by Sharon Sala
Praise for the novels of
SHARON SALA
“Veteran author Sala crafts two exciting leads bound by their love of animals and reluctance to trust people.”
—Publishers Weekly on The Healer
“Sharon Sala is not only a top romance novelist, she is an inspiration for people everywhere who wish to live their dreams. Her work has a higher purpose and she takes readers with her on an incredible journey of overcoming adversity and increased self-awareness in every book.”
—John St. Augustine, host, Power! Talk Radio WDBC-AM, Michigan
“Sala’s characters are vivid and engaging.”
—Publishers Weekly on Cut Throat
Sharon Sala has a “rare ability to bring powerful and emotionally wrenching stories to life.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“A compelling page-turner and a reading experience I won’t soon forget!”
—Reader to Reader on Sweet Baby
Also by
SHARON SALA
BAD PENNY
THE HEALER
CUT THROAT
NINE LIVES
THE CHOSEN
MISSING
WHIPPOORWILL
ON THE EDGE
“Capsized”
DARK WATER
OUT OF THE DARK
SNOWFALL
BUTTERFLY
REMEMBER ME
REUNION
SWEET BABY
SHARON SALA
THE WARRIOR
The older I get, the more I have begun to understand
the words of my elders.
When my grandfather died, my grandmother was
devastated. I remember hearing her say in a tiny,
broken voice, “I thought I would go first. I didn’t
want to be left behind.”
When my father, then my sister, died within two months
of each other, our whole family was broken. Grocery lists
they’d written the week before were still there, but they
were not. I remember my mother’s shattered words.
“No parent should outlive their child.”
Long before my fiancé, Bobby, ever began to get sick,
he told me out of the blue one day, “If anything ever
happens to me, you will be all right.”
Then, when he died, I wailed in a lost, hopeless cry,
“I wish I could go with him.”
In the ensuing weeks after his death, I remembered his
prophetic words and I was certain that he was wrong.
I know he laughs now, because time has proved
that he was right.
Despite the tragedies and sorrows life hands us,
there is always one undeniable truth.
As long as we draw breath, we owe it to the ones
we loved and lost to live out our lives without
wasting them on regrets.
So…just to set the record straight, you were right,
my love.
In honor of those we’ve loved and lost,
I am dedicating this book to the ones
who get left behind.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
Prologue
North American Continent—early 1500s
Night Walker, second chief of the Turtle Clan of the Ah-ni-yv-wi-ya, stood on a promontory overlooking the bay of great water near his village. He was a warrior of twenty-nine summers, with a face that was a study in planes and angles. He was also something of an oddity in the tribe, standing head and shoulders above every other warrior. His shoulders were broad, his muscles as hard as the line of his jaw, which, today, was clenched against the angry slap of the wind blowing against his skin. With each fierce gust, his hair—thick, black and straight as the arrows in his quiver—would lift from his shoulders to billow out behind him like the wings of a soaring eagle. As he stood, wearing nothing but a piece of tanned deer hide tied at his waist and hanging to just above his knees, his nostrils flared, savoring the scent of oncoming rain mixing with the ever-present tang of salty air.
For days he’d been having visions that troubled his sleep—bloody visions always ending with death. Troubled by what he believed to be a dark omen of things to come, he’d taken to standing guard on the highest point above the village. Today, when the storm had come in without warning, churning the great water into massive waves higher than Night Walker’s head, he’d felt a foreboding similar to that in his dreams.
Now he stood with his feet apart, his body braced against the storm front as he looked out across the bay, watching the dark underbelly of the angry clouds covering the face of the sun. As he watched, a long spear of fire shot out of the clouds and into the water with a loud, angry hiss, sending water flying into the air. Night Walker flinched, and the skin on his face began to tighten. Every instinct signaled that danger was upon them.
A second shaft of fire pierced the clouds, stabbing into the heart of the great water and yanking his gaze from the sky to the horizon. As he watched, a shape began to emerge from the far side of the rocky finger of land pointing out into the water. It was floating on the water like the canoes of his people, but much, much larger, and with big white wings filled with the angry wind. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen, and the sight left him stunned. The unsettled waters were rolling the big canoe from side to side, and he could see men running about on its floor, scrambling like tiny insects trying to outrun a flood as waves washed over the sides. His heart jumped; then his gut knotted as his sense of foreboding grew.
He turned and looked down at the village. His people were as yet unaware of anything more than the oncoming storm. As he watched, he saw his woman, White Fawn, come out of their tepee and go to the woodpile just beyond. She staggered once from a hard buffeting wind, then regained her footing and went about her task. He knew what she was doing—gathering dry wood before the storm got it wet, which made it difficult to burn. She was a good woman, always thinking of his comfort. The mere sight of her always made his pulse quicken. She was his heart, the other half of his soul, and even though the Great Spirit had not blessed them with children, he loved her no less. It wasn’t until she went back inside their dwelling that he turned back to the water. When he did, a jolt of fear shot through him. The great canoe was now inside the bay, and three smaller canoes filled with strange-looking men were in the water and coming toward shore.
