1942664419 (S)

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author makes no claims to, but instead acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the word marks mentioned in this work of fiction.

Copyright © 2015 by Jennifer M. Eaton

ASHES IN THE SKY by Jennifer M. Eaton

All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America by Month9Books, LLC.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Published by Month9Books, LLC.

Cover design by Najla Qamber Designs

Cover Copyright © 2015 Month9Books

DEDICATION:

Most people don’t realize how important word of mouth is to the success or failure of a novel.
Fire in the Woods
stumbled out of the starting gate, but quickly gained momentum due to the awesome reviews, mentions, and all out fan-flailing from you, the readers. You took to social media outlets like Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Goodreads to scream alien love to the world.

Your support means the world to me. Y
OU
brought my story to life. As a special thanks, I’d like to dedicate
Ashes in the Sky
to each of you individually. Thank you, thank you,
THANK YOU
. I mean, seriously … thank you.

Abby in Chicago; Abi and Missy; Aisazia (OriginiquEquanimity); Aldii in Uruguay (PERFECTIONINBOOKS); Alexia (Alexia1303); Alexis V. (who made the first Instagram Edit); Alisha; Ally; Aly; Amanda Rae (bookishhollow); Angela (Southern Bred, Southern Read); Anita; Anmarie Blanco; Anna (Enchanted by YA); Arra Cabuenos; Aya; Becca Thun; Bee & Maddie (Heart Full of Books); Bella; Benjaminoftomes; Bethany; Brianna’s Bookish Confessions; Brittany; Brittany from Mount Olive, AL; Brooke Archer; Brooke (Brookebibliophile); Thenightowlbookbloggers; Bryee (Cuddle Me Books); Cait O’Reilly; Caitlin (book_buyer); Cassie (allthebookishfeels); Cece in the UK; Charissa in Las Vegas, Nevada; Charlotte from Brussels; Chaya Mckinely; Chin Rich (chinibebeh); Christina Morden; Christy Sloat; Clary Rae; Danielle Akley McPhail; Danielle Canterbury (BookendsAndBroomsticks); Danielle Calvert (Polkadot’s Book Blog); Dawn Does Books; Dela (Melissa Ballard); Delia in Germany (deliasbooks); Diana’s Books And Coffee Cups; DJ in Wisconsin (djsbooks); Dominique in West Warwick, RI; Ella Lloyd; Emily Kelly; Erica Bury; Erin Farnham; Evangeline Hoggan (The first person to order a signed book); Fabain in the USA; Fantasy111; Freja Pettersson; Georgia; Glenn Walker; Hamster; Heather Van Fleet; Ivmcan (IvAnReads); Ivy from Castle Rock; J. Ford; Jaquelyn Toll; Jennifer Bardsley; Jessica; Jessica (Cheshire Cat Book Reviews); Jocelyn Adams; Jordan; Kadence Kee; Karen Panaligan; Karla Feldstein; Kate from Adelaide, SA, Australia; Katelyn Grasso (thefearlessreader); Katie Hunter; Katie (RayKayBooks); Kayla; Kayla in Saginaw, MI; Kirsty; Kit F.; Kristen in the USA; Kübra in Germany (thereadercomplex); Laetitia in Vincennes, France; Lainey (Ginger Reads Lainey); Laura (mondscheinbuch); Laura Coratti; Laura McCall; Laurie; Lea from Long Beach, CA; Libby Wyatt; Lilly (That_Fangirl_Life_Is_Real); Lisa in Vienna, Austria; Lisa Cresswell; Lisa Gefrides; Liz Calderone; Lucija; Mademoizelleflo; Mandy (ReadingDiaries); Maria St. Delphi in Spain; Megan.2234 in Scotland; Mica Huffman; Mikelann (Elegantlybound); Misha Estrada; Missy K. in Lancaster; Missy Reynolds; Molly (MollieTheReader & Primroseology); Mom2triplets04; Morgan; Nadine in the UK (Katniss_Serum); Nakisha in the USA; Nana (Nanathebookninja); Nancy; Natalie Decker; NetteVC; Niah Wilson; Noah Young; Oaklie Hansen; Olivia Hope (thebooktionary); Olivia in the UK; Patricia B. Tighe; Phineas in Hawley, PA; Rebecca (Becca’s Book Affair); Renee Reynolds; Sabine Wood; Sammy Davis; Sarah in Texas; Savannah (Abookowl); Serenity; Shannon & Nadine (THGBOOKS); Sharon Hughson; Shelley Brown; Sheryl Winters; Simmons (hindianasimmons); Sophia (HAIRSTYLESBYSOPHIE); Stacey in Australia; Stacey Zwynenberg; Stacy Stokes; Stephanie Dougan; Suzana (Suzie_booknerd221); Tamara in Sudbury, ON, Canada; Tash in Australia; Tayla; Theresa Kay; Tiffany; Titah in Pontianak, Indonesia; TKV; Trevor Bertrand; Tricia Tighe; Tori in Australia; Two Chics on Books; Tyler Poitevint; Vanentina; and Zoe (Bookish Zoe).

