The Midnight Star (25 page)

T
he tale is told by royalty and vagabonds alike, nobles and peasants, hunters and farmers, the old and the young. The tale comes from every corner of the world, but no matter where it is told, it is always the same story.

A boy on horseback, wandering at night, in the woods or on the plains or along the shores. The sound of a lute drifts in the evening air. Overhead are the stars of a clear sky, a sheet of light so bright that he reaches up, trying to touch them. He stops and descends from his horse. Then he waits. He waits until exactly midnight, when the newest constellation in the sky blinks into existence.

If you are very quiet and do not look away, you may see the brightest star in the constellation glow steadily brighter. It brightens until it overwhelms every other star in the sky, brightens until it seems to touch the ground, and then the glow is gone, and in its place is a girl.

Her hair and lashes are painted a shifting silver, and a scar crosses one side of her face. She is dressed in Sealand silks and a necklace of sapphire. Some say that, once upon a time, she had a prince, a father, a society of friends. Others say that she was once a wicked queen, a worker of illusions, a girl who brought darkness across the lands. Still others say that she once had a sister, and that she loved her dearly. Perhaps all of these are true.

She walks to the boy, tilts her head up at him, and smiles. He bends down to kiss her. Then he helps her onto the horse, and she rides away with him to a faraway place, until they can no longer be seen.

These are only rumors, of course, and make little more than a story to tell around the fire. But it is
told
. And thus they live on.

—“The Midnight Star,” a
folktale

I
'm frequently asked if Adelina was inspired by anyone, and I'm always a bit embarrassed to admit that—while Adelina and I share very different life circumstances—she is absolutely molded from myself. My stories are all a piece of who I was and who I am. They are what I regret being, what I'm proud to be, and what I want to be more like. So, Adelina
is
me. She is a memory of all the times I've been angry or sad, bitter or disillusioned, and all the times the best people in my life have pulled me out of it with patience and kindness.

I won't lie—this series was by far the hardest thing I've ever written. I want to thank the many people in my life who helped me along this path, professionally and personally:

To my agent and champion, Kristin Nelson—thank you for always traveling alongside me, ever since that first
writer's conference so many years ago! Adelina would not exist in her final form without your early input; I'm forever grateful to know you. To my incredible editor and friend Jen Besser, thank you for always guiding my girl Adelina even through her darkest moments. You're an inspiration in a million ways. To Kate, editor extraordinaire—I can't exaggerate how grateful I am for all of your attention and insight! To my genius copyeditor Anne, you are the opposite of Jon Snow—you know everything, especially how to put a smile on my face. To Marisa, I don't know how you always manage to accomplish so much, but you do, and I can't thank you enough for it. To the inimitable and tireless and badass Team Putnam, Team Penguin, Team Speak, my international publishers, my wonderful,
wonderful
film agent Kassie Evashevski, my incredible producer Isaac Klausner and Team Temple Hill, the bookstore community and librarians and teachers, and everyone who puts stories into as many hands as possible, who fight every day to break down barriers: thank you. I owe you all more than I can say.

Thank you, darling Amie, for reading the early drafts of this final book and for being an incredible friend, always, without question. Onsenmosis!! To JJ, my very first writing friend, I'm forever grateful for your encouragement and intelligence and awesomeness. To Tahereh and Ransom, thank you for your laughter and warmth and themed dates and endless kindness. To Leigh—some people just light up a room, and that's you; thank you for always knowing exactly how to cheer me up and make me laugh. To Cassie, Holly, Sarah,
and Ally: I remember struggling through the muddy waters of this draft on retreat with you all, and am forever grateful for your help, wisdom, insight, and hilarious wit (and K-dramas). To Sandy—I think you might have seen the
earliest
draft ever of
The Young Elites;
thank you for all of those early words (and for being awesome). To Kami, Margie, and Mel—you set the bar for goodness in this world. I'm so honored to know all of you, and I'm inspired by you every day.

To my husband, Primo—I love you for every wonderful moment. To my mom, Andre, and my fam bam, for your unwavering support and love. To my friends, without whom I don't know what I would do. I'm reminded every moment how lucky I am.

Finally, to my readers: thank you so, so, so much for following me on this journey, and for the gift of telling you stories.