by Pintip Dunn
He gestures toward the crown on my head. The additional weight is awkward, unfamiliar. Any moment now, the crown’s going to topple to the floor—and take me with it.
“This was the true test, Vela, and you passed.”
“Test? What are you talking about?” Just when the room was beginning to right itself, the walls spin away again, and my mind can’t keep up. I tug the crown off my head. The thorns catch on my hair and pull. “What about Carr? If I’d made a different decision, he’d be dead.”
“We wouldn’t have let you get that far. In fact, this was your last chance. If you didn’t make the right decision now, in the transfer stage, we would’ve called off the entire task. The King would’ve wanted to spend his last few days with you. And we needed time to find a new Successor outside the genetic pool, in spite of CORA’s advice to the contrary.”
Carefully, stiffly, he arranges his mechanical braces so he can kneel on the ground. He looks up at me, tears shining in his eyes. “The King was certain you would pass the test. As much as you loved him, he knew what you were made of at the very core of your being. The stuff it takes to rule a colony. And can I say, my Queen”—he spreads his palm and taps three times against his chest—“how very glad I am that he was right.”
I stare at him, the crown dangling from my fingertips, my hair tangled in the thorns. Not sure what to think. Not sure how to feel.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he announces. “May I present to you the new ruler of our colony. Queen Vela!”
Everyone drops to their knees, the council members and the royal guards. The medical personnel and the Fittest families. They all spread their hands on their chest and tap three times.
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. My hand loosens, and the crown drops. This is too much. Too much. Too much.
I wait for the crown of thorns to fall to the floor. I wait for it to shatter against the concrete, breaking into a thousand pieces and destroying the illusion.
But it doesn’t. Carr catches the crown, and he places it back on my head. “Your Highness,” he murmurs, the blanket wrapped around his waist and love in his eyes. “I believe the Fittest families have something to say to you.”
Miss Sydney emerges from behind his back. She kneels before me, her head bowed, the blue sash dragging along the floor. “Queen Vela, you have given your father to save our future sons and daughters. Your sister had nearly convinced us, but your action solidifies our decision. It would be our honor to give you our meals to save your loyal subjects.”
Still, I can’t speak. Still, I don’t move. Hanoi will live. As will Brooklyn. As will the rest of the patients in Blanca’s pool. The enormity of the situation has cut out my tongue. The shock of the last few minutes has severed the connection between my mind and my limbs.
I don’t know how long I stand there. Long enough for each person to take his or her turn kneeling at my feet. Long enough for Master Somjing to clear the room. Long enough for Carr to take my hand and lead me to my father’s body.
I come back to myself. My father no longer breathes, but there, at the corner of his lips, is the tiniest curve. And then I know. Wherever he is, to whatever realm he went in this short time, I know he is happy. Because he’s with my mother again.
I drop a kiss onto my father’s cool, waxy forehead. My breath flutters over his face, and his eyelashes move. For an infinitesimal moment, I can almost believe he is alive again.
“You believed in me when nobody else did. You believed in me even when I didn’t. I won’t disappoint you.” My words are my vow. The first promise I make as the ruler of Dion. And as the late King taught me, the sovereign always keeps her promises.
“I couldn’t imagine a better queen.” Carr touches his lips to mine, and every emotion I’ve ever felt coalesces in that sweet, exquisite point of contact.
I’m more convinced than ever that Carr is the Fittest. Not to die for the King or anyone else. But to stand by my side and help me rule.
I look at my father one last time and imprint his image into my memory. I don’t need a holo-cube to capture his image. Because for now, and the rest of my days, he will live in my heart. The man who led our colony. And taught me how to be a queen.
Carr and I glide through the door, hand in hand. The serpent scowls at us from the carving, its plump body wrapped around an ever-present red apple. But I smile as I walk away from the serpent, and I don’t turn around to peek at its glistening fangs.
Not even once.
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Acknowledgments
This book is very special to me. Every description, every character was born from a fire burning deep inside. I wrote this story many years ago — before I was published, when I wasn’t sure if I would ever be published — and it encapsulates my pure joy of writing.
Thank you to my publisher and editor, Liz Pelletier. Although it is just now releasing, Star-Crossed is the book that started our relationship. You saw something in me, in my stories, and I will always be grateful to you for believing in me. Big thanks to the amazing team at Entangled for turning this manuscript into a novel — Hannah Lindsey, Shayla Fereshetian, Stacy Abrams, Curtis Svehlak, and Heather Riccio. As always, my cover is an object of beauty, and the credit here goes to Erin Dameron-Hill.
My gratitude to Beth Miller, my agent. So very happy I have you on my side. Thanks for all the things, both big and small.
So many people helped to shape this story! Thank you to the following people for their support and insights: Meg Kassel, Darcy Woods, Brenda Drake, Vanessa Barneveld, Denny Bryce, Jen Malone, Stephanie Buchanan, Romily Bernard, Natalie Richards, Danielle Meitiv, Kimberly MacCarron, and Kaitlin Khorashadi. I am indebted to the Firebirds Brainstormers, in particular Jean Willett and Jonathan Willett, for their world-building suggestions. Finally, I am very grateful to Amanda Pennington, Aimee Lim, and Amber Medland for their thoughtful reads.
I would not be the person I am today without my family and friends. You know who you are, and you know how much I love you! But this time, I’d like to give a special shout-out to my dad, Naronk Hompluem. Star-Crossed is dedicated to him, and this dedication has been a long time coming. I wanted to save this book for him, and if you’ve read Star-Crossed, then you know why. As Vela says about her father, “Not once in my life did I ever question whether he loved me or if he loved me enough.” Thank you, Dad, for loving me unconditionally. I would say that you have given me a gift that is indescribable — but well, I wrote an entire book about it. So, I’ll just say that it took that many words to sum up what you mean to me.
To my four A’s — Antoine, Aksara, Atikan, and Adisai. You are the center of my world and my heart. Thank you for making me smile and laugh every day of the year.
And finally, to my readers. I appreciate every message and kind word. Thank you for reading my stories! I hope you’ll love Vela and Carr’s star-crossed tale!
About The Author
Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of young adult fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School.
Pintip’s novel Forget Tomorrow won the RWA RITA® award for Best First Book, and her novel Seize Today won the RITA® award for Best Young Adult Romance. Her books have been translated into four languages, and they have been nominated for the following awards: the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, the Japanese Sakura Medal, the MASL Truman Award, the Tome Society It list, and the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice award. Her other titles include Remember Yesterday, The Darkest Lie, Girl on the Verge, and the upcoming Malice.
She lives with her husband and children in Maryland.
www.pintipdunn.com
Also by Pintip Dunn
Forget Tomorrow series
Before Tomorrow (prequel novel
la)
Forget Tomorrow
Remember Yesterday
Seize Today
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