“Ronja Alezandri,” she murmured to herself. The vicious wind swept the name from her lips, sending it out over the dark waves. It did not sound as if it belonged to her. “Ronja Zipse.” But no, that did not sound right, either. She had moved beyond that name, beyond the agonizing years it stood for.
“Ronja.”
The girl turned around again. Roark stood a few feet behind her, watching her intently. He was dressed in a long fur cloak that matched his dark eyes and hair. His long nose was capped with pink. Without speaking, she extended her chapped hand to him. He took it, his skin still warm from being inside.
“You’ll catch your death out here, love,” he murmured, moving to stand beside her.
“Death seems to have trouble keeping up with me,” she replied, her eyes on the horizon. Roark chuckled, a low rumbling sound that heated her insides. Ronja pressed closer to him. He brushed his lips against her temple. “Roark,” she said after a while. “Do you think Ito can get them out of the palace?”
“I have to believe she will,” he replied quietly, curling her closer with his strong arm. Ronja looked up at him, squinting through the frigid bite of the air. His eyes were watering. She knew it was not from the cold. “She’ll find a way.”
Ronja nodded. She had not allowed herself to think about their friends, much. The possibilities were too bleak, the chances that Ito and the Anthemites were able to free them from the prison below the palace too slim.
“I still don’t understand,” Roark said quietly. “Why Jonah picked me.”
Ronja looked up at him, her brow cinching. “What do you mean?”
“He took you because he knew thinks you’re the daughter of this Alezandri, and because he knew Maxwell would eventually use you to invade Tovaire. He needed someone to help get you out, but he could have chosen Terra, or Evie. He should have freed one of them. He should have…” Roark trailed off, gritting his teeth to choke back a sob.
“I know why he picked you,” Ronja said quietly. She returned her eyes to the sea. Her stomach fluttered. There was something on the horizon, a black rip in the gray fabric of the sky. The craggy shores of Tovaire. “Because he knew I couldn’t survive without you.”
Roark was quiet. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rested his brow on the crown of her head. She let him, watching with steady eyes as the black shores of the island crept closer over the roiling waves. Behind them, Jonah and Larkin were shouting at each other in their native tongue, their voices buffeted by the wind. Ahead, there was nothing but silence.
“May our song guide us home,” Ronja whispered.
“I am home,” Roark replied.
Acknowledgements
Writing acknowledgements is always tough. There are so many people to thank. It is often hard to quantify or qualify the positive impact they have on my life and art. I’ll give it a shot, though.
First, I want to thank my mom, who is there for me through thick and thin. Not only is she my biggest fan, she is my business partner and one of my most trusted editors. If it were not for her, I doubt The Vinyl Trilogy ever would have left my computer. I have no idea what I would do without her. Thank you, Mom. I love you.
Dad, I love you dearly. Thank you so much for being there to support me when everything goes wrong. Even better, thanks for sticking around when everything goes right. Thanks for reading my poems and stories, for listening to me ramble about the complex subplots rattling around in my head. Most of all, thanks for being an incredible father.
To my editor, Katherine. I am so lucky I found you. Thank you for combing through the pages of Vinyl and Radio with speed and candor. Thank you for caring about this series and for going above and beyond to make it right. I cannot wait to send the third installment of this series your way.
Heather (Cyberwitch), my formatter. You have been incredible. I know I asked for a lot this time around, which makes your work twice as amazing. I would not trust anyone else to make my books beautiful. Thank you so much.
Jennifer, Dela, and Amanda. You three ladies are some of my closest friends in the wild world of writing and publishing. Your love and support mean the absolute world to me. You are all crazy talented and I cannot wait to see what you do next!
Jo Painter, thank you for bringing my characters to life. Your illustrations make me smile every time I see them. It has been such a gift to watch you grow as an artist and to work with you.
My friends, family, and loved ones. Bryan, Maya, Mackenzie, Grace, Kosta, Lucy, Jill, Dani, Aban, Ella, Darlene, Masha, Allie, Sylvie, Eniola, Annmarie, Brandon, Amelia, Jeffrey, Lucy Q, Emma, Margaret, Skylar, Grandpa Tom, Grandma Wanda, Grandpa Wayne, Grandma Sharon, Lisa, Tony, Katie, Jackson, Leah, Sanzida, Jessa, Rebekah, Sophie. Thank you for making my life bright. I love you all.
Lastly, to my readers. I do not think I have the words to describe how much you mean to me. I love you all. Without you, this series would not exist. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
May your song guide you home,
Sophia
About the Author
Sophia has been writing novels, short stories, and poems since she was still losing her baby teeth. Throughout her high school career, she amassed an impressive 35 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards including two National Gold Medals for science fiction short stories. As a Scholastic alumnus, she joins the ranks of many great authors including Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, and Joyce Carol Oates. Her critically acclaimed debut novel, Vinyl: Book One of the Vinyl Trilogy, spent many weeks in the number one position on Amazon. Her first book of poetry entitled hummingbird was released in early 2017. Sophia grew up in Iowa with two dogs and two fantastic parents. She now resides in New York City as a student at her dream school, NYU. She loves pigeons and Star Wars. To learn more, see Sophia’s blog at: www.sophiaelainehanson.com or follow her on Instagram and Twitter @authorsehanson.
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