Coming Soon: The Third, Second Edition

I’ve been holding back on a bit of good news for a while. Back in July I got all the rights back for my first novel, The Third! Because I was neck deep in rewrites and edits for The Time Seller I didn’t have time to really celebrate or do anything with my newly acquired publishing rights but now I’m working full bore on getting the second edition of the book out before the end of the year. (And, yes, I’m writing the sequel to the The Time Seller. More on that in a later post.)

The only down side, if there really is a down side to getting my rights back, is that I got several hundred copies of unsold inventory for The Third. I gave some copies away to friends and family who hadn’t read it and sold some copies on my online store for $1 but in the end I ended up dumping the copies the publisher gave me.

Why?

Because I’m getting a new cover done as well as making some minor tweaks and edits to the text. The new cover will fit the dark feel of the book better. Besides three-quarters of my book sales nowadays are of the ebook variety—the exact opposite of when The Third came out seven years(!) ago. It pains me to throw away books but there was simply no way I could have gotten rid of that many copies on my own.

I’m excited to move forward with this new edition and its sequel. (Yes, I’m writing a sequel!)

Details with an exact release date of the second edition of The Third will be coming soon.

And if you want to be the first to see the new cover when it’s revealed, sign up for my newsletter here. You’ll get a look a full 24-hours before anyone on social media.

More updates to come.

Want to Win a Signed Copy of The Time Seller?

If you'd like to win a signed copy of The Time Seller, then enter the giveaway on Goodreads. There are 5 copies available. Enter now before the contest ends.

Put Your Life on Hold! The Time Seller is Now Available!

Join the millions (or is it billions?) of people who are calling in to work sick, telling their children to watch TV all day, and putting their plans for world domination on hold because they can’t put down The Time Seller.

For those who are wondering what the big deal is, the first five chapters are available online. Start reading it here. But before you do, cancel any appointments and be prepared to shirk all your responsibilities because once you start reading, you won’t stop until the last page is read.

You’ve been warned.

Get The Time Seller on Amazon

Copies of The Time Seller Have Finally Arrived

Hard copies of The Time Seller arrived yesterday! Book officially goes on sale Monday, September 25.

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But unofficially . . . 

The Time Seller, Chapter 5

Note: I'm posting the first several chapters of The Time Seller before its official release. To start at the beginning, read Chapter 1.

Buy The Time Seller on Amazon

Chapter 5

Simeon made his way through the trees, stopping occasionally to listen and get his bearings. The screams rang out occasionally, shattering the darkness. Sometimes they were close, other times far away. They always seemed to come from different directions. After a while, Simeon felt like he was walking in circles.

When he had been gone about two hours, he considered returning home—assuming he could find his way back. At night, everything in the forest looked the same. This far into the woods, the trees were thick and tall enough that they obscured his view of the mountains and the stars. If he couldn’t get his bearings, he might not get home before Cyril woke up.

Another scream rang out in the dark. It was close, and it was female. Irina. It took all his self-control not to go running toward the sound. It wouldn’t do any good to raise an alarm that he was coming. He needed to save his wife, then dish out vengeance to whomever had taken her.

Simeon pulled his sword from its sheath and moved through the trees as fast as he dared. After a few minutes, he stopped, wondering if he was headed in the right direction. The scream had sounded close enough that he thought he would have an easy time finding the source, but if the camp was well concealed, he could have easily walked right past it.

The faint sound of sobbing came from somewhere nearby. Simeon cocked his head and closed his eye, unsure if he had imagined it. He stood still for a minute, straining his ears to filter out the nighttime noises of the forest before he caught it again. It was faint, but it sounded like it was coming from the left. Opening his eye he followed the sound, praying that it would lead him to his wife.

It wasn’t long before he saw the orange flicker of a fire through the trees. Simeon froze. The light disappeared, then reappeared a moment later. He crept forward until he came to a small clearing bounded by an outcropping of rock about a hundred feet away. A flash of firelight came from an opening in the rock. Just as he was about to move from the cover of the trees, a large figure emerged from the opening. Even in the dark, Simeon could tell that the man was very tall—quite possibly the biggest man he had ever seen.

