A Second Excerpt from Yesterday’s Edit—Shadow’s Rise

I’ve finished the edit, and am now ready to move onto to creating a new cover, and formatting the revision for upload. To celebrate, I thought I would share another of my favourite scenes from the book:

Approaching the Dark Temple

Gilzereet, Vorgren and Tara flew with the witch-woman and the people of the air. They had not been able to take a direct route to the city, but had needed to come in low over the waters of the north as what looked like storm clouds gathered above the king’s palace in the city’s north-east. Already, Gilzereet felt as though some dark power focused its attention closer to the dock-yard end of the palace proper. Glancing across at his companions, he saw that they could feel it also.

To his left, Vorgren was scanning the ground below and concentrating on looking out over the dock area where the darkness seemed its strongest. Even as they watched, the shadows in that part of the city grew unnaturally long, and street lamps flickered and dimmed, before going out. To his right, Tara had drawn her sword, and was keeping an eye on the skies around, and above, them.

The whirlwind that was the crone was as silent as her companions, or so Gilzereet thought, until her mind touched his.

Accept this spell, she said, and you will hear us speak.

My companions? Gilzereet demanded.

Her offer was to us all, Vorgren said, reassuring him.

Tara remained silent, and the crone returned her attention to the growing darkness covering the city, ahead and below. The whirlwinds dipped low, coming in under the wall, and then climbed until they skimmed just above the darkest section of the sky.

Is it he? the crone asked of one of the other tornadoes flying with her.

It is the One, came the tornado’s reply. If we do not disrupt him tonight, it will be too late to prevent his escape.

Then disrupt him we must, Vorgren declared.

The next words the tornado spoke were filled with disgust and loathing.

Look at what he has done, it said.

Our brethren, another of the tornadoes added. Look at what he has done to our brethren.

Those are not our brethren, the third elemental told them. They were never our brethren but creations of his making.

How do you know? the others demanded.

I know, the third beast replied, and its voice was full of bitterness and grief. I have faced their kind in battle, before. We must strike quickly, or we will not prevent his escape, and the death of those who fought to defeat him, before, will have been in vain.

We give you our support and strength, Gilzereet declared. When will you be able to get us inside?

’Ware the darkness, the third elemental replied. It will thicken and gather, and the stench of evil will assault our every sense. When the ground below us shimmers green, followed by a burst of golden light, then the defences will have failed. The earth will open to give the Old One access to his souls and pain, and we will be able to get inside.

And the darkness?

It will be as thick as ever, the lord of air replied, his voice showing revulsion at the fact. We shall have to fly through it.

But they will know we come, Tara said.

It cannot be helped, the elemental said, and he indicated a point on the ground below. Watch, see how it begins.

Gilzereet watched as the ground flared with green light that disappeared in waves. When the light had flowed away from a central point, a burst of bright yellow gleamed after it, and the ground began to shake.

A bubble of earth pushed out of the palace gardens overlooking the docks, and earth, grass, garden beds and trees shivered down its side to heap around its base. Above it, the darkness grew, stirring impatiently over the dome and the hidden temple below. It was like watching smoke roil above a forest fire, or seeing the thick mist of a winter morning twitch, as a light breeze tickled its folds. Green lightning ricocheted in the cloud’s depths, disappearing in golden flame.

They flinched as the sensation of evil increased, pressing around them, until it felt like they were drowning in it. Anticipation emanated from the cloud below, an unholy eagerness rising with the first scream that escaped as the bubble below split open.

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Would you like to read more? 

This book, Shadow’s Rise, and the other two titles in the Shadow trilogy: Shadow Trap and Shadow’s Fall, are currently available for individual purchase.