“Oh, very well.” Ashes hopped down from Alice’s shoulder. “I like the look of that roast chicken they just brought out anyway.”
And then Isaac and Alice were alone, on a quiet corner of the lawn. Behind them, the party continued, all noise and excitement. In front of them was the forest, gloomy in the gathering twilight.
“Well?” Alice said. “Are you going to help me fix the world?”
“It’s too big for you,” Isaac said. “For all of us, probably.”
“I’m going to try anyway,” Alice said.
“I know.” He sighed. “Of course I’ll help.”
There was a long, awkward silence.
“Look—” said Alice.
“The thing is—” said Isaac simultaneously.
They paused, and there was another, even more awkward silence.
“You first,” Isaac said.
“I’m a labyrinthine,” Alice said. “I’m not really human. You saw the First. She’s my mother.”
“I know.” Isaac shook his head. “Like you said. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s not to judge by appearances.”
“You don’t care?” Alice’s chest felt tight. “You’re not worried I’ll turn out like Ending?”
“I know you won’t.” Isaac stepped closer. “You could never be like her.”
“I wish I was so certain.”
Isaac took her hand and squeezed. “I’ll talk some sense into you if you do. I promise.”
Alice felt herself blush. She grinned. “All right. Now, what were you going to say?”
“I don’t remember,” Isaac said. “Probably nothing.”
“Come on.”
“I just . . .” He sighed. “When I thought you were going to leave with the First, I realized . . . I don’t know.” His brow furrowed, and now he was blushing, too. “Why can’t I say this right?”
Alice’s heart was beating very fast. She swallowed hard. Isaac was suddenly very interested in his shoes.
“Isaac.”
“Look, never mind,” he said. “We can talk about it later.”
“Remember when you came to steal the Dragon?” Alice said.
“We kissed,” Isaac muttered. “It was part of the spell.”
“I know.” Alice closed her eyes, blew out a breath, then opened them again. “Now that it isn’t part of any spell, would you mind very much if we did it again?”
“That would . . . be all right.” Isaac’s cheeks were a flaming red, but he managed to look her in the eye. “I guess.”
Alice leaned forward.
Ashes, eavesdropping from the branches of a nearby tree, listened to the pair of them circle around and around what they actually wanted to say.
Humans, he thought, and yawned. Why do they have to make it all so complicated? Ashes licked one forepaw delicately, and swiped it over his ear. Cats have everything worked out.
The End
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
I feel like I’m in a strange place, writing this. For the first time, I’ve actually made it all the way to the end of a series, and reached the conclusion I imagined what feels like a million years ago. It’s been a wonderful journey, and my heartfelt thanks to everyone who’s made it with me. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading Alice’s adventures as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.
My early readers for this volume were Robyn Murphy and Carl Meister, who in addition to their invaluable commentary helped keep me sane. Thanks so much, to them and everyone who read a draft throughout the series.
My agent, Seth Fishman, helped bring this series to life when I brought him the very first draft and said, “I wrote something strange, what do you think it is?” Not only did he have the answer, he knew what to do with it, and I’m forever grateful. Thanks as well to the team at The Gernert Company: Will Roberts, Rebecca Gardner, Ellen Coughtrey, and Jack Gernert, as well as my UK agent, Caspian Dennis.
My editor, Kathy Dawson, believed in the series from the start, and helped me bang it into shape when I had no idea what I was doing. My eternal thanks to her, her assistant Claire Evans, and everyone at Kathy Dawson Books who helps give these words a physical reality.
Alexander Jansson’s covers and artwork have truly brought the series to life, starting at the very beginning. My thanks for all the beautiful work.
It’s been a lot of fun, everyone. I’ll see you next time around!
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The Fall of the Readers Page 22