Thorn Heart

By Christine Duts

In 2285 it would be exactly two hundred years since the Mountain and the Valley Kingdoms had been created. It had taken time and many errors, even when everyone did their best to avoid the mistakes of the past that had led to destruction of life.

The human world was destroyed. Technology was gone, electricity and running water were no more, whole cities had been obliterated, and food supply was scarce. The survivors awoke to a new world where humans once more were weak and defenseless, stripped of their protective towns and comforts, tools and weapons, machinery and cars. The food chain was no longer what humans had created and believed, but it reverted to how it had been before they took over the world. All they had left now was their common sense and the will to survive in this post-apocalyptic world.
They knew their place.
They knew that they could not repeat past mistakes.
Never again.

****

Two kingdoms, opposed in philosophy and action

The Mountain Kingdom is a place of peace and respect for all sentient beings. The Valley Kingdom clings to the old destructive ways.
Special talents such as animal speech, top speed, and other superhuman attributes are honed and revered in the Mountains, but non-existent in the Valley.
Luna, a young noblewoman with the talent of animal speech, and Prince Storm of the Mountain are betrothed, and nothing seems to stand in the way of their arranged marriage. Storm is a good man and Luna needs an escape from her abusive home.
Bluntax, the Valley king, has long desired everything the Mountain Kingdom possesses, and the upcoming royal wedding between Luna and Storm might be just what he needs to provoke the Mountain Kingdom into a battle they cannot win. His son, Thorn, is his strongest asset and the only man who can help him succeed.
The Mountain Kingdom is unprepared for the threats from the Valley, but when Thorn meets Luna, events are set in motion, forcing them both to make decisions that could change their fates forever.
While human and animal refugees seek shelter in the Mountains to flee the terrors of the Valley, King Bluntax prepares for war.
Thorn finds his destiny intrinsically linked to Luna and he must decide. Will he betray her and help his father achieve victory or will he forsake his family and stand by the woman who is also engaged to his rival?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christine Duts
• Release date: May 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463485354

Christine Duts

I was born in Germany, my father being an officer in the Belgian Armed Forces stationed in Germany. I grew up as a Belgian, and later went to London and then Los Cabos, Mexico, where I eventually settled. I am a teacher of World History and Literature at a private high school. Although I love teaching and my students, my passion is writing. I have been writing since the age of six, and I still have the very first story I ever wrote, packed in a tattered suitcase; I have lost the key, and I will have to cut it open to get that story.I often find inspirations while walking on the beach or sitting on the sand and staring at the waves, and I find that dreams can inspire me too. My goal is to live off my writing, because it is who I am; if I do not write, something is missing in my life.I also rescue and foster animals; and I volunteer for Baja SAFE, an animal rescue organisation. Naturally, I often have a variety of rescue animals in my house. My dream is to run an animal sanctuary from my land in Los Cabos, and that my writing can support such a dream.

Book preview

Thorn Heart

CHRISTINE DUTS

PUBLISHED 2020, BY CHRISTINE DUTS,

COPYRIGHT 2017 CHRISTINE DUTS

DISCOVER OTHER TITLES BY CHRISTINE DUTS

AURELIE: SURVIVAL

AURELIE: ON THE ROAD

AURELIE: GATES OF IMMORTALITY

LUCAN, PART 1

LUCAN, PART 2

BEYOND THE MIRROR

A RIGHT TO LIVE

EDITED BY: JK DUKE

COVER PHOTO: REBECA-IRA P

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

*****

Table of Contents:

Prologue

Chapter 1: The Mountain People

Chapter 2: An Unexpected Encounter

Chapter 3: The Valley People

Chapter 4: The Summer Fest

Chapter 5: Back in the King´s Grace

Chapter 6: Murlap´s Vial

Chapter 7: Thorn´s Struggle

Chapter 8: Never forget. Never Repeat their Mistakes.

Chapter 9: Intruders

Chapter 10: Forte, the Valley Wolf

Chapter 11: A Small Victory

Chapter 12: Unprepared

Chapter 13: The Sweet Tulip

Chapter 14 The Animals’ Flight

Chapter 15: The Seer

Chapter 16: Taken

Chapter 17: Under Siege

Chapter 18: Cold

Chapter 19: For What is Good and What is Evil?

