Emily R King - Everafter Song

PRAISE FOR EMILY R. KINGS

THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN

Winner of the 2017 Whitney and UTOPiA Awards

for Best Novel by a Debut Author

Kings debut is built on a solid premise that draws on Sumerian mythology for inspiration... The tale maintains a consistent thread as King embarks on a deep examination of sisterhood, first between Kali and her best friend Jaya, and later when she must fight the rajahs other wives to keep her place within the palace.

Publishers Weekly

King writes multiple strong female characters, led by Kalinda, who has the loyalty and bravery of spirit to defend her friends even if that means facing death. Strong characterization, deep worldbuilding, page-turning action scenes and intrigue, as well as social commentary, make this book stand out. This outing opens a trilogy; readers will be eager to get their hands on the next installment.

Kirkus Reviews

This lush and lovely first novel brings a beautiful and brutal culture to life. The ending is left open for sequels, and readers will eagerly follow Kalinda and Deven on their future adventures.

Booklist

Filled with many action-packed sequences, forbidden romance, and unexpected surprises, this debut fantasy will appeal to teens who enjoy epic dramas with strong female characters.

School Library Journal

A gripping plot with twists and turns, a unique setting, and strong female charactersa solid foray into the fantasy romance genre.

VOYA

This book is definitely a page-turner...

Teenreads

ALSO BY EMILY R. KING

The Evermore Chronicles

Before the Broken Star

Into the Hourglass

Everafter Song

The Hundredth Queen Series

The Hundredth Queen

The Fire Queen

The Rogue Queen

The Warrior Queen

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Text copyright 2019 by Emily R. King

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Published by Skyscape, New York

www.apub.com

Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Skyscape are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

ISBN-13: 9781542093392 (hardcover)

ISBN-10: 1542093392 (hardcover)

ISBN-13: 9781542043977 (paperback)

ISBN-10: 1542043972 (paperback)

Cover design by Kirk DouPonce, DogEared Design

First Edition

For my talented father.

I loved your music before anyone elses.

CONTENTS

Prologue

The forest will burn.

Long ago, before the worlds were born of the Creator, Mother Madrona foresaw the end of the Everwoodsthe immense fire crackling through her boughs, her bark scorching, leaves and acorns incinerating to dust. The mighty forest was felled, razed from treetop to root, and ash rained down from the stars.

Amid the elderwood trees going up in flames, the last image Madrona saw before the inferno devoured her and her sisters was the wicked smile of a prince.

This is one ending.

There is another.

Madrona dreamed of a knight wearing a talisman of time who wielded an immortal sword. Sacrifices were made to set the knight against the prince, but whether the knight would follow the path laid before her was yet to be seen. Some things that never are will be, and some things that will be never are. Even the Mother of All cannot say which ending is yet to come. Only that they both bring death.

Chapter One

The empty clock shop is eerily quiet. The only beating timepiece is the clock heart ticking in my chest, and its deafening in its loneliness. Every dusty shelf in the storefront has been cleared off and every item sold. My ticker is all thats left of my uncles magnificent creations.

Uncle Holdens ghost lingers in the sawdust between the floorboards, in the scent of axle grease on the curtains, in his handwritten Closed sign in the window, in the clerks desk where I would sit while he constructed his timepieces behind me, hammering and chiseling in his workshop. My uncle inherited the shop from my grandfather, and he meant to pass it on to me. This place will never be the same without him, without the warm soda bread he would bring home from the bakery, without his hot whisky tea, his nightly prayers to Mother Madrona, and his humming while he worked. While he was alive, I never thought of myself as orphaned. Now, I dont know what I am.

A carriage stops in the street outside, its outline visible through the rain-strewn window. I duck between the display shelves and estimate how long it will take for me to run from the storefront into the workshop. Im too late. A key turns in the lock, and the bell on the door jangles.

Footfalls fill the quiet. As I hide between the shelves, I press a palm over my clock heart to muffle the quickening ticktocks, my other hand on my sword. The dim light turns the entranta man in an ankle-length wool coat, collar up, cap lowinto a silhouette. I doubt hes a thief. He had a key, and nothing is left in here to steal.

He may be searching for me.

My wanted poster is hung all over Wyeth. I passed several of them while riding south to the city. Each one stated the same decree:

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE

EVERLEY DONOVAN, SORCERESS WITH A CLOCK HEART

REWARD: FIFTY GOLD PIECES

A month ago, Queen Aislinn falsely accused me of killing my uncle and labeled me a sorceress. She couldnt otherwise explain my ticker for a heart. In addition to me, shes searching for Prince Killian Markham. Disguised as a human through a glamour charm, the prince from the Land of Promisethe world of the elvescould be anywhere. Whoever catches him will be rewarded with three hundred gold pieces. Markham must love that hes worth more than me.

The man pauses at the clerks desk and removes his tricorn hat. You can come out, Evie. Im alone.

I step out into Jamisons view. How did you know I was here?

Id recognize the beat of your ticker anywhere. He smiles briefly, his lips tense. You didnt tell me you were riding to Dorestand.

I didnt expect to see him either. He had a meeting with his naval superiors here in Dorestand this afternoon. I didnt want to worry you.

Coming into the city was risky, but I needed to visit the shop one last time before the new owners moved in. Ive been here for an hour, wandering from empty room to empty room.

You didnt need to come, Evie. I had planned to bring the last of your uncles things to Elderwood Manor. Unless you would rather leave them here?

For the new owners? I ask.

Jamison dangles the key to the shop. No, for you.

My jaw falls open.

I would have told you sooner, but I wanted to wait until the deed was signed. Jamison offers me the key. I just came from the housing office. The deed is in my name, but the shop, loft, and workshop are yours.