“It’s safe though. You know that, right?” I said, smiling softly at her.
“I know, but just in case. Never know. Maybe you’ll get into a tangle with a tiger.”
“A tiger?”
“All those zoo animals had to go somewhere, right?”
I pulled her into a hug, giggling as I struggled to move around her large belly. “Thank you, Layla.”
“You’re welcome.”
“There you are,” Susan called. “Will was looking for you.”
I let go of Layla and turned to my sister. “Yeah, I know. I’m ready. Where are Mom and Tom?”
“Inside. They’re coming out now.”
“Kira,” another voice called. “Safe travels,” Amelia said, joining us.
“Thanks. So, we’re headed west?” I asked Amelia.
She nodded. “Vella and I gave the map to Will.”
“And what are you expecting we’ll find?” I asked leadingly. At this point, those of us who still went out pretty much knew that whenever Amelia and Vella had a hunch about a place, we’d come back with something…or someone.
“I guess you’ll see when you get there.”
“All right, all right.”
I turned to see my mother and Tom come outside. “I better go say goodbye. Don’t have that baby before I get back.”
Layla smiled at me then looked across the field at Kellimore who was turning a deer on the spit. It was as if Kellimore felt her gaze. He turned and smiled at her, a look so full of love that it made me blush. Someday, I was going to find a love like that.
“Safe travels, Kira,” Amelia said.
“Thank you,” I said then turned to Layla. “Thank you again,” I said, patting the sword.
She nodded. “See you soon.”
“Okay, let’s go,” I said, hooking my arm with my sister’s.
“A sword?” Susan asked.
I pulled the blade from the scabbard and gazed at it. It glimmered in the bright sunlight, reflecting the colorful world around me. I realized then how lucky I was. Unlike Layla, I wasn’t heading out to fight the undead, vampires, kitsune, or anything else. I was headed out in search of something better: hope.
THANK YOU
I hope you enjoyed The Harvesting Series. Might I ask a small favor? Would you consider posting a review? It helps me out a lot, making the book more visible to potential new readers.
Even though we are saying goodbye to Layla, Cricket, Vella, and Amelia, I’d love it if you kept in touch. Please join my mailing list, and I’ll let you know about all my upcoming releases.
Thank you for taking this ride with me. Starting the zombie apocalypse is a lot easier than ending it. I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride. I know I did. Much love and many thanks!
Little Layla by Heather Ainsley
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
With many thanks to Becky Stephens, Lindsay Galloway, Kerry Hynds, Naomi Clewett, Carrie L. Wells, Mark Fisher and Electromagnetic Press, the Airship Stargazer Ground Crew, the Blazing Indie Collective, and my beloved family.
Also, my thanks goes out to all the bloggers and readers who’ve supported this series. Thank you so much for taking a chance on my quirky little spin on the zpoc.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melanie Karsak is the author of The Airship Racing Chronicles, The Harvesting Series, and The Celtic Blood Series. A steampunk connoisseur, zombie whisperer, and heir to the iron throne, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.
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MELANIE KARSAK ON AMAZON
Table of Contents
The Torn World
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter 1: Layla
Chapter 2: Layla
Chapter 3: Amelia
Chapter 4: Layla
Chapter 5: Amelia
Chapter 6: Layla
Chapter 7: Cricket
Chapter 9: Amelia
Chapter 10: Layla
Chapter 11: Amelia
Chapter 12: Layla
Chapter 13: Amelia
Chapter 14: Layla
Chapter 15: Cricket
Chapter 16: Layla
Chapter 17: Layla
Chapter 18: Layla
Chapter 19: Layla
Chapter 20: Cricket
Chapter 21: Amelia
Chapter 22: Layla
Chapter 23: Layla
Chapter 24: Amelia
Chapter 25: Amelia
Chapter 26: Cricket
Chapter 27: Layla
Chapter 28: Cricket
Chapter 29: Amelia
Chapter 30: Cricket
Chapter 31: Layla
Chapter 32: Layla
Chapter 33: Layla
Chapter 34: Layla
Chapter 35: Layla
Chapter 36: Cricket
Chapter 37: Layla
Chapter 38: Layla
Chapter 39: Layla
Chapter 40: Amelia
Chapter 41: Layla
Chapter 42: Layla
Chapter 43: Layla
Chapter 44: Layla
Chapter 45: Cricket
Chapter 46: Layla
Chapter 47: Cricket
Chapter 48: Amelia
Chapter 49: Layla
Epilogue: Kira
Thank You
Acknowledgements
About the Author