ETERNAL WHISPERS

By Nora Sutherland

In the shadowed corners of a bustling modern city, where the arcane thrives unseen by the mundane world, Vivian Grant lives a secluded life. Tormented by her unique necromantic abilities, she seeks solace in her work at the city's historical archive, surrounded by relics of the past that whisper secrets of the dead. Vivian's fragile existence shatters one night when, in a moment of desperation, she performs a forbidden ritual, inadvertently summoning Alexander Duval, a vampire cursed to wander the limbo between life and death for centuries.

 

Bound by a spell neither understands, Vivian and Alexander are thrust into an uneasy alliance. As they seek to untangle the web of magic that ties their fates together, they are drawn into the hidden underworld of the magical community. Here, ancient orders guard secrets with zeal, and the balance between the living and the dead is a delicate dance.

 

Alexander, with his enigmatic past and noble heart, challenges Vivian's fear of her powers. He sees in her not a curse but a gift—a potential key to the peace he has longed for. Together, they embark on a journey to decipher the curse that keeps Alexander tethered to the earthly realm. Their quest leads them to long-lost texts, shadowy figures with their own agendas, and a revelation about Vivian's ancestry that could change the fabric of magic itself.

However, as their bond deepens into love, they discover that Vivian's ability to commune with the dead and alter the veil between worlds has attracted the attention of a malevolent force. This entity, a remnant of a bygone era when magic ruled unchallenged, sees Vivian as the means to its resurgence, aiming to break the balance between life and death and end the era of hidden magic.

 

As Vivian and Alexander face trials that test their courage and the depth of their feelings, they must make a choice. Unraveling the curse might free Alexander but at the cost of unleashing chaos upon the magical and non-magical worlds alike. Their decision will require a sacrifice—whether it be their love, Vivian's powers, or the peaceful coexistence of the hidden magical realm.

 

"Eternal Whispers" is a tale of love that transcends the boundaries of time, the courage to embrace one's true self, and the fight to preserve the light of magic in a world that has forgotten its power. In their quest for a future together, Vivian and Alexander must confront the darkness within and without, forging a path that upholds the delicate equilibrium between life and death, love and sacrifice, magic and the mundane.

• Language: English
• Publisher: CRESENT MOON
• Release date: Feb 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224593668

Book preview

1

Whispers in the Archive

V

ivian's life had always been bordered by the unseen; whispers from the shadows were her unwanted companions, silent figures that lingered at the edge of her vision. The city's historical archive was her sanctuary, a place where the past's voices were contained within the pages of books and the silence of artifacts. It was here, amidst the relics of forgotten times, that Vivian sought refuge from a reality that didn't understand her, a world that feared what it couldn't explain.

Her work as an archivist was more than a job; it was a lifeline, connecting her to the essence of humanity's history while allowing her to avoid the complications of the present. People were unpredictable, but the dead, with their stories etched in stone and ink, were constant, and reliable. Yet, even in this place of solace, Vivian could not escape the truth of her existence. Necromancy, the ability to commune with the dead, was a rare gift, or curse, depending on who you asked. For Vivian, it was a secret that kept her isolated, a truth she could share with no one. Her abilities, the unwelcome inheritance from a lineage she knew nothing about, allowed her to commune with the dead. But what good was a gift that only brought you closer to death?

The archive was silent tonight, save for the soft hum of the air conditioning and the occasional creak of the old building settling. Vivian stayed late more often than not, finding peace in the solitude. Tonight, however, her restlessness pushed her to explore a recent acquisition: a collection of manuscripts believed to be from the late Renaissance period, unopened and untouched for centuries.

As she carefully opened the crate, the air around her seemed to grow colder, the shadows deeper. She extracted a leather-bound tome, its cover embossed with symbols that sent a shiver down her spine. It was a feeling she'd come to recognize—the call of the arcane, the lure of the forbidden.

The tome was a collection of rituals and incantations, a guide to necromancy that went far beyond anything Vivian had ever dared to experiment with. Her heart raced as she turned the pages, her mind warring between fear and fascination. One ritual, in particular, caught her eye: a summoning spell, said to bridge the gap between the living and the spirits bound to the earth, unable to find peace.

Vivian knew she should close the book, report it to her supervisor in the morning, and forget she ever saw it. But loneliness and a yearning for understanding whispered louder than caution. What if, she thought, this could bring me answers? What if I'm not alone?

The decision to perform the ritual wasn't made all at once. It was a culmination of years of solitude, of whispered conversations with shadows that never spoke back, of longing for a connection to someone, anyone, who could understand her burden.

She prepared the space in the center of the archive, moving tables and chairs with a determination that belied her usual hesitance. The ritual required a circle of salt, candles at each cardinal point and an incantation that Vivian practiced under her breath until the words felt familiar on