A Keeper’s Tale: The Story of Tomkin and the Dragon Read online

  The ghost leaned closer.

  “She’s dead,” it whispered.

  Guilt stabbed into him, deep and familiar. He shuddered, grabbing the pouch at his neck, his mind flooded with the image of Evangeline’s sunken face.

  Alaric slammed his palm against the rune on the trunk.

  “Uro!” Pain raced through his hand again. He poured energy into the tree, willing it to burn. The bark smoked as he seared the rune off.

  Out of the corner of his eye, pulses of white light appeared along the path ahead of them. He glanced at them, but the distraction had consequences, and the pain flared, arcing up each finger. He gasped and narrowed his focus back to the energy flowing through his palm. The pain receded slightly. The ghost stared a moment longer, then faded away. Alaric dropped his arm, leaving a hand-shaped scorch mark on the trunk where the rune had been.

  “She’s dead.”

  Alaric’s head snapped forward.

  The trees ahead of him were full of ghosts, each a washed-out version of himself.

  “Dead… She’s dead… Dead.” The words filled the air.

  Alaric clutched the pouch at his neck until he felt the rough stone inside.

  A ghost reached toward him. “She’s dead…” Its voice rattled in a long sigh.

  Alaric spurred Beast into a gallop, trusting the horse to follow the trail. The whispers clung to them as they ran. Alaric shrank down, hunching his shoulders, wresting his mind away from the memory of his wife’s tired eyes, her pale skin.

  The trees ended, and they raced out into a silent swath of grass, running up to the base of an immense cliff. Alaric pulled Beast to a stop, both of them breathing hard. Gripping the saddle, Alaric looked back into the trees. The forest was dark and quiet.

  “I take it back,” he said, catching his breath, “the ghosts were worse than the wolves.” He sat in the saddle, pushing back the dread that was enveloping him. She wasn’t dead. The ghosts were just illusions. He’d get the antidote tonight. She’d be fine.

  When his heart finally slowed, he gave Beast an exhausted pat on the neck.

  “This path used to be a lot easier to follow.”

  * * *

  (If you’d like to continue reading A Threat of Shadows, you can find it here.)

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to Cheryl (again) for all your help, it, has been invaluable.

  To the Fantasy Faction, thank you for the excellent critiques and the camaraderie. Special thanks to Sherry Bessette, Joey Harpel, Caroline Sciriha, and Nick Wisseman for all your input.

  Thank you to CJ Brightley and Jacky Gray for your comments and encouragement.

  Thank you to Christos Karapanos at www.christoskarapanos.com for the gorgeous dragon eye on the cover. And thank you to Dane at ebooklaunch.com for the beautiful cover design.

  To my awesome children, thank you for helping Tomkin plan a way out of the kitchen.

  And most of all, thank you to my husband, who after 18 years is still my favorite person. Your support and encouragement mean more to me than you’ll probably ever know. I love you and the fun, happy life you’ve made for our family.

  About the Author

  JA Andrews is a writer, wife, mother, and unemployed rocket scientist. She doesn't regret the rocket science degree, but finds it generally inapplicable in daily life. Except for the rare occurrence of her being able to definitively state, "That's not rocket science." She does, however, love the stars.

  She spends an inordinate amount of time at home, with her family, who she adores, and lives deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, where she can see more stars than she ever imagined.

  For more information, find JA Andrews at:

  @JAAndrewsWriter

  JAAndrewsAuthor

  www.jaandrews.com

  [email protected]