Donnovan's Redemption (NaNoNovel '08)
an excerpt

From NaNo '07: A Circlet of Stones

Prologue

“Truth,” she muttered to herself. “I want the truth.”
Fable turned to the shrine as if for answers, but it didn’t reply. It had been a helpless onlooker of other desperate times, where battles were fought and blood had spilled on the smooth stone flagons. Tension crackled in the air like electricity.
“Did you hear me? I want the truth!” she called out.
A low chuckle echoed in the hollow silence and her eyes narrowed in anger. So this is what he had stooped to. A blurred figure danced around her, hiding in its speed. It buzzed in front of her like an irritating fly. She grabbed out at the empty space. Nothing. She reached in again and clutched a pale hand, slender fingers the colour of ivory. The haze wavered and stopped, becoming a tall man with dark hair and wild, unseeing eyes. He was too far gone to be recognisable anymore, but she knew him of old.
“Where’s Nimue?” Fable demanded.
“She’s dead,” he whispered, grinning horribly. “I killed her.”

An Excerpt From Chapter 3

“We have an emergency on our hands. Even the best of us cannot lighten the storm.”
A slim girl sat at the head of a long table, her pale fingers interlocked as she surveyed the group of Jehandi. Her eyes flashed with anger as she glanced out of the window to see the ever present clouds. The room was simply furnished, but of clear good quality. At the end of the room was a pair of doors with ornate handles and guards stood at the end to make sure no one came in or out.
“If we are unable to break it, then who can?” said an older man close to the end of the table.
“Is that a questioning?” the girl asked dangerously.
The man looked alarmed. “No, no, of course not, Diedre of Highers. I was merely saying that there is no greater power than us and if we are not strong enough, then no one can save our base.”
“We will be strong enough. Meeting dismissed.”
The guards opened the doors and the Jehandi poured out, but as Diedre made to go, the guard on the left took her by the arm. He was only her age, but strong and tall.
“You can’t go on lying to them forever,” he hissed.
She ignored him and moved on. He hurried after her, brushing away white gold hair from his face. The two silver defence bands around his wrists indicated his position as a hidden Jehandi, but he held his disguise well. Only an insider would have been able to tell of his true identity.
“They’ll find out,” he stressed, as they turned a corner.
Diedre stopped and glared at him. “I told you only to inform me of important movements.”
“This is important,” he pleaded. “Diedre, please.”
“I’m not lying to them,” she said, smoothing down her hair. “I’m just… not telling all of the truth.”
She opened a door to a small but well furnished room and took off her cloak. She hung it on a stand before turning to face the guard.
“Look, Jasper, I know that you’re uneasy. Do you think I’m all calm and relaxed? I have to maintain this to keep the lessers from worrying. The Master knows about this risk and I understand what will happen if it fails. Now go. Send the final orders to the lessers. And Jasper? I don’t want to see you again.”
She slammed the door in his face, only letting out a deep sigh once she had climbed through the window. The horse would be waiting for her and then, she would leave. Everything depended on her.