Refuge In The Shadows

Raised as Hunters in a hidden counterinsurgency society in the late nineteenth century, nineteen year old Welsh twins Carys and Cadeyrn Llewelyn have led brutal, unforgiving lives filled with heartbreak and pain. As the only female Hunter, Carys has proven her place among the males, but not without a terrible price. And while Carys is as self-sacrificing as ever, it's up to Cadeyrn to make sure he's there to pick up the pieces. When a mysterious Hunter from London beckons the twins and their friends to the city to eliminate a target, self discoveries are made, relationships are tested, and wounds are reopened.

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"Cadeyrn, everything we have been through, everything we have sacrificed has come down to this moment. Steamboats and trains make travel exponentially faster. Industry has become the crown jewel of the country. Stringent moral codes are disintegrating. Everything that we used to take for granted has been distorted. Amidst all of this revolution, I see women restlessly gazing out their windows. They want a share of this exciting, new world. I have been privileged to have access to it and I do not want to be the only one...but I do not know if I am the right person to bring about this change," Carys whispered dejectedly.

Cadeyrn sat on Carys's bed and enveloped her in a brotherly embrace. "Do not say such things about yourself. You are as strong and determined as Mam was."

Carys gave Cadeyrn a watery smile and he returned to his own bed. Carys turned her body around so that she was facing the window. The curtains were pulled aside so she could see the stars littering the night sky. The gentle slopes of the hills stretched as far as the eye could see and the darkened shadow of the village was a speck off in the distance. At this breathtaking sight, Carys finally let the tears fall. Each teardrop held her fears, her anger, and her sadness. Why would one need to find refuge in the shadows if there is nothing to hide?

Only in a perfect world.