The Raid of Balvenie and the Maiden Who Survived

By Cheri Gillard

Jean Dixson, a heartbroken but resilient Scottish lass, survives horrific tragedy but loses everyone dear to her. While she struggles to cope after a violent assault, imperious men assert they have the authority to decide her fate at the same time that scheming demons fight for the right to claim her soul. With the loss of faith and a hardened heart, she is cast into realms she no longer believes exist. Follow her as she encounters the Celestials who introduce her to the Unseen Realm, and discover how her choices impact not only her, but the many people—especially Chloe—who will come after her in the continuing saga.

"The Raid of Balvenie and the Maiden Who Survived" is the prequel to the adventures of Chloe and her friends in the Nephilim Redemption Series. This "story before the story" now brings new insight and understanding to the events which lead up to the opening scenes of "Chloe's Guardian."

For established fans, characters that you've come to know in the trilogy appear with new clarity, with secrets revealed that have only been hinted at before. With this thrilling release, learn the untold story of what brings about that fateful night in "Chloe's Guardian" at Dunnottar Castle when the murderous and demon-possessed MacKay holds Horatius' fate by the blade of his deadly sword.

For those readers new to the series, you'll meet both delightful and frightful players who you'll see again in the adventures of Chloe, providing you with a head start on the exciting three-book series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cheri Gillard
• Release date: Feb 20, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370765546

Cheri Gillard

Award-winning author Cheri Gillard has been a freelance writer and editor for twenty-five years, working for several publishing houses and companies as a writer or editor for projects, books, magazines, and curricula. She earned the coveted IndieB.R.A.G Medallion for "Chloe's Guardian," Book 1 of the Nephilim Redemption series, as well as winning several other awards for her fiction over her writing career. For several years, she was a judge for the Paul Gillette Memorial fiction writing contest. Before writing, she was an obstetric and NICU registered nurse, but she hung up her nurse's cap when she gave birth to quadruplets. She blogs about life raising quadruplets and shares photos at cheri_and_quads on Instagram. She lives with her family in Colorado.

Book preview

The Raid of Balvenie

and the

Maiden Who Survived

The Story before the Story of the

Nephilim Redemption Series

The Raid of Balvenie and the Maiden Who Survived is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright 2017 Cheri Gillard

Cover design by Spencer Gillard

ISBN for the EPUB format: 9781370765546

Ebook Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment and may not be re-sold. If you would like to share it with another person, I will be forever grateful to you for that and just ask that you obtain copies for them from authorized outlets or direct them to those outlets in order to get it for their devices themselves. If you're reading this book and did not download it from a legitimate retailer or source, please delete it from your device and obtain a copy from such a place.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

ALSO BY CHERI GILLARD

The Nephilim Redemption Series

Chloe’s Guardian (2014)

Book One

Chloe’s Watcher (2015)

Book Two

Chloe’s Odyssey (2016)

Book Three

~~~

The Clone’s Mother (2015)

~~~

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you Spencer, for talking me through the emotional rollercoaster of being me, and for lending me your incredible creative and insightful advice.

And thank you Pierce, for brainstorming with me at the beginning, for cheering me on in the middle, and for cleaning up with me after the ending.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ATTACK

CELESTIALS’ BATTLE

FIEND AND FIRE

VISITORS

RELOCATION

NEGOTIATION

PROPOSAL

BETROTHED

TRYST

CUCKOLDED

CHRONOS BAND

SALVATION

REDEMPTION

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

THE STORY OF THE MAIDEN OF BALVENIE

The Raid of Balvenie and the Maiden Who Survived is the prequel to the adventures of Chloe and her friends in the Nephilim Redemption Series. This dramatic new time travel novella, set in the Highlands of medieval Scotland, brings the story of a Scottish lass whose family feud with a neighboring clan brings disaster to her life, upending all she knows. This story before the story not only commits to keep you turning pages to learn what happens next but also to bring new insight and understanding to the events which lead up to the opening scenes of Chloe’s Guardian.

For established fans, characters you’ve come to know in the trilogy appear with new clarity, with secrets revealed that have only been hinted at before. With this exciting release, the untold backstory to the Nephilim Redemption Series finally divulges what happened that fateful night at Dunnottar Castle when the murderous and demon-possessed MacKay held Horatius’ fate by the blade of his deadly sword.

For those readers new to the series, you’ll meet both delightful and frightful players who will shape the events in the subsequent thrilling adventures of Chloe, providing you with a head start on the exciting three-book series.

With this new novella, you will meet Jean Dixson, the strong and resilient Scottish lass who survives horrific tragedy when she loses everyone dear to her. While she struggles to cope after a terrible assault, imperious men assert they have the authority to decide her fate at the same time that scheming demons fight for the right to claim her soul. With the loss of faith and a hardened heart, she is cast into realms she no longer believes exist. Follow her as she encounters the Celestials who introduce her to the Unseen Realm, and discover how her choices impact not only her, but the many characters who will come after her in the continuing saga.

ATTACK

Jean Dixson could hardly wait for the morrow. Janet, her older sister by one year, was to be married. The planned festivities were certain to be more fun than Jean had experienced all year. The elaborate food, the lively dancing and music, the crowds who would come to their home, Balvenie Castle, bringing all kinds of interesting people—her fingers tingled with excitement just picturing it all. She thought she might burst from the anticipation! Determined not to be forced into the boring task of last-minute sewing on her sister’s new gown, or tying together wreaths of flowers to hang on the tent poles, Jean skipped breakfast and took the back steps to a secondary passageway to avoid being seen by her mother in the Great Hall. Once she was safely past the busiest rooms of the keep, she fled down a hallway and snuck into the kitchen. She wanted to watch the feverish preparations for the lavish wedding feast. Surely her mother wouldn’t look for her where there was so much work to be done. Janet would contribute to Jean’s cause instinctively and unknowingly, causing her customary fuss, demanding attention and complaining that her gown wasn’t quite right, keeping their mother occupied and less likely to wonder where Jean was or why she wasn’t with them.

Positioning herself behind a table to get a good view of what was happening but staying clear of rotund and grouchy Annis Austin, the head rotisser who had little patience for her, Jean watched with awe as a likeness of an animal’s head emerged from the marzipan beneath the skilled fingers of food sculptor Robert MacKeith, the patisser in charge of all the baking and sweets that came out of Balvenie’s kitchen. He smiled several times at Jean while he molded the paste, obviously unperturbed by her presence, and maybe just a little happy for the attention. He’d always been kind to her, never scolding her or making her feel like she should have said or done the complete opposite of what she’d just said or done.

What’s it going to be? Jean asked, fascinated by the detail of the animal’s muscular jaw and realistic ears.

A roebuck.

From our crest? Where’s it going to be?

On top of the cake. I still need to fashion the strap and buckle.

It needs antlers to look right, Jean said. Right now it looks rather bald.

He answered without taking his eyes from his work of art. Aye, you’re right. I have them right here. From out of the clutter on the table where all of his work supplies were he picked up a stick that looked remarkably like a miniature five-point antler.

"Perfect! It looks