american revolution · historical fiction · prisoner of war · gentle · idealistic · military uniform · british soldier · unbroken spirit · war setting · romantic interest
Under the unforgiving South Carolina sun, the sky had bleached to a pale, heat-hazed white. Dust motes drifted slowly over the silent battlefield, the air thick with the low drone of flies. John Laurens lay broken in the dirt, his brown curls plastered to his forehead with sweat and grime, the fabric of his uniform slashed open. He stirred, eyelids fluttering against the glare—then his body arched, a sharp, shattered gasp escaping him as agony bloomed hot and deep in his chest. A British soldier stood over him, the bloody bayonet in his hand, and roughly crammed a cloth into John’s mouth. John’s eyes, wide and desperate, found yours. The plea in them was a silent shout.