‘Look who it is,’ he rasped. ‘Don’t tell me you missed my company, Bleak?’
‘It’s Alarise to you,’ Bleak said.
‘Probably not as much as Casimir misses her company, though …’
Bleak felt Casimir’s magic shudder around her, but his face remained neutral as Langdon struggled to his feet and approached the bars.
Bleak didn’t think. She just did. Her magic blasted outward and gripped Langdon’s mind, ready to exterminate the vermin once and for all. Her power was stronger than ever now, feeding off the darkness within Langdon, feeding off the retribution she was about to feel.
‘Alarise,’ Casimir said in her ear. ‘Don’t. We still need him.’
She released him and stepped back, gulping for air. Casimir’s grip on her arm steadied her.
Langdon glared at them, panting.
‘Why did you do it?’ Casimir asked him.
‘Do what?’
‘Everything.’
Langdon’s eyes glazed over. ‘After all these years, Casimir, I would have thought you’d understand.’
‘Understand? I would have chosen death, rather than do the things you’ve done.’
‘That’s just it,’ Langdon said. ‘You think there was a choice.’
Casimir’s fists clenched at his sides.
‘We should go,’ Bleak said, taking a final glimpse of their captor, their torturer.
But suddenly, light shimmered inside the cell.
The sickening sound of a blade crunching through flesh, muscle and bone cut through the silence. As did Langdon’s moan of agony.
Tailor appeared behind him, blood dripping from the dagger he wrenched from Langdon’s back.
‘No!’ yelled Casimir, rattling the bars of the cell.
Bleak couldn’t move. Couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
Recognition flashed on Langdon’s face as he staggered to face his attacker.
‘After all I did for you?’ he spluttered, blood bubbling from his lips.
‘All you did for me?’ Tailor hissed, ramming the knife into Langdon’s side. ‘You killed my entire family. Murdered them in their own beds.’ He twisted the knife.
Blood flowed from Langdon’s wounds, spilling out onto the corridor path, pooling at Bleak’s boots.
‘Stop!’ Casimir cried, clawing between the bars of the cell.
Langdon’s body slumped to the stone floor, breathing in shallow gasps. ‘I told her,’ he wheezed. ‘I told her I wouldn’t kill a child …’
What is he talking about?
But Bleak could only watch on in horror as Tailor dragged his blade across Langdon’s throat, more blood gushing from the jagged wound.
It was over.
Tailor stood and wiped his blood-stained hands on his trousers, his eyes glazed.
‘This is far from over,’ he said.
Light shimmered once more.
Casimir’s hands dropped from the bars of the cells. He stared. ‘Ermias?’
The name shot through Bleak like a bolt of lightning.
But the Tailor of Heathton had vanished.
‘It can’t be …’ she murmured, looking to Casimir.
Casimir simply pointed. Across the floor of the cell, at Langdon’s lifeless feet, small red flowers bloomed amidst the blood.
Acknowledgments
Trying to sum up my gratitude for those who’ve helped me along the way is incredibly hard. Especially because this book felt far more difficult than the last.
First and foremost, this book is about sisterhood, and is for one special person in particular ... My sister, Yasmin Scheuerer. She’s the kind of sister every girl dreams of. A permanent cheerleader, a shoulder to cry on, someone to make you laugh. Someone who remembers the important things in life, like getting a stepladder for your new apartment because you can’t reach the higher cupboards ... If everyone had a sister like you, the world would be a better place. Thank you for everything you do.
My deepest thanks to my beta team: Aleesha, Claire and Kelly. You guys know better than anyone that this book took it out of me … But it was your support, your guidance and your encouragement that saw me through to the end. I can’t thank you enough for the dedication you’ve shown me and this story. I couldn’t do it without you.
To Lisy and Eva, my oldest friends and kindred spirits, thank you for your unconditional love and support.
To Dave, thank you for being a wonderful brainstorming partner, and for making me proud to be an indie author.
To my writing bestie, Kyra, thank you for your constant encouragement. I’ve lost track of how many times you’ve told me, ‘you’ll be fine’. You’re always right.
To my publishing team, Alex Nahlous, Alissa Dinallo and Claire Bradshaw, this book wouldn’t shine as bright without your talent and patience.
To my street team, the Mist Dwellers – I can’t thank you enough for your ongoing support. Thank you for the art, the shout-outs and your enthusiasm for this story.
To Ben, my publishing bestie, thank you for your constant support, and thank you especially for all your help with the Heart of Mist audiobook contract.
To Mum and Dad, thank you for all the thoughtful things you do that make life easier. And for forcing my book onto unsuspecting teachers and random people from the Moto Guzzi motorbike club.
To all my incredible friends and family who showed so much support and encouragement over the last few years, I’m so grateful to have you in my life. Special shoutouts to: Lou, Annie, Nim, the Mulhollands, the O’Shea family, Gina, Ed and Sooz, Charlotte, Andrew, Jess Cooper, Liam Casey, Fay Wood, Natalia Ghosn and Mel Doncas.
Thank you to everyone who read Heart of Mist, attended the launch, wrote a review, shared the story. I can’t even begin to tell you how much it meant to me.
And finally, thank you to YOU, my readers. Thank you for sticking with Bleak, Henri and the gang this far, for cheering them (and me) on. I hope you enjoyed this book, and that you stay with us, until the end.
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About the Author
Helen Scheuerer is a YA fantasy author from Sydney, Australia. Her debut novel, Heart of Mist, was the bestselling first instalment in her trilogy, The Oremere Chronicles.
After writing literary fiction for a number of years, Helen was inspired to return to her childhood love of fantasy by reading the work of Sabaa Tahir, V.E. Schwab and Sarah J. Maas.
Helen is also the Founding Editor of Writer’s Edit (www.writersedit.com), one of the world’s largest online learning platforms for emerging writers. Her love of books and writing led her to pursue a Bachelor of Creative Arts, majoring in Creative Writing, and a Master of Publishing.
She is now a full-time author living by the beach.
www.helenscheuerer.com
Need more Oremere?
Get the prequel e-shorts for free!
The Heart of Mist prequel stories originally started as a way for the author to further develop the characters in The Oremere Chronicles trilogy. However, she soon found that these stories, much like her characters, had a mind of their own.
Bleak, Henri, Swinton and Dash all have histories that precede the events in Heart of Mist (Book I), and that’s where these stories take the reader.
In these e-shorts, we learn about the experiences that shaped them into the people they are today, and what secrets are perhaps buried beneath the surface. The best part? These special stories are free and exclusive to Helen Scheuerer’s subscribers. Be sure to get the entire bundle here.
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