Their presence was a threat to the Ah-ni-yv-wi-ya, even though he had no words to explain how he knew that. He turned and began scrambling down the steep slope of the bluff, desperate to get back to the village and warn his people.
Antonio Vargas was a pirate with an eye always on the prize just out of his reach. For months he’d heard rumors from Spain that a man named Colombo had found a new route to the West Indies and, in the process, found a land rich in wealth guarded only by a race of savages. In other words, a treasure ripe for the taking.
Before he could act on the notion, an unexpected raid in the night by an English privateer had decimated his crew. They’d managed to escape by sailing into a fog bank. A week later, he’d put into the nearest port and t
aken on more crew, and for more than a month now, they’d roamed the seas without encountering another vessel or coming within sight of any kind of land. Desperate to recoup his losses as well as his self-esteem, he’d decided to follow Colombo’s path and claim some of those easy riches for himself. Only it hadn’t been as easy as he’d hoped.
They’d been on the water for more than two months, and Vargas had been beginning to fear his decision had been a bad one when land was finally sighted. It was none too soon. His men were weak, some suffering dysentery. He needed fresh water and fresh food. Sighting land was a godsend, but the upcoming squall at their backs was pushing them in toward shore far faster than he would have liked. As he prayed that they would not founder on a hidden reef, they’d done the best that they could to navigate into the bay. Between the swiftly approaching storm and the sheet of rain that they could see coming across the ocean, he was relieved to drop anchor. Giving orders as fast as he could shout them, Vargas watched as his crew scrambled to obey.
It wasn’t until the ship was secure that he took the time to scan the shoreline. Just beyond the shore, nestled up against a backdrop of trees that appeared to be the beginning of a forest beyond, was a village. He couldn’t tell much, but it appeared small, composed of no more than thirty dwellings. A slow smile broke across his face. He’d done it! He’d found Colombo’s famous new land, too. When he returned, he would also be lauded as a daring explorer. All he needed was proof, like some of the gold he heard Colombo had found. Uncertain as to which would be wisest—ride out the storm before it hit, then go ashore, or go ashore now and take the residents by surprise—Vargas let his greed settle the debate. If he waited, whoever lived there might hide or even run, taking their treasure with them.
Barking another set of orders for boats to be lowered, Vargas watched the village through his spyglass while he waited. When he saw movement and then savages gathering and pointing, he realized that they’d been spotted.
“Make haste!” he yelled, pointing toward shore. “They’ve seen us!”
Three smaller boats were lowered, manned by six men apiece. Vargas’s boat took the lead. About halfway to shore, he looked through his spyglass again, and as he did, his heart jumped. Four of the savages were heading toward the water, while the rest of the villagers had begun to gather in the background, obviously as curious about him and his men as he was about them. The wind was still high, churning the waves. The threatening rain seemed imminent, and yet the villagers didn’t seem worried. In response, Vargas’s concern over the storm dropped, too. If they thought nothing of it, then neither would he.
Within minutes, the boats were beached. Vargas vaulted out and strode forcefully through the raging surf, ignoring the rising wind and the sea slapping at his legs. Three of his men followed closely. He could hear them cursing and muttering among themselves about the storm and the cold, angry sea. Although more than half of them were weakened from dysentery, he was beyond caring about creature comfort. Greed rose like gorge within him as he watched the approaching savages.
Their skin was dark, but not as dark as a Moor’s. Their hair was long and straight, and seemed to be woven through with bits of feathers and what appeared to be strips of animal skin. They came without care for the wind whipping about their faces and necks, impervious to the impending storm as they stared at him and his men in fascination.
He didn’t know or care that they’d never seen men with light skin or hair on their faces, or seen people wear clothing, even in warm weather, that covered their entire bodies. He fingered the scimitar at his waist, then slid the palm of his hand from its hilt to the dirk he’d shoved beneath his wide leather belt. He looked past their crude weapons and animal skins to the bright bits of what he took to be gold, mingled with the strange gemstones and shells they were wearing around their necks. His gaze focused on a small pouch hanging from a leather strip around the neck of one of the savages and he imagined it filled with gold, as well. His imagination swelled as he pictured pots of the jewel-like stones within their huts, maybe even lying about on the ground.
When the first savage stepped up to him and lifted his hand in greeting, Vargas reached for his necklace.
Chief Two Crows, principal chief of the tribe, had been as stunned by the appearance of these men as had Night Walker. With no reason to suspect danger, he’d willingly gone down to greet them. But when the tall stranger with the hairy face suddenly grabbed at his medicine bag and sky stones, he grunted and knocked the man’s hand away.
