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

Marchant flinched but didn’t make a sound.


The stable was filled with nothing but the sound of men breathing as they both watched the blood pool on the floor under him. He still had his other arm flung over his eyes as he opened and shut his palm a few times.


“It’s not working,” he said. “I can still feel it.”


Matty could feel it too. The thing in his stomach was twisting and furling and turning. In fact, as he observed the sensation, he began to feel dizzy.


Marchant suddenly sat up and pushed Rob off him. “Get off me,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.” Rob fell back and Marchant knelt up, cradling his dripping hand against his chest. He looked at Matty.


“It’s not working. I can feel it still draining into me from you. You’ve gone green.” He pushed at Rob. “Get him sat, he’s going to faint.”


Matty did feel nauseated. He staggered as Rob guided him to sit on the floor and put his head between his knees.


“It’s not enough,” Marchant said. “You’re going to have to cut my throat.”


Chapter 34