Break of Dawne: Excerpt #3
Hope
I run over to the screaming brute and place my hand on his wound while speaking the command word for my basic healing spell. Warmth builds in my chest, moves down my arm, and exits through my palm onto his leg. The bloody muscle and skin pulls together as a bright white light wraps around his wound. He shuffles away from me, swiping at the light as if trying to rip it off. He realizes he can’t move it and stares at the light as the spell completes. The light fades and reveals a perfectly normal leg — no blood, not even a scar.
His wide-eyed expression twists into a scowl. As he glares back at me with bloodshot eyes, I meet his gaze. For a moment, it’s as if I see into his soul. The survival instinct. The anger. The hurt. The deep, bitter hurt that comes from a lifetime of fear. Perhaps that’s all he’s ever known. Perhaps there’s more to him than blind rage. Perhaps he’s not too different from me. The brutes are monstrous, yes, but then again, so am I. With gray skin, a fiendish tail, and curled horns, my kind is feared by most. I see in his eyes the same pain of rejection that I’ve felt my entire life.
What’s missing from his eyes is the peace of belonging. My family is united in our love for one another. His family is united in fear of being cast out. My family stands strong because we look out for one another. His family stands strong because they let the weak fall behind.
What if we could show them another way? A better way. A future where brutes and darklings are brothers and sisters — one family. What a world that would be! But how do we get there? Where do we start? Perhaps I’ll start by smiling back at him.
His hateful gaze slowly turns into a look of confusion, then disbelief. Perhaps he’s never been shown kindness like this before. Now he has. Could there be a future where we live in harmony? This is the first step. This is where it starts!
To Be Continued…
Next post in this series: Break of Dawne: Excerpt #4
Previous Post in this series: Break of Dawne: Excerpt #2
Start reading the book!
Send Me Your Thoughts!
I’d love to hear from you. You can start a conversation with me at ethan@faithdragon.com
If you want to be notified whenever I release a new excerpt, chapter, or update, sign up for my email list below.