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  Ali and Matthew began a new life as Scottish ambassadors. They had the tricky job of working with the Perthans, Nomads and Highlanders. Luckily, both of them used their charm and diplomacy skills to bring the people together as one Clan.

  Kitty and Mike went their separate ways in love, yet stayed together as the Protectors. Mike married a girl from the Resistance and started a family. It was what he’d always wanted. Kitty liked her job as international ambassador, travelling the world and finding allies for the new United Kingdom, confronting the countries who had ignored us in our darkest times: Ireland, France, America, among others. She grew into a self-assured and quick-witted woman who gained respect from those around her.

  Elena set up a foundation for ex-models and beauty pageant contestants. She also trained to be a vet and moved to the countryside. She’s still looking for the perfect guy to settle down with.

  Daniel’s abilities became more powerful after the Border Battle. His mind reached further, making him able to help when tragedy struck. We travelled around the country together, quelling violent uprisings, and aiding victims in natural disasters. The public adored him. They built statues of him in their towns. Girls bought posters of him and stuck them on their bedroom walls. I stood by and watched with amusement – and slight annoyance – as they squealed in his presence, teasing him when he blushed bright red and squirmed in embarrassment. Hiro took great pleasure in telling him all the gory details of their thoughts, mortifying Daniel so much he stuck his fingers in his ears and la-la’d until it was over.

  But I tired.

  I tired of being a weapon. Mary needed me to keep the country safe, to stop anyone taking power. I just wanted to see the world. And so we started democracy all over again – beginning with small elections and preparing for elected governments and leaders. Bit by bit it stabilised. Things would never be perfect – but who wanted it to be?

  *

  I walk with Daniel by the Eiffel tower. The sky is blue and the iron sculpture soars above us – casting its long shadow along the gardens below. For a moment I think of the border walls and their mountains of bricks. It brings all the pain rushing back. I force it away. I’m a sensitive, open wound because I’m here for them – to let go. Everything reminds me of the past.

  “You okay?” Daniel asks.

  I nod. There’s a slight tightness in my chest and my head feels stuffy from unshed tears. I’m okay, I keep telling myself. Deep down I really am.

  “Are you ready for this?”

  “It’s been ten years,” I say. Somehow it feels like yesterday.

  He pulls me closer to him. “I know. And I also know how raw it still feels.”

  I laugh. “It’s a good job Hiro isn’t here. He doesn’t need to hear our morbid thoughts.”

  “He’s probably out on a date,” Daniel said. “Wooing the ladies.”

  Hiro has a way of using his talents to his advantage. The problem is that most of the girls figure it out eventually. “Do you think he’ll ever settle down?”

  “He’s only twenty.”

  “We were younger than that.” I stop walking and place my hand on his cheek. “But somehow I always knew.”

  We press our foreheads together.

  With a sigh, I break apart. “It’s time.”

  We find a quiet spot near the tower and I take out a small coffee tin from my bag. For some reason I never thought to buy an urn. I move so that the wind blows away from me – taking my hair with it. The coffee tin is cold in my hands. There are a few dents and bumps from over the years, but it has survived well, considering everything we’ve been through.

  I unscrew the lid while holding the tin at arm’s length. Before I scatter the ashes I take a deep breath. “Goodbye, Dad. Goodbye, Mum.”

  I replace the lid and put it back inside my bag.

  “Don’t you want to say anymore?”

  I watch the way the ashes blow along the wind; sprinkling the grass by the base of the tower. “No.” I’m sure they found peace a long time ago, and I’ve given up speculating how. Now I wanted to let go of my grief. To just say… goodbye.

  He takes my hand and we stand for a long time, watching as the ashes settle into the soil. I hope something grows there to continue the circle of life. The air cools and I squeeze Daniel’s hand. “Let’s go.”

  I feel a little let down. I’d expected a release that never came. After ten long years I still hold onto something.

  “You know that we’re free now,” Daniel said. “We can see the world. We can do whatever we want.”

  “Perhaps we can join Kitty for a while,” I said.

  I stop in my tracks. A little bird with its foot caught in a vine squeaks from the garden railings. The poor sparrow flaps its wings in desperation.

  “Wait here,” I whisper, letting go of Daniel.

  Moving with gentle and deliberate actions so as not to frighten it, I gently unhook the vine from the bird’s foot, and it rises from the gate with its little wings fluttering. I have to squint away from the sun as I watch it fly up into the sky. It soars high above us.

  Finally the release.

