by Shelley Cass
“I will serve you to my very best, and to my very last breath,” Agrona replied.
“As I expect,” the Sorcerer told her, before pushing her back through the fiery flares of the Other Realm, and thrusting her out into the wastelands where the Evexus waited.
After so long in ill favour and isolation, Agrona at last flew proud in the sky once more while the magnificent Evexus ran below her – their design now perfected as powerful Other Realm spirits seethed like acid beneath their skins.
They spoke intelligently together in their forbidden, foul language, now clever as well as cruel.
They would not fail. And she would not fail against that savage little Larnaeradee this time, so that her King would have no one to love but her, for saving his great Quest.
A viciously exultant screech rent itself from her beak, to be echoed back up from the Evexus listening below.
The Three did not stand a chance.
The Evexus were coming.
Agrona was coming.
Other books available in this series:
Book One – ‘The Last Larnaeradee’
Book Three – ‘The Army for the World’
For more information on novels written by Shelley Cass visit:
http://shelleycass.com
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am so thankful for the friends who understand me and embrace who I am.
I am so appreciative of my work family, for being my silver lining even on the most stressful days.
I am so appreciative of Wendy – the greatest neighbour to have ever lived, and Linda – the greatest mother to have ever lived. Your patience with reading my novels when they are still rough, clunky, colossal things is indescribably helpful.
I am so grateful for an extended family of extensive love: the bubbly and boisterous Brittinghams, Burkes and Rigbys, and the gracious, gorgeous Tangees, Lennens and Plants. My grandparents too, though lost, are such a special part of me.
I am so thankful for Linda and Robert, a mum and dad who would move heaven and earth to make us happy.
For my sisters and best friends, Melissa and Leigh.
For my brother (in law), Andrew, and the lights of my life – Jack and Elyssia.
For the love of my life, my sunshine, Jarryd.
And for the little year eight version of me, who first picked up that pen to write.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I was an awkward, reserved year 8 student – totally in love with the escape and comfort offered by the novels I read. I could hear the voices of the authors’ characters, I could tune out my stresses and uncertainties as I journeyed with each protagonist through their own troubles. And then one day I could hear the voices of characters who hadn’t been written yet, in places that hadn’t been created, and I decided to write my own world.
It took a quest of over fourteen years to get that world perfected in three novels – because of course the real world kept getting in the way.
In the real world I became a high school teacher, and still face the epic battle of staying afloat in all the papers I must assess. And in the real world the magic has also sometimes been hard to find. Stress and disunity surface like cancer – making the nightly news too hard to watch on most days.
But in the real world there has also been inspiration – incredible students, loved ones, golden memories, growing up, warm hugs, big laughs and good people.
So I wrote of the things that threaten the world, and of the things that save it. I wish for a real world where the air is clean, the trees can grow without concrete borders, the darkness can be cured with the switch of a light, and the people can all have long days and happy lives.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Title Page
Map
Locations and pronunciation guide
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
Chapter Thirty Two
Chapter Thirty Three
Chapter Thirty Four
Chapter Thirty Five
Chapter Thirty Six
Chapter Thirty Seven
Chapter Thirty Eight
Chapter Thirty Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty One
Chapter Forty Two
Chapter Forty Three
Chapter Forty Four
Chapter Forty Five
Chapter Forty Six
Chapter Forty Seven
Chapter Forty Eight
Chapter Forty Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty One
Chapter Fifty Two
Chapter Fifty Three
Chapter Fifty Four
Chapter Fifty Five
Chapter Fifty Six
Chapter Fifty Seven
Chapter Fifty Eight
Chapter Fifty Nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty One
Chapter Sixty Two
Chapter Sixty Three
Chapter Sixty Four
Chapter Sixty Five
Chapter Sixty Six
Chapter Sixty Seven
Chapter Sixty Eight
Chapter Sixty Nine
Chapter Seventy
Chapter Seventy One
Chapter Seventy Two
Chapter Seventy Three
Chapter Seventy Four
Chapter Seventy Five
Chapter Seventy Six
Chapter Seventy Seven
Chapter Seventy Eight
Chapter Seventy Nine
Chapter Eighty
Chapter Eighty One
Chapter Eighty Two
Chapter Eighty Three
Chapter Eighty Four
Chapter Eighty Five
Chapter Eighty Six
Chapter Eighty Seven
Chapter Eighty Eight
Chapter Eighty Nine
Chapter Ninety
Other books available
Acknowledgements
About the author