Heavens Before by Kacy Barnett-Gramckow Read Free Book Online

finally spoke, Yerakh sounded exasperated. “Why do you want her? You know she has no spirit; as I said, she’s like a piece of wood. Even so … I agree … for one night. But if she dies, or returns to my household unable to do her work—or if she’s bearing a child—then you’ll pay me half a flock, or one whole field.”
    Naham sputtered, clearly offended. “What? Half a flock? Or one of my good fields! For this no-wit creature?She’s not worth that!”
    “She works with the gold—” Yerakh began, but Naham interrupted him, his voice booming as he flung Annah toward her brother.
    “This is insulting! I’m your friend, and you demand things of me that you don’t require of others. You should be fair, Yerakh. You should speak to K’nan before he gives Ayalah a full belly. Then you should beat Tseb-iy for everything he’s done with your mother. As for Haburah—I asked your mother ten years ago to give Haburah to me as my second wife. Parah refused because she knew you would refuse.
    “You don’t want to part with any of your father’s lands—not even for your sisters. And you’re the richest man in the settlement! I didn’t challenge you then because we’ve been friends, but if you reject any more men who ask for the women of your household, Yerakh, they’ll all turn against you! Remember, I’ve warned you!”
    Yerakh did not respond. If goaded beyond endurance, Naham could easily crush even Yerakh to death.
    Thrusting one broad finger at Annah to emphasize his words, Naham added, “The only reason I asked for this creature is because I thought you wouldn’t care. She has no value. No other man in the settlement will have her.” Naham was leaving now, but he bellowed so loudly that the entire settlement could hear. “She’s afflicted! You should have strangled her too, Yerakh!”
    Keeping her face blank, her eyes lowered, Annah reached down carefully, trying not to spill the afals from her grass bag as she rescued her veil. She could hear Yerakh’s breathing, harsh, deep, and fast. The sound frightened her. All over her body, inside and out, her skin seemed to be crawling, tingling with fear. Just as the urgeto run seized her, Yerakh snatched a large handful of her hair and hauled her inside the lodge.
    He had barely pulled her past the carved doorpost when Annah felt his first blow to her stomach. It knocked all the breath from her body and doubled her over, causing her to fall to the earthen floor, defenseless. The afals in her grass bag spilled and rolled everywhere.
    Yerakh continued to hammer her with his big fists, uttering incoherent, throaty cries of rage until Annah was aware of nothing but pain….

Four
    UNABLE TO catch her breath long enough to scream, Annah curled up into a tight, quivering ball.
    When Yerakh stopped using his fists, he kicked her back and legs, striking the most vicious blows with his heel. Then abruptly he left her and stomped through the lodge, roaring, “Ayalah! Bring your mother to me, Ayalah! Iltani, where are you? If you’re hiding from me, I’ll kill you! Haburah, come here!”
    Terrified, Annah lay curled up on the earthen floor. It hurt to breathe. She could taste blood in her mouth, and she could feel her lips swelling. Her left jaw and cheekbone felt hot. And her precious shell carving had slipped out of its hiding place within her tunic. Furtively moving one hand, she tugged at it. The cord held.
    She almost sighed with relief, but her ribs hurt too badly to take a full breath. Slowly, painfully, she tuckedthe shell carving into the neckline of her leather tunic. Then, tears of hurt seeping out from beneath her eyelids, she waited, listening for Yerakh.
    He went out the back of the lodge, and she could hear him screaming, “Iltani! Haburah! Ayalah! Don’t make me come after you! If I find you, I’ll kill you!”
    They’ve all run away , Annah realized. And if he doesn’t find them, he will come back here to wait until they return. But if he