," Zac fumes from behind me.

"Kiki, please..." I try. The girl just shakes her head.

"Enough of this," Poppy exclaims, her face full of fury. Launching herself at the girl, she wrenches the khaki jacket apart, ruthlessly tearing her way through the girl's pockets.

"What the fuck? Poppy! Poppy, stop!" The girl squirms beneath her. Zac steps around me, lifting his right boot and resting it on Kiki's foot, keeping her pinned into place as Poppy drops to her trousers, trailing her hand around her belt.

"Got it," Poppy snaps before glaring at Jordan and Zac. "You were too nice to her."

"We'd only just caught her when you arrived!" Jordan insists. Poppy just rolls her eyes as they shove the girl sideways, letting Kiki fall to the floor with an 'ooof!'

Poppy lifts the device to her mouth, pressing down on the button at the top. White noise spurts from the speaker.

"Hello? Hello, can anyone hear me? You need to stop what you're doing!" she calls out. I hold my breath as Zac steps backwards, reaching for my hand. "We can't blow up the wall." Poppy insists, her voice loud. "Stop what you're doing!"

Not a single hint of a voice travels back through the device. Zac curses under his breath and my hand tightens around his. Fuck. We're screwed.

We've come all this way, we've tried so fucking hard...

Kiki starts laughing on the floor and all of our attention snaps to her. She smirks, curling up, almost shying away from us. If she's scared, then why is she fucking laughing? That's one way to trigger my husband into killing you...

"What the hell are you laughing for?" Zac snaps, wrenching his hand away from mine and stepping closer to the suddenly wide-eyed girl. His hand clutches at the top of her shirt and she starts to shake.

I have to fight my own smirk. I know what she's looking at, his fury-filled face probably the most intimidating thing that I've ever looked upon. I'd rather stare down the barrel of a gun than Zac Hasting's wrath.

Kiki splutters before replying, "Y-you're on th-the wrong channel."

"What?"

"Well, what channel is it?"

"For fucks sake, tell us!" I exclaim, the girl's eyes flickering fearfully between us. Poppy is instantly turning the dials at the top of the walkie talkie, holding the device to her ear as she listens to the feedback.

"Fuck!" Zac snaps, his fist coiling tighter around the girl's shirt.

"If you don't tell us, he'll kill you," I warn the girl. Zac's ready to blow. I can tell. I can always tell.

"I... I can't r-remember," she responds.

"How?" Jordan explodes.

"T-there's a lo-lot going on," Kiki cries.

"Hello, hello?" Poppy practically screams into the device. Zac draws his hand back before hurtling a fist into Kiki's face. Jordan curses under his breath and my eyes snap back to the base of the wall.

There's absolutely no-one in sight.

A sudden buzz emits from the walkie talkie and we all freeze, staring at it as Poppy's hand tightens around the device.

"Everything in place... Everyone's timers set?" A muffled voice spills out.

Poppy goes to press down the button again before someone else replies.

"Affirmative. One minute, thirty seconds."

Poppy's eyes widen. I suck in a lungful of oxygen. Zac's jaw tightens and Jordan runs his hand over his stubble.

The original voice responds, "Set it off in three. Two. One..."

"What?" Jordan snaps.

"Oh my god!" I practically squeal.

"Stop! Stop it! Stop!" Poppy screams at the device, her hand pressed down on the button. She's desperately toying with all the other dials, her eyes wide as she screams into the stupid thing.

"I think—"

Zac plunges his fist into Kiki's face once more, effortlessly knocking her out and preventing her from saying anything further.

My heart is in my throat as I tear my gaze back and forth over the base of the wall, searching for anyone that can stop it.

My feet are moving on their own accord, tearing me forwards as I scream out. "Don't do it! Wherever the fuck you are, stop it! The wall has to stay up!" My voice is ragged, utterly hoarse by the end of my second sentence. "Stop it! Disarm the fucking thing!"

"Emilia!" Zac's arms coil around my waist, yanking me backwards. He's raced after me, stopped me in my tracks.

"They have to listen to us!" I snap, roughly pushing against his arms.

"It's too late," he hisses against my ear. "We have to move."

"Stop it! Callum's dead!" I scream out. "The wall has to remain up!"

Zac turns us around, tossing me forward, his back to the wall. In the same breath, Jordan rips the walkie talkie from Poppy's hand as she screams — just as manically as me — into it.

