Synopsis: Marcus, also known as Heva’s Bane, is the most feared and wanted rebel in the Killbraugha. He is literally fearless except when it comes to professing his love for his best friend’s and second in command’s sister: Caroline. With his feelings growing harder and harder to hide each passing day, Marcus desperately desires to tell her how he feels, but how can he when she is still grieving her murdered husband?

This is a short story featuring rebel leader Marcus Galloway (he/him), his second-in-command Kerry McNair (they/he), and Kerry’s sister, Caroline McDermott (she/her). They are three sides characters from the book I’m currently querying: For the Next Killer Who Dies (the one about queer anthro crocodiles giving the middle finger to colonial asshats).

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The Martyr and the Widow

Mars 21^st 1825 – McDermott’s Cottage, Marston County, Killbraugha

Marcus knew this was a mistake but said nothing as Kerry led him down the winding road to Caroline’s cottage, the lush green hills of the Killbraugha offering an eternal peace and quiet found nowhere else. Even now, when Hevian forces flooded the land and the Ilkhatal rose up in righteous rebellion following Marcus’ and Kerry’s every command-even the foolish ones and there had been many. So many painful lessons learned, so many good Ilkhatal lost. A burden God gave to them for reasons unknown. A burden given or a burden taken? Were he and Kerry destined to this lonely, bloody life or was there another way, hidden from them by their pride and Kerry’s lack of faith? What did that matter on the road to lovely Caroline? Why bring that doom and gloom to her door, one who had already lost so much and would only lose more?

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