Bonus Content
PROLOGUE
Every Dark Shadow
WHISPERS BOOK ONE
A world away, a man shambled out of a dark corner wiping his mouth.
The dead body stayed, shackled to his chamber walls—what remained of it, anyway, gutted to an ashen shell, drained of flesh and bone and sinew and its humming magic.
Outside the castle, a bell tolled midnight. The sound rang across the courtyard and inside the open windows, echoing off gilded walls and archways, into the siphoner’s ears.
Dropping his pricking blade, slick with blood, he stooped to accept the magic he’d stolen.
Power seeped like salve into his tissues, rounding and tightening, smoothing a half-century of wear set in his thick creases.
Under a crown, the shock of his white hair colored a deep blue-black, his spine cracked and straightened, and from a feeble old man rose a virile ruler, time reversed or never passed at all.
The man was Osiris Lestat, and he felt no remorse.
Siphoning was his talent, honed well nearly every day since taking the Gray Throne. There was no better way to prevent his half-mortal body from withering to bones or remind his kingdom magic would not be allowed to run amok. Not until he had a far more powerful source at his command.
In the chambers, he surveyed his silent audience. Kingsguards. Servants. And one more Magie in chains.
“What do you know of the source I seek?” he seethed at the magic-born.
The prisoner’s eyes shone wide in confusion. Like they all did. “Nothing, Majesty. Nothing. Please—please!” His face split in terror between Osiris and the pile of ash on the chamber floor that had been his kin.
Lies. Someone must know something.
With or without confessions, though, he would have what he required—a source of magic to ensure his infinite reign. To his knowledge, there was one like that left. One his armies hunted.
It vanished years ago, as quickly as it made itself known.
Guide to the World
The opening chapters of Every Dark Shadow set up the world of dark, glittery, gritty magic guilds and a kingdom on the brink of rebellion. The following is for readers who want a reference to the understood world, magic system, characters, and terms.
Time & Lifespans
Time passes in Magus like in the human world, but those born with abilities to wield magic (Magies) age slower than those without magic (mortals).
Seasons
Seasons in Magus (spring, summer, autumn, winter) are controlled by the moons. They don’t flow linearly, but as the gods deign, shifting when a great ebb in power occurs such as the birth, death, or ascension of a Descendant. Smaller moon events occur within each season and are lored to bestow different gifts, like knowledge, on citizens. Magies, who draw power from the moons, are highly sensitive to moon events and changes in season.
The Gods & Moons
Erebus (AIR-a-biss): God of darkness, creator of the crimson moon, and father of the Witchists.
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Selene (Cell-ENE): Goddess of light, twin of Luna, creator of one of two gray moons, and mother of the Matterists.
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Luna (LOO-nah): Goddess of light, twin of Selene, creator of one of the gray moons, and mother of the Morphists.
The Special Army
An army of Magies that serve King Osiris Lestat. After their ascension (a ceremony where their full powers manifest), they served at a keep called the Pyre, working their way from grunts to titled positions (in order of rank): priv, privfir, lieuten, and serge. Among other duties, soldiers are responsible for conscripting Magie children to the king’s academy to train their powers.
The Constelli Academy of Magie Sciences
Opened decades ago by the king to educate Magie children in their powers so as to use them in service to the crown. Magies live and train at the academy under strict, if brutal, tutelage by the sages of their guild (Witchists, Matterists, or Morphists). At sixteen, students undergo Asenti, a ceremony to instigate the full manifestation of their affinity. They either become an apprentice on a path to sageship (teaching) like Rune Ethera, are sent to the military like Hart Aurumn, or go into other trades or jobs that serve the crown.
The Magie Order
WITCHISTS
Guild of Spellers, Born of God Erebus
Shadowcasters: Wielders who can conjure and manipulate shadows. Arguably the most powerful Magies.
In the Belly, they often serve as guards to territory bosses.
Spellcasters: Practitioners of the grimoire, known for creating wards, shields, potions, and elixirs. Rarer subsets are also healers (call on magic to mend wounds) or seers (read memories, experience visions, or receive prophecies). They often serve as academy sages or private tutors.
Animaters: Bearers of tattoos that flow like silver on their skin and can hold almost any object a wielder stores inside them, such as weapons. One of the rarest Witchists, many get work as smugglers and mercenaries for hire.
MATTERISTS
Guild of Influencers, Born of Goddess Selene
Benders: Those who develop an affinity for flame, air, or water with an ability to influence their element's state, shape, and flow. Commonly serve in the king’s Special Army and are staged at front lines in battle.
Enchanters: Wielders who can sense and influence others’ emotions, wills, and actions. Unguarded and mortal minds are easiest to seize. Prized by and often indentured to royalty or aristocratic families.
