Hysan is manning the helm, and Mathias and Pandora are in a cabin as I roam the ship, missing Nishi and Stan and Deke, who by all rights should be here with us.
And yet I know they are. Because I can feel them. It’s like Stan said—they’re in my heart, feeding my light, making me who I am.
I watch the mythical House Ophiuchus recede through the glass, and so much of the Dark Matter is gone by now that it must be visible to astronomers and seers alike. There won’t be any denying its existence anymore—but we’ll have to make sure no one disturbs the Ophiuchans as they rebuild their home.
The greatest danger now is forgetting.
I slip into the seat beside Hysan, whose furrowed brow tells me he’s still thinking of Neith, the only true friend he had his whole life. I plant a kiss on his cheek, and he turns to me, and his mouth curves into that irresistible centaur smile.
“I love you,” I say.
“I love you more than everything, Rho.”
As we soar through Space, I think about Ophiuchus and Aquarius, and I wonder if they’re watching us now and guiding our destinies. And even though I’ve always loved reading the stars, I no longer think their visions are all that important.
Prophecies are helpful, but they’re not real. What’s real are the people we surround ourselves with, the ones we love and admire and rely on. The stars do what they can, but ultimately, we have to trust only what we can touch.
An Ephemeris can show us a million different futures, but the only one that counts is the one we make for ourselves.
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THE END
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
Writing this series has been the most rewarding experience of my life, and I will be forever grateful to everyone who’s been a part of it.
To every single reader who’s stuck by Rho through all four books—in any language—I am beyond mind-blown that you’ve taken this trip to the Zodiac with me. Hearing from you guys has brought me so much joy and love and laughter, and I am so grateful for your support. I’m always happy to answer your questions about the series, just find me on social media.
Marissa Grossman, thank you for guiding me through this darkest part of Rho’s journey and for shining your brilliant light whenever I couldn’t find my way.
Ben Schrank and Casey McIntyre, thank you for taking this chance on me and making my dreams come true.
Vanessa Han, thank you for a fourth fabulous cover and for designing the best-looking series I’ve ever seen!
Laura Rennert, thank you for fighting for me and for believing in me and for always being there.
Morgan Rhodes, thank you for your beautiful blurb—I’ve loved seeing it on every Z cover!
Thank you to the stellar teams at Penguin Random House, Del Nuevo Extremo, Oceano México, Ediciones Urano Colombia, Michel Lafon, Piper Verlag, Pegasus, AST Mainstream, Karakter, Grupa Wydawnicza Foksal, and Alpha Books Company.
Thank you to the booksellers and librarians and educators and bloggers and reviewers and everyone else who spends any part of their day promoting reading to teens. You are my heroes.
Thank you to all the local LA authors and aspiring authors I’ve met along the way—I’ve learned so much from you, and I love being part of such an active and caring community.
Thank you to all my friends and family who have been so supportive of me the past few years. Now that I’m back from the Zodiac, I hope to see more of you!
In particular, I need to name-drop a few friends who got me through the end of this series (in alphabetical order because I’m a Virgo): Tomi Adeyemi, Lizzie Andrews, Caden Armstrong, Jay Asher, Russell Chadwick, Aurora Lydia Dominguez, Corinne Farkash, Vane Florio, Will Frank, Aditi Khorana, Tomás Lambré, Nicole Maggi, Ashley Moore, Robin Potts, Robin Reul, Luli Sulichin, and of course, Liz Tingue, whose faith changed my stars.
Fanny, te adoro. Brillas más que Helios. Gracias por compartir tu luz tan especial con todos los que te rodeamos.
Baba y Bebo, los mejores abuelos del mundo, los extra?o todos los días.
Pa, Ma, Meli, y Andy—Los adoro. Me pone tan feliz poder compartir esta aventura con ustedes. Son lo que más quiero en el universo y son mi inspiración en todo lo que hago. Gracias por ser mis mejores amigos.