The Girl the Sea Gave Back(75)

His face appeared at the back of the room, his dark hair tucked behind his ears and his bright eyes pinned on me. And the trembling that had been in my hands seemed to suddenly quiet. He tipped his chin up, as if to silently say that it was alright. That everything was going to be okay. And somehow, I believed him.

I let the sight of his face settle me before I closed my eyes, emptying my mind of every sound, every trace of light, until I was standing in the dark silence.

I pressed the stones between my palms, holding them out before me, a calm flooding into me that I’d never felt before. This was where I was meant to be. The boat hadn’t led me to Jorrund. It hadn’t led me to the Svell. It had led me here, to this moment.

Now.

“Augua ór tivar. Ljá mir syn.”

I spoke the words aloud, and they fell rhythmically into the sounds of the voices around me.

“Augua ór tivar. Ljá mir syn!”

I said it again, louder.

“Augua ór tivar. Ljá mir syn!”

I screamed it, my throat burning, and the words bent and broke around the desperate plea.

Eye of the gods. Give me sight.

Again, I brought Halvard to the forefront of my mind—the future I wanted to see.

The quiet wound through me and my lips parted, my breath hitching as I dropped the stones.

The drums stopped, every mouth empty, and silence fell over the ritual house as they hit the pelt one after the other, tumbling into place. I didn’t open my eyes, afraid of what I may see. Afraid of what I may not. I held my breath and Svanhild’s voice found me again.

“Tova,” she whispered.

I opened my eyes and the firelight came flooding back, pulling me up from the darkness of my mind. I looked down, my eyes falling on the stones, where the runes looked up at me in a constellation written only for me. And for him.

The warmth of the kiss ignited on my skin again and I reached up, touching the corner of my mouth, a tear sliding down my cheek. My mother had been right. There was a new beginning carved into the Tree of Urer.

And the stones never lied. Not to me.

The Spinners were wise, but they weren’t always kind. Sometimes fate was a tangled knot. Sometimes it was a noose. Or a net.

But sometimes, it was the rope that pulled you from the sinking deep.

I looked up, finding Halvard’s eyes in the sea of faces, a smile breaking onto my lips. And as if he’d known it all along, he smiled back.





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


As always, Joel, Ethan, Josiah, Finley, and River. You are the oil in my lamp and I’m never without light because of you. Also my family, who fill my life with true stories.

To my writing partner, Kristin Dwyer, this book literally would not have been written without you. Your belief in my voice and in my storytelling has pulled me through so many times, and you deserve so much more credit than I’ll ever be able to give you. But also, you’re the worst.

Eileen Rothschild, what an amazing gem of an editor I have in you! Thank you for trusting me to walk into the unknown with Tova and Halvard. I feel so very lucky to have you on my side. And to my agent, Barbara Poelle, you are just the most badass woman I know. Thank you for every seen and unseen thing you have done along this road.

Thank you to my wonderful publisher, Wednesday Books, and my team, Tiffany Shelton, DJ DeSmyter, and Jessica Preeg, for holding my hand along the way. My books would not be in the hands of readers if I didn’t have you in my corner. It takes a village and I really, really love my village. Also a very special thank you to Kerri Resnick, designer for both Sky in the Deep’s and The Girl the Sea Gave Back’s beautiful covers. You are magic!

To my faithful beta readers, Natalie Faria and Isabel Ibanez, I am so thankful for your wisdom! Thank you for helping me find my way out of the weeds.

To Stephanie Brubaker: friend, critique partner, fellow foodie, and creator of the pronunciation guide for both books in this world. Thank you for always, always, always being there for me, rain or shine. And Lyndsay Wilkin, that writing retreat in Nevada City quite literally saved me. Thank you both for swooping in at a moment when I felt so very lost. All my love and gratitude to the bright shining light of optimism and hope who is Stephanie Garber. I am so happy that our paths crossed. Your encouragement and support throughout this process have meant more to me than you know.

To my local author gang, Shannon Dittemore, Jenny Lundquist, Joanna Rowland, Jessica Taylor, Kim Culbertson, and Rose Cooper. I couldn’t ask for a better tribe of writers to drink an unspecified number of margaritas with.

To Amy, Angela, and Andrea, I just really love you. And to my high school sweethearts, Megwam, Cumulus Cloud, and Lizzard, I find endless inspiration in you and the way you see this world.