  My shoulders feel lighter and the constriction in my chest eases. That feeling of holding back tears dissipates and I take a huge breath, enjoying the fresh, spring air.

  Daniel smiles at me. “You okay?”

  I nod. This time I really mean it. “I feel free.”

  ~ A Note from the Author ~

  A huge thank you for supporting independent authors by buying this book. As an author who has self-published her book, I rely on readers to spread the word. Why not take a moment to do just that and leave a review?

  Want More?

  A beautiful world comes at a price…

  In a world filled with stunning clones Mina Hart is Blemished. Her genes are worthless and that takes away her rights: her right to an Education, her right to a normal life and her right to have a child.

  Mina keeps a dangerous secret which she never thought she could share until she meets Angela on her first day at St Jude’s School. But their friendship is soon complicated by Angela’s adoptive brother Daniel. Mina finds herself drawn to his mysterious powers and impulsive nature. Then there is the gorgeous clone Sebastian who Mina is forbidden from even speaking to…

  The Blemished is a frightening take on a fractured future where the Genetic Enhancement Ministry have taken control of Britain. It will take you on a ride filled with adventure, romance and rebellion.

  Book one in the popular YA dystopia series ‘Blemished’. Available on Amazon and Smashwords.

  “The Compound bustled with action and anticipation, causing my stomach to do a flip. I stopped in my tracks, realising something, something I hadn’t thought of before. We were going to war, and people were going to die.”

  The Vanished are the forgotten: those who live beyond law or society. Mina fought for freedom. She fought for a better life – a future. But even a free world can decay.

  As Mina begins her new life in the Clans she meets people with surprising knowledge about her power, knowledge that could change everything – even her relationship with Daniel. But as she makes new friends, old friends turn against her in shocking betrayal.

  Life in the Compound is tough; there are ways and traditions so strange that Mina begins to suspect foul play at the very heart of her new home. Instead of leaving corruption behind in Area 14, Mina is faced with the rotten core of human nature as a Clan warlord threatens to invade the Compound. The Clans are turning against each other and Mina is stuck in the middle.

  The Vanished is the second instalment in the Blemished series and follows Mina’s story as she continues to challenge those in power and seek out new dangers. With even more rebellion, romance and betrayal, The Vanished promises to take the reader on a roller-coaster ride of adventure and emotion.

  Will freedom fall? Available on Amazon and Smashwords.

  In a fractured Britain, the Genetic Enhancement Ministry have taken control. Parents
buy designer babies and those with genetic faults are labelled Blemished and shunned from society.

  Elena Darcey is just as perfect as the other clones, but there is something different about Elena, because she’s in trouble. After helping Area 14’s most famous criminals escape, Elena has to get out before her teacher— the formidable Margaret Murgatroyd —finds out that she is a sympathiser for the Blemished. The perfect opportunity arises as a beauty pageant promises the winner a trip to London. Will Elena cope with the cut-throat world of a beauty pageant filled with sabotage, violence and betrayal? If she makes it to London, will she find the safe haven she craves? Does she discover more than she’d expected after meeting the mysterious Jake Bloom?

  The Fractured is the first part of a spin off series based on The Blemished, which will focus on some of the secondary characters and their stories. Part one follows the life of Elena as she experiences a life changing event. Available on Amazon and Smashwords.

  In a fractured Britain, the Genetic Enhancement Ministry have taken control. Parents buy designer babies and those with genetic faults are labelled Blemished and shunned from society.

  Margaret Murgatroyd failed in her mission to capture three Blemished escapees. She fears the Ministry will demote her to full-time teacher and remove her Ministry rights. But Margaret is surprised as she’s given a new opportunity with new responsibilities, the only problem are old memories it brings up. Margaret remembers herself as a young girl, Maggie Powell, and the mistakes she made as a young lab technician working at the Genetic Enhancement Ministry as it first embarked on its take-over of Britain. She remembers the mistakes she made, the people who betrayed her and the way it shaped her as a woman.

  The Fractured is the first part of a spin off series based on The Blemished, which will focus on some of the secondary characters and their stories. Part two follows the life of Margaret as she remembers the heart-breaking events of her past. Available on Amazon and Smashwords.

  About the Author:

  Sarah grew up in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Derbyshire and as a result has an over-active imagination. She has been an avid reader for most of her life, taking inspiration from the stories she read as a child, and the novels she devoured as an adult.

  Sarah mainly writes speculative fiction for a Young Adult audience and has had pieces of short fiction published in the Medulla Literary Review, Apex Magazine, PANK magazine and the British Fantasy Society publication Dark Horizons. Her short story ‘Vampires Wear Chanel’ is featured in the Wyvern Publication Fangtales available from Amazon.

