Aurora turned toward her godmother. Maleficent was watching Phillip depart. She raised her eyebrows at Aurora.

Aurora walked toward her. “You aren’t still going to insist he’s a mistake.”

“If you suppose that because Prince Phillip turned out to be something of a hero, I am going to say that I like him, you are very much mistaken,” Maleficent said, but there was a light in her eyes and a curve of her lip that belied the words.

“All that proves is that you are still my dear wicked godmother,” Aurora said.

“And you are my fearless beastie,” Maleficent told her. Then she amended the pronouncement. “My fearless queen beastie.”

Epilogue

Would you like to know what it’s like to have your wings again?

Imagine falling, except instead of hitting the ground, you soar.

Imagine beginning to believe that love is never a lie, even if there are liars.

Imagine recalling that cracked bone grows back stronger.

That scars are beautiful.

You might not be quite who you were when you lost the power of flight.

But it is only in having your wings resting heavy on your back again that you realize you always and forever belonged to the sky.

You were always strong and fierce and full of magic.

Even when you were stranded on the ground.

Acknowledgments

Some of the riddles were taken, in part, from Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book. A few were invented by me.

Thank you to Emily Meehan, Brittany Rubiano, and everyone at Disney for letting me play in this world and for making the process of writing this book so much fun. Thank you to Kelly Link, Cassandra Clare, Steve Berman, and Josh Lewis for quickly convening a workshop to help me fix the first draft. Thank you to Sarah Rees Brennan for all your great notes. And apologies to Ursula Grant, who would have given me great notes had I given her the chance. Thank you to my agent, Jo Volpe, for her encouragement and for figuring out an extremely tricky schedule. And huge thanks to my best beloveds, Theo and Sebastian, for making me endless cups of coffee and letting me hole up in my office to get this done.

About the Author

HOLLY BLACK is a number one New York Times best-selling author of over thirty fantasy novels for kids and teens. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into thirty-two languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library.