Trading into Shadow (The Magic Beneath Paris Book 1)

by C. M. Simpson

  All eyes turned to Marsh as they realized this was exactly the plan she’d mentioned before.

  “How did you know?”

  At the Shadow Master’s question, her skin turned cold and the color drained from her face.

  “I didn’t,” she said, then repeated herself in the face of the disbelief in their expressions. “It was the only thing I could think of in order to get our people back.”

  “And you really think that’s possible?”

  “I have to try.” Even Marsh could hear the stubbornness in her voice.

  She wasn’t going to consider what would happen if she discovered there was no way to follow the raiders back to their source. She wasn’t even going to consider that it was an impossibility. After all, the ones they’d already encountered had seemed human enough—and if they were human, they had to have somewhere to call home. All they had to do was discover where that was.

  She was just about to say as much when she heard the sound of running footsteps from outside the Shadow Master’s office. Seconds later, someone was pounding on the door.

  “Entré!”

  The soldier who stepped into the room spared a startled glance for the Shadow Master’s company before focusing on the monastery’s head.

  “The road…” he said, breathing hard. “The glows…”

  The Master of Shadows was out of his seat and moving toward the messenger.

  “Show us,” he ordered. “Quickly, now!”

  And the man gave him one startled look and then ran out the door. To Marsh’s surprise, the master didn’t protest the pace but broke into a run to keep up, the other masters racing in his wake as they took the stairs at the end of the corridor. Marsh followed, and before long they had reached the top of a tower overlooking the road leading to the trade route that passed the cavern’s entrance.

  It was marked by a long line of glows, the trail branch barely visible at its end. The soldier stopped and pointed to the road.

  “We had a rider,” he gasped, indicating the trail before turning to face the Master of Shadows. “Man said the trail started going dark. Said he heard screams from the back of his caravan and then everyone ran. He was riding point. When he went back, the caravan master told him to bring word. Master, we have to help them.”

  To Marsh’s surprise, the Master of Shadows shook his head, his eyes turning dark gray streaked with flashes of silver.

  “It’s too late.”

  “Master?”

  The head of the monastery indicated the trail, gazing in the direction.

  “Ring the bells and bar the gates. Gather the shadow guard in the main hall. They have taken the road. Send me Masters Herenvel and Kaspar. I need shadow speakers on the walls.”

  His eyes were still a swirling mix of black and silver when he turned away from the cavern and moved for the stairs, touching the Master of Stone on the shoulder as he passed.

  “I must apologize, but I think you might be staying longer than planned. I trust you left your best in charge?”

  “Master Voclain,” she replied, and Marsh saw some of the tension leave the Shadow Master’s shoulders.

  “Very good. Will you join our council of war?”

  He included the Master of Beasts in his invitation, and the man nodded.

  “It would be our pleasure.”

  Marsh barely noticed when they left the tower, although she was aware when the space around her grew less crowded. She had looked beyond the Master of Shadows and out into the cavern, noting the long line of glows and the few that indicated the trade route, but that wasn’t why she kept staring into the dark.

  No. She knew why the Master of Shadows had called for the bells to be rung and the shadow guard gathered. The glows indicating the main trail were going out one at a time until the shadows bled over where the trade route had once been clearly marked. She saw that it was worse than that. Far worse.

  As she looked out across the cavern, Marsh saw the trail of lights growing shorter as shadows swallowed the road leading to the fortress. On one side of her, Tamlin took her hand. On the other side, Roeglin drew a sharp breath. Marsh knew they were watching the same thing she was—the glows being extinguished one by one.

  Tamlin’s grip tightened, and she took her eyes from the vanishing trail long enough to meet his gaze.

  “We’re going to have to learn really fast, aren’t we?”

  Marsh lifted her eyes to the trail and nodded.

  “Yeah, Tams. You up for it?”

  “Brigitte’s going to teach me how to use shadow blades,” he said, “and you’re going to show me shields.”

  It was news to her, but Marsh didn’t argue. Roeglin didn’t sound impressed.

  “And what am I going to teach you?”

