Veiled Shadows (The Age of Alandria: Book Two)
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Authors: Morgan Wylie
Contents
Veiled Shadows
The Age of Alandria Book Two
By
Morgan Wylie
Veiled Shadows
Published by Red Cabin Publishing
Nashville, TN
Copyright © 2013 Morgan Wylie
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events; to real people, living or dead; or to real locales are intended only to give the fiction a sense of reality and authenticity. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and their resemblance, if any, to real-life counterparts is entirely coincidental.
Kindle Edition 2013
Veiled Shadows
edited by Christine LePorte
Cover Art and Typography by Phatpuppy Art and The Bookish Brunette
To my husband, Steven.
To my daughter, who inspires me to dream daily. You make Mama’s heart happy.
To the readers, with you my story has wings.
Thank You...
Thank You, to YOU, the reader!!
My husband, Steven, once again this story wouldn’t be all that it has become without your creative insight and genius. You inspire me, challenge me, and encourage me to be the best version of me I can be even when I struggle to remember who that is. You are my hero and my partner. You are your own badass and you are mine. Thank you. And to my daughter, you are too young to understand all this now, but know that I continue pursuing my dreams so that you know you can pursue yours.
My family, you have been an incredible support and encouragement. And my forever friends "back home", thank you for your excitement. I love you all.
To my critique partners and friends, Gaby and Kallie, your critiques, insights, and encouragements have been invaluable. #LoveWriteCreate
And my mom, for believing in me and actually enjoying my books, lol. It means more to me than you know. I also appreciate the text comments as you read and the typo updates ;)
Also, my writing friends: your are my inspirations and my heroes. Thank you for your encouragement and support: Chelsea Fine, Quinn Loftis, Lizzy Ford, Julia Crane, Samantha Young, S.M. Boyce, Teal Haviland, and many others!
Stacey K Black... You are a ROCKSTAR! You inspire me with your life and I thank you for your support and encouragement to me and my family.
To my beta readers: Tina and Barb, thank you for your thoughts, opinions, excitement, and all the spreading the love that you do! You are my rock stars!
To my team at InkSlinger PR, Kelly and Shanyn, thank you for believing in my story enough to help the people find it.
Once again, the creative geniuses behind the face of this book: Claudia at
PhatpuppyArt
for her cover art, and Ashley at
The Bookish Brunette
for her beautiful fonts and layout. Thank you both! You are AMAZING!
Also, to
Eden Crane Design
for all her work creating symbols to define each race (coming to my website:
morganwylie.net
), and
Donna Dull
with Sharp Covers who brought Alandria to life visually with an original map.
And to my editor,
Christine LePorte
, thank you once again for catching all my mistakes and making my words flow.
Writing can be a solitary and lonely endeavor at times, but it doesn’t have to be. I am extremely grateful to have a team and community of people that can inspire me to be the best version of me as I continue on my journey, and that can help me make my book and my story the best it can be. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.
Prologue
Exhile
The Realm of the Unforgiven Dead
Sitting with her legs crossed on the hard dirt ground, Cley-una concentrated once more on getting through the veil that concealed them within the cliffside cave of a mountain. Since the activation of the prophecy, it was easier for those with the gift of viewing to see, but it was still a challenge for Cley-una to sustain communication for any length of time. They had all felt a sigh from the heart of Alandria after Daegan had brought Kaeleighnna across the border. Their hope—the hope of The Orchids—was lifting. This was the time of the prophecy.
A hand gently touched her shoulder as she felt a presence lower down next to her. “What do you see, Cley-una?”
Cley-una opened her eyes briefly to look into the kind eyes of the Faerie woman next to her—blue eyes that sparkled with a touch of gold, unlike Cley-una’s warm brown eyes. “Sit with me, Eva. I have been checking in with Daegan periodically. It seems they are about to cross the Bridge of Revealment.”
“Let me show the others.”
At Cley-una’s nodding, Eva spoke quietly yet loud enough for all to hear her. “Come closer, I will attempt to show you what she sees.”
As the others gathered close with expectation written on their faces, Eva sat and held the hand Cley-una offered, lending her own magical energy to Cley-una’s. Eva’s waist-long mahogany-colored hair fell in loose waves as it hung down her back and partial side. She sat very still, taking slow, deep breaths, not wanting to disrupt Cley-una’s concentration.
