The Rose Society, Page 31

  Please don’t leave me, don’t leave me, I’ve changed my mind, take this power away, the whispers won’t stop.

  The sunlight through the windows shifts. I stay on the ground.

  I have no idea how much time passes. Or how long I cry. I don’t know where Violetta might have gone. I don’t know where Magiano went, or what he might be thinking. After some time, I finally cry everything out of my chest, and there are no more tears left in me. I stay on the ground. I watch the lattice of shadows from the windows move slowly along the floor. The light changes, turns golden. The shadows and highlights stretch until they reach me, bathing me in light. Even the warmth of the sun cannot make the darkness in my stomach go away.

  Gradually, my thoughts start to turn. And slowly, slowly . . . the whispers start to come back. They caress my mind.

  No, Adelina, this is better.

  You don’t need to care about her leaving. Haven’t you already learned that love and acceptance are less important than the power of fear? The control over those you know?

  I nod, letting the thought strengthen me. I don’t need to lean against my sister in order to stand up. I can do it on my own. Without anyone.

  I slowly push myself onto my feet, wipe my face with my sleeve, and run trembling fingers along the monstrous, eyeless side of my face. My expression settles into something numb and hard. I turn to face the throne at the top of the steps. My illusions start to spark again, and darkness blurs into the corners of my vision, leaving the throne as the only thing I can see.

  I walk up the steps toward it. Around me, ghosts of those I have once known fade in and out, those I have left behind. Who left me. I make my way up each step. The whispers in my mind roar, filling every crevice, shoving out the light and letting the darkness flood in.

  This is good, Adelina. This is the best way.

  I have earned my revenge on everyone who hurt me. My father, who tortured me every day—I crushed his chest and his heart. Teren, sick and twisted and mad—I took away his beloved just as he took away mine. Raffaele, who betrayed and manipulated me—I seized control of the prince he loves, and I made sure he watched his prince destroy in my name.

  And Violetta, darling, dearest sister who turned her back when I needed her the most. I cast her out. I finally said everything to her that I wanted to say.

  I have hurt back.

  You’ve won, Adelina, the whispers say.

  I reach the throne. It’s beautiful, an ornate structure of gold and silver and stone. Lying in the center of its cushion is Giulietta’s former crown, heavy with gems. I reach down and pick it up, admiring the jewels as they wink in the light, running my fingers along their hard surfaces. I walk once around the throne, gripping the crown. This is mine. I lift the crown to my head, then put it on. It is heavy. Finally, I sit in the chair, then lean back and rest my arms on its sides.

  How long ago it was, when I used to crouch along the stair railings in my old home and fantasize about this, of wearing such a crown and looking down from my own throne. I lift my head high and stare out at the chamber. It is empty.

  This is what I have fought so hard for, what I sacrificed and bled so much for. This is everything I ever wanted—revenge against my enemies for what they’ve done to me. And I’ve achieved it. My revenge is complete.

  I force a smile onto my face. In the silence, I sit alone on my throne and wait eagerly for all the satisfaction and triumph to hit me. I wait, and wait, and wait.

  But it doesn’t come.

  Acknowledgments

  The Rose Society is the darkest book I’ve ever written. Taking Adelina down to a place where she not only lets her pain consume herself but consume others was a necessary task—but it was also an emotionally difficult one. Being in the headspace of a villain-in-training for months at a time meant seeking out the best hearts I know in order to balance out all that negativity. So:

  Thank you to my editor Jen Besser, who gets Adelina’s story down to the core, who always knows exactly what to say, and who believes in me even when I don’t believe in myself. I don’t know what I’d do without your friendship and advice.

  Thank you to my agent, friend, and champion Kristin Nelson—you are somehow both extremely badass and incredibly kind. No matter what, you always sail us in the right direction.

  Team Putnam and the Penguins: that sounds sort of like the coolest indie band ever. You guys rock the house every time! Thank you for having my back, for believing in these books, and for being downright awesome people.

  Thank you to my wonderful film agent Kassie Evashevski, for taking The Young Elites under your wing and finding it a great home. You are amazing, in every sense of the word.

  I am so grateful that The Young Elites is with none other than you guys, Isaac and Wyck. Your thoughts, encouragement, and friendship mean the world to me.

  Amie, seriously, what would I do without our Fat Emails and your incredible, smart self? You helped pull me through this book, even if you had to half drag me part of the way. JJ, thank you for always being there to lend an ear and talk about anything. Leigh, you have the wits of a thousand wits. Thank you for calming me down, building me up, and always making sure there is cake involved. Jess, Andrea, and Beth, I can’t wait until the next time we are all reunited, because it will be so epic. Jess and Morgan, afternoon tea forever!!! Tahereh and Ransom, you guys are totally maxed out on the Best People Meter. Margie, Kami, Mel, and Veronica, the world needs so many more of you. Thank you for being an inspiration.

  Thank you to my family and closest friends, for long conversations day or night, for endless fun, and for your love and joy. Most of all, thank you to Primo, my best friend and my rock. I am thankful every day for you.

  MARIE LU is the author of the New York Times bestselling Legend series and The Young Elites. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry, working for Disney Interactive Studios as a Flash artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing Assassin’s Creed, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California (see above: traffic), with one husband, one Chihuahua mix, and two Pembroke Welsh corgis.

  Visit Marie at www.marielu.org

  www.theyoungelites.com

  AUTHOR PHOTO: PAUL GREGORY

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