Sneak Peek

With all impatience, I’ve been pestered to publish my book so that friends and family can enjoy it. While I wait for my incredibly talented sister to finish the cover art for the novel, I’ve included a short excerpt to satiate your curiosity.

Prologue

Thick smoke barreled from the stables, tendrils of flames licking up the sides, melting paint, devouring wood, robbing life. The shrieks of horses echoed through the midnight hour, piercing the black night with their terror. Men shouted frantically, adding to the chaos. I huddled alone, trembling in fear behind the massive oak that my brother had told me to hours ago. I had watched the sun sink below the hills, heard the bustling of evening meals, and as my anxiety grew, witnessed the conflagration that raged before me. Where was he? Why did he ask me to stay here?

At numerous points I had considered abandoning my hiding spot, whether out of boredom, hunger, and now fear; but the look on James’s face when he practically begged me not to move, stilled me. I’d never seen my big brother scared, not once, but in that moment, despite how hard he tried to hide it from me, I could see the fear in his eyes and the pale undertone of his golden skin. Whatever was happening, he was afraid and that scared me even more. Recalling that look sent a shiver down my spine, and I looked around with even more apprehension than before. I mewled involuntarily as the oppressive night seemed to close in on me. Mama never let me come this far from home, especially not on my own at night. The stately manor seemed much smaller from this distance, but not as small as I felt in that moment.

I wished I was big, big enough to not be scared, but I wasn’t; so I scrunched up, resting my head on my knees and rocked back and forth, trying to make myself as small as possible. Hours seemed to pass as I covered my ears against the terrifying noises, so when I felt a hand on my head, I nearly jumped out of my skin. My heart stopped as I jerked from my position, snapping my neck up to see--I sighed in relief. James. He knelt before me, his face full of fear and concern.  “What took you so long, Bear?” I asked, cuddling into the safety of his outstretched arms.

“I’m so sorry Zaelie. There’s no time to explain. I need to get you away from here.” he said urgently.

Confusion and fear filled me as I pulled from the warmth of his embrace, but I nodded trustingly. He grabbed my hand and helped me to my feet before we began fleeing. We weren’t supposed to go this far. It was too close to the forest. “Where are we going?” I asked nervously.

“Somewhere safe. Zaelie, you can’t go back there. It’s too dangerous.”

It was hard to make out his words over my heavy breathing and the crunching vegetation beneath us. The fire couldn’t reach us this far away--what other danger was there? I tried my best to keep up with his quick pace, but with my legs being substantially shorter than his, I found myself falling behind and running out of breath. Despite the burning in my lungs and legs, I pushed harder, pumping my arms and legs to try and match his pace.

Suddenly, the ground that should have been underfoot was not, falling a few inches shorter than I had anticipated. As a result, I pitched forward onto my knees, barely managing to not roll down the hill. Before I could scramble to my feet, I was being scooped up into my brother’s arms. “I’m sorry, I should have paid more attention.” he said, continuing to run at an impossible pace.

“It’s okay. One day I'll be as fast as you. We can race when I’m your age.” my words were jostled by his quick pace, but my smile wasn’t as I beamed up at him.

He glanced down, smiling reassuringly, and continued to bolt, not slowing until we reached the outskirts of the forest. My stomach dropped. Surely he wasn’t thinking of going in there? No one went in there. Or if they did, they never came out again. I clung a little tighter to him. “James?” I asked fearfully, my voice small.

He didn’t stop, but slowed significantly as we reached the whispering woods. “We have to.”

I shook like a leaf, quiet for only a moment before I whispered “Okay.”

I was terrified, but I knew everything would be okay if James was with me. He always made everything okay. I trusted him with everything my eight year old body could muster. “You are so brave, love. I’m proud of you.”

Despite how earnestly he tried to hide it, I could tell he was uncertain, especially as the wood engulfed us. It was loud. I recoiled against the murmuring shushing of the trees, nervous of their staring limbs. “It’s too noisy.” I whimpered.

Even in the dark I could see my brother’s confusion. “Zaelie, what do you hear?” he asked.

“The trees.” I whispered, hoping they wouldn’t hear me.

He gripped me tightly and stopped short. Feeling his hesitation, he gently set me on a bed of leaves, taking two deep breaths before steadying himself enough to continue. “Zaelie, it’s not safe for you at home anymore. We’re leaving together, okay? We’re running away. But I need to go back and take care of some things and I need you to hide here until I do.”

I gasped in terror, dread plummeting in my gut. “But Bear! I can’t stay here alone. You know what happens in these woods!” I plead desperately, glancing around at the dancing shadows.

He took my face in his hands, pressing his forehead against mine as I panicked. “Zaelie love, please! Take courage. You have more substance to your soul than any other person I know. You can do this. I know you can! It’s just for a night. I’ll be back tomorrow with more supplies, and I will have taken care of everything so we don’t have to worry about being followed.”

“Who would follow us? Why can’t we stay home with mama and papa? Why do we have to leave?” So many questions swirled through my mind.

“Sweet, I can’t answer that tonight, there’s no time. People will have already started to look for me. Please, you have to trust me.”

He spoke with such earnestness, held my face so tenderly, that I had no choice. “I trust you.”

The finality of these words, sealing my fate to stay in this haunting forest alone, terrified me, but I could feel the tension release from him. “Here. Take this.”

James pulled away, the absence of his warmth making me cold. I shivered in response, pulling my pale blue velvet cloak closer. He unlooped a large leather rucksack from his arms, dropping it beside me. “There’s enough food for a few days, water, and some extra supplies in here. Should you need anything before I get back, it’ll be in here. Don’t light a fire. It’ll draw unwanted attention to yourself. I’ll be back tomorrow evening. Wait for me right here and do not move so I know where to find you.”

I nodded mutely, concerned that the trembling in my voice might worry him even more than he clearly was. “I love you Zaelie. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” he promised, pulling me into an embrace.

I nodded again against his strong, warm chest, feeling small against his lean muscles, and even smaller when he pulled away. He kissed me once on the forehead and turned to hasten from the forest. I watched his retreating figure, unaware that this would be the last time I saw my beloved big brother…

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! I look forward to sharing the rest with you very soon.