Gathering Darkness (34 page)

With Alexius gone, she had no one to guide or teach her.

Her magic burned within her, her ring blazed on her finger, but despite the pain and suffering of this night, she'd never felt more powerful in her entire life.

“Will you help me?” he asked again when silence fell between them.

He was dangerous—she felt it down in her very soul. The price of this young man's freedom would be forged from pain, death, and fire.

“Yes,” she said.

The single word sealed her fate.

Standing there on the steep Limerian cliffs, she was ready to watch the world burn.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My deepest thanks go to Elizabeth Tingue, my wonderful editor, and Ben Schrank, my fantastic publisher. To the incredible Penguin Teen team: Laura Arnold, Erin Berger, Elizabeth Zajac, Jessica Shoffel, Anna Jarzab, and Casey McIntyre, to name but a few. Every author should be lucky enough to get the chance to work with you all. Artsy thanks to Emily Osborne and Shane Rebenschied who outdid themselves yet again with this utterly stunning cover that I just want to stare at all day. A million thank yous to the team at Penguin Canada. And thank you, as always, to my awesome agent Jim McCarthy.

Thank you to my amazing family and friends who are always there to support me in person or online.

And thank you, thank you to the fabulous readers who've embraced the Falling Kingdoms series. I sincerely hope you enjoy the third book in this epic tale!

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