Gwen clapped a hand over her mouth.
“What are you all looking at?” Kay smacked his own face. “Did someone draw a vagina on me when I passed out?”
Ari pulled him to his feet and they returned to the cabin where Merlin set the music blazing with a well-aimed spark. Drinks appeared in every hand. Ari watched as Lam and Kay tried to outdrink each other, and Jordan and Gwen leaned shoulder to shoulder.
Merlin walked by Kay for the second time and gave him a squeeze. Kay elbowed him off, but Ari saw the secret smile, the way Kay never really minded the love, and in truth, he had always been one of the minor gods of it.
Merlin stepped over to Ari. “Are you happy?” he asked tentatively.
“More than you know.”
“I don’t think we can do it again. Even this is a little risky, but…”
Ari put an arm around Merlin’s shoulders. “You know I like risk. Things have been a little boring since we overthrew the all-seeing time enchantress and straightened out Mercer.”
“Val keeps telling me that boring is good.”
Ari and Merlin traded a knowing look and then turned to watch as Val, Gwen, and Jordan talked and laughed together. Lam and Kay were arm in arm, mid–drinking game.
“Living up to your name, Kairos,” Ari said, wrestling the idea that time was fleeting. A river that could only ever sweep them away. They’d have this night and then their lives would keep moving, changing. But wherever they went—wherever hope went—new legends would draw mighty swords and fight for better futures.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND RESOURCES
The Once & Future duology is an absolute dream that would not exist without the support of Sara Crowe, Sarah Davies, Aubrey Poole, and the powerhouse team at JIMMY. Additional thanks to Alex Abraham, the O&F Street Team, and our little in-house mage, aka Maverick.
M’k, now that the official business is out of the way, we would like to toss out some love to you, dear reader. Especially if you happen to be a teenager, and especially if you happen to be a queer or questioning person. We think it’s a little odd that resources tend to only show up at the back of books filled with loss. Hope can be just as tough, just as slippery to hold onto—we know. We fight that good fight every day.
So here are people who are ready to help, whether you need immediate support, or you just have some questions:
Trans Life Line: a hotline run for and by trans and nonbinary people. Learn more at www.translifeline.org or call 877-565-8860 in the US or 877-330-6366 in Canada. Check the website for info on hours.
The Trevor Project: a hotline run for and by LGBTQ+ people. Learn more at www.TheTrevorProject.org or call 866-488-7386. Available 24/7.
National Suicide Hotline: crisis support for anyone at any time. Call 800-273-8255.
Not OK App: a free app download trusted by mental health professionals with one-click support. Available 24/7.
This world isn’t what we want it to be. Not yet. But it isn’t as horrible as it sometimes feels or appears. We wrote these books because we believe in a better future, and stories that light up the stars with possibilities, connecting all of us to a greater universe.
Remember, this time we’re the heroes.
Cori & Amy Rose
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy met while earning MFAs at Vermont College of Fine Arts and fell in love soon after. They are the authors of more than ten acclaimed novels and live in the mountains of Vermont where they champion queer teens and raise a young hero.
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