The Raven King
Page 34
But it looked as if they hadn’t gotten to that place yet: They had future adventures waiting for them on the ley line.
It was a thrilling and terrifying prospect.
“Good find, brat,” he told Chainsaw. “Let’s go home.”
Back at the Barns, Ronan thought about all the things he liked and didn’t like about Cabeswater, and what he would do differently if he was to manifest it now. What would give it more protection against a threat in the future, what would make it better able to connect with other places like Cabeswater on the line, what would make it a truer reflection of himself.
Then, holding these things in his head, he climbed up onto the roof and gazed up at the sky.
Then he closed his eyes and he began to dream.
The Raven Cycle has been in the making for over ten years, and countless people have helped me in one way or another. This section, by necessity, will be terribly inadequate.
First I must thank the knights: Tessa Gratton and Brenna Yovanoff, ever willing to do battle with my dragons. Sarah Batista-Pereira, you killed dragons I didn’t even see coming. Court Stevens, thank you for handing me a new sword at the end of the day.
The glittering court: Laura Rennert, my passionate agent, and Barry Eisler, her consort. David Levithan, my editor, who gave me the best gift an author could ask for: time. Rachel Coun, Lizette Serrano, Tracy van Straaten, a witchy trio of professional seers. Becky Amsel, cacao forever.
The family: Particularly my parents, who built me a castle of books. Also Erin, who showed me how to make armor.
The true love: Ed, I’m sorry it’s always a battle. Sort of sorry. Sorry-not-sorry. Look, you knew what you were getting into when you pulled that sword out of that stone. I’m always grateful to have you by my side.
Maggie Stiefvater is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the novels Shiver, Linger, Forever, and Sinner. Her novel The Scorpio Races was named a Michael L. Printz Honor Book by the American Library Association. The first book in The Raven Cycle, The Raven Boys, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and the second book and third books, The Dream Thieves and Blue Lily, Lily Blue, were ALA Best Books for Young Adults. She is also the author of Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception and Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie. She lives in Virginia with her husband and their two children. You can visit her online at www.maggiestiefvater.com.
Also by Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Boys
The Dream Thieves
Blue Lily, Lily Blue
The Scorpio Races
Shiver
Linger
Forever
Sinner
Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception
Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie
Copyright © 2016 by Maggie Stiefvater
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available
First edition, May 2016
Cover art © 2016 by Adam S. Doyle
Cover design by Christopher Stengel
e-ISBN 978-0-545-86035-2
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