Threads That Bind (Havoc Chronicles Series Book 1) (29 page)

A HUGE thanks to Sabine Berlin who called me up after reading the first chapter and insisted I finish the book. Her chapter-by-chapter critiques helped me figure out how to write a 16-year-old girl and gave me motivation to keep writing.

Thanks to editor extraordinaire, Nancy Fulda, for removing thousands of words and inserting hundreds of better ones in their place.

Thanks to Aaron Williams and Jana Bitton for using their OCD tendencies to weed out typos and other errors, as well as providing general encouragement and appropriate kicks in the rear.

And thanks to early beta readers Natalie Williams and Shelly Tuohy (I haven’t forgotten my promise to you), who showed enough enthusiasm to convince me to publish it.

Thanks to Tian Mulholland for using his many graphical talents to create an extraordinary cover. I am in awe of his skill.

I also want to thank my parents for making me a reading addict at a young age and enabling my addiction throughout my life.

And finally, thanks to my ancestor Arngrim “Berserkur” Grimsson whose name triggered the beginnings of this story.

About the Author

BRANT WILLIAMS
never outgrew YA literature and thinks almost any book can be improved by the addition of magic, superpowers, or monsters.  He graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a Masters Degree in Organizational Behavior. He lives near Portland, OR and has three beautiful children who make him smile. This is not the first book he has written, but it is the first one he has made public.

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Unbound (The Havoc Chronicles Book 2) – the sequel to Threads that Bind

I awoke in a bed that wasn’t mine, rays of sunlight filtering through large windows framed by thin, lacy curtains. For a moment I simply lay there, not sure where I was, or how I had gotten there.

Then I heard shouting and the previous night’s events came flooding back: The endless torrent of Bringers. Osadyn and Aata. Kara releasing the snare. Although I didn’t recognize the room, I figured I was in one of the many bedrooms in the Berserker house.

With more effort than should have been necessary, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and onto the floor.

The world spun, a dull ache pulsing at the back of my head. Nausea rose in my stomach, so I put my head in my hands, concentrating very hard on not projectile vomiting all over.

After a moment the worst of it appeared to be over, and I felt strong enough to stand. As got up, I realized I was wearing a long nightgown that was definitely not mine. I had no recollection of how I got into it, but I sure hoped it was Mallika or Kara who put it on me.

I followed the sounds of arguing down stairs and into the large living room with the massive stone fireplace and overstuffed leather furniture.

Aata and Kara were the locked in a massive shouting match, and from the looks of them had only recently gotten out of bed themselves.

I took a step back, not wanting to intrude on their conversation, but there wasn’t a place I could go in the house where I wouldn’t overhear them screaming at each other. Unsure of what to do, I simply stood there, out of sight just around the corner.

“I was trying to save your life!” shouted Kara.

From my brief glance into the room, Aata had looked positively furious. I wouldn’t have been surprised if any second he ‘zerked.

“You had no right!” he shouted back.

Back and forth they yelled, Aata furious that Kara had released the snare and freed Osadyn, and Kara upset that Aata was angry at her for loving him enough to save him.

“It wasn’t your choice to make!” said Aata. “I put my life on the line when I joined the Berserkers. We all did when we took the oaths. Some things are worth dying for.”

“I couldn’t just let you die,” said Kara. “I love you!”

A crash and the sound of splintering wood reverberated through the house. “And that’s why Berserkers and Binders should not get involved with each other!” shouted Aata. “I told you from the beginning that this would lead to trouble. Now you’ve ruined our one chance to capture Osadyn. All his future deaths are on your head!”

Heavy stomping footsteps crossed the floor. The front door was yanked open and slammed shut, shaking the house.

With Aata gone, the decibel level dramatically dropped, but the sound of Kara’s muffled sobs pierced the silence, bringing tears to my own eyes.

I rushed into the living room and found her collapsed onto the couch, sobbing uncontrollably. I sat down next to her and pulled her head onto my shoulder. I didn’t say anything; I just held her and stroked her hair, brushing the stray strands out of her face.

Eventually Kara’s sobs began to subside. She looked at me with tear-filled eyes and a sense of hopelessness. “H-he hates me,” said Kara, and the sobs began again.

There was nothing for me to say, so I simply continued stroking her hair and making gentle hushing noises. Looking around the room, I saw a splintered hole in the floor and a broken chair. The frame had been split, the leather torn, and the stuffing was half out. I guessed it hadn’t been Kara who did that.

To be honest, I wasn’t too happy with what Kara had done myself. I understood it – what if it had been someone I loved there? - and in her position I probably would have done the same thing myself. But this morning, in the harsh light of day, just the thought of Osadyn getting away made me feel queasy about Kara’s choice. Who knew how many people were going to die because we hadn’t stopped him when we had a chance?

Continued in

Unbound (The Havoc Chronicles Book 2)

Read the complete first chapter at

www.havocchronicles.com

Password: Unbound