Page 200 of The Shadow Wand

Elloren Gardner is now the Eastern Realm’s most sought-after enemy, potentially more dangerous than Marcus Vogel, and the entirety of the Vu Trin and Zhilon’ile forces will be set on finding her.

Vothendrile will be set on finding her.

And if Elloren Gardner is not dead, she will be soon.

CHAPTER FOUR

SHADOW INVASION

TIERNEY CALIX

Sixth Month

Eastern Realm,

the Wyvernguard

Tierney looks over the choppy Vo as rain lashes the deserted Wyvernguard terrace, a storm-black night closing in. Both the rain and the chill wind are picking up as the tempest moves in from the north, the Vo’s waves as unsettled as Tierney’s rioting emotions.

Tierney closes her eyes, links her Asrai power to the water around her, and forces the rain slightly away to create a misty shield just past her form. Encased in dry air, she reaches into her uniform’s pocket, pulls out the posting she’s torn down from the wall, and unfolds it. The terrace’s rain-dampened sapphire lantern light spills faintly over the paper.

Elloren Gardner’s exact likeness stares back at Tierney, rendered in black ink. With instructions to bring her to the Vu Trin if she is found in the Eastern Realm.

By force of military edict.

Every muscle in her body tenses as Tierney’s mind roils. She balls up the posting and hurls it to the ground as she lets the rain beat back down on her.

A collective gasp went up when Commander Ung Li informed the Vu Trin apprentices that the Black Witch had been found. A weighty horror immediately descended over the Wyvernguard’s huge central hall.

Tierney had to force even breaths as she came to terms with the stunning news. And the unbearable tension that rose up to fill the room.

Even though she’s been a Vu Trin apprentice for only half a month’s time, Tierney has already heard countless stories about the last Black Witch’s reign of fire, everyone in the Noi lands having lost family members in the Realm War.

During Carnissa Gardner’s push East.

Everyone is clear on what the last Black Witch would have done to the Eastern Realm if the blessed Keltish Icaral hadn’t cut her down.

Now the Prophecy that’s being sounded by every seer in the Eastern Realm is coming to pass.

A new Black Witch looms on the horizon.

Even more powerful than Carnissa Gardner.

And it’s Elloren.

Tierney clutches at the terrace’s slick stone banister as rain streams down her slender form, thunder crashing overhead.

How did Elloren gain control of her power? And how did the Vu Trin find out about it?

How didEllorenfind out about it?

Why was Elloren in the line of fire during a strike on the Mage Council?

And why were the Vu Trin attacking the Mage Council to begin with?

Tierney’s knife-sharp intellect works to assemble the pieces.

So many questions unanswered, but there’s one question Tierney already knows the answer to, her internal water magic upsurging around this intuitive certainty.

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