Love From Death Book 2 Secrets of the Lost

Prologue Chocking of black smoke covering her eyes, lacing her ears and sense of smell to heighten to a unnatural feet. Clay shells breaking down her wooded surroundings before the thud of a thousand boots prodded her to leap from her tiny bed and out the front door. Echoes of screams foaming from their homes and streets before howling to the broad stretch of the trees she so wanted to explore every time she could get away from her mother’s grip. “The Assassins are here!” One of her neighbors shouted. Her scuffed arms and legs pressing to go away from her peaceful home as she desperately looked for her parents. The silence of their voices flushed her fear to jump to another level. Her father always told her that not if but when their enemies found them, they needed to head for the heart of the forest. Pray that Hecate will protect them from them and lead them to a new and safer place. She had always prayed that Hecate would merely shield their home now, keep them away from all that they had, but a child’s prayer is not usually answered in such a way that their hopes would be rewarded with blind ambition and loyalty. As the smoke rose to reveal the demon above, her eyes darted every which way, seeing the many bodies flying from the roof tops, sounds of war knocking at their door before blowing the door off its hinges. Heading to the forest was her best bet in finding her parents. If not to keep herself safe from the monsters that were raiding her town with no heart or soul left to them. Screams never ended, sounds of her people swallowing their last breath as they ebbed away in the smoke before they moved to the next target. All will be well Nothing bad will happen Hecate will protect them Glimpsing to the right of them, the bright-eyed girl stared into the haunting sight below them. The distant screams echoed all around her, piecing up what sanity scripture she would tell herself over and over again. Coarse dirt filled with ash covering the golden locks of hay gripping her shoulders, hastily following the many crowds that rushed their tails between their legs into the dark dense parts of the forest. Her green tear-filled eyes searched desperately for her parents. One by one, couples and groups of crying and panicking covens passed her. None were her family. What was she to do? Watching their own home, they had known for so long, go up in flames. Brandishing the flames to coax them to stay in the fear of the cold, unforgiving forest to swallow them whole. She wanted to know where her mother was, why she didn’t come with her right away, but instead stayed behind and ordered her to leave. All will be well Nothing bad will happen Hecate will protect them Her solemn mantra as she hurried behind the ever-growing herd, pushing past the cowering few that stood at the edge of the forest. She did not want to be like them, her mind wished to be far away from the travesty that befell them. Her heart and body begged her to go on with the crowd. “Lyona? Lyona, where are you?” A familiar voice called. Lyona smiled at the soft vibrato, welcoming her ears to a warm and peaceful feeling. “PAPA!” Lyona yelled. Seeing a figure turn around from within the crowd, her heart jumped as that figure ran straight for her. A smile pulled at her cheeks as he scooped her in his arms. “Oh, my thank Hecate! You are safe!” Her father exclaimed as he took her to his chest. Lyona did not fight him on his hold, wrapping her own arms around his chest or what arms she had. “Where’s mama?” Lyona asked. She felt his arms tighten further around her as he looked over the crowd behind them, seeing his eyes search for her mother. “She was right behind me. She must have faded with the crowd.” Her father said. Lyona craned her neck back in the same direction, hoping that what he said was true as they waited for what seemed like an eternity. A glimmer of bright golden hair leaping through the crowd gave her hope before she could hear a sweet voice following it. “Lyona! Theo! Is that you?” Her mother yelled. The small cheer she was able to yell before the scream of soldiers folding in on them cut into their happy moment. “Sophia! Head into the forest. We will find you.” Her father yelled. Lyona wanted to argue against him, her voice cut short by a few soldiers leaping over them, the sound of thunder erupting from their hands, shooting down a few around them. Lyona wanted to scream from the noise, plug her ears as the sounds did not cease but only became worse. All will be well Nothing bad will happen Hecate will protect them Brushes of leaves and vines smeared across her face as her father carried her through the forest, sounds of people screaming pushing his feet to move faster, as one by one each distinct voice was silenced. Pulsing to pull herself together, Lyona wanted to do nothing but let the trees engulf their being, let them become one so that no one would ever find them. Become the very bark that surrounded the vulnerable base as each branch and limb grew without hesitation. No fear, no hate to take all that they had away. Sparks of heat trickling down her arms as she wanted each part of their steps to lift the scratch of vines around to the next, twisting and turning to make a wall. Her fingers wanted to poke out like thorns, pricking the legs of those chasing after them. Folding herself in, the heat spread to her heart as she pulled her fear to the peak of her mind, drowning out the yells of men behind them, scorching the earth before the light of the distant fire fell to the darkness in the back of her mind. All will be well Nothing bad will happen Hecate will protect them The deep breath of her tiny lungs bellowed out, raising her eyes to open. The sight of a clear god stood before her clouded vision. Pure need of safety flooding her rights of her own overshadowed the danger that encircled around her. Shouts of men, her mother screaming for her to stop, her father pleading with her to let go, but none funneling to her heart as a single sweet sound traced her ears to bid whatever they wanted to do. Kill them, Lyona Sighs of relief freeing her from the chains she did not know were shackling her as the twinge of the same heat from before fluttered farther than her hands could. The light shining in her eyes gleamed with her best dreams as the image of her mother and father running to her side, congratulating her on a job well done. Her smile spread to her heart as the screams she thought would never end, silenced by her mother’s cheerful cries and her father’s relived sighs before she expected their embrace to make such a terrible memory become a small footprint on to a new adventure. Tickling her hands to fold in on her frame before the warmth of the light began to fade, slowly her sight receding to the dark creeping around her, singling the slivers of what remained in her arms, nothing but the feeling of something heavy lying on top of her. Too much Too much to hold Need to get it off Pushing the weight off of her, the feel of an arm falling down on to her face bloomed to her horror as her sight was anything but a nightmare. Her arms in such bark and vines, outstretching her to be lifted so high in the air. She almost thought she was one of the trees that her father had run past. Trying to kick herself free, her feet refused to move as they were also enriched as roots to her own tree. She searched frantically below her, but all her thoughts fell on a single soul-shattering scene. Bodies. All around as she looked at the sea of the remains, her parents wanted to hear her parents before her eyes, ringing the fear that had been banished for only a moment as their voices pounded from behind her. “Lyona! Please stop, Lyona.” Her mother pleaded. Lyona turned around, her mother's face contorted and covered in dark mud. Her father was on his knees next to her. “Mama!” Lyona screamed. She did not know what had happened, what the light did or what the warmth gave her, but she no longer wished to be away from her parents. “She’s free! It let her go!” Her father yelled. She cried, as she wanted nothing more than for the nightmare, her dream that started in her small bed to just end. All will be well Nothing bad will happen Hecate will protect them Such lies she no longer believed anymore.