The Prophecy of Shadows (28 page)

They all thought that the harpy had died because I’d staked it with a stalagmite. And they could never know the truth. Because using black energy … it was illegal. If anyone found out about what I could do, I could have my powers stripped. Or worse.

I shivered at the thought, and wrapped my arms around myself. I didn’t want to know what the Head Elders might do to me if they found out about the true extent of my abilities. Which was why I had to keep them secret from everyone—even from the other Elementals.

“We should clean up,” I said, changing the subject. “And I guess we’ll be needing a new target. That one is pretty …”

“Cooked?” Blake smirked, finishing my sentence. “Fried?”

“Yeah.” I laughed. “Exactly.”

“I’ll help you clean up, but I won’t be the one telling Darius,” Kate said. “That’s up to one of you.”

We didn’t have time to debate who would be telling him that we’d destroyed yet
another
piece of training equipment, because he came running into the practice room, swinging the door open with so much force that it banged against the wall. His eyes were wide, his hair mussed up, and his glasses crooked on the tip of his nose.

“Gather your weapons and meet me at my van.” He looked at each of us, unfazed by the charred target. “A monster’s been spotted at the Hemlock Center.”

* * *

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I wrote Elementals when I was a senior in college, and it’s come a long way since then. I’m so happy to finally be able to share it with you!

First of all, a big thanks to Anne Madow, Christine Witthohn, and Brent Taylor, who helped me through multiple rounds of edits with this book.

My writing professors, Twila Papay and Phillip Deaver—thank you for approving my independent study in college, as this was the book that resulted from that.

My publicists, Danielle Barclay and Cameron Yeager—thank you so much for EVERYTHING you do! An amazing team is necessary for an author, and I’m so happy to be able to work with both of you.

Elise Kova—thank you for your amazing marketing advice, and for being such an incredible author friend! Your success with Air Awakens inspired me to publish Elementals. I’m so happy to be on this journey together!

Kim Killion, my cover designer, and her assistant Megan Jordan—the cover is AMAZING! The moment I saw it, I was in awe. It’s so perfect for the book, and I can’t wait to see the covers for the rest of the series!

My brother, Steven Madow—you’ve always said that Elementals is your favorite book of mine. Thank you for your constant enthusiasm and for helping me believe that this book deserved to be published.

My dad, Richard Madow—thank you for encouraging and supporting my goal to publish Elementals, and for believing in my goal to be a hybrid author. And thank you for helping me edit the back cover blurb.

My mom, Anne Madow—thank you for helping me with all the detail-oriented tasks so that I can focus on writing more books!

And, of course, my Street Team, for being the best fans EVER!

Michelle Madow writes fast-paced YA (young adult) fiction that will leave you turning the pages wanting more!

She's always loved writing stories, but the possibility of being an author used to feel more like a dream than a reality. She didn’t share her stories with anyone until her junior year of college, when she signed up for an Intro to Creative Writing course. Her teacher and classmates read the first chapter of a book idea she had, and they loved it so much that they told her she had to finish the book so they could find out what happened next. By the end of the school year, Michelle finished that book, which would later be published as her first novel.

Michelle grew up in Baltimore, and now lives in Boca Raton, Florida, where she writes books for young adults. Some of her favorite things are: reading, pizza, traveling, shopping, time travel, Broadway musicals, and spending time with friends and family. Michelle has toured across America to promote her books and to encourage high school students to embrace reading and writing. Someday, she hopes to travel the world for a year on a cruise ship.

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