Elevation of the Marked (The Marked Series Book 2) (52 page)

BOOK: Elevation of the Marked (The Marked Series Book 2)
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Bray attends the funeral of the murdered man. There, she meets Dolla, who would become her mentor in criminal justice, and Quade Asher, the murdered man’s partner in archeology.

Part Two:

A decade passes, in which, every year, more and more marked children go missing. Yarrow becomes an expert on the Fifth
(Chisanta who have made the final sacrifice and become mindless truth-sayers). Bray, along with Adearre and Peer, spends years investigating a string of teen abductions.

A marked girl dies in a fire, causing Yarrow, Ko-Jin, Bray, Peer, and Adearre to band together for an investigation. At first, they butt heads and tensions are high. The friction comes to a head in a fight between Bray and Yarrow, before they finally agree to trust each other.

The group chases clues to Accord, the capital, and they begin to teach each other their respective cultural practices—Yarrow teaches the
Ada Chae
, a warrior dance, and Bray the
Tearre
, the mental exercise of fighting oneself. In Accord they discover that fires killing marked children have become a common occurrence, they visit with their old friend Arlow, they prevent the king from being assassinated at a ball, and they discover that Vendra—an expert on drugs and Dedrre’s granddaughter—is involved in the string of murders.
 

Part Three:

The group travels to Easterly Point in search of answers, where they discover the truth: a man named Quade Asher has been abducting marked children and killing their families in fires. He is creating an army. The use of the ‘Sphere of Chisanta’ helps these young people make sacrifices and in return receive exceptional gifts. They also learn that Arlow is on Quade’s side. Bray and the group attempt to steal the Sphere away from Quade, only to learn that the mysterious object strips a Chisanta of their gifts, leading to the entire group being captured. They spend a month chained, forcibly drugged, and neglected before finding an opportunity to escape.

During their flight, Vendra shoots and kills Adearre and recaptures Peer. A severely injured Yarrow, in order to get himself, Bray, and Ko-Jin away, makes the first sacrifice: he uses the sphere to see a vision of his potential daughter, then gives up the ability to conceive children in order to gain the gift of teleportation. He takes them away to Chiona Isle, to heal and spread the words of what had happened.

Epilogue:

Peer, drug-addled, sees visions of Adearre, whom he had always loved but never confessed to. Quade asks him to help translate the portions of the Fifth’s prophecies that are in an all-but extinct language called Deltish, and Peer refuses. Quade gives a speech to a large crowd of his kidnapped youths, as well as traitor Chisanta, proclaiming that they have been ‘Elevated,’ and it is time for them to take control of Trinitas.

GLOSSARY

Accord:
The capital city of Trinitas, home to the royal family. Located on the Dalish continent.

Ada Chae:
(ah-duh CHAY) A martial arts form practiced by the Cosanta for health, self-defense, and meditation. Used to aid Cosanta in entering the
Aeght a Seve.

Adearre Mallez:
(Uh-DEAR-aye Muh-LEZ) An Adourran Chiona, gifted with exceptional observation. Works in criminal justice with Bray Marron and Peer Gelson.

Adourra:
(Uh-DOOR-uh) The southernmost nation of Trinitas. Having a hot, dry climate, Adourra is known for its wine and spicy food.
 

Aeght a Seve:
(ITE ah SAY-vay) Place of mental retreat for the Chisanta, it consists of a grassy circle and tree surrounded by four massive stony steps. All told, there are five levels, each representing a level of gift and sacrifice. In order to gain a new gift, a Chisanta must climb to the next step within the
Aeght a Seve.

Arlow Bowlerham:
A Dalish Cosanta who grew up wealthy and aspires to politics.

Bray Marron:
A Dalish Chiona gifted with the ability to phase through solid objects. Growing up in Mountsend, a mining town, her experience with an abusive uncle led her to a career in criminal justice.
 

Cape Cosanta:
Home to the Cosanta, located on the southernmost peninsula of Chasku.

Chasku: (
Chah-Skoo) One of the three nations of Trinitas, located to the northwest. Some areas have extreme cold weather. Known for pottery, seamanship, delicious food, and rice liquor.

Chiona:
(Chee-OH-nuh) One half of the Chisanta. Typically more aggressive and fiercer than their counterparts, the Chiona wear leather and keep their hair shorn. They practice the
Tearre
, a fight against oneself.
 

Chiona Isle:
The island home of the Chiona, a tropical island south of Chasku and west of Daland.
 

Chisanta:
(Cheh-SAHNT-uh) A group of people with exceptional fighting skills and superhuman abilities. They are marked by a symbol on their necks. The Chisanta are split into two halves, the Chiona and the Cosanta.

