The Tortured Hero

I am loving this month's theme on characters. Very interesting to see all the hero favs.

For me, I love the tortured hero.

You know the one, he is honor-bound by reponsibility, family, justice. He marches into battle to protect the ones he loves. He jumps in front of a speeding train to save a child, even though he will never see his own baby, or wife again. He loves with his whole heart knowing that in the end he will do what he has to do, even if it rips that heart out.

Heavy sigh.

Cain in Soul Stealer is one of my tortured characters.

His job as Death is to stand sentry as a living soul shreds from a person's body. Cain lives forever, cursed to watch as all the people he ever loved die and go to a better place without him.

His job sucks.

He performs it willingly because:
a) someone has to and
b) he sees it as punishment for the crime he committed at the dawn of time.

He plans on doing his job with dignity and compassion until the end of time.

Until one woman changes all plans. Death shouldn't fall in love with the dying. Should he?

But this is what's great about tortured heroes: they are doomed to living a troubled existence unless a special woman turns things around. She takes away the torture and makes life sweet. Love always wins.

Another heavy sigh.

Santiago, in Catch Me in Castile, has his own torture to deal with. He has his hands full protecting his sister from a dark curse and his family from a very modern-day psychotic killer. There is no way in all holy heck that he should he fall in love, even if Erin makes him happy for the first time in years. No, he needs to push her away to protect her life.
He needs to step back. So why can't he let her go?

Because best laid plans don't always work out when love is involved, do they?

Santiago is so busy saving everyone else, he doesn't realize that he needs saving. Love is the only cure. And that is sigh-worthy.

Do you love tortured heroes?

Thanks for reading!
Kimberley Troutte

www.kimberleytroutte.com