by J. F. Penn
She could only hope that she had done the right thing, that somehow Bridget would know how to undo it all, to set Sienna free once more. But deep within, Zoe knew this was the only way.
Fate had bound a Weaver to their journey for this purpose — and now that purpose was fulfilled. The path of her own heritage and Sienna’s bloodline had always been entwined. Zoe understood the truth of that now. For Weavers had always known the lines of the world were spun by fate. They were only instruments of destiny, and now Zoe could see that her own path had always been laid out this way.
She stitched the final element of Sienna’s bloody prison and stepped back from the edge, her hands dropping to her sides.
“No!” Finn limped into the tower, his hand clutched to his side, his clothes covered in ash. “What have you done?”
He staggered over and pushed Zoe roughly aside, then lunged at the vortex for Sienna. His hand bounced off the perimeter, leaving his knuckles bloody and bruised as if he had punched a wall. He tried again and again, every blow coming back at him until he fell to his knees, broken and exhausted.
He looked up with tears in his eyes as Sienna spun unseeing behind her cage of silver and crimson.
Zoe knelt down beside him. “It was her choice,” she whispered.
Finn shook his head. “There was never anyone else. Your people sent her here for this, even if she didn’t know it.”
Zoe remembered the woman in the mosaic beneath the border and the book in the library that first day with the hand-sketched figure in ash. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps Bridget had known all along. But had there been any other way?
The storm calmed outside, the sound of thunder rolling away to nothing. Blue sky opened up in the skylight above and the sound of birdsong filled the air.
Zoe stood up and pulled back the heavy drapes from one window, letting the light inside. A sunbeam struck the whirling vortex that surrounded Sienna and the remains of ash within dissolved. It shone with ruby and golden light, reflecting into every part of the room.
The altar with its grisly sacrifice crumbled to dust, and the shadow creatures dissolved in the light. The carved abominations in the walls turned into patterns of flowers and fruit, an abundance of nature.
Zoe turned around in wonder, a smile dawning on her face. Somehow Sienna had shifted the balance of power and the Shadow was no longer the dominant force in the Borderlands.
She turned to Finn. “Help me open them all.”
Together, they pulled open the other drapes, allowing light to stream into every corner. As the tower brimmed full, the light rolled out the windows once more, down the sides of the building and out onto the plains beyond. Flowers bloomed in its wake, the air filled with the scent of summer as the golden hue spread into the distance, illuminating the Borderlands for the first time in generations.
25
Finn stared out the window, Zoe beside him, as the land below bloomed under the golden light. There was a buoyancy in the air where there had only been heaviness before, a sense of the world pivoting.
“This is more than just the renewal of the border,” he said. “It’s the restoration of the land itself. The Borderlands can thrive again without the dominance of the Shadow.” He spun around to look at the vortex where Sienna spun within. “She has changed everything. The Resistance can take back Old Aleppo, purge my father’s forces. It’s a new beginning.”
He walked back to the edge of the circle of skulls and reached out a hand, holding it only a millimeter from the spinning vortex. It was as close as he could get to Sienna through the veil when just this morning he had woken with her in his arms. The warmth of her body, the smell of her hair, how she had fitted so perfectly against him. It was how he hoped to wake every day for the rest of his life, but now …
Finn bit his lip as he tried to hold back the tears that threatened. She had chosen to leave him for the final time and the blood of a Mapwalker was now the hope of the Borderlands. He would honor her sacrifice and live on for the land they both loved — but now he would do it alone.
In the library under the Ministry back in Bath, Bridget sensed a sudden tension in the maps, the pulsing of ink beat more strongly within her veins. The rustling around her grew louder as cartography began to shift and re-form, as if the very fabric of the world had shifted.
She turned to the desk and pulled out the volume of Mapwalker annals. She opened it to a page marked with a scarlet silk thread. A figure sketched in ash on its ivory pages, her features suddenly clear.
Sienna, wrapped in a shroud of shadow and light in the midst of a whirling vortex of blood. Her life force would sustain the border and keep the Shadow at bay — at least for a time. The border was renewed and the natural disasters would soon end on Earthside as the world moved freely once more.
Tears ran down Bridget’s cheeks as she reached out a fingertip and touched the face of the young woman trapped within the Tower of the Winds. Sienna was bound to her Mapwalker destiny just as Bridget was herself shackled to the library, a balance of Blood Cartographers until their lifespans ended or someone else took their place.
