Dianne Salerni - The Eighth Day

As they passed each other, switching places, Jax whispered, “Chicken.”

“Shut up.”

In the back of the Land Rover, while Riley peeled down the Avenue of the Dead at way too fast a speed, Jax opened up a cooler and offered Evangeline another water bottle. She took it, but she was looking at him so sadly, he stiffened.

“What?” he demanded.

“Jax,” she said, then paused as if reluctant to continue. “I took you on as my vassal under emergency circumstances. I thought it would save your life, and then you ended up saving mine.” Her gaze darted toward the front seat. “But I think you were probably meant for someone else.”

“Who, him?” Jax pointed a thumb at Riley. “I wouldn’t swear to him if he was the last liege lord on earth.”

“Wouldn’t want you, squirt,” Riley replied without taking his eyes from the road.

Evangeline looked back and forth between them with her brow crumpled, as if she couldn’t tell if they were joking or not. “I’m offering to release you,” she explained.

“I know.”

This was exactly what Riley had predicted she’d do. Here she was, exhausted and wounded, and all she was worried about was giving up something she thought she had no right to—Jax’s loyalty and friendship.

Riley had said he could have Jax back with Naomi in just a few days if Evangeline let him go. By fall, Jax would be enrolled in a new school. Kidnappings and pyramids and running away from homicidal Transitioner clans would be a distant memory.

He could take up trombone again. Join the astronomy club. Just like his father had wanted.

Too bad Dad never talked it over with me.

“Do you not want me around?” Jax asked Evangeline.

“It’s not that. It’s just—”

“Was I a bad vassal?”

“Of course not! You were brave and quick thinking—”

“Is it because I’m a Transitioner? Or a lousy cook?”

“Be serious,” Evangeline said in an exasperated voice. But she was biting her lip and trying not to laugh. He recognized her expression from the pepper-spray incident.

“Okay. Seriously, then. I decline your offer of release .” Jax said it solemnly and formally, using the words Riley had given him to say. When he saw the relief in her eyes, he grinned and used his own words.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

I’d like to thank my agent, Sara Crowe, and all the wonderful editors of HarperCollins who helped me make The Eighth Day the best book it could be: Alexandra Cooper, Alyssa Miele, Barbara Lalicki, and Andrew Harwell. I also want to thank my husband, Bob Salerni, who took me to Mexico to climb the Pyramid of the Sun; our tour guide, Alvaro Arestegui, who taught me the history of the place; and my brother-in-law, Larry O’Donnell, who helped me plan a military assault on it. I owe thanks to my daughter Gina, the very first reader for every chapter of this book, and my daughter Gabrielle, who designed Jax Aubrey’s mark. A big thank-you also goes to my critique partners, Krystalyn Drown and Marcy Hatch, as well as my beta readers: Henry Becker, Gwen Dandridge, Lenny Lee, Katie Mills, Susan Kaye Quinn, Mary Waibel, and Maria Ann Witt.

A very special thank-you is owed to my reading classes from the 2012–2013 school year. These students were “handcuffed” to me and dragged along on my publication adventure. They cheered me on through every step in the process! Thank you, Jimmy, Matt B., Isabel, Rachael, Valerie, Isaac, Joey, Miranda, Josh P., Zach R., Aidan, Angelo, Kyle, Javi, Darrien, James, Shelby, Kira, Luis, Alexa C., Matt C., Mike, Zoe, Chase, Matt H., Patrick, Laura, Katie, Savannah, Abby, Owen, Josh M., Alex, Macie, Grace, Brayden, Nathan, Chris, Karl, David, Lauren, Alexa Y., and Sabriya.

DIANNE K. SALERNIattended the University of Delaware, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education, and then went on to earn a master’s in language arts education at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been teaching the fourth and fifth grades for over twenty years now and has also managed to write several books, including We Hear the Dead and The Caged Graves . Though she knows it doesn’t exist, Dianne secretly hopes to discover a real Eighth Day so she can find the time to grade all her students’ papers. Until then, she lives in Chester County, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bob, and two daughters, Gabrielle and Gina. You can visit her online at www.diannesalerni.com.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.