A city on fire.
“I have to go back. I have to . . .” Chandra said. He tugged on her hand.
Oh, gods the queen! The Undercity! All those people . . .“We have to go back!” Priya agreed.
They continued to move forward however, inextricably linked in their desire to survive.
“We can’t go back,” Amit said.
“I have to save my mother!” Chandra said again.
“The queen is no fool. She will have found a way out. There are a million secret passages in the palace, many of which are by her design.”
“Or she could be in trouble, she could need me. Please, Amit, we have to try.”
His statement was followed by a delicate snort of derision, one Priya identified as Deepa’s.
“I’m sorry, we can’t go back. There’s too much at stake,” Ravi said. “The invaders have the capital, and soon they’ll have the isle. We need to find The Fist; we need to get help. If we die here, now, then it’s over. The isle, all our people, they’re doomed.”
Priya could feel Chandra’s grip on her hand like a vice, squeezing and squeezing, and this time she couldn’t help herself she cried out. “Stop! Please.”
Silence filled the air, and Priya’s mind raced. She’d been unsuccessful in saving her village, her family . . . what was one girl against an army, what were four people against an army? They had to walk away, to save themselves. It was the only way they would be able to return with an army of their own, for there was no doubt in her mind that The Fist would help them.
“We have to go. We have to go, so we can return with help.”
“And what about all the people trapped underground? Hundreds of citizens—” Chandra said.
“They’ll be safe, because they’re locked away with no key for the invaders to gain access to their home. They’ve killed, but it serves no purpose for them to kill everyone. They’ll require citizens to work for them once they’ve established their rule on the isle. There’s still time.”
After a long moment Chandra’s grip on her hand relaxed and Priya exhaled in mixed relief.
Their human chain began to move once more, down toward the market, down into the chaos of screams and death.
Priya resisted the urge to close her eyes. She kept them wide open, unblinking; she took it all in. These were the images that would fuel her determination with rage. These were the images that would haunt her until she returned to avenge the souls that had lent their bodies to the scene.
She took these images with her as they slipped through the gates just before they closed with a thud, and she allowed them to flicker through her mind as she stood, hidden by the tree line, and watched the new invader guard take its lookout post.
A question she’d thought to have buried surfaced in her mind like a worm breaking soil on a wet day. Why hadn’t she left the village with Ma and Papa when she’d had the chance? The answer was a pulse of fear, the foundation upon which her claims of independence and ambition had been built. Fear of failure, fear of being alone. There had always been a choice, the perfect excuse, Ma and Papa, her reason to stop, to stay, to stifle her dreams. When in reality, they would have let her go, they would have come with her. But now they were gone, dead because she had been too afraid to act. And once again she was presented with a blatant choice. The only difference was that this time there was nothing and no one to hide behind. No excuses. She could run and hide. The north was a wilderness in which she could lose herself. The invaders would build a new empire, and she would be safe. She could run, but she would be a coward.
The capital was lost to them, but the isle was not. She had come to deliver a message, one that would have shifted responsibility from her shoulders, but that message had not been received. There was no one else. This group of men and women beside her . . . this was it. The time to play safe was gone. The time to dream was gone. It was time for action, to take responsibility. Fear was a fist around her heart, tight and uncomfortable, a band around her chest, making it difficult to breath.
Ravi released her hand, leaving her aching for his touch.
“You ready?” he asked.
She turned to him, watching him shimmer into being as the illusion dissipated, and made her decision.
“I’m ready.”
Glossary of Words
In Order of Appearance
Surya
The Sun.
Matka
A metal or clay vessel for carrying water.
Chapati
A traditional Indian flatbread.
Rakshasa
Demon
Villie
The village herb and root gatherer.
Beti
Daughter
Zameendar
Landowner
Vythian
Doctor
Munsiff
Major
Pujaru
Priest
Pari
Angel
Chai
Tea
Sabji
A spicy vegetable stew.
Dhal
A lentil based soup.
Panisira
A general village servant.
Chudail
A witch intent on revenge
Mela
A mobile fairground
Panchayat
Village council
The Forging
An initiation from boyhood to manhood.
The Divine
The Borean God.
The City
The Borean underground city.
Assembly
Gathering where Boreans are cleansed and given peace.
Ama
Mother
Hand
A troop of five warriors.
Hand Fast
Marriage
The Enforcer
The General of the Borean Force.
Giwulf
Giant wolf-like beasts.
Transition
A period of respite, like retirement preceding death by eternal flame.
The Voice
A vessel through which The Divine speaks.
Red Brew
Potent alcoholic beverage enjoyed by Borean warriors.
Shards
Borean currency
Grandama
Grandmother
Conversion
The transition from boy to man.
