Scarlett could feel that all eyes were on her. It was obvious why: she wasn't on Greyson's side, and she was carrying a mutant child.

Tumbles looked at Scarlett blankly. "Wait... do you mean you're actually having a baby?" she asked.

No one asked her directly since most of them still didn't know. There was the odd rumour about certain people, but she'd rather keep it quiet.

"Yes," Scarlett said. "I'm having a baby."

"Is the father Greyson?" Tumbles asked nervously.

The truck fell silent.

"Yes," Scarlett said.

Greyson knew about the mutant child, but he still didn't know it was his.

"Your baby is a mutant, right? It'd be cool if it could fly or shoot lasers from its eyes," Yara stated, looking back at them from the front.

"Shooting fire would be cool. Or maybe it could control wind or something," Nevaeh said with a smirk.

"It takes nine months," Scarlett said.

She didn't even want to think about what other powers the baby might have. Greyson's own power was enough, but deflection was a different story.

If the child could reflect anything directed at it, those powers would only become stronger.

"I heard the baby can bring stuff into the bubble. Imagine all the food we could get!" Yara grinned.

Something about that made Scarlett uneasy. Sure, it sounded like something magical, but it wasn't. She didn't even know if the outside world still actually existed.

"It's snowing again!" One boy named Landon called.

Scarlett looked over at the window, seeing the faint snow fall to the ground.

"Please don't tell me it's the storm," Yara complained. "I don't want to get that virus."

"Touch it," Nevaeh said with a smirk.

Tumbles opened the window and held her hand out, but it didn't burn. It was just regular snow as she stared at her hand.

"Isn't it pretty, Mommy? It hurts Ashley, but not you."

That voice in her head was her belonged to her child, as though the baby weee sitting beside her.

"Did the baby say something?" Zane asked casually, driving the truck.

Scarlett hesitated. "It's not meant for us."

"Good. Let it hurt that psycho," Landon said with a nod.

Scarlett had countless questions for the baby.

What's your gender? Could you destroy those followers?

Yet, her main focus was one thing: protecting the baby.

"It really talks in your head? Doesn't it sound like a girl or a boy?" Odessa asked.

"Sometimes," Scarlett said. "Not enough to matter."

It was strange how some of them talked normally to her. They hadn't decided what she was yet.

She was used to people ogling over her or following along with the schemes she would perform. There was no fear in their voices or trembling when they stared at her, but questions.

"Ashley wants to kill your baby? That means I'll be a bodyguard." Landon pointed a finger at his chest.

"You have to be strong to be my bodyguard," Scarlett replied.

"I'll just shoot her if I see her. Zane said we might make weapons," Landon said.

"What weapons are these?" Scarlett asked with raised eyebrows, glancing at Zane.

"Anything that will protect us and the baby," Zane said as he played with his thin gloves.

"Have you thought of names for the baby?" Tumbles asked.

"No, I haven't thought about it," Scarlett implied.

She's been just focusing on making sure the baby is healthy. Names were the last thing, because she didn't know if this baby might accidentally burn her from the inside.

"Willow is a pretty name for a girl," Odessa said with a smile. "Ross for a boy."

Scarlett wasn't fond of those names. If they had working phones, she could look up name ideas. She wanted names that weren't basic or boring. This was no boring child where you chose a name like Kevin or Emily. She had to choose names that had a good meaning or fit them.

"You should give them a powerful name like Athena or Zeus," Yara implied, waving her arm up and down.

"I wonder what it will look like," Nevaeh remarked with a smirk.

Scarlett didn't care that they kept loading questions. If she was going to change, she couldn't always make a snarky comment.

"I'm guessing a bit darker hair than your own. Maybe Greyson's eyes with more of your looks," Nevaeh commented. "Or it could be the opposite way around."

"Would you like to carry my child instead? Vomiting every morning isn't fun," Scarlett said.

"I'd rather not deal with that hassle," Nevaeh stated, giving a sickly expression.

It's not that Scarlett knew much about being a mother at fifteen. After all, her mother wasn't much help after her father left.

"You might have twins because it runs on Greyson's side," Nevaeh said.

One baby was enough, but twins? Greyson and Jason were already enough to deal with being high ranks.

Scarlett sighed.

"Let's hope not."