Chapter 20: And Now, Animals Speak

Chapter 21: Take Thy Enemy’s Hand

Chapter22: Under a Dark Shadow

Chapter 23: Surrender

Chapter 24: An Unforgettable Procession

Chapter 25: Rumors

Chapter 26: Storm and Thorn

Chapter 27: The Battle

Chapter 28: Bella

Chapter 29: The Eagles’ Flight

Chapter 30: The Lynx’s Final Courage

Chapter 31: Hope

Prologue

The year was 2283. The world was different now. Nothing was as it used to be …

2283 was just two years away from a highly anticipated celebration. In 2285 it would be exactly two hundred years since the Mountain and the Valley Kingdoms had been created. It had taken time and many errors, even when everyone did their best to avoid the mistakes of the past that had led to destruction of life.

No one would ever forget the huge waves that had washed over land, destroying cities and killing millions of people; those waves that had been caused by human greed. The big war in 2051, the threats spoken by the leaders of the two biggest world powers, the fear of mass destruction … And then it happened.

One single bomb …

It was dropped without warning, cutting people’s lives short as they went about their shopping, football games, trips to the beach, barbeques in the garden, and all those things that people liked to do.

The bomb fell and wiped out most of North America. The landmass collapsed, forming a gaping hole in the globe, while the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean joined over the remnants of this once great continent, devouring it with gigantic waves and showing no mercy.

It wasn’t over.

Then came the tsunamis. Such a huge landmass dropping into the sea caused gigantic waves, easily towering over high buildings and crushing them as if they were made of matchsticks. The tsunamis devoured the coastlines of all continents, washing greed and its human carriers away. They even went beyond the coast and invaded so deep inland that hardly anyone survived. The apocalyptic waves had no clemency.

Only small groups of people who lived in the mountains or who had fled there were lucky enough to survive the catastrophe. The human world was destroyed. Technology was gone, electricity and running water were no more, whole cities had been obliterated, and food supply was scarce. The survivors awoke to a new world where humans once more were weak and defenseless, stripped of their protective towns and comforts, tools and weapons, machinery and cars. The food chain was no longer what humans had created and believed, but it reverted to how it had been before they took over the world. All they had left now was their common sense and the will to survive in this post-apocalyptic world.

They knew their place.

They knew that they could not repeat past mistakes.

Never again.

Chapter 1: The Mountain People

Year: 2283

The sun bathed the snow-covered mountains in a silvery light and threw its golden glow on the green flanks below. The needles on the coniferous trees sparkled like dark emeralds, forming a brilliant, green carpet on the slopes. The hickory and almond trees absorbed the sun light greedily, feeding their leaves and nuts. A lone deer scampered on the ground, looking for something edible while some mountain goats climbed the steep flank with no effort at all, not ever losing their footing or their balance. An eagle soared in the sky and little birds twittered happily in the tree crowns, unaware of the predator above them who had already set its sharp eyes on a little mouse that was scurrying around busily.

A little downwards, the tree foliage changed, and there were more green fields and plateaus where the grass grew high and flowers donned marvelous purple, yellow, blue, and red colors, turning this whole landscape into a magical kingdom. This was the Mountain Kingdom, the land of the Mountain People who lived here in peace and who shared the grounds with their brothers and sisters, the animals. Deer and goats, eagles and owls, little birds, field mice, musk rats, skunks, ant eaters, ants, rabbits and hares, the only surviving lynx, mountain lions, foxes, bears, wolves, squirrels, and all other living beings inhabiting this Earth were brothers and sisters to the Mountain People who respected and never harmed them.

The Mountain People were special, for they had certain talents. Some of them could blast jets of water from their hands; others could leap as stealthily and as far as a lynx; there were some who could climb trees as fast and easy as a squirrel and who scampered up on mountains like goats; others were as smart as a fox; and nearly everyone was as loyal as a wolf, for its lifelong loyalty was a trait the Mountain People admired. Many would pride themselves on sharing the faithfulness of the wolf. The really blessed ones, however, were the people who had the remarkable talent of talking to animals, the ones who shared a deep bond with them and with whom animals felt trust. Luna Galaxia was one of them.

Over the centuries of this magical kingdom´s existence, certain animals had learned to understand parts of the human language, like the wolf, the lynx, the fox, the eagle, and the squirrel. People like Luna though were also able to communicate with animals who did not speak the Mountain People´s language. King Aldor always spoke highly of people with that particular talent.

