More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
“Take one step toward Violet, and I’ll throw you off this fucking cliff myself,” Dain warns, his voice low and menacing. “Unlike Riorson, I don’t give a shit who your uncle is.” “I’ll do it just for fun,” Sloane adds.
“Gryphons die with their fliers,” Maren explains, her tone softening as she strokes the line where feathers turn to fur. Like Tairn and me.
Holy shit. She fights like Xaden. He trained both of us.
“Look at where we are. Riorson House.” Her mouth is close enough to my ear that I can feel how hard she’s breathing. “Who wouldn’t love all that power and the case it comes in? But I’m sure as hell not fighting you over a man’s affections. I’m going to war with you for a crown. That was the reason we were engaged. It was promised to me, and I’m not giving it to a damned Sorrengail who chose to drop the flier instead of her squadmate. Your entire family deserves to die for what you’ve put us through.”
“I honestly don’t care if you kill her, Violence.” Xaden’s voice filters through the rage that holds me with the same unbreakable grip I’m using to choke the life out of my opponent. “But you will.”
“I don’t want to kill her.” I have to let go. But my hands don’t get the signal. “Then don’t.” His voice wraps around my mind, and the anger ebbs just enough to let me realize he’s here. It’s been a week since I’ve seen him, and he’s here. And I love him more than I hate her.
“She got you good.” He reaches for my face, turning my head gently to examine my cheek. “But I think you got the last word.” “And how many of those humiliating words did you hear?” I don’t want the answer, but I need it. “All of them.” Fuck.
“My house. My chair. My woman.”
“You can and you will.”
“I felt how much you need me.” I shift forward to the edge of the chair— throne—whatever. “You want me over the side of the throne, right? Grasping onto the arm so my nails scar it.” “Fuck.” The table groans under his grip. “I should not have done that.”
“I thought you were going to kill her,” he says quietly. Right. Back to Cat. “I almost did.” I lower one foot, then raise the other at his cue. “Would that have been unforgivable to you?” He finishes tying my boot, then lets go of my foot. “Nothing you could ever do would be unforgivable to me.”
“You are the first and only woman I’ve ever loved.”
“Sorry to inconvenience you, but this year the role of Violet Sorrengail”—he points to me—“will be played by Xaden Riorson”—he taps his chest—“who will drag her, kicking and screaming if he has to, into a real relationship with real discussions, because he refuses to lose her again. If I have to evolve, you do, too.” He folds his arms across his chest.
“Oh! And one more thing.” I lower my voice just slightly, well aware of every head within our squad that turns our direction. “What?” she snaps. “That trick you mentioned? You know, with the fingers?” A slow smile spreads across my face. “Thanks.” Cat’s eyes bulge.
“Did you steal my memories every time you touched my face last year?” I blurt out, letting the cold seep into my palm. Silence fills the chamber for a long moment before he finally responds softly. “No.”
“I know how to raise the wards. I’m just not entirely sure we should.”
Fetid breath fills the air a second before he curls his tongue, and his throat glows orange with rising fire. “Solas found us!”
“Keep me safe.” I laugh, sarcasm biting into my eyes and making them sting. “Is that what you do? I get it all mixed up with just not killing me.” “There it is.” He retreats until his back hits the wall, and then he folds his arms and leans against it, crossing an ankle casually. “You finally ready to ask me about the deal I made with your mother?”
“Let’s put your theory to the test. You want me to demand the truth? To ask you something real?” I hold his gaze and steel my heart. “Please, do,” he challenges. “What’s your second signet?” His eyes widen, and the blood drains from his face as his hand falls away. For the first time, I think I’ve actually managed to shock Xaden Riorson.
“How long do you think it takes for someone to fall out of love?” He studies the skyline. “A day? A month? I’m asking because I don’t have any experience with it.”
“I’m asking,” he continues, his throat working as he swallows, “because I think it will take you all of a heartbeat once you know.”
There’s only one signet riders are killed for having.
He’d read Dain’s mind. Xaden is more dangerous than I ever imagined. “You’re an inntinnsic,” I whisper. Even the accusation is a death sentence among riders. “I’m a type of inntinnsic,”
“I can read intentions. Maybe I would know what to call it if they didn’t kill everyone with even a hint of the signet.”
Tairn growls low in his throat and lowers his head at Sgaeyl as a rush of something bitter and sick floods our bond. Betrayal. I slam my shields up, blocking him out before I’m lost to his emotions, already struggling with mine. He didn’t know.
“Less than a minute,” Xaden whispers as Sgaeyl moves toward him— toward us. “That’s how long it took for you to fall out of love with me.”
heartbeat ceased,” Tairn tells me, his attention already redirected to the other two wyvern along the border and the horde behind them. “The wards work.” The wards work. Relief restarts my heart.
The color drains from Mom’s face as she looks between Mira and me, past us, and for the first time in my life, I see her wobble, like someone has knocked her off her center. Bootsteps sound behind me, but I can’t tear my gaze away from the emotions crossing Mom’s face in rapid succession long enough to look to see who it is, and honestly, I don’t need
The humming stops. The wards have fallen.
“What part of ‘stay in your saddle’ did you not understand?”
“Violet!” Mom shouts. “Listen to me!” I yell right back. “For once in your life, listen to what I’m telling you!” She draws her head back. I forge on. “For once in my life, trust me. Have faith in me. I can get the wards up.”
“I’m buying her the time she needs,” Xaden answers, and my stomach sinks. “And they won’t attack. Not yet. They’re still waiting.” “What the fuck for?” Melgren snaps. Xaden’s hand tightens around mine. “Me.”
“Your scales aren’t really black.” “No.” Even now, her scales are changing, taking on the grayish hue of the stone around us. “But he is, and I so badly want to be just like him.” “Tairn.” It’s not hard to guess.
“You are not a black dragon, or any of the six that we know of. You’re a seventh breed.” “Yes.” Her eyes widen in excitement.
Slowly, he drags his gaze up my body, and it feels like it takes years for him to just look at me. When he finally does, I gasp, my hand tightening on his in reflex. No. That single word is all I can think, feel, scream internally as I stare up at the man I’m hopelessly in love with. “Me,” he whispers, a faint, almost indistinguishable red ring emanating from his gold-flecked onyx irises. “You should be scared of me.”