In regular society, being a teenage mother would get those stares from adults. People would wonder why a girl was having a child so young. That's what happened when you loved someone and forget to use protection.

Even if Scarlett had used Greyson in the beginning with his powers, seventh grade marked a change in their relationship. Now that she thought about it, they may have had a twisted relationship compared to Jason and Bella's, but Scarlett still loved Greyson.

However, she felt some connection with this baby. Not the connection of its voice, but a parent-child connection. Maybe that's why she left—to protect the baby from whatever was going to happen.

"How would you know the gender?" Odessa asked, as confused as any seven-year-old.

"An ultrasound," Scarlett remarked.

"Can't Hanna do that?" she asked.

"Without hydro, it's a guessing game," Scarlett sighed.

Now that Scarlett has added the information all up in her head, this baby should be born in June. That would be over a year of being in this place. Maybe they'd find a way out, but she knew they wouldn't. All there would be was the peace of being split into two groups.

"When we get there, we'll assign sleeping areas," Zane started. "Help restore more areas that they didn't finish, along with building some type of outhouse. We just want peace, which hopefully Ashley won't attack."

"We don't need more people dying," Yara stated.

Cindy had made it clear through the books she hurled at Scarlett that kicking wouldn't begin until later. Still, Scarlett feared what this baby could really do. Yes, she wasn't excited about the birthing process because, apparently, it's a bitch.

They pulled into a large campground that had melted snow and some tents set up. There had been dim lighting from lanterns as they skidded to a stop.

"Okay, well," Zane started.

Tumbles had already hopped out without falling. Scarlett slid out, watching the light snow stop as she adjusted the hat on her head. Nevaeh opened the trunk as Stick rolled his way out of it, all the bags surrounding him.

"Here, take the bag or backpack you have," Zane stated as Stick began to unload them all. Scarlett swung the bag over her shoulder as Zane approached her. "You're going to stay in one of the nice trailers because of the baby situation. You'll be by Jason and me." He pointed over at some fancy RVs.

Scarlett wasn't going to complain because RVs meant comfort. It wouldn't measure up to the island, but it's better than the cold beds in Simcoe.

"We all want to protect the baby. Despite your behaviour with everything, Jason and I are willing to overlook it," Zane said.

"Which one's mine?" Scarlett asked.

"If we're short on room, you might have a bunk for protection," Zane said, pointing to the middle black RV.

Scarlett walked over and opened the door, stepping up the stairs to see how luxurious this seemed. It didn't compare to the island, but it gave her some luxury in Simcoe. She threw her bag on one of the small couches and laid herself back on the bed.

It's not the same luxury as the king-sized beds on the island, but this would do. Glancing over at the bathroom, she sat up and saw a shower. She noticed a small foot pedal at the bottom and pressed it. Water flowed from the shower head.

"It'll warm up soon."

Scarlett nodded at the echo in her mind. She hoped it wasn't boiling, but that middle temperature they had before the storm.

Scarlett heard the door creak open as she glanced over, seeing both Tumbles and Nevaeh. "No fair!" Tumbles exclaimed, looking around the place.

"Literally, this is crazy. Maybe I should get myself pregnant," Nevaeh said.

"One mutant child is enough here," Scarlett said.

"Do you have heat?" Nevaeh asked.

Scarlett shrugged, looking around the dim RV. There had been little solar lights on the windows that turned on when you moved your hand under them.

"I have to bunk with people I barely know. Zane said people might get moved around when the next car arrives," Tumbles rambled.

"I don't know them any better than you," Scarlett said.

"Are we going to fit in here? All these people are good. Most at Uden Academy are bad, and I always thought what I did was right," Tumbles murmured.

"Maybe," Scarlett said.

However, she felt she wouldn't fit in. She wanted to change to be a better mother for her child. She didn't want to be a mother who dismissed her child by focusing on gaining money and men.

"I'm just here for gossip," Nevaeh remarked.

"You aren't any better than me," Scarlett said with a smirk.

"Helping with plans is fun. After all, I wanted electricity," Nevaeh implied.

"I'm going to try not to fall down from my clumsiness," Tumbles said. "Then I'll be Mallory again."

"Mallory means unfortunate," Nevaeh stated.

"How do you know?" Tumbles asked.

