The queen turned to Elric. “I feared there was no hope that you would find the gate. I feared you would not be able to see it, that you wouldn’t pick up the staff. But you surprised me.” Her eyes glowed green. “Your mother would be proud, and so am I.”
The queen bowed to him, and suddenly everyone in the room fell to their knees before him.
Elric couldn’t breathe. He was nothing more than a lowly shepherd and serf. No one had ever bowed to him, and he felt lost as he looked around the vast chamber. Wynn pushed close to his side and took his arm.
The queen rose and conjured a silver crown. She placed it on Elric’s head, then turned and created another for Wynn.
“All hail Prince Elric and Princess Wynnfrith of the Otherworld.” She held out her hands and addressed the people. “Let there be no corner of my realm that does not welcome them. Let this be your home.”
A great cheer went up, and Wynn gave Elric a hug.
“You were right,” he said to her as music filled the air around them. “You were right about everything, Wynn.”
“I told you.” She reached up and tipped the crown. “I wanted to be the dragon,” she muttered.
Elric laughed as Mildred squawked and flapped her wings. He scooped up the hen and let her perch on his shoulder. She gave the crown a sharp peck, then fluffed her feathers near his ear. Elric’s heart filled with warmth and light, and he knew this was joy.
The guards came forward. “My queen, the Grendel is retreating!”
The queen closed her eyes for the briefest moments, then opened them again, her expression serious and regal. Her changing eyes met his. “He will return,” she said. “And when he does, my realm will need a hero, one who will not back away from his calling. You have shown great bravery and fortitude.” She walked toward him and waved her hand through the air; as she did so, a sword appeared, formed from ice. It glowed flaming white, then revealed itself, forged in shining silver and crystal. “In the future, I hope that you will stand and protect this realm as you have protected your sister.”
Elric knew what he had to do. He kneeled before the queen. She touched the sword to his shoulders. “Rise, Prince Elric.”
He got to his feet, and Wynn pressed close to his side and took his hand.
“Our hopes rest with you,” the queen proclaimed, and another great cheer filled the chamber.
“And me,” Wynn added.
“And you,” Elric agreed as he kept his sister close.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’D LIKE TO THANK MY family for their support and patience during the writing of this book. I could not do this without them, especially my husband, who supports me in so many little ways. If I ever didn’t say thank you for all that you do, know that I am thankful for you every single moment we have together. The other person who is always there to shore me up through the good, the bad, and the why-did-I-write-that is my critique partner, Angie Fox. We’ve learned a lot from each other over the years, and I’m always grateful for her hard work and insight. I’d be lost without her.
I’d also like to thank my agent, Laura Bradford, for championing this project and always being a steady and guiding force in my career. I am grateful to my former editor, Anica Mrose Rissi, for believing in me, and I wish her all the best of luck on every new adventure she pursues. As for my current editor, Alexandra Arnold, I couldn’t have asked for a brighter and more professional partner to work with. She helped shape this book into something special that I am very proud of. Thank you for bringing out the best in me.
During the writing of this book, I had the help of two very special editors who took on the daunting task of reading through my early draft and giving me their expert opinions on the story. Thank you to Sophia Wagner and Maddi Gwinner for your insightful observations and responses to the story.
I am humbled to be a part of the team at Katherine Tegen Books, and I appreciate all the hard work of everyone involved with my publisher. You all make magic happen, and I’m very grateful. I’d also like to give special thanks for my cover and the hard work of the designer, Aurora Parlagreco, and the illustrator, Lisa Perrin.
Finally I’d like to thank all the doctors, specialists, teachers, and therapists who dedicate themselves to working with very special kids. Thank you for everything you do, and all the love and kindness you give to those around you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo by Katie Murphy
KRISTIN BAILEY grew up in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley in California. In the course of her adventures, she has worked as a zookeeper, balloon artist, and substitute teacher. Now she enjoys writing books for tweens and teens who enjoy magic and adventure as much as she does. Learn more at www.kristinbailey.com.
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BOOKS BY KRISTIN BAILEY
The Silver Gate
Into the Darkling Wood
CREDITS
Cover art © 2017 by Perrin
Cover design by Aurora Parlagreco
COPYRIGHT
Katherine Tegen Books is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
THE SILVER GATE. Copyright © 2017 by Kristin Welker. 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.
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2016935934
ISBN 978-0-06-239857-4
EPub Edition © December 2016 ISBN 9780062398598
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FIRST EDITION
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