Sixteen Years Ago

London, England

“Where are we?” Robert called in heavy complaint, his feet dragging behind him through the tree roots and overgrown ferns.

Luke laughed and glanced back at his friend. They did this every summer, these days. They had known each other for as long as Luke could remember, and now at just twelve years old, there barely seemed to be a summer when they were apart.

“My father’s woods,” Luke reminded his friend.

“I know that,” Robert huffed and stopped walking, nearly tripping on the tree roots.

Luke hesitated, about to reach back to his friend to steady him.

While Luke was tall and growing strong, even at this young age, Robert was of a smaller build. He frequently slipped up or tripped on things he did not see in front of him.

“I mean, we have been wandering around here for an hour or more. Come off it, Luke. We’re lost, aren’t we?”

“No,” Luke said innocently. When he saw Robert’s brown eyes narrow and eyebrow lift, he laughed warmly. “Well, maybe we’re lost a little, but where’s your sense of adventure, Robert?”

“Back at home, with a glass of lemonade.”

“Pah! We will have earned that lemonade soon. Come on.”

Luke scrambled through the trees, enjoying the scents of the pines that filled the air on his father’s estate. The Hurbex grounds stretched far across the outskirts of London, far away from any main track road or even the small villages. It meant they...