He let Adaira draw him to his feet. They banked the fire in the hearth and extinguished the candles, one by one.
The snow was falling, thick and slow, when they stepped outside of the trading house. Adaira wove her fingers with his and led him down the river road, past the faded clan line. Neither of them realized they had stepped into the east until the trees fell away, one by one, and a light suddenly shone through the snow.
It was Mirin’s cottage. Firelight burned through the darkness, and Jack stared up at it a moment. He wondered what tomorrow would bring. What the days ahead would be like in this new world. An isle united. His hand in Adaira’s, their scars aligned.
But that is a story for another windy, firelit night.
Acknowledgments
Community and family play pivotal roles in both A River Enchanted and A Fire Endless. And the truth is . . . I couldn’t have written, revised, and seen this book off to publication without the support and expertise of a wonderful group of people. This is my community and family, the people who have invested their energy, love, magic, and time into me as a person, and as an author, and into the stories I tell. And I am honored to recognize them now as Jack, Adaira, Torin, Sidra, and Frae’s journey comes to an end.
First, sustenance and steel from my Heavenly Father. Encouragement and spontaneous dinner dates and long evening walks with Ben, my better half. Couch cuddles and reminders to go outside from Sierra. Lunch with Mom, because deadlines for this book were intense and I sometimes didn’t have the energy to make something to eat. Phone calls from Dad, which are always a bright spot in the day. Any moment at all with my siblings, from our D&D campaigns to walks on the driveway. My grandparents—Grandmommy & Pappy and Oma & Opa—who continue to exemplify love and legacy to me.
To my incredible team at New Leaf Literary, who went above and beyond to help me get this book in shape for publication: Suzie Townsend (my inimitable agent), Sophia Ramos (Torin’s #1 fan), and Kate Sullivan (editor extraordinaire). Fire would not be what it is today without your expertise, your magic, and all the time you devoted to attentively reading each draft. To Kendra Coet, for helping with all the behind-the-scenes publishing things. To Veronica Grijalva and Victoria Hendersen, for continuing to champion this series to publishers overseas.
I’m beyond thankful for my wonderful teams at William Morrow and Harper Voyager. To my editors: Vedika Khanna, who first saw what the Elements of Cadence could become and guided me through the beginning of this journey, and Julia Elliott, who jumped on board mid-2022 and shepherded this book into publication. I am immensely thankful for you both, and all the time and insight and love you’ve given to this series. To Emily Fisher, my incredible publicist. To Deanna Bailey and all the amazing marketing work you’ve given to this series. To Liate Stehlik, Jennifer Hart, Jennifer Brehl, David Pomerico, DJ DeSmyter, Pamela Barricklow, Elizabeth Blaise, Stephanie Vallejo, Paula Szafranski, Angie Boutin, Cynthia Buck, and Chris Andrus. To Yeon Kim for creating two gorgeous covers for this series. To Nick Springer, for bringing the map of Cadence to life.
To my amazing team at Harper Voyager UK: Natasha Bardon, Vicky Leech, Elizabeth Vaziri, Jack Renninson, Emma Pickard, Jaime Witcomb, and Robyn Watts. To Ali Al Amine for illustrating the whimsical UK covers.
To my fellow authors who have given their time to read and blurb and celebrate with me along the way: Isabel Iba?ez (who read River and Fire through many, many messy drafts and helped me find the perfect ending for the series), Hannah Whitten, Shea Ernshaw, Genevieve Gornichec, Ava Reid, Sue Lynn Tan, A.G. Slatter, Danielle L. Jensen, and Vania Stoyanova. To Kristin Dwyer for reading the romantic scenes at one a.m. on Isabel’s couch and giving me invaluable feedback (and reassurance!).
The success of this series has been humbling and exciting to watch unfold, and I am deeply thankful for these book-loving businesses who have been an incredible support to me: Book of the Month, Illumicrate, Fox & Wit, Emboss & Spine, BlueForest BlackMoon, Barnes & Noble, Little Shop of Stories, Parnassus Books, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, The Inside Story, and Avid Bookshop.
And to you, my dear readers. I wouldn’t be here today without you. I wish we could sit down with a cup of tea and talk about our favorite books and characters, but for now, I will close by saying thank you for your love and support. Thank you for going on this wild, wondrous journey with me.
About the Author
REBECCA ROSS writes fantasy novels for teens and adults. She lives in the Appalachian foothills of northeast Georgia with her husband,
a lively Australian shepherd, and an endless pile of books. When not writing, she can be found reading or in her garden, where
she grows wildflowers and story ideas.
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