Chasing the Prophecy (Beyonders) (126 page)

This is probably the last you will ever hear from me. I don’t
expect another chance to send a message. Please don’t waste your energy looking for me. I am truly beyond your reach. I have risked my life many times to help save this land from a terrible threat. Several of my closest friends gave their lives. In the end we succeeded. As a result there is now so much potential here.

Please don’t worry about me. I miss you, but I am also very happy. The first time I went to Lyrian was by accident. It was what really happened when I vanished. The amnesia was a cover story. I was never content after returning. This second time I came to Lyrian on purpose, and I am staying voluntarily. This is where I belong now. I love you both. My only regret about being here is that I will never see you again. Everything else is better than I could have hoped for.

There is no need to let others know about my true fate. It would just make us all look crazy. But I wanted you to know. Use your best judgment on whether to tell any other family members. If you talk to them, tell them I love and miss them, too. Please take good care of Shadow.

You are wonderful parents. I appreciate all you have given me and all you have done for me. I’m sorry if my disappearance seems ungrateful. Please know that after everyone I have met here, and everything I have gone through, I never could have been satisfied in our world.

Sorry if I come across like a lunatic. Sorry if this note somehow makes my disappearance worse. I sent this with good intentions. I had to try.

All my love forever,

Jason

W
ow! I can hardly believe I finished Beyonders. This was the first story I set out to tell as an author. I wrote the first draft of book one right after graduating from college. About four years later, the first book I ended up selling to a publisher was
Fablehaven
, and I wrote all five of those, plus
Candy Shop War,
before returning to Beyonders. By the time I got back to it, I had learned a lot as a writer, so I wanted to make some major adjustments, and my editor, Liesa Abrams, gave me a bunch of great suggestions that changed things even more. As a result, I totally rewrote the first Beyonders book, although I kept most of the same characters and problems. I feel lucky that the original version of Beyonders was never published, because I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

Thank you, dear reader, for sticking with me through this series. Your interest lets me do this for a living. Thank you for buying my books, for downloading my books, for telling people about my books, and for asking for them at the library. I love telling stories, and you enable me to keep doing it. I dedicated this book to you, and I meant it.

I need to give lots of thanks to Liesa Abrams, who worked
long and hard on this book with me. This was a big story, and this last book had more extensive edits than any other I’ve written. Liesa did tons to make this story better. Simon Lipskar, my brilliant agent, not only helps keep me employed, but also contributed some really smart ideas that improved this story.

I owe a lot of thanks to the whole team at Simon & Schuster. This includes Mara Anastas, Bethany Buck, Anna McKean, Fiona Simpson, Paul Crichton, Lucille Rettino, Carolyn Swerdloff, Mary Marotta, and the entire sales team. They got behind this book in a big way. Thanks as well to Lauren Forte, Lisa Vega, Jeannie Ng, and James Riley.

Other early readers who gave feedback include Mary Mull, Sadie Mull, Bryson and Cherie Mull, Pamela Mull, Summer Mull, Jason and Natalie Conforto, Chris Schoebinger, Liz Saban, Wesley Saban, and the ever-diligent Tucker Davis.

My family deserves special thanks. My job makes me travel a lot, and I often have to write long hours, but they’re supportive and patient, and my wife helps me work through all sorts of story issues. I love them very much.

Beyonders is over, but I have more stuff coming. It won’t be long before some new series begin. I have really exciting ideas for future stories, and I can’t wait to share them. You can find out more at
brandonmull.com
, fan me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter
@brandonmull
.

W
ow! I can hardly believe I finished Beyonders. This was the first story I set out to tell as an author. I wrote the first draft of book one right after graduating from college. About four years later, the first book I ended up selling to a publisher was
Fablehaven
, and I wrote all five of those, plus
Candy Shop War,
before returning to Beyonders. By the time I got back to it, I had learned a lot as a writer, so I wanted to make some major adjustments, and my editor, Liesa Abrams, gave me a bunch of great suggestions that changed things even more. As a result, I totally rewrote the first Beyonders book, although I kept most of the same characters and problems. I feel lucky that the original version of Beyonders was never published, because I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

Thank you, dear reader, for sticking with me through this series. Your interest lets me do this for a living. Thank you for buying my books, for downloading my books, for telling people about my books, and for asking for them at the library. I love telling stories, and you enable me to keep doing it. I dedicated this book to you, and I meant it.

I need to give lots of thanks to Liesa Abrams, who worked
long and hard on this book with me. This was a big story, and this last book had more extensive edits than any other I’ve written. Liesa did tons to make this story better. Simon Lipskar, my brilliant agent, not only helps keep me employed, but also contributed some really smart ideas that improved this story.

I owe a lot of thanks to the whole team at Simon & Schuster. This includes Mara Anastas, Bethany Buck, Anna McKean, Fiona Simpson, Paul Crichton, Lucille Rettino, Carolyn Swerdloff, Mary Marotta, and the entire sales team. They got behind this book in a big way. Thanks as well to Lauren Forte, Lisa Vega, Jeannie Ng, and James Riley.

Other early readers who gave feedback include Mary Mull, Sadie Mull, Bryson and Cherie Mull, Pamela Mull, Summer Mull, Jason and Natalie Conforto, Chris Schoebinger, Liz Saban, Wesley Saban, and the ever-diligent Tucker Davis.

My family deserves special thanks. My job makes me travel a lot, and I often have to write long hours, but they’re supportive and patient, and my wife helps me work through all sorts of story issues. I love them very much.

Beyonders is over, but I have more stuff coming. It won’t be long before some new series begin. I have really exciting ideas for future stories, and I can’t wait to share them. You can find out more at
brandonmull.com
, fan me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter
@brandonmull
.

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

www.SimonandSchuster.com

First Aladdin hardcover edition March 2013

Copyright © 2013 by Brandon Mull

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

ALADDIN is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and related logo is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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.

Designed by Lisa Vega

The text of this book was set in Goudy Old Style.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Mull, Brandon, 1974-

Chasing the prophecy / Brandon Mull. — 1st Aladdin hardcover ed.

p. cm. — (Beyonders ; bk. 3)

Summary: Jason and Rachel’s adventures and friendships have made Lyrian more of a home to them than they could have imagined, so now, armed with the prophecy of a dying oracle, they are ready to become Lyrian’s heroes whatever the cost to themselves.

ISBN 978-1-4169-9796-2 (hardcover edition) — ISBN 978-1-4169-9800-6 (eBook. edition)

[1. Space and time—Fiction. 2. Prophecies—Fiction. 3. Revolutions—Fiction. 4. Wizards—Fiction. 5. Magic—Fiction. 6. Heroes—Fiction. 7. Fantasy.] I. Title.

PZ7.M9112Ch 2013   [Fic]—dc23   2012035223