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Taristan only shook his head. “You immortals take a long time to die,” he muttered, before drawing a dagger.

Isibel wept too. “Sleep, my love,” she begged.

It was the last thing Ridha heard as the blade plunged through her armor, into her heart.

But the last thing she saw was Taristan, the son of Old Cor, bent over her body, his eyes a burning blood red, yellow at the irises, like the heart of a flame. The eyes ate up the world, until she tipped forward, falling into the fire he now carried in his ruined soul. It consumed her, every inch burning, the pain like nothingshe had ever felt before or would ever feel again. It was acid; it was boiling water; it was an inferno in her skin. Ridha of Iona hollowed out, her mind and soul torn away.

Her limbs moved, one hand twitching, then the other, even as her grasp on life disappeared. Ridha’s soul pulled away, disappearing, leaving her body behind. And all went black.

Acknowledgments

I feel so lucky I get to keep writing, and luckier still to continue this series. Realm Breaker continues to be my joy in difficult times.

As always, forever, my first thank-you goes to my parents. Without them, my words wouldn’t exist. I don’t know where I’d be without their support, and frankly, I don’t want to think about it. I’m indebted to my brother as well, my first captive audience. Sometimes literally.

To my extended circle of friends and family, thank you for your constant support. Morgan, Jen, and Tori, my dearest ladies, you never let me fall down and you never let me slow down.

At home, my partner and my pup, Indy, are always there for every high and every low. You make the sun brighter. I love you both so much more than you’ll ever understand. Mostly because one of you is a dog.

I’m just as blessed to have a wonderful circle of publishingfriends who keep me honest, in check, and just sane. To the Patties, to Soman, to Sabaa, Adam, Jenny, the East Side LA Coven, Emma, thank you for your friendship and guidance.

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and it certainly takes a village to publish a book. My own village happens to be spectacular. Alice continues to be my fearless editor, ready to tackle all the wild chapters I throw at her. Thank you to Erica for your wisdom and support. And so much love to Clare for staying on top of everything. To Alexandra, Karen, and Lana, thank you for making all of itwork. To Vanessa and Nicole in production, thank you for making all of thisreal. To Jenna and Alison in design, thank you for making thisbeautiful. To Audrey, Sabrina, and Shannon in marketing, thank you for making thisconnect. To Jenn and Anna, thank you for making thisknown. To my sensitivity readers, who made thisthoughtful. To the Epic Reads crew, thank you for making thisfun. I am so indebted to all of you, and know how much you’ve done to make the Realm Breaker series the success it’s become.Andfor all your continued work on our first baby, Red Queen.

I feel overly blessed to be represented by New Leaf Literary, and especially Suzie Townsend. She has been my north star since the beginning of my career, and I hope I never lose sight of her. Thank you to Pouya, for never giving up on anything ever. To Jo, for her boundless vision. To Veronica and Victoria, for all the globetrotting, as well as my foreign agents around the world. To Hilary and Meredith, who feel like my own personal safety nets. To Kendra, Sophia, and Katherine, who never miss a beat, and keep this whole thing running. Thank you to Elena Stokes, forholding my hand down a new path. And to Steve, my legal shield and friend. On the entertainment side, thanks to Michael, Roxie, and Ali. You guys elevate me to new heights; I’m so grateful to keep working with you all!

Most of all, I must always say thank you to the readers, educators, librarians, bloggers, Instagrammers, TikTokers—thank you to everyone who picks up a book and passes it on. You are the reason our community exists, and why we continue to thrive. Writing and reading feel like a solitary endeavor, but it isn’t one, because of you. Your continued support means more than I can say, because you make me who I am. I’m so grateful to keep writing stories for you, to live in your head as you live in mine.

All my love, forever,

Victoria