The giant stood motionless in the cave entrance. Simeon stayed partially concealed behind the trunk of a tree, his gaze riveted on the figure. Finally, the giant turned and walked across the clearing. As he moved away from the cave, Simeon saw that he carried something over his shoulder. At first, Simeon thought it was a large sack, but then he discerned an arm flopping with the rhythm of the giant’s gait. It was a human body. Simeon almost called out, thinking it was Irina, but the crying sound he had heard before floated from the cave. He recognized the sobs as hers.

The giant disappeared into the forest, and Simeon ran to the opening of the cave and looked inside. Four torches set into the stone provided just enough light to make out seven figures against the far wall. They were all slouched forward, their arms bound at the wrists and tied to iron spikes embedded into the cave. As his eye adjusted to the flames, he recognized the closest figure as Irina.

He rushed into the cave and knelt by his wife.

“Irina,” he said, brushing her hair out of her eyes.”

Her brown eyes fluttered open. Usually large and soft, they now looked bloodshot and tired. “Simeon?” Her voice was hoarse and just above a whisper. “Help me.”

With his sword, Simeon slit the ropes that bound her wrists. Her arms fell limply to her sides, and her body fell forward into his arms.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said as he stood and picked her up.

She tried to say something, but her words were slurred, and he couldn’t understand what she said. He didn’t bother asking. He would take her home, raise the alarm with the soldiers at Sredets, and gather enough men to slay the giant.

The man next to her groaned.

“Kamen?” Simeon said, recognizing his friend.

“Don’t leave us,” Kamen pled.

Simeon’s mind flooded with questions, but there was no time to ask them now. He looked back at the cave entrance, then set his wife down. He cut Kamen’s bands and then cut the cords of the others tied to the wall. Most of them were soldiers, but there were a few older people at the end who had the same emaciated look as Gavril. It wasn’t until he cut the last band that Simeon realized Boril wasn’t among the prisoners.

The old man at the end raised a bony arm toward Simeon.

“Help me,” he said, his voice just above a whisper. “I’m too weak to stand.”

Simeon called out to Kamen, who was helping his men to their feet.

“Can you walk?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Take your men and help this man and the two others out of the cave. Can you find your way back to your camp?”

“We have no camp. The giant attacked soon after we stopped to rest.”

“Then gather your men, and help these others out of here,” Simeon said. “Split up and head to Sredets. With Godspeed, we’ll rendezvous back there in the morning.”

“Shouldn’t we stay together?”

“Numbers don’t matter against whatever this is. We’re safer in smaller groups. Split up into units of two or three and head toward the city.”

“Where are you going?”

“Home. I have to get my son.”

With that, he picked up Irina in his arms and walked out of the cave and into the warm night air. The light from the torches had ruined his night vision, and he needed a few minutes to get it back. He could barely make out the tree line. He hurried to the edge of the forest and waited behind a tree, hoping the giant would take his time before coming back.

“Do you have the strength to walk?” he asked his wife.

Irina nodded. “I think so.”

He set her down, but her legs gave out from under her. She leaned against him for support and started to apologize.

“Don’t talk,” Simeon said, hoping his words covered the worry that filled his body. “I’ll have you home soon. Just let me get my bearings, and I’ll carry you.”

He picked her up and gave her a kiss on the forehead. He held her tightly in his arms while he waited for his night vision to return. Behind him, he could hear Kamen and his men leaving the cave and entering the forest somewhere off to his right.

When he could make out the ground and the spaces through the trees, Simeon started through the forest. It didn’t take him long to realize that he was lost. All he had was a general idea of the direction they should head. He thought about stopping and making camp for the night, but he knew in his gut that waiting for morning wasn’t an option. He wanted to put as much distance between themselves and the cave as possible. Besides, his son lay in their home alone. He had to get both Irina and Cyril to safety.

He moved forward, trusting luck and his instincts to guide him. Progress was slow.

Some time after he felt they were a safe distance from the cave, a man’s scream ripped through the forest.

Read Chapter 6

Enjoy what you read? Buy The Time Seller on Amazon

Quick update on The Time Seller.

I was hoping to get the book out in August but there have been some small delays. All the writing and editing has been done for weeks but the talented person who is laying them out for print is swamped with work and it’s taken her longer than anticipated to get the book galleys to me for review. She did get them to me earlier this week and they look awesome! (See photo above.)

I finished the galley reviews today and sent them back to with a few minor changes to make. Hopefully that means I’ll have the book available in the next week or two. Thanks for your patience as I make the final product as awesome as possible. It will be worth the wait, I promise.

