We’re finally here! Dragons!!! Ahhh! That’s about how I felt the entire time writing this book. So blessed to get to create these worlds and to finally get to write the dragons I always wanted to read when I was younger. I hope you enjoyed meeting Sarielle, Tavry, Halcyon, Gemina, and so many more!

First, I’d like to thank all the readers who stuck with me to this point in the Ascension series. I know Cyrene’s journey has been tumultuous, to say the least. You have a plethora of books that you could be reading. I’m grateful that you chose mine with so much else out there. Big hugs to each and every one of you. Plus, I special shout out to all the fabulous girls in my SQUAD who took a chance on this series!

Second, I need to thank the early readers that make each of these books better than the next. Diana Peterfreund and Carrie Ryan for sitting around Apollycon and eating amazing food while plotting out my dragon tournament concept. You two are the best. I’m lucky to call you friends. Anjee Sapp and Rebecca Kimmerling for late nights and early morning sessions discussing what I’d done and how I got there and where I was going. Anjee, thanks for loving Kael Dremylon when (maybe) no one else does. And Rebecca for digging deep and making me really work for Dean’s character. Rebecca Gibson for coming in at 50% and telling me it didn’t suck. I really needed that. Also, for interrupting that writing time to say that House of Dragons absolutely had to happen because Kerrigan Argon a half-fae, half-human Dragon Blessed needed to tell her own story.

Third, thank you to the incredible people who help make the book shine. Jovana Shirley for wonderful editing and ebook formatting. Christy Peckham for proofing and finding me the best quotes in the book. I’d be lost without you. Nadège Richards for the most beautiful interior formatting ever. Renflowergrapx for the incredible map you designed for the world of Emporia. Sarah Hansen for the amazing cover. You really blew this one out of the water. Kelsey Keeton for the gorgeous shot of your cousin you allowed me to use for the cover. Alyssa Garcia for the slew of incredible graphics you put together for this. And Michelle New for all the pictures you found that identified with Cyrene so I wouldn’t have to spend hours on stock sites.

Thank you to my team—my publicist Danielle Sanchez, my agent Kimberly Brower, my newsletter guru Ashley Lindemann, and my admins Katie Miller, Polly Matthews, Anjee Sapp (who also runs my SQUAD and my life and is my personal physical therapist). You help keep me sane, give me more time to write these books, and generally make my life easier. Not to mention so much better. I love you all!

Finally, to my husband who listens to every scene as I’m plotting. I’m pretty sure some days you know these stories even better than me. But I, for sure, wouldn’t have a dragon tournament scoring system without your brilliant mind. Thank you for every meal you cooked, load of laundry you did, dish you washed while I was so deep in my art I couldn’t come up for air. I couldn’t ask for better. And this wouldn’t be complete without thanking my writing companions, my two puppies—Riker and Lucy.