Page 31 of Let's Talk One True Mate

9—Other Worlds

1—Orion’s Belt. The world that Crew traveled to when he went to sleep. Also the world that Trent travels to when he goes to sleep, although he has no conscious remembrance. Dahlia was sent to this world for one night, in order to meet Crew. She named it Orion’s Belt because of three bright stars that reminded her of the scabbard in the constellation, Orion’s Belt, back home. Trent remembers those stars as the constellation of the Great Wolves: Orion, Cassion, and Passion. First introduced in book 3 (Crew and Dahlia) and revisited in book 10 (Trent and Rowan).

2—Dilmer’s World. This is the world that Heather and Graeme flew through during book 2, trying to get home quicker. Heather saw an injustice and she put a stop to it, leaving her pendant in the world with the boy, Caius. At the end of book 2, Trevor gave Ella her pendant and when she touched it, it sent her to this world for just a moment. In book 3 (Crew and Dahlia), Dahlia was sent to this world to get Heather’s pendant back and Crew followed her. First introduced in book 2 (Heather and Graeme), then revisited in book 3 (Crew and Dahlia). This world will be seen again.

3—McManus World. This is the world where Heather and Graeme found Dahlia’s mom during book 3 (Crew and Dahlia).

10—Maps

This was my first attempt at a real map. It’s cute, right? Ha ha. It didn’t do the job so I tried again.

My second attempt. See SPD with the radio tower on top of one of the biggest buildings? That’s my favorite part. Unfortunately, this is still inadequate—it’s too small, too compressed, too unrealistic, too non-artistic, too fuckedupistic. That’s fine though. This was me learning.

My third attempt, in an 18x24 inch artist’s notebook, with a plastic overlay laid on top to give important place names. This was bigger and allowed for more of an actual town, which I needed. I’ve since realized that the town needs to be expanded, and also shifted to the right and down below that highway south of SFD. I’ll do that work after 11 is done and published—this map will suffice until then.

Here it is with more detail, and without the plastic overlay. Don’t get attached. Much of this will change. Where most things are relative to each other won’t change, and the spirit and concept of things won’t change… I just need to spread town out and shift it right and down. The reason for this is that the wolf statue needs to be exactly where it is, up there in the top right, but it also needs to be able to be considered north of town, while the catamount statue is west of town and the bear statue is east of town, which will make the locations of the statues line up with the territories of the guardians in the meadow.

12—Prologue 1 of One True Mate 11

Serenity, Illinois, U.S.A.

11 months ago

The day the demon Khain lured Ella into the Pravus, then Trevor offered himself as trade, and a rescue team went in after them both as seen in One True Mate 1

Part 1—The Forest

The old woman moved alone through the morning-bright forest, her head down and her eyes on the ground. She was a witch and afoxen, and she had important business that day.

She stood just under five feet tall—compact, and slightly stooped, wearing a thick, long, wool dress, a cloak with hood, and lace-up boots. On her shoulders lay an intact mink pelt, fashioned as a stole. In her hand was a twisted walking stick, which she jabbed into the ground every few feet.

Jab. Jab.

“Here,” she said quietly. “The very center of his home is here.”

She walked outward from the spot in a spiral, jabbing as she went, moving around trees and through underbrush.

Jab. Jab jab. Jab.

“The mind-gate will open here.”

Jab. Jab.

“The Fates say the Promised will come through first, then two dirty wolves, then Boe.”

She raised her head and looked up, pointing the walking stick directly north.

“There—that’s the direction he’ll run in.”

The woman reached to her shoulder and grabbed the head of the mink pelt just behind its tiny ears, then she licked the thumb on her other hand and pressed it to the nose of the thing. A crimson puff of smoke rose into the air. The mink shook, then filled with life, its dead eyes brightening, its belly inflating. It stood like a weasel, balancing precariously, then stretched its long back and ran down the woman’s clothes to the ground, where it screeched. At the noise, two mice emerged from the woman’s cloak and scampered to the ground.

She produced a cloth bag from a hidden pocket, and dropped it to the ground. The mink ran to the bag and nosed the top flap open, revealing at least a hundred tiny black balls. The mice and the mink took a ball in their mouth and ran off a little ways. Each animal placed their ball in a different spot: one stuck on the base of a tree, one nestled between the leaves of a small plant, and one pressed into the bark of a fallen log. Once placed, each animal ran back to the bag and took another black ball, repeating the process in an ever-widening spherical pattern.

When the bag was finally empty, the mink grabbed it with sharp teeth and ran up the woman’s clothes, putting the bag in her hand. She stuffed it in an inner pocket.

“Now the escape route,” she said.

The mink squeaked then ran away to the north. The mice followed. The woman followed as well, slowly. After severalpaces, she turned and surveyed the area. She lifted her walking stick and twirled it once in the air, then threw it to the ground, then took a leather cord with multiple knots tied in it from an inner pocket and held it up by the lowest knot.

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