Also, if you want to know the second it’s released, sign up for my newsletter. Newsletter subscribers will be the first to know as soon as it’s available to read.

The Time Seller, Chapter 4

Note: I'm posting the first several chapters of The Time Seller before its official release. To start at the beginning, read Chapter 1.

Buy The Time Seller on Amazon

Chapter 4

Simeon was a mile outside the city when he heard the thunder of hooves behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw ten horses barreling down the road. He guided the donkey as far off the road as possible, then stopped the cart. As the horses raced past, Simeon recognized Boril as the lead soldier. Seeing Boril out in front would normally have given Simeon a sense of satisfaction, but today, it only made his doubt and second-guessing worse. Boril had good political instincts but almost no sense of leadership or battle tactics.

He watched the men and horses disappear around the bend in the road and felt as if he was watching them ride to their deaths. As Simeon urged the donkey back onto the road, he thought about setting out in the morning to find the men and help them take down whatever was roaming the countryside, but he immediately rejected the idea. He had other priorities in his life now.

The sun was low in the sky when Simeon guided the donkey off the main road and through the forest on a path he had cleared the previous year. The path just wide enough for his cart to pass and was difficult to spot unless one was looking for it. After half a mile, the forest broke into a wide clearing. In the gathering dusk, Simeon could just make out his home, a small, one-room hut with a thatched roof. The sight of it warmed his heart, and he was glad his journey had come to an end. The donkey must have felt the same way, because it picked up the pace as they cleared the trees.

As he drew closer, Simeon realized that something was amiss. No smoke filtered through the thatched roof, and he couldn’t smell his wife’s cooking. The wooden shutters of the lone window were open—at this time of day, they should be closed. Then, through the open window came the wail of a child—his son, Cyril. The baby’s cry was hard and intense, as though the boy was somehow in pain. Simeon hopped off the cart, tied the donkey to an oak tree next to the house, and ran inside.

The interior of the home was dark and cool. The fire that was constantly kept lit had gone cold. Simeon spotted his son’s arms and legs flailing on the straw bed. He rushed over to Cyril, picked him up, and held him close. His son’s face was bright red from crying. He wore an overshirt that was open at the bottom, and his legs and buttocks were covered in feces.

“Irina!” Simeon yelled. “Where are you?” Worry welled up inside him. Irina took Cyril everywhere with her. There was no reason she’d leave him alone on a bed or lying in his own excretion.

He took his crying son outside with him and called for his wife again. Aside from his son’s screams, the farm was dark and quiet. He took Cyril over to the well, drew up a bucket of water, and sloshed it over the lower half of his son’s body. The shock from the cold water stopped Cyril’s cries for an instant, but then he cried even harder as Simeon washed him.

Simeon dried off his son with the hem of his tunic and carried the child back into the house. In the gloom, he could just make out a half-eaten loaf of bread that had been left on the table. The outside was hard, but the inside was still soft and moist. He broke off a chunk of the bread and went back outside. Balancing the baby on his hip, he took the piece of bread and dipped it in a bucket of clean water to soften it, then fed the wet bread to his son. At first, Cyril was too upset to eat, but after a minute of prodding, he finally quieted down and accepted the meal.

With his son now calm, Simeon tried to figure out where his wife might have gone. Everything in the house was in its place, and nothing of value had been touched. There were no signs that robbers or anyone else had come through. It was as if she had been in the middle of her daily routine and had suddenly left. That wasn’t like her. She was eighteen, and a responsible woman. It was one of her finest qualities—Simeon never worried when he had to go to Sredets for a day or two. He wanted to look for her, but he had to tend to his son first.

Simeon finished feeding Cyril, then wrapped him in a blanket. He went back inside and laid Cyril on the bed. Then he took some kindling and wood from beside the door and dug through the ashes in the hearth, hoping to find some hot coals at the bottom. He was in luck, and in a few minutes, orange and yellow flames licked the wood. He closed the wooden shutters and let the fire’s heat fill the home. Once he was satisfied that his son was warm and safe, he stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

In the last of the light, Simeon untied the donkey from the tree, unhitched it from the cart, and let it into the pasture. Then he checked to make sure his sword was securely girded around his waist and walked around his farm, searching for any sign of his wife or clue to explain her disappearance.