"I've been reading some of those baby name books with their meanings," Nevaeh stated. "There were some with funny meanings, but Cindy will probably shove them all at you. I wouldn't be surprised if she is the one who helps deliver your child."

Scarlett leaned her back against the dim window. "I don't even want to think about that," she said.

It's not that a baby can be delivered in a hospital here. Nope, that isn't how it works in this hell. It will be born without nurses or even medication to ease the pain.

"We should probably unpack," Tumbles implied, pressing her thumbs together.

"I want to go see all this gossip," Nevaeh remarked, her eyebrows raised.

Both of the girls left as Scarlett glanced out the window. From what she could see, one car drove into camp. It felt weird being away from Greyson. Maybe it is because she has become used to being by his side every day.

She created plans for her own benefit, along with going along with Greyson's plans. Scarlett decided that since Greyson chose to come back to create some plan for peace, she'd leave.

"I know how to bring the light back."

"How?" Scarlett asked, awaiting an answer, but there was no response.

Sighing, she placed a hand on her stomach. Medium rank, which means in a couple of months, this baby will probably be a high rank.

"Just keep me safe until then. I'll be able to tell you."

Scarlett knew that her mutant child might be able to do anything. Bringing the light back would be amazing. The dark might be cool, but for a long period of time, it became terrifying to some.

Anywhere, people could be watching and hearing, but that's why they had lights. Scarlett just hoped nothing went wrong with this pregnancy.

Most of the plaza was deserted, Jason's people gone, leaving behind an eerie stillness that clung in the air.

Emma stood on the church steps, watching Mia dash through the snow with Will and Eden. They all stayed on Greyson's side, since they didn't know much about Jason's side of people.

"It's unnervingly quiet," Hanna remarked beside her.

"Jason and Zane aren't here," Emma murmured. "I figured you went with Conner."

Hanna shook her head, letting out a soft sigh. "Zane will be back in a couple of days. None of them know first aid well—and there's the mutant child."

Scarlett and Greyson's child lingered in her thoughts, the echo of the whisper in her head. The way the baby seemed to harbour great anger toward Ashley, despite barely doing anything.

Emma remembered Divina's words to that baby. The fear within Ashley and Divina only deepened Emma's anxiety.

How could anything be stronger than they were?

"She probably doesn't want help," Emma murmured. "I think that child is going to be a gift and a threat. It's a threat to Ashley but a gift because it will probably save us."

The baby's arrival would bring more than just fear—it would bring food, medicine, clean clothes, and everything they'd been deprived of for months. The storm had left them without even the basics, and there was no way to clean their clothes without a washing machine.

Emma felt a flicker of relief now that the storm had passed, but her confidence never returned with it completely. The memory of being treated like a tool by Greyson still sat deep inside her.

Everyone depended on her to heal, especially in emergencies involving serious injuries. She couldn't keep being that crybaby.

"I don't have a clue how to deliver a baby," Hanna said, her voice laced with unease. "That's what delivery rooms have been for."

"I can't," Emma murmured, shaking her head, her gaze falling to her snow boots.

"Unless something happens, someone else will have to take charge," Hanna sighed. "I know Cindy's been studying it closely."

Emma wondered if Cindy missed helping in the infirmary. It was possible, but she wasn't the same girl she had been four months ago.

"What's going to happen to the little kids?" Emma asked.

"They still don't know," Hanna replied. "Greyson's letting them stay, but it's still a mess."

Emma nodded, chewing her lip, her mind still unwilling to consider what might happen next.

"Emma!" Mia screeched, sprinting toward her, breathless.

"She won't heal you if you get frostbite," Hanna shot back, arms crossed.

"Will did something to his chin," Mia blurted out.

Emma followed Mia as she dashed behind a cluster of snow piles. Will was there, holding his chin with one hand, grimacing in pain. Blood stained the snow beneath him, bright against the white, drawing attention to the deep along his chin.

"I slammed it on the ice," he groaned.

Eden stood atop a snowbank, arms crossed, her eyes sharp with disdain. "He's an idiot, like always," she snapped. "Maybe if he listened to me, that wouldn't have happened."

"Okay, Mia's done worse," Will retorted.

"You mean when I dislocated my elbow?" Mia shot back. "That was your fault!"

Emma pressed a hand to Will's chin. "You were drunk!"

