Crimson Born - Amy Patrick Page 0,2

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.

“You know that 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.

Before long, the two of them excused themselves to go “look at the water.” I wasn’t fooled. Instead of walking toward the lake, they headed the other direction and disappeared into the barn together.

Josiah was nowhere in sight, so I wandered the perimeter of the bonfire alone, feeling awkward and lonely.

It was my first party outside our small community. I found myself wishing I’d changed clothes like Hannah had done so I wouldn’t stick out so obviously.

Or perhaps disappear so completely.

No one spoke to me or even smiled in my direction. And I was hot in my long sleeves, long skirt, and lace up boots.

Thinking it might be cooler near the lake’s edge, I headed away from the bonfire in that direction. The bright moon reflected on the smooth surface in a way that beckoned me, like a candle in a dark window.

It had a reddish tint tonight, which only made it prettier.

I’d always been fascinated with the full moon, often climbing out my bedroom window to sit on the roof at night and stare at it. Once I’d even fallen asleep out there and terrified my parents, who were sure I’d run away when they found my bed empty.

Before I reached the lake, the end of my shoe bumped into something hard sticking out of the ground. Away from the firelight, it was harder to see. I squatted to investigate.

Oh, it was a metal stake. Several rusty old horseshoes lay near it.

Though I’d played the game before, I’d never been any good at it. But no one was watching