I obliged, but it was the same thing. Just another map showing how isolated and alone we were on this peninsula. But . . .
“What is this?” Tobiah skimmed his finger down the eastern coast of the Indigo Kingdom. It was just a narrow space, but there was no color to mark wraith. He looked up. “Are these backward?”
“Look at the next page,” she said again, grinning.
On the third map, the wraith-free band was a breath wider.
I could hardly breathe. “The wraith is retreating?”
Melanie shook her head. “We’ve had people monitoring the Indigo shore since the barrier went up, and they all agree it’s not retreating. But when it reaches the bay, it changes. It’s healing.”
Healing.
“How quickly?” Tobiah whispered.
Melanie nodded at the maps in my hand. “These were from the last day. Since the barrier went up.”
Hope thrummed in my chest. “We could make more barriers and send them farther inland, to lakes and rivers. We could heal the land from within.”
“Maybe.”
Or maybe it wasn’t simply the barrier pieces, but the strength of James and Chrysalis and their decision to do anything to protect the people they loved most.
I knew Tobiah was wondering the same thing.
“What should we do now?” Melanie took the papers from me and laid them on the desk.
“We should tell someone.” I took Tobiah’s hand and Melanie’s hand and pulled them to the balcony. “We should tell everyone.”
Outside, a gibbous moon lit the sky, surrounded by a scattering of stars. Reflected light glowed over the courtyard below; Connor’s silver mirror still shimmered across the wall, an undeniable reminder of that night’s events, and the truth about mirrors.
I pushed my voice to project as far as possible. “Citizens of Aecor!”
People began to stop, one by one, and look up. Waiting.
I squeezed my friends’ hands and pulled them close. “None of us were here when the wraith problem began. But for the first time in a hundred years, there’s hope. Hope that we will be here when it ends.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing this book felt a lot like stopping the wraith. Most of the time, it seemed too big, too impossible, and I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do it without the aid and encouragement from many, many people.
Lauren MacLeod, my agent, whose faith was unwavering, who always championed me, and who reminded me (several times) that I’d written difficult books before and I would write this one, too.
Laurel Symonds, my editor, who should be awarded sainthood for her patience and hard work on this book. I don’t think there’s any way to properly thank you for sticking with me on this, but know that I am grateful every day.
Katherine Tegen, Queen of KTB. Thank you for giving Wilhelmina a home with all the remarkable books you publish.
Alana Whitman, Lauren Flower, Rosanne Romanello, and Margot Wood, Ladies of Marketing and Publicity. book shimmy
Amy Ryan, Erin Fitzsimmons, and Colin Anderson, the amazing team responsible for the Orphan Queen series covers (including novellas!). They are the prettiest things I’ve ever seen.
All the love to the best friends a girl could have, including Christine Nguyen, C. J. Redwine, Gabrielle Harvey, Jaime Lee Moyer, Jillian Boehme, Kathleen Peacock, Myra McEntire, Stacey Lee, and Wendy Beer, for always having my back; Brodi Ashton and Cynthia Hand, my amazing My Lady Jane co-authors who never fail to make me laugh; and Joy Hensley and Valerie Cole, who endured many long hours of listening to me talk about this book. The Mirror King wouldn’t be what it is without every one of you.
Special thanks to C. J. Redwine (again!) and Danielle Paige, who said such nice things about The Orphan Queen.
Love to Hayley Farris, the most joyful person I know. Cookies to Alexa Santiago, my pretend assistant who always keeps our pretend office stocked with pretend cookies. The #OQSupportGroup, who not only supports other readers upon reaching the end of OQ, but the whole series as well. I hope you still like me after you read this book.
My mom, who’s read everything I’ve ever written and always believed in me. My sister, who called me to scream the moment she finished The Orphan Queen and was one of the first people to read The Mirror King. My husband, who made sure I had plenty of cookies and emotional support.
God, with whom all things are indeed possible. Including writing this book.
And, as always, thank you to my wonderful readers. Librarians, teachers, bloggers, and people who lurk in bookstores—I hope you love this book as much as I do.