He ran.
He dashed into the forest heedlessly, ignoring how the twigs and branches scraped at his arms and legs, tugged and tore at his bloodied clothing. He had to survive a few weeks, just until Davian arrived with the Portal Box. He had to get far enough away to give the Gil’shar reason to doubt his guilt. If they tried to execute him, the Venerate would get word. It would jeopardize everything. It would jeopardize…
He frowned in confusion. Why was he running? Where was he? He glanced down, horrified to see blood all over his hands. He quickly checked himself, but aside from minor cuts, he did not seem to be wounded.
He took a deep breath, tried to concentrate. Why was he here? Panic began to set in. Where was he from? What was his name? He stood for a long few minutes, heart pounding, trying to recall something. Anything. But it was of no use.
He started forward. Evening was coming, and whatever had happened to him, he needed help.
Caeden gasped as he came awake again.
He was on his knees, he realized numbly. Vomit spattered on the cold stone before him; his hands shook, and his entire body spasmed with heaving sobs.
“It’s not true,” he choked, staring up at Asar, who was watching him impassively.
“It is,” he replied.
“But it can’t be!” Caeden shook his head desperately, tears streaming down his face. The images of the people he’d killed flashed in a grisly parade before him. “No. I can’t be him. I can’t be Aarkein Devaed. No. I’m supposed to fight Devaed, to help save Andarra.” His voice broke. “I can’t be him.”
Asar just stared at him. For a moment his expression was… pitying.
“You are who you are, Tal’kamar,” he said softly. “When you’re ready to know more, come and find me.”
Without another word he turned and vanished back into the darkened passageway, leaving Caeden—Tal’kamar—alone to his grief.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A big thank-you, first, is owed to all my alpha and beta readers—Ross, Nicki, Chiara, Aiden, Brett, Jeremy, Dean, David, Rex, Callum, Tim, Stuart, and (of course) Sonja. It’s no small commitment to test-read a book of this size, and their feedback proved invaluable in honing The Shadow of What Was Lost.
Thanks also go to Pat, who read what was a very rough first draft and still managed to spot the promise in among its many flaws. To this day it amazes me that despite how much more work the story needed, he somehow delivered his critique with enough encouragement and tact that I ended up being inspired rather than deflated.
Finally I’d like to thank my family for all their encouragement over the past couple of years—and in particular my wife, Sonja, whose love, constant optimism, and ability to soothe my fragile ego kept me sane as I worked through each draft. This book is dedicated to her, as it could not possibly have existed if it were not for her enduring support.
We hope you enjoyed this book.
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Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Map
Prologue
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
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Orbit Newsletter
Copyright
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 by James Islington
Cover design by Lauren Panepinto
Cover illustration by Dominick Saponaro
Cover copyright © 2016 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Hachette Book Group supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
Orbit
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Previously self-published in 2015
First eBook Edition: July 2016
Orbit is an imprint of Hachette Book Group.
The Orbit name and logo are trademarks of Little, Brown Book Group Limited.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
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Map copyright © Tim Paul
ISBN: 978-0-316-55274-5
E3-20160625-JV-PC
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