“Not entirely.” She sighs and extends an open palm, watching as the snow lands upon her skin. “I have come to persuade. You have always controlled people sideways. Manipulating and guiding, but never directly confronting.”

“Spoken like an Earthwitch.”

“But in the end, no human can truly be another’s puppet—and no human can truly be a puppeteer. You would have been better served telling them the truth, just as you would have a thousand years ago with the Six. With me.”

He glares at her now, unable to maintain his careful cool. She has always had this effect on him. “I was not the one to betray you, Saria. The Lament was wrong. The one who turned on five was never me.”

“No,” she says with a sad smile. “I don’t think it was.” Her hand finally falls, and she turns away from the Rook King, away from the dark, whispering stream between them.

“I tried to give the Cahr Awen an army,” he calls after her, more bitter than he wants to be—and certainly more bitter than he wants Saria to hear. “I tried to give them soldiers that would keep them safe, but they rejected my plans in the end.”

“You mean they rejected you.” She glances back with her glittering teardrop eyes. “Just as She once did. Because you love no one but yourself and you will always be alone.” Then, as she strides away once more, leaving tiny footprints in her wake, a soft song ripples across the clearing:

“Never trust what you see in the shadows,

for Trickster he hides in darkness and dapples.

High in a tree, deep underground,

never trust when Trickster’s around.”

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are always so many people to thank at the end of a book. This book in particular was a beast—the ultimate craft challenge of my life while I was going through a lot of personal upheaval too. It took me far more time than any other book to finish, and I owe so many thanks to the incredible team at Tor Teen for supporting me the entire way. And I also have to shout-out to my editors, Diana Gill and Lindsey Hall. This book finally found its shape because of you.

To my friends Alex Bracken, Erin Bowman, Leigh Bardugo, Victoria Aveyard, and Shanna Hughes: I leaned on you all so hard throughout this book, creatively and emotionally. Thank you for always being there.

To Melody Simpson, Samantha Tan, Sanya Macadam, Melissa Lee, Cait Listro: thank you for being early readers who helped me both fix the gaping story holes and find the problematic plot points—all while cheering me on when I needed it most.

To Joanna Volpe, Jordan Hill, Abigail Donoghue, and the entire team at New Leaf: we’ve been together a decade—can you believe it?—and you’re still the best advocates and friends a gal could ever ask for.