“Something I think you’ll like,” he said. “Something I smuggled in.”
Elsabet looked down and held her breath. It was Jonathan’s painting, the portrait he did of her for Midsummer, laid out in vibrant colors, bright and green, with shining fruit and the jolly faces of the little dogs.
“I recovered it at his apartment before it was ransacked and searched. It really is quite lovely. He was . . . quite talented.”
Elsabet stared at the painting and took Gilbert by the arm. What a perfect time Midsummer seemed to her now, after all that had happened. All that warmth and innocence. Looking into the painting, she could almost imagine herself back there again, with Bess at her side and Rosamund always looking out for danger.
She reached down and ran her fingers across the Volroy, whole and complete in the painting.
“He found the time to finish it,” she whispered.
“What?” Gilbert turned and looked at her. “Oh, Elsie, I meant for it to please you. I thought you might like it.”
Elsabet smiled and squeezed his arm. She wiped the tears from her cheek.
“I do like it, Gilbert. I love it.”
HAVE YOU READ
‘Exquisite world building and luminous detail, this is high fantasy at its best’
Booklist, starred review
‘Achingly gorgeous and gruesomely fascinating’
Kirkus, starred review
Also by Kendare Blake
Three Dark Crowns
One Dark Throne
Coming Soon
Two Dark Reigns
The Young Queens and The Oracle Queen were previously released as e-only novellas in 2018.
They are collected together for the first time in this paperback volume, entitled Queens of Fennbirn.
First published in the US 2018 by HarperTeen,
an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
First published in the UK 2018 by Macmillan Children’s Books
This electronic edition published 2018 by Macmillan Children’s Books
an imprint of Pan Macmillan
20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-1-5098-8062-1
Copyright © Kendare Blake 2018
Cover design & typography by Blacksheep-uk.com
Image reference: Depositphotos
The right of Kendare Blake to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Pan Macmillan does not have any control over, or any responsibility for, any author or third-party websites referred to in or on this book.
You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Typography by Aurora Parlagreco
Visit www.panmacmillan.com to read more about all our books and to buy them. You will also find features, author interviews and news of any author events, and you can sign up for e-newsletters so that you’re always first to hear about our new releases.
Queens of Fennbirn Page 16