The wolvin tossed the blade aside, and snarled. A mixture of saliva and blood trickled over its jaw onto Aelic’s neck. “King Eliam!” Aelic whispered urgently. “Help me.”
Just as the wolvin went for Aelic’s throat, he heard a high-pitched roar. A shape appeared and smashed into the creature with such force that it was thrown free from Aelic. The wolvin howled in pain. Aelic turned and saw a dragon on top of the wolvin, tearing at it with taloned feet. “Gabby!!” Aelic screamed.
The two creatures grappled and bit, clawed and scratched. Gabby had only one good wing, but she held her own against the Sleeper. Aelic struggled to his knees and began to crawl toward his sword. Again using Fury for leverage, he pulled himself to his feet. Determined to help Gabby, he began to limp back toward the fight.
But the ground went out from under him, and Aelic was falling, falling, falling.
44
THE AFTERMATH
Kaliam had not slept for three days since returning from the battle in the forest, and still he waited at the main gate of the city of Alleble. Heralds sounded their trumpets as survivors arrived or were carried in, but there were too few and not often. Lady Merewen was safe, her wounds being tended to by Sir Oswyn in the castle. Farix had made it back as well.
Scouts had come back late on the second day to report that Nock was found still alive. He was to remain in Yewland with his kin until he recovered his strength. And Trenna, reunited with her family, remained in Yewland as well. All told, nearly twenty-five thousand knights from Alleble, Yewland, and Acacia had fought in the forest against Paragor’s forces. Only half of those returned to their homeland. And among those still missing, there were names very dear to Kaliam: Sir Gabriel, Mallik, Sir Rogan, Antoinette, and Aelic. So Kaliam waited by the gate.
It was as the sun went down on the third day that Kaliam saw hundreds of knights ride across the plain on the backs of unicorns. He leaped upon one of the guard’s dragons and flew out to meet them. Kaliam looked at them hopefully as they rode past. They saluted their Sentinel, and he smiled and saluted back, but Mallik, Sir Rogan, Lady Antoinette, and Aelic were not among them.
Kaliam returned to his bench and waited. Then two lone knights appeared on the horizon. As they neared, Kaliam recognized them. Leaping from the bench, he ran to meet them.
“Mallik! Sir Rogan!” he cried. “I feared the worst, but here you are! Praise to King Eliam, you survived!”
Mallik and Sir Rogan dismounted, and each in turn embraced Kaliam. But they were weary and somehow changed. They did not speak much—even days later—but they stayed in each other’s company and exchanged knowing glances.
Kaliam stayed at the gate for many days more, but Sir Gabriel, Antoinette, and Aelic did not return.
45
BEYOND THE GATES
OF DESPAIR
The guards brought Antoinette through many dark, smoky passages and up a long, winding stair. At the very top of the stair, they opened a thick wooden door and entered a chamber that had one small cell within it. They roughly dragged her into the bare cell which smelled of dust, rot, and worse things; locked manacles around her ankles; and chained her to a ring embedded in the cold stone floor. A wall of iron bars divided the chamber, and the Paragor Knights locked her in. Finally, they slammed the wooden chamber door behind them. Antoinette heard a faint metallic click, and she knew they had locked the chamber door too.
There was one small window. When Antoinette dragged her chains to their full extent, she was able to look out. But she found the view inside her cell much more to her liking. For the window looked out upon the Grimwalk in the land of Paragory. Antoinette sighed and twisted at the silver ring the merchant had given her in Baen. At that point in her journey she had still been able to convince herself that going after Kearn was a noble thing. Now, the grim reality was all too clear.
Antoinette had betrayed her commander, her friends, and her King. She had failed to keep her promise to Aidan. Robby’s Glimpse was not willing to turn his allegiance from Paragor and accept King Eliam. Antoinette slid away from the window, dropped to her knees, and curled into a ball. And there she shivered upon the stone until at last she fell asleep.
“A morsel, my dear,” said a voice. Antoinette woke with a start and scrambled to the back of the cell.
“Come now,” the voice said. A metal tray scraped along the stone floor. On it was meat and bread. A dark boot nudged it into the light from the window. “You must eat. You must build your strength for the trial to come.”
