Nodding again slowly, Abi answered her. “You have already given and you will give again and that is why I am not asking anything specific of you now. You chose your own sacrifice, giving of yourself in order for your friends to find their way out before I even asked it of you. Not only that, but I saw what you did for the warrior and that has been received.”
Kaeleigh absorbed all the guardian had to say. She asked, softly reflecting gratitude, “So my friends are free to leave?”
“As are you, dear child. Know this, however, you and your companions have each given on this journey, but it is only the beginning. Another has given as well...”
A vision flashed before Kaeleigh’s eyes on a screen of smoke that made her heart stop.
Hunter standing in a clearing standing tall, holding his spear steady as he prepared for the sword being swung his direction from atop a horse. Other warriors approaching—herding—him back toward his cottage now engulfed in flames. Not even fazed, he stood strong with stone resolve, keeping the warriors at bay just far enough outside where his cottage stood burning. Just then, Maleina appeared, stepping out from the shadows just beyond the tree line. Pointing unabashedly at Hunter, she brought accusations of treason. He replied with something about her own treason in a manner of riddle so that none but Maleina seemed to understand what he meant. Hunter turned to block the sword that was about to strike him from the side. She was filled with rage. Her eyes wild, she turned in Kaeleigh’s direction, gave a slight smirk, and then her eyes pierced straight into Kaeleigh’s soul with an ice so cold it burned. Maleina did something with her hands and then sharply extended her blood-red-tipped dagger-like nail directly pointed at his heart, expelling a liquid fire that soared fast and true.
Kaeleigh gasped, falling to her knees, shocked and struck to her very core. Golden tears fell uncontrollably, yet silently, staining her face as she continued to watch the vision unfold before her.
Instantly, Hunter fell. He lay nearly lifeless on the ground, the light quickly fading from his soul, his very essence draining from his body, soaking into the forest floor. Maleina had vanished. The guards among her turned and began to leave. Before his last breath, he turned and seemed to look directly at Kaeleigh just like Maleina had, except he looked into her eyes with an overwhelming love.
Kaeleigh stumbled backwards, her breath knocked out of her. Were they both looking at me? Impossible, but I could feel it. Maybe there was someone else there with him. Maybe he wasn’t alone. Her heart leaped with a spark of hope that he hadn’t died alone. Shaken and numb, she kept watching.
Hunter took his last breath, closing his eyes, releasing his spirit into the very air of Alandria.
Suddenly, his image quaked and began dissolving, getting smaller and smaller—no longer a form of a being lying on the ground but a shape that resembled a very large bird. A huge white bird the likes of which Kaeleigh had never seen before. It was a very much alive bird. It cocked its head in her direction once more with piercing green eyes, intelligent eyes, familiar eyes. Hunter’s eyes. He took to the sky and the vision dissolved completely.
Kaeleigh’s worst fear had just played out in front of her. She could barely speak but whispered, “Was all of that real? Did it really happen?” Kaeleigh was lost in the sadness of what she saw and felt the truth of the images. Too broken to be angry, she instead felt empty.
Abi simply nodded her childlike head, looking so innocent but with the darkest eyes that pierced your soul.
“He was the only family I had. I finally found him and now he’s gone?” Trying to keep a little control by taking deep, cleansing breaths, she asked a little more audibly hoping to get answers. “I don’t understand. What happened and why did you show me?”
“It is true,” Abi replied sadly. “It is a great loss to us all. But his true form, his spirit form, is not truly gone. His form will now be that of the great white L’inolyth. It is very rare and only bestowed upon those chosen to be honored in such a manner by The Orchids and the Ancients in an agreement which is rare on its own.”
“Abi? Who was he looking at?”
“You already know the answer to that.” Abi paused and her eyes softened as she looked into Kaeleigh’s eyes. “He wanted you to know. He felt your presence there with him. He was not alone.”
“But I wasn’t even there. How is that even possible? I mean this happened days ago! How could he have known where or when I’d be?” Kaeleigh hung her head in her hands, shaking it back and forth.
“The King had gifts no one understood or even knew the depths of. He was capable of much. And still is.”
Wait! What? “Did you say king?”
“Why do you ask things you just heard me say? That is a human trait I believe you need to rid yourself of. We say what we mean here, or we don’t speak at all.” Kaeleigh nodded. “But yes, I said king. He did not tell you, I see.” She said it more fact than question so Kaeleigh shook her head no, feeling the need to respond in case she was supposed to answer.
Abruptly, Abi looked behind Kaeleigh into nothing then back at her without so much as a blink. “It is time to go.” She turned and began walking away into the light that had faded into the background.
“Wait! What do I do now? Please!” Kaeleigh reached out to grab Abi’s arm then immediately thought better of it when Abi’s eyes darted toward her out of the corner of her eyes in a not-so-friendly manner.
“You all go now. Continue the journey you began. You will get answers where you are destined.”
“How will I find my father? Hunter was going to help me find him,” Kaeleigh asked, almost panicked.
