Sneak Peek of Book 4
In book 1, Kia is abducted by Karak. Here is that same scene, appearing at the beginning of book 4, from Kia's perspective.
Kia sat on the couch, her legs drawn up and her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. All around her, people went on about life as if the world wasn’t caving in around them. Unfortunately, Kia was unable to pretend that all was well.
Her long sleep had been full of strange and terrifying dreams. Tori had been in most of them, playing the role of savior over and over again, but Tori couldn’t save her now. Kia was awake, but she still felt asleep… drifting through a world she didn’t understand, surrounded by strangers who knew too much about her, and caught up in some drama that was somehow all her fault.
And everywhere she looked, they were drinking and laughing, completely unaware that life would never be the same. Her parents were long gone, and her home… who knew where that even was? All that she’d known was gone… fading away like the remnants of all those dreams.
Kia closed her eyes and tried to block out the noise around her, but it kept cramming itself back into her brain. Too much. It was all too much for one girl to bear.
And really, that’s all she was. Despite her ridiculously old age, she was still barely beyond a child, knowing nothing of the world outside of her small village. She’d only ever kissed one boy, and he was long dead now. Her hopes and dreams of a life with that boy, of mothering his children and tending his home, had been stolen from her by a thousand year sleep.
Why her?
Kia hadn’t asked to be here in this chaotic place with these intense people. She wanted to be safe in her mother’s arms. She just wanted to be home, but that wasn’t going to happen, because she didn’t have a home anymore.
The tears welled up and spilled from her eyes, so she wiped them with the back of her hand. There was no stopping them, however, and soon they were pouring down her face faster than she could wipe them away. Her chest seized with grief as she sobbed, ignoring those that were gathering around her. She fell to her side, curling up on the couch. She tried to become as small as possible, wanting nothing to do with any of them.
Vivie crouched over her, rubbing her head softly as she mumbled words of comfort. Kia didn’t want to be comforted. She only wished to be left alone to mourn the loss of her world.
Tori’s voice joined those nearby. “What's going on?”
Vivie let go of Kia to answer Tori. “She's just very upset. With your injuries last night and now Mae's...” There was a pause, as if Vivie didn’t quite know what to say. “I think it's all just too much for her. Too much drama, too much violence. Too much of everything, maybe.”
She was right. It was just too much of everything. Since she’d woken up, Kia had been on the run from some unseen menace. She’d witnessed carnage unlike she had ever imagined, and even caused some of it herself. What she had done to that monster… the very idea that she held that kind of power scared Kia to death.
Tori appeared at her side, caressing her head gently. Though the touch was awkward, it was kind, but did no good to ease Kia’s pain. After a moment, she retracted her hand.
“Kia,” Tori said softly, “I'm sorry this is so hard for you.”
Kia sat up, tucking her legs back under her again. She wrapped her arms tightly across her chest and closed her eyes, breathing deeply to gain some kind of control. “I want to go home,” she said quietly.
“Sweetie,” Tori said, clearly uncomfortable, “I know this isn’t easy for you-”
“No, it's not!” Kia yelled, her eyes snapping open. “I don't understand this world and I hate it.”
She bound to her feet, practically knocking Tori over in the process. Tori got up and followed her across the room.
“I don’t know what to say here, Kia,” Tori said, sounding just as miserable as Kia felt. “Once this is all over-”
“Over for whom?” Kia asked, throwing her hands up in the air. “You will go back to your life as before, but where do I go, Tori? I’ve no life anymore, do I? Never had one really, as it was all lies. I don't know who I am or where I came from, and beyond a single word that means nothing to me, I’ve no idea what I even am. Everything I knew was false and everyone I’ve known is long dead and rotted in the ground. I have nothing!”
Kia began shaking as the tears started again. She threw back her head and screamed, “I just want to go home!”
The entire room wobbled for a moment, and then everything went dark. Panic rose quickly, taking precedent over the tears. Just when she thought she’d scream again, she was blinded by the sun.
Completely confused, she looked around. The fancy room she’d just been standing in was now an open field of green grass. Beside her were the crumbled remains of an old stone well. She recognized it from her childhood, but that was impossible.
