The Shadow Connection

by Adair Hart

  “It’s been a while,” said Dr. Snowden while slapping a handshake with Lord Vygon. “Great to see you.”

  “The feeling is mutual,” said Lord Vygon. He did a forearm shake with Evaran. When V raised a segmented arm at him, Lord Vygon gave an amused look. “Based on that, I’m going to guess you’ve at least experienced the time-refugee and Evaran-origin events.” He high-fived V, as did Jake.

  “We have,” said Evaran. “I am still curious as to how much you know of my future, although I know you cannot speak of it.”

  “Let’s just say … I am partial to this plane form.”

  “Fair enough,” said Evaran.

  “There’s been a lot of anticipation about what’s to be discussed. There’s also some anger that we weren’t awakened, as you know from Lord Noskov.”

  “I did not want to disturb the natural flow of events more than necessary,” said Evaran.

  “I understand, but still … you know you can always wake us if we’re needed. I’ve read the reports on what happened. I should’ve been there next to you. We took down the Purifier overlord. What’s one more wannabe god?”

  “I will keep that in mind for the next time.”

  “You better,” said Lord Vygon as he slapped Evaran on the back. “C’mon, everyone’s getting settled and is eager to hear your plans.”

  “Lead on,” said Evaran, gesturing forward.

  Jake enjoyed the fact that he could listen in on these interactions. It made him feel special to have Evaran’s confidence to speak freely around him. “Yeah, we better go before Lord Noskov crawls out of his skin.”

  Everyone laughed as they headed inside.

  It took a bit to get everyone settled in the large assembly room deep in the base.

  Jake smiled at how packed it was. The atmosphere was one of excitement. He took a seat next to Emily and Dr. Snowden, while V rested on Emily’s lap. Lord Noskov’s animated gestures made Jake grin. He figured Lord Noskov was voicing his displeasure again in person at being left out of the Caltorus incident. Lord Vygon sat with them, but the other two ancient vampires sat by themselves near the front.

  The room was silent as Evaran went onto the stage and stood at the podium. Behind him was a large screen.

  “I am glad everyone is here,” said Evaran. “I have some important topics to cover. The first one deals with the rift doors. As everyone may or may not know, one is housed at the Ollikrin Nation’s headquarters, which I refer to as Rift Door Command One.” He tapped at a console on the podium, causing the screen behind him to show a live feed of the rift door.

  Jake had an idea of where it was based on his trip there earlier.

  “The other is here and is referred to as Rift Door Command Two,” said Evaran.

  The screen changed to show the second rift door deep in the base.

  Jake remembered helping set it up.

  Evaran changed the screen back to Rift Door Command One. “There are a vast amount of coordinates that I retrieved from Caltorus’s cathedral. Some have a Druuz presence, while others appear to be on a list for reconnaissance. There are also additional coordinates I have added from my previous travels. I want each one to be scouted. If it is determined that the Druuz have a presence, I want the rift door on their end destroyed. Prior to doing that, I want this video broadcast using the frequency the Torvatta scanned.”

  The screen began showing the battle with Caltorus.

  Jake could feel the ground move as everyone sat forward in rapture. He gulped as he remembered the fight and how tough it felt at the time. Although he and Zed had to find a console, the others had it much rougher. Those who had not been in the fight with Caltorus were fixated on the screen.

  When the video ended, Evaran gestured outward in an arc. “Caltorus was a tough opponent, but the Druuz seeing their god underperform and not win is important.”

  The screen changed back to Rift Door Command One

  “As each coordinate is scouted, it is important to begin mapping the non-Druuz ones and, if possible, find a place to set up the infrastructure to support a second Earth, one that people can move to in the event of a catastrophe. Humanity is not ready to participate in this yet, but they will at some point. I leave it to the Earth Ward to determine that time. Secrecy is still important, so choose your human counterparts wisely. The INRA would be a good candidate, although their name may need changed after these events.”

  The screen went dark.

  “There may be worlds that request help, or need assistance. I am leaving that judgment call to the Earth Ward, but the Ollikrin Nation and ancient vampires control their respective rift door. Cooperation will be needed. I have prepared extensive documentation on the coordinates, what is known about them, if anything, and how to operate and maintain the rift doors. I understand that by allowing this to occur, there may be consequences to the timeline. However … these rift doors have involved me twice now. I do not think that is coincidence. Since I am involved in this event, I am taking the opportunity to give Earth an advantage, one that is unique to it, before extracting myself from events.”

