A Thief of Nightshade (41 page)

Grant couldn’t wrap his head around it, but as he turned to face the others, he realized that as unreal as it all seemed, he, too,

had

felt

Aubrey’s

presence,

particularly as of late.

“Tell her,” Grant said, “that I love her. And I’m sorry I never told her when she was here.”

“She knows, Daddy. She said you’d say that.” Aubrey giggled like she’d been let in on some private joke. And at that moment, Grant was tempted to believe that perhaps his daughter had been.

“Did she say anything else?” He fought for clarity in his words.

“That I have the best daddy in the world.” Aubrey smiled, her little grin as innocent and unaware as her namesake’s had once been. And for the first time in decades, Grant felt nearly whole.

I SAY ANYTHING AT ALL, A
HUGE
special thanks goes out to Wendi Doblin, whose help this year in revising and polishing has been immeasurable.

Truly. I can’t believe how many times you’ve read over some of my manuscripts, how deeply you’ve gone into unedited slush in order to help me fine-tune the little things, or how dedicated you’ve been to cheering me on. One day I’ll figure out a way to repay you for all of the hard work and passion you put into being an alpha reader, but until then ... know that I love you and I appreciate everything you do. And I swear your book is coming

soon!

Two girls sat on a bench, on the Riverwalk, in the summer of 2000. Their names were Breanne Rowe and Diana Best. They were both single at the time ...

and somewhat moody (with good cause of course). On that bench near the water’s edge, they sat and wrote out a list (I’ve been sworn to secrecy on its contents). At some point, I’m told near #23 on the list, a boat full of rednecks got stranded on a pile of rocks in the middle of the river.

The girls just watched, and being the heartless co-eds that they were, they laughed at the drunken men who’d gotten stuck. The water was shallow enough to get to the other side, but the men didn’t want to leave their Bud Light and fishing gear, and so a gloriously funny scene ensued ... and the girls watched for the next four hours. You’ll be pleased to know that the men were rescued, but the beer suffered an unfortunate demise.

That day, Breanne promised Diana that one day, when she grew up to become a writer, that she would write her a book about a prince.

This is that book.

However, as most stories do, this one took an unintentional turn. This was supposed to be a light-hearted fairytale. It wasn’t

supposed

to

be

deep

or

emotionally weighty. Oops.

So, in a way, this book is also for someone else: Actually ... a great many others. You see, this book was also written for all those girls who have experienced, even in part, the things that Aubrey went through. Diana and I (J.S. is a pen name, if you haven’t figured that out yet) both had ideal childhoods. We were loved and kept safe. We were taken care of and supported. But not everyone is as blessed as we were. This book is for those who weren’t safe from their parents, or uncles or neighbors. This book is for all those girls who wished for princes, but had to rescue themselves from the darkness ... and for those who succumbed to it.

But mostly, this is for those still fighting. If you or someone you know is being abused, or has suffered abuse, please reach out for help.

And I’m always here. If you need more detailed information on where to go to find help in your area, you can contact me

through

my

email

address:

[email protected].

Reader Guide

Questions

1. In Nightshade, Aubrey’s family had wealth beyond what most of us can imagine. How do you think that impacted the reaction she had to her abuse? Would it have been different had she been of meager means?

2. Time is a constant theme throughout the story. Clocks are mentioned several different places for a very specific reason. Can you identify at least two times and guess their significance?

3. Grant has a child at the end that he has named after Aubrey. How do you think her absence affected his decisions? What about

Harrington

and

Samantha’s

relationship, do you think that had anything to do with Aubrey’s disappearance?

4. Disguise is a tool used by Given when she approaches Aubrey and Aislinn outside of the Crimson Stair in Rheavon, and in some ways even by Aislinn himself when he doesn’t immediately reveal his relation to Jullian. How do these deceptions change the story?

5. What do you think would have happened had Tabor told Aubrey that he’d given her his life?

6. Compare and contrast Given and Aubrey. How are they alike? How are they different?

7. Compare and contrast Grant and Aislinn. How are they alike? How are they different?

8. In most of Chancellor’s works there are mirrors ... some are literal, some figurative. Other than the soul mirror, can you identify any other mirrors in this particular novel? Hint: The dark night that surrounded Aubrey and Jullian in the garden was mirrored in the opposing bright light of the final scene with Saralia.

9. Imprisonment is another theme that runs throughout Nightshade. How does the level of imprisonment change for Aubrey through the progression of the narrative?

10. If Jullian hadn’t been taken by the Sidhe, do you think he would have found the courage to tell Aubrey about his world?

11. The relationship between Saralia and her daughter is briefly touched on, but not covered in-depth. Why do you think Saralia hated her so much?

12. The number three appears in the novel multiple times. How does this correlate with the concept of the past, present and future? How do the dynamics change when a fourth variable is added to a set of three (Given’s addition to Aislinn, Aubrey and Lipsey, for example)?

13. Given the scope of the world of Avalar, if there were ever a sequel written, what do you think it would be about? Who would it be written about?

14. How does this novel compare thematically to Chancellor’s other works?

How is alike? How is it different?

15. Nightshade as a drug, versus our vices here in the real world ... what do you think it represents in the novel? What does the title mean?

16. How did Aubrey change as a person through the progression of the novel? How did Aislinn change? Given?

J.S. CHANCELLOR, WHOSE PERSONAL

MOTTO IS,
“woe is the writer who mounts their merit on the masses,” started writing stories when she was still in grade school, and finished her first fantasy novella at the age of 14. She drafted chapter one of the
Guardians of Legend
trilogy when she was a freshman in high school, sitting on a stool in front of a piano bench, in her parents’ den. It wasn’t until she was 25

when a resident at the apartment complex where she worked lovingly made a casual remark about her procrastination that her passion for fantasy fiction took center stage. Since then she’s focused all of her efforts on writing.
A Thief of Nightshade
holds a special place in the heart of J.S.

J.S. Chancellor actively maintains a blog dedicated to the art of crafting fiction. She currently resides in Georgia.

• Chapter One
  
• Chapter Two
  
• Chapter Three
  
• Chapter Four
  
• Chapter Five
  
• Chapter Six
  
• Chapter Seven
  
• Chapter Eight
  
• Chapter Nine
  
• Chapter Ten
  
• Chapter Eleven
  
• Chapter Twelve
  
• Chapter Thirteen
  
• Chapter Fourteen
  
• Chapter Fifteen
  
• Chapter Sixteen
  
• Chapter Seventeen
  
• Chapter Eighteen
  
• Chapter Nineteen
  
• Chapter Twenty
  
• Chapter Twenty-one
  
• Chapter Twenty-two
  
• Chapter Twenty-three
  
• Chapter Twenty-four
  
• Chapter Twenty-five
  
• Chapter Twenty-six
  
• Chapter Twenty-seven
  
• Chapter Twenty-eight
  
• Chapter Twenty-nine
  
• Chapter Thirty
  
• Acknowledgement
  
• Reader Guide Questions