PROLOGUE

   Frantic screaming awakens the little girl. Billows of gray smoke rise all around, attacking her lungs and distorting her perception. She cries for her mother as she crawls out of bed, but no help comes. Even though her servant is nowhere around, the child calls out her name again and again in terror, not knowing what else to do. Flames flicker from under the door, and the child backs up to the polished-horn window. Her little fists bang on the panes as the screaming becomes more intense and the flames consume the door. The girl stares at the panes, willing them to open in a silent plea to save her life. As if to obey her command, the panes suddenly burst outward, allowing in precious air and also giving her a means of escape. She climbs up on a chair and peers outside to the ground below. The room is two stories up, but she has no choice. In her innocence, she closes her eyes and imagines herself flying like a bird safely to the ground. Suddenly a red angel appears from behind, and wraps its wings around her - large, cool wings that block the smoke. They fly to the ground together. As she hits, the impact jars her very being, but she is safe from the fire. The angel carries her away, and tells her she is safe. Before she lapses into unconsciousness, she sees a man outside the house laughing with glee. She squints to make out his face, then darkness envelops her.

   Elanna sat up sharply with her hand to her chest, gasping from the imagined pain in her lungs. The dream had happened again. This time it was so vivid, so clear, she almost felt the hot flames and smelled the smoke. She got out of her small bed and took a few, deep breaths, as if to assure herself the air was clear. She quietly left her room, walked down the long, barren hallway, and finally stopped at a door. Pausing for just a few seconds, she raised her hand and gently rapped.

   "Who is it?"

   "Prioress? It happened again."

   "The red angel?"

   "Aye."

   The door opened, and the nun stared sadly at the beautiful girl before her. Elanna looked back with eyes so transparently blue they depicted fine stained glass. The old nun smiled through crinkled eyes. Since arriving at the convent at the age of five, Elanna both warmed her heart and saddened her soul. The young girl, now a woman, depicted all of what that time feared. Power with discipline. Innocence without fear.

   "Come in, child, we shall pray." Elanna nodded, entered the small room, and instantly knelt on the hard floor, her palms together with head bowed in reverence. Her white-blond hair flowed onto the floor and around her ivory gown, causing her to resemble a kneeling angel in prayer. The prioress bowed beside her and began praying, like so many times before when Elanna came to her with disturbing visions.

   They prayed for over an hour, asking God to lift the burden from Elanna's soul. The Prioress was confident that everything was in control, when Elanna suddenly snapped her head up. Her eyes stared forward in a daze-like manner.

   "What is it, child?"

   "He is coming for me. He will be here anon, in the deepest of the night."

   "Is he alone?"

   "No - there are men with him."

   The nun lovingly stroked Elanna's fine, soft hair, and pursed her lips. "Is there a chance you could be wrong?"

   Elanna shook her head. "I am to marry."

   The prioress frowned, her eyes intense, serious. "That is impossible."

   "Yet, 'tis true. He will take me away, and force me to marry." She turned and frantically searched the old nuns eyes for answers. "What am I to do?"

   The Prioress lowered her head, as tears welled in her eyes. "You have no option. You know what you must do." She stood up, and offered the stricken girl her hand.

   Midnight came, and true to Elanna's word, he arrived demanding entrance. The Prioress was ready. When the dark, baneful man strutted into her office, she frowned at him in condemnation. If anyone came close to her sinfully hating, it was Giles Dayen. She had come to believe he was the devil incarnate.

   "I should have suspected you would do this! She sensed your coming, your hate is so strong. Your ruse of using the darkness did not help your filthy scheme."

   Giles Dayen removed his gloves and long, black cape, then sat down with a cocky jeer on his deceptively handsome face. He made no attempt to hide his arrogance and malevolence. "I am pleased to see you also, Prioress. And, I have no doubt she sensed me. Where is she?"

   An angry scowl came over the nuns face. "With her creator, I would suppose. She choose death to your evil plan."

   He jumped to his feet in anger. "She would not dare! I have plans for her."

   "Sometimes plans can go awry."

   "Nay! The king has demanded her to marry and obtain a lord for her lands, and I must comply. Since I am her legal guardian, she shall marry the man I have chosen and be returned to you within a short time, unharmed and untouched."

   "Not if she is dead."

   He drew a breath, then smiled diabolically. "Then show me her body."

   "'tis hard to believe you are her uncle; you hate her so."

   "She should have died with the rest of her wretched family, then the lands would be mine."

   "How can you say that? 'tis your brother you speak of! "

   "Aye, my weak and kind brother. Kind and stupid." He suddenly smiled. "Then again, if she has chosen suicide, I get Ancaster anyway, as last remaining heir. Again I ask, show me her body! I shall return it for burial with the rest of her worthless kin."

   The Prioress hid a bitter smile. "Very well, follow me."

   Hundreds of candles lit the small sanctuary where Elanna knelt before the altar, the dagger firmly grasped in her hands. As tears ran down her face, she raised it and pointed it to her heart. She had been praying for the strength to carry out her only escape from her fate. Suicide was an immoral sin, one for which you could never be forgiven, but her soul was already condemned. Her death would be a relief.

    "Forgive me, Lord." As she took a last breath to make ready the plunge into her chest, a vision suddenly came to her. A young man on horseback, handsome and kind, stared at her and smiled. His eyes lit up her heart, and new hope sprang within her. She lowered the dagger.

   When the prioress and Giles reached the sanctuary, they found her waiting for them. She stood peacefully in front of the altar, the candles lighting her from behind as if she were a vision in white sent to haunt them. The prioress let out a gasp. Giles turned to the nun and laughed wickedly.

   "Dead, huh?"

   The prioress ran to her, and pulled the child she loved so dearly into her arms. Elanna returned her hug.

   "It shall be fine," she whispered in the nuns ear. "I had a vision; a man shall rescue me."

   Giles motioned to his men, and they entered the room, holding ropes and a black hood. As they carefully approached Elanna, she calmly held her hands together out in front of her. The wary men tightly bound her hands, and placed the hood over her head. Giles had been careful to remain at the door, and the prioress noted his distance with satisfaction.

   "Still afraid of her?"

   "Not afraid, simply cautious."

   "Why do you treat her hence? She is just a child! "

   He turned his rage to the nun. "She is a witch! If not for me, she would have been burned years ago. At least this way, she lives."

   "Some life! Hooded like a falcon because of your fear!"

   "Spare me your rhetoric, Sister. She shall be returned when Ancaster is mine. You shall have your precious little seer back, believe me, I am not anxious to keep her around." He turned to his men. "Take her to the carriage, and lock her in!" With that, he strode away, his long cape flowing behind him, as he followed his men leading the small figure in white.

   The prioress crossed her heart, and bowed her head. "May God have mercy on her."

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