It's 1918, and Matty returns home to the family farm from the trenches only to find his brother Arthur dying of an unknown illness. The local doctor thinks cancer, but Matty becomes convinced it's connected to the mysterious books his brother left strewn around the house. Rob knows something other than just Arthur's death is bothering Matty. He's know him for years and been in love with him just as long. And when he finds something that looks like a gate, a glowing, terrifying doorway to the unknown, it all starts to fall in to place. Matty's looking sicker and sicker in the same way Arthur did. What is Rob prepared to sacrifice to cure him? The answer is in the esoteric books ... and with the mysterious Lin of the Frem, who lives beyond the gate to nowhere. It's taken Matty and Rob more than a decade to admit they have feelings for each other and they are determined that neither social expectations or magical illness will part them now.

Inheritance of Shadows

“How do we do it?” He wasn’t sure at all about it, but Rob made good points. They knew a little more now, from the books. None of it was any good if they couldn’t useit. And he really didn’t want to end up like Arthur.


“Sit down here,” Rob patted the sofa. “I need to be still and concentrate. I sort of tug at the world, in my head... Tug at the air? It’s really hard to describe. It’s like gathering threads or ribbons in my hands. Then I wait a moment for the energy to gather and pool. Then I can send it where I want.” He looked at Matty. “It almost feels like wind. But not.” He shook his head. “It sounds stupid, when I try and put it into words.”


Matty put a hand on his arm reassuringly. “It doesn’t at all. It just sounds like something you don’t have the vocabulary for. It does make sense. To me, anyway.” He squeezed Rob’s arm before letting go again, withdrawing his hand and making a vague gesture. “Go on then. Show me?”


Chapter 22