Chapter One

By Carole Towriss

Read the first chapters of six biblical fiction books by author Carole Towriss. Sold into Freedom, Deep Calling Deep, Prize of War, and the "Journey to Canaan" trilogy: In the Shadow of Sinai, By the Waters of Kadesh, and The Walls of Arad.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Four Diamonds Publishing
• Release date: Feb 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386434283

Carole Towriss

An unapologetic Californian, Carole Towriss now lives just north of Washington, DC. She loves her husband, her four children, the beach, and tacos, though not always in that order. In addition to writing, she binge-watches British crime dramas and does the dishes for the fourth time in one day.

Book preview

Introduction

six books

I’ve written six Biblical Fiction books so far. I’m delighted to share with you the first chapter of each of these.

Enjoy!

Sold into Freedom

Sold into Freedom

Sold Into Freedom is book 1 of The Planting Faith Series. This series follows the Apostle Paul through his second missionary journey. Each book will focus on two or more little-known biblical characters who came to faith through his ministry.

Sold into Freedom is based on the stories in Acts 16.

She will kill to escape.

He has killed for the Empire.

What will they give for a freedom like no other?

Elantia, a seer, is kidnapped from her home on the coast of Britannia and sold as a slave in Ephesus. Her new owners take her to Philippi, where they put her to work each day in the marketplace telling fortunes. When they take from her the only good thing left in her life, she vows she will take her revenge and find her way home, even if she has to kill to do it.

After a devastating injury and vicious rumors, Tribune Quintus Valerius is dismissed from the army he loves. Given land in lieu of a cash pension, he settles in Philippi, but a betrayal forces him to become the city’s Keeper of the Prison. At least until the truth comes out.

Everything changes when a simple Jewish preacher visits Philippi. Tia and Quin are both intrigued by Paulos’s message of peace, but it seems too good to be true. Are they willing to leave behind everything they know to experience a freedom like no other?

Chapter One

"There are . . . things which the Lord hates, . . .

that are detestable to him: . . .

a heart that devises wicked schemes,

[and] feet that are quick to rush into evil."

—Proverbs 6:16, 18—

Southwestern coast of Britannia, 49 a.d.

It was the screaming that woke her up.

Elantia rubbed the sleep from her eyes and scrambled from her straw-covered cottage in the tiny village by the sea. In the grim light of early morning, nail-studded leather pounded the ground as soldiers dragged horrified families out of their roundhouses. Blood-red cloaks whipped in the ocean breeze as the invaders set fire to anything they could burn, tearing apart what they could not.

Screeches and wails intertwined with the clang of metal against metal, the crackle of flames eating up thatch, and the soldiers’ horrible, dreadful words. Thank the gods their chieftain father had insisted they learn Latin when the Roumani defeated their neighbors years ago, but she hated the sound of it.

Muscles tightened, ready to fight, Elantia fought through the throng of townspeople surrounding her father.

The Roumani leader, a centurion judging by his uniform, stood face-to-face with him. Give us your best quietly or we will take them by force.

Shoulders back, Tatos stood his ground. You have no right. We are at peace with Rome. After months of bloody battles with our neighbors, Commander Vespasian decided conquering us was not worth the losses to his legion. He vowed the Roumani would never attack us.

What makes you think we answer to Vespasian? He leaned nearer. Now stand aside.

I will not. Tatos pulled himself as tall as his aging body allowed. We’ve done nothing to you to warrant such violence. I must protect my people.

Her heart swelled at her tatos’s vow, even in the face of almost certain defeat.

The centurion shoved him aside. Rome needs strong backs. When we’re done, you’ll have nothing left to protect.

In the six years since the Roumani had invaded their land, they had brought nothing but pain.

He beckoned to another, whispered to him. The younger man grabbed Tatos and Mamma and dragged them away.

Mamma! Elantia rushed to follow her parents, but a rough hand jerked her by the arm and shoved her into a sheep pen, where most of the other young adults of the tribe already waited. She ran to Tancorix.

Her brother wrapped his arms around her, held her close.

The second soldier grabbed Tancorix and pulled him from Elantia, lining them up in a loose row.

The centurion strode over. Eyeing each of them from head to toe, he hesitated when he came to their cousin. He grabbed her thin arm and turned it over once, twice.

Elantia’s breath caught. The girl was weak. She’d been sick most of the winter. What would he do to her?

He yanked her out of line, thrust her toward his second in command, and then continued his inspection, nodding in satisfaction. Stopping before Elantia’s brother, he fingered the thick, braided gold torque around Tancorix’s neck. He yanked at it, but the opening at the neck was but a finger’s breadth wide. He pulled harder, twisting.

Tancorix put his hands to his neck, wincing in pain as the stiff metal cut into his skin and cut off his air. He grasped the man’s forearms, sinking to the ground, his breath coming fast.

Tia’s heart pounded as she tried to pull the Roumanos’s hands away. This is the chief’s son! That torque was put around his neck as a child, and he grew into it. It’s not coming off!

Tancorix struggled for air, his face turning as red as the centurion’s cloak.

The Roumanos let go of the necklace to backhand her.

She stumbled but managed to stay upright. Stinging pain radiated from her cheek to her whole head. The metallic taste of blood lingered on her lip.

With a smile that sent a shiver down her back, he neared her. He ran his fingers down her face, her neck, then along the front of the sleeveless cloak she wore, the one Mamma had spent the winter months making for her. He moved behind her and wrenched it off her arms. His hot breath on her neck sent her stomach roiling. It’s a shame we are in such a hurry.

He tossed the garment to his aide, and the younger man left.

Tia’s hands trembled as she reached for Tancorix. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple.

The soldier returned with a long rope. Her skin burned as he wrapped it around her wrists and knotted it, far too tightly. It went from her to Tancorix to all the others in turn.

She searched for Tatos and Mamma. What had the soldiers done to them? She’d never trusted the Roumani, and today had proved her instinct right. Her father had made sure they’d