Masque of the Red Death (29 page)

Authors: Bethany Griffin

Tags: #Love & Romance, #Love, #Wealth, #Dystopian, #Adventure and Adventurers, #Juvenile Fiction, #Fiction, #Action & Adventure, #Plague, #Historical, #General, #Science Fiction, #David_James Mobilism.org

“Oh, no.” I grip the wood railing. Some part of me still believed that I could return there, that my parents would greet me.

“I’m sorry,” he says. He reaches to put his arm around me, but then pulls back. “Perhaps we should have someone stitch that up.”

“Will can do it.” I sigh.

“Let’s go below and ask him. I don’t want you to die.”

“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

His eyes meet mine, and I remember that he told me once that he was falling in love with me. I might finally believe him. He touches my shoulder with his singed fingertips, and I lean my head against him, so tired. But there are things that he has to know.

“April has the contagion.”

He stiffens. “What?”

“The Reverend Malcontent infected her on purpose. We could all die.”

“Not if we can find your father.” The flyer rustles in the wind. I remove it from my sleeve, clutching it tightly. “They say that he had a vaccine. And that the night your brother died, he cursed humanity and threw it into the harbor.”

“Who says that?”

“Kent’s father. He worked with yours—”

“He doesn’t know anything. Finn didn’t die at night.”

But perhaps Father found out about Finn’s death in the evening. I don’t know anymore. Why would a father curse all of humanity when he still had a living child?

“We must find your father. But first we have to recover, make plans. We’ll camp for a few days, regroup.”

I can see the tops of trees at the edge of the city, an oasis that we might just be able to reach.

“Going back into the city will be dangerous,” I whisper. But it’s what I want to do. We’ll find Father first, and then Mother.

Elliott lights a match. “Don’t tell Kent. We aren’t supposed to smoke onboard. The hydrogen.”

Something explodes far below us. Not a result of Elliott’s match. I hope.

There’s a sound behind us, and April joins us on the upper deck. She settles between us, pulling her knees to her chest.

She takes my hand. I squeeze hers without thinking about the contagion. She has it. And we’re here together. Elliott takes her other hand, meeting my eyes from above his mask. He lets go of her hand and puts his arm around her. I smile.

When I close my eyes, everything is dark and silent. I feel as weightless as the ship.

The charcoal sky has begun to spit a cold rain as we rumble along, out of the city, and into the wilderness beyond.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank:

The Musers, who both keep me sane and keep me company in insanity.

Suzanne Young and Amanda K. Morgan, who were with me through every step of this adventure.

Kurt Hampe, who never minded looking up information about airships, and for being part of my real-life critique group, along with Katie McGarry, Colette Ballard, and Bill Wolfe.

Lee Faith, who doesn’t mind my constant preoccupation when I’m writing.

Ezra and Noel, for making me happy every single day.

My mom, for reading me so many books and then for taking Ezra and Noel on oh-so-many grandma excursions so I could write my own books.

Kellie, Carrie, Laura, Judy, and Doug, because sometimes you have to quit writing and go out for a few hours.

My agent, Michael Bourret, for general awesomeness and for answering emails at the speed of light.

My editor, Martha Mihalick, for drawing little hearts all around the love scenes. Oh, and for making this book better than I ever imagined it could be.

And my students, who keep me from getting too old and out of touch, with special thanks to Elizabeth Maddox and Joye Walton.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BETHANY GRIFFIN
has always admired Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories. “The Masque of the Red Death,” which this novel reimagines, is one of her favorites.

“I’ve always loved the amazing atmosphere Poe creates,” she says. “But ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ is one of his shortest stories. I wanted to know more. I wanted characters and their stories within the context of this devastating plague. And that’s where this story originated.”

Bethany Griffin lives with her family in Kentucky.

www.bethanygriffin.com

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CREDITS

COVER DESIGN BY SAMMY YUEN AND PAUL ZAKRIS

This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used to advance the fictional narrative. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.

Masque of the Red Death

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Griffin, Bethany.

Masque of the Red Death / Bethany Griffin.

p. cm.

Summary: In this post-Apocalyptic twist on Edgar Allan Poe’s gothic horror story about the wealthy trying to escape a plague, Araby Worth, a privileged seventeen-year-old girl who feels numb after the death of her twin brother, becomes caught up in a conspiracy to overthrow an oppressive government, falls in love, and faces the threat of a new plague.

ISBN 978-0-06-210779-4 (trade ed.)

EPub Edition © APRIL 2012 ISBN 9780062107817

[1. Plague—Fiction. 2. Love—Fiction. 3. Wealth—Fiction. 4. Adventure and adventurers—Fiction.]

I. Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849. II. Title.

PZ7.G881327Mas 2012 [Fic]—dc23 2011039806

12 13 14 15 16 LP/BV 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First Edition

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