__________________________ Insert your name here if I missed you. I appreciate everyone, even those I didn’t see before this list was printed!

Finally, Ben Alderson, what can I say? I think you shouted the loudest.

Alien kisses for everybody!

1

Dad’s brow creased. “You don’t have to do this, Jess. We can turn around now and go home.”

His fingers rapped on the limousine’s armrest as we pulled up to the entrance of my normally quiet school. Outside, police officers and several uniformed security guards held advancing reporters and camera crews on the sidewalks.

“Relax, Major,” Elaine said, across from me. She pulled out a compact and touched up her lipstick. “Two months after single-handedly saving the world from an alien invasion, Earth’s teenage savior returns to finish high school.” She snapped the case shut. “This is the public interest story of the year.”

Dad’s nose flared. “Yes, she’s supposed to be going to school, but you’ve made it a media circus. Why’d you have to schedule a press conference in the auditorium?”

She slipped her lipstick back into her designer purse. “They would have been here anyway. The best way to calm a stalking fox is to invite him in for tea.”

“Tea? I’ll give you tea.”

I held up my hand. “Dad … ” I didn’t have to finish. I never did. Their arguments were always the same. Father protects daughter, while the publicist pushes media exposure as far as she can legally get away with—and me stuck in between.

Elaine wasn’t all that bad, as far as publicists went. Not that I’d known any other publicists, but she’d been by my side since my very first press conference, and the hundred or so more over the past two months. She could be pushy, but she understood the power of a pint of
Death By Chocolate
ice cream at the end of a long day, which totally earned her brownie points in my book.

Dad’s gaze returned to me. “We just got back. Do you really need to do another press conference?” The deep lines around his eyes added to the weight of my own exhaustion.

I shifted in my seat, my hands clammy against the leather interior. “If we go home, they’ll just show up here again tomorrow. Let’s get this over with. Maybe then things can get back to normal.” I grabbed his hand. “I can do this.”

Dad pressed his lips together. Of course, he knew I could do it. But knowing and
wanting
me to answer another set of invasive questions were two different things, and I loved every stubborn inch of him for it.

Elaine fluffed my hair and adjusted the collar of my shirt. “Show time.” She knocked twice on the window, and the Secret Service agent outside opened the door for her. She glided through the crowd with a practiced grace.

Camera-palooza erupted outside.
Dang, there weren’t this many photographers when I met the president.

Dad stepped out before me, an imposing figure in his combat uniform. Having an over-protective father did have its advantages. No one was getting by this bodyguard. No one.

I closed my eyes and clutched the charm on my necklace. My mother’s strength seeped into me, giving me courage.
You’ll be fine
, I heard her whisper.
You’re my strong little girl. Always have been.

“I’ll try, Mom.” I opened my eyes and shuddered. You would think I’d be used to the feeding frenzy by now. This was the longest fifteen minutes of fame ever.

Steadying myself on the limo door, I stood.