1 Prologue

"Run Kara, RUN!!" My dads voice bellowed from the open house door. I froze on the dirt path to our small wooden cabin. Something was wrong, something was very, very wrong. I ignored his warning and ran towards our home, a short distance from the front door i stopped. There was blood everywhere, drips, puddles and splatters coating the outside walls. I had never seen so much blood, the deep crimson color and coppery metallic tang made my head swim. I fought through my spinning thoughts and stumbled into our home and found more blood and dismembered bodies. So many body parts.

"Dad! Dad where are you?" I kept yelling as i walked threw the house. Suddenly i heard a muffled groan, i ran to the end of the hall and entered my dads study. Just as i entered i saw my dad brutally slice the thick neck of a large muscled, golden skinned man. I let out a startled scream.

"Kara, you need to leave. Now. They've found us, they killed your mother and they will kill you. You need to leave. I can't come with you, They will just track me again. They know my scent, but they don't know yours yet. Travel to Lesan and find Jesse Claven. You have to make him help you. He will be your only chance." Nothing he was saying was making any sense.

"Who found us, why do we have to run? I need you, you have to come with me. I don't understand." I was pleading with him to stop talking in riddles.

"We have to be quick. Your mother was a concubine to King Rast when she became pregnant with you. She ran and had been running and hiding since, the king will kill any children that aren't of his wife's blood so they can't take the throne away from his rightful heir. You are the daughter of the King of Small death. You can't let him find you Kara." Just as my father stopped speaking an arrow shot through the window and clean through his eye. I quickly hid behind his desk as his lifeless body slumped to the floor. He's dead, he's dead i kept repeating through my head and tears slid down my face and i fought to keep my sobs silent. He's dead and i need to run or i will be too. I quickly lean over him and put a gentle kiss on his forehead, as i was about to stand i saw he was clutching my mothers only piece of jewelry. She had worn it daily, she never took it off. A sob escaped as i took it from his hand and clasped it to my neck before i sprang through the open window and ran.