Stranger Shore
Shoving herself away from the table, her chair screeching against the floor, Iris ran out the door before Mother Hall could see her tears and sought solace in the one place untouched by the world's sudden bout of a madness.
Beneath the yew tree, Iris hugged her knees to her chest. The back of her throat ached in a twisted knot, and the skin under her eyes was fever-flushed. She was sick of crying, but every time she tried to still her tears, she remembered she was leaving and another wave of pain swelled in her.
"I don't want to go," she mumbled, wondering if the yew was listening. "I can't leave the village alone. Mother Hall can barely leave her house. I- I can't leave her!"
Hot Chapters