Jalebi
A fried sweet made from wheat flour and soaked in sugar syrup.
The Undercity
An underground prison that lies beneath the capital.
Pungi
Wind instrument made from a gourd and used by snake charmers.
Character List
Alma, Cadoc’s life-mate.
Amit, a court illusionist and Ravi’s father.
Amba, a hunting hound.
Aryan, Ivor’s father, Borean warrior and commander of a Hand, life-mate to Mia.
Bojan, a warrior who is part of Aryan’s Hand.
Cadoc, Alma’s life-mate, warrior in Aryan’s Hand.
Chandra, Prince of the capital.
Chaya, daughter-in-law of zameendars, married to Prabhu.
Darius, a Borean warrior and leader of a Hand.
Deepa, Amit’s companion who was imprisoned in the Undercity.
Disa, hunting hound.
Earl, Victor’s father, a warrior in Aryan’s Hand.
Emille, bartender of the Borean city’s tavern The Tap.
Fen, a warrior in Aryan’s Hand, Valasea’s life-mate.
Gita, barber’s wife, dark eyes, wears her hair in a bun.
Gunhild, a warrior in charge of a Hand.
Guru, Priya’s childhood friend.
Hari, the village villee, gathers herbs and medicinal plants, has a bum leg, Priya’s father.
Harlow, a warrior who commands his own Hand.
Hema, Pratip’s mother.
Hera, Victor’s mother.
Ivor, Aryan’s twelve year old son left in the fore
st to experience the Forging.
Jarl, warrior in Gunhild’s Hand.
Jun, Aryan’s father, also referred to as “Da”.
Kemp, a Borean who commands his own Hand.
Kunti, Priya’s adoptive mother.
Lothar, a warrior in Gunhild’s hand,
Madhu, a mule.
Mala, betrothed to Guru, killed by demons in the forest, Priya’s friend.
Manu, king of the Kingdom of Svastha, believed to have perished from sickness.
Marduk, the Enforcer, general in the Borean force.
Mia, Ivor’s mother, Aryan’s life-mate.
Miles, warrior in Gunhild’s Hand.
Miriam, pujari’s (priest’s) wife.
Mittel, a stranger from a village by the sea, nephew of Vinay.
Nita, high-ranking woman who works for the munsiff.
Prabhu, Chaya’s husband, son of zameendars (landowners).
Pratip, idol cleaner at the Temple, Guru’s lover.
Priya, nineteen year old woman. Main character.
Raj, king of the poor Kingdom of Dhani.
Ratimir, warrior in Kemp’s Hand.
Ravi, village blacksmith.
Reema, barber’s daughter, Ravi’s lover.
The Fist, nomadic rebel group living in the desert, rumored to fight for justice.
The Voice, Borean spiritual leader who speaks for The Divine.
Tollak, a hound owned by Aryan’s Hand.
Valasea, Fen’s life-mate, also known to Aryan as Tiger Eyes.
Varg, a hound owned by Aryan’s Hand.
Victor, Earls son left in the forest to experience the Forging.
Vidar, warrior in Darius’s Hand.
Vimla, the policeman’s sister.
Vinay, Mittel’s uncle from the village by the sea, injured by the monsters.
Zal, warrior in Kemp’s Hand, pale-blue eyes.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debbie Cassidy is a multitasking ninja, or so she’s told by her husband and peers. A mum of three, housewife and author of over twelve novels under the pen name Amos Cassidy, Debbie has her hands full juggling her many hats. She lives in a small village in the South of England and is in the process of putting the finishing touches to the fortress of solitude in her back garden.
Debbie loves to connect with her readers, so feel free to drop her a line at [email protected], or check out her personal page on her Amos Cassidy website and pick up a free read in the process: /http://amoscassidyauthor.com/. You can also find her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/amoscassidy
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Hello, reader!
Thanks so much for downloading and reading Forest of Demons. I really hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Forest of Demons is a labor of love, a book I wrote for my dad when I discovered he was sick. I wanted to create a tale based on his favorite mythologies, and in doing so became hooked myself. My dad is no longer with us, but I know that if he were here, he’d be the first to download his official copy and tell all his friends about it.
I’m hard at work on book 2 at the moment, and if you want to stay up to date on my progress then make sure to sign up to my NEWSLETTER.
For information on my other books written under the pen name Amos Cassidy with my writing partner, Richard Amos, click on the link below. If you haven’t tried an Amos Cassidy book yet then you’ve missed a treat! Click the link below to be taken to my website where you can browse to your heart’s content and find out more.
I WANT TO KNOW MORE
Thanks so much for joining me on this journey.
Happy reading!
Debbie Cassidy
Forest of Demons Page 26