Mark of Four (33 page)

A
world
of hurt and pain moved through his limbs. Darkness coated the air around him; cold, hard dirt and rocks dug into his back. Somewhere nearby, water trickled or flowed, he couldn’t tell which.

His chest had turned numb, and slowly, as interminable time passed, the numbness radiated outward. He couldn’t move; the dead lumps he called limbs lay like so much baggage on the earth’s floor. He wondered fleetingly how long it would take to die.

Her face flashed across his vision. The terror, the paralyzing agony that etched through her eyes as she’d seen him fall seared itself into his brain. A tear slid from beneath one eyelid. It traced across his cheek, rolling in starts and stops toward his ear, where it joined the curves of his flesh before settling to a halt.

He tried to pull the elements into his fingers, tried to work them as he had done before, but the numbness had deadened him. The air elements floated through his grip like water through a sieve, and bit by bit what little hope he had ebbed away.

He lost track of time. It could have been minutes or days that he lay in the cold dirt, staring at the point of light off to his right.

When the light strengthened and illuminated the cavern in which he was trapped, amazement sharpened his senses. So there really
was
a world beyond this one after all. Huh. Life after death. He wondered what he would find in it.

A shadow fell over his face. He lifted his gaze, confusion coursing through his brain, panic following immediately after. He struggled to move, to escape.

But the clear voice laughed softly at his efforts. “Shadow-Cast him,” it commanded in liquid tones.

Prison bars slammed shut over his mind.

T
his book passed
through so many metamorphoses that I hardly remember what story I had originally intended. With each new draft, though, it improved exponentially, and I've fallen in love with Alayne's world and the characters interspersed throughout. I hope you enjoy them as well!

Beta (test) readers are like the midwives of the book world. Any time a book is born, those readers test the material, sliding it into position for publication, massaging it here, nudging it there, smoothing the path, coaching and encouraging, giving hugs and advice. Those readers are there to polish the final product. They're nearly as essential as the parents to the birth of the book baby, and this proud mama couldn't be more thankful for them.

So to the many readers who have read this book in its multiple stages of development, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Members of the Shenandoah Valley Writers and the Shenandoah Christian Writers, Flashdogs, and friends who love to read, thanks for your hours of gentle critique.

To my editor, Emily June Street, you hear from me a lot that you're the best editor ever, but I speak the simple truth. Thank you so much. I hardly remember writing before you were there to edit.

To my family, who so generously allows me to stare at my laptop for hours on end, and who actually
enjoys
my books when they come out, I couldn't do any of this without you. To my husband, Tim, thank you for your patience, understanding, and unconditional love and support.

And to the One who has blessed me with an overly abundant imagination, I am eternally grateful.

T
amara Shoemaker lives
in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband, three children, a few jars of Nutella, and a never-empty carafe of coffee. She authored the best-selling
Shadows in the Nursery
Christian mystery series and
Soul Survivor
, another Christian mystery. Her fantasy books include the beginning of the
Heart of the Dragon
trilogy:
Kindle the Flame
, as well as the upcoming
Guardian of the Vale
trilogy.

• @TamaraShoemaker
  
• tshoebooks
  

H
eart of a Dragon Series
:

Kindle the Flame

S
hadows in the Nursery Series
:

Broken Crowns

Pretty Little Maids

Ashes, Ashes

Soul Survivor