by Bree Barton
Promise me, O promise me.
No. Not whole. A heart was only truly full when it was truly broken.
You will be mine.
From the stage, they heard a squeal, then a thump, then pandemonium erupting.
“You’ll be dragging me beneath the castle right about now,” Quin said.
“Where I’ll be forced to save your life.”
His gaze was clear.
“You saved my life many times, Mia, for which I will always be grateful. But I wasn’t truly ready to love you until I learned to save my own.”
She felt a flutter in her belly. Love. He’d said the word so naturally, as if it had always been a part of him. A physiological truth.
Quin loosened his shoulders. He had poured his heart out like a song—and he did not regret it. He was done pretending.
The children had given him a great gift. In their mouths, he’d heard the vows anew. And he had come to understand something.
“I don’t know about you,” he began, “but I, for one, can attest to the ice melting on the southern cliffs. Seeing as how I was nearly crushed by it.”
“And the glass cities are sinking,” Mia said. “I saw it with my own eyes.”
“What’s happening in Fojo is heartbreaking. We’ve offered sanctuary to as many refugees as we can.”
“That’s good of you, Quin.”
“We should have done it long before the isles began to burn. There’s so much work left to do.”
“So much work,” she agreed. “It all feels a little overwhelming. But perhaps we can take it one day at a time. I’m ready to do the work. And I’d like . . . I hope . . . to do it alongside you.”
Quin let the air out of his lungs. As if he could exhale centuries of oppression. As if life were as simple as taking a breath.
“And now here we are.” Mia gestured around them. “Standing on the crumbled northern peaks.”
Quin studied her. Despite everything, the horrors and the heartbreaks and the losses, there was something undefeated in her eyes. He recognized the spark. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed it.
Mia twisted a curl around her finger.
“You know, I’ve never really known if we were married or not.”
“A contentious point, to be sure.” He tilted his head. “But I think we have our answer. Whatever vows we swore are null and void. You are not promised to anyone, Mia Rose. Your body, your spirit, your home are yours and yours alone.”
Mia felt her soul lift its weary head. Her body, her spirit—they were her home. Home had been within her all along.
“Your body and spirit are yours, too, Quin. You get to choose with whom you share them. Your life is your own.”
He raked a hand through his golden curls.
“Maybe now we get to decide for ourselves.”
Mia gasped.
Over his shoulder, the clouds had lifted off the horizon. The ocean unveiled itself in all its moonlit splendor. A glint of endless opaline.
Quin stepped forward. His eyes blazing green.
“May I kiss you, Mia?”
“Yes,” she said. “Gods, yes.”
And she kissed him, and kissed him, and kissed him, until the sea poured into the stars.
Epilogue
Once upon a time, a girl chose to live.
Acknowledgments
THIS IS A BOOK about healing. It was healing for me to write, in no small part because of the many elixirs I was given.
I owe an endless debt of gratitude to Kyle Boatwright, not just for lending me her speech patterns, late-night brilliance, entire family, and generous heart—but for being my second reader in all four kingdoms. Rise Up, beauty.
Joel Tippie, you Design Dujia: you did it again. Melissa Miller, you helped me build my very first boat, and Katherine Tegen, you made the winds blow. Mabel Hsu and Tanu Srivastava: I couldn’t have asked for two better editors to help steer my last ship into the harbor.
Keppie Sullivan, thank you for being my mistress of the sailing arts, and Dave, for being Keppie’s first mate. Bridget Morrissey, you are the inspiration behind the Once Upon a Times. Deedee Messana, your emails have lifted my spirits more than you know.
Sue and Katie Howe, my British mum and sis, and Philippa Hayes, my British barrister: you came to my aid when I needed you most. Thank you.
Aysha Mutaywea, you stole my heart in just one week. Sabeeka Al-Shamlan, you share the same grace and courage. I am so grateful for the awe-inspiring work you two are doing. You are the true Mahraini mystics.
Joy Malek, Sara Fraser, Laura Lai, Ashley Rideaux, and all the other therapists and yoga teachers I’ve been lucky to work with: you are my Curateurs. Thank you for teaching me to heal myself.
To my dazzling, devoted readers: Annabeth Cobb, Fin Daniels, Phoebe Edge, Callaghandra Edison, Cheyenne Faircloth, Marley Martinez, Mia Moore, Victoria Moschou, Callaghan Papavasilopoulos, and Brianna Reed. Do you see yourselves in these pages? Because I do. :)
Finley, I’m so glad you poked your cold nose into this book. Piglet, you get the next one. Chris, you are and will always be my Quin.
And to Anna Prendella: Sorry about that low-key hernia. In the gallimaufry of writing this trilogy, there was only ever one chai robot. This book begins and ends with you.
Resources
NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT HOTLINE
https://www.rainn.org/
1.800.656.HOPE (4673)
Call the 24/7 hotline to be connected with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
1.800.273.TALK (8255)
The Lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for people in distress, and prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones.
CRISIS TEXT LINE
https://www.crisistextline.org/text-us/
Text CONNECT, HOME, or any message to 741-741
Being “in crisis” doesn’t just mean feeling suicidal: it’s any painful emotion for which you need support. Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, providing access to free, 24/7 support and information via text.
PSYCHOLOGY TODAY
https://www.psychologytoday.com/
A great resource for finding therapists, psychiatrists, support groups, and treatment centers, both outpatient and inpatient.
ROCK ’N’ WRITE
https://www.breebarton.com/rocknwrite
This is a fun, empowering workshop I created to merge two things that have been profoundly healing in my own life: dance and writing.
Other activities that have had a positive impact on my mental health: yoga, art therapy, meditation, writing, therapy groups, and talking to good friends. Poke around the internet to see what you can find. Above all, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Mia, Quin, and Pilar’s journey may have come to an end, but yours is just beginning.
About the Author
Courtesy Brooke Opie
BREE BARTON is the author of the Heart of Thorns trilogy. When she isn’t hunched over her laptop with a posture pillow taped to her back, she teaches Rock ’n’ Write, a free dance-and-writing class she created for teen girls. You can find her on Instagram @SpeakBreely, where she posts fan art, giveaways, and “real talk” about mental health. Bree’s books have been published in seven countries and four languages, three of which she cannot speak.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
Books by Bree Barton
Heart of Thorns
Tears of Frost
Soul of Cinder
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Copyright
Katherine Tegen Books is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
SOUL OF CINDER. Copyright © 2021 by Bree Barton and 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.
www.epicreads.com
Cover art and design by Joel Tippie
* * *
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020937813
Digital Edition JANUARY 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-244776-0
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-244774-6
* * *
2021222324PC/LSCH10987654321
FIRST EDITION
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