Weekend Writing Warriors – #8sunday

Because the fourth chapter of In Pain and Blood will also be here today, I’m taking a break from posting its excerpts this week. If you’re at all curious what happened after the attack, there are 5000+ words coming on the subject.

Instead, my fellow Weekend Writing Warriors, I’ll be taking a piece out of an altogether different book…

Golden Dawn

Quick lead up: This is a dream/flashback where Herald’s twin, Harbinger, has just been made into a strigoi and is now being dragged into the sunlight by some villagers.

Harbinger could not regain the ground they’d lost. Like himself, his brother fought to clasp hands. Sweat glistened off a face that agony had twisted into a sick parody of itself. Their fingers briefly touched, missed, and touched again. Then… 

Dust. 

For one pure moment, his brother stood before him, brownish-grey ash replacing pallid flesh. Then a gentle breeze blew across the entrance, scattering the frail image over the men sprawled on the ground. All that was left of his brother were the clothes smouldering on the dirt.

Family and blood.

After 1100 years, these simple words mean everything to Herald. His life has been ruled by keeping his siblings safe, keeping them from becoming prey whilst feeding on the weaker. His failures have been many and measured by those he has lost. People like his twin brother.
There has always been another enemy.
Just who the enemy is comes into question when Herald meets the dangerous, angelic creature he is to guard. Wondering where his true loyalties lie is a dangerous thought. No matter whether he chooses family over the heart, it will mean death.
Only the right choice will ensure the life taken is not his.