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Her hands fidgeted with her clothes; the collar seemed too tight for her liking. The bag she carried weighed on her bones, irritated her skin, and pounded on her spine. There was a time she contemplated revenge—the best way to get even for her mother’s death. For all the pain Stone Haven had put her people through. Slowly, she had come to the conclusion that keeping her people safe was what would honor her mother the best.
Yet, the idea of revenge still flared in the heat of battle. Every Stone Haven soldier she killed could have been her mother’s killer... at least that’s what she told herself so she could sleep at night. The truth was, this feud, these battles, were wearing on her, especially the killing.
Eva shook her head to rid her mind of those thoughts. She had to stay sharp, for their enemy was close. She saw them now, in the brush, waiting. At least two dozen of them. There were so many possible outcomes.
Eva’s fists tightened as anticipation coursed through her.
Guns cocked. Bowstrings tightened, creaking to be released as knives unsheathed.
But hope blossomed in her chest when she saw the white flag being raised in the distance.
Her father saw it too. His hand rose over his head to give the signal to wait for his command.
At that moment, guilt struck her. Maybe Krieger could have come. If this ended peacefully, it might have been a good first view of Everwood’s ways.
He could see firsthand that all they wanted to do was survive and live in peace. This feud, the fighting, the battles, the struggle to live day to day with fear... was never part of the plan.
A man stepped forward from the other side, crossing over the tall tan brush with steady movements. The light shone off the metal strapped to his thigh—he came armed. Another weapon was outlined under his shirt. This man emanated danger.
He stopped in the middle, stood tall, and waited. His light hair and bright blue eyes stood out against the brush of the forest.
General Albert Rush.
He was second-in-command to Thomas Beck, the leader of Stone Haven.
General Rush was often seen in battle. Rumor had it Mr. Beck was too important to spare on the field. The thought made bile rise in her throat. A leader should be out in front with their people, willing to fight and die by their side. Coward.
Little was known about the mysterious Beck clan, but what was certain was Mr. Beck ruled and had two sons. Heirs to Stone Haven, that had never shown their faces in battle these past ten years—never risked their lives in this apocalyptic world they lived in.
Their settlement was built up against the rocky incline of a mountain. A wall of stone, scrap metal, and wood was built to enclose their land from one side of the rocky terrain to the cliff edge.
Eva had only viewed the wall from afar and was not able to see what lay beyond it. Scouts had reported over the years that the design to build on a rocky mountain ledge came with significant downfalls. One was the avalanches in the winter, and another was mudslides in the spring.
The weather patterns were unpredictable, at best, up in the hills and mountain terrain, the worst happening below in the valleys. On the occasion when tremors were felt, it caused their settlement significant losses. Oh yes, Mother Earth was a cruel bitch indeed.
Loss of life, loss of crops, loss of usable land. It was no wonder they were trying to fight for Everwood’s land and provisions.
The fact that there was a peace treaty in play... What would they want to secure it?
No. She could not think of that. That was tomorrow’s worry. Right now, she had to be focused on the present moment, not a future that made her unable to sleep at night.
As if she needed another reason—the nightmares came no matter how she tried to avoid them.
She held her breath as silence fell over the crowd.
Her father stepped forward. She mimicked the motion.
Samuel held up his hand, halting her. “No, Eva. Stay with the soldiers.”
She shook her head. “But—”
His brows deepened as his eyes narrowed. “That’s an order.” He turned from her and met General Rush.
General Rush laughed, the sound deep. “Let the men speak, girl.”
Eva’s stomach squeezed with unease. Excuse me? Who does he think he is?
And what was with her father? He’d never talked to her that way before. He seemed more than just concerned for her and their people. He seemed angry.
