Cassidy's life has been lonely and full of heartache. Abandoned as an infant, bounced from foster home to foster home. He's never found a place where he's belonged. Then one summer as his life starts to turn around, something happens that changes everything...

My job in Chichester was with an existing four-person research team. This was very much an ‘on the quiet’ part of Sally’s group of companies. My task was to add a wider perspective of views to reports that the others were compiling for her. She’d told me that once I’d gotten my feet under the table so to speak, I’d be given my own projects to work on. This made me feel both proud and slightly scared at the same time. Sally had put a lot of faith in me so it was now up to me to not let her down.

On the way down to Sussex, Sally briefed me about the other members of the team. They had all been poached from large financial institutions in London or from Academia. They were enticed by London sized salaries and being able to live in the Sussex countryside.

Stone

9.

The wagon ride was very slow, barely more than walking speed, but they made it to a camping spot just as dusk was falling. A mile or so before the spot, identified by Arthur, Rayla rode off to the east and a grove of trees. Stone noticed and called two nearby guards.

“Follow her,” he commanded.

“Keep her safe?” the older guard suggested.

It was a hot day in the early days of the summer and Julian had nothing to do. So far, all he had done that day was sit in his room and watch TV. He was getting extremely bored. So when he heard a knock on his door, he responded quickly. It was his sister, Anna

“Hey Julian, you seem bored. Why don’t you come to my room? Let’s just talk for a bit.”

Julian, who was eager to do anything, agreed.

“This day really is boring,” said Julian. “It’s just too hot out.”

“It’s so frustrating! I wanted to go swimming, but it was even too hot for that!!”