Emeriene (EM-er-een)-Cyndere's closest friend since childhood and highest ranking of her attendants, the sisterlies; wife of Cesylle.

Helpryn (HEL-prin)-Former king of House Bel Amica; husband to Thesera; father of Cyndere and Partayn; died in a shipwreck while exploring the islands of the Mystery Sea.

Henryk (HEN-rik)-A soldier serving as a guard at the harbor caves; father of Deuneroi.

Myrton (MER-tun)-Father of Emeriene; a chemist and gardener.

Partayn (par-TAYN)-Cyndere's older brother; heir to the throne of Bel Amica; a gifted musician; thought to be slain on the road to House Jenta, he was found by Jordam in Cent Regus slavery and rescued.

Petch (PECH)-A youth, captured and enslaved to the beastmen; preoccupied with gaining authority.

Raechyl (RAY-chil)-An artist; enslaved to the beastmen; wife of Batey.

Ryllion (RIL-ee-un)-Disgraced captain of the Bel Amican guard; apprentice to Pretor Xa.

Thesera (TES-er-uh)-Queen of House Bel Amica; widow of King Helpryn; mother of Cyndere and Partayn.

Wilus Caroon (WIL-us ka-ROON)-A guard at the Bel Amican outpost of Tilianpurtth.

House Cent Regus (KENT REJ-us) Jordam (JOR-dum)-First beastman to overcome the Cent Regus Curse through the influence of Auralia's colors and the encouragement of Cyndere.

The Seers Malefyk Xa (MAL-uh-fik kZAH)-A master hunter and trapper and guardian of the Cent Regus Curse.

Palaskyn Xa (Pul-ASK-in kZAH)-Formerly a governor in Bel Amica.

Panner Xa (PAN-er kZAH)-The former overseer of the Mawrnash mine.

Pretor Xa (PRE-ter kZAH)-Formerly a military advisor to Queen Thesera and a mentor for Ryllion.

Skaribek Xa (SKAR-i-bek kZAH)-The fearmongering Moon Prophet.

Tyriban Xa (TEER-i-ban kZAH)-A surgeon and an alteration artist.

Other characters, human and otherwise Dukas (DOOK-us)-A viscorcat, once a faithful companion of Auralia in the forest; eventually discovered in the wild, wounded, and adopted by Deuneroi.

Frits (FRITS)-Overseer of the glass mines north of Fraughtenwood; grandfather of Obrey.

Jayda Weese (JAY-duh WEES)-Manager of Mad Sun's bar north of House Jenta; a former Jentan Defender.

Imityri (im-i-TEER-ee)-Mysterious creatures sought by the Seers; studied by the scholars of the Jentan Aerial.

Milora (mil-O-ruh)-A woman who lost her memory and was discovered by Frits near his glass mine; given the name Milora by Frits in memory of Obrey's mother.

Mousey (MOUS-ee)-An independent slave-seller (or slaver).

Obrey (OB-ree)-Frits's granddaughter; her mother, Milora, died when she was very young.

Old Soro (SOR-o)-A secretive, resourceful healer and kite-master. Reveler (REV-u-lur)-A female Fearblind Dragon.

Scharr ben Fray (SHAR ben FRAY)-A renowned mage who abandoned the Aerial (the scholar-mages of House Jenta); a wandering stonemaster and a wildspeaker; formerly an advisor to Abascar's King Cal-marcus and a mentor to Cal-raven.

Tammos Raak (TAM-os RAK)-Legendary ancestor of the four houses' royal families. Stories say he led the peoples of the Expanse in a daring escape from an oppressor, bringing them over the Forbidding Wall mountains to settle in the Expanse. Accounts disagree regarding the manner and cause of his disappearance.

The Keeper-A massive, mysterious creature who appears in the dreams of all children-and some say the adults as well. Children perceive it to be a benevolent guardian, but most determine that it is only a figment of dreams, probably imagined out of a need for comfort. Some believe it is real and moving about in the wild with vast powers of perception and influence.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

Pass around the goblets, ale boy. It's time to offer toasts of gratitude to many who contributed to this-the final strand of The Auralia Thread.

To Lee Hough at Alive Communications, who showed as much care for my head and heart as he did for all four books in this series. What a blessing! I couldn't have asked for a better agent.

