Page 3 of Crimson Born

The driver—Reece, it had to be Reece—was still behind the wheel. I couldn’t see his face, but I knew he was alive because he was making frantic movements. One of his hands protruded from the smashed driver’s side window and slapped the pavement repeatedly as he called for help.

The woman grasped my jaw and turned my face toward hers again.

“Don’t worry child,” she purred. “The pain will be over soon. For you and all your friends. As for that one... he’ll pay with his life.”

She tossed her head toward the man trapped inside the burning car and issued an order. “Let him stay where he is.”

From somewhere behind her a feminine voice said, “I think we should thank him for providing us with an unexpected feast. I’m starved.”

There was a smattering of laughter, and a male voice said, “I love Amish food.”

“Shut up, Kannon,” the beautiful woman snapped. “Have some respect for the dying. They’re little more than children.”

She lowered her head and brought it close to my chest—to listen to my heart? Maybe she was a paramedic after all or perhaps an off-duty doctor or nurse who’d seen the accident and stopped to help.

“Don’t,” I whispered as her face drew close to mine. “Please.”

Her grin was wide with surprise and delight, her white teeth gleaming like polished marble. A trick of the moonlight made her eyes look light purple, like the lilacs that bloomed outside our house each summer.

“You still have a bit of fight left in you,” she said. “I like that. But there’s no need to be afraid—you won’t feel a thing.”

“No.” I gasped for air. “I mean don’t... let him die. The driver.”

She drew back. The delight on her face had morphed into confusion. “Why ever not? His irresponsibility has left you broken beyond repair.”

“It was an accident. I know... he didn’t... mean to. Help him. Please.”

It was too late for me. I couldn’t move, and my breathing was growing more labored by the second. I had maybe minutes left to live, but there was still a chance for Reece. And he didn’t deserve to die like this.

“Youknowthat boy?” the woman asked.

“No. Not really. We only met tonight. But he...”

I struggled for enough air to finish the sentence. “He said... he was my destiny.”

2

Crimson Moon

Five hours earlier

Unlike Hannah, I’d made no plans to get friendly with any of the boys from the neighboring towns tonight.

Mamm always said the outside world had no more happiness to offer than our insular community did, and it was probably true.

In spite of what I’d told Josiah, I already knew what my life would hold—marriage to a village boy, children, hard work—a plain life, an Amish life. A good life to be sure.

And good enough was as good as it would probably ever get.

So it made absolutely no sense to flirt with the English boys or spend any time talking to them. I stuck close to Hannah, following her lead as she got in line at the beer keg, accepting a red plastic cup and sipping at it as we walked around the bonfire area together.

It had been set up near a small lake on the Miller’s property. There had to be at least eighty kids there, though of course, I knew very few of them. I did recognize a handful from another Amish community, but for the most part, the partygoers were from the city.

Aaron and Josiah were right there with them, playing a game called Beer Pong at a table that stood just outside the ring of the fire’s light. They laughed and spoke with the other guys as if they’d been friends their whole lives.

After a while though, Aaron walked over to us and started doing his best to make Hannah forget about her plans to make an English-Amish love connection.

He was louder than usual, funnier, too, and I was surprised to see Hannah let him put his arm around her shoulder—and keep it there.

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