Reprobate: The Gracefinder Series, #2

By John Stacy Worth

Victory is within Satan's grasp, his plan to subvert the Maker's prophecy nearly complete. Only a handful of human tribes remain — and even less that still acknowledge their Creator. Now all the Accuser must do is eradicate God's Remnant using any means available; vengeful enemies, the demon spawn Nephilim, and, if possible, even one another.

One family. A chosen remnant. With nothing but grace to carry them through.

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Many have tried to adapt the Flood legends, exploring the questions: Why would God send a flood to destroy so many? How could a loving Father bring down such complete annihilation? What grieved the Creator so deeply that He would flood away an entire world, leaving only a remnant of eight?

This trilogy cuts to the heart of those questions and more. The Flood story is one of our world's most ancient tales; it's also the most misunderstood. Scholarly commentaries gloss over the Flood. Movie versions seldom do the tale justice. Children's Bibles tame it into one of a robed, grandfatherly Noah and plush animal figurines.

 

So let this second book in this series usher you toward a fresh revelation of the Flood event, envision God's remnant as never before, and find answers that may surprise you.  And, as you follow the series to its end, discover a grace even deeper than the waters that covered an entire world.

                                               

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Stacy Worth
• Release date: Apr 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386517979

John Stacy Worth

About the Author John Stacy Worth here.  I write from a Christian world view, but as I once told my wife, “This ain't your Mama's Christian Fiction.” My fiction is more like, “Did you ever wonder what a Behemoth was, and how you might kill one?” Or, more importantly, "What's Leviathan taste like?" I also explore questions such as, "Can a vampire get saved? What were the Nephilim like? And whatever happened to that flaming sword guarding Eden?"  I grew up in rural Georgia, reading every comic book I could get my hands on, then moved on to Asimov, Tolkien, ... you get the picture.  I've served in the U.S. Navy (14 countries and about every island in the Caribbean), survived a year as a High School Science Teacher, then worked a Chemist for Merck Pharmaceuticals, and now I'm at a Nuclear Power Plant. I love God, still live in Georgia, and am happily married with two awesome sons. My books are finally available online. And if your mama is that rare and precious type that wonders "What's up with Nessie?" or "You know, I believe that Bigfoot critter might be real...", point her my way. This might be your Mama's Christian Fiction after all. God bless, JSW

Book preview

REPROBATE

BOOK TWO of the

GRACEFINDER SAGA

by John Stacy Worth

This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Published by Fiction Worth Reading

Copyright (c) 2017 John Stacy Worth

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

Expand Your Experience:

To delve deeper into the background of these tales, and for sneak peeks of things to come, check out my "Fellowship of Readers".

Climbing aboard also gives you access to my short story collection, Weird Winds: Picture this - a cool morning (or evening) curling up with eight intriguing tales. This ebook collection includes aliens and endangered species, moonlit swamps with sacred dragons, a time traveling physician, a drug dealing artist haunted by visions of his past ... and possible futures, an island filled with historic ruins and ancient magic, a vampire beguiled by an aging herpetologist, and much, much more.

And in case you didn't know, my Grace Finder Trilogy begins with the ebook, Remnant, which is currently free on several online retailers, so if you haven't picked it up yet, go grab it as well.

If you want even more, see the Facebook page: 

https://www.facebook.com/fictionworthreading

The Fellowship of Readers will be used for ‘major’ updates and occasional emails, the Facebook page is for updates, occasional promos, and information on upcoming stories.

Peace,

John Stacy Worth

Also by John Stacy Worth

Published by Fiction Worth Reading: 

THE GRACE FINDER SAGA

(Trilogy)

Remnant - Book 1

Reprobate - Book 2

Requiem - Book 3

SOUTHERN SORCERY

(Series)

Moonshine Mage - #1

Outlaw Oracle - # 2

Sword Slinger - # 3

TBD - # 4

Standalone works

(short story collection)

Weird Winds

This book is dedicated to my amazing sons Caleb and Levi: Each of you are blessings far beyond anything I could have ever imagined. It's so awesome that I get to be your dad - the hardest, but best, crazy-fun thing I've ever done.

March 2017  JSW 

Reprobate: Book Two of the Gracefinder Saga

Table of Contents

1 - The widow will avenge me

2 - Escape

3 - The Dreaming God

4 - Unworthy

5 - Still they were unmoved

6 - May you go to your eternal damnation

7 - Dorshai

8 - Ardaen

9 - My beloved and my friend

10 - Within which lie God's truths

11 - Retract your claws

12 - You can scream if you want

13 - Zel

14 - Whispering seduction

15 - Worm

16 - Chosen One

17 - Agveh, help me!