To Shannon Marchese, the senior editor of fiction for the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. She showed patience and discernment throughout, and her faith in my vision for this series has given me courage.

To Carol Bartley, the copyeditor, and the proofreaders, who made sense of an otherworldly encyclopedia, intertwining story lines, and convoluted time lines.

To Steve Parolini (noveldoctor.com), whose attention to characters, pacing, and plot greatly enhanced this series. And I'm grateful for his nearly instantaneous replies in correspondence.

To Kristopher K. Orr, for the fourth enchanting book cover in the series. What a beautiful underground river he discovered! And to Rachel Beatty, for yet another remarkable map of the Expanse.

To my friends at Seattle Pacific University and at Greenlake Presbyterian Church, who listened to me grumble when things got tough and who prayed for me.

To all who encouraged me every day via LookingCloser.org, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, artsandfaith.com, and beyond.

To Gregory Wolfe and his team, who inspire me through Image (imagejournal.org), and to the Glen Workshop community, especially Sara Zarr, Tara and Bryan Owens, and Bob and Laurie Denst. To my kindred spirits in the Thomas Parker Society and the Chrysostom Society. To my friends at the International Arts Movement, especially Kevin Gosa, Alissa Wilkinson, and Christy Tennant. To Steven Purcell and Marcus Goodyear at Laity Lodge, John Wilson at Books and Culture, and Dick Staub at The Kindlings Muse. And to Robert Joustra, Andrew Peterson, R. J. Anderson, Kathy Tyers, Robert Treskillard, Rachel Starr Thomson, Jenni Simmons, S. D. Smith, Esther Maria Swarty, Aaron White, and so many who blessed this series with thoughtful reviews.

To Linda Wagner, John and Margaret Edgell, Peyton Burkhart, and Beth Harris, in whose company Auralia's Colors first took root. To Adrienne Kerrigan and Anastasia Solano, who cooked up delicious support during busy evenings. To Luci Shaw and John Hoyte, godmother and godfather of this series, for their hospitality, generosity, and companionship. To the baristas of The Grinder, Richmond Beach Coffee Company, and Jewel Box Cafe, who kept me caffeinated.

To Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist, whose music fills our lives with beauty and insight and whose counsel and friendship are blessings. Thanks also to Sam Phillips and Joe Henry, whose lyrics gave me big ideas.

To Dad and Mom, for giving me a typewriter and an endless supply of paper when I was a kid. And for their daily prayers.

To Don Pape and Marsha Marks. I still have a hard time believing that they sought me out, showed interest in Auralia's Colors, and opened doors of opportunity. I'll be thanking them for the rest of my life.

To Anne, who made so many sacrifices so I would have time to write. She worked beside me every evening and "weekend" over the last few years as a good listener, a great editor, an inspiring coach, and a resourceful cat wrangler. On so many nights when I collapsed from exhaustion, she soothed my weary mind by reading beautiful new poems and journal entries. She's an extravagant blessing.

Above all, let's raise our glasses to the Almighty Imagination. These stories are my awkward attempts to capture and reflect some of the glory I see in the creation around me and to show gratitude for so many blessings I do not deserve. Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart.

Drink up, dreamers!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

JEFFREY OVERSTREET was raised in Portland, Oregon, and now he lives with his wife, Anne, a poet and editor, in Shoreline, Washington. They write in coffee shops all over the Seattle area. He is the author of Auralia's Colors, Cyndere's Midnight, Raven's Ladder, and a "travelogue of dangerous moviegoing" called Through a Screen Darkly.

An award-winning film critic, Jeffrey writes frequently about art and culture for various Web sites and periodicals-including ImageJournal.org, Paste, and Books and Culture-and he is a frequent guest speaker on cinema, fantasy, and storytelling at conferences and universities around the United States. He is also a contributing editor for Seattle Pacific University's Response magazine.

You can find Jeffrey at LookingCloser.org and on Facebook.

ALSO BY JEFFREY OVERSTREET.

Fiction:.

Auralia's Colors.

Cyndere's Midnight.

Raven's Ladder.

Nonfiction:.

Through a Screen Darkly:.

Looking Closer at Beauty, Truth, and Evil at the Movies.