Janner is alone in the dark, in the worst place in the world. He is angry and afraid. He is exhausted. He is near despair. And there is a traitor in his own heart, too.But is he alone?
Protect.The word came to him again and again, as steady as a drum beat. Indeed, it had been beaten into him since he was a baby. And now the rhythm of his mother’s word, his uncle’s word, drove back the anger—not completely, but enough that he thought less of his own misery and more of his brother’s.He remembered old tales, stories about self-sacrifice and the way a single, beautiful act done for the sake of another could shine out across the dark of the ages like a breaking dawn. When he was little, he and Kal had made swords out of sticks and defeated dragons, Fangs, and villains, and Janner had lain awake in his bed at the Igiby cottage yearning to be one of those heroes. Maybe now the Maker was only giving him what he wanted. Maybe the Maker was answering the prayer of his little boy heart by leading him here and giving him the chance to live one of those stories.—From chapter 61, "Alone in the Deeps of Throg."
Have you also dreamed of being in a story? Does it give you strength?Wherever you're at in the series right now, whether you're reading along with the book club or on your own, I'd love to hear what you loved best this week. Post an excerpt in the comments! And then come join us in the forum. :-)