  The screen changed to a view of the black crystal fort from the world that Count Boris had claimed.

  “This world was under assault by the Raskarian forces of Count Boris. He is no longer alive, but his forces are still there. They need to be cleaned out. When you are victorious, make sure a flare is shot up into the sky to alert the locals of your success. I have a translation matrix that you can use to talk to the native species.”

  Jake watched a big smile creep onto Lord Noskov’s face. Killing Raskarian troops, and having it sanctioned by Evaran, probably made Lord Noskov’s day.

  “The last thing before I take questions deals with the formation of a new group. It will be led by Lord Vygon and called the Earth Guard. They will be a mixed group of nonhumans and some humans, trained with the focus of being able to respond to threats like Caltorus in a rapid manner. They will report to the Earth Ward. The selection process I will leave to Lord Vygon, but their goal is simple: guard the Earth against external and internal threats.”

  Jake watched Lord Vygon draw his head back a bit as he raised his eyebrows. Jake wondered if he would be able to join. It sounded exciting.

  Evaran raised a finger. “Now, are there any questions?”

  Jake laughed as a majority of the room raised their hands. He suspected it was going to be a long day, but he was excited to hear and see this initiative. Maybe if the Earth Guard did not take him, he could join one of these rift door-command scouting teams. Flying a stealthed ship into these worlds would be ideal. He knew Robert would sign up in a heartbeat. He eased back into his chair and focused on the question and answer session.

  I hope you enjoyed the sixth book in the Evaran Chronicles! This book dived in to the nonhuman political scene on modern-day Earth. I had a lot of fun pairing up some of the old gods from history alongside some of the nonhuman elements. Dr. Snowden and Emily learn more about their enhanced nanobots, and that will play a significant role in upcoming books. This book is the first in the second series arc. If you liked this installment, and have the time and inclination, a review would go a long way in helping out this indie author. If you do submit a review, I’ll put in a word to Evaran should you find yourself tangling with a shadow- matter god! Want to be notified about new book releases? If so, you can sign up below.

  www.AdairHart.com/MailingList.aspx

  I will only send you email about new book releases, major updates, and the occasional newsletter, usually once a month. I dislike getting spammed too, so I will use this sparingly to keep you in the loop.

  I have been dreaming about fictional worlds since I was a kid. I devoured anything related to fantasy and science fiction. I developed a setting over the last twenty years and struggled to find a medium I could express it in. Several years ago I discovered I enjoyed writing. It is a passion of mine now, and exploring my setting with it has been an awesome journey.

  I work in the
information technology field and have my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in it. It has helped me to shape some of the concepts I write about. I also enjoy keeping up on futurology and science in general.

  I live in central Ohio and enjoy walking, reading, gaming, learning, listening to music, and trying to keep up on my never-ending list of TV shows and movies to watch. If you want to contact me, you can do so on my website at

  www.AdairHart.com

  You can also reach me on:

  Facebook

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  Adair.hart.Author@gmail.com

  To my grandparents, who continue to inspire me. They may be gone now, but their life lessons and legacies live on through me.

  This was a great journey for me, but I wouldn’t be here without the help of others. I would like to thank, in no particular order,

  My amazing editor, Laura Petrella. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and I do not know where I would be without her. She is a bright star in my publishing process, and I always look forward to working with her. I can be assured that she will help me produce the best product possible. Even Evaran has commented on how great she is! This is my seventh book with her, and I am proud to call her my editor!

  My cover artist, Tom Edwards (tomedwardsconcepts@gmail.com), for another great cover. He continues to create fantastic art, and I am glad to be working with him!

  My family and friends who helped encourage me along the way.

  My proofreader, Graham, from Fading Street Publishing, and Alexa for doing a great job making that final pass to ensure everything looked good.

  My formatter and interior designer, Colleen Sheehan (www.wdrbookdesign.com/), for always taking the time to help me out. She makes each page shine, and as always, I’m glad we have a great working relationship!

  My beta readers, Montzalee Wittman and Dennis Michaels, for taking the time to help out!

  You can see all the books in the Evaran Chronicles at

  www.AdairHart.com/Books/Books.aspx