“Like . . . utopia.”
“Utopia? What’s that?”
“It is a word whose origins lie in a past far older than you could possibly imagine. It is the dream towards which people will never cease to strive. It is a world transcended into perfection.” The other girl giggled. “It is impossible.”
“If it’s so impossible, then what’s the point of even trying?”
“Better to keep society walking the path that leads towards it, rather than let them race down the one leading away. Such an endeavor is a worthy use of one’s time, I think.”
“What does any of this have to do with me?”
Vashodia gestured to the valley below. Serit Kai looked that way and watched as the latest greatship kicked off its thrusters in a burst of fire and smoke, and began its long ascent towards the void.
“Our efforts to reach the stars have been ongoing for half a thousand years now. I can rest assured in the fact that, no matter what happens to this world, all of sentient life will live on. Somewhere. So I’ve decided to turn my attention back to the kind of studies that used to interest me.”
“What kind of studies?”
“The kind dealing with things that everyone considers impossible. Mysteries that few even recognize as such, much less expend any effort towards resolving.”
Vashodia raised an eyebrow. Serit Kai felt energy cascading through her, dark in nature, matching the Everchild’s famed source of power. It latched on to something inside her. Something she’d always felt, yet had never been able to grasp. A strange, familiar beast that sported three heads, all of them now fighting to be the first free from her fingertips. Though modern education gave it a different title, it was the old name that sprang into her mind.
Magic.
“You may not ever sprout wings,” Vashodia said. “But in no time at all, I can teach you how to fly.”
The End
Acknowledgments
I’d like to start by thanking my past self for having the requisite intestinal fortitude to finish writing this book. Real life circumstances aside (because we ALL have stuff to deal with), writing the last book in a trilogy is tough. Especially when I hadn’t ever planned for this story to span three novels. Sure, when I first dreamt up the sundered world, I had a good idea about what might come after Veiled Empire, but when my publisher informed me they wanted a pair of sequels, I must admit the first thing I felt was dread. Shadow of the Void was hard enough, being my first time under an actual deadline; The Light That Binds stepped it up to a whole new level. How on earth was I supposed to wrap up all the characters and conflicts and story threads in a satisfying manner, while still . . . you know . . . writing a good book? I’m still not sure if I managed to pull it off, but at least I can say that present me is satisfied with the work that past me produced. And future me? Well . . . he’s never satisfied with anything, it seems.
On a serious note, I’d like to thank my editor, agent, and family. Again. Most of the time, I have no idea what on earth I’m doing. You all make it possible for my creative side (which spent far too much of my life suppressed) to even see the light of day. I think everyone has at least one story to tell. Thanks for allowing me to share some of the ones inside of me.
To all the people who worked behind the scenes to turn this book into a reality, and whose names and faces I’ll probably never know (or remember), thank you.
And to everyone along the way who has ever inspired me by sharing their stories and passions, and encouraging the rest of us to find our own dream, there doesn’t yet exist a word in the English language strong enough to express my gratitude. And there probably never will.
About the Author
Born in 1983, NATHAN GARRISON has been writing stories since his dad bought their first family computer. He grew up on tales of the fantastic. From Narnia and Middle-Earth to a galaxy far, far away, he has always harbored a love for things only imagination can conjure up. He counts it among the greatest joys of his life to be able to share the stories within him. He has two great boys, and an awesome wife who is way more supportive of his writing efforts than he thinks he deserves. Besides writing, he loves playing guitar (the louder the better), cooking (the more bacon-y the better), playing board/video/card games with friends and family, and reveling in unadulterated geekery. He can be found on Twitter and Facebook: @NR_Garrison and facebook.com/author.nathan.garrison.
www.nathangarrison.com
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By Nathan Garrison
The Sundered World Trilogy
Veiled Empire
Shadow of the Void
The Light That Binds
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
the light that binds. Copyright © 2017 by Nathan Garrison. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.
Digital Edition October 2017 ISBN: 978-0-06-245197-2
Print Edition ISBN: 978-0-06-245293-1
Cover photograph © Amble Design / Shutterstock
Harper Voyager, the Harper Voyager logo, and Harper Voyager Impulse are trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers.
HarperCollins is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America and other countries.
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