Raging Read online

  THIS book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the authors' imagination or are used factiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  NO part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Raging

  Copyright ©2016 Holly Kelly

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 978-1-63422-196-2

  Cover Design by: Marya Heiman

  Typography by: Courtney Nuckels

  Editing by: Cynthia Shepp

  ~Smashwords Edition~

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  To my husband, James. Your strength and determination in the face of adversity is only one of the millions of reasons why I’m grateful to be your wife. If fate is so kind, I look forward to growing old with you—preferably on a beach in Fiji.

  For more information about our content disclosure,

  please utilize the QR code above with your smart phone or visit us at

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  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  1128 AD

  Tana hummed as she meandered along the cobblestone streets of a quaint village—completely unaware that her life as she knew it would end that day. She reached the fountain. It bubbled in a blooming, sparkling flow. She loved water, relished the feel of it. In fact, she’d like nothing better than to jump in the fountain and drench herself. She doubted the villagers would appreciate their water being polluted by her. Instead, she filled her bucket to brimming and started back through the narrow streets. Dipping her fingers in the fluid, she smiled as she touched the coolness, swishing it through her fingertips. Water always made her feel at ease. It was safe; it protected her from herself.

  “Tana,” a voice shouted behind her. “What are you doing here? On the prowl for another lover?”

  Tana stiffened. As she pulled her hand back from the bucket, steam rose as the water coating her fingers bubbled and hissed. Before anyone could see, she stuffed her hand into the folds of her skirt.

  She turned to find the glaring eyes of a group of young women. In the center stood Lettie—a seventeen-year-old girl who relished taunting her. Lettie stood tall, a beauty with raven-black hair, and steel-grey eyes that held the hatred of a much older woman. And in Lettie’s eyes, the hatred was well earned. She blamed Tana for the dissolution of her engagement to Gabriel. And to be honest, Tana was the reason. But it was not intentional. The love that sprang up between them came completely unexpected. Gabriel was determined to marry her, but his family refused to allow it. Tana was, after all, a red-haired devil, without family, without means—at least not in this world. She did have a father, but if she told them who he was, they’d think her a liar. Or mad.

  “No, Lettie. I was just fetching water.”

  “Oh, really?” Lettie looked beyond Tana’s shoulders.

  Tana looked to see who might be approaching when the bucket slipped from her grasp. She turned back to see Lettie holding the water as it sloshed and splashed over the cobbled stones at her feet. “I don’t think there’s enough water here to clean the soot and filth from you.” Lettie shook her head and laughed. The other women laughed in chorus with her. “No, there’s not nearly enough water here.” A wicked smile spread over her face. “But perhaps it could help,” she said, and then swung the bucket, splashing its entire contents across Tana’s face.

  Tana sputtered and wiped the wetness away. “You…” she said though clenched teeth. Her anger rose, boiling beneath her skin. “You are a hateful, spoiled child,” Tana continued. Clouds of mist swirled around her.

  “Yeah, and you…” Lettie’s voice dropped away as her eyes widened. “You’re…” she said in a whisper, her eyes searching the steaming mist, “…a witch?”

  Tana glanced down to see steam rising from her skin. Horrified, she looked up to meet Lettie’s eyes, which were narrowed to slits.

  “You are a witch,” Lettie said.

  “No. No, I’m not,” Tana stammered. Her heart pounded as fear crept in.

  “Yes, you are! And I bet you used witchcraft on Gabriel. That explains how he could have feelings for a twit like you—you daughter of Satan.” Lettie ran forward and lifted the bucket above her head. Tana attempted to raise her hands to block, but she wasn’t quick enough. The sturdy, wooden container came down on her with a crack as pain exploded in her head. In agony, she collapsed to the ground.

  “Witch, witch, witch…” the girls around Lettie chanted. Doors from nearby houses squeaked open. The voices swelling as a crowd gathered.

  Tana looked up. “I’m not a witch.”

  The angry faces around her told her they didn’t believe her. And why should they? She’d always been an outsider among them—never accepted, never trusted. And here she was, covered in water, steaming like a hot griddle.

  An old man with a shiny head and shaggy beard leaned over and picked up a rock. Tana turned away just in time for it to miss hitting her in the face. Pain sliced across her shoulder. Almost immediately, another strike hit again, and then again and again. Stones pelted Tana’s body as she curled into a ball—attempting to shield herself from the onslaught of increasingly large stones.

  “Stop,” she shrieked. “Please, st—” Pain stole her voice as hurt accompanied a crack in her side when a rock the width of a dinner plate dropped on her. She was sure that one broke a rib or two.

  She had done nothing wrong. She was innocent. And here they were stoning her. If she were human, they might succeed in killing her.

