A Far Wilder Magic

by Allison Saft

It’s true that Wes is a fool, and it’s true that Wes is brilliant. Ambitious and lazy, giving and selfish, thoughtful and reckless—all of his opposites marrying together in a perfect whole like an alchemic reaction. At his heart, he’s good and kind, and he’s looking at her like she is something to be cherished. That scares her more than failure and more than death.

It’s not only that she’s terrifying and wild. It’s not that he wants her in spite of her plainness or that she’s driven him mad or ensorcelled him. It is so much more than that. How could he have been so blind for so long? Margaret Welty is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, and he is completely, hopelessly in love with her.

He has to tell her. Now that he’s almost lost her, now that he’s held her like this, he can’t silently bear the weight of it much longer. He wants so much more than he has allowed himself to imagine. He wants her, desperately and entirely. But for now, with her safe and whole against him, it’s enough.

“Margaret, I know I don’t have much to offer you, and I know it’s hard to imagine anything going right after the hunt, and I know you could probably think of at least a hundred better men than me to marry, but I meant it when I said there’s a life for us—a good one. A country where we don’t have to be afraid. A house in the countryside. A whole library full of smutty books and a huge kitchen and seven kids—or no kids—and five hounds just like Trouble. Whatever you want, I swear I’ll make it happen. I swear I’ll make you happy.”

“You’re not broken. You’re incredible. You’ve come such a long way since I met you, even if you’re still afraid. Even if you have doubts. When I look at you, I don’t see someone broken. I see someone hurting—someone healing. It’ll take time, but that doesn’t matter to me.” Wes tentatively closes the gap between them, until the barrel of her gun is nestled against his chest, right above his heart. “I love you. Please, let me.”

“I said it, and I’ll say it again. I love you, Margaret Welty. I think I’ve loved you since I first saw you. I love you now, and I will love you when we walk back into Wickdon with all the world hating us, and I will love you whatever happens tomorrow. Look me in the eyes and call me a liar.”

Saft. Description: First edition. | New York: Wednesday Books, 2022. | Audience: Ages 14–18 Identifiers: LCCN 2021043963 | ISBN 9781250623652 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250623669 (ebook) Subjects: CYAC: Alchemy—Fiction. | Fox hunting—Fiction. | Contests—Fiction. | Magic—Fiction. | LCGFT: Novels. Classification: LCC PZ7.1.S2418 Far 2022 | DDC [Fic]—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021043963