Nevertheless, at home her talent was not admired. Her father, Egar, wasn’t impressed – in fact, he hardly ever was. He spent his time criticizing her and putting her down. Complimenting her and boosting his daughter´s confidence was something he did not know how to do. He was an unusual Mountain Person. Although he did not eat animals – like it was ordained by the king and had been so ever since the creation of this kingdom – Egar had little respect for his furry, feathery, and scaly companions. He regarded them beneath them. He would never utter those beliefs to anyone, but at home it was accepted.

Egar’s wife came from the Valley, and the Valley People were different. For starters, they envied the Mountain People´s various talents, which they didn’t have. Secondly, they shared Luna´s father´s view about animals. Using animals for food and other human needs was allowed in the Valley, and Luna sometimes wondered if her father would not be better off down there, but she knew why he did not go. Life was not so great over there and their ruler was not as benign as the King of the Mountain Kingdom. One would be unwise to willingly live in the Valley. The only ones who were well off were the nobles, but the common man had a hard burden to bear.

In the Mountain Kingdom no one knew suffering or hardship. Everyone was taken care of. Thanks to plentiful resources, there was no poverty, fatal diseases were a thing of the past, and the elderly were given a pension that provided for them plentiful.

King Aldor cared about his people. The previous king – his father – had neglected his duties, but Aldor had improved everyone’s lot considerably and he had erased poverty. Luna – and everyone else in the Mountain Kingdom – loved and admired him.

His wife, Queen Moravia, was also much beloved. Her gentle nature was well-known, and her wise words of advice were requested by many. Moravia looked beyond social classes and did not feel qualms about visiting someone in a rickety shack. To her, a castle or a hut did not make a difference. She came to see the people within and not the walls around them, she always said.

Their son Storm Aldor Winston Valiant was the crown prince and he had known it and been prepared for it since childhood. He was an excellent swords man, an adept rider, and the best archer in the whole kingdom. From a young age he had sat in on his father´s political meetings, gaining useful experience. As he got older, his father sometimes requested his opinion like an equal. The prince had grown into a handsome and smart twenty-three-year old man, and – like his parents – he was loved by his people. Everyone was confident that he would continue King Aldor´s just rule.

Many noble families had eagerly introduced their daughters to court in the hope that they would catch this young man, the most eligible bachelor of the kingdom, but none had been successful.

Like many girls, Luna thought that he was handsome, and within her sheltered a private hope to meet him one day. She knew that it couldn’t come to that, since her family was not acquainted with the court, despite her father´s noble background. The truth was that her grandfather had been as impetuous as her father, and in that way he had quickly managed to lose the previous king´s favor. Therefore, Aldor didn’t know her father´s family, and thus the Galaxias became one of the few noble families that were excluded from court. Luna´s father, however, was not much perturbed by it. On the contrary, he happily boasted about his own father who used to have lunch on a nearly daily basis with the old king.

The only one who would listen to him was his wife, Lady Hycripotep. Luna usually left the room when he started with those old stories, and Tootumchalk – Hycripotep´s daughter – always challenged him. He could hardly ever win a word battle with her, for she was too adept with her tongue, but that did not make her step-sister more likeable to Luna. Tootumchalk had openly expressed a strong dislike for the younger Luna since the day she arrived in her father´s manor. Sarcasm came to her like second nature and her favorite pastime was gossiping endlessly about people Luna had never heard of and about whom she naturally did not care much. So, Luna became the quiet one at home whereas Hycripotep – or Hycri as her father called her – and Tootumchalk chattered away all day. Luna lost herself in books or spent hours in the forests that grew on the mountain flanks or on the grassy and flowery plateaus, and sometimes she even ventured to the mountain top and played with the snow that had been there for months, resting there while it glittered blindingly in the sun, covering the mountain top like icing sugar. Those walks made her happy, but in fact, any activity away from her unloving home filled her with bliss.

Tootumchalk sometimes made fun of her and in her arrogance she believed that Luna did not notice, but she did. She never said anything though; she let it slide.

