Seeds of Rebellion (65 page)

“What should we do?” Galloran asked.

The eyes showed no flicker of recognition. “Two quests. Galloran must rouse Trensicourt. The Amar Kabal must join him, as must the drinlings. Together the free people of Lyrian must march on Felrook in the coming spring. The host will be insufficient, yet Felrook must fall.”

“By spring?” Nollin murmured. “Summer is already spent.”

“Rachel, Io, Ferrin, Nedwin, Nollin, and Tark must join Galloran.”

“Attack Felrook,” Ferrin chuckled darkly, shaking his head.

“Jason Walker must find the abode of Darian the Pyromancer. My sight cannot find his dwelling. I do not know what will be learned. The last abode of Darian the Seer can be learned at the Celestine Library within the Inland Sea. This greatest of seers has vital knowledge. Make sure the secret can be shared.”

“The Celestine Library is guarded,” Ferrin said. “Inaccessible.”

“Darian should have perished ages ago,” Farfalee added softly.

The oracle blinked, her cheeks twitching. “Jasher, Farfalee, Drake, Aram, Corinne, and Nia must join Jason. The parallel quests must succeed. Many present will perish. You must stand united. Otherwise the children of Eldrin will be vanquished, as will the children of Certius, and an age of immeasurable darkness will choke the world. Spend the fall and winter here. Depart as winter wanes. Send a few ahead to prepare the way. The timing is crucial. I have seen and I have spoken.”

“Felrook cannot be taken,” Nollin scoffed mildly. “Not by ten times the number we could muster.”

“I’m not leaving Jason,” Tark griped. “Look again.”

The oracle gasped, cheeks quivering. For a moment, her eyes were not hazy, and she peered desperately at Galloran. “I searched, but could not view the end. Nothing seen, everything glimpsed. You need one with a truer eye and a farther gaze.” Her eyes rolled back, her face slackening. “A secret from the past can ransom the future. The servant will betray the master. The pleasant paths have crumbled. Lyrian must be purchased with sacrifice. Our hope is red, like the blood of heroes; black as the bowels of the earth; and white, like a flash of orantium.”

Her eyelids fluttered rapidly. Drool leaked from the corners of her mouth. Hooded acolytes stormed into the room, armed with tools to cut the oracle from the clay. She died long before they succeeded.

T
wo down, one to go. Many people have helped the Beyonders series to continue. My editor, Liesa Abrams, did much to improve the story. My agent, Simon Lipskar, arranged the practical side and offered editorial guidance.

The entire team at Simon & Schuster did a great job spreading the word about
A World Without Heroes
so that the series could find readers. I feel proud to be associated with them. Thanks go to Mara Anastas, Carolyn Swerdloff, Anna McKean, Paul Crichton, Bethany Buck, Matt Pantoliano, Fiona Simpson, and the rest of the team. These are not just people who do their jobs well—they are people I enjoy spending time with! The folks at Shadow Mountain have also been very supportive of this new series.

Early readers for this volume included some friends and family, namely Mary Mull, Cherie and Bryson Mull, Tiffany Mull, Pam Mull, Chris Schoebinger, Liz Saban, Jason and Natalie Conforto, and the ever vigilant eye of J. Tucker Davis Esq., M.D., J.D. Their tips, catches, and feedback were very beneficial. My talented cousin Mike Walton drew the map and some cool pictures for the website. Once again the design team produced a terrific cover—special thanks to Lisa Vega.
And thanks to Jeannie Ng for lending her close eye for consistency to the manuscript.

My family and friends are my secret weapon. My wife, Mary, is my first editor, and her insight and support have been a key ingredient to my success on every book, this one included. My kids bring a highly motivating joy into my life. And my siblings, parents, and friends help me put on my Salt Lake City launch parties and contribute in numerous other ways. My dad, Gary, has helped sell T-shirts; my mom, Pam, dresses up as Muriel the witch; my aunt Kim and sister Tiffany pose as fairies or Ephira; and my brother Ty drags his friends out to help with the event. My comedy friends from years past help make my launch parties cool and funny, including Summer Mull, Bryson Mull, Robert Marsh, Chad and Shelly Morris, Gavin and Maren McCaleb, and Joel Hilton, who does a killer Jack Sparrow impersonation.

Some people from the early days must also be shown gratitude. The Allen family, including Aaron, Robert, and Daryl, were very supportive of this concept back before I had ever published anything. Kjirstin Youngberg and Dean Hale also offered some advice in the past. And my brother-in-law Sean Fleming helped me overcome some doubts I had regarding the ending of book one. His support helped me resist taking the story in a safer, more predictable direction. With the benefit of hindsight, I feel that choice made the series cooler.