Will groaned, rubbing the blood into the snow. Bryce crouched behind a mound, smirking as he packed a snowball, then launched it at the back of Mia's head. This group was chaos together.

"Ow! I didn't do anything!" Mia yelped, spinning around.

"You're an idiot," Bryce said, sticking his tongue out playfully.

"Mia's always been an idiot," Will remarked casually.

Emma didn't recall ever seeing the four of them together at school. But she remembered during an assembly when Mia and Will had been dragged out for laughing every time the headmistress spoke.

"No, I haven't!" Mia protested, eyes wide.

"Who got suspended for drugging the headmistress?" Bryce asked with a smirk.

"It was funny," Mia reasoned.

"And who tried to climb out of a dorm window and ended up falling?" Bryce slyly asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I only had a few thorns in my arms," Mia replied nonchalantly, before flopping back onto the snowbank.

Emma pulled her hand away and stood. "You'll have to clean off the blood," she said.

Will scooped up a handful of snow and rubbed it across his chin, the blood mixing the white, creating a smear across his face.

Eden strode toward them, clutching a tightly packed snowball. Her expression was dark and serious—she didn't look pleased with Will's actions. She hurled the snowball at his head, causing him to yelp in surprise.

"That's not what I meant," Emma muttered.

"Idiot!" Mia exclaimed.

Emma turned, ready to head back, but Bryce slid in front of her, a smirk playing on his lips. She chewed her lip and widened her eyes, feeling her heart race. It wasn't just the anxiety or overthinking—it was something else.

"Where are you going?" Bryce asked slyly.

"Back to the infirmary," Emma mumbled.

"There are no injuries," he replied.

Bryce leaned in, his face inches from hers. Emma's breath caught, her heart pounding hard enough that she was sure he could hear it. It wasn't the first time he'd done this, but every time, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to kiss her.

"Let loose," he teased. "Do something fun."

"Um..." she trailed off, her hands clutched tight in front of her.

"Do I make you nervous?" Bryce teased, just before a snowball hit him in the side of his head. "What, Mia?"

Bryce turned to Mia, who stood with both hands on her hips. Emma remembered seeing her often in the bathroom, vaping or selling drugs.

"You're a tease," Mia remarked.

"Put a shirt on," Bryce commented, raising an eyebrow.

"No, it's nice out," Mia said, unbothered. "I'm used to wearing bras in the cold from all those parties."

Emma watched as Will pushed Mia down onto the crest of the snowbank. She could tell the four together were crazy. They weren't plotting like Greyson, Luke, and Scarlett, but they did whatever.

"Whoa, this could be a slide," Will said in awe, then tried to slide down the snowbank on his bare chest.

"There's no ice, just snow," Bryce said, turning back to her with a smirk as he leaned in closer. "Do I?"

"Um..." Emma started as she slowly nodded.

"Why is that?" Bryce pressed.

Emma felt her face flush, certain it was turning bright red. Why was she so easily embarrassed? It had been that way for as long as she can remember.

"Uh..." He grabbed her hand, guiding her toward the remains of the old Burger King. "Because I..." she stopped.

The last time she'd said those words, someone had taken advantage of her—and she hadn't seen it coming. Trust was a fragile thing now; people weren't always who they appeared to be.

Bryce gently tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Staring at your feet won't help you get over that river of problems," he said softly.

"It's a habit," Emma murmured, nervously twirling her fingers. "Like you..."

"You have to express your feelings," Bryce said, poking her hollow cheeks. "How many times have I told you that?"

"A lot," she mumbled, rubbing the side of her arm.

"Esme's told you the same thing," Bryce added, poking her face playfully. "You should listen to what people tell you."

"Okay!" Emma exclaimed, her arms shooting up to cover her face.

Bryce gently lowered her arms. For a second, he hesitated—just enough for her to pull awayif she wanted to.

She didn't.

He leaned closer.

Her heart raced but she didn't step away.

For once, she wasn't waiting for something bad to happen.

His lips met hers softly, and the world seemed to disappear for a moment.

When he pulled back, he flashed her a playful grin and stuck out his tongue.

"You're so cute," Bryce said, his smile warm. "I'll probably have to keep reminding you to speak your feelings."