Tootumchalk could do nothing wrong, for she was well-read and witty, smart and sarcastic, outgoing and talkative, and beloved by her mother. Luna was quiet and sweet, shy and sensitive, intelligent but not outspoken about it; she was talented, and she had an amazing physical strength that no one would credit her slim frame with. She was unloved by her father´s second wife and mostly an embarrassment to him, or so it appeared to be.

The Royal Palace seemed to be painted in stark white, but it was only the reflection of the sun on the pearly walls that gave the building its magnificent glow. Majestically it rose on the top of the highest mountain, over 3000 meters high, protected by layers of snow and slippery cliffs that offered a deadly challenge to even the most seasoned climber. It stood there, impenetrable, well away from view as it was protected by the clouds that formed its white cotton balls around the mountain below, some of it skirting the castle and giving it a fairytale look.

Long turrets rose at each corner, braving the cold northern and western winds. They seemed so fragile with their thin frame and small windows, but they had withstood nature´s elements for two hundred years already, since the day the castle was built by Gregor the Prudent, an ancestor of Aldor. Gregor´s son, Wilfred the Wise, had renovated the castle and added an extra wall around its vast form, thus providing more insulation and warmth in the cold winters.

Like every king in his family, also Aldor had been given a title; his subjects called him Aldor the Magnificent, for his valor and mercy, compassion and wisdom. Aldor was known for his courage in battle, because twenty years ago he had led his troops against the warlike Valley People into a thundering victory. It was a defeat that King Bluntax from the Valley couldn’t forget.

The interior of the Royal- Palace was as grand as its exterior. Entering the Grand Hall was an experience in itself. The metal door was encrusted with bright blue sapphires that came from the Royal Mountain itself. Few knew about the sapphires, and the Mountain Dynasty zealously kept the secret from the Kingdom in the valley below, to avoid any more conflicts. The sapphires were used to decorate the palace, but also to benefit the population. The mine had been a constant source of wealth and the number one cause for a system devoid of taxes. It was no wonder that some Valley People immigrated to the Mountains at a young age and were allowed to live there on the condition of respecting and living by the Mountain People´s ways.

A halo of sapphires circled the top of the door and as one walked through the Grand Hall, large portraits of Aldor´s ancestors followed the visitor to the throne room. The King and Queen´s thrones were made of strong oak. Soft cushions were laid on the seats and woven, red covers were elegantly draped over them, giving them the royal and regal look they deserved.

The King and Queen made a dashing couple. Their marriage had been a happy one and the love they shared was reflected in their son, Storm Aldor. He had been raised with all the advantages a happy marriage could bring to a child. He was loved, confident, and devoted to his parents.

At twenty-three he was still a bachelor and highly popular with families of nobility. How many young girls had not been flaunted at him and presented at court balls? How many smiles and giggles and how many hollow conversations had he had to endure for the sake of etiquette? He knew that he ought to have made his choice a long time ago, and if he did not, his parents would surely make a convenient match for him. He had wanted to avoid that, and he wondered why they had not done so yet. Although they were eager to marry him off, they didn’t seem in a hurry to retire, and Storm didn’t mind. In fact, he was relieved. He didn’t think he was ready for the throne and he doubted that he ever would be. Despite his intense preparation for this task, he did not feel up for it. He feared the responsibilities it would bring, and he dreaded the many grievances he would have to solve the way his father did. His father never skirted his duties; he embraced them as if he had been born a king. Storm, however, knew that he was not a king. He was a good soldier and an excellent scholar. He wanted to travel the world, meet more people, and read books from abroad. His mother told him that he could do that once he was king, but she didn’t understand. He wanted to travel without the responsibilities awaiting him at home. He did not want to be king, but he had no choice. He was their only son.

And all those girls … he was getting tired of it. Their parents kept on parading them in front of him like the Valley People presented fresh meat on their markets. None had managed to captivate him on an intellectual or emotional basis. Surely enough, many of them were well-read and educated, but their eyes wandered too often to the sapphires that adorned the palace, to the gold rings his mother wore, the silver dinnerware, or the magnificent tropical gardens that were hidden in this world of ice and snow in different areas of the palace.

His mother joked that he was too picky. On some occasions when determined families returned with their daughters, he managed to escape the confines of the grand palace and dash through one of the many secret tunnels that led outside. He would then enter the woods and find the peace that he so needed. He wondered how much longer he could escape his duties.

