The Shadows of Grace (54 page)

She turned back to the portal and took another step. It swirled a dark blue, and within its ripples she saw hundreds of stars. She lifted her arms and let her tears fall.

“He’s gone,” she said. “His hold on the portal is gone. You feel it too, don’t you? Of course you do. That’s why you’re a crumpled child. My lover’s gone. He’s cursed me, blamed me, and abandoned me. What am I to do, pawn of a death god? What do I do?”

The drain of the portal was an acute pain in her mind, and with all her focus she grabbed it, held it firm.

“I’ll tell you what I’ll do,” she said to Velixar. “If I’m a disease to this world, then I’ll burn the world away. I will give you what you want. What you’ve always wanted. Will you live to see it?”

She poured all her power, the power of a goddess, into tearing open the portal. It swirled larger and larger, and the entire castle shook beneath her feet. She never heard the castle doors swing open, but when Qurrah’s voice rang out behind her, she spun, tears of blood running down her face.

“Qurrah?” she asked, her hair fluttering in an ethereal wind.

“Don’t!” he shouted as loud as he could. “Forgive me, Tess, I was wrong. Close the damn thing!”

Her mouth dropped open. Her black eyes flared red and white. She was furious at his earlier words. She was joyful he was alive. She was confused by the sight of Harruq with him, and she was afraid of what it might mean. And above all, she was hurt, very hurt.

“No,” she said. “You’ve earned this.”

A final wave of her hand and the portal stretched wall to wall, filling the entire castle with its glow. Air blasted outward. Harruq held onto his brother, lifting an arm and bracing his body against the door to hold them still. In the corner, Velixar laughed.

The portal rippled. A frightening stillness filled the room, broken only by their breathing and Velixar’s maniacal laughter.

“What have you done?” Harruq dared ask.

And then Thulos, god of war, stepped through the portal and into the land of Dezrel.

A Note from the Author:

If you ever listen to authors talk about their work, you’ll often hear them mention how their characters take over the story. That may seem a little silly, or even impossible. I’m writing the dang thing, right? I’m in control. I decide every twist, every turn. But believe me when I say this in total honesty:

I had no clue what Harruq would do.

The final confrontation was nearing. When I first plotted out the story, Qurrah was to die. But things changed on me, and decisions I made on a whim carried far-reaching consequences. Tessanna was never meant to be pregnant. Karak’s total failure in that regard broke him far worse than I could have imagined. So as that meeting neared, as I felt the story shifting unsteadily beneath me, I started wondering just how certain Qurrah’s fate was.

About that fate… I’ve got a feeling this might not be a popular turn of events. So many readers have been calling for Qurrah’s death (though to be fair, a good many have pitied and wished better for him as well). But I mean what I wrote, even if not said by me but one of my characters instead. If Grace has limits, it is a sad, useless thing. Does Qurrah deserve forgiveness? Of course not. That’s the whole damn point.

Could I do what Harruq did, if in the same position? I don’t know. A shameful part of me thinks not. A cowardly part of me thinks I could, though not out of idealism but instead simple weakness. In this, Harruq is better than I. I carry petty grudges and too often greet others with a sharp tongue. If all goes well, my dumb little halforc will never become as I am.

Not to say my characters will treat this rather odd occurrence kindly. Qurrah has hurt many, and they will have their say. Qurrah’s trial is coming. Mordan has fallen. Thulos now walks the land. Does look kinda bad, doesn’t it? Just one book left, and I promise it’ll be a good one. Keep an eye out in early 2011 for
A Sliver of Redemption.

Enough yammering. Thanks to John and Scott for help with edits, and as usual, to Peter Ortiz for the wonderful cover. Feel free to email me at
[email protected]
, swing by
www.facebook.com/thehalforcs
to stay up to date, and visit
ddalglish.com
to read some free stories or order a spiffy signed copy.

I also want to thank you, dear readers, for sticking with me so far. Give me your trust, and I’ll keep you entertained. I still have plenty of stories to tell.

David Dalglish

October 7
^th
, 2010