by Matthew Ward
"Before we part ways," I announced. "Something needs to be said. We all know there's a war on the horizon, a war like we've never seen. When the Reckoning comes, the Great Powers will fight, and we'll be caught in the middle." I took a deep breath. No one had laughed or run away screaming yet, but the danger lay in what came next. "I'm not going to sit back and let that happen. If I've learnt one thing this last year, it's that the Great Powers and their servants are no more divine than we are. They're mighty, they wield magics we don't understand, but they're just as selfish as we are. More importantly, they can be fought, and they can be beaten."
Torev grinned. Jamar was impassive. Arianwyn looked thoughtful. Only Emmeline looked aghast. Probably she was the only sane one there.
"I can't do this alone," I went on. "I need your help. I'll need everybody's help. It'll only work if Tressia and the Empire stand united with Thrakkia, and even with the Ith'najim. Together, we have a chance. Otherwise..." I shrugged.
Torev raised a hand. He was still grinning. "I don't see the Empress agreeing to any of this."
"I know. But Calda can't be allowed to keep the throne she's stolen. I mean to take it back. For now, I just need to know if you're with me in this. I don't know where to start, and I don't know how long we've got before the Reckoning is upon us. I'm hoping some of the Great Powers will side with us against the others, but there are no guarantees." I paused. No one said anything. "Well?"
Torev let out a roar of laughter. "You're mad, Edric Saran, but that's what I've always liked about you. We're with you, aren't we Emmeline?"
The squire shot her master a long-suffering look, but to me she offered a smile. "It seems so."
"Jamar?" I asked.
The havildar nodded slowly, but said nothing. His mind was still on Tregard, I think.
And at last I turned to Arianwyn. I'd said nothing of this to her, though the idea had grown in my mind for weeks. For a long moment, she just stood there, her expression unreadable. Had the Radiant resurfaced? It would have been a damned awkward moment for that, but it was too late to worry about it now. Then, at last, her lips cracked into a smile.
"My love, did you just declare war on the gods?" she asked, her eyes bright with amusement and, I think, pride.
"Those that give us no other choice, yes."
"Good," she said. "Where do we start?"
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Frequently accused of living in worlds of his own, Matthew now spends his days writing most of them down so others can visit. He lives near Nottingham with his extremely patient wife, and three attention-seeking cats.
Keep up to date with exciting new stories, worlds and characters at www.thetowerofstars.com.
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The Tribute
The only light is that which you take with you.
Caught between two warring nations, the village of Rackan has teetered on the brink for generations, its folk eking out a living on the edge of the Contested Lands. Now, a third power has turned its eye upon the helpless villagers. When the moon rises, the demonic whispering ones stalk the streets, spiriting folk away to the court of twisted Jack, lord of cursed Fellhallow.
When her father's pleas to the Tressian army fall upon deaf ears, Mira Torinsal agrees to bring tribute to Lord Jack, and plead with him to spare Rackan and its people. But no one goes to Fellhallow. At least, no one goes there and returns...
A Matter of Belief
"You can end up seeing the world as you want to see it, rather than how it really is."
In the city of Tressia, the last vestiges of Lumestran belief have been all but supplanted by the worship of Sidara, Lady of Light. However, change is not welcomed by all.
When a prominent Sidarist is found murdered, suspicion falls upon the outlawed remnants of the Lumestran faith. Sergeant Erika Nierev must catch the killer before the Sidarists take matters into their own hands. But Tressia is a city of secrets – secrets that will not be easily brought out into the light...
Shadow of the Raven
"Don't worry... You're not going to die. Not yet."
When Ambassador Edric Saran becomes the chief suspect in a murder, he joins forces with a Tressian noblewoman to bring the real killer to account. But Edric soon realises the murder was only one strand in a tangled web of mortal and immortal scheming.
Hunted by the law, and pursued by vengeful servants of half-forgotten gods, Edric soon learns that there’s much more at stake than clearing his name. Will he discover the truth before the Shadow of the Raven descends upon the world, and the war between the living and the dead begins?
Queen of Eventide
"How can you possibly prevail, when even your friends are your enemies?"
Maddie Lincoln returns home to Nottingham, struggling to get to grips with a life that's falling apart. However, her workaday problems quickly fade when she's caught up in a war between the malevolent Dark Lady and her enemies. As the Dark Lady's influence grows, Maddie is pursued across the city and the mysterious realm of Eventide by a sinister Huntsman and his monstrous pack of hollows.
Aided by her friend Inga, eccentric fortune teller Charles King, and the enigmatic William, she manages to stay one step ahead of her pursuers. Even with their help, neither world is safe for her; Eventide is full of hidden dangers, and vicious riots are breaking out in Nottingham as the Dark Lady's power rises. Worse, none of Maddie's companions are exactly as they appear, and nor, Maddie learns, is she. Can Maddie discover the truth about the Queen of Eventide before it's too late...?
Edges of the World
"The light must shine."
From the dank tunnels of the London Underground to the rolling Cornish moors, England hides many secrets. When the mists rise, distant realms brush against the boundaries of our world. Creatures from whispered folk-tales stalk the forests. Nightmarish shapes scurry into the shadows, waiting for the sun to set and darkness to reign once more.
Some seek those secrets out.
Others are sought themselves...
In five tales of mystery and horror, take a glimpse beyond the world you know, and journey into a hidden landscape of ghosts, damned souls and immortal malice.