A gasp came from behind her, then a low moan of despair. Bridget turned to see John staring down at the sketch of his daughter. He sank to his knees and Bridget knelt to embrace him as they mourned the end of one time and the beginning of another.
Mila felt a shift in the water as she darted between the ripples of the river heading west toward the coast. It was as if all sharp edges became smooth for a moment and then reset themselves, like an earthquake passing beneath the mantle of the earth, lifting and lowering everything in its wake.
She glanced behind to check on the twins and by the look on their faces; they felt it too. Something had changed in the Borderlands and somehow, Mila knew that Sienna had made it to the Tower of the Winds.
They swam fast over submerged boulders, translucent skin flashing in the sunlight that dappled down through the water. Mila led the twins on. No time for stopping, and no need to. They all reveled in the freedom of being one with the water.
Up ahead, Mila heard the thundering of a waterfall. The river frothed, churning as it became shallow in places, and carving deep in others. Eddies and whirlpools formed at the sides. Daniel slipped into one, laughing with delight as he spun around. Dawn joined him, and the twins flew in circles hand in hand, dancing in the water.
Mila smiled as she watched them play, remembering her own solitary life in the canals of London and later in Bath. No one understood her. No one laughed with her. But that would all change now.
The Mapwalker team had been her home for a time, but losing Xander had been a heavy blow. Sienna would always be a friend, but her powerful blood meant she stood apart and her choices were beyond reach now.
Finn’s words in the cave at Ganvié echoed back to her: There are so few of your kind. And yet, here they were, three lost Waterwalkers heading for home.
“Come on, you two,” Mila called out. “I’ll show you what fun really is.”
She beckoned and then turned in the water, darting ahead of them through the rapids as they followed her with whoops of delight.
Mila dived down into the depths before the waterfall met the edge of the cliff and then leapt like a dolphin up out of the froth and into the air.
She spun around, her body diaphanous in the sunlight, a figure of water droplets and air, her laugh the tinkle of rain on stone. The twins leapt just behind her, shrieking with joy. The three of them plunged down the falls into the pool below and then on — toward Ekon and Ganvié.
THE END
Author’s Note for Map of the Impossible
Thanks for reading Map of the Impossible. I hope you enjoyed the adventure.
This is the end of the trilogy that encompasses Sienna’s Mapwalker journey, but I have some ideas for Mila and Zoe, so you never know, there may be more Mapwalker adventures to come.
I always like to include an Author’s Note in my novels as I love the research process as m
uch as the creative part of writing. You can find images used in my research on my Pinterest board: www.pinterest.com/jfpenn/map-of-the-impossible
Inspiration for the story
The Map of the Impossible was inspired by the oldest map of the underworld found inside an ancient Egyptian coffin inscribed 4000 years ago. It was intended to help the dead pass through a series of challenges including snake charmers, high paths, and the watchers.
The ibis room was inspired by pictures of mummified ibis and an article that mentioned 4 million sacred ibis mummies found in the catacombs of Tuna el-Gebel and 1.75 million discovered in the ancient burial ground of Saqqara as votive offerings to the god Thoth. The thought of millions of mummified ibis coming to life is pretty terrifying!
The antidote to belladonna is Physostigmine which is found in the Calabar Bean and the manchineel tree.
The idea of Zoe’s weaver magic was inspired by The Lady of Shalott poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson and the gorgeous painting by John William Waterhouse.
Strange times
I started the book in November 2019, so the idea of natural disaster impacting the world while the borders closed had nothing to do with the pandemic. But as it turned out, I wrote most of the story whilst in lockdown in Bath, UK, in the spring of 2020.
As I write this final note, we are still in the summer of coronavirus and while some borders are opening up, many remain closed, and I don’t know when I will travel again. What a strange time in history, indeed.
Enjoyed the Mapwalker trilogy?
Thanks for joining Sienna and the Mapwalker team in this adventure.
If you enjoyed the book, a review would be much appreciated as it helps other readers discover the story.
You can also get a free copy of the bestselling thriller, Day of the Vikings, an ARKANE thriller, when you sign up to join my Reader's Group.
You’ll also be notified of giveaways and new releases, and you’ll receive personal updates from behind the scenes of my books, plus reading recommendations.
Just go to www.JFPenn.com/free
Day of the Vikings, an ARKANE thriller
A ritual murder on a remote island under the shifting skies of the aurora borealis.
