Authors: Ava Jae

Beyond the Red (42 page)

I wrap Aren in silks from Jessa’s pack and place him in the sand. I do the same for Nia, then Jessa herself, careful to cover her permanently swollen stomach. When they’re fully wrapped, I pick Mal up and duck out of the tent.

I won’t have him waking next to his dead family.

Some are stirring around me as I step through camp. A few are already awake and watch me with wide eyes as I walk. I don’t know if they heard me scream, I don’t know why they look at me with something like wonder. Whispers slip around me, and still I keep walking. I don’t know where I’m going. I don’t know where I can put Mal that’ll allow him to wake without the horror of death around him.

Death is everywhere.

“Eros.”

I don’t stop at the sound of my name. I don’t care what Gray has to say to me.

“Eros, wait.” He takes my shoulder and I shrug out of his grip. But I stop walking. My shoulders burn from carrying Mal—I’m exhausted in every sense of the word—but nothing compares to the agony inside me.

Gray steps in front of me and hands me a com. “You should listen to this.”

I can’t believe him. After everything that’s happened, after all this death, after the silence and the screams, he’s giving me a blazing com to listen to?

“It’s important,” he says, and something about his gaze stops me. It’s the way the others are looking at me. With a sortuv respect and gratitude that doesn’t make sense. I shift Mal’s weight onto my left arm and slide the com into place.

Serek’s voice comes over the speaker. “… and he is the only rightful heir to the throne…. Eros, please return to Asheron. The territories—and your people—need you.” A pause, then the message begins again. “People of Safara, this is
Sira-kaï
Serek d’Asheron …”

And then something happens that I can’t explain. Something I don’t want, something I don’t need, something I don’t deserve.

Gray drops to one knee and bows his head. “Thank you,” he whispers. “You saved our lives.”

Murmurs of agreement ripple around me, and one by one, all who are awake follow his lead and kneel in the sand.

“Uncle Eros?” Mal whispers. “Why are you crying? Why is everyone bowing?”

But I don’t answer. My voice is caught in my throat, and I can never reconcile what’s happening here today or Serek’s words playing endlessly in my ear.

The territories—and your people—need you.

Acknowledgments

For years, I’ve loved reading the acknowledgments at the back of my favorite books, both because it shows how much work goes into publishing a novel, and because I’d imagine writing my own. Now I get to.

First thanks go to the Big Guy upstairs, as Gray would say. While I never imagined it’d take me a decade to get here, You put this dream in my heart to begin with. I couldn’t be happier.

All the squishy hugs, cuddles, and gratitude to Astasia, who’s been my supporter and #1 bestie for longer than she hasn’t and was there when the very first version of Eros and the Sepharon were imagined. I’m glad I hogged you in second grade.

So much gratitude will forever go to my amazing agent, Louise Fury, and to Rachel Brooks, both of whom believed in my weird alien book first. Your unfailing enthusiasm has literally changed my life.

Stars, hugs, and high-fives to my lovely editor, Nicole Frail, with your helpful, warm, fuzzy-making, and hashtag genius-making A+ notes (#TeamEros!). And a big thank-you to the rest of the Sky Pony team, especially Sarah Brody for the gorgeous cover I still can’t stop looking at, Kerri Frail for that perfectly amazing map, and Joshua Barnaby for making my nerdiest dreams come true with that incredibly awesome interior design.

Beyond the Red
’s fabulous CP team, Laura, Caitlin, and others: you guys saw
Red
first and your insights and encouragement were instrumental in how it developed. Extra-special shout out to Laura, who came up with the title that was later tweaked into
Beyond the Red,
and to Team Fury, whose editorial notes never fail to inspire.

To Vicki and Kate, my lovely CP/support team, you may not have read the early drafts, but I hope you both know you’ve helped me grow so much as a writer.
Red
wouldn’t be here without you two, either.

To my freshman year English teacher who helped me write my first ever query letter: that book wasn’t meant to be, but you helped me get here first. And to Mr. C, I kept those notes tacked onto my final senior AP Lit project for years and looked to them for encouragement more times than I can count. Thank you.

Hugs to my mom, for never saying wanting to be an author is a ridiculous dream, to Richard, for always enthusiastically asking about book news, even when you don’t entirely know what it means, and Cristina, for being the first to listen to many of my stories,
Red
included, even though you fell asleep half the time.

To my Twitter lovelies and friends who are too many to name, but mean so very much to me—I can’t thank you enough for the DMs, emails, hugs, and unwavering support. To Team Rogue YA, the Sweet Sixteeners, enthusiastic book bloggers, and the Community of Awesome, thank you all for reminding me how blazing amazing the bookish community can be.

And finally, to you, reading this book. You guys make my dream possible every day. Thank you, thank you. Your kind words will stay with me wherever the stars reach.

Glossary/Pronunciation Guide

Note: /r/ is rolled (similar to a Spanish /r/) and /j/ is closer to an English /y/.

a/al
(ah/ahl): the (places, objects, etc.)

alaja
(ah-LAH-yah) and nejdo (NEY-doh): stringed instruments

Avrae/Sirae
(AH-vray/SEE-ray): plural forms of Avra and Sira

el/ol Avra
(el/ohl AH-vrah): my/your majesty; Avrae are rulers of the eight territories

azuka
(AH-zoo-kah): a powerful drink, somewhat equivalent to alcohol

el ljma si
…(el LYEH-mah see): my name is …

ikrat
(EE-kraht): death

kaï
(KAH-ee): prince

Kala
(kah-lah): God

kazim
(KAH-zeem): wildcat