Cosanta:
(Coh-SAHNT-uh) One half of the Chisanta. Focused more on fluidity, evasion, and balance, the Cosanta are typically perceived as the calmer half. They wear robes and keep their hair in long braids. The Cosanta are best known for practicing the
Ada Chae
, a martial arts form beautiful enough to look like a dance.

Da Un Marcu:
An autumn holiday, at midnight fifty boy and girls across Trinitas are marked as Chisanta.

Daland:
The largest of the three nations, a mineral rich continent that spans from a chilly north to a balmy south. Known for its architecture, dance, and agricultural advancements.
 

Dedrre Alvez:
(Dead-RAY Al-VEZ) An Adourran Cosanta who makes use of his gift for understanding mechanics as an inventor.

Deltish:
A nearly extinct language spoken by an ethnic minority in Daland.

Divisionary Prophecy:
A three-hundred-year-old prophecy, delivered by a Fifth, predicting that the Chisanta will one day have a civil war. Since this prediction, tensions between Chiona and Cosanta have greatly escalated.

Dolla Adder:
A Dalish Chiona with an expertise in criminal justice, mentor of Bray Marron.

Fifth:
A Chisanta who has made the fourth sacrifice and obtained the fifth gift—a mad truth-speaker and prophet.
 

Gift:
A special ability given to a Chisanta, traditionally believed to come from the Spirits. Gifts are determined by the need and desires of the individual. The first gift is received freely, the latter four require sacrifices. (
See
Sacrifices of the Chisanta)

Glans Heath:
Small town in Daland, childhood home of Yarrow Lamhart.

King Oren Bellra:
King of Trinitas. The Bellra line has ruled for over two hundred years. He will be followed by his son, Prince Jo-Kwan Bellra.

Ko-Jin, Sung:
A Chaskuan Cosanta gifted with exceptional strength and agility to compensate for a former physical handicap. Expert in martial arts and warfare.
 

Mark of the Chisanta:
The symbol that appears on the neck of the Chisanta. Five concentric circles halved by a single vertical line. The five circles represent the five gifts a Chisanta may receive, the vertical line the two halves of the Chisanta.

Mearra:
Name for the imaginary self a Chiona fights when practicing the
Tearre.

Mountsend:
A Dalish mining town, north of the Verdant Peaks. Childhood home of Bray Marron.

Pauper's King:
Celebrated outlaw, leading a massive organization of highwaymen, thieves, pickpockets, and con-men. Steals to redistribute wealth, practices non-violence.

Peer Gelson:
A Dalish Chiona with a gift for reading texts in all languages. As a former orphan, serves as an advocate for orphaned children in addition to working with Bray Marron and Adearre Mallez on matters of criminal justice.

Place of Five:
see
Aeght a Seve

Sacrifices of the Chisanta:
There are four sacrifices: (1)
Propagation
, or the ability to conceive children (note: this cannot be made if one already has a child), (2)
Contact
, or the ability to touch another person (to do so post-sacrifice would cause both parties immense pain), (3)
Identity
,
or an individual’s memories and knowledge, and finally (4)
Mind
, or sanity—a person who makes the fourth sacrifice is no longer themselves. No sacrifice can be made without an understanding of what is to be lost and a feeling of regret.
 

Smugglers and Scrutineers:
A game played by children in which competing groups each have a treasure that must be protected. The team that collects all of the treasure wins.

Spiritblighter:
The enemy of man, an entity which seeks to destroy human souls during their journey from their human bodies to the Spirits’ Home. A spirit burdened by sin travels more slowly, increasing the chances of being blighted.

Spirits' Home:
Where human spirits go after death.
 

Tearre:
The martial art practiced by the Chiona, in which an individual splits his or her mind in half and the two sides spar each other.
 

Temple, the (Chisanta):
A temple in western Daland where newly marked Chisanta are tested and divided. Where the two halves meet to discuss matters that concern both.

Trinitas:
The united kingdom comprised of three culturally and ethically distinct nations: Daland, Chasku, and Adourra.

Vendra Alvez:
An Adourran Cosanta, chemistry expert, focusing primarily on medicine. Granddaughter of Dedrre Alvez.

Yarrow Lamhart:
A Dalish Cosanta with the ability to read the emotions of those he loves. A scholar, he studies and interprets the transcripts of the past Fifths.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

March McCarron grew up outside of Philadelphia. She earned a BA in English, and—useless degree in hand—went on to wait tables and sell used cars. More recently, she moved to South Korea with her husband, where she teaches English at a private academy. Aside from writing, she loves travel, craft beer, folk music, and all things geek.
 

BOOK: Elevation of the Marked (The Marked Series Book 2)
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