Prologue: Year 1519, Outskirts of Carlisle, England
Fire sprang up between the family of four before they could get together.

No, not this! Devon begged silently. They’d already lost their father to this same incident, they didn’t need to lose their mother and brother too.

“Alex!” Devon wailed when he heard his brother’s voice. Analee clung to Devon’s elbow as he tried to find a way past the burning wall.

“Don’t worry, Ana,” he assured his sister quietly, running a shaking hand through her long black hair, “We’ll get them back, I promise.”

That was the worst thing he could say to her, because he knew it was a lie.

“Devon!” Alex called. Analee started to cry tearlessly as a herd of men could be heard from the other side of the crackling flame.

“No! Get away from me!” Alex yelled at an advancing man. The crack of a bone sounded. Not smart, thought Devon.

“We aren’t witches!” Devon’s mother protested. Another crack.

“Moma!” Analee cried. Devon wrapped his arm protectively around her shoulder.

“No! Get away!” it was Alex again. Analee reached forward like she was about to reach through the fire. The family’s relationship was very close, and it was obvious she didn’t like this situation that were in. None of them did.

“Analee, no,” Devon warned, grabbing her hand before it went any closer to the flames.

Fire killed. Everything. Even if you weren’t fully human. But that was the point.
Everyone was scared of the unnatural, and Devon’s whole family was definitely unnatural. Unnatural strength, unnatural voices, and almost unearthly beauty. Yes, they were far from natural.

“Don’t you touch her!” Alex threatened. Crack!

“Alexander!” her mother scolded. Analee hiccupped and Devon’s eyes brightened, a hardly-noticeable little bit. Only his mother would care about manners when the world was surely going to end any minute.

“Devon,” his mother pleaded, “take care of Analee!”

Devon shook his head in despair. His family would not be taken away from him. He wouldn’t allow it!

Analee cried still harder as another bone broke and Alex yelled, “Take care, guys, see you later!” in a voice he always reserved for teasing Analee.

“I love you all,” their mother sobbed, “I love you!”

“We love you too, Moma,” Analee cried.

The fire was just a straight line between Devon and his sister, his brother, and his mother, but Devon felt as if it were engulfing him, eating up every part of him. Sufficating him until there was no room left to breath.

He watched throught the flickering weapon as half of his family were hauled away like a bunch of cattle.

He carried Analee away into the surrounding woods and let her tears stain his jacket. He didn’t know where his mother and brother were, but he promised himself that he would find them, no matter how long it took.