Among the others I thank, I must never forget you, the reader. Without you my books would serve no purpose. The story does not happen on the page. It happens in your mind. Thanks for bringing Beyonders to life by participating in the story with me. Thanks for telling others about the story. Most people find books through word of mouth. If you’re enjoying Beyonders so far, I expect that you’ll love the last volume,
Chasing the Prophecy
. I sure hope I’m right!

A
fter
Seeds of Rebellion
, only one book remains to complete the Beyonders trilogy. The final volume,
Chasing the Prophecy
, will release in Spring 2013. I have been working on this series for more than ten years, and I’m passionate about ending it well. I’m unspeakably excited to share the conclusion.

In the meanwhile, I have some other books out there, and one other new story coming. My Fablehaven series is complete, and follows the adventures of Kendra and her brother, Seth, as they explore secret wildlife parks for magical creatures hidden around our world. All of the books are now in paperback, and I am pleased with how they turned out.

Between Fablehaven 2 and 3 I wrote a novel called
The Candy Shop War
. It is my only other novel besides the Beyonders and Fablehaven books. The story follows four young friends: Nate, Trevor, Summer, and Pigeon. When magicians come to their town and start sharing magical candy with certain kids, a lot of trouble follows. Between Beyonders 2 and 3 I will be releasing a sequel to
The Candy Shop War
called
The Arcade Catastrophe
.

I also have a lone picture book called
Pingo
. I had the pleasure
of working with #1
New York Times
bestselling illustrator Brandon Dorman on the project. The story follows a boy, Chad, whose imaginary friend becomes his imaginary enemy when he tries to stop believing in him. The story can be tricky to find in bookstores these days, but is usually available at the standard online outlets. I have a prequel to
Pingo
in development, where Chad and Pingo have a contest with other kids at school to see who has the best imaginary friend.

I will also start a brand-new series after Beyonders. The details are still a secret, but I’ll try to sneak some info into the Author’s Note of
Chasing the Prophecy
.

For updates or further details on my books and other projects, swing by my website, brandonmull.com. You can also find me on Twitter as brandonmull, or join one of my Facebook fan pages.

Dear Readers,

As I thought about bonus content to include in the first-edition hardcover of
Seeds of Rebellion
, my mind turned immediately to the interviews with the oracle. The most important characters in this series had a chance to converse with her in private, and I thought it might be interesting to witness more of those exchanges. I selected three characters to follow.

B
ONUS SCENES

L
ooking back, Tark received a reassuring nod from Galloran before opening the door and stepping into the room with the oracle. He reached to take off his hat before realizing he was not wearing one. Withered and small, the oracle reclined in a strange chair, gazing at him kindly.

“Should I close the door, Your Grace?” Tark asked.

“Please,” she replied gently.

Tark complied and then went to stand awkwardly before her. Unsure of the etiquette involved, he fell to his knees.

“No,” she scolded, extending a fragile, spotted hand. “Take a seat.”

He rose and sat on the low, cushioned stool. “I’m not sure I belong here,” Tark apologized.

“Nonsense,” the oracle responded. “Give me your hand.”

Tark held out his hand, palm upward. She took it in both of hers and squeezed, her head bowed. Then she traced a fingertip over some of the calluses and lines on his palm. She turned his hand over and inspected the back. He was aware that his fingernails were dirty. She released his hand and stared at him silently.

“I’m no hero,” Tark confessed. “I’m sure you know that by now. But I mean well. Hopefully, you saw that too. I fell in with this company by accident. I’m no lord, not by any stretch of the imagination. I’m out of my element.” She kept staring at him. “I also talk too much. At the wrong times, I mean. Should I go?”

“You are wrong,” the oracle chided.

“No surprise there,” Tark replied.

She stared.

“Wrong for this mission?”

“Wrong about your worth. Wrong about your role in the coming conflict.”

Tark avoided her eyes. “Begging your pardon, I don’t expect to have much of a role to play at all.”

Her smile crinkled her wrinkles. “And you’re wrong.”

Tark cleared his throat uncomfortably. Unsure what to do with his hands, he gripped the sides of the plush stool. “What should I do?”

“The details evade me,” the oracle explained. “I’ve glimpsed a few things. I feel that victory remains possible. Elusive and unlikely, but still available. Intuition can mislead, Tark, but there are certain instincts I have learned to trust, and those instincts insist you will have a key role to play. I doubt there can be victory without you.”