18 - Burial

19 - Departure

20 - Answer before I kill you

21 - Lamech

22 - This is what I deserve

23 - As if you have a choice

24 - Send me to my God

Appendix:

Characters

Scripture

About the Author

Years ago, in a world so sin-wracked and depraved that the Almighty was moved to destroy His creation, there lived a certain man named Noah, the Ark-builder and Grace-finder.

What has gone before:

Book One: Remnant (~100 years prior to flood)

The girl Beth witnesses her father, Tarn, murder her oldest half brother, Onath. Tarn’s slave, Kalia, escapes.  Tarn then turns his attention to Beth.

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A few weeks later, Shem is rescued from a Behemoth by Beth and her twin brother, Kenian.  Learning that Tarn has abused Beth, Kenian leaves to confront his father.  Meanwhile Tarn is on his way to fetch Beth.  He meets Kenian, threatens his life.  Noah has followed and intervenes. 

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The Behemoth is again disturbed.  Noah slays the beast, saving Tarn’s life.  Tarn returns home, while Noah takes a tooth from the slain beast.  Kenian leaves for the city (Dorshan) to meet with the widow (Mara). 

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Jenah leads Beth to faith in God.  Attempting to exact revenge, Tarn burns down Noah’s shed.  On the way to the city’s temple, Mara and Kenian meet Shandai, Mara’s slave and informant.  Noah and Shem enter the city for supplies. 

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Searching for Kenian, Tarn enters the city’s heart.  A food vendor (Kela) at a road side eatery is reluctant to give him information.  Shandai is watching.  She waits to ask Kela what Tarn wanted.  Kenian comes out of temple worship feeling unclean.  Noah and Shem enter the eatery.  While fetching water, Kela is surprised by Tarn, who doubled-back and eavesdropped.  She tells him the names of Mara and Shandai.  He slits her throat.

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Noah and Shem find Kela.  From her description, they know Tarn is the one who attacked her.  She tells them he is after Shandai, then dies.  Tarn, in an alley, invokes the name of his god, Thul (a fallen angel).  One of Thul’s minions leads him to Shandai.  Shandai lives in Leper’s Cave.  Tarn finds her, rapes her, then forces her to take him to Mara’s home. 

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Kenian and Mara, on their way from the temple, encounter Noah and Shem.  Noah tells them what has happened.  They join forces to search for Shandai.  Shem is told to go straight home.  On the way he spots Tarn with Shandai and follows. 

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Shem attempts to rescue Shandai.  Tarn kidnaps him and leaves Shandai for dead.  Meanwhile, Kenian and Mara find trace amounts of blood in Leper’s Cave.  Through the course of conversation, Mara discovers Kenian is the son of her ex-husband.  (When Tarn chose Kenian’s mother, Mara poisoned her during childbirth.)  Mara decides to keep her identity secret from Kenian and to use him. 

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After searching the streets in vain, Noah meets back up with Mara and Kenian as planned.  Tarn sneaks Shem past the eastern borders of Dorshan (heavily guarded by its army) and sells Shem to Galith, a Nephilim warrior.  Thus ends 'Remnant', Book One of the Grace Finder Saga.

Chapter 1 - The widow will avenge me

Japheth guards Beth and our home.  I came quickly as I could.  Jenah reined her mare to a halt before her husband. 

Noah’s reply was terse.  Japheth was to guard you as well.  Which he obviously cannot do if you are here. 

Jenah’s eyes flared.  He is my son, Noah—not my caretaker and not my husband.  Which I told him when he tried to stop me.  We are wasting time.  Shem is in trouble.

Noah swallowed hard.  I knew better than to send him off alone.  Where is he?  What’s happened?  He spied Mara and Kenian turning to go.  Good.  Too much was happening too fast.  He had no more time to give them.

Wait.  Jenah held up a hand.  This concerns you two as well.

Mara looked haughtily at Jenah, debating whether this woman was even worthy of a response.

Before she could make up her mind, Jenah said, It is to your home he has been taken.

How can you know that? Mara demanded.

"The same way I know your name—my Lord told me, Tesha."

The widow paled.  My true name.  Somehow she knows it.

And do not think to reach him first and use him to bargain for Beth.  Kenian has chosen your company, but neither his sister nor my son will fall prey to you.

Mara was slack-jawed and speechless.  What else did this woman know?

Kenian, you will ride with me.  Noah motioned to the boy.  And you, he turned to the widow.  Whatever your name is, you will ride with Jenah.

Kenian wavered a moment, then took Noah’s hand and swung up onto the stallion.  The women eyed one another warily, as some unspoken message passed between them.  Finally Mara took Jenah’s hand and climbed up behind her. 

Down that street.  Mara pointed, and the women led the way.

