Toxic Heart

by Theo Lawrence

  But if anything, there are more people.

  So many people I can’t believe it. They shout at me from the tops of buildings and from bridges and windows. “Aria! Aria! Aria!”

  A picture of me soaring against the sky appears on the JumboTrons in the surrounding area. The crowds go wild, tossing hats into the air. I watch the face on the screen—my face, staring back at me. Who is this girl? She looks defiant. Happy. In control.

  I don’t feel any of those things.

  I am too concerned about my friends. Is Turk all right where I left him? Is Ryah doing better? Not to mention Shannon and Jarek, or the fact that Landon’s death hasn’t truly settled in. I’d barely gotten to know him. How can he be gone forever?

  The cries grow louder and louder, until I fear my eardrums will burst. “Aria! Aria! Aria!”

  The people of Manhattan support me. They see that I am flying, that I have obviously gained some sort of mystic power.

  Everyone is rooting for me.

  I swoop down toward the Depths, toward the ruin of our city. I will make things right, once and for all—or die trying.

  Acknowledgments

  Special thanks to the tremendous team at Random House Children’s Books, epecially Lauren Donovan, Françoise Bui, Wendy Loggia, Krista Vitola, Colleen Fellingham, and Beverly Horowitz; to the friends and family members who celebrated Mystic City with me, especially my parents, Steven and Elizabeth Malawer; my sister, Abby; my grandmother Eileen Honigman; and my uncle, Alan Honigman; to all the readers and booksellers who reached out and urged me to continue; to Ruth Katcher, for her guidance, enthusiasm, and ample number of tracked changes; to Kim Kupperman, Meera Nair, Sharon Wyeth, and my Children’s Literature classmates at Fordham for their thoughtful critiques; to the fabulous team of coagents at The Inkhouse who shepherded this trilogy into foreign publication; to Michael Stearns, whose wit and humor always keep me on my toes and who has made this series possible; to Julia Alexander, Kate Berthold, Blair Bodine, Nic Cory, Greta Gerwig, Anna Harb, Jenny Weiner, and Paul Wright for their stalwart support; and to Josh Pultz, for believing in me.

  About the Author

  THEO LAWRENCE is a graduate of Columbia University, the Juilliard School, and Fordham University, where he recently completed his master’s degree in English literature. A Presidential Scholar in the Arts, he has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, as well as Off-Broadway and at 54 Below.

  Mystic City—which Kirkus Reviews called “a gripping Romeo-and-Juliet exploration of deception, espionage, revolution, the greater good and love conquering all”—has been translated into over ten languages and was an ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults nominee. Theo splits his time between Manhattan and Rhinebeck, New York. You can find him at theolawrencebooks.com and follow @TLawrenceBooks on Twitter.