In the Darkest Hour

Here is a sample chapter from my upcoming book, Battleheart: A Symphony of War. It will be released as an ebook in August and I'm inviting all of you to come check out a taste of what's to come.

IN THE DARKEST HOUR

***A preview of Battleheart: A Symphony of War***

by,

Bradford Corvi

Livia knew her and her family were about to die that night and she didn’t know why. All she knew was her family and neighbors were talking of a storm coming into the town. The storm had arrived and it didn’t rain from the clouds, but on foot�"right above her family’s heads. It was a thunder of boots marching and doors smashing. They could hear dresser drawers tossed aside and glass shattering to the floor. At the age of nine, Livia had no clue who they were, except that they wanted her and family.

            Livia’s father, Finrod had built a secret storage unit under the pantry floor for this moment specifically. He and his wife, Madelyn, buried each other in their arms while she held their newborn son, Jarret. Livia was amazed her baby brother could keep silent and stay asleep through the raid upstairs. She was hoping he’d keep it up, for one whisper of a weep would signal the soldiers for sure.

            To her left, sat her sister Sophie, who was no older than six. She leaned into her sister’s shoulder and held closely to her favorite doll. The family remained quiet but their hearts were beating rapidly and their bodies were stricken with nerves. Livia could see it in her parent’s eyes that this moment would come, yet they never spoke of the events that unfolded over time.

            Livia tried to think back to better days�"days of her family taking long weekend trips by the river and dancing with her cousins over the spring festivities. Nobody gathered to party anymore and no one wanted to run and make noise. They now gathered in silence and on to run when it was to hide.

            She heard bits and pieces from neighbors how the regime had changed and not for the better. The concept of sorcery was vague to her, but her country of Northamhere had now listed enemies of the state and her family was on it.

            They were elves�"a race of beings that once flourished in the eastern state of Nivala, while their dwarven neighbors of the west ruled Hammerstone. Dwarves were now scarce in Northamere and it seemed the elves of Nivala were on the brink of extinction. There were two things that kept rushing through Livia’s mind: why the regime wanted her dead and if they found her, where would she go? She always wondered, but never dared to ask her parents.

            Not a single member of her family spoke a word. It was their eyes that expressed the talking, but it did little use. Never in her life had she seen her father so intimidated and nervous. The once prominent family man of the town had nearly become a mouse at the sight of a snake. Livia couldn’t blame him. They were all frightened of the ongoing investigation.

            The stomping of the iron boots continued to hammer away into the floorboard, yet their newborn son continued to sleep. It sounded quite muffled through the floor, but Livia could hear the soldiers muttering something about the house. Have the given up? Would they leave and move on? Livia thought as she stayed frozen by the shelf of canned goods.

            Baby Jarrett was beginning to wake with a soft moan and suddenly all eyes turned to the infant. Livia and Sophie whispered for him to keep quiet and their father was beginning to tremble. Jarrett’s eyes opened wider and Livia was just holding her breath�"waiting for her brother to let out the big wail. Madelyn pressed his head softly into her warm chest and gently stroked his hair.

            From above, they could hear the kitchen table turn over which nearly caused the stowaway to shake. The vibration was so effective, the family turned to see the words. Their jaws dropped but no screams came out.

            Every ounce of hope seemed to evaporate as they sat and watched the cans fall to the floor, one-by-one. The metallic plunge caused the soldiers to stop. With the drop of the cans causing Jarrett to let out his wailing, the soldiers now stood right over their heads.

            The family leaped up and screamed like mad as an axe swung into the wood repeatedly until the latch had finally chopped away. They threw open the door and in an instant, the entire family lifted their arms while the screams of fear echoed throughout the darkened house.

            There were three soldiers, all dressed in black armor with skulls welted into the helmets like a mask. With their rifles aimed down and their fingers leaned into the triggers, Livia looked straight into the eyes of evil and thought out her final words. This is it! We’re all going to die tonight.”