*clears throat* The opening for the first book in this new series.
Amelina forced her legs to carry her exhausted body through
the dense foliage at the back of her family’s estate. Faster. Keep moving. The fallen twigs scattered across the ground protested
the assault, biting into her bare feet with each panicked step. Though spring
had brought with it the vibrant green of renewed life, Old Man Winter’s
casualties lay strewn amongst the forest like landmines long forgotten. Just
waiting for someone to come along and step on them.
Almost there. You just
need to make it to the barrier.
A gunshot echoed through the trees behind her. More followed
in rapid succession, a warzone erupting in her family’s backyard. The wind
swirled through her hair, whipping it against her cheeks. The explosions were
gaining ground, closer and closer despite her adrenaline-fueled effort. Amelina
risked a quick glance over her shoulder and nearly tripped over herself when
she saw the path of destruction at her tail. It hadn’t been gunshots she’d
heard.
Something was breaking the goddamn trees in half. The three
hundred year old oak trees with trunks wider than some cars. Snapping like
goddamn toothpicks.