Antoinette suddenly knew the voice. “Kearn!”
“Yes, it is I,” he replied. He stepped out of the shadows and peered out the window of her cell.
“What have you done with Aelic?” she screamed.
“What have I done?” he said, turning and walking toward the cell door. “Why, I have done nothing. His fate is a result of your actions.”
“Nooo!” Antoinette moaned and sank to the floor. “Why didn’t you just kill me too?” she whispered.
Kearn stepped out of the cell, locked its door of iron bars, but paused at the huge wooden chamber door. His eyes flickered red, and he replied, “I keep asking myself that same question.”
46
TURBULENCE
She’s still not back, Dad,” Aidan said, inserting the plane’s phone back in its slot on the seat in front of him. He looked out the window of the plane and watched streaks of lightning crawl among the purple cloud tops.
“Relax, Aidan,” Mr. Thomas said, munching on some peanuts. “I’m sure she’s fine.”
“But she’s already been gone longer than I was—earth time, anyway,” Aidan complained. “I thought for sure she’d be back before we landed in Baltimore.”
Mr. Thomas gave his son a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. “I’m sure she’s okay. We’re about to land now, but you can call her from the hotel.”
The intercom came on. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have some storm clouds up ahead. We might be experiencing a little turbulence. Please keep your seat belts fastened for the duration of the flight. We should be on the ground at BWI in about thirty minutes. Thank you for your attention.”
Mr. Thomas stretched and put his arms behind his head. “Just think how surprised Robby’ll be when you show up at his front door!”
Yeah, Aidan thought. ‘Surprise, Robby! Are you ready to believe yet?’ Aidan shook his head and went back to looking out the window. The plane had already sunk into the clouds. Now it began to bounce a little. Aidan’s stomach tightened. Lightning flickered in the hazy distance outside the window.
One of the flight attendants hurried up the aisle. Aidan watched her buckle herself into a little seat behind the cockpit. The plane shuddered for a second. Aidan’s stomach felt like it did sometimes in an elevator. One of the little overhead compartments popped open. A pillow and a child’s teddy bear fell out.
Aidan gripped the armrests so hard that his knuckles went white. He turned and looked out the window, and there in the reflection, he saw Gwenne’s pale face. Lightning struck, blinding light filled the cabin, and the lights went out.
47
NEVER ALONE
Aelic stared up from the bottom of a deep pit. His vision was unfocused, and what looked at first to be dark, feathery hands reaching down from the pale sky above turned out to be layers and layers of massive roots. They burst out from all sides of the deep hole he had fallen into.
“Arghhh!” The pain awakened Aelic fully. His legs throbbed. His arm burned as if a white-hot blade had broken off under his skin. And he felt a tightness in his chest, as if a heavy weight lay on him, compressing his lungs.
Aelic tried to sit up, but it was such excruciating agony that he almost lost consciousness. He lay back in the dirt and gasped. Eventually, the pain evened out to a dull pulse, and Aelic could think again.
The darkness is gone, he realized, looking at the circle of gray sky above. It all came back to him then. Fighting the wolvin Sleeper . . . if it hadn’t been for G
abby . . . Gabby! Aelic thought with a start. Aelic felt certain that Gabby had sacrificed herself so that he might live.
Aelic’s left hand bumped into something. He reached for it. It was Fury! And with what little strength he had, he lifted the blade from the soil. He stared at the hilt, at the engraved image of the sun rising between the sacred peaks of Pennath Ador. It brought him hope. For there the sun had risen, a bright new dawn, marking the return of King Eliam. There, as in the forests of Yewland, had been suffering and tragedy. But King Eliam had proven to be greater still, even greater than death.
“I am never alone,” Aelic whispered. And then he heard voices from above.
Adventures are
funny things.
They offer dark, uncertain
times,
forks in the road,
and choices between comfort
and peril.
And in such times,
heroes can be
made
or undone.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Twelve years ago, a special woman took an awesome and wonderful risk, choosing to spend the rest of her life with me. It has been an adventure of a lifetime, and I am so grateful to be sharing it all with Mary Lu, the beautiful wife of my youth. 1C13.