He found the first sign at the garden. Most of the melons were smashed as though several men and horses had run through them. It was getting too dark to see much, but it looked like the path of destruction continued through his vineyard. He rushed to the broken plants to examine the damage. Most of the melons they were planning to store for winter had been destroyed. Without them, they would have a difficult time surviving. He followed the path of devastation to his vineyard. Half the vines had been smashed or uprooted. It would take years before his vineyard would be productive again.

As he walked through the devastation, he nearly tripped over a body in an imperial uniform lying face down between the second and third rows of grapes. Simeon grabbed the body by the shoulders and turned it over, noting that it was still warm to the touch. Two lifeless eyes stared back at him. It was Rade. Simeon stood and drew his sword, his eyes scanning his surroundings for any sign of danger. Simeon walked through the smashed and uprooted vines to edge of the forest. There he found a second body— also warm. He didn’t recognize the man’s face, but he wore the same imperial uniform. The ground around the body was dark with blood.

Simeon stood and stared at the black trunks of the trees. He could just make out a path where soldiers had made their way into the forest. For a moment, he wondered if Boril had stumbled upon his farm and taken his wife and destroyed his crops as an act of revenge. But that wouldn’t explain the two dead bodies or the fact that his son had been left untouched. Something had happened, and he had just missed it. Irina was out in the forest somewhere—he was sure of it.

Just as he was about to step into the forest, he heard a scream. It was so distant and faint that he wasn’t sure if it was human or animal, and he couldn’t decide exactly where it had come from. He stood dead still for several moments, but heard nothing besides the chirping of crickets and the hoot of an owl.

Then, from somewhere deep inside the forest, he heard the scream again. The shriek sent chills through his entire body, despite the warm night air. This time he sure that it was human and that it was coming from someone in great agony. It reminded Simeon of cries made by soldiers being tortured by a red-hot poker.

Gripping his sword, Simeon started running toward the sound.

***

Chapter 5 Coming September 18

Enjoy what your read? Get The Time Seller on Amazon.

10 Dating Tips for Widows and Widowers

I was recently interviewed by The Telegraph about widowers dating again. The article was published yesterday. Excerpt below.

After losing someone you love, the idea of dating again can be almost unthinkable. Some people decide to never be in a relationship again, and many see that through. Others jump straight back into it, attempting to quickly remedy their feelings or find a replacement for their lost loved one.  

***

But that’s not to say that dating later in life is easy to navigate for senior singles. We caught up with Abel Keogh, author of Dating a Widower, to seek advice for those returning to the dating world and to hear about his own personal experiences as a widow. 

***

What is the hardest thing about dating again?

“For me, it was understanding that those I was dating weren’t going to be anything like my late wife. When I first started dating I was looking for someone who was similar to my late wife both in looks and interests.

“I had to learn to accept the women I dated for who they were and evaluate them based on that, not on past experience or a fantasy of what I thought they should be. Once I did, the dates went better and it was easier to open my heart to those who were very different.”

Read the entire article at The Telegraph.

Totality

We drove up to southeast Idaho this weekend to experience the total solar eclipse. It was part family vacation, part goodbye-to-summer trip (school started yesterday!), and part hoping we could experience a once-in-a-lifetime event together as a family. (It’s also something I’ve been planning since January.) I couldn’t have asked for a better trip. There was minimal fighting and arguing, I got to know some of Marathon Girl’s extended family better, and there was nothing but clear, blue skies the morning of the big day.

And then there was the eclipse itself: Sitting on lawn chairs watching as the shape of the sun shrink from a round, yellow ball to a thin, yellow bear claw, realizing you could no longer feel the heat of the sun on your skin, and watching shadow bands wigging across the cement. It was exciting and unreal all at the same time.

Three of my kids watching the solar eclipse, August 21, 2017. Rigby, Idaho.

Then there was totality.

Totality. The most magnificent celestial event that I’ve ever witnessed. The photos I’ve seen on social media and as part of news stories are incredible, but even the best of them don’t do it justice. It’s something that you have to experience in person to really understand how astounding and amazing it really is.

In Rigby, Idaho we experienced two minutes and fourteen seconds of totality. It was the fastest one hundred and thirty-four seconds of my life and not anywhere near enough time to take it all in. Just a couple of things I noticed during totality included:

• The sudden blanket of darkness
• The 360-degree sunrise feeling along the horizon
• Streetlights popping on
• Planets and bright stars appearing in the sky
• Kids and adults screaming their heads off in excitement
• An abrupt drop in temperature
• Seeing everything and everyone coated in a silver-blue light
• A giant black orb in the sky surrounded by giant strands of arcing white light that looked like fine, white hairs.