Chapter 2: An Unexpected Encounter

Luna wore one of her favorite dresses. It was long and wide with a small waist and wide Renaissance sleeves as fashion dictated, in a sky-blue color. She accentuated it with a dark blue belt and then she expertly braided her hair. Today was a beautiful day, urging her to explore the woods and talk to her animal friends. She was looking forward to it, but first she had to nip in the kitchen and grab a bite to eat. It was early in the morning and Tootumchalk was still fast asleep. She always rose around noon. Her father had already left and Hycripotep was rummaging in his study. Luna tiptoed past the study, to avoid calling any attention and then she descended the marble stairway to the ground floor. In the hallway she turned back and then went below the staircase through the kitchen door. It was well hidden from view from any visitors, since the kitchen was the servants´ place, but Luna often visited the staff in there and they always enjoyed her company. Melly, the cook, always gave her some delicious bread rolls, cakes, or meals she had prepared. Luna never left the kitchen hungry, and also this time Melly awaited her with a wide grin on her fleshy face and a plate on the long wooden table in the middle of the room. Two freshly baked croissants with a rich almond spread teased her nostrils.

Are these for me? Luna asked enthused.

Of course!

Pleased, she sat down and pulled the plate towards her. The croissants were soft and warm and when she felt their texture in her mouth, she nearly melted. It was so delicious.

Did my father and Hycripotep already have breakfast? She inquired.

Yes, they did, the cook replied, her smile waning a little. Her face was an open book, and Luna just knew that she had witnessed another quarrel between the two.

Did they fight again?

What do you think?

What about?

She turned away and seemed focused on the oven, but Luna knew that she did not want to talk about her employers, especially since Hycripotep was still in the house. She could guess. The topic could have been either Tootumchalk and her conceited ways, or Luna, and it was usually the latter.

When she finished her croissants, she drank the tea Melly had prepared, thanked her, and left the kitchen. She sauntered out into the hallway and put on her cloak that was hanging from a large hook on the wall next to the door. On the wall hung a portrait of Hycri, one that her father especially loved, for she was painted with her typical, friendly smile that could win anyone over. Next to Hycri’s portrait hung a small painting of Egar, her father, in his younger days, looking handsome in a Mountain army uniform, and then there was a portrait of Tootumchalk, wearing a canary yellow sweater over a black dress, sitting on a bench under a willow tree and smiling brightly. There was no painting or portrait of Luna here. Hers had been banished to the storage room, not even deemed important enough to carry a frame like the other paintings did. It had been like this for years, and the reminder of her position in this household stared at her mockingly every time she walked into the hallway to get her coat.

It would be a warm summer day, but early in the mornings the mountain temperature was still cool. Gently she closed the door behind her and walked out on the cobblestoned path that wound its way through the garden that her father and Hycripotep had carefully planted.

Storm finally reached the end of the long winding tunnel and found the hole in the floor that was covered by a mat. Only he and his father knew of this tunnel and they did not intend to tell anyone. Storm kept the secret for his own escapes from court life; and his father remained silent about it for an eventual evacuation in case of a siege. Then he would send his wife and everyone else down this way to save them, but it had never come to that and Storm doubted that it would. The castle was too well protected and too high up.

He removed the mat and lowered himself through the hole into a narrow and low-ceilinged cave. Crossing the tunnel took less than ten minutes. When he reached the other side, he crept out on all fours into the snow that glittered in the early morning sunlight. The snow was cold in his hands, and it felt refreshing. He covered his face with his wet hands, taking in the freshness, and then he stood up, breathing in deep to take in the cold morning air. There was nothing like clean mountain air.

Surely, his mother would be upset by his disappearance, for in two hours Lord Milos would arrive with the vain hope to endear his daughter to him. Lord Milos was one of his father´s closest advisors and the man´s daughter was definitely a favorite with him. Storm sensed that soon he would be pressured to pick a girl and he suspected that his parents would choose the milky-faced Eulalia whom he was to entertain today.

Instead of enjoying his company, she would have to await her father until he deemed it prudent to leave. Lord Milos would be insulted by his escape, and his father – who probably knew where he had gone – would give him a piece of his mind when he returned, but it did not matter to him. He was not interested in Eulalia who was as exciting as a basket filled with straw and whose mind did not go farther than her father´s vast estates and the Royal Palace´s sapphires on the walls. Evading her was well worth the scolding. It would be worse to spend time in her company, he reasoned.