To my four young adventurers: Kayla, Tommy, Bryce, and Rachel . . . you are precious beyond all the gold and jewels in all the mines of the world. Your daddy loves you always.
To the Dovel family: Olin and Lorraine for giving me your incredible daughter, first of all, and for your remarkable support of The Door Within Trilogy. To Andy and Denise Dovel whose ministry and music opened my eyes and continues to enrich my life. Thanks, too, for sharing The Door Within far and wide. To Ed and Deanna Dovel for lending me your house so that I can write in peace and for showing up at just about every book signing! To Diana Dovel for buying like a gazillion books and making sure that all your patients hear about The Door Within!
To Bill and Lisa Russell: You both have sacrificed so much of your own time and resources to get The Door Within off the ground. Let’s continue to pray BIG things for each other!
To Dave and Heather Peters, Doug and Chris Smith, Todd Wahlne, Danny Sutton, Chris and Alaina Haerbig, Dan and Courtney Cwiek, Steve and Janet Berbes, Chris and Dawn Harvey, Dan and Pam Pantera, Eric and Deb Southan, Don and Valerie Counts, Mat and Serrina Davis, and Warren Cramutola . . . with friends like you all, I will never run out of characters! (And I mean that in the nicest possible way!)
John and Diane Martindale: Thank you for taking The Door Within to so many who might not otherwise have known!
To Valerie W., Sean H., Krista G., Pat D., Laura B., Kim L., Mary O., Robin K., Linda G., Harry S., Susan P., Hannah C., Amy M., Marsha A., Conrad O.: You were among the first to step through The Door Within. I won’t forget.
To director Peter Jackson, whose vision and passion brought LOTR to the screen at last and reminded the world of why we love fantasy. Your work may have opened the door for mine. Thank you. P.S. Any chance you’ll do The Hobbit?
To the clever, creative, insightful, enthusiastic children at Folly Quarter Middle School: Thank you for lending me your brilliance in the development of this novel. Pip, Pip Cheerio! Also thanks to every one of my colleagues, my friends at FQMS! You inspire me daily! Thanks for understanding my many “gray moments” as I sought to meet my deadlines!
Special thanks to Michelle Black and the noble folks at His Way Christian Bookstores. I am in awe of your efforts to open The Door Within for others. I am honored to raise a sword with you!
To the staff of Eldersburg Public Library: Thank you for letting me “live” in your little private study room. About a third of Wyrm Lord was penned there! P.S. I’ll be back for The Final Storm!
To Kris Buker for sharing so much great literature with young people AND for setting me up with so many book talks and signings!
To Paul Peluso, Joe Burris, and Katie Champion: Thank you for your kind and eloquent words! To WBAL TV and WRBS Radio, thank you for broadcasting The Door Within over the airwaves!
Thanks to Leanna and Gordon Webb for being so trustworthy with our greatest treasures!
Special thanks to Gregg Wooding, my agent and friend, for stepping with me into uncharted territories! Who knows where this path will lead us?
To Dee Ann Grand, Beverly Phillips, June Ford, Patti Evans, Katie Broaddus, Andy Peterson, Brian Mitchell, and everyone at Tommy Nelson: Thank you for letting me be a part of this mission. I am still in awe when I consider how so many have poured their lives into The Door Within Trilogy!
To Brian, Jeff, Leslie, and Mom and Dad: For many memories such as Cross Country in a little white car, Fireworks in Atlanta, Dallas Dates, and frequent visits to Waffle Houses and Dairy Queens—thank you for this adventure of life we’ve been on together.
EXCERPT
THE DOOR WITHIN TRILOGY CONTINUES IN . . .
BOOK
THE FINAL STORM
The torchlit passages in the heart of Paragor’s stronghold twisted and turned like a den of serpents. “Please tell me you aren’t lost,” Antoinette said when Aidan stopped suddenly at a fork in the path.
“Quiet, I’m thinking!” Aidan barked.