Abi started to bend into the light as her form began morphing again. On a whisper her voice surrounded Kaeleigh.
“His is not my story to tell.”
The light blinked out instantly, leaving Kaeleigh kneeling on the ground in the dark. She stayed still a moment trying to piece herself together. Breathe in. Breathe out. Hands gently grabbed onto her, and her friends knelt beside her, surrounding her. She felt their confusion and concern, but mostly their love and support. Kaeleigh knew with them, her friends—her family—she would be all right. She felt a confidence surge through her that she had never felt before. Mixed with the sadness of her loss, Kaeleigh felt a new sense of purpose. A new peace in who she was becoming. A new strength to fight. Through the darkness, they would find light. Hunter was gone, but somehow she felt closer to him than ever. This was now her home and she would fight for it—for Hunter... for her mom... for her family.
Kaeleigh looked at her friends with gratitude and a deeper sense of love. Though veiled in shadows, they would find truth and freedom not only for themselves but for Alandria. Their journey would go on.
Thank you for reading Veiled Shadows!
Morgan Wylie, originally from the Pacific Northwest, now resides near Nashville, TN with her husband and daughter. She and her husband work everyday at their individual and combined creative pursuits while she learns to balance being “Mama”, wife, and mediator to the many voices and muses constantly chattering in her head.
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Glossary of Terms~
Alandria: A realm parallel to our mortal realm inhabited by several races of magical beings and creatures. Created by the Originators also known as The Orchids.
Exhile: Another realm, where the condemned souls of the non-human go to spend eternity in unrest or until they are devoured and absorbed into the land, whichever comes first.
Ferrishyn: (fair-i-shin) They are the warrior race of Faeries, mostly male, in the territory of Feraánmar. They serve as hunters, guides, and guardians. Elite members become a part of the royal guard for the Paladin.
Earth Faeries: The most common
race of Faeries. They are cultivators and growers for Alandria, their magic strengthened from the earth itself even as they give back to it.
Ehsmia: (a.k.a. The Hidden People), An ancient race of faeries that have been in hiding to protect their race from extinction—though they are already believed to be of legend, if at all. Their magic is stronger as they retain a fraction of the ‘old magic’, as opposed to the magic of Earth Faeries. Though they are blessed with long life, they are cursed with slow reproduction.
Elves: At one point were the majority race in Alandria. They have a base magic as most do in Alandria, but some are gifted with more abilities than others. Their magic is strengthened from the light of the sun, moon, and stars.
Shifters: A race of beings that have the ability to shift into an animal. Those of greater strength and magic, may have the ability to shift into more than one animal form rather than just one.
The Orchids: An illusive collective of heads from various races united together originally to flee darkness thus creating Alandria. Considered the Originators and make up the group considered the Elders. Their goal to unite Alandria against the darkness that stirs upheaval against the kingdoms.
The Droch-Shúil: Is an evil entity. It is an ancient host collecting souls that went bad—the unforgiven dead. It grows with the strength and magic of the souls it consumes. Also considered a kind of demon.
Ferriers: Not quite Faeries or Elves for that matter, an ancient creature nonetheless existing in Alandria but not of it. They are neither alive nor dead, but simply exist. They are not anchored to any particular realm as they are the ferriers. They escort souls to their beyond whether it be where they are transitioned into rest, reborn, or to Exhile. They are non-partial or so it is believed. They are not to be involved other than departures.
Ónarach: A faction of Elves—mostly—that chose to go against their nature and against their race by taking the lives of Elders in order to consume their magic for their own gain transforming them into something dark.
Paladin: The governing rulers of a territory, specifically Feraánmar territory of the Faeries, that took reign when the King and Queen died.
Sol-lumieth: A new power, a new magic, that was foretold in an ancient prophecy to return the light and life—the hope—of Alandria.
NaNai: The ancient Oak trees that were originally used to contain and protect some of the ancient magic that was transported at the inception of Alandria. They were brought into Alandria and even scattered and deposited into the mortal realm by the original Elf lords of the forest. As the ancient magic fails, so do the great oaks.
* Several races that were used in The Age of Alandria series are inspired from various mythologies throughout history.
As a special treat, please check out the following excerpts from authors S.M. Boyce and Quinn Loftis!!
An Excerpt from Lichgates
Book One in the Grimoire Saga
an epic fantasy adventure with a contemporary twist
CHAPTER ONE
THE HUMAN
Kara Magari pushed her way down an unkempt trail in the Rocky Mountains, its trees hunching and swaying overhead as she crunched her way along the rotting foliage that served as a carpet. The canopy grew steadily thicker and swallowed the setting sunlight, casting a murky green glow over her pale skin as she hiked. Her hiker’s build made her look a year or two younger than she really was—a curse at twenty—but she knew she would be grateful for it someday.
She ran a hand through her blond hair as she examined the forest. This was a new path, one she found on the way back to her car after an early dinner at the visitor center. She bit her lip and scanned the empty forest. Even though there hadn’t been any empty beer cans or syringes littering the way, solo hiking on an unfamiliar trail was never safe. It would be dark in just a few hours.
