‘There will be more smoke, even if we get clear of the forest. You saw what I saw. The whole world is on fire.’ Stuart’s tears ran black from the ash on his face. The full realisation of what had happened was taking hold. It was unlikely that his parents had lived through the attack, and if they had, they would certainly be running for their lives. It was also true of Josie’s family, although the vision of Kaleb’s death still dominated her thoughts. It dawned on Evelyn that with small children to look out for, Tom and Grace stood little chance of survival. They huddled together for comfort there. In a short time, the smoke would overwhelm their bodies, their current concerns replaced with something far worse. Cradleworth would welcome them into his own special oblivion. Their foreheads touched, and their tears mingled together. The path in each direction seemed identical. In their distress, they had no idea which way they’d come from. It would not be long now.
A piercing shriek nearby startled them, breaking them apart. The noise came from a bird sitting on the withered branch of a tree. Regarding them with a jerky inquisition, it cawed again. Evelyn smiled through her grief. She recognised the bird as one of her own. She did not have to ask if the raven was the only survivor. She could feel the rest of her flock were close. ‘Are you a sight for sore eyes!’ she said.
Reasons to Be
1
Crowside, Buckinghamshire
Cradleworth woke to the rain on his face. He opened his eyes and focussed on the corpse lying face down ahead of him. His whole body ached as he rolled his back from the base of the table to land on all fours. The red fluid soaking the floor bubbled up between his fingers and he realised it was coming down in the rain. He crawled over to the fallen man, passing a strange looking sword on the way. Like everything he could see, its blade was rouged. He also noticed that its handle curved over to form the head of a serpent. Gripping the man’s clothing, it took every ounce of energy for Cradleworth to roll him onto his back.
The man was young, even though his beard and long hair made him look older. His face was still but his expression of wonder suggested he had died in the midst of a revelation. Cradleworth recalled a distant memory of this same man calling out to him from an unbearably cold and dark place. Cradleworth closed his eyes and shook his head
A noise thundered across the sky. It was then he noticed the huge hole in the roof of the house. Through the rain, he saw the fierce clouds that facilitated the downpour, along with the myriad of imposing shapes falling to earth. He lurched in discomfort as he forced himself to his feet, using the dead man as leverage. Dizziness took him and he staggered forward, throwing his hands out to steady himself on the edge of the table.
A flash struck out at the night and the light crept in through the hole in the roof, reflecting from the glass of the standing mirror on the other side of the table. Cradleworth shuffled around to stand in front of it. He lifted his hand to his pale skin. Charles, he thought. My name is Charles.
After gazing at his reflection, he felt more stable and walked steadily to the door. What he witnessed as he stepped outside sent his head into a flat spin again. The world was on fire, set alight by the beams of swarming craft that populated the landscape. He lifted his hands to cup his ears. Nothing could drown out the mechanical groans, the explosions, and worst of all, the cries of the dying. Cradleworth began to scream, hoping that it would wake him from what must be a terrible, vivid nightmare. He would rouse in his bed soon enough and all the pain would fade away. He would remember who he was again, where he belonged.
Cradleworth’s screams continued without salvation. The fires only burned with greater intensity, and the blood rained down upon him.
…To be continued.
Table of Contents
Prologue: It Is Hell That Created Me
1
Chapter 1: The Price
1
2
3
4
Chapter 2: Trespass
1
2
3
Chapter 3: Lamentation
1
Chapter 4: Monuments Never Lie
1
2
3
4
Chapter 5: This Mirror Isn’t Big Enough For the Both of Us
1
2
3
4
Chapter 6: To My Friend and Teacher
1
2
3
4
Chapter 7: What Has Been Seen Cannot Be Unseen
1
2
3
4
Chapter 8: Daddy Had an Accident
1
2
3
4
Chapter 9: Poor Little Rich Boy
1
2
Chapter 10: Inseparable
1
2
Chapter 11: There’s No Place like Home
1
2
3
4
Chapter 12: Triage
1
Chapter 13: All Heat, No Light
1
2
3
Chapter 14: Broken Worlds/Broken Dreams
1
2
3
Chapter 15: Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
1
Chapter 16: Dissolving Bonds
1
2
3
Chapter 17: A Voice Is Heard In Ramah
1
Chapter 18: Sins of the Tall Grass
1
2
3
4
5
Chapter 19: Incanto
1
2
3
4
Chapter 20: Shadows in Our Blood
1
Chapter 21: Sealed
1
2
Chapter 22: Are We Sleeping?
1
2
3
Chapter 23: Aether
1
2
3
Chapter 24: Flawless Heart
1
2
3
4
Chapter 25: Boadicea
1
2
3
4
5
Epilogue: Reasons to Be
1
Infanticide (Fallen Gods Saga Book 2) Page 23
