Storm from the East

by Joanna Hathaway

  And if that doesn’t work?

  If I need to act?

  Then flick-roll.

  Star traitor.

  Choice.

  My dearest Aurelia,

  I know you might think this letter should hold all of my secrets, all of the things I’ve never said to you, but the truth is—I have said it all to you. Everything I believe in, you know, and I feel at peace with that, because there’s a point in every life where the words no longer matter. You will follow your own heart and perhaps, in the end, you’ll only truly understand this—and me—once you’ve tasted it for yourself. The world as it is.

  But there is one final thing you should know, and it is this—Sapphie Erelis was never my enemy. I never dreamt her death. No, she was my friend, Aurelia, a dear friend, and it was I who taught her how to undo Arsen Dakar’s ambition. If he ever went too far, I knew she’d be the only one there to stop him. I was dead to him, after all. Our alliance shattered. But her? She was stronger than anyone realized, and I knew she could do it. She could place a traitor in the one place he’d never think to look—his own home. From his own blood. She must have distracted him quite well, because I don’t think he sees it at all. That’s her victory, in the end, not mine, and so I beg you now to always look beyond what seems obvious. Create your allies, everywhere, and only make an enemy when the survival of many depends on it. Every man-made cause has both beauty and disaster built into it, my star. From the royal to the freedom fighter. Chase the truth, chase justice. But be careful.

  And most importantly—remember that kingdoms always fall from within. So do empires, armies, families. What’s at the center of us is more powerful than any weapon, and I think you see that now. I learned very young the importance of autonomy. That change must come from within, not beyond, and I believe that entirely. The work of the heart can never be dictated by others.

  Guard yours fiercely.

  These, then, are my final wishes: that you be careful and be brave, my star. Stay far from your uncle Seath because he can’t be trusted. I’ve included directions here. Havis will be waiting for you at the coast, to take you to safety. You may hold little love for Gref, but I promise he’s the only one without a stake in this game. Judge that if you like, but it’s the best place to be. For you. For now.

  Aurelia, I’ve looked across the vast minefield of my life, and I’ve done my best.

  It is all for love, elski’han.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you, first and foremost, to my dear editor, Elayne Becker. It has been such an honour and a joy to work with you on these books, and I’m so blessed to have had your insight, enthusiasm, and friendship. I know our connection on this journey was meant to be. You are truly the best!

  Thank you to all of my incredibly sharp and faithful writing partners. Radhika Sainath and Dylan Matthews, you have been with this story from its earliest days. I couldn’t do this without you! Kamerhe Lane, Rosaria Munda, Gita Trelease, and my forever mentor, Katie Bucklein—you have each helped shape this book, and I am immensely grateful to have you in my life. Much gratitude, as well, to Mike Kern who has been a superb fount of wisdom for anything and everything warplane related.

  All my love to the friends who have been close to me in a special way over the course of writing this book: Maggie Hathaway, Kristen Ciccarelli, Maura Milan, Hafsah Faizal, Brielle Khalar, and Lindsay Popovich. Much love, as well, to the brilliant and inspiring Marisa Aragón Ware, who not only created another beautiful cover, but who also offered me beautiful words of encouragement at the exact right moment.

  Huge thank-you to everyone at Tor Teen for being absolutely wonderful: Ali Fisher (my excellent new captain!), Kristin Temple, Devi Pillai, Isa Caban, Peter Lutjen, Russell Trakhtenberg, Heather Saunders, Deborah Friedman, Kevin Sweeney, and Jim Kapp. Special thank-you to Laura Etzkorn and Lauren Levite for your dedication and enthusiasm, and for always making me smile!

  Thanks to my brilliant and always patient agent, Steven Salpeter, along with Maddie Tavis, Sarah Perillo, Tim Knowlton, Holly Frederick, James Farrell, and the rest at Curtis Brown. I hope you all know how grateful I am for your continued guidance and unfailing support.

  Thank you, as ever, to my family for being the perfect cheerleaders, critique partners, and wellsprings of matchless love: Mum, Dad, and Lily.

  And finally, a huge and heartfelt thank you to my readers (who I truly think are the best in the world): you make this entire journey worth it!

  ALSO BY JOANNA HATHAWAY

  Dark of the West

  About the Author

  JOANNA HATHAWAY was born in Montréal and is an avid storyteller who was inspired to write after reading her great-grandfather’s memoirs of the First World War. A lifelong history buff, she now has shelves filled with biographies and historical accounts, and perhaps one too many books about pilots. She can often be found reading, traveling, or riding horses. Dark of the West was her debut novel.

  Visit her online at joannachathaway.com, or sign up for email updates here.

  Twitter: @hathaway jojo

  Goodreads: Joanna Hathaway.

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  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Map

  I. God of War

  1. Aurelia Isendare

  2. Athan Dakar

  3. Aurelia

  4. Athan

  II. Allies

  5. Aurelia

  6. Athan

  7. Aurelia

  8. Athan

  9. Aurelia

  10. Athan

  11. Aurelia

  III. Resya

  12. Athan

  13. Aurelia

  14. Athan

  15. Aurelia

  16. Athan

  17. Aurelia

  18. Athan

  19. Aurelia

  IV. The Cauldron

  20. Athan

  21. Aurelia

  22. Athan

  23. Aurelia

  24. Athan

  25. Aurelia

  26. Athan

  27. Aurelia

  V. Inheritance

  28. Athan

  29. Aurelia

  30. Athan

  31. Aurelia

  VI. Surrender

  32. Aurelia

  33. Athan

  VII. Wings

  34. Aurelia

  35. Athan

  36. Aurelia

  37. Athan

  38. Aurelia

  VIII. Earth

  39. Aurelia

  40. Athan

  41. Aurelia

  42. Athan

  43. Aurelia

  44. Athan

  45. Aurelia

  46. Athan

  IX. Betrayal

  47. Aurelia

  48. Athan

  49. Aurelia

  X. Escape

  50. Aurelia

  51. Athan

  52. Aurelia

  53. Athan

  XI. Testimony

  54. Aurelia

  55. Athan

  56. Aurelia

  57. Athan

  58. Aurelia

  XII. The Horizon

  59. Aurelia

  60. Athan

  61. Aurelia

  62. Athan

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Joanna Hathaway

  About the Author

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  STORM FROM THE EAST

  Copyright © 2020 by Jo
anna Mumford

  All rights reserved.

  Cover art by Marisa Aragón Ware

  A Tor Teen Book

  Published by Tom Doherty Associates

  120 Broadway

  New York, NY 10271

  www.tor-forge.com

  Tor® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.

  The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

  ISBN 978-0-7653-9644-0 (hardcover)

  ISBN 978-0-7653-9646-4 (ebook)

  eISBN 9780765396464

  Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.

  First Edition: February 2020