She patted the side pocket of her backpack. The edges of her stun gun pushed against the cloth. Kara smirked—she would be fine.
Two minutes later, the footpath ended at a simple gazebo built from unpainted wood. Low-hanging branches hid half of its paneled roof, and a tree trunk on either side blocked the way around. Waist-high wooden railings surrounded most of the structure, but left a break in the fencing just wide enough to walk through. A path stretched from this opening across the gazebo to the other side, where yet another gap in the rails would let her through to the blinding daylight. Benches lined the miniature lane through the shelter.
The landscape on the other side was blurred and bright: a stark contrast to the heavy green glow of the forest, where only freckled rays of sunlight could break through the leaves. She narrowed her eyes as she got closer to the gazebo, but couldn’t distinguish anything through the sun’s sharp glare.
A plank of wood framed with odd carvings had been nailed to the space above the entrance, and she squinted in an effort to read the dull cuts and make out the word:
Lichgate.
She shrugged and stepped up onto the wooden aisle. As soon as she set foot inside, her stomach lurched. Her cheeks flushed, and she covered her mouth to suppress bile.
A blue light flared out of the corner of her eye. It had come from the edge of the lichgate, but as she leaned over to inspect the space by her head, she couldn’t find anything reflective or even blue.
She took a deep breath before tossing her pack on one bench and lounging on the other until her stomach settled. Maybe she should have checked the sell-by date on the chicken salad she’d eaten at the visitor center.
Kara closed her eyes and listened to the wind rustling through the leaves, her body relishing the cool air as it coursed along her neck. She breathed deeply again, and her gut relaxed.
She leaned back against the bench and sighed. Since her dad had first strapped her to his back twenty years ago and trudged down the East Inlet to Adams Falls, she’d spent every summer of her life vacationing in the Rockies. Her family had hiked almost every trail, but this one was not on her worn and ripped map.
Memories of past hiking trips slipped into her mind: her dad laughing as he tripped over a root; Kara discovering an antique diamond earring caught under a rock in a stream; her mom rattling off tips about hiking as she pointed out wildlife.
Kara’s shoulders tensed. Her breath caught. She wasn’t supposed to let herself think about her mom.
Her heart sank as the pain rushed in anyway. Six months. She’d been forced to live without her mom—her best friend—for six whole months.
Hollow echoes of sirens and shrieking tires tugged at her mind, but she pushed them away. Even on a secluded path hidden from the world, she couldn’t give into thoughts like those. She would lose it and start crying. After that, there would be no telling when she would get it together enough to drive back to the rental house.
Her dad couldn’t be doing too great, either. He was probably at the rental, eyes out of focus as he stared at the same page of a crime novel for hours.
Neither of them handled grief well.
Kara promised herself she would hug him when she got back—a good old Magari bear hug. Maybe mimicking one of his painful cuddles would get a little laugh out of him.
Early this morning, Kara had tiptoed by his bedroom before he even woke up. She’d wanted to wait around and check on him before she left, but she’d written him a note instead. She couldn’t stay in the house. The first thought to hit her that morning had been: Mom died exactly six months ago. You’ll never get her back.
Not a happy wake up call.
Kara cleared her throat and tried to focus on cheerful things. She had to distract herself, or she really would lose what little control she had.
Tony. Last summer, Kara’s stomach tied in knots every time she walked into the trail café because she knew she would see him—the gorgeous cashier with green eyes and dark hair. According to the white plastic square on his shirt, his name was Tony. She and her mom always giggled over how Kara would turn red as a tomato when he made eye contact, and her mom even dared Kara to ask him ou
t, once. He always smiled when they walked in, as if he liked that he could make Kara blush without even speaking, but she could never quite muster the courage to actually follow through on her mother’s dare.
But she’d changed. Life had lost its flavor since her mom died.
When Kara had gone to the café on her first day back this summer, she saw Tony through the window. She’d waited for that familiar surge of adrenaline and desire, but it never came. She didn’t even blush when Tony smiled from his place at the front. She’d forced a smile in return, but it must have come out as a grimace. The boy had faltered and looked quickly away. He had avoided her eye since then.
She didn’t mind the isolation, though. Not really. In a strange way, she kind of liked it. She often saw family friends on the paths, and they never just let her enjoy the peace that came from a silent hike. She’d already been trapped in a chat with her dad’s previous tennis partner once today. And on her way back to the car, her mother’s old yoga buddy had appeared around a bend. If Kara hadn’t doubled back and slipped onto the first trail she’d seen—the one that led her to the gazebo—the woman might have made eye contact, which meant an inevitable hour-long conversation. Kara just didn’t have the energy.
Kara wanted to enjoy talking to people, but she just didn’t. She could only think about how to get away from the discomfort of inevitably having to answer questions about her mother, whom nearly everyone had loved.
Since the funeral, Kara’s only escape came while hiking. The Montana Rockies were her haven. And when she hiked, she did so alone.
Veiled Shadows (The Age of Alandria: Book Two) Page 26