  In the midst of pain and despair, Tana’s control snapped.

  Heat radiated from her. She could feel it surfacing—burning from within. When she rose to her feet, the shower of stones ceased. Through a reflective puddle of water, she could see the glow of fire dancing over her skin.

  Anger flowed through her as she glared at her attackers. Her hair whipped around her face as the wind picked up. The terror-stricken faces of those surrounding her gave her a certain satisfaction. Without remorse, she let the flames swell.

  Let them burn.

  After all, they had tried to kill her first. It was time to see how they
liked it.

  Clarity struck for a moment when the frightened eyes of a small child peeked around the skirt of his mother.

  What am I doing?

  Closing her eyes, Tana attempted to calm the flames that delighted in seeking out tinder and flesh to burn. Her hands clenched into fists, shaking with effort. But the fire would not be calmed. It was too late.

  “Run,” she whispered, her breathing ragged. She raised her eyes to the crowd and shouted, “Run!”

  Chaos erupted as the villagers fled, some simply running away, others running toward loved ones they wished to save.

  Tana herself rose and sprinted to the outskirts of the village. She needed to get as far away as she could. She should have been relieved when she reached the exit at the wall surrounding the town, but what lay before her didn’t comfort her—in fact, it was a nightmare. A dry, grassy meadow spread out before her. Nothing looked more flammable, but she couldn’t turn back. That would be worse.

  Taking a deep breath, she sprinted, racing across the field. Fire licked the dry tinder and ignited. She knew there was a pond not far from this field. She must get there! That was the only way to stop this.

  The sky darkened with smoke and the landscape looked surreal—like someone had painted over it with an orange glaze. Distant screams erupted from behind as the village burned. Please don’t let anyone die. I didn’t mean it. I was angry. I don’t want to be responsible for more deaths. Please, make it stop!

  Finally, she reached the tall trees, where the moisture still clung to the grass and the leaves on the foliage were green. Air burned in her lungs as she gasped for breath. Smoke rose and swirled around her legs as they continued to pump, driving her to her destination. She could hear the fire crackling behind her as it raged—drying up the moisture and catching on the tinder as smoke filled her nostrils.

  “Please, make it stop,” she sobbed. “Father, if you can hear me, make the fire stop!”

  “Tana!” a voice cried out, and she skidded to a stop. “Gabriel?” Her heart pounded as terror shot through her. A moment later, she could see him as he raced from the trees. Gabriel had grown up in the village near her woods. They’d spent many a day fishing, hunting, and simply enjoying each other’s company. And then, just this summer, they’d finally admitted they loved each other. He was the most important thing in her world. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

  He stepped away from her, his eyes widening in horror. “Tana, you’re on fire!”

  Tana glanced down at her hands. Yellow flames danced over her entire body. “I can’t stop it, Gabriel! You need to run. Run far away from here.”

  “I won’t leave you,” he said as he took a hesitant step forward.

  “You have to,” she shouted. “I can’t stop it. I can’t stop the fire.” The crackling increased, as did the dancing flames, swelling and growing as they took on a life of their own. “Run, Gabriel! You have to run!” He finally seemed to realize how dangerous the situation had become, and he sprinted into the trees.

  She pressed her hands to her forehead as fire filled her vision. “Not fast enough. He’s not running fast enough,” she sobbed, dropping to her knees as the intensity of the fire increased. There was no chance of reaching the pond now. She was beyond help. An ear-shattering explosion filled her vision as white light blinded her eyes. She may have been blind to the scene, but she could feel it—the explosion coming from her. The fire incinerated everything around her. Puffs of moisture struck like pinpricks into the flames.

  She knew exactly where the moisture came from. It came from life—the trees, small animals, and rodents. A shout and a stabbing pain drove her to her knees. That shout… Oh, please no! But even as she was desperate to deny it, she knew who it was.

  Gabriel.

  She could feel the moisture of his body evaporating in the wake of her inferno. She was killing the one human who had shown compassion to her. The only man she had ever loved. She could feel the moisture from his living, breathing body succumb to the inferno. And then it faded, and he was gone.

  “No!” she screamed as wails tore from her lips at what she’d done. Moments later, she felt many more screams of fright rising and then quickly being snuffed out. The explosion had reached the already burning village. “No, please, no more.” She collapsed to the earth. “Father—”

  “Tana, my child.” The deep voice she had longed to hear resonated over the crackling flames. Tana’s eyes rose, landing on the tall, dark silhouette of her father, Hades. She turned on her stomach and pushed herself off the ground, the black, burnt grass pressing into her hands as she looked up. The fire raged around him. He regarded her somberly, the fire retreating at his approach. “What have you done?”