It was like standing on an alien world.

I wanted it to last forever.

And just like that, it was over. The sun peeked out from behind the moon, light flooded the world, and life returned to normal.

But what made the event really unforgettable wasn’t just seeing a total eclipse with my own eyes—it was experiencing it with Marathon Girl and our kids. It was seeing them jump up and down with excitement, hearing their cheers as everything went dark, and listen to them talk about how cool it was to see on the (long!) drive home.

The kids excited to leave on our Idaho eclipse trip, August 19, 2017.

I’m happy I got to experience it but even more delighted it wasn’t something I did alone. Events like this are made sweeter when you experience them with family, friends, and others you love. It those kind of memories that will be talked about and passed down decades after the event. It’s those kind of memories that last forever.

There will be another solar eclipse in the United States in 2024. My advice is to do everything you can to see it. (If you live outside the U.S., find the next near you here.) But when you go see it, bring along at least one person you love. Things like total solar eclipses are best experienced with someone at your side.

The Time Seller, Chapter 3

Note: I'm posting the first several chapters of The Time Seller before its official release. To start at the beginning, read Chapter 1.

Buy The Time Seller on Amazon

The Time Seller

Chapter 3

Business in the market was brisk. Simeon’s reputation for growing grapes, combined with the fact that few people from surrounding villages had dared to bring goods into town, meant he was able to sell his crop quickly and at a premium. By midday, his purse was full, and most of his grapes had been sold. Under normal circumstances, he would have been thrilled with the money and the prospect of an early trip home, but today, his mind kept drifting back to the dejected look on Kamen’s face. Simeon had let his friend down, and it didn’t sit well with his sense of honor.

As he weighed some grapes for a woman, he noticed three soldiers enter the far side of the market. They looked around, spotted Simeon, and headed straight for him. Their hurried walk told Simeon they weren’t there to buy what he was selling. As they drew closer, Simeon realized that the lead soldier was Boril. His stomach turned sour at the sight of the man’s narrow face and pointed nose. The only thing different about Boril from the last time Simeon had seen him was that Boril’s black hair was shoulder-length. His face was still bare, having never been able to grow a beard. Simeon completed his transaction with the customer, grabbed the hilt of his sword, and turned and faced the approaching soldiers.

“Word reached me that you were in the city today,” Boril said, offering his hand.

Simeon didn’t take Boril’s hand or even look down at it. Instead, he glanced at the other two soldiers, realizing for the first time that Kamen was one of them. The second soldier he recognized as an archer named Rade. Simeon gave Kamen an inquisitive look. Kamen shook his head, telling Simeon that he hadn’t spoken to Boril about the earlier visit.

“If you came to buy some grapes, you’re just in time,” Simeon said. “They’re just about gone.”

“I have more important matters to discuss,” Boril said. “Military matters.”

“I’m just a poor farmer. What would I know about such things?”

“Don’t play stupid, Simeon. I know you talked to the two blind fools at the gate and paid a visit to the tarkan’s house. You know what I’m here to discuss.”

Simeon said nothing. He was impressed that Boril’s spy network was up and running so quickly, considering that he’d been stationed in Sredets for less than a month. He made a mental note to be more careful about where he went and whom he talked to in the future.

“I need—the empire needs—your skills to take care of a threat to the city,” Boril said.

“I’m not a soldier anymore. Tsar Samuil stripped that title from me, and I don’t think the current emperor plans on changing that.”

“I’m not here to make you a soldier. I want to buy your services. I need you to lead a group of men to dispose of a rogue Byzantine soldier.”

Simeon laughed loudly. “Oh, you think you can just buy my services?”

“I’m willing to pay you handsomely for your time and the inconvenience,” Boril said, pulling a bag from his purse.

Simeon noted the size of the purse. It was bigger and fuller than his. Still, no amount of money was a temptation when coming from Boril. “My services aren’t for sale,” Simeon said.

“This is more than most mercenaries make in an entire year defending our empire, and I know you don’t have much,” Boril said. He cast his eyes at the donkey. “This could go a long way toward improving your circumstances.” He shook the bag, letting the jangle of coins fill the air.