She knows who I am.  And will not hesitate to expose me to the boy.  That is if he hadn’t already figured it out for himself.  He grew up in Tarn’s home, among her own children.  Surely he’d heard them speak her name.  Nevertheless, he may yet be ignorant of everything and therefore still hers to control.  I may just have to set my bonds about him sooner, that’s all.

Left here, Mara spoke into Jenah’s ear, then whispered, What god has been spilling my secrets to you—that damnable Thul?

Jenah turned her head to be heard over the clatter of hooves.  There is but one God, creator of all things.  The One who placed Father Adam in the garden of Eden, He speaks to me.

Mara was quiet.  Eden.  She remembered tales from long ago of that place.  Rumors of a certain tree, the fruit of which could bestow immortality with but one bite.  She was only a child, nearly three centuries ago, when her father and his two eldest sons set out determined to find that tree, eat its fruit and, in the words of her father, return to rule as gods.

But they never returned.  Instead the demi-gods came, Dorshai to rule the city and claim it for her father Agveh; and Galith, spawn of Thul, who claimed the wilderness beyond the mountains and waged war against all who opposed his sire.

I thought your particular god nothing but a myth, Mara finally said.  That street to your right.

My Lord is no myth.  He alone is true and all others are liars.

There are many truths, just as there are many gods.  Yours is but one.  And do not think to sway me to his service.  I serve Agveh, and swear allegiance to his daughter, Dorshai—goddess of love.

You are deceived.  There is but one truth.  One God.  He is the one who loves you.  He is the one who made you and wants to bring you to Himself.  It is He who calls you by name, Tesha.

Never call me that again.  My name is Mara.  That road there.

Behind them, Noah and Kenian followed along, both silent—each engaged with his own thoughts, which were basically the same; Mara had not denied Jenah’s name for her, and she had been so taken aback only because it was her true name.

Tesha.  How common is that name? Kenian wondered.  He tried to study the widow’s face during each turn of her head or change in direction, but he could not be sure of any resemblance to his half-brothers.  Besides, they were all so much like Tarn.  That thought made him glad that he and Beth were apparently more marked by their mother’s features. 

Sera, Tesha, both names had been forbidden sounds in his home, but for opposite reasons.  Sera because Tarn still felt her loss.  Tesha because he hated her beyond reason.  But why did he hate her? 

Kenian thought back.  The only way he knew either name was because Kalia had known them both and secretly passed all she knew to Beth and Kenian.  And though she told them repeatedly how kind and gentle their own mother had been and how manipulative and spiteful Tesha was, it still did not explain Tarn’s feelings. 

Perhaps Tesha had been so much like Tarn that life for them together was unbearable.  Or perhaps he had only become so evil after years of grieving for his beloved.  In any case, Kenian knew enough to realize that if Mara was indeed Tarn’s first wife, then he had better be careful.

Maybe I should flee her.  He glimpsed then her profile as Jenah turned the mare.  It made Kenian’s heart skip, she was so beautiful.  If she’s the same Tesha she has to be old as Tarn by now—doesn’t she?

Kenian studied what he knew.  Onath had been nearing fifty.  Tarn was just passing middle age, four to five hundred years old.  And Kenian realized it was next to impossible to know for sure.  Tesha would be anywhere from seventy to four hundred years old.  While this woman, Mara, could pass for a woman between thirty or three hundred.  He sighed.  People matured so quickly yet aged so slowly.  He caught sight of her again and felt his heart flutter.

No, there was no way someone so beautiful could produce offspring as vile as his brothers.  She can’t be the same Tesha.

Shandai lay absolutely still until she was sure they were gone.  She’d been careful to take only shallow, infrequent breaths, hoping that her ruse would work. 

The man Tarn had begun beating her again as soon as they’d entered the cottage, shouting, Where is she?  I swore not to stop until I found what she’s done with Kenian!  And then someone knocked over the oil lamp.  At first she’d thought someone was in the cleansing chamber, but she had been in a direct line of sight and the chamber door had been open.  No one was there and the window was barred.  Whoever it was had toppled the lamp from the outside, catching fire to the curtains in the process. 

With no warning, Tarn had pushed her backwards into the room, into the flaming curtains, and then took off out the front door.  Fear and pain engulfed Shandai as the flames seared her back.  She twisted away, but only managed to pull the curtains from their rod and wrap herself in flaming cloth. 

Screaming, she’d dropped to the floor and rolled, knocking over a basin in the process.  The water ran cool across the stone floor, working to her advantage.  Before Tarn could make it back with the eavesdropper, she’d extinguished the curtains and lay there, still.

Tarn had apprehended someone and was alternately talking and screaming at the person.  Shandai listened, committing every word to memory.  Shem, a son of Noah.  He was young, his voice only just beginning to crack and deepen.  She heard