Chapter ONE - Weebly

it.”
He stepped out of the room and quietly pulled the
door shut behind him. Ethan could hear the man
descending the stairs, but only just. It seemed Pell
remembered much from his mischief-making days.
It had grown late and Ethan’s appetite had long
since vanished in a haze of fatigue and pain. He locked
his door, and then as an afterthought, propped a chair
against it, jamming the back of the chair firmly against
the base of the doorknob: a little extra protection in
case Sephira and her men tried to pay him another visit.
He undressed and fell into bed, and he was asleep
within moments of closing his eyes.
* * *
Immediately upon awaking, Ethan knew that he had
slept far longer than he intended. The daylight streaming
into his room through the one window was far too
bright, and he could hear Henry in the shop below
hammering away at the stays of some new barrel.
He sat up quickly—too quickly. The pain in his
head, his neck, his sides and back actually ripped a