Antoinette raised her eyebrows and looked at Aidan with wonder. She still couldn’t believe he had found a way to return to The Realm. She was grateful, for together they might be able to escape and do something about Paragor’s plan to destroy Alleble.
Zabed, the old sage they had liberated from a lower tower cell, placed a withered hand on Aidan’s shoulder. “What place does thou hope to find?” he asked.
“It’s a huge balcony,” Aidan said. “On the northern side of the great tower. I tied the dragons there.”
“Does thou mean that tower, the one crowned with thorns?”
“Yes!” Aidan exclaimed.
“Then take the passage on thy left,” Zabed explained.
There came a strange rumbling from below. It grew louder, and Aidan recognized the sound as the tromp of many iron-shod feet. Paragor had not emptied his fortress completely after all. “Soldiers!” Aidan shouted. “Antoinette, they know you’ve escaped! We must hurry!”
They could hear shrieks and the shouts of many voices, distant but growing ever closer.
“The rats in this cursed hold will smell us out, I fear,” Zabed growled. “I have told ye the prophecy of thy scroll. You have no longer need of me. Leave me behind.”
Aidan looked at Zabed, who was starved from his long imprisonment, thin and frail with age.
“Maybe there’s another way,” Aidan said, and he handed Fury to Antoinette. Then he grasped Zabed’s wrists and carefully slung him onto his back.
“Nay, lad!” Zabed protested. “Leave me be! I will slow ye down to the demise of all!”
“Zabed, I won’t leave you,” Aidan said, hefting the sage and taking a few steps. “C’mon, Antoinette!”
Aidan ran surprisingly fast, bearing Zabed’s extra weight more easily than he had thought he could. The passage curled and then sloped downward. Aidan whispered a quick thank you to King Eliam and charged on. Antoinette, Fury in one hand, the Daughter of Light in the other, raced after him.
Heavy footfalls fell in the passage behind them. Too close! Aidan thought. They’ll catch us before we can—Then he saw it. The passage opened up at the bottom and strange gray twilight fell upon the stone beneath a wide arch. Aidan knew that arch. The balcony and the dragons were just beyond it!
“It’s just ahead!” he cried. “Hurry!” Just then an arrow swooshed over Aidan’s shoulder, struck the ceiling of the passage ahead, and clattered to the ground. Angry screams blared from the passage.
Aidan dashed down the hill. The arch was closer. Almost there. Suddenly, Zabed groaned. His arms stiffened and then went limp in Aidan’s grasp. Zabed’s gray head fell on Aidan’s shoulders.
“No!” Aidan exclaimed. “Zabed?!” But the old sage did not answer. Aidan surged beneath the arch into the
ethereal gray of night in Paragory. But the moment Aidan stepped on the stone of the balcony, his feet slid out from under him. He skidded as if on ice and fell backward. His weight came down hard on Zabed. Antoinette was right behind him. She lost her footing as well, flailed to keep her balance, but crashed to the stone. Her sword and Fury clattered across the balcony.
Antoinette pushed herself up from the ground. Her hands felt wetness. She stood awkwardly and looked at her palms. Even in the shroud of gray night, she could see glistening blood. Blood! Antoinette looked around. They were in a great wide pool of blood.
With Nock and a legion of Yewland’s best archers defending Alleble’s parapets, Paragor’s great siege towers could not get close to the walls.
But Kaliam knew better than to relax. He knew only too well that the enemy had a devastating weapon at his disposal. He looked out over the wall into the murky darkness breathed into existence by the evil Wyrm Lord.
“Kaliam,” Farix shouted as he ran up, “what are your orders, my Sentinel?”
“Farix, good. I am glad you have come,” Kaliam said, pointing out into the shadows. “What do you see?”
Farix stared into the gloom. “I see a thousand knights on foot,” he replied. “They have also pendulum battering rams, and siege towers, but beyond that, I can see nothing.”
“That cursed darkness! It hides the enemy’s designs. We see only those within range of a short bow, but what lies beyond? And where are the Wyrm Lord and the Seven Sleepers?”
“Perhaps Paragor is waiting to release them at the time of greatest opportunity,” Farix said.
The Rise of the Wrym Lord Page 28