by E. J. Beaton
The breeze blew with bitter intensity, but they did not wait long until Pelory walked out below and said something to the crowd. Cheers swelled and the words Fontaine, Prior, and Elira drifted up over the rail.
“Perhaps, Consuls,” Pelory said, returning to them, “if you were to raise your most prized weapon, the people might look to the future with courage.”
Luca turned to where Freste and Malsante were waiting. He placed Tiberus on his shoulder and took his bow—the new instrument, long and black and embellished with cobras—and brandishing it, he looked out at the human sea. A wave of applause washed over him.
Litany held out the hilt of Lysande’s gold dagger. Lysande examined it, gazing at the blade Sarelin had given her. She thought of the words she had spoken to Derset across a table striped by torchlight, about a woman familiar and yet reborn to her.
After a final glance, she slid the dagger into its sheath.
“Not that one,” she said.
Litany proffered the dagger-belt, but Lysande shook her head and reached into her doublet pocket. Her fingers closed around something slender.
“That?” Litany asked, eyeing the item as she pulled it out. “Will it do?”
The red-tipped quill gleamed in Lysande’s palm. Its coating felt cool.
Yes, she thought. It will do nicely.
She lifted the quill and waved to the crowd, surveying the rows of faces. A ripple of something potent and unspoken ran through her. As she looked across at Luca, their eyes locked, and something crackled in the air. The drumming of her name came back at her, louder and louder, with all the rhythmic certainty of a legion’s march.
With her hand raised, she let it spread.
Acknowledgments
This book owes its biggest debt to my brother John, whose kindness and ceaseless support helped me to start, continue, and finish The Councillor. John gave feedback on every chapter, even when he was inundated with his own work. His belief in me was matched only by his generosity in taking time to carefully consider my writing. Although he died before this novel was published, his advice and insight stay with me—as does his boundless love. John, I did this for you.
I owe deep gratitude to my parents, Jennifer and John, who have helped me immensely. Ever since they read me Macbeth in the bathtub as a baby, they have been encouraging me to follow my creativity. Their belief in the value of education and their many practical acts of help have been a constant gift to me. Thank you for supporting me no matter what.
An enormous thank you to my agent Julie Crisp for taking on this novel and believing in it. I am grateful for her hard work across a multiplicity of tasks, and for her enthusiasm in championing The Councillor throughout its journey to publication.
A huge thank you to Leah Spann, my editor at DAW, for taking this book on and offering thoughtful and constructive advice. Thank you for pushing me to refine the book further while staying true to the essence of my writing.
Thank you to all the team at DAW who were involved with the production of this book, or helped it along its journey in any way. It takes a village to create a book, and I appreciate the work you do. Thank you to Joshua Starr for guiding me through the copy-edits, and to copy-editor Richard Shealy who clearly devoted time to detail in reviewing my work. Thank you also to Adam Auerbach for the beautiful cover he created, which feels true to this novel.
Thanks to Lucy Neave and Kate Flaherty for backing my work and for their guidance and support from start to finish of my thesis. Lucy went above and beyond her duty to read my novel several times and provide feedback, even after I had graduated—a truly generous supervisor, she deserves an award.
I am grateful to all the English teachers and lecturers who encouraged me. To Kate McColl, Yvette Arnott, and Adrian Caesar: thank you for your belief in my work.
There are too many friends to thank for their support of this book’s journey. I am grateful to every one of them. To those who engaged with me about literature, fantasy, and stories: thank you for making me think and for boosting my spirits.
My gratitude goes to the other writers who have supported me on this journey by giving feedback and swapping work. My deep thanks to Rosamund Taylor, poet extraordinaire, perceptive thinker, and caring friend. Thank you to Sam Hawke for answering so many questions and being generous from the start. Thank you to the other novelists who’ve shared their experiences of writing and publishing with me.
To all the writers who have inspired me, from the classical period through to the present, thank you for the fire of your words.
Finally, thank you to Angshuman, who loves and supports me exactly as I am.
About the Author
E. J. Beaton is the author of the fantasy novel The Councillor, to be published by DAW Books on March 2, 2021. She has previously published a poetry collection, Unbroken Circle (Melbourne Poets Union), and has been shortlisted for the ACU Prize for Poetry and the Ada Cambridge Poetry Prize. She studied literature and writing at university, and her PhD thesis included analysis of Machiavellian politics in Shakespearean drama and fantasy literature. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.
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