All of this was impossible, wasn’t it? How had she gotten here? Would she be able to get back?
Kia wandered tentatively around the well, examining every detail. It might be in ruins now, but it was definitely the well of her youth, which meant she was home. She surveyed the landscape, but couldn’t see anything recognizable. Her village was most definitely gone.
“I don’t understand,” she mumbled to herself.
She went to her knees, resting her head on a large chunk of the well.
“Where are we?” a voice called out to her.
Kia turned to see Tori standing not too far away. Had she brought her here somehow, or had Tori found her on her own?
“I live here,” Kia answered, knowing that it was no longer the truth. “I lived here,” she corrected herself. “Everything is gone.”
“Kia, I need to take you back. We can't stay here.”
“Of course. I’ve no idea how I’m here in the first place. Until you came, I thought I was stuck.”
“So you didn't bring me here?” Tori asked, even more confused than Kia was.
Kia stood to full height and shook her head. “How would I do that? I… I don't know how to do that.” She could feel the tears welling up again.
Tori started to answer, but someone appeared suddenly at Kia’s back, making her jump. The look of horror on Tori’s face told her that it wasn’t someone who was welcomed.
She turned around to see Brannon standing there, which only added to her confusion. He’d changed with time, though he hadn’t aged at all. His hair was much longer, and his once bare face now sported a beard. His skin was also much darker than it used to be, but it was definitely her Brannon. How in the world did he get here? It had been a thousand years, shouldn’t he be in the ground somewhere?
“Kia,” was all he said. His voice was much deeper than she remembered, and he sounded wounded, as if it hurt him to speak her name.
Kia pushed back her shoulders and spoke, the accusation in her voice unmistakable. “I will not call you Brannon. Who are you, truly?”
His brows shot up in surprise just before his eyes narrowed to hard slits. A guttural sound rumbled in his throat.
He reached out and yanked Kia against him, holding her tight in his arms.
“Karak!” Tori cried as she ran toward them, pulling her sword from its sheath on her back.
Kia’s eyes went wide in realization. “Karak,” she whispered. Brannon was the monster that they’d been running from. Her Brannon. Before Tori could reach them, Karak squeezed her even harder, then the world went dark again.
Her long sleep had been full of strange and terrifying dreams. Tori had been in most of them, playing the role of savior over and over again, but Tori couldn’t save her now. Kia was awake, but she still felt asleep… drifting through a world she didn’t understand, surrounded by strangers who knew too much about her, and caught up in some drama that was somehow all her fault.
And everywhere she looked, they were drinking and laughing, completely unaware that life would never be the same. Her parents were long gone, and her home… who knew where that even was? All that she’d known was gone… fading away like the remnants of all those dreams.
Kia closed her eyes and tried to block out the noise around her, but it kept cramming itself back into her brain. Too much. It was all too much for one girl to bear.
And really, that’s all she was. Despite her ridiculously old age, she was still barely beyond a child, knowing nothing of the world outside of her small village. She’d only ever kissed one boy, and he was long dead now. Her hopes and dreams of a life with that boy, of mothering his children and tending his home, had been stolen from her by a thousand year sleep.
Why her?
Kia hadn’t asked to be here in this chaotic place with these intense people. She wanted to be safe in her mother’s arms. She just wanted to be home, but that wasn’t going to happen, because she didn’t have a home anymore.
The tears welled up and spilled from her eyes, so she wiped them with the back of her hand. There was no stopping them, however, and soon they were pouring down her face faster than she could wipe them away. Her chest seized with grief as she sobbed, ignoring those that were gathering around her. She fell to her side, curling up on the couch. She tried to become as small as possible, wanting nothing to do with any of them.
Vivie crouched over her, rubbing her head softly as she mumbled words of comfort. Kia didn’t want to be comforted. She only wished to be left alone to mourn the loss of her world.
Tori’s voice joined those nearby. “What's going on?”
Vivie let go of Kia to answer Tori. “She's just very upset. With your injuries last night and now Mae's...” There was a pause, as if Vivie didn’t quite know what to say. “I think it's all just too much for her. Too much drama, too much violence. Too much of everything, maybe.”
