Truthwitch (The Witchlands, #1)(123)

Safi might not be with her Threadsister, she might not be buying a home in Ve?aza City, and she might technically be a prisoner, yet she felt no fear over what lay ahead.

All that physical training, Merik had said, plus a witchery men would kill for. Think of all you could do. Think of all you could be.

Safi sighed, a full exhale that loosed something tight from within her chest and sent her heart uncoiling in a way she’d never felt before—in a way that slowed her bouncing legs. Stopped them completely.

Because now she knew what she could do—what she could be. She had gotten Merik his contract and won negotiations with Marstok too. She had bent the world and shaped it into something better.

Safi’s magic hummed, happy and warm with that truth, and after dropping her Threadstone behind her dress, she opened her arms. Let her head loll back.

Then Safiya fon Hasstrel reveled in the sun on her cheeks. In the spindrift on her arms. And in the future that awaited her in Marstok.





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, I want to thank my Threadsister, Sarah J. Maas. Mhe Verujta, braj. You’re the soul twin I can’t live without; the best friend who reads draft after draft; the cheerleader who always hauls me out of my cookie-eating, video-gaming binges; and basically the inspiration behind this entire series. Friendships can be just as epic as romances—maybe even more so—and I wanted the world to see that. Plus, if we lived in the Witchlands, we would totally be the Cahr Awen, right? At the very least, we’d be sea foxes chomping up anyone who dared oppose us (“Get out of the way!”).

To Amity Thompson: You read so many iterations of this book—and you did so with babies and books of your own to deal with. You were always there when I needed to work through a broken plot point, vent my endless frustrations, or gush about Dragon Age. So, thank you.

Enormous thanks to Erin Bowman, for being a Hero Squad sister for life, for listening when I needed listening, for critiquing when I needed critiquing, and for just being there. Always.

To Ashley Hubert: You’re amazing. You read Truthwitch and gave me feedback (plus an ego boost) right when I desperately needed it. I’m so glad we became friends.

To Nicola Wilkinson, the brains behind the Witchlanders street team: Merik is yours. Or Special Baby K. Or any of the characters, really, since you have gone above and beyond for this book and this series. There are no words to express how grateful I am for all you do and all you have done.

To Maddie Meylor: You’ve been with me since the start, and for some reason, you’re not sick of me yet. Thank you for all the reading, the gushing, and the simple fact that you’re you.

To my fellow slayer of darkspawn, Rosanna Silverlight: You singlehandedly saved my muse with your pep talks. Plus, your feedback was exactly what I needed when I needed it.

To the rest of my Thread-family, Dan Krokos, Derek Molata, Biljana Likic, Alexandra Bracken, Vanessa Campbell, Sarah Jae-Jones, Jodi Meadows, and Amie Kaufman: Thank you. For the support, the shoulders to cry on, the much-needed beta reads, and the many, many giggles.

Thanks to Lori Tincher, for answering my horse questions, and to Cindy Vallar, for all the help with nautical shenanigans.

A giant thanks to Jacqueline Carey, for putting up with my na?ve, star-struck self. Thank you.

To the teams at Tor and New Leaf that have worked tirelessly to sell my books and turn my drivel into something worth reading, as well as package and design the entire Truthwitch world: I would be lost without you. Thank you from the bottom of my three Link hearts (that one’s for you, Jo). And Whitney, you “have a whole relationship with dairy products I don’t understand.”

To the Misfits & Daydreamers (and every other reader, blogger, and aspiring author out there): I have no words to express my gratitude. You guys listen, support, and remind me everyday of why I do this.

To my family—Mom, Dad, David, and Jen—thank you for enduring (and often nurturing) my distracted daydreaming for all these years … And also thank you for bragging about me at the grocery store. That makes me feel truly special.

And last—but not least—I have to thank my husband, Sébastien. I couldn’t have written this book (or any other) were it not for you and your endless, unconditional support. I love you forever and then some.





ABOUT THE AUTHOR


SUSAN DENNARD has come a long way from small-town Georgia. As a marine biologist, she got to travel the world—six out of seven continents, to be exact (she’ll get to Asia one of these days!)—before she settled down as a full-time novelist and writing instructor. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two dogs, and she is extremely active in social media. You can find her on her blog or Twitter or contributing to Publishing Crawl. You can sign up for email updates here.