Famine's Homecoming is Available to Read for Free

TL;DR For all of you Four Horsemen fans, if you haven't read my short story, "Famine's Homecoming," yet, you can read a bit of it below, and the full story will be in my next newsletter. You can subscribe to my mailing list here

Okay, here's the long version. At the beginning of the year I wrote a short story from my Four Horsemen world for The Nightingale Anthology for Ukraine. The anthology has since dissolved, and ever since I've been sitting on that story. Or at least I have until now. I'm going to be sending out "Famine's Homecoming" in my next newsletter, so if you're interested in reading it, but are not a subscriber, you can join here. If you see this after I've sent out the newsletter, never fear! I will add the link to it to my newsletter's confirmation email, so you'll be able to access it there!

If you want a sneak peek of the story itself, I've added a small portion of it below. Oh, and just a heads up--the events in this short story take place following the end of the final book in the series, so please don't read it unless you have finished the series. Otherwise, you're going to hit all sorts of spoilers. That's it for now, though I have a lot of exciting news I'll be announcing in the next week or so!

 

Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

October, Year 27 of the Horsemen

 

Ana da Silva

My eyes must be deceiving me.

I stand near the grill where Sara is cooking, my back to her and Victor’s massive house. My eyes are glued to the far edge of the property, where several riders are ambling in on horseback. My breath catches when I first notice War.

They’ve come back.

I can feel hope blossoming in my chest, but I don’t want to believe it—not right away. The world has been a mess for far too long. It feels too impossible to believe that a few determined people might be able to change that.

But then I notice a pair of people on horseback who I don’t recognize. Could this be Lazarus and Death?

If they’re riding in here, next to War, and no one is killing each other, then perhaps—

Fuck, we might all actually be okay.

Next to me, Sara shouts something about pussies and winning, but I don’t care because—

Famine.

He’s finally back.

My feet are moving, and then I’m sprinting towards Famine, nearly tripping over my own feet in the process.

The Reaper swings a leg over his saddle, and then he’s running towards me.

I crash into him, and he swings me in his arms, my skirt swishing around us. I crush him to me, my arms wrapped tightly around his neck, my face nestled against his. I breathe him in, letting his hair tickle my face. I can hear him laughing, even as I fight back my tears.

“I missed you.” I say it with more emotion than I intend. It’s been a long few months. A long few years, actually, if I’m being honest.

“Not as much as I missed you, my flower,” he whispers in my ear, smoothing a hand over my hair. “I’m still not sure I like humans,” he admits. “They’re mostly annoying—though maybe that’s just my brothers.”

I laugh softly against him. “Be nice. They’re family.”

“If you insist.” He turns his head and presses a kiss to my cheek. “Let me see you,” he says, pulling away a little so that he can take me in.

Our eyes meet, and I hear his ragged exhale. “Fuck, I missed your face.”

I reach a hand up and cup his cheek, my thumb stroking his skin. “You’re mortal.” It’s half a question, half a statement.

He hesitates, then gives me a sharp nod.

“I’m sorry.” I know it’s a good thing—it’s something Famine himself wanted. But my horseman had told me long ago that it was an uncomfortable, claustrophobic experience for him to exist as a human. Before he had this form, he’d been this expansive thing that was connected to the earth and the sky.

How much worse must it be for him now that his vast powers are gone?

“Do not apologize to me, Ana,” he says. “I would do it all again in an instant to have this with you.”

I swallow and try to accept that. My eyes dip to the T-shirt and jeans he wears. It’s such a small detail, and yet he looks so utterly different without his armor and black attire.

“Is your armor gone too?” I ask.

He gives a nod.

“And your scythe and scales?”

“It’s all fucking gone,” he says, reeling me back into him. “It doesn’t matter. I get to live and die alongside you, and that’s all I ever wanted.”

***

If you enjoyed that teaser and are interested in reading the rest, make sure to join my newsletter, here to gain access to it!Thank you all for your continued support! 

Hugs and happy reading,

Laura

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