  “I didn’t mean it. I…I tried to stop it.”

  “Tried? Well, stop it now!”

  Closing her eyes, she attempted to focus her thoughts—instead, Gabriel’s face came to mind. She could feel the heat rising with her despair, and the flames continued to spread.

  “Tana!”

  “Father, please! You need to stop the fire.”

  “No! You need to stop it, Tana! I cannot save you from yourself.”

  “Please, I don’t know how.”

  “Tana. Stop the fire, or I will have to stop you.”

  “Me?” She looked up at the man she called father. “What do you mean?”

  “If you cannot control your powers, you are a danger to all those around you. I cannot allow you to continue as you have been.”

  Tana dropped her face into her hands. But she had tried to stop it! She’d tried over and over. Even now, she could feel the flames building, but she was helpless to stop them. The more she tried, the more desperate she became, and the more the flames grew. Even thinking about it…

  Heat swirled around her. She could feel the flames rise. Chancing a glance, she opened her eyes. Light filled her vision—a dancing array of yellows and orange.

  “Tana!” The sharp tone of her father cut through to her. She’d never heard him sound so angry. The wall of flames parted as his face appeared before her—furious, filled with condemnation. He blamed her for her weakness. Contempt rolled off him—as hot as the fire engulfing him. Finally, Tana weakened and the flames diminished. Numbness seeped up her limbs as darkness filled her vision. Unconsciousness soon overtook her.

  ***

  Icy cold greeted Tana as she gradually awakened. A murmur of mumbling voices prodded her.

  “Won’t her mother be angry?” an unfamiliar voice said, the clear words tinkling like glass.

  Tana’s heart clenched at the mention of her mother, and her body trembled. She couldn’t think about her. She wouldn’t.

  “Her mother is dead,” her father said. “Tana killed her.”

  “No!” the woman gasped. “I can’t say as I’ve seen a more innocent-looking young woman.”

  A sob racked Tana’s chest as guilt and despair washed over her. I didn’t mean to. It was an accident. She wanted to scream, but her tongue sat thick in her mouth and her body didn’t respond to her. As desperate as she was to defend herself, she could not yet move.

  “Skadi, looks can be deceiving. This daughter of mine has murdered hundreds. Those deaths, whether Tana accepts responsibility or not, are blood on her hands. Now, will you help me?”

  “I can help you. But I wonder why you don’t simply destroy her.”

  “She’s my daughter. If I have her destroyed, she will be in my domain. And despite the fact that I can show her mercy in the Underworld, I dare not. I rule with equity. It would not be right to show her leniency simply because she shares my blood. She would face endless torment, wallowing in pain and sorrow for all eternity for the innocent lives she has stolen.”

  “I understand. But still, I hesitate to do what you ask. She’s a powerful goddess. Her consciousness will endure, and her prison would be endless torture.”

  Prison? Endless torture?

  “Either way, she will be tortured.
I cannot abide the thought that I would be the one to administer it.”

  Please, no! Have mercy.

  Tana’s fingers began to burn—not hot, but cold. Feeling came gradually, like the stabbing pain of a thousand needles. Wetness seeped into her back, bringing with it agony. She clenched and unclenched her hands, attempting to generate some warmth. “Father…” she said, finally managing to speak. A puff of white, misty air billowed from her mouth.

  “Tana,” he responded. “You’re awake.”

  “P-please…” she begged through chattering teeth. “D-don’t to this.”

  “My mind is made up, my child.”

  “No, F-father. You’re supposed to protect m-me; you’re supposed to help me.”

  Pain shone in his eyes when he turned away. Knowing he regretted his actions didn’t help. It didn’t lessen the bitter feeling of betrayal.

  “Skadi, do it now.”

  “No!” Tana shrieked as the ground below her rumbled and cracked. “Father! You do this and I’ll n-never forgive you!” Pain as she had never felt before washed over her as ice water flooded the hole she was sinking into. She gasped, her muscles clenching—screaming in pain as fury burned in her. “I swear I will escape, and when I do, I will come for you, Father. You will feel pain a thousand times worse than what you inflict on me! I promise you’ll regret what you do today.”

  Icy water washed over her, covering her face as she spoke her last words—and down she sank. The burn of cold engulfed her, more painful than anything she could have imagined. She flailed her arms, trying desperately to reach the surface, but some unseen force pushed her down. In less than a minute, her lungs screamed for air. And then as fast as a cracking whip, she could no longer move. Her eyes looked toward the surface—frozen in place. Bubbles around her stilled, like a cruel constellation spread out above her head. And this was how she remained for nearly nine hundred years—locked in her icy prison, with nothing to think on, save regret and revenge.