Pair 1, Book 2: Trails Through the Volcano
Time: Modern, 1 month later
POV characters: Amber, Alex, Livia, Corbo
After a tearful reunion with Amber's mother, and her best friend Karen, Amber and Alex must help the nation prepare for the future as the Inland Seaway splits open again along the Rio Grande. They visit as many villages in Oklahoma as they can, preparing them for the future, sharing a wealth of seeds, books, hopes, and dreams for the impending dark days of winter and global cooling as Yellowstone prepares to rupture amidst the tectonic plate movements. Along the way, they rescue two young children, and eventually return to a small village being built on a farm.
Livia and Corbo search for Corbo's missing father, whom he has never met. Corbo is frustrated with the search, and people's perceptions of him. He comes to appreciate the simple future, where he belongs, and won't be hunted as an undocumented citizen of the only country he has ever known. Along the way, they draw closer than ever, and Livia becomes pregnant with their first child. Livia still has difficulty walking due to her ankle injury on Magdalena Peak. She manages to release the Arizona zoo animals, saving their lives, and the potential future of the hungry people in the communities who have survived the volcanic upheaval, as even Arizona is covered in ash and lava.
