Page 74 (1/2)

PROLOGUE

Elantris was beautiful, once It was called the city of the gods: a place of power, radiance, and loith an inner light, and that the city contained wondrous arcane reat silvery fire, visible even froreat distance

Yet, as nificent as Elantris was, its inhabitants were more so Their hair a brilliant white, their skin an almost metallic silver, the Elantrians seeends claim that they were immortal, or at least nearly so Their bodies healed quickly, and they were blessed with great strength, insight, and speed They could perforics with a bare wave of the hand; men visited Elantris fros, food, or wisdom They were divinities

And anyone could become one

The Shaod, it was called The Transfor the mysterious hours when life slowed to rest The Shaod could take beggar, craftsman, nobleman, or warrior When it caan anew; he would discard his old, mundane existence, and move to Elantris Elantris, where he could live in bliss, rule in wisdom, and be worshipped for eternity

Eternity ended ten years ago

CHAPTER 1

Prince Raoden of Arelon awoke early that , completely unaware that he had been da in the soft ht Just outside his open balcony s he could see the enor a deep shadow over the smaller city of Kae, where Raoden lived Elantris’s walls were incredibly high, but Raoden could see the tops of black towers rising behind them, their broken spires a clue to the fallen majesty hidden within

The abandoned city seemed darker than usual Raoden stared at it for a e Elantrian walls were inore, but people of Kae tried very hard to do just that It was painful to reo the blessing of the Shaod had become a curse instead…

Raoden shook his head, climbi

ng out of bed It was unusually warm for such an early hour; he didn’t feel even a bit chilly as he threw on his robe, then pulled the servant’s cord beside his bed, indicating that he wanted breakfast

That was another odd thing He was hungry—very hungry Ale breakfasts, but thisimpatiently for his meal to arrive Finally, he decided to send so

“Ien?” he called in the unlit chambers

There was no response Raoden frowned slightly at the Seon’s absence Where could Ien be?

Raoden stood, and as he did, his eyes fell on Elantris again Resting in the great city’s shadow, Kae seee by comparison Elantris An enormous, ebony block—not really a city anyhtly

A knock came at his door

“Finally,” Raoden said, walking over to pull open the door Old Elao stood outside with a tray of fruit and warm bread

The tray dropped to the ground with a crash, slipping froers even as Raoden reached out to accept it Raoden froze, the tray’shallway

“Merciful Do as she reached up to grab the Korathi pendant at her neck

Raoden reached out, but theon a small melon in her haste to escape

“What?” Raoden asked Then he saw his hand What had been hidden in the shadows of his darkened roo lantern

Raoden turned, throwing furniture out of his way as he stumbled to the tall rown just strong enough for hier’s reflection

His blue eyes were the sah they ith terror His hair, however, had changed froray The skin was the worst The mirrored face was covered with sickly black patches, like dark bruises The splotches could

The Shaod had come upon him

The Elantris city gate boo sound of finality Raoden sluhts numbed by the day’s events

It was as if hisIadon, hadn’t aze as he ordered the priests to prepare his son and throw him into Elantris It had been done swiftly and quietly; Iadon couldn’t afford to let it be known that the crown prince was an Elantrian Ten years ago, the Shaod would havepeople into silver-skinned deities, it changed them into sickly monstrosities