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I WANT TO THANK MY mom first and foremost. Thank you for reading everything I write since the beginning, often multiple times. Best Proofreader Mom award goes to you—as does Best Mom in general for your constant support and belief and your investments in my learning and life. For reading to me when I was little. For supporting this crazy idea that I could write. For reading my books even though fantasy isn’t your favorite genre. I wouldn’t be an author without your help.
Thank you to my dad, who is always proud of me even when I haven’t been proud of myself, and whose sacrifices have allowed me the education and time to make being an author possible. I can chase my dreams because of you.
Thank you to Rebecca for always being there for me and believing in me—even if you kinda stopped reading my writing after I killed your fictional boyfriend something like NINE YEARS AGO. (Let it go!) Thank you for letting me rant to you to figure out plot holes and dead ends, for humoring me and asking questions, even when you weren’t entirely sure what on earth was going on. For encouraging me when I was low or metaphorically slapping me with a newspaper and telling me to “pull yourself together!” when I needed it. For all the laughter and ups and downs and adventures. Four years apart or not, I think you’re my twin. Thank you for being half of the inspiration for Regulus and Dresden’s friendship.
Thank you to Alexis, my soul-sister time zones away and the other half of the inspiration for Regulus and Dresden’s friendship. Thank you for understanding me even when I’m barely making sense, for laughing through the hard times, for always being down when I need to vent, for not getting annoyed when I decide to bombard you with memes and nonsense or send you the most random questions or have a breakdown, and for reading and being excited about this book and helping me make it even stronger.
Jessica, thank you for devouring my books and being my #1 fan. Thank you for the fan art and squealing, and for your support and words of encouragement and love when I’ve been down.
Sylvia, thank you for always enthusiastically supporting me even though you’re not a big reader.
To my extended family, thank you for your enthusiastic support of my dreams—from dances to plays to Oxford to novels.
Mr. E, thank you for being one of my most faithful and helpful early readers and encouraging me to write more vivid descriptions.
Thank you to Kinsey for reading my writing attempts in high school. That early support was so important.
Thank you to Becky for loving my characters and always being willing to talk about life or writing and editing and publishing frus-trations and ideas. Our conversations are the stabbiest.
Thank you, Jenni, for all the screaming and late-night convos and helping me make decisions and making me laugh and cry and supporting me, even when I’m being an irrational overthinker.
Thank you to my early readers: Heather, Verity, Janice, Claire, Cathi, Alexandra, and Becky. I am so grateful to you!
Thank you to everyone in my FB reader group—lots of love!
To everyone who has supported me and cheered me on, especially all the lovely, supportive individuals on bookstagram: thank you. I can’t possibly list you all, but you are the BOMB and all your love and support makes me cry happy tears.
Thank YOU, lovely reader! Thank you for taking a chance on me and this book. Thank you for giving Regulus and Adelaide a chance. Thank you for helping me live my dream of being a published author.
Finally, to the God who gave me life, who made me creative in His image, who placed all these people in my life, who gave me stories and words to tell them with, and who is giving me a spirit of peace not of fear—who has been there comforting me and placing people in my life even in the midst of anxious thoughts and depressive episodes—all gratitude, praise, and glory.