She was right. It was just too much of everything. Since she’d woken up, Kia had been on the run from some unseen menace. She’d witnessed carnage unlike she had ever imagined, and even caused some of it herself. What she had done to that monster… the very idea that she held that kind of power scared Kia to death.
Tori appeared at her side, caressing her head gently. Though the touch was awkward, it was kind, but did no good to ease Kia’s pain. After a moment, she retracted her hand.
“Kia,” Tori said softly, “I'm sorry this is so hard for you.”
Kia sat up, tucking her legs back under her again. She wrapped her arms tightly across her chest and closed her eyes, breathing deeply to gain some kind of control. “I want to go home,” she said quietly.
“Sweetie,” Tori said, clearly uncomfortable, “I know this isn’t easy for you-”
“No, it's not!” Kia yelled, her eyes snapping open. “I don't understand this world and I hate it.”
She bound to her feet, practically knocking Tori over in the process. Tori got up and followed her across the room.
“I don’t know what to say here, Kia,” Tori said, sounding just as miserable as Kia felt. “Once this is all over-”
“Over for whom?” Kia asked, throwing her hands up in the air. “You will go back to your life as before, but where do I go, Tori? I’ve no life anymore, do I? Never had one really, as it was all lies. I don't know who I am or where I came from, and beyond a single word that means nothing to me, I’ve no idea what I even am. Everything I knew was false and everyone I’ve known is long dead and rotted in the ground. I have nothing!”
Kia began shaking as the tears started again. She threw back her head and screamed, “I just want to go home!”
The entire room wobbled for a moment, and then everything went dark. Panic rose quickly, taking precedent over the tears. Just when she thought she’d scream again, she was blinded by the sun.
Completely confused, she looked around. The fancy room she’d just been standing in was now an open field of green grass. Beside her were the crumbled remains of an old stone well. She recognized it from her childhood, but that was impossible.
All of this was impossible, wasn’t it? How had she gotten here? Would she be able to get back?
Kia wandered tentatively around the well, examining every detail. It might be in ruins now, but it was definitely the well of her youth, which meant she was home. She surveyed the landscape, but couldn’t see anything recognizable. Her village was most definitely gone.
“I don’t understand,” she mumbled to herself.
She went to her knees, resting her head on a large chunk of the well.
“Where are we?” a voice called out to her.
Kia turned to see Tori standing not too far away. Had she brought her here somehow, or had Tori found her on her own?
“I live here,” Kia answered, knowing that it was no longer the truth. “I lived here,” she corrected herself. “Everything is gone.”
“Kia, I need to take you back. We can't stay here.”
“Of course. I’ve no idea how I’m here in the first place. Until you came, I thought I was stuck.”
“So you didn't bring me here?” Tori asked, even more confused than Kia was.
Kia stood to full height and shook her head. “How would I do that? I… I don't know how to do that.” She could feel the tears welling up again.
Tori started to answer, but someone appeared suddenly at Kia’s back, making her jump. The look of horror on Tori’s face told her that it wasn’t someone who was welcomed.
She turned around to see Brannon standing there, which only added to her confusion. He’d changed with time, though he hadn’t aged at all. His hair was much longer, and his once bare face now sported a beard. His skin was also much darker than it used to be, but it was definitely her Brannon. How in the world did he get here? It had been a thousand years, shouldn’t he be in the ground somewhere?
“Kia,” was all he said. His voice was much deeper than she remembered, and he sounded wounded, as if it hurt him to speak her name.
Kia pushed back her shoulders and spoke, the accusation in her voice unmistakable. “I will not call you Brannon. Who are you, truly?”
His brows shot up in surprise just before his eyes narrowed to hard slits. A guttural sound rumbled in his throat.
He reached out and yanked Kia against him, holding her tight in his arms.
“Karak!” Tori cried as she ran toward them, pulling her sword from its sheath on her back.
Kia’s eyes went wide in realization. “Karak,” she whispered. Brannon was the monster that they’d been running from. Her Brannon. Before Tori could reach them, Karak squeezed her even harder, then the world went dark again.
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