  But Tamlin had no doubts.

  “Everything,” the boy said. “We’re gonna need to learn all the things.”

  “Yeah. All the things,” Marsh said, breathing a sigh of relief when the shadow stopped its inward creep. “We need to know all the things, and then we need to stop them.”

  Of that, she had no doubt. They had to learn to master their magic, and they had to learn fast. Then they had to find the raiders and stop them, or the Four Settlements were finished. Looking into the encroaching dark, she couldn’t stop a shiver from running through her.

  The trail of glows leading toward the cavern’s edge was shorter, but it was still there. All Marsh could hope for was that it would shrink no farther and they could restore it. She also had to hope Ruins Hall still stood and Kerrenin’s Ledge had not fallen by the time they reached them.

  No pressure, right?

  Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and she turned away from the view in time to see two mages in black robes trimmed with silver emerge into the tower. They were followed by four mages in black leather armor.

  “You need to clear the tower.”

  “We’re leaving now,” Roeglin told them. “May the threads be kind.”

  “And your sleep be deep.”

  It was as close to an order as Marsh had ever heard, and Marsh did not argue when Roeglin signaled for her and the children to follow him from the tower. Up until that moment, she hadn’t noticed the silent presence of her four guards. Now she did.

  “What are you going to do?” she asked, and Lennie gave her a fierce grin.

  “Exactly what the cavern founder wanted,” she said. “I’m going to hole up here until the baby’s born, and then I’m going to go and kick some raider ass.”

  “And the rest of us will be guarding you and Master Roeglin, as Monsieur Gravine hired us to do. You have yet to give him the Shadow Master’s answer.”

  Marsh took a deep breath and followed Roeglin down the stairs, aware of Tamlin walking at her side. Aware too that her future was not going to be what she’d thought it would. Gone were her plans to be a seeker of ancient artifacts, but she didn’t regret their loss. What she was planning now was so much bigger than searching for clues to the past.

  Now she had to find a way to preserve both the present and future, and looking at those descending the stairs with her, Marsh knew she was in good company. Together they would drive the raiders back and find the ones they’d taken, but first, they needed to master the skills they had and take back the cavern they were in—and they had to do it fast.

  All she could hope was that they’d be fast enough and the four settlements would still be there when they reached them.

  Author Notes - CM Simpson

  February 22, 2019

  Firstly, THANK YOU. For picking up this book, and for reading to the author notes… which, by the way, are really, really hard to write. I am currently tempted to sneak a short, short story in here, because it would be fun, but I’m pretty sure Michael would notice.

  However, if any of you would LIKE to see… er, no?

  Wow. The man can yell….

  Kidding – he hasn’t seen these yet, and I’m nervous so I’m poking the bear… Not… that Michael is a bear,
okay? Soooo…perhaps I’d better change feet, and maybe talk a bit about the book and the characters, and what a blast it’s been to write it—because it has been; it really has.

  I love stories. I love creating them, writing them, and discovering the worlds and people hiding out in my head. Okay, I admit it—most of the time it’s me hiding out in my head, and the characters and stories just happen to be there when I arrive—and, sometimes, just occasionally, I like to take a walk in someone else’s universe and discover the amazing people and places that exist there.

  It’s always a privilege when I am invited or allowed to do this, and I’m always honoured when someone is kind enough to let me. Thank you, Michael. It’s quite a universe you have here—and I have loved the time I’ve so far spent in this small corner of it. And thank you Amy, L.E. and C.M.

  Who knew there were so many mushrooms beneath Paris? Or creatures?

  And the people… well… I hope they’ve kicked a sufficient amount of ass. Trust me, they’re planning on kicking a whole lot more.

  The last week has been a bit of a whirlwind, as I’ve been writing Book 4 for this series, but also balancing editing for Books 1-3 with homeschooling my youngest and working out covers and all the rest of the things that go with being a writer. Today, for instance, was spent editing this book, and putting the next to last pieces together for its release. Tomorrow, I get to head out to spend some time with my family, who, for some reason are still talking to me...

