In that moment, Julia would have happily surrendered to Death. An end to all this pain and humiliation…
“No,” Eleanor replied.
Eleanor snapped her fingers. Presumably to freeze the world and prevent any interruptions. I can’t even tell if this cell is frozen.
“Oh,” Julia said, while tears rolled down her burning cheeks.
“I was here for another,” Eleanor said, “They were… unwilling to move on…”
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
Eye of the Brave is the third book in the Rift Cycle series written by independent author Halo Scot. This post-apocalyptic fantasy starts off seven years after the events of Echoes of Blood.
Like the preceding books, Eye of the Brave focuses on Rune and Kyer, with alternating chapters covering their perspectives. By now, readers are familiar with the rich world and characters that Zawad offers.
This is where Scot dives into the unknown, introducing us to the realm of Digard, home of the patron gods. This is a world alien to our own and eternal, which leaves certain characters wholly unprepared for the experience.
Throughout the first part of the book, there is a lingering sense that we are approaching the bitter end. The fires cool, the spirit weakens, their strength wanes and affairs are settled.
That changed in tone, causing us to wonder if Scot has rewarded us with a fairy tale ending. Of course, we should know better by now.
Eye of the Brave is a fast read that further delves into the dark portrait the author painted for us. With a rich assortment of characters and tragic backstories, Scot sets the stage perfectly for the last book in the series, Elegy of the Void.
No matter, Julia took a deep breath and forced that air through her mouth. Her cheeks bulged before her lips were forced apart, sending a spray of blood towards her target.
“Bitch got blood in my eyes!” Chef yelled.
Before Julia could gloat, there came three pinches in quick succession on her calf, courtesy of an autoinjector. I hate that fucking thing!
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
Julia smirked. They used that word in an attempt to degrade her, but there was comfort in embracing the werewolf within. She was in fact a bitch, and with every passing day they risked learning first hand what that entailed. We’ll see who’s my bitch then…
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
Julia sat by a crackling fire at the heart of these woods. She leaned against her backpack for support while the sun surrendered the sky to the dominion of the moon. In spite of being isolated from all she knew, Julia had never felt more at ease.
That changed when the silvery light of the moon crept over these lands and shone upon her face. For years the moon had whispered to her in a language she did not understand. Tonight, her very soul understood she was being summoned.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
“Where am I going to go?” Julia asked, and gulped at the depth of that question.
Where could she go? Risk those in her church group? Mark her parish priest for death? Crawl to her boyfriend and tell him it was all a lie?
“I’m utterly alone,” Julia said. “Cops won’t believe a word.”
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
“Do…’t care,” Gruff said, “…withdrawal symptoms… dependent on us…”
Julia realised that drugs and violence were their primary weapons. Strip a victim of their comforts, their dignity, and sovereignty over their body and most cracked. The drugs were an added control, one that made women dependent on their aggressors.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
“No,” Julia said. “That’s the default answer. It requires no thought about the repercussions.”
“What do you mean?” He asked.
“My mother and my two best friends are dead,” Julia said. “It wasn’t God, or fate—”
“Julia… that—” He said.
“Crazy? Impossible?” Julia pressed.
“Julia…” He said.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
A lone tear rolled down her cold cheek was especially jarring. She rubbed the tear from her cheek, in awe it was there. Julia had cried before, but this was too much to process, and had yet to take in what happened.
“Madison…” Julia said.
How was she expected to cope? Her mother was home. The wounds she saw that were anomalistic, but controlled and precise were telling. The timing was too convenient to be coincidental. This was deliberate…
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
It was like being trapped under ice, with every word elongated, muffled, and faint. Under the water, she was safe from all that pain and sorrow, but would need to break through or drown.
Julia recoiled, as he touched her shoulder. She jumped out of the truck and ran off towards her home.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
