The Light of His Sword by Alaina Stanford Read Free Book Online Page A

color. His eyes told
her all she needed to know. Somehow, he knew. He knew what was out
there. He knew it wasn’t a wolf or bear, just as she did. Walton’s
wrath was upon them.
    “Mommy, I’m scared.” Samantha whimpered from
the back seat.
    Gabe pulled on his shirt and jacket saying,
“Get in the back and stay there. I’m going outside, whatever you
do; do not open the door even if you hear my voice. I have a
key; I will open it or you will stay in here until the tow truck
comes.”
    Alyssa’s stomach lurched with fear. The
urgent tone of Gabe’s voice deeply frightened her. Yet she knew
without a doubt that she would do as he requested, even if she
didn’t understand why. She climbed in the back as Gabe pulled a
long object out from under his seat. Alyssa assumed it was a gun.
Alyssa wrapped her arms around Samantha and pulled her close. Gabe
opened the door and slipped out of the truck. The cabin filled with
a blast of cold air that carried the stench of rotten meat.
    Alyssa recognized that smell. The elders
stank of it after their monthly rituals. No women were allowed in
the basement of the gathering hall where the rituals were
performed. It was always the night of the ritual when Walton would
come to find her. His skin and hair smelled of the same stench of
the rotten death that surrounded them now.
    The howls turned quickly to snarls of
attack. Animal-like screams of anger and pain filled the air around
them. Thumps and thuds of something hitting the side of the truck
sent Samantha into hysterical sobs as she clung to her mother.
Alyssa couldn’t catch her breath as she fought the urge to run, she
desperately wanted to run. Walton was outside with the elders. They
brought something to help hunt them down, something terrible. It
was something worse than the guard dogs. Something she’d kept
hidden in her memory for a very long time. Something she never
wanted to see again.
    Gabe was going to die!
    Tears streamed down her face as she waited
for Gabe’s screams, but they didn’t come. Only the animal sounds
filled the air. The snarls and growling grew louder permeating the
truck. Oh Gabe! I’m so sorry! Alyssa’s mind screamed. It was
all her fault. Gabe was going to die because she allowed him to
help them. She should have been stronger. She should have done this
all on her own.
    Suddenly the commotion stopped. Alyssa
stroked Samantha’s hair and kissed her forehead. It was over. Now
Walton would come and take them back. She knew she would suffer her
father’s fate. She had failed. Alyssa glanced around for a weapon.
She would not go without a fight.
    “Get under the bed, baby.” She said, pushing
Samantha to the floor. “Quickly, my darling, quickly.”
    Samantha didn’t hesitate; she scurried under
the bed as the truck door swung open. Alyssa snatched up the first
aid kit and pulled out the small scissors. She placed herself
between Samantha and the front of the cab as a bloody hand reached
in and grabbed the steering wheel. A head full of light brown hair
appeared before her.
    It was Gabe.
    He leaned over the seat but didn’t sit down.
“We have to go, now. We can’t stay here.” Gabe pulled off his
jacket and handed it to Alyssa. “Put this on and grab a blanket off
the bed for Samantha.”
    Gabe climbed out of the truck and allowed
Samantha to jump on his back. Alyssa climbed down beside them and
wrapped the blanket around Samantha, tucking it between her and
Gabe. She turned to allow Gabe to close the truck door. When Gabe
stepped into the light of the cab, she would see his clothes were
torn and spotted with blood. Glancing around expecting to see the
carnage scattered around them, Alyssa was shocked. The road was
clear, no animal carcasses, no blood, and no sign of conflict at
all. Gabe limped slightly as he headed off down the road into the
darkness carrying his sheathed weapon in one hand.
    Alyssa rushed to catch up with them asking,
“What happened? Where are the