The Ravens (The Ravens #1) - Kass Morgan Page 0,126
hand. Bailey exchanged a glance with Ariana. Mei just stared at Scarlett, her expression unreadable. Finally, Vivi broke the silence.
“The only feather we’re waiting to change is yours, Big,” she said with a smile. The other girls nodded and grinned.
Surprised by the rush of emotion, Scarlett had to blink back tears. She cast one last glance into the center of the circle, where Dahlia’s table sat.
I won’t let you down, she silently promised her Big Sister. Then Scarlett lifted her own feather and let the golden barbs glitter beneath the night sky.
She looked from one sister to another. They had faced the evil and won. And there was nothing to say that they would ever have to do it again. Except history.
“I accept,” she said, and she watched as the feathers lifted into the air, soared toward the center of the circle, and knit together to form a crown. Scarlett bowed her head; Vivi plucked the wreath from the air and carefully placed it upon her new president’s head. When Scarlett lifted her chin, her eyes met Vivi’s for a second before alighting on each of her sisters.
She felt their magic flowing through her. And she felt their magic around her. For the first time she felt like she truly understood what it meant to be a witch. The power. The sacrifice. The privilege. Vivi was right. She could do this.
She was a witch. She was a Raven. And together she and her sisters could do anything.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my friends, collaborators, and cheerleaders at Alloy who’ve made my writerly dreams come true: Les Morgenstein, Josh Bank, Sara Shandler, Joelle Hobeika, Viana Siniscalchi, and Romy Golan. And extra-special thanks to our editor Lanie Davis, whose wisdom, creativity, kindness, and immense storytelling prowess make her the most valuable witch in any coven.
I feel very lucky to be working with the fabulous team at HMH, especially Emilia Rhodes, whose keen editorial mind is one of the sharpest in the business. You believed in this project from the very beginning and your enthusiasm and clear vision inspired us to tell the best story possible. And thank you to Jessica Handelman for creating the witchy cover of our dreams.
A huge thank-you to the Rights People and all the foreign publishers who’ve produced such gorgeous editions of my books and allowed me to meet amazing people all around the world. Special thanks to Blossom Books, 20/20 Editora, and Éditions Robert Laffont for their support, and especially to Fabien Le Roy for his help with my French spellwork.
I’m so grateful, as ever, to my staggeringly talented and endlessly encouraging writing group: Laura Bisberg, Michael Bisberg, Laura Jean Ridge, Matt Gline, Nick Eliopulos, Grace Kendall, and Gavin Brown.
And a second shout-out to Grace, along with Emily Clement, for accompanying me on a last-minute, whirlwind research trip to Savannah. There’s no one in the world I’d rather drink cocktails and explore cemeteries with than you ladies.
Thank you to my Scholastic family, especially Olivia Valcarce for reigniting my love of tarot; Maya Marlette, for keeping me productive, sane, and making me laugh all day; and Shelly Romero, for bringing glam-goth vibes to the office and for her helpful, astute sensitivity read. Ellen Goodlett, thank you so incredibly much for your spells, witchy brain, and being part of our sisterhood. You are magic. And to my real family, especially my father, Sam Henry Kass, for making me a writer.
Benjamin Hart, thank you for your unwavering support and for bringing so much real magic into my life.
And the biggest shout-out of all to Danielle Paige. Thank you for this incredible opportunity and for helping me grow as a storyteller. I still can’t believe I got to write a book with one of my favorite authors and one of my favorite people.
Kass Morgan
To my love, Chris Albers: You are magic. I love you.
To my family, Andrea, Daddy, Sienna, and Josh: I love you all so much; you are my heart. Sienna, I love you and all your magic!
To my goddaughter Fi: I love you to infinity. I can’t wait to see what spells you cast.
To Annie, Chris, Fiona, and Jackson Rolland, my second family.
To Lauren Dell, my forever friend.
To Bonnie Datt: Thanking you and Nanette Lepore forever, friend.
To Daryn Strauss: There aren’t enough texts to thank you, babe!
To Josh Sabarra: Thank you for almost two decades of love and support.
To Ellen Goodlett: Thank you for being an immensly talented member of our coven. You are a true Raven.
To Sasha Alsberg: Thank you for always being my cheerleader and my friend! I am so proud of you.
To my girls, Jeanne Marie Hudson, Megan Steintrager, Lexi Dwyer, Lisa Tollin, Sarah Kagan, Kristin Nelthorpe. And to the next gen of girls’ night—Emma and Eli Brenner, Logan and Jasper Dell, Aidan and Colin Kennedy, Fritz, Julian, and Montague Sutton Nelthorpe, Daisy and Clara Muñoz, Connor and Samantha Wynne.
To my team at New Leaf: Thank you, Hillary Pecheone, Abbigail Donoghue, Jordan Hill.
Jo Volpe and Pouya Shabazian: Thank you for all the things.
To my assistant, Emily Williams, who keeps everything running and who is such a light.
To my Guiding Light family: You gave me my start and stuck by me all these years. Jill Lorie Hurst, Tina Sloan, Crystal Chappell, Melissa Salmons, Laura Wright, Jordan’s Vilasuso . . . and so many more.
To Sasha Mote: Thank you for all the sweetness and support you bring.
To Kami Garcia: There’s no one else I want to pull a heist with, and you know how much I love you.
To Frank Lesser: Thank you for being a sounding board and for being so prolific; you inspire me.
To Carin Greenberg: You are my friend and my oracle.
To Lanie Davis: After all this time I am so happy we found a spell to work together.
To Joelle Hobeika: Thank you for all your witchy guidance.
To Emilia Rhodes: Thank you for sprinkling your magic on our Ravens.
Thank you, Kass Morgan, for saying yes to being my sister witch, on the page and off. The first time I heard you tell a story, I was smitten with your voice and spirit. I am so glad we get to make magic together. I adore you, friend.
Danielle Paige
hmhteen.com
About the Authors
photo by Michael Bisberg
KASS MORGAN is the New York Times best-selling author of The 100 series, which was the inspiration for the hit CW show of the same name, and the Light Years series. An editor of middle grade and young adult fiction at a large publisher, Kass received a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a master’s degree from Oxford University. She lives in New York City.
photo by Laura Hanfin
DANIELLE PAIGE is the New York Times best-selling author of the Dorothy Must Die series and Stealing Snow, as well as an upcoming Fairy Godmother origin story series and the graphic novel Mera: Tidebreaker for DC. In addition to writing young adult books, she works in the television industry and has received a Writers Guild of America Award and several Daytime Emmy nominations. She is a graduate of Columbia University. Danielle lives in New York City.
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