He sighed and placed his hand on Tolen’s head. “Tell him nothing about who he is, or where he comes from, that will help subdue them. Do what you can until I return.” He took her face in his hands. “I will return, Areen. I promise you.”
“How will you know where to find me if I am shielding us?” She thought of the picture stowed away in a box beneath the bed. Talana had come by the day before to show them a strange black box purchased from a traveling Movan. Talana held it to her eye, pushed the top, and a white square ejected from the device. She brought it over to reveal a picture appearing on the white square, a picture of Daedal looking at Tolen in his arms, the adoration in his eyes clearly evident. Would one single picture be all she had of her husband?
Daedal pulled them both close. Tolen squirmed in the tight space. “Love transcends all other power on this earth. My love for you both will lead me. I will find you. I will always find you.”
Epilogue
November 17, 1997 AD
“Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever Gods may be, for my unconquerable soul...”
Areen Téloran stared out the grimy window into the cold, dark night. A flock of crows swooped low over the house three doors down, peering in the windows. She flicked off the lamp beside her with trembling fingers, closed the gap in the curtains to a tiny slit, and resumed her vigil.
They hadn’t found them. A cold finger of dread crept along her spine...yet.
Her eyes flashed to the dark hallway where her son lay sleeping, blissfully unaware.
She thought of her husband and her heart beat painfully in her chest. Daedal...
Lightning flashed and a boom of thunder rumbled in the distance. Areen rubbed the goosebumps from her arms.
“Out of the night that covers me,” she whispered with her eyes on the growing storm. “Black as the pit from pole to pole.” Lightning flashed again and she whispered louder. “I thank whatever Gods may be, for my unconquerable soul...”
Something crashed outside and a cat howled. She continued louder still, “In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced or cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance, my head is bloody, but unbowed.” A sliver of courage slid into her heart and she persisted, drawing strength from the words of Henley’s poem, a favorite from the world of men, as the storm raged on. “Beyond this place of wrath and tears, looms but the horror of the shade, and yet the menace of the years, finds and shall find me unafraid.”
The lights on the street went out and despite the thrashing of the trees, the air fell eerily silent. A flash of silvery blue light suddenly filled the window, revealing a crow standing on the edge, its eyes glowing like rubies in the pale light. She jumped back, knocking the lamp to the floor, and vaulted over the coffee table in her rush to reach the hall.
Shrieks filled the night as she ran into her son’s room. He stood on the bed, his odd blue eye nearly glowing in the strange light filling their windows, and filled with fear. “Mommy?” he whimpered.
She gathered him in her arms, barely taking time to wrap a thin blanket around him, before rushing back into the hall. Fierce wind rattled the windows and the blue light brightened.
“Tolen, hang on to Mommy, we must hurry.” He wrapped his tiny arms around her neck, fully trusting. Oh, how she loved her child!
She fought to pull the enormous power of his tiny soul, his life force into her own body, something far beyond the Shield she’d held over him this past year. Far beyond anything she’d ever attempted. The strain on her gifts to hide such power made the walls seem to sway and her eyes darken. She pushed harder, willing her body to submit and allow Tolen’s power into her. Her body fought back, self-preservation warring with her will. Protecting him had already taken great amounts of her strength, her life force new this.
She closed her eyes and pushed against the wall in her mind. Please… Warmth mingled with exhaustion washed over her and she knew she’d succeeded. She also knew that holding his power would eventually kill her. A day, a week, a year from now, she did not know. She only knew she could not protect Tolen forever. He was far too powerful. Daedal, where are you?!
She rushed to the kitchen. “It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishment the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”
Her heart pounded with determination as she grabbed the keys from the hook on the wall and ran to the back door.
The air shimmered in front of her and the kitchen filled with silvery haze. She skidded to a stop. Her heart dropped, heavy with defeat, as she looked into the eyes of the one creature she knew she could not escape. A Kludde, the soul-tracker who’d memorized her soul print all those years ago. She clung tightly to the child in her arms and rushed to the window, destined to fail, but determined to try.
Her feet froze in place as the voice of her nightmares spoke. Slowly, without her control, she was forced to turn and face him through the curling mist.
The story continues in The Chosen Chronicles, book one, A Chosen Life...
Acknowledgments
Huge thanks to KayLynn Flanders for editing, formatting, and designing such a beautiful interior, and Deborah Bradseth of Tugboat Design for another incredible cover. These ladies are amazing!
