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Prologue

    Mark Rushings awoke to faint, wild war screams. He turned over and shook his wife. “Renée, get up!” he whispered. “The village is being attacked.”

      Renée woke up and grabbed the family baby, Miner. “Quick!” she said. “We’ll only have time to put the children into the hole.”

      They got out of their bed and hurriedly woke up their other children, the twins, Jared and Jewel, and their in-between son, Brandon. They rushed them into the basement to a trapdoor, which they hauled up. They hurried their children into the hole underneath and dropped in a sack of emergency supplies. Then they closed the trapdoor and hurried upstairs, where they dressed in plain clothes. Renée ran to hide in the backyard shed, while Mark ran outside with his sword in hand.

      The normally peaceful village was alive with the sounds of battle. Mark came out in time to see his brother, Jayren, being dragged away by a man dressed in black who had a spear.

      “So, we meet again,” said a cool voice, and a spear point pricked Mark’s neck.

     Mark stiffened. “Is that right? If I recall correctly, you were going to take my head off.” He paused. “Or are you too cowardly, Aleron?” He felt the spear point being pushed farther into his neck.

     “Drop your sword.” The cool voice came again.

     “No,” Mark said stubbornly.

     The spear point came away, and Mark ducked and rolled to get away from being killed. He sprang up. “Fight, you coward!”

     Aleron drew his sword. “You’ve asked for it!” he said.

   The battle began!

   At the start, Mark fought wildly, but when he wore down, Aleron attacked him fiercely, forced him to the ground and said,

  “Now, you fool, will you surrender?”

  Mark leaned on his arms, gasping for breath. “I love you, Renée!” he shouted. “I’m NOT SURRENDERING!”

  Aleron’s sword flashed down.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE TH      Dawn broke over the silent village. Renée ventured out from her hiding place to see if Mark was among the bodies in the village’s main street.

    Her friend, Asia, saw her searching and said, “He was dragged off last night. My son, Justin, was dragged off, too. Rebecca and Ryder have been crying ever since.”

    “Was the Jkara family attacked?” Renée asked.

    Another woman walked up. “I don’t think so.”

   “Oh, hi, Kenya,” Asia greeted her friend. “Did they hear about the attack?”

  “Yes, but only Kurt was able to come and help. Alan was needed at home, as were Christian and Kyle. Leah had twins last night, Lance and Lydia, and it was a difficult birth, but the twins are doing fine now.”

  “Well, I’m glad Leah wasn’t here,” Renée said. “Aleron’s men burned about half the town.” She sighed and ruffled Brandon’s hair absentmindedly as her children joined her.

  “You’d think that Kendrick and his boys would help, being pretty high in town and all,” Asia said, shifting her position and glaring at the short, tubby man who was gingerly walking  among the bodies toward them, grimacing in disgust, his round middle shaking with every step.

  “I know that Kerr helped,” Kenya said. “He was injured, and had to come out after a while. I treated him. I t was so nasty, I dare not describe it here because of the children. He was so brave. I wish his brothers were like him and listened to him when he begged for them to help.”

  Kendrick reached them at that point, muttering, “That son o’ mine, he shoulda listened to Killian.” He looked up and saw the three women giving him withering looks.  “Well, he should ‘ave!”

  “Kerr was a hero,” Kenya said, putting emphasis on the last word. “He was wounded as he was helping defend the town, while you and your older sons cowered in your big, fancy old house.” She made her look even more withering. “If you had helped, maybe there would not be as many bodies. Maybe my nephew would be alive. He didn’t live to see adulthood. And my husband was dragged away, and he wanted to be around to see this baby born.” She gestured to her round stomach. “As if Brenna and Bryna didn’t have enough on their plates already, with the young ones and all. Now Mallory and Ted and Nate wil be even more as pests, wondering where  their daddy is.”

  “How many are dead?” Kendrick asked.

  “Twenty-one, all told,” Asia replied. “Jariana’s husband and middle son are both dead, and her oldest son was dragged away. Her two youngest are continuously asking where they are.”

   Just then, a weary scout ran onto the main street. “Aleron’s men are returning! Flee! Run for your life! They’re coming!” The swift young man then ran off to spreads the news, which spread like wildfire.

   Renée immediately took charge of her children. “Jared, you take Miner, and Jewel, you get Brandon. Run to our hiding place in the forest!”

  “But what about you, Mama?” Jewel asked as she grabbed Brandon’s hand.

  “I’ll be there. Now go!” Renée pushed them off. “Kenya, you go too. I’ll get your children. You need to keep that baby safe.” She rushed off before Kenya could protest.

  Kenya rushed off after the fleeing children.

Jared and Jewel hurried their siblings to the small cave underneath an oak tree that was their hiding place. They crept inside, pulled down the curtain of moss, and waited quietly for their mother.

  Kenya soon appeared, and her children came a little while later. When some hours had passed and Renée had not yet appeared, Kenya sent Bryna and Jared to see what was going on.”

  Aleron’s men were bringing more chaos to the small town. Bryna and Jared peered out from behind a house and were about to leave when two arms grabbed them. Jared wriggled out of the grasp of the strong arm and drew his ever handy dagger, stabbing at their attacker, who immediately released Bryna and turned on Jared, drawing his sword.

  “Why, you little-!”

  Bryna screamed, “Jared, run!” She turned away as the sword flashed down, and jumped in fright as there was a loud CLANG!

  Kurt Jkara, the oldest child of his family, had stopped the sword from cutting Jared down. “How cowardly, killing innocent children!” he said. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself!”

  Bryna grabbed Jared’s hand and ran for her life.

  Renée met them in the woodlands and hurried them to the hiding place. “Prepare for a long stay,” she told them. “A spy informed us that Aleron’s men plan to continue attacks.”