  Actually, they’re a funny bunch; the busier I get, the more they invade the writing corner and hug me. There are days I think I need a box I can stuff them all into so I can have fifteen minutes’ peace, but then it would be too quiet, and I’d get nothing done, anyway. They keep me sane, while driving me absolutely crazy.

  And they’re not the only ones, I’ve met some of the very nicest people while putting these stories together, both in the KGU and Age of Magic Facebook groups, and in the amazing teams that support the creation of these books. I have the best editors in the world, and the most scary-awesome Beta and JIT teams… and a cover artist whose work I love. And I get to write stories set in the Age of Magic? Hell, yes! Sign me up.

  Oh, wait… you did already… and you what?

  When’s the next book coming out?

  Soon, I promise. Soon.

  Now, go bug Michael, while I get it done.

  Thanks for having me, for reading this far, and for enjoying this universe as much as I do.

  I look forward to catching youall on the flip.

  If you want to catch me sooner, you can find me on my blog, or on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest, or you can sign up for my newsletter.

  Whatever you decide, thank you for sharing this part of my journey.

  Author Notes - Michael Anderle

  February 24, 2019

  THANK YOU for not only reading this story but these Author Notes as well.

  (I think I’ve been good with always opening with “thank you.” If not, I need to edit the other Author Notes!)

  RANDOM (sometimes) THOUGHTS?

  I’m going to riff on what C.M. Simpson talks about (well, part of what she talks about), and that is the voices and characters in our heads.

  Especially when we are growing up.

  For a long time in my life, I assumed everyone had these episodes of activity in their heads. So, imagine my surprise (and new understanding) when I realized I was the one listening to the story in my head, and others had no comprehension why I wasn’t listening to them speak to me.

  Didn’t others have these troubles? Didn’t others have characters talk to them when their father was displeased, and they couldn’t focus on their father because two tiny elves just started a fight on his shoulders while they were trying to look meek and mild?

  Apparently not.

  He didn’t appreciate my smirk that slipped out, I don’t think.

  “But I was listening!” I would argue. Then my eyes would look at his shoulder to see if the elves would peek out.

  I think I got grounded three extra days for those damned elves.

  AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS

  One of the interesting (at least to me) aspects of my life is the ability to work from anywhere and at any time. In the future, I hope to re-read my own Author Notes and remember my life as a diary entry.

  Las Vegas, NV USA

  Right now, my wife is watching the Oscars as I type these Author Notes. The Divine Miss M just performed a song, and I’m fighting a splitting headache.

  I’m reminded, as I’m staring at the tv in the other room, that one year ago we did not have that tv in my household, and my wife was watching the Oscars on YouTube TV.

  On an iPad.

  She missed the last ten minutes because of a screw up on YouTube TV, and it killed the Oscars feed to the iPad. My nice world, at that moment, ended in our household.

  Thanks a lot, Google. YouTube TV cost me over a thousand dollars to make sure she never missed ten minutes of the Oscars again.

  Happy wife, happy life.

  It seems money can buy happiness.

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  Ad Aeternitatem,

  Michael Anderle

  Other Books from C.M. Simpson

  The Magic Beneath Paris (with Michael Anderle)

  #1 Trading into Shadow

  #2 Trading into Darkness (coming soon)

  #3 Trading to the Light (coming soon)

  Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey

  #1 Mack ‘n’ Me: Origins

  #1-1 The Depredides Dance (a stand-alone short story)

  #1-5 Rogue Retrieval (a stand-alone novella – coming soon)

  #2 Mack ‘n’ Me: Blaedergil’s Host

  #3 Mack ‘n’ Me: Arach

  #4 Mack ‘n’ Me: The Transporter’s Favour

  #4-3 What Happens on Axis 58… (a stand-alone short story)

  #4-6 Cloud Door (a stand-alone short story)

  I also write fantasy, urban fantasy and short stories across the genres, all of which can be found on my Amazon author page.

  Connect With The Authors

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  https://www.amazon.com/C.M.-Simpson/e/B0086QFGFO

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