A staff of power that can summon Ragnarok, the Viking apocalypse.
When Neo-Viking terrorists invade the British Museum in London to reclaim the staff of Skara Brae, ARKANE agent Dr. Morgan Sierra is trapped in the building along with hostages under mortal threat.
As the slaughter begins, Morgan works alongside psychic Blake Daniel to discern the past of the staff, dating back to islands invaded by the Vikings generations ago.
Can Morgan and Blake uncover the truth before Ragnarok is unleashed, consuming all in its wake?
Day of the Vikings is a fast-paced, supernatural thriller set in London and the islands of Orkney, Lindisfarne and Iona. Set in the present day, it resonates with the history and myth of the Vikings.
If you love an action-packed thriller, you can get Day of the Vikings for free now:
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More Books by J.F.Penn
ARKANE Action Adventure Thrillers
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Stone of Fire #1
Crypt of Bone #2
Ark of Blood #3
One Day In Budapest #4
Day of the Vikings #5
Gates of Hell #6
One Day in New York #7
Destroyer of Worlds #8
End of Days #9
Valley of Dry Bones #10
Tree of Life #11
Brooke & Daniel Psychological Crime Thrillers
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Desecration #1
Delirium #2
Deviance #3
Mapwalker Fantasy Adventure Thrillers
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Map of Shadows #1
Map of Plagues #2
Map of the Impossible #3
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Other Books and Short Stories
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Risen Gods
The Dark Queen
A Thousand Fiendish Angels: Short stories based on Dante's Inferno
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More books coming soon.
You can sign up to be notified of new releases, giveaways and pre-release specials - plus, get a free book!
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www.JFPenn.com/free
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If you loved the book and have a moment to spare, I would really appreciate a short review on the page where you bought the book. Your help in spreading the word is gratefully appreciated and reviews make a huge difference to helping new readers find the series.
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Thank you!
About J.F.Penn
J.F.Penn is the Award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the ARKANE action adventure thrillers, Brooke & Daniel Psychological Thrillers, and the Mapwalker fantasy adventure series, as well as other standalone stories.
Her books weave together ancient artifacts, relics of power, international locations and adventure with an edge of the supernatural. Joanna lives in Bath, England and enjoys a nice G&T.
You can follow Joanna’s travels on Instagram @jfpennauthor and also on her podcast at BooksAndTravel.page.
Sign up for your free thriller, Day of the Vikings, and updates from behind the scenes, research, and giveaways at:
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Connect with Joanna:
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www.JFPenn.com
[email protected]
www.Facebook.com/JFPennAuthor
www.Instagram.com/JFPennAuthor
For writers:
Joanna’s site, www.TheCreativePenn.com, helps people write, publish and market their books through articles, audio, video and online courses.
She writes non-fiction for authors under Joanna Penn and has an award-nominated podcast for writers, The Creative Penn Podcast.
Acknowledgments
For Map of Shadows
Thanks to my editor, Jen Blood, for her help with the book, and my proofreader, Wendy Janes. Thanks to Jane Dixon-Smith for the cover and interior print design.
Thanks as ever to my readers, and especially the Pennfriends, for the supportive emails and enthusiastic reviews. You keep me writing!
For Map of Plagues
Thanks to Jen Blood, for continuing to make me laugh during edits. Thanks to Wendy Janes for proofreading, and to my Pennfriends for useful advanced reader comments.
Thanks to Jane Dixon Smith at JDSmith-Design.com for the great cover design and print formatting.
For Map of the Impossible
More than ever, a special thanks to my readers and my Pennfriends for continuing to support my books in what has turned out to be the wierdest year (2020 pandemic).
Thanks to Michaelbrent Collings, whose positive encouragement (and terrific stories!) helped me through a difficult time.
Thanks to Mark McGuinness whose creative coaching helped me get through a lockdown process block and finish the book.
Thanks to my editor, Jen Blood, for continuing to understand my crazy brain, and to Wendy Janes for proofreading.
Thanks to Jane Dixon Smith at JDSmith-Design.com for the great cover design and print formatting.
Copyright © Joanna Penn (2017, 2019, 2020, 2021). All rights reserved.
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www.JFPenn.com
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This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is fictionalized or coincidental.
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For any inquiries regarding this book, please email: [email protected]
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No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
J.F.Penn, A Mapwalker Trilogy