Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)

by Rebecca Yarros

Xaden is mine. My heart, my soul, my everything. He channeled from the earth to save me, and I’ll scour the world until I find a way to save him right back.

🥺🫶🏻

I will not die today. I will save him. —Violet Sorrengail’s personal addendum to the Book of Brennan

Love it

“Want to make your meeting? Don’t fall off this time,” Tairn retorts. “For the last time, I didn’t fall off,” I argue. “I jumped off to help Sawyer—” “Don’t remind me.”

😂

“Then practice evenly dispersing enough magic to keep all your extremities warm during flight, because your wings won’t hold the weight of this ice,” Tairn growls into the falling snow. “‘Your wings won’t hold the weight of this ice,’” Andarna blatantly mocks him. “And yet yours miraculously carry the burden of your ego.”

O. M. G. You go gurl 😂

“Bring their bodies outside once you’re done killing them so we can roast them for fun,”

Andarna you are pure gold😂

“A problem I was in the middle of solving.”

Ridoc you are precious😂

“I could reach the rank of Maven, lead armies of dark wielders against everyone we care for, and watch every vein in my body turn red as I channel all the power in the Continent, and I would still love you. What I did doesn’t change that. I’m not sure anything can.”

😭❤️‍🩹

Gods help her, my love, I’m afraid our daughter has atrocious taste in men.

Lol😂

“Any chance you have an affinity for public speaking?” I ask Aaric, undoing the first button on my flight jacket as the heat builds. “It certainly runs in your family.” “Was it the shunning of my birthright in favor of a high probability of death that gave me away?” he responds, his tone dry. I take that as a no.

I snorted out loud

“Shh, it’s more fun when she blows shit up,”

Agreed though😂

“So, we kill him if he makes her uncomfortable,” Andarna suggests. “Problem solved.”

I like how you think

“Now, I love you like a brother, and I get that you lost your leg, and we respect however you’re feeling about that, but you’re still one of us. You’re still a rider, with all the benefits and shit that come with wearing black. So with all the love in my heart, put your fucking uniform on, because we need you.”

Preach🙌🏻

“Xaden’s going to be pissed,”

Whenever is he not😂

“I need you to slow down. I can’t tell if those are people or trees.” “You ask for speed and then complain when I provide it.”

lol😂

“If you remove that belt, I will unseat you over the river and let your meager gods sort you out,”

Tairn be nice😂

“Do not dehydrate on my account,” he lectures. “It takes more than weather to fell me.” His golden gaze drops to my knee. “Wish I could say the same for you.”

Jesus, that’s one way to comfort😂

“Garrick’s a distance wielder, isn’t he?” I don’t bother hinting around the question. A moment of silence passes between us, but I see the confirmation in his eyes. “Are you pissed I didn’t tell you?” I shake my head. “You don’t owe me your friends’ secrets.” My brow knits. “But twenty hours of flying gave me some time to think. You. Garrick.” I tilt my head. “And I once thought I saw Liam…” “Wield ice,”

WE KNEW IT!!

“And it’s always the same fight.” He lifts his hand to his chest. “I’ll trust you if you stop keeping secrets!” He drops the hand and scowls. “It’s my secretive nature that attracted you, and why can’t you just stay out of harm’s way for five fucking minutes?”

Spot on✋🏼😂

“Oh gods, just stop flirting and fuck already,” Ridoc says. Every head slowly turns in his direction. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?” he asks me in a hushed whisper. “Oh yeah, you did,”

Oops

Halden

Wait...Halden is six letters...omg is he her first love???

“And the only hair I remember is your professor’s covering your face when I walked in on her riding you. It was auburn, right?”

I. Knew. It.

“He’s been a great deal closer when you’ve wielded,” Tairn reminds me, and— Nope, not thinking about how he knows that.

Good choice

Andarna snorts, then prances off toward the water, her wings tucked in tight. “Do not go any deeper than your claws!” Tairn lectures, his tail nearly taking out a tree when he pivots to watch her go. “I swear, if you get in over your head, I’ll let you drown.”

