Bound by Fate – Episode 7 of the Shadow Stalker Series by Renee Scattergood

It is my great pleasure to introduce Episode 7 of the Shadow Stalker series by Renee Scattergood. In Bound by Fate, we follow Auren into unknown territory as she undergoes compulsory treatment within a Reconciliation Centre. It is an emotionally fraught episode, with danger at every turn. Just when it seems that Auren might find her loved ones and gain information to help fight against the war, her worse nightmare comes true – her true identity is discovered. It is an episode which will leave your hungry for more.

 
Auren escapes the Dark Isle to find things are worse on Appolia than she imagined. Very few have survived the invasion of the Galvadi Empire, and even her best friend, Jade, has gone missing.

While attempting a rescue, Auren is captured and faces abuse and torture at the hands of her enemies. She knows as long as she can hide her true identity, she might succeed in helping the Coalition, but one of the Galvadi knows she is the delohi-saqu. For his silence, she is forced to pay the ultimate price.

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Shadow Stalker: Bound by Fate (Episode 7) Excerpt

By Renee Scattergood

Once inside the office, I closed the door behind me and felt my way to the computer. I didn’t want to risk turning on a light, so had to figure out how to turn on the machine in the dark. As it turned out, the computer was in standby mode. It came to life as soon as I touched the screen. I’d used similar computers in school, so it wasn’t difficult to navigate. It was simply a matter of finding the right file.

I spotted one labeled “Residents”. Really? They called their prisoners residents? I opened the file and, sure enough, I found a list of detainees assigned to this reconciliation center, which was apparently called, Brynn. I scrolled down, barely breathing when I came to “Z” and saw my father’s name. He was here. They were keeping him in a cell in block D. I was in E block, which meant he couldn’t be too far. I felt a nagging pull in my gut, but I dismissed it as the effect of knowing my father was close by.

As I was closing the folder, another file labeled “Shadow Stalker Attenuation” caught my eye. I opened it and saw a folder labeled “Recinder”. A recinder is a circular collar worn on the neck by shadow stalkers. The alloy, Beryllonium, contains properties which interfere with a shadow stalker’s ability to use their powers. All captured shadow stalkers, if not sentenced to death, are fitted with a recinder. Once locked in place, the recinder cannot be removed unless cut with a specific tool.

I flicked through the file. Apparently, the alloy was also used to make weapons against the shadow stalkers, something Kado had referred to. If I could somehow get the information to the Coalition, there was a chance they could find a way to counter it. But I knew my time had run out as soon as I heard voices in the corridor. I switched the computer to standby, wondering at the pull inside me. It was stronger than before. I hesitated in the dark, reluctant to reenter the shadow world, especially after reading about the recinders, and the alloy used to make them.

The door swung open before I made my decision, and by then it was too late. They saw me before they switched on the light. Two guides stood in the doorway, gazing at me from beneath their robes.

“Well, well,” one of them said, dropping his hood.

It was Makari. But how? And why was he dressed like a guide?

“If it isn’t my little lizard.”

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Renee Scattergood, author of the fantasy series, Shadow Stalker, and novella, Demon Hunt, lives in Australia with her husband and daughter. Aside from writing, she loves reading (Fantasy, of course), watching movies with her family, and doing crafts and science experiments with her daughter. Find out more about her, and sign up for her newsletter on her blog: http://reneescattergood.com

Author Pages:

Renee Writes: http://reneescattergood.com/ – my personal website and blog.

Renee’s Author Spotlight: http://reneesauthorspotlight.blogspot.com.au/ – a blog where I feature indie and small press authors.

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