And finally, to my fabulous readers who love this story and its characters as much as I do. I hope you know how much I adore you all!
Character Index
Areen L’yosla
* Parents: Thom and Kym L’yolsa
Daemon Téloran
* Parents: Tolen and ReShya Téloran
Daedal Téloran
* Parents: Tolen and ReShya Téloran
Creature Index
DéHool—a cross breed of wolves and darkness. Far larger and more ferocious than the average wolf.
Kludde—Soul Trackers. Dog-like, but man-sized. Long snout, silver fur, vivid green eyes. They can memorize a being’s soul print, what makes them who they are, making hiding from them nearly impossible.
Gyeesta—the evil force hidden deep underground by the Dark as the Eche-mah Ladon came to Earth.
Darsapean—a creation of Gyeesta forged from darkness. Darsapean lives to serve the Dark and carry out its evil plans. He is the master of the Dark on this planet.
Divinators—Crows whose eyes have been replaced with Oracle stones. Whatever they see, their masters see.
Darkened—humans who have submitted themselves to the Dark.
Titles, Language, and Terms
Spheres: A race of beings with the ability to sense the character and intents of others, and shield the life forces of others from affecting the Balance. Their connection to the body, mind, and life force allows them to heal almost any physical injury.
Honitahai: A group in the Hidden with the ability to speak to nature and connect with it.
Lonadras: To heal
Eche-mah Ladon: Light Messengers. From the end of this story forward they are known as the Hidden.
Myatha: Endearment term for Mother
Dyatha: Endearment term for Daughter
LadonRyn: Light’s Rest. A peaceful place where Spheres go to spend their final days. It’s so difficult to find, many don’t believe it actually exists.
Capka: A place protected by Spheres where youth go to achieve Transcendence.
Transcendence: The point when the mortal body and the gifts of the Light fully align. Happens at the human age of 18. The power is erratic as it melds completely with the body, and so it’s necessary to take place under the protection of a Capka for the safety of the child as well as the village.
Lucid: A drink made of herbs that heal and calm.
Balance: The force that binds the world.
Radia Shard: a piece of the Radia Star sent to earth as she died. They have the ability to gift their bearers with a single gift
of the Light. These shards are sent to the Chosen—children with pure hearts—to aid them as they battle the forces of darkness and protect the human race.
Praise for The Chosen Chronicles
...K.A.’s writing is brooding and atmospheric from the gate. The battles are nothing short of explosive and the characters find their footing along the journey in a way that makes me believe in their difficult plight, and their reluctance to be what prophecy dictates... A Chosen Life is a highly entertaining read that deftly deals with finding one’s place in a world that’s out of their control, and the ever present battle of the light and darkness that surrounds us all. –David Powers King, co-author of Woven
If you enjoyed the first book in The Chosen Chronicles, you will not be disappointed with the second installment in the series, The Shadow Prison. Having learned he is the Ninth Chosen, Tolen begins rigorous training for his destiny and to and some way to rescue the father he knows is still alive. Teens will love the new aspects of both Tolen’s and Macy’s abilities as the action moves deftly forward. With action, danger, and romance, The Shadow Prison is sure to captivate new readers and current fans of the series alike. –Teyla Branton | Bestselling Author
There are a lot of supernatural fiction tropes that are getting really old really fast. Namely, the trope of special-girl-meets-mysterious-guy-and- learns-she’s-more-than-she-thought-she-was. Adventure and training ensue, romance blossoms, and said girl ends up defeating the bad guy without any help. It’s a story line that has worn a track in to the supernatural action section of Amazon, and I spend entirely too much time trying to and something that isn’t that.
Enter The Chosen Chronicles. Thank. Goodness...
I adore this story. Tolen is our oblivious male protagonist, who finds out he’s more than he seems. He’s scared and unsure and often needs to be protected by Macy, his de facto bodyguard when things get messy. Macy is hard-as-nails, and sometimes a little bit too abrasive for my taste, but she completely defies common expectations for female characters, which is really refreshing...
I highly recommend this book- the story is wildly entertaining, and it’s hard not to love the characters. Be careful, though. It may cause a serious case of insomnia. :) –Megs (Amazon Reviewer)
Read more reviews or leave your own at www.amazon.com/author/kaparkinson
Contents
Copyright © 2017 by K.A. Parkinson
Books in The Chosen Chronicles:
Dedication
Note from the author
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Character Index
Praise for The Chosen Chronicles
A Twisted Path ebook Page 6
