Eternal Darkness (The Passage of Hellsfire, Book 4) by Marc Johnson

Release date: December 16, 2018

Subgenre: Epic fantasy

About Eternal Darkness:

 

The wizard Hellsfire is dead. Hellsfire is now an ordinary mortal, weakened and powerless. But two people are seeking him out: one wants to save him and one wants revenge.

Bryce is seeking retribution for the slaughter of his family. Running his blade through Hellsfire is the only way to fill the empty hole in his heart. He failed before. He won’t fail again.

Eager to explore her blossoming powers, Alyssa receives a vision from the gods telling her to go to Hellsfire. He may be the only one who can teach her to harness her magic. With no family ties, she’s ready to leave the only home she’s ever known to rescue a man she barely knows.

Hellsfire still has a crucial role to play in the fate of the realm—if he survives and remembers who he is. Will he regain his powers and his sense of purpose before it’s too late?

 

Excerpt:

 

CHAPTER 1

Hellsfire rubbed his hands together, breathing into them for warmth. He shivered. The heat he had felt his entire life must have been a side effect of his power, and he had never realized it. He stared into his empty hand and made a fist. The leather gloves he wore weren’t nearly warm enough for this weather. Closing his eyes, he sighed.

“Concentrate,” he said to himself.

Pushing aside the bitter chill, he reached out to the fire mana that had always been a part of him. A flicker of warmth and comfort usually greeted him when he did so. Instead he was left with—

“Nothing,” he said.

His magic was gone, and no matter how many times he did the simple exercises he had learned, he was cut off from his magic and from the rest of the world.

A thick pine tree stood near Hellsfire. He balled his hands into fists, feeling the anger swell within him. Letting loose the anger, he struck the tree again and again until his numb knuckles ached beneath the padding in his gloves, and his anger dissipated with each frosty breath he took.

Every time Hellsfire moved his fingers, the pain coursed through his hands. He knew what he had done was stupid, but he couldn’t help himself. The magic had always been part of him, and without it, he was all alone. He still couldn’t be with Krystal without killing her, and he had dismissed his guards as soon as he was back in Northern Shala.

It was just him and the blasted cold.

A growl crept through his stomach. For the past few days, he had rationed his food, as his supplies were getting low. Hellsfire had enough money, but the frigid weather had slowed down his travels, and he wasn’t a hunter. Yet his journey was at an end. The small village that had been his destination was finally in sight.

As Hellsfire approached the village, he saw smoke. He had glimpsed it earlier and assumed it was from fires to keep the cold at bay. As he drew closer, something illuminated the sky. Fires roared throughout the village, consuming the houses. As the villagers tried to put the fires out, others ran with torches in their hands.

“Bandits.”

Hellsfire paused and looked away. Without his magic, he couldn’t do anything to stop the destruction. All he had was his father’s dagger, and he wasn’t a fighter.

The wind carried a child’s scream. When Hellsfire turned around, he saw a young boy trapped in one of the fiery buildings, screaming for help. No one seemed to notice. The bandits terrorized the village, and its residents struggled to put out the fires.

Without thinking, Hellsfire rushed toward the village and to the small boy. He ran down the hill, slogging through the snow up to his knees. Without his magic there was only one way he was going to free that child. He just hoped that the fire had weakened the wood enough for this to work.

 

Amazon | Kobo | Smashwords

 

About Marc Johnson: 

 Marc Johnson has moved a lot since his parents divorced when he was two. He also can't answer a straight question and has developed a taste for sarcastic wit over the years. Probably also for the same reason.

He hasn't won any awards, but he does have a deep knowledge of Transformers, Star Trek, and The Twilight Zone--his top three geeky loves. He writes because he loves stories and hopes to one day have written something successful as a movie, TV show, comic, book, magazine, and play.

Marc Johnson also loves to game, whether it be video, card, or board. He loves to test his mind in the challenges they bring...until the zombie, alien, or robot apocalypse comes.

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads