Broken, but Not Defeated

PROLOGUE

"Do we have a deal?" Evana asks.

"We do," Lunetta agrees, shaking her hand. I look at Evana who nods.

"I am uncaring the trust of my people into your hands Lunetta," Evana says, staring into her sister's eyes.

"I know. Remember Evana, no interference."

"No interference," Evana confirms, "And no matter who you give birth to, my eldest will ascend the throne."

"Indeed," Lunetta says, holding out her hand. Something about her is off. I wonder if Evana can sense it too. Evana takes the antler crown from her head and hands it over to Lunetta.

"Rule with your head, not your heart," Evana commands her. The command has been the Queen of the Witches' motto for generations.

"We must go. Sigrunn is waiting at the edge of the border," I inform Evana. Sigrunn was the leader of the Doryukan people, a tribe of nomads who live in the forest and never stay in the same place for long. They are always moving, which makes it difficult for us witches. Doryukans and witches get along as well as a deer and a wolf. One will always be prey and the other hunter. The problem is both are hunters by nature. Evana had given up her crown to marry Sigrunn so that they would finally have peace.

"Goodbye, sister," Lunetta says, raising her hand and giving a small wave. "Enjoy married life."

————————————————3 Years Later—————————————————

"Nora!" Evana shouts, "It's happening!" I felt a smile tug at my lips. Finally! I think. I race to Sigrunn and Evana's tent. Hours pass as Evana gives birth, but the end result is the best. In my arms I hold the tiniest baby girl. She looks so much like Evana it's uncanny, yet I still see the spirit of the Doryukan people. The spirit of a wild person who will not be tied down to live in one place.

"Her name?" I ask Sigrunn, as Evana was resting.

"We have not thought of one," he informs me. "I will wait for my wife to wake." All of a sudden screams begin to pierce the night silence.

Sigrunn pushes past me, leaving behind his weapons. What Sigrunn didn't realize in the moment is that that was his biggest mistake and the last mistake he would ever make.

"Nora what's going on?" Evana asks from her bed.

"I don't know, let me find out," I say, passing the child to her mother. Evana begins to whisper to the girl promises, promises we never realized she wouldn't be able to keep. I grab my sword and walk outside only to come face to face with three witches. I immediately raise my sword, but I don't stand a chance. Two of them come at me while the other maneuvers around and enters the tent. Evana's screams pierce the night distracting me. The witches easily overpower us. As they drag both Evana and I to the center of the camp, I see Lunetta's second in command waiting like a prowling beast.

"Where is the child?" she spits.

"Missing," another witch reports.

"Burn it," Lunetta's second-in-command commands, pointing at the shack. "Wait! First kill the leader."

"NO!" Evana screams, struggling against her captors. The witches just laugh as one of them approaches Sigrunn before decapitating him. She then picks up his head and throws it at Evana's knees.

"A present from her majesty Queen Lunetta," she taunts. "She told us to tell you that love is foolish and only makes you weak. Every witch knows that the heart is only good for one thing: keeping you alive. There is no room for love in a witch's life."