Alana's POV
I felt like I had made a big mistake, but there was no other choice. As he approached, I had felt his determination, and my fear for my brother had grown more and more, until I decided I had to come clean. If my life could be used as a bargaining chip for the village's safety, then it was for the best, but I wasn't expecting them to act like they had. I had no idea where my brother was, but I was sure he wasn't part of the plan. I had been waiting along with the village elders, and when the beasts arrived, I had waited there with two of them while the chief talked to them. What I didn't expect was for one of them to hit me in the face, even less for him to kick me in the stomach hard enough to rob me of air and to fall to the ground, only to be dragged outside with a dagg