Cley-una was quite the contrast to Eva. She had shoulder-length curly black hair and her skin was a warmer light tan than Eva’s fair porcelain skin. Eva exuded grace and femininity while Cley-una was compact and warrior-like. It was rare to find a woman Ferrishyn, though there were some, and Cley-una was one of the best. Cley-una and Eva were the best of friends; it gave them comfort having each other in this forsaken place.
Cley-una’s strong empathic energies allowed her to receive feelings and impressions from others. Eva’s gift was quite the opposite in that she was able to project images and impressions to others. She had taught Cley-una how to invert her gift just enough that Eva could experience what Cley-una was receiving. At times, she could even project an image outward for the others who joined in their isolation, as she did this time.
Focused on Cley-una, Eva blocked out everything surrounding her except what she was picking up from her friend beside her. Slowing her breathing, she turned her energies outward, projecting a holographic-type image before them all. There before them was the small group that held the key to their hope, making their way through parts of Alandria. Weary and worn were Daegan, Kaeleigh, Finn, and Chel as they began their individual paths crossing the bridge. Both women smiled warmly as they watched the transformations unfold.
Chel crossed the bridge and Eva gasped as she saw the young woman show signs of her shifter heritage. “She looks so much like her mother.” Eva smiled but spoke sadly missing her friend.
They watched enraptured as Kaeleigh stood at the center of the bridge. Both Eva and Cley-una looked on with intense anticipation, their hands held as tightly together as they could be. A golden tear escaped from Eva’s eye and slid down her face. Not bothering to catch it before it fell to the ground, she watched on as the magic began to reveal.
“We are here, dear child,” Eva whispered as she pushed her energies through Cley-una like never before, hoping to somehow touch and unite with the magic swirling around Kaeleigh to encourage her journey.
Kaeleigh looked up through sparkling rays of light... and orchids began falling all around her. They caressed her skin as they fell to the ground and she smiled. It was beautiful. She reached up, letting the light and the orchids dance along her arms on their way to the river below her. She twirled around very slowly, watching the light all around her. A mist began encircling her; it moved faster and faster, becoming a tornado of fog. The magic was alive. Small electric sparks jumped all over her body.
The breeze began to swirl around her face, catching her off guard. Her eyes grew wide and wild with panic as she watched the magical mist consume her. Kaeleigh closed her eyes and took deep breaths. She opened her mouth and inhaled, taking the mist deep inside her when she did. She struggled and choked, but then something caused her to still, and peace came over her face.
She relaxed, the magic weaving within her and around her on the outside. As the pressure of the magic built it lifted her off the ground. She hung limp in the air a couple feet off the bridge. Her body jerked back and forth as the magic tugged at what was her human glamour. The tugging became more insistent. Sparks flying around her mixed in with the fog. A blue fire ignited at the soles of her feet and slowly moved up her legs. Her body stiffened then arched back, still suspended above the bridge. Her head hung back, mouth open wide releasing silent screams. The fire spread up through her torso and into her head. Her face was tortured with a look of unfathomable pain, her mouth expelling a final silent scream, before her body gave out.
“NO!” Eyes wide with fear and tortured pain, Eva and Cley-una screamed out. Gasping, Eva turned to Cley-una. “What was that?” she whispered. “That was not supposed to happen... is she...?” She looked around at the faces before her, searching for any kind of answer, but all she saw was confusion and despair.
“I have never heard of that happening before,” Cley-una offered out of her own shock, shaking her head. Sitting up straight, suddenly focused elsewhere, she spoke again with relief. “Daegan has her, she is alive, and they are headed toward the cottage in the grove.”
One of the older Elves, a woman, spoke from off to the side. “I believe her wards were too strong for the magic of the bridge. Remember who placed them upon her in the first place.” The woman looked softly at Eva. “They will find him. We knew this would have to happen for the prophecy to be fulfilled.”
Nodding her head to the woman, Eva replied, “Thank you, Kae’e láh. I believe you are right.” Standing abruptly, Eva didn’t even bother to wipe the dirt from her beautiful blue dress. “I must find Kanessa!”
CHAPTER ONE
Sitting in Hunter’s cottage nestled quietly in a grove of trees just below the Shadow Ridge Mountains and beyond the River of Rancier, Kaeleigh had tears streaming down her face. There was nothing but stunned silence for several moments, and then suddenly she threw herself into her grandfather’s arms. She had a grandfather. Kaeleigh had been searching for some piece of her own history, some indication that she still had family out there somewhere... and she did. She just hadn’t expected him to be from another realm and of a race other than
human
. She had so many questions she wanted to ask, but they could wait. For now, she just wanted to feel this moment, to feel acceptance, to feel family.