The Last Ritual
Page 29
Alden wasn’t paying attention to him any more. He was reciting words in a strange guttural language, chanting in a singsong cadence. Van Nortwick was too far away to make out the exact phrases, but they would’ve made no sense to him.
The wall.
The portrait of Nina pulsed. Then it shone and rippled like the surface of a sunlit pond. Van Nortwick dropped the necklace on the floor. His mouth hung open like a fish thrown on the dock. It was truly supernatural! He felt hugely excited and terrified at the same time. If this were happening, then what other parts of Alden Oakes’ tale were true? Could it be accurate in every detail? Van Nortwick’s mind was boggled. He staggered. The world was not what he thought it was. It was deeper and darker.
And so much more.
Nina Tarrington reached out to Alden.
This time he clearly wasn’t going to let fear get the best of him. Alden snapped one cuff on Nina’s wrist, and then he snapped the other on his own. He took a deep breath as they crossed over the threshold, disappearing together, forever, through the Gate.
Acknowledgments
At Aconyte I’d like to thank Marc Gascoigne, my most excellent publisher, for the opportunity to work on this exciting and rewarding adventure. I owe a special debt of gratitude to my editor, Lottie Llewelyn-Wells, for her keen eye, brilliant insights, and crystal clarity in all matters. And thanks to the whole talented Aconyte Team for their dedication, hard work, and support.
Thanks to Asmodee Entertainment, Fantasy Flight Games, and Arkham Horror for the world.
Lastly, I wish to thank my wife, Lisa, and my children, Emma and Quinn. Without their love this book would not exist.
About the Author
S A SIDOR is the author of four dark crime thrillers and more recently two splendid supernatural-pulp adventures, Fury From the Tomb and The Beast of Nightfall Lodge. He lives near Chicago with his family.
sasidor.com
twitter.com/SA_Sidor
By the Same Author
The Institute for Singular Antiquities
Fury from the Tomb
The Beast of Nightfall Lodge
As Steven Sidor
Skin River
Bone Factory
The Mirror’s Edge
Pitch Dark
Table of Contents
Cover
Arkham Horror
Title Page
Copyright
Epigraph
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Bibliography
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