Vargas grinned, then pointed at the chief as he spoke to his men. “So, amigos, the savage does not want to share.”
Someone chuckled behind him as the first drops of rain began to fall. He reached for the pouch, yanking it from around the old man’s neck before he could react, palmed his dirk and slit the savage’s throat.
The old chief’s shock died with him as his blood spurted onto Vargas’s chest.
“Now!” Vargas screamed, then pulled the scimitar from his waist and waved it above his head.
His men swarmed from the boats. With the rain hammering down upon them and the wind pushing against their backs, they raced toward the village, firing their small handguns and hacking at the savages, without care even for woman or child, as they began to run in terror toward the village that would provide no safety now.
Night Walker was halfway down the cliff when he heard the first screams and what sounded like short claps of thunder. But it wasn’t until he heard an answering war cry that he knew they were being attacked. He flashed on the visions he’d been having. Fear increased his speed.
He ran without thought for himself while the thunder of his own heart drowned out the screams of his people. The storm was on top of him now, yet he felt none of it. The fear in his belly lent speed to his strides. Tree limbs slapped at his face and against his chest, marking the smooth brown flesh with long, angry streaks, bringing blood that was quickly washed away by the torrent of rain. Night Walker was unaware of all of it—not the sharp, burning pain from the thorny limbs ripping at his flesh, nor the blood and rain pouring down his body. Even though he couldn’t hear her, White Fawn’s face was before him, her name echoing within his heart. He felt her panic, knew something terrible was happening to her—and that he was not going to be fast enough to save her.
When he finally burst out of the forest into the clearing, it was to a scene of horror. What he saw was worse than his nightmares, bloodier than his visions.
The enemy had come, and the enemy had killed.
Everyone.
The only signs of life were the strangers, ripping clothing from the People’s bodies, yanking totems and medicine bags from around their necks. Laughing as if their greatest joy in life was desecration.
When Night Walker saw a tall man with a hairy face reach down and rip the sky stone from around White Fawn’s neck, shock rolled through him. Her head lolled lifelessly as the man shoved her limp body aside with his foot. Night Walker saw the rain pouring down into her dark, unseeing eyes, flooding her nostrils, washing the blood from her face.
He screamed—first in horror, then in rage.
With the bodies of his people strewn about like maize husks tossed by the wind, he pulled the first arrow from his quiver, notched it and took aim. The arrow cut through the downpour in a blur, piercing the throat of the nearest man, who dropped the booty he’d been carrying and grabbed at both sides of the shaft. His eyes bulged as a bubble of blood popped on his lips. He was dead before he hit the ground.
Night Walker notched another arrow, took aim and let fly, watching with grim satisfaction as, one by one, the unsuspecting invaders dropped where they stood. Their cries of pain or shock went unnoticed by the others, drowned out by the sound of the storm. He fired off another arrow, then another and another, until he’d emptied his quiver, leaving them with a band of far fewer men than when they’d landed.
It wasn’t until he grabbed a club and a spear from a nearby hut and began running toward them
, screaming an endless war cry, that the others realized he was there.
A man named Miguelito Colon saw the crazed savage coming toward them and shouted at Vargas over the storm.
Vargas spun just in time to see the attacker run Colon through with a spear. Even though he was accustomed to hand-to-hand combat, he flinched as Colon’s guts spilled out on the ground, the spear still quivering in his belly.
Vargas roared in anger, surprised by both the savage’s sudden appearance as well as the shocking number of his crew who now lay dead. As the rain blurred his vision, a cold wind whipped through the village, suddenly chilling him to the bone.
At that moment, it crossed his mind that he should have waited until the storm passed before coming ashore. But nothing could change what was, and the savage was only one man—little more than a lingering nuisance.
“Get him!” he shouted, waving his men toward the tall, nearly naked man coming at them on the run.
Arturo Medajine grabbed for his handgun, took aim and fired. But the powder was soaked, and by the time he dropped the gun to reach for his sword, the savage was upon him.
The savage swung his wooden club as he passed, cracking Medajine’s skull. The man never knew what hit him.
Night Walker’s gaze was still fixed on the man who’d killed White Fawn. As he passed her grandfather’s corpse, he grabbed the spear from Brown Owl’s lifeless hands then leaped a small child’s body.
The next man to come at him did so with a broadsword. Night Walker dodged, then speared him in the gut. The man was still screaming as Night Walker took the sword out of his hands and decapitated him where he stood.
Vargas was shocked. The savage was still alive and downing his men one after the other. Compared to the others they’d encountered, this one was extremely tall—as tall as Vargas himself. Before he could react, thunder rattled the ground on which they stood. The lightning bolt that followed struck nearby, so close that they were all momentarily blinded. By the time Vargas could see clearly again, the savage was less than a hundred feet away and another of his men was dead.