  The Blemished series is Sarah’s first project, however she is currently working on an upcoming YA fantasy series. Keep in touch for more information!

  www.sarahdaltonbooks.com

  www.theblemished.com

  @sarahdalton

  ~ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ~

  First and foremost, to everyone who bought the book. For some reason you decided to check out my book instead of another, and that’s all a writer can ask for. You’re awesome.

  Many beta-readers have cast their eyes over the Blemished books, and I can’t thank them enough. Without you lending your time to this project, I would never have completed it. So many thanks to Mandalyn Capelle, Kat McIntyre, M A Macrae, Shalini Boland, Catherine Stansfield, Violeta, and Stephanie Bibb. You’re all fantastic writers as well as betas.

  Big thanks to family and friends who have put up with my constant Facebook updates and boring book statuses. Many of you have read a book in a genre you don’t necessarily like just because my name is on the cover. Your support means a lot.

  Thank-you to the bloggers who have featured, reviewed and recommended my book, as well as the people who have passed the book along to their friends, schoolmates, librarians etc.

  Another shout out to Naj of Najla Qamber Designs for creating such beautiful art for the covers. Thanks, Naj!

  Most of all thank-you to my partner for your unconditional support. I would never have finished without you.

  Table of Contents

  1 ~ Daniel ~

  2 ~ Mina ~

  3 ~ Angela ~

  4 ~ Daniel ~

  5 ~ Mina ~

  6 ~ Angela ~

  7 ~ Daniel ~

  8 ~ Mina ~

  9 ~ Angela ~

  10 ~ Daniel ~

  11 ~ Mina ~

  12 ~ Angela ~

  13 ~ Daniel ~

  14 ~ Mina ~

  15 ~ Angela ~

  16 ~ Daniel

  17 ~ Mina ~

  18 ~ Angela ~

  19 ~ Daniel ~

  20 ~ Mina ~

  21 ~ Angela ~

  22 ~ Daniel ~

  23 ~ Mina ~

  24 ~ Angela ~

  25 ~ Daniel ~

  26 ~ Mina ~

  27 ~ Angela ~

  28 ~ Daniel ~

  29 ~ Mina ~

  30 ~ Angela ~

  31 ~ Daniel ~

  32 ~ Mina ~

  33 ~ Angela ~

  34 ~ Daniel ~

  35 ~ Mina ~

  36 ~ Angela ~

  37 ~ Daniel ~

  38 ~ Mina ~

  39 ~ Angela ~

  40 ~ Margaret ~

  41 ~ Daniel ~

  42 ~ Mina ~

  43 ~ Angela ~

  44 ~ Daniel ~

  45 ~ Mina ~

  46 ~ Mina ~

  47 ~ Mina ~

  ~ Epilogue ~

  ~ A Note from the Author ~

  About the Author:

  Table of Contents

  1 ~ Daniel ~

  2 ~ Mina ~

  3 ~ Angela ~

  4 ~ Daniel ~

  5 ~ Mina ~

  6 ~ Angela ~

  7 ~ Daniel ~

  8 ~ Mina ~

  9 ~ Angela ~

  10 ~ Daniel ~

  11 ~ Mina ~

  12 ~ Angela ~

  13 ~ Daniel ~

  14 ~ Mina ~

  15 ~ Angela ~

  16 ~ Daniel

  17 ~ Mina ~

  18 ~ Angela ~

  19 ~ Daniel ~

  20 ~ Mina ~

  21 ~ Angela ~

  22 ~ Daniel ~

  23 ~ Mina ~

  24 ~ Angela ~

  25 ~ Daniel ~

  26 ~ Mina ~

  27 ~ Angela ~

  28 ~ Daniel ~

  29 ~ Mina ~

  30 ~ Angela ~

  31 ~ Daniel ~

  32 ~ Mina ~

  33 ~ Angela ~

  34 ~ Daniel ~

  35 ~ Mina ~

  36 ~ Angela ~

  37 ~ Daniel ~

  38 ~ Mina ~

  39 ~ Angela ~

  40 ~ Margaret ~

  41 ~ Daniel ~

  42 ~ Mina ~

  43 ~ Angela ~

  44 ~ Daniel ~

  45 ~ Mina ~

  46 ~ Mina ~

  47 ~ Mina ~

  ~ Epilogue ~

  ~ A Note from the Author ~

  About the Author: