If he survives his injuries, he’ll be a legend. The first free Reckoner, like the monsters of old stories. None of our beasts have ever lived a natural life or died a natural death. Maybe he’ll be the first. Until then, he’ll roam. He’ll do as he pleases and answer to no one. He’ll be free.

I find the familiar set of handholds built into the Minnow’s side and start the climb up, my legs shaking horribly as I pull them up out of the water. The weight of the armor drags me down, but I push against it, my jaw set, my eyes narrowed. Jeers echo down from above as some of the crew lean out over the railing. I can’t fall. Not now.

I haul myself up to the main deck and roll over the railing, doing my best to land on my feet. Everything feels shaky, and my breaths come in ragged gasps as I meet the captain’s steely gaze.

“Cassandra,” she says, her smile triumphant. “Welcome aboard.”

Swift stands behind her, staring at me with eyes begging for forgiveness that I can’t give. Here and now—this is equal footing, and I won’t back down from it.

I haul in a breath and grin, letting every vicious thing inside me loose as I shift my focus back to Santa Elena and say, “Captain. Call me Cas.”

The End

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

The process of making a book “happen” takes so many people, but in this case, there’s one man who has to be thanked above all others. Thank you so much, Brian Farrey-Latz, for spotting my pitch, for begging the book out of me, for putting this whole thing in motion, for totally upending my senior year of college, and for coming up with that twisted suicide pill thing. Chapter 4 is forever dedicated to you.

Thanks to the whole team at Flux who helped bring this book to life.

To Thao Le, agent extraordinaire, for negotiating contracts, championing me in battle, and loving the way my characters swear.

To the teachers and mentors I’ve had along the way, especially Austin Bunn, who taught me everything from storytelling to launch party logistics, and Elizabeth Briggs, who kept my head on straight when my publishing career went from zero to sixty in the span of one email.

To my first reader, Marisa Perez-Reyes, who told me without hesitation, and I quote, “Dude, this book is going places.”

To my critique partners: Tara Sim, master of crossover AUs and the Stark to my Cap, and Traci Chee, who’s a pirate queen in her own right. To the kids on the NW who got me started and the ones who kept me going long after we’d left it behind. To the Sixteeners braving this journey with me and the bloggers who’ve been cheering us on all the way.