MORPHISTS
Guild of Transformers, Born of Goddess Luna
Shifters: Magic-born able to take the form of other entities, including mortals, Magies, and beasts, using the lightlines on their necks. Shifters have a lightform they can take and may use their affinity to shift others. For this, they’re often at the sides of high-ranking officials.
Fabricaters: Molders who can forge metals, fabrics, and other materials into differing substances. Often working in textiles, weaponry, metalsmithing, or other trades.
Glossary of Characters & Terms
OPHELIA DANNAN (Oh-FEE-lyuh Dan-inn): At the start of the series, she's an orphan turned fugitive of the crown of Magus, who soon learns she's been living different lives in order to protect her identity, her own mind "reset" with a new story each time she's moved across place and time in the mortal world. With every move, she is guarded by one of three sworn protectors, believing the story that's been stitched in her mind. She is still discovering her full past and magic abilities.
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FALCON THAMES (FAL-kn Temz): An Animater motivated by stirring rebellion. Four years ago, he made a deal with the Darkwielder's proxy to save his niece and became indentured to the Underbelly’s bosses, serving as their muscle to keep the magic-born in line. With a reputation as a ruthless smuggler, he's also called on to recruit Crats to the Belly's fight arena so the "richies" will wager their Magies' indentures. Then he escorts Magies who can buy passage out of Magus off-world. With an eye on rebellion, Falcon became one of three men who swore oaths to hide and protect Ophelia across worlds.
HART AURUM (Hahrt OR-uhm): A Shifter of the Morphist guild who can wear any likeness. Also a soldier in the king’s Special Army who, until a year ago, had been taking rotations with Falcon and Rune to guard Ophelia. He refuses to talk about their past or why he gave up his rotation with her.
RUNE ETHERA (ROON Eh-THER-ah): An Enchanter of the Matterists guild and a scholar at the Constelli, apprenticed to Headmaster Grimm Hermes. For the past four years, Rune has also taken rotations guarding Ophelia in the mortal world.
GRIMM HERMES (Grim Air-MAZE): The oldest and most powerful living Spellcaster, able to create passages between worlds and across time. Grimm used to privately tutor at Gray Castle and has an interwoven past with the Gray King and the Darkwielder that comes to light in the novella DARKWIELDER.
OSIRIS LESTAT (Oh-CY-rus Le-STAT): Half-mortal/half-Magie king of Magus who laid siege to the Magie rule half a century ago and has since ruled Magus with an iron fist. He bears an ability to siphon magic and does so to stay young. Currently, his armies hunt for a stronger source of power that could ensure his enduring reign.
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CAPTAIN GARREN RIVMERE (GAIR-enn RIV-meer): Captain of the Special Army, whom Hart reports to and often accompanies on assignments.
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THE DARKWIELDER: Magus's most powerful living Shadowcaster and the architect of the Underbelly, five central territories locked behind the Gulch (a mountainous wall), which he created as a sanctuary for Magies to escape the oppressive monarchy. Learn about his backstory in DARKWIELDER.
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TRIX FARROW (TRICK-s FARE-row): A talented Spellcaster able to cast passages across worlds. After fighting her way out of her indenture in the Belly, she was given passage to live free in the mortal world and escorted there by Falcon Thames.
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OTHER NAMES & TERMS
CIBUS (SIB-bus): A sweet, intoxicating pink tonic made from boiling down the leaves of Cibus trees.
CIRQUE (SER-k): The capital of Magus, home to aristocrats and the monarchy's Gray Castle.
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DARKENING: A moon event wherein the crimson moon becomes the dominant source of magic feeding Magus. This shift in moons causes a change in seasons that is unpredictable and chaotic.
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GALDUR (GALL-der): Northwestern Magus city home to Notting Wood; a known hub for trading indentured Magies.
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KÚZLO (KOOZ-low): Capital of the Northern Territories, comprised of three valleys surrounded by icelands where drecora (modern dragons) patrol to protect the sacred migth mines.
LIEUTEN (LOOT-in): 4th rank in the former Special Army
MAGIE (MADGE-ee): Those born able to wield magic
MAGUS (MADGE-uhs): The mainland kingdom ruled by Osiris Lestat, currently at war
MAETHER (MAY-thur): Translates to “breath of life” – the fabric of magic in all living things fed by, made of, or able to wield magic
MIGTH (MIGG-th): A combustible, powerful moon metal derived from the mines in the icelands, guarded by drecora
PRIV / PRIVFIR (Preev / PREEV-feer): 1st and 2nd rank, respectively, in the former Special Army
SERGE (SAIR-guh): 3rd rank in the former Special Army
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THE PYRE (PIE-er): The military keep where Special Army soldiers train and live
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