Shadow Stalker: Destiny Reconciled Part 1 (Episode 5) Excerpt
By Renee
Scattergood
The sudden change in his demeanor made me giggle. It felt good to laugh
again. I wasn't sure I could.
Kado grinned. "I haven't seen any venomous plants, but keep your eyes
open."
"Okay." Back to business as usual. I didn't see any of the
plants either, thankfully. And there was plenty of wood around after the storm
that hit a couple weeks before.
When I returned, Kado was gone. Maybe he had gone to get some wood as well,
but normally he would say so. I was about to call for him when he came out of
the mist nearly on top of me.
"Sorry," he said. "Just after you left, Cathnor called
for me."
"Is everything okay?" I knew the answer to that question by
the look on his face, but I hoped he would give me details.
"Not really, no. The council has begun sending emissaries to the
other villages. I'm not sure what they're up to, yet, but I think it would be
best if we avoid visiting any of the villages for the time being."
Kado didn't have to say it. It was easy to guess. Things were getting
out of control.
My legs felt like they dissolved beneath me, and I found myself on my
knees. My foster father had knelt beside me, reminding me to breath. My
friends, Deakan and Jade, had they been captured? Their tortured and bruised
bodies filled my vision, but I forced the image away. I had to believe they had
somehow gotten away and were in hiding. Deakan would never allow anyone to hurt
her.
"The Council of Elders must have more support here than we
thought," I said.
"No," he said, resting his hand on my back. "Something
else is going on. They are using their authority to manipulate the shadow
stalkers, and it has been ingrained in us to follow the council if the Foramar
was not available. No one ever considered what to do if the council had been
compromised."
"Compromised by who?" I sat back.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out."
I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the reaction I would receive
for what I was about to say, but I had to say it. "Kado, I don't think I
can stay here anymore."
He ran his hand over his face. "You may be right."
Synopsis
Auren faces the harshest punishment she's
ever experienced for having pursued her relationship with Etan after being
warned to stay away from him. To make matters worse, she has to face Kado for
breaking her connection with him.
Kado decides it's time to leave Ganida so Auren
can focus on her training. Although she struggles to put her feelings for Etan
behind her, she realizes there are more important things, like telling Kado she
believes leaving the Dark Isle might be inevitable.
To her surprise, Kado agrees, but he wants
to ensure Auren is prepared. She faces torture at the hands of the Galvadi
Empire, and he feels she needs to learn to survive it. It might be the only
thing that saves her, but can she endure the training?
Renee Scattergood
Renee Scattergood lives in Australia with her husband, Nathan, and daughter, Taiya. She was inspired to become a story-teller by George Lucas, but didn't start considering writing down her stories until she reached her late twenties. Now she enjoys writing high fantasy, and has recently began publishing her first series, Shadow Stalker. Aside from writing, she loves reading (Fantasy, of course), watching movies with her family, and doing crafts and science experiments with her daughter.
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