The River King

by Kim Alexander

  “Is she crying because she’s happy or sad?” asked Niico. “I can never tell.”

  “She looks happy,” observed Ilaan. “Are you happy crying? Is that a thing?”

  “It is,” she said. “It’s a thing.”

  “It is?’ Moth looked at her, concerned. “But why would you be...” Then his eyes widened. “Are you?”

  “Oh, look,” said Ilaan. “Now he’s happy crying too. Niico, shani, perhaps we ought to let these two stand in the rain and cry for a while. We need to go house hunting. I’ve had my eye on a nice little place in the Quarter.” He put out his hand, and he and Niico shimmered away.

  “Is it true?” Moth asked. “We’re talking about the same thing, right? You’re not just glad to see the rain.”

  She nodded. “We’re talking about a baby. I mean, I am glad about the rain though.” Then, as if on cue, terrible thoughts. “What if...” She gulped and sniffed. “What if I turn out to be like my mother?”

  “Forget that, what if you turn out to be like mine?”

  Lelet gaped at him. “Was that...was that a joke?”

  “From your expression, I’m going to say...yes?”

  She laughed and tipped her face up, letting the rain wash away her tears. “That was actually pretty funny.”

  Moth gasped. “I know just the thing. We’ll name him Prince Maxmillien Altair va’Dei Zago Va’Everly Capehart.”

  She stopped laughing and narrowed her eyes at him. “Isn’t that the Duke from...”

  “And Gwenyth if it’s a girl, obviously.”

  “Oh, shani, no. But you know what I was thinking? Malloy would work for a boy or a girl. We wouldn’t even need to add a letter.”

  He pulled her close. “Want to go inside?”

  “No,” she said. “We’ve waited a long time for this. Let’s enjoy it.”

  From beyond the wall of the garden, (which was now a real garden), they could hear cheers going up as the city came out to welcome back the rain.

  Acknowledgments

  In July of 2013, I got fired.

  I’d been working at Sirius XM—first as a traffic reporter, then as the co-producer of Book Radio—for over ten years, and if my channel hadn’t gone off the air, I would have joyously died of old age at my desk. My whole job was to read books, interview authors, host talk shows, and attend events like Comic Con and the Miami Book Fair.

  I loved that job.

  I went home in a panic. I told my husband what happened and began prepping for my inevitable new role as a barista. “I can’t do math! How will I make change?” I said, realizing I was unsuited for that and, really, any other job.

  After he calmed me down with a fair amount of bourbon, he explained that the past ten years had been me getting ready for my next career, which was to write my own damned books.

  “No,” I said, “that is not a job!” (For someone with no apparent skills, I had a lot of answers.)

  Ultimately, he convinced me that even if I didn’t believe I could do it, he did. And I sat at my desk and I began to write. (Believe me, I know how astonishingly lucky I am.) My first book, The Sand Prince, was published in 2015 by a small press that promptly went out of business. As fraught as that whole mess was, I came away with an irreplaceable group of friends including my editor, Carly, and my gang is worth one million shady publishing deals so it was worth it!

  Since then and with much assistance, I’ve learned about pacing, timelines, plot holes, misleading blurbs, good reviews and bad reviews, marketing, sales, and managing expectations. I learned to allow everything in the world be my inspiration. I learned to listen to the voices in my head. I learned how to write while the world was on fire. I learned that it’s not only okay to stink up the joint—it’s vital. I learned to love editing. I learned how to finish.

  The book you’ve just read is the final chapter in the story of Rhuun and Lelet and their friends, family, enemies, frenemies, etc, etc, and I am going to miss them desperately. I don’t have any plans to return to Eriis or Mistra, but I also know I’m leaving some story on the table, so I won’t say never. (King Niico, now there’s a thought!)

  Now I have to thank some people.

  Dyon, my husband and cheerleader. What would I be without you?

  Team Demon Door: Carly Hayward, Cait Reynolds, Tracey Stewart, Debra Ginsberg, Shari Ryan, Jeni Chappelle, Gladys Gonzales and the Nerd Girls, Susannah Greenberg

  Readers and friends: Antigone, Matthew (and the Roberts family) Michael, Mike, Anthony, Vanda, Chris, Daphne, Kenya, Sami Jo, Genevieve, Ed Aymar and the fine folks at ITW, Thomas and Vicki at Page After Page, Jessica Woodburn, Sara Dobie Bauer, Dana, Malone, Jenn,

  Comrades: Maggie Linton, Kenny Curtis, Dave Z, Mark Says Hi, Quinton, Annabella, Jason, Chris, Paul.

  Heavy hitters: Katherine Neville, David Baldacci, Daniel Stashower.

  Fam: Eryc, Jaysen, Mira, Jasper, Sarah, Barbara, Dennis, Leeloo, Onion, and Rampage I through V.

  There are too many authors and actors and poets and lovers of language that I interviewed while at Sirius XM to name here, but I want you all to know I paid attention and I thank all of you for so generously sharing your words with me.

  About the Author

  Kim Alexander lives in Washington DC with a houseful of books, two cats, an angry fish, and a very patient husband.

  Also by Kim Alexander

  The Sand Prince: The Demon Door Book One

  The Heron Prince: The Demon Door Book Two

  The Glass Girl: The Demon Door Book Three

  The Claiming of the Duke by Malloy dos Capehart; a Demon Door Romance

  Pure: New World Magic Book One

  The March Effect: New World Magic Book Two

  Praise for Kim Alexander and The Demon Door Series:

  Kim Alexander's The Sand Prince is a thrill ride of fantastical proportion. Can hardly wait for the next wild installment." David Baldacci, New York Times and International Bestselling Author

  The Sand Prince by Kim Alexander is a fresh and fascinating tale of skullduggery and romance, set against a backdrop of multiple kingdoms (only one of them human!)

  Fans of Frank Herbert's Dune, Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, and Stephenie Meyer's The Host, will welcome this exciting new addition to the genre! Katherine Neville, NY Times and #1 Internationally bestselling author of The Eight

  The Sand Prince is a wonder — full of magic, drama and sly humor. Kim Alexander might just be a wizard. Daniel Stashower, New York Times Bestselling Author

  “I love these characters (even the horrible ones) and their growth and depth; I love the world(s)-building and the not-quite-hereness of it and the utterly beautiful and unique story.” Tracet, NetGalley Reviewer

  “Epic fantasy YES! With well-written characters, a complex plot, and all the beginnings of an epic fantasy adventure series. Great read!” KMM88, Amazon Reviewer

  Praise for PURE: New World Magic Book 1

  "Kim embraces the writing style of Ilona Andrews and Jeaniene Frost with snarky heroines, exciting plotlines, and of course mythical creatures.” Nerd Girl Official

  "Captivating Read! Fantasy/Romance/Mystery writers, move over in a big way for the new kid on the dark street who can write plot and dialogue as clever and quick as Nora Roberts" Rad Dad, Amazon Reviewer

  "This book ended much too soon, which speaks to the great writing." Glass Dr, Amazon Reviewer

  “A delightful urban fantasy with heart and humor! It rivals the best urban fantasy books that I have ever read.” Diana (Audible edition)

  Thank you for reading this book! If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review.

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