He looked back over at the crackheads for a moment before looking her in the eye.

"So, since I know you like me, do you know what that means?" he asked with a teasing smile.

Emma's eyes widened, and she felt her face heat up.

"Um..." She chewed on her lip. "We're..."

She knew the word, but it felt stuck in her mouth.

"Dating..."

"Yup." Bryce grinned and poked her forehead. "I'm going back to the crackheads. Make sure your head doesn't explode."

He walked back over to Mia and the others, leaving Emma standing alone, her heart still racing. She turned toward the church, her lips pressed tight.

She was dating him.

The thought didn't feel real, especially in a place filled with chaos.

Bryce had liked her longer than she even realized she liked him. For so long, he had seemed like an impossible thing to consider. He was someone who would care about her without wanting anything in return.

He was different than she expected. It wasn't just the constant teasing every chance. He never judged her, and refused healing even if it were for something small.

Somehow, those little things made her trust him more

"It's getting closer."

Emma stopped and scanned her surroundings, a heavy feeling settling in her chest. Divina's words echoed in her mind—Ashley might be getting closer to unlocking all her powers. No, she couldn't, not before the baby came. Jason and Greyson wouldn't be able to stop her.

"The child is determined to stop God."

It was determination, like Greyson's. That's what Emma could guess, but she didn't understand what was happening.

Whether the baby would be a girl or boy, Emma believed it would be intelligent—like both its parents. Smart enough to know the right moves when it came to defeating Ashley.

Stepping back into the dimly lit infirmary, Emma settled onto one of the cots. Her thoughts spiralled, trying to make sense of everything. The four of them could hear the baby's word, but not the words it told Greyson's or Scarlett's.

Not even Ashley could hear the words the child told them.

Emma's stomach tightened. She didn't know when Ashley would snap, but she knew what it would be like.

Trees cracking. Bodies thrown aside like they weighed nothing. Fires spreading before anyone could scream.

Ashley was going to kill them all.

"Think, Emma," she muttered to herself. "We need to ambush her because she still can't see well."

The needed to send Jason, Greyson, Esme, James, and any other powerful freaks to attack. It seemed like a solid plan but getting everyone on the same page was the real challenge.

Jason wouldn't side with Greyson. Zane was always the one who could negotiate between the two brothers. They'd need to devise a plan—one that could ambush Ashley before she even got anywhere near the baby.

"It can't read, write, or barely see," Emma whispered.

She remembered those were all disadvantages on Ashley's part. If they kept their distance, Ashley wouldn't be able to see them. Esme was barely visible on a normal day of running, but there's snow now.

"An ambush might at least leave Ashley wounded," Emma murmured, shaking her head in disbelief.

What was she doing, trying to come up with a plan? People already relied on her enough, but this was Zane's or Greyson's territory.

"If God gets them all, I know a way."

Emma recognized that voice, and it made her stomach drop.

What other option did they have if the ambush didn't work?

She rubbed her thumbs together nervously, standing still in the dark infirmary. She stopped climbing the steps right before she reached to open the door.

"Another way to kill God is by separating the human from it."

How could you even separate them? If they split apart, wouldn't that mean Ashley would die? Emma didn't know, but the thought of it terrified.

Did they need to resurrect someone, or did Divina perform some twisted scheme?

"You have to destroy that body gruesomely. Separation creates a new body for the human."

Emma felt the colour drain from her face. That sounded like something Luke would do because he enjoyed making people suffer. Except this was worse. This was supposed to be the solution.

"The human no longer wants to be with God. Separate them, and God's followers fall like flies. That human may die or become someone who could help."

Divina's voice spilled the truth about the outcome to come. Emma doubted Jason would want to hear about his stepsister, who doesn't feel like leading anymore. Greyson didn't care for Ashley, but she was God.

How were they supposed to solve something that even the strongest people among them didn't understand?

Emma didn't know what would happen. She only knew the mutant child had to be born before the terror began.

The second book is complete! This book was really fun to write, especially adding new characters.

This book was a lot darker than the first I found while writing. Maybe because of things mentioned, like Ilya's drug addiction or River's trauma.

One of my favourite parts was when the storm stopped and the big mystery of why.

What were some of your favourite parts of this book?

Our series will conclude in Terror, where the worst chaos will endure.
-Lexi