Kadira: a Letter from a Protagonist

Me: I know, I know. The Torch Keepers was published, thus this character-take-over-the-blog thing must be done, right?

Um, well, there was a problem. Two special characters have letters to share. Thus, meet Kadira.

She holds the center of the story. Kadira was the first character, the girl who grew and changed with the tale. And now I've asked her to share some of herself here.

So slip on some music (her theme songs are Nuvole Bianche + Future Fighter), and here's Kadira's story, the beautiful, the raw, and everything else.

Kadira's Story

Sometimes I wonder why the King picked me. Why does my story get told when so many other more wonderful, purer stories than mine are being lived every day?

Because my life wasn't the one I would have chosen. Not for me. Not for anyone.

It's ugly. It's broken. And it still hurts sometimes.

But the Author asked me to write anyway, to write my story from my perspective now, at the end of The Torch Keepers, looking back on the beginning.

Without giving anything away. *smiles*

So here goes.

*deep breath*

I used to be like any ordinary child. My desert village lay unknown to Érkeos, a tiny speck shining for our King in the wastelands. I don't even remember its name anymore.

I went to school. I dreamed of being a mama and doing amazing, beautiful things. And I had friends: Ir-Haran, a quiet boy who loved animals, Ir-Ivah, his sassy sister who made me laugh, and Am-Othniel, my dearest friend who loved me as his sister and could create music that blew away this entire world.

A normal life. Except for one thing.

My eyes were blue.

In a kingdom of grey or black or brown-eyed people, I stood out. People stared at me. But I was proud, because my eyes were beautiful like Daddy's.

Until everything fell apart. I couldn't stop it.

And now I miss that desert village. I miss the quiet and peace and friends I lost, because from then on, everything got worse. I forgot who I was. And I forgot the King's ways.

So much happened. More than a decade wrapped up in one book. I made mistakes. I learned. I hurt others. I lived radically but for the wrong reasons.

The story didn't end there. And that's what I pray my life tells any reader who picks up The Torch Keepers.

It's not over. There's hope. There's this thing called Life–not the mundane and pain and mistakes but something more. Real Life. Really living.

Is that clichéd or simplistic? *laughs* Maybe it is. But it changed everything for me.

You're never too far gone. There's this King out there who loves radically. Even–especially–when you don't deserve it.

I don't know how or why. I don't even deserve a story.

But the King gave me one anyway.

He loves anyway.

So wherever you are, there's hope, there's tomorrow, and you're loved.

Don't forget that like I did. Because that's when it hurts so much more.

And that's a tiny piece of the story he gave me.

Me: So there's a tiny glance into Kadira's heart.

If you want to explore her tale fully, The Torch Keepers is now published on Barnes & Noble (click here!) and (on the 15th) on Amazon!

Friend, you are so loved. The King treasures you, and he has such a plan for your life. But first comes surrender.

I'll end with Kadira's theme verse.

The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them,
And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.

- Isaiah 35:1

~♥~