He started walking and saw a deer saunter through the underbrush. It was not avoiding him, since it knew that he would not hunt it, but this one seemed a little shy. It stopped beyond the bushes and curiously watched him pass by. Storm did not possess the coveted gift that so many Mountain People yearned for. He could not talk to animals, and like most inhabitants, he wished he could.

He spent a lot of time out on the mountains. The capital a little farther below was also a wonderful experience, built on a slope with spectacular views over the valleys below and mountain peaks in front, with roads winding over the flanks and connecting house to house; and there were even sturdy wooden bridges hung over ravines, ensuring that no building was isolated. No family was left alone. It was truly an intriguing town, well worth the exploration. Its brown tiled roofs shone in the sunlight and the white walls always looked so clean. The doors – some red, others brown or yellow – looked inviting.

He ascended a thin path that had been trampled by some heavy animal, it seemed, perhaps a bear? Enjoying the ease of following this path, he went up, winding his way around the coniferous trees and when he turned around a large boulder, the road went downwards again. He felt content and relaxed, taking in his peaceful surroundings with joy. Snow lay on the top tree branches; the lower ones were bare. The ground was hard and frozen, but as he descended the mountain, its hardness decreased and his footsteps sank in a little deeper. There was less snow and the sun felt warmer every time. He left the coniferous trees behind and crossed a green plain that ended in a long plateau which was overgrown with cornflowers, bathing the fields in a golden hue. It was a glorious sight. He simply had to stop and gaze at this spectacle.

How wonderful, he thought. He should have brought his notebook. Such a splendid sight could inspire any man to write a poem. The wind caressed his face and swept up his brown hair. It was a little below the neck and his mother had urged him several times to cut it for today´s visit, which he blatantly refused. It was fine the way it was, he reasoned. Anyway, he was not going to meet Eulalia today. Not today, not any day, he hoped …

He stretched his arms high above his head and looked at the clear blue sky. What a glorious morning! He could not have chosen a better moment to take a stroll. He brought his arms down and now stretched them before him. Then he walked down the path towards the golden plateau. He hadn’t gone far when he heard a voice. Curiously, he stopped and looked in the direction it had come from. It was the voice of a young woman and she seemed to be talking to herself. He did not hear anyone else. Intrigued, he followed the soft sound. It was gentle, alluringly so. He turned around a wide tree and came upon a clearing surrounded by walnut trees. There she was, and she was definitely not alone. She sat comfortably on a thick tree trunk that had fallen on the ground and she was surrounded by animals. He was overcome by this vision of her; she looked like an image from a children´s book. A little robin sat on her shoulder and looked at her attentively as she spoke in her soft voice. A doe lay down by her side, resting her head on one of her feet. A skunk sat on his hind legs a little farther away, his tail down, chewing something vigorously. A squirrel sat on her lap and gazed at her in adoration, and a muskrat had made himself comfortable on the trunk by her side.

She was one of those people who could talk to animals. None of the animals that were with her knew the language of the Mountain People – except for the squirrel - but she knew how to communicate with them.

In amazement, he stared at the lovely scene, and he could not help noticing how beautiful she was. Her long silvery hair fell in waves over her back and her blue eyes looked animatedly at her furry and feathery companions as she told them about her hopes to leave her house soon and perhaps build a small lodge up here with them. He smiled endeared when he heard that. It amazed him that she spoke to them in his language, and yet, they understood her, but not him. How did she do that? How did anyone with this special talent do it? They seemed to make no effort at all; it just came naturally.

The doe shifted a little and moved her head to her toes. The girl bent over and stroked her over her neck. Storm was enthralled. Mesmerized he stared at her and her easy communion with nature. It was beautiful to see how these animals trusted her and how they treated her as one of their own. The skunk now seemed to speak to her and she listened attentively. He wondered what he had said, for she looked up at the tree crown above her and then back at the skunk. Storm now gazed at her long, thin hands and her well-shaped arms. He took in the shape of her small breasts and her thin waist, and he felt like he had not felt with any of the women who had been introduced to him. A jolt inside him awoke him with a start and an invisible force seemed to pull him towards her. He wanted to meet her and talk to her. He couldn’t leave without talking to her. That was all he could think about.

The