Adolescent Andarna never fails to make me laugh, and tired and grumpy father Tairn is just as funny😂

“Xaden Riorson.” I lift my chin as if I’m answering to my father for my choice. “And he’s mine, even when he’s being a possessive ass.”

Claim him girl!

“You two totally broke it, didn’t you?” Ridoc asks on the edge of laughter. “Like that armoire no one was supposed to notice getting hauled out of her room during first year?”

Oof🤭🫣

“Was that really necessary?” My right ear won’t work for a month. “No, but I found it amusing.”

Lol

“My consort,” Xaden replies casually. “Violet Sorrengail.”

O. M. G. He did not??

“I will not stand for you being devoured by a house cat,”

‘House cat’😂

“Do not overreact,” I warn Tairn, hoping it’s not my final request. “We still need this deal.” “I resent the implication that I am given to melodramatics,”

😂

Andarna even has her lips puckered so the little cat doesn’t get drenched in dragon saliva. How thoughtful.

Very elegant, very mindful, very demure 💅🏻

He’s a fucking liability.

Preach girl, preach

“Go hunt something.”

Great comeback, love XD

Tairn growls at my back, low and mean. Just the way I like him.

😏😏

“I don’t like your selection in mates, yet here we are,”

Oof🤭😂

“Ah, then it is good we did not complete your dedication.” “My what?”

The what now?

I am not weak.

You go sis!

“I said I’m fine!” Marlis shouts behind me. “Yes, Your Majesty,” someone replies. Oh no, no, no. My stomach lurches. Please tell me I did not just hold a blade to the Queen of Unnbriel’s throat.

Oops🤷🏻‍♀️

“Ah, there we go!” Faris claps twice. “What an excellent decision. Shall we go with three or four years?” “Lifetime. Anything less is unacceptable.” Xaden slides his hand to the back of my neck. “And her full name for the papers is Violet Sorrengail. Two Rs.”

Oh Xaden you sassy, hot little b!tch😏

Air gushes from my lungs as Ridoc looks down.

No

The cook’s knife is lodged in his side.

No no no

“Don’t mind them.” Ridoc’s tone sings. “They’re back to doing…whatever it is they do when they ignore everyone around them and pretend they’re the only people in existence.”

Just imagine how it looks to everyone else😂😂

You are a giant battle flag waving in the wind right now, Xaden, but you’re my battle flag, and you’d do the same thing in my position.”

He’s HER battle flag🫶🏻🥹

“Just you and me today, honey bear.” Garrick swings his arm over Xaden’s shoulder. “Don’t worry,” he leans in and whispers. “I’ll take good care of you.” He flashes a dimple.

Hahaha😂

Tairn stomps down the beach toward me with narrowed eyes. “Don’t start with me.” I shake my head as Aotrom barrels past Tairn out to where the water covers his ankles, sprinting with his wings tucked tight. “She’ll be back tonight.” “I’ll say the same when you’ve been unable to communicate with your mate for weeks and are then deprived by choice,” he grumbles, stalking into the woods. Swaying trees mark his passing. “Humans don’t mate!” I call after him. “Another sign of your inferiority.”

lol😂

“I am busy with curmudgeonly things.”

lol😂

“Hello, human.”

Omg, they spoke to her...

Guess arrogance is a universal dragon trait.

I almost choked on water😂

Tairn cranes his neck forward and growls. “You will not raise your voice to her.” Andarna turns her head and narrows her eyes at Tairn. “Do not ruin this for me.” Hurt stabs through the bond and Tairn recoils, his head drawing back to cover Ridoc and me. Ouch. My chest tightens, but there’s nothing I can say to him and no way to say it without chancing the rest of them hearing me.

Ouch🥺

For the nights I can’t sleep next to you. — X My chest clenches just like it did when I opened it. He’d somehow seen me eyeing the fabric in Deverelli, bought it, then placed the order to have it made before we left to search the other isles.

He’s such a deceptive man😭

You do some of your best work on that throne.

Oh lord🥵