"We have to move!" Zac yells at them. Jordan nods, wrapping his hand around Poppy's wrist and yanking her towards us. My feet reluctantly give in, letting Zac and Jordan usher us away from the wall, further into the undergrowth.

Zac pushes me towards the ground behind a huge bush before he's beside me, his arm hooking over my shoulder. His breath is thick and fast against my ear as his nose comes to rest against my temple.

I close my eyes as reality sinks in. He's scared. My big, bad husband is scared. He doesn't know what comes next, and nor do I. None of us do.

And the only person who instructed this to happen is dead.

Even Gia wouldn't want this. I know that without thinking twice. The girl has power over the North right now. 

This is going to break the entire country. And by the end of it, I'd be surprised if we're still standing.

I let my body fall against Zac's chest, my teeth clenched together as I close my eyes and wait for the inevitable. Zac angles his body over the top of mine, reaching across me and telling Poppy to grab his hand. She scoots closer to me and I hear a sob erupt from her mouth.

And then something pops in the far distance.

I hold my breath.

Another pop.

They're closer, no more singular pops — instead, continuous booms shatter the silence of the woods. Some are louder than others, shuddering the earth beneath our feet, and others are further away.

They're deep and loud and I push myself closer to Zac as another explosion causes the ground to shake. My eyes squeeze shut.

It's a continuous barrage of noise, and after a minute, I'm shaking in my husband's arms, hands covering my ears as I try to stop the monotonous explosions.

I'm back at the start of the war — standing in the middle of the school field as bombs explode around me, ripping up the ground and everyone in their way. I'm in the hospital two days later, falling out of bed as an explosion tore its way through the adjoining building. I'm being carted through the city to a new hospital when an explosion tore up the tarmac in front of us, the truck screeching to a stop as it tried to avoid the debris.

A sob rips through my lips.

And then, the explosions fade into the background, my eardrums saturated with an entirely different sound. It's fierce — almost indescribable — a brutal, crashing cracking that has my hands slipping from my ears. 

Zac doesn't even stop me as I stand back up. All three of them are beside me as I step back towards the clearing, keeping my hand on the tree trunks to keep me steady.

The trees clear, giving way to the sight beyond.

Gigantic, zig-zagging cracks cover the grey concrete, the electrified wire hanging limply from various points, hissing and spluttering. I can hear the cracks permeating through the small untouched areas of the wall, and then watch as an entire twenty foot long section lets out a crash before shattering in front of my eyes.

My mouth parts in shock.

The fissures on the wall left standing fracture instantly, spreading like wildfire and crumbling.

But that isn't what catches my attention.

Instead, I look beyond the caved in wall, past no-mans land, to the other side. The wall that leads directly to the next sector of England.

The force of Callum's explosions have sent debris flying everywhere. I can determine that from the state of the ground directly in front of us. 

But what I didn't expect — was hoping not to expect — was that the wall beyond would be compromised.

Five cracks run along the back wall, from floor to top, a few holes akin to craters dotted around it.

I watch in horror as the wall splinters, disintegrating into nothing.

"Shit," Poppy murmurs from beside me. "Is that the North?"

I wrap my arms around myself and bite the inside of my lip, unable to tear my eyes away from the carnage. Beyond that, lies greenery. A calm, more-peaceful-than-the-South greenery.

"Yes," Zac breathes out.

Poppy's hair whips over her shoulder as she turns back to where the wall once stood, speechless.

We're completely silent, the four of us in a row, staring at the devastation in front of us with wide, disbelieving eyes.

It's done. 

The Slayers are still down here. The Enforcers are still up there. Gia is still alive.

But the barrier is gone. The wall is down.

The wind suddenly whips at my hair, tugging it over my shoulder and around to the side, just as Zac reaches out, capturing my hand with his. I follow his hand upwards, to find his expression solemn. But his warm brown eyes hold a promise that has my heart calming, my lungs expanding with air. I give him an understanding nod.

We can face this.

We will face this.

Together.

Eeeeeek, it has been a strange couple of years! I want to first of all, sincerely apologise for how long it's taken for this book to be completed. It's been tough — but I'm so grateful to every single one of you who's still here.

Thank you for every read, vote, follow and comment. They mean the world to me, and I love you endlessly for it.

I hope this ending doesn't put you off, and sincerely hope that you enjoyed it, and stick around for the SEQUELS - two of which are already on my profile ready for you to add to your libraries and reading lists!

See you all in the next book 💚