Read Shadeland (The Ethereal Crossings, 1) Page 38

  The Warden in the Gates, Sample Chapters

  Prologue

  My placement was the most anticipated day of my life, as it was for everyone else that lived inside the gated community of Eclipse. But when I woke up that morning I had never anticipated how it would end; the day of my placement was the day I died.

  Everything had gone according to my plan. I woke up, had breakfast with my mother and father, and then left for Eclipse Academy, my future home away from home. I had helped set everything up with the seniors, preparing the chairs in the auditorium for my future classmates, putting signs around the school should anyone get lost and I even got to watch my father place out the Runes for the ceremony.

  And despite the fact that my father was the Dean of the Academy I waited with my friends in the auditorium and we squealed over what our placement might be. Honestly though, I knew where I would be.

  My name was called, and I had my ceremony and I was placed. My parents had never been more proud of me. I had never been so happy in my life, and to celebrate, I decided to show my five-year-old cousin just what I was capable of.

  I didn’t think I would really do anything; I had originally planned on doing a magic trick, pretend like I was growing a flower out of the ground and when she wasn’t looking carefully enough, I would slip one from my hand to amaze her. I had never thought that something would actually grow, merely an hour after my placement.

  My cousin, Desdemona, had screamed in delight over the small tulip I brought forth. Both my father and my uncle stood behind me, jaws dropped. Even mine was hanging open. But that wasn’t where it ended.

  My darling little cousin, with her big grey eyes and golden hair, wanted to show me what she could do as well.

  “You haven’t been placed yet, Dessy,” my father told her, “you can’t do anything just yet.”

  “Can so!” She pouted and stepped away from me. She threw her arms into the air and took a deep breath. Somehow, she had managed to take the attention away from the flower I had created, and we all laughed at how cute she was. Until a cloud appeared overhead.

  Quickly and violently, black clouds erupted above us. My father was already pulling me backwards towards my uncle’s house while Desdemona stayed on the lawn. It wasn’t long until the first flake fell.

  Millions of snowflakes followed after, blowing around in the harsh breeze around my tiny cousin, who was still dancing around in her sundress. She loved the snow, she always had and that wouldn’t have been such a bad thing now if it wasn’t the middle of August.

  And soon the snow stopped falling, leaving us to stare at Desdemona. She was giggling and kicking the white fluff around in the yard, perfectly happy with what she had done. That was when we noticed it.

  On her foot, just at the base of her ankle, sat a swooping line; a mark that had never been seen before. I had never seen it at least.

  “Allie,” my father said. “Come with me.”

  It was only a few hours after the incident that I had died. I had to die though, because of what I had witnessed. This was the only way I could protect her, my little Dessy. This was the only way she would be safe…until she turned sixteen at least.