Garret drew closer. “I’m not your enemy, Princess,” he said. His red hair blew in a sudden draft and he smiled. “You have never believed me, but I wish to help you. That’s all I’ve ever tried to do.”
She lifted her blade as sweat trickled down her face. “Prove it,” she said. “Tell me what the Council is plotting and I’ll let you live.”
“I could do that,” Garret said leaning forward. “But I won’t. At least not yet.”
“I hate to break it to you, Garret, but I am a little pressed for time.”
He smiled. “I’m sure you are. With everyone in the Hall of Virtues, now is the perfect time to sneak out of the castle. I’ll make you a deal. I’ll tell you what I know . . . if you take me with you.”
Everything in her went still. “With me? Why?”
“Because I know who you are.” He stepped closer. “And I know what you are meant to do.”
The crown was heavy. The deep blue robe Elder Cestrum had placed on his shoulders was hot. He took deep breaths to quiet the straining he felt in his chest, then called the Elders over.
“Tell the High Lords I wish to see all of them tomorrow. Now that I am King there is a war to be won and they will help me win it.”
“I’m sure the High Lords will be happy to give their advice, Your Majesty.” Elder Cestrum nodded.
“I don’t need their advice,” he spat. “I just need their men. Their own regions will be better defended when Adderton is brought to heel. My father and Micah must be avenged. And we must prove to all the kingdoms—and the Bastians who many still support—that we will not tolerate those who do not walk in the light.”
“We will tell the High Lords you require their presence, Your Majesty,” Elder Ulrich said, stepping next to Elder Jacobs. “If you are certain that is the path you wish to take.”
“It is,” he said, remembering the night he and Imogen made these plans. She might be gone, but her words and her love would guide him from the grave.
“You can’t be serious,” Errik said as Garret followed Carys down the trapdoor to the stairs below.
Pain flared in her legs. She leaned against the wall and explained, “Garret has information about the Council that I need for when I return. And about . . . my past. He’s coming.”
“Are you certain you will return, Highness?” Errik stepped forward and put a hand on her arm. “You could leave Eden and all its problems behind. You could be free of this place . . . forever.”
She thought of her brother—seated this moment on the throne, mistakenly believing he was in control. She thought of the people of Garden City who had watched her struggle and raised their banners to honor her fight that so mirrored their own.
“I have no choice. When I am stronger, I will come back to Eden and fight against all who would bring it down—whether it be Adderton, the Council, or someone yet to be uncovered.”
“What about your brother?” he asked gently. “Do you believe he will welcome your return?”
He wouldn’t have a choice. The rules of the Trials guaranteed it.
“My brother can wait. We have to go.”
“With Garret.” Lord Errik sighed.
“Jealous, my lord?” Carys asked.
Errik stepped forward, touched his fingers to her cropped hair, and said, “Not yet. Now follow me.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready to climb down the plateau,” she said, thinking of the sheer drop and the wind . . . the wind that she had no idea how to control. She would learn. She had to.
“No climbing will be required of you this time.” Errik’s expression was unreadable as he said, “I know a way.”
“What way?” she asked. She’d been through these passages hundreds of times. She knew them better than anyone.
Or so she thought as he held the torch aloft and led her through the dark, cold passages to an opening that had never been there before. She was not sure of much right now, but of that she was certain.
Before she could ask how he had discovered the opening he said, “The others are waiting. If you wish to stay dead, we must go.”
With each step through the narrow space she felt more unsettled about what the hidden passage meant and how he had discovered it. When she stepped out of the passage and found herself safely at the base of the plateau where Garret and Larkin waited with the three horses Errik must have brought here, she wondered again why he was helping her.
He refused to meet her eyes as he helped her onto a chestnut-colored mare. But his touch was warm as he handed her the reins and asked if she was ready to ride.
Secrets. So many of them. Errik’s. Garret’s. The Council’s. Mother’s. Hers.
She would uncover them all, she thought as she clutched the reins tight in her hands and nodded. “Let’s go.”
The wind whipped harder as the horse took her farther away from the battlements she’d always despised. Looking up at the white stone walls, Carys vowed to return. No matter what Errik’s true agenda was or what Garret wanted from her, she would come back. Nothing would stop her. And when she did, the game the Council and her brother thought had ended would begin again.
Only when next they played, the game would be on her terms.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My name might be on the cover, but there are a great number of people who have contributed to the creation of this book. I owe huge thanks to my family, especially my husband, Andy, my son, Max, and my mother, Jaci, for putting up with my crazy hours and my desperate need for caffeine and popcorn, and for always telling me I’m going to get to THE END on the days when I’m convinced it will never happen. I love you!
This story would also certainly never have existed if it weren’t for the fantastic vision and enthusiasm of the HarperCollins team and editor extraordinaire, Kristen Pettit. Kristen—thank you for letting me take this story on unexpected twists and turns and for trusting that when I jumped off the cliff it would all turn out okay. Also, a big shout-out to Elizabeth Lynch for her fabulous patience and humor, and to Jennifer Klonsky for her encouragement. Deep gratitude goes to Emily Rader and Martha Schwartz for making me look like I know what I’m doing; and join me in giving thunderous applause to the incredible artists Toby & Pete (I can’t draw a stick figure!) and designer Jenna Stempel for the best cover ever. (Feel free to stop reading so you can admire their work again. It’s amazing!) And to the entire PR, marketing, and Epic Reads teams—you guys rock!
And they don’t make enough Peanut Butter Twix for me to appropriately demonstrate my gratitude to the amazing Stacia Decker. You are not just my literary agent, you are my sounding board, my biggest cheerleader, and the one who keeps me sane at two o’clock in the morning when I’m desperately trying to make all the pieces of the story fall into place. Thank you for taking a risk on me years ago and for being there every step of the way. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes us next.
Also, a huge bouquet of thanks to all the booksellers, librarians, and teachers who work tirelessly to put the stories young readers need into their hands. The work you do is so important. You aren’t simply creating readers, you are opening up new worlds and changing lives.
And last, but most importantly, I want to say how grateful I am to the readers who have spent hours with me and my characters. A book is like a duet. It requires two—the author and the reader—to bring the story to life. Thank you all for turning the pages and for making the stories sing.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JOELLE CHARBONNEAU has performed in opera and musical theater productions across Chicagoland. She is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Testing trilogy as we
ll as two adult mystery series. Her YA books have appeared on the Indie Next List, the YALSA Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list, and state reading lists across the country. Her newest standalone YA thriller, Need, has been optioned for a feature film and is currently in development.
www.joellecharbonneau.com
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BOOKS BY JOELLE CHARBONNEAU
Dividing Eden
Into the Garden
CREDITS
Cover art © 2017 by Toby & Pete
Cover design by Jenna Stempel
COPYRIGHT
HarperTeen is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
DIVIDING EDEN. Copyright © 2017 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
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ISBN 978-0-06-245384-6 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-06-267333-6 (international edition)
EPub Edition © May 2017 ISBN 9780062453860
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FIRST EDITION
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Dividing Eden Page 28
