I set Zoi down as Talin passed it to me. It was crafted from a warm rose gold, engraved with coral and studded with pearls and jewels.
“It’s beautiful,” I said to Talin. “Where did you get it?”
“The other councilmembers had it made for Zoi,” he whispered in my ear, “but please don’t tell her that. She’s convinced it was my idea.”
I ran my fingers over the engravings and smiled. “A consolation prize for a jewel-encrusted palace, perhaps?”
“Zoi!”
Zadie stepped into the room and paused on the threshold. “There you are. You’re late for your lessons.” She glanced at me and sighed wearily. “It’s like trying to tutor a very wiggly, very naughty eel,” she said.
“What’s an eel?” Zoi took the scepter from my hands and ran to show it to Zadie without waiting for an answer. Zadie made such a show over how beautiful it was that even Zoi rolled her eyes.
“Back to work,” she said, giving me a meaningful smile as she escorted Zoi out of the room. “Ilara’s future leader must be clever and disciplined.”
I turned back to the window and felt Talin’s arms wrap around my waist. I leaned back against his shoulder, breathing in the salty sea air and Talin’s own warm, familiar scent.
“What’s wrong?” he asked against my neck. “You haven’t been yourself for ages.”
“I’m fine,” I insisted, turning to face him. “Really.”
“But fine isn’t good enough. I want you to be happy.”
I shrugged as well as I could in his arms. “I will be.”
His eyes searched my face. “Not here, though.”
“Don’t say that. I do feel restless, but it’s not because of the house, or you, or anyone. I don’t know what it is.”
He kissed me softly. His nightmares had all but faded in the past couple of weeks, and he seemed happier than I’d ever seen him. Ruling suited him, though he was far busier than I would have liked. We only really had time to talk at night, and he was usually so exhausted he fell asleep quickly.
But I lay awake at night feeling oddly unsettled. I had slept better on the road, in fact. “I think,” I began, hoping I could convey my thoughts without hurting him, “that I don’t feel like I have a purpose here. You, Zadie, Adriel, and Roan all have important jobs. I am grateful for my seat on the council, but I don’t represent anyone or anything.”
Talin waited patiently for me to finish.
“I thought I would be satisfied when all the people I cared about were safe. But I still find myself wondering what else is out there beyond the horizon.”
“Of course you do,” he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “You have the soul of an adventurer. That doesn’t just go away.”
I gazed up at him uncertainly. “No?”
“No. So tell me, what do you want to do?”
“I want to learn about healing from Adriel. I want to see if we can improve our diplomatic relationship with Kuven. Without you marrying their princess,” I added hastily. “I’d like to visit the Penery Islands, and train with the Galethians, and find out if anyone else has the same ties to nature as the Varenians.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Then what are you waiting for?”
“It’s not that simple, Talin. I want to be with you, too. I want to be with the people I love.” I chewed my lip, hesitant. Knowing what I wanted was one thing; admitting it to Talin was another. But I couldn’t keep denying the truth that had been buried in me since the day the Ilarean boy gave me the wandering crab. I took a deep breath. “And I want freedom.”
His face was so open with understanding that my heart felt like it might burst from loving him. “Then go, my love. We’ll be waiting for you when you get back.”
Tears of relief sprang free of my eyes. “You’d better be,” I said, the tightness in my chest already easing. I should have known Talin would never try to hold me back. I stood on tiptoe to kiss him, in no hurry to let him get back to his duties. When the time was right, I would go forward with my eyes wide open, no longer afraid of the unknown, no longer afraid of goodbye.
Most importantly, I was no longer afraid that my freedom depended on the whims or constraints of others. I would carry the people I loved with me, whether I chose to stay in Ilara permanently or visit other lands.
Because that was what it meant to be free: I could choose.
When we broke apart, I turned back to the ocean, finally understanding what it meant to be content. Ceren had said love was my weakness, once. But I knew now that love was the strength that would sustain me out there in the world, and it was the bond that would ensure I always came back.
The warmth in my chest radiated through me like golden light over the water. I had found the place I belonged, and it wasn’t a cottage or a village or a country: it was right here, inside of me.
Finally, I was home.
* * *
Acknowledgments
Writing a sequel is a little like having a second child; I thought I knew what to expect, but it somehow managed to take me completely by surprise. I’m so fortunate to once again have the support of an entire village behind me.
To my agent, Uwe Stender, and my foreign rights agent, Brent Taylor: thank you for getting my words out into the world and for continuing to make Team Triada such a warm, welcoming home. There’s no one else I’d want steering this ship.
To my editor, Connolly Bottum, I am so grateful for your enthusiasm, encouragement, and insight. Writing can sometimes feel like being lost in the woods, but working with you turned out to be “just right.” I’m so glad our journey together is only beginning.
To Lauren Smulski, who first saw the potential in this series, and Abby Ranger, who provided more than just edits; I learned so much from you in our brief time working together.
To Bess Braswell, thank you for your unwavering support of my books and career. I’m so grateful to be an Inkyard Press author, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Thanks to Mary Luna, Allan Davey, and Kathleen Oudit for another stunning cover. I know how important that first impression is, and you all nailed it. Thanks also to Brittany Mitchell, Laura Gianino, and the rest of the Inkyard team for your hard work.
As always, so much love to my critique partners: Elly Blake, who is so loyal and generous she volunteered to read the first draft of this novel (bless you!), and Nikki Roberti Miller, who came to the rescue with her title and tagline genius. And to the rest of the Pitch Wars 2014 Table of Trust, you remain the best writers group out there.
To my friends all around the world, but especially my Belgrade girls, thanks for keeping me sane(ish). I am so lucky to have found you.
To the entire Embassy Belgrade community: thank you, thank you, thank you. From buying my books, listening to me whine about revisions, and waving to me in the café while I’m hunkered down with my headphones, you all make me feel like a real author. More importantly, you make this place feel like home.
Special thanks to Tate for the character name auction idea, Heidi for bidding far above my expectations, and Alex for finding me a compatible plug adapter at a crucial revision moment. To Leena (owner of the real Mr. Fox) and Malina, who are both amazing writers in their own right, thanks for being such loyal fans. Jelisaveta and Marko, my little book community here in Belgrade, thanks for your friendship and support (and for pretending I’m not literally twice your age).
To my family near and far—Mom, Dad, Aaron, Elizabeth, Amy, Jennifer, my amazing nieces and nephews, Patti, and the rest of the Rutherford crew—I love you guys and can’t wait till we can be together again. And to my twin sister, Sarah, my first call whether the news is good or bad, thank you for always being there with words of wisdom and without judgment. You are truly my North Star.
To my husband, John, who makes up for in hugs what he lacks in writing advice. Thank you for
working so hard to provide us with this beautiful life, for keeping us all fed, and for still being as silly as you were when I met you twenty years ago (even if I’m the only one who gets to see it). I love you so very much.
To my boys, Jack and Will: you inspire me every day with your imagination, resilience, and sheer capacity for weirdness. There are no other kids in the world I’d want to ride out a pandemic with. I’m so proud to be your mom.
To Mishka, my dogter, who keeps our hearts (and feet) warm and cozy.
And finally, to all the readers who blogged, bookstagrammed, posted, reviewed, tweeted, messaged, and shared your love for this series, thank you for continuing on this adventure with me. You may not realize it, but you are the most important part of this village. I would not be here without you, and I never take that for granted.
ISBN-13: 9781488069406
Kingdom of Sea and Stone
Copyright © 2020 by Mara Rutherford
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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