Hall of Shadows [The Celestial Chronicles #2]

Hall of Shadows: Dust and Bones

Hall of Shadows

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Prologue: Dust and Bones

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"There is nothing more dangerous than a man bent on revenge. A man who has been bent on it for nearly three score years, who has nurtured it from a tiny, poisonous seed to a living, choking flower."

Cassandra Clare, "Clockwork Prince"

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A cloaked figure cut his way through the woods, as silent as a flitting owl.

He looked up. The full moon shifted her skirts, blessing the children of the earth with her grace and beauty. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky: gone as though swiped away by the hand of the great Mother Star. The night was when the nocturnal came alive, when the oblivious slept, and where the darkest secrets were buried deep under earth.

Tonight, the dead would be mourned, the wronged avenged, and justice would be served.

The figure's spindly fingers closed around a small metal disc hanging from his neck. For many years he had strained, it was all for this moment.

In the middle of the woods, a tower speared the inky sky like a dagger through a beating heart. Obsidian tiles flaked the slanting roofs, reflecting nefariously under the silvery glow of the full moon. The glass stained windows were dusty, little motes of filth dancing about the muted panes. A long gibbet of dark green vines wound itself around the circular structure, vanishing at the very top.

The figure approached the sealed doors. A heavy triskelion snaked its way across the two brass panes encrusted with glittering jewels. With a flourish, he plucked the metal disc from his neck and inserted it into an inconspicuous indentation, right in the middle of the bold striations.

Red flaming tendrils enveloped the disc, spreading out like fractured glass to the sides. The triskelion started rotating in a slow, steady pace. The tired screech of the churning cogs only added to the figure's excitement as the two panels swung inward with a great moan.

With the black hood still covering his face, he entered the tower.

He snapped his fingers. The row of torches commenced smoking before bursting into flames. A wave of warmth welcomed him as his eyes flickered toward the centre of the room.

He felt his breath catch. The tower held only one hall, its circular body reaching up to the rosette glass window sliding across the roof. Dark runes extended all over the ground, twisting up the walls in delicate curls-runes of the Old Tongue. Sleek, silvery rays filtered down to the marble coffin that lay in the center of the heart.

Gliding toward the coffin, he ran his hands over the cold, smooth marble. A knowing smile tugged at his lips as he began chanting.

His chants wove into a song of dust and bones, mourning the whispering deaths of the Hall of Shadows, burnt down by the ruthless tyrant of the Hall of Spirits. It was a mighty song, emanating enough power to melt stones and freeze fire.

With a resonating crack, the tomb spilt open. The lid crumbled away into fine tinsels, washed away by an invisible breeze.

A yellowing skeleton lay inside the coffin, parched from the wear of time. Clutched in what was left of its skeletal hand was a burnished silver bell, gleaming under the faint light bestowed by the torches.

The figure bent down to retrieve to bell, but the skeleton suddenly grabbed him by the wrist.

"No, don't," the skull warned.

With a quick slice of his other hand, he broke the skeleton's arm, dislodging his wrist from its steely grip. Throwing the skeletal arm aside, he couldn't suppress a victorious grin.

With this, the undead army will be under my command. I will show the Oracles the power of the Walkers. And the living shall envy the dead.

The figure raised the bell high.

"At last, the Iambicum Trimetrum is mine!"

And the silver bell sounded.

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A/N

Hello old and new readers! Welcome back to Esvanira, and this time to the Hall of Shadows. ;) For new readers, this is the second installment of The Celestial Chronicles. You can read this without reading the first book but it is highly recommended that you do read The Hall of Games to understand the story more.

The AMAZING/ IHAVENOWORDS/ EPIC trailer above is made by the trailer Goddess- Ellie. Please DO watch it. I swear that you won't regret it. ;)

Before you leave, please do remember to hit that little star below. It will really mean the world to me!

Oh, and guys, this is a very VERY rough first draft which I wrote under (i) inspo-loaded (ii) sleep deprived (iii) insomnia (iv) word spree moments so there would be some blips here and there. Bear with me as I try to sort things out and edit. :)

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Copyright © 2016 by Stefanie Saw

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

In other words, plagiarize this, whether it is the whole thing or even a small plot arc, I will gather an army of lawyers and sue your face. Then, I will make you rue the day you were born. I mean it.

Book Cover by @TrafficCop

Book Trailer by @beingellie

Hall of Shadows
Book Two of The Celestial Chronicles

Fantasy ◆ dark-fantasy ◇ epic-fantasy ◆ fantasy-adventure ◇ romance