Simeon didn’t give the bag a second look, just faced Boril more squarely. “After all I’ve lost, you think that money can buy it all back?”

“Think of it as a first step toward restoring your name,” Boril said. “Once I send word that you helped take care of this menace, it could help reclaim what you’ve lost—you could gain your family, your livelihood, your honor, and the empire’s respect again.”

Simeon spat on the ground. “I don’t want a coward vouching for me.”

Boril lowered the purse, and his free hand went to the hilt of his sword. “You dare insult me?” he snarled.

Simeon tightened his grip on his own sword, but even as he grasped the weapon, he regretted his rash words. He wasn’t worried about fighting Boril— he could best the man with any weapon, or with his bare hands if necessary. However, getting on Boril’s bad side could cause other problems. As a tarkan, Boril had the legal authority to throw Simeon in prison, banish him from the city, or do almost anything short of killing him. Simeon had sold most of his grapes and made good money. His best option at this point was to take it and go home to his family.

“I apologize for my words,” Simeon said. “You defended Sredets from the Byzantines, and we are all grateful.”

 Boril’s grip on his sword loosened. “Thank you, but despite my great victory, I still need your help.”

Simeon wanted to laugh at Boril thinking of his defense of the city as a great victory. But he kept his feelings to himself. “My services are not for sale, to you or anyone else.”

“If you refuse to obey, I’ll have you arrested. I’ll seize your purse, your crops, and the sad little ass that pulls your cart.”

“I won’t stop you. Do what you want. But that won’t convince a single soldier to venture outside these walls to fight a rogue Byzantine soldier.” Part of Simeon couldn’t believe he was saying these words. But Boril was a coward, and Simeon was nearly sure he would try to find a way to save face once his bullying tactics didn’t work.

Boril turned to Kamen and Rade. “There have been reports of thieves in the market. Walk around and look for suspicious activity while I finish up here.”

Kamen and Rade gave each other a knowing look, then started toward the far side of the market. When they were out of earshot, Boril turned and faced Simeon.

“I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye on things, but the empire needs you. I’ll pay you the full purse now and the same amount again if you eliminate the threat.”

Simeon chuckled. “The empire. The way the war is going, the Bulgarian empire will cease to exist in a year or two.”

“I promise to put in a good word with the emperor when I send him a report of the success.”

“That won’t help restore my good name,” Simeon said.

“How can you possibly think that?”

“Don’t act so naive. You served in the emperor’s house.”

Kamen opened his mouth to speak but Simeon continued, the words rushing out of him all at once. “You of all people should know the emperor is happy to blame me for his uncle’s death. I could slay a thousand Byzantine soldiers with my bare hands, and it would do nothing to move him. My actions gave him the throne. Easier for him to justify his reign if I remain the villain. Besides, I’ve already proven my bravery many times over. I don’t need to do it again.”

“Simeon,” Boril said, “the men in this city look up to you. The stories about your heroic efforts at Kleidion are legendary. If you get on a horse and go out the gates, you’ll have the whole legion behind you.”

“Why don’t you get on a horse and let them follow you out the gates?”

Boril stared at Simeon incredulously. “I need to supervise things here. There are walls that need repair and supplies that need to be restocked.”

Simeon stifled a laugh at Boril’s weak excuses. “Men will not follow someone who won’t obey his own commands. Instead of acting like one of the nobility, volunteer to lead them out the gate. Show them your courage and your bravery.””

Boril’s face turned red. Simeon tightened his grip on his sword in case Boril pulled his. They stared at each other for what seemed like a long minute before a normal color returned to Boril’s face.

“You may have most of the soldiers in Sredets on your side, Simeon, but you have no support among the nobility. If you refuse to help me, I swear that one day you will regret your inaction.”

Simeon just smiled bitterly. “You and the nobility are welcome to everything I no longer have.”

Boril turned and left the market. He called out to Kamen and Rade to follow him. Rade immediately turned and fell into line behind Boril. Kamen cast a long, pleading gaze at Simeon.

Simeon shook his head. If Kamen had come alone to the market and entreated Simeon a second time, he might have been persuaded to take him up on the offer. But he couldn’t bring himself to help Boril. Not after Kleidion.

Kamen turned and followed Boril and Rade out of the market.

It wasn’t until someone came to purchase the last of his grapes that Simeon realized he was still clutching the hilt of his sword tightly in his hands.

Read Chapter 4

***

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