His mother had caught him with his head tipped, listening to things she couldn’t hear, mimicking a melody she hadn’t taught him. His father had shown him how to press gentle fingers to the breast of a dying bird, and together they’d watched it fly away, whole.
Twin boys—Gibbous and Peter in honor of the men who’d lost their lives on the Jyraen Sea—were born two years after their older brother. Their red hair and vivid eyes gave them the look of mischievous elves, and Grandfather Tree recognized their small hands and their climbing feet, widening his boughs and spreading his branches to catch them should they fall. The walls of their nursery were constantly flowering, and the castle staff had found a stalk of corn growing in Peter’s chest of drawers.
When King Kjell declared his fourth son Lucian Maximus, everyone commented on the fine name and never knew it was chosen to honor a beloved horse and a patient dog. Lucian Maximus longed to run and fly and swim, not unlike his namesakes, and the first time he changed he was only three years old. Queen Saoirse found a small bear in her young son’s cradle and got her first grey hair.
Caarn had grown. Dendar had flourished. People had returned, and the Volgar had not. Animals roamed the hills and the surrounding fields. Grazing cattle and galloping horses dotted the countryside. Dogs barked, lazy cats sunned themselves on the rock walls, and the chickens clucked and strutted, chastising the pigs in their pens.
The forests had grown too, welcoming the Spinners of Caarn when their days grew numbered, watching over the valley that thrived and spread. The trees were not aware of the passing of days or the turn of the seasons. They simply grew, keeping their patient vigil, graciously sharing their gifts. Sometimes the Healer, a son of Caarn, would walk among them with reverent hands, greeting them and whispering thanks, and the trees would nod their leafy heads, thanking him in return.
***
To my husband and my children, thank you. At the end of a project I’m always tired, overwrought, and irritable. But you all still love me. Every time.
To my assistant, Tamara, thank you for making time for me in your life, for keeping me organized and efficient, for filling in ever-growing gaps. Your friendship over these last years has been one of the best parts of my writing success.
To Nicole Karlson, your effusive praise and late night messages gave me so much encouragement on this project. You love this book, and because you love it, I was able to love it more.
To my publishers around the world, to my readers in every corner, to the bloggers and tweeters, book groups and bookgrammers, thank you for spreading the love for my books. I am indebted to you.
To Jane Dystel and Lauren Abramo, thank you for your support and for taking care of me. I am always reassured that I am working with the best literary agents in the world.
To Karey White, you are such a blessing. Thank you for editing for me, for knowing your stuff, and for keeping it real, always.
***
Amy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in fifteen different languages, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.
Amy Harmon has written eleven novels — the USA Today Bestsellers, The Bird and The Sword, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as From Sand and Ash, The Law of Moses, The Song of David, Infinity + One, and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her recent release, The Bird and the Sword, is a Goodreads Best Fantasy of 2016 finalist.
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***
Young Adult and Paranormal Romance
Slow Dance in Purgatory
Prom Night in Purgatory
Inspirational Romance
A Different Blue
Running Barefoot
Making Faces
Infinity + One
The Law of Moses
The Song of David
Historical Fiction
From Sand and Ash
Romantic Fantasy
The Bird and The Sword
***