Air Awakens (Air Awakens, #1)

by Elise Kova

By the end of it all, they’re belly up and bare on the bed.”

Such a doucheee

Vhalla did not enjoy dancing at first. It was awkward and it made her feel ignorant,

If this becomes a Mare Barrow/Maven/Cal love triangle i will riot

But the prince was a surprisingly gentle and encouraging instructor.

Hes also fake as fuxk

After that, the Heartbreaker Prince began to have an easier time earning smiles from her.

Please dont do this. Its going to ruin the entire series for me

This was simpler. It was as though the golden prince wore everything on his sleeves, and his cerulean eyes promised

Is she that naive that she cant see aldrik hates him for a reason…and he literally stole you away from his brother to piss him off like wtf

“The festival is a magical time,” Prince Baldair agreed, following her gaze over the city. “Do you know anything of magic, Vhalla?”

THERE IT FKING IS

Prince Baldair asked nothing more about magic for the rest of the afternoon. Vhalla quickly forgot he’d asked in the first place

Have you learned nothing abt trust by being pushed off a roof!? my gods

Good men will notice you without all that; the men you want to notice you. I’m sure good men have already noticed you.”

Hes so manipulative i cannot do tbis

What men did he think would be noticing her?

Prob the ones who will kidnap ur ass

“Now remember, Vhalla,” Prince Baldair offered her his elbow. She took it and they started for the door. “Come back to the servants’ entrance around noon tomorrow. I’ll have someone there ready to help you prepare.”

*Eyes narrow* 🧐

Vhalla must have missed the joke because she didn’t feel like laughing. If she tried, she may end up being sick.

Seems like youre not good at reading the room AT ALL

“I think she looks stunning.” Aldrik finally spoke

“That’s where the square of the sun and moon is, isn’t it?” her

Ps i called it

“Sareem, Sareem, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She placed a hand on the cheek that wasn’t crushed and oozing. “I…” She hiccupped, snot dripping from her nose. “I didn’t want this. Oh, Mother, I-I-I’ll never keep anything from you again, Sareem. See, see I came, so wake up now, Sareem. Please, please.” Her stomach hurt from her sobbing and her shoulders ached,

☹️

“Aldrik, how do I save him?” she asked, tears staining her soot-covered cheeks. “Vhalla,” he said faintly, taking a step closer. “How do I save him?” She rubbed her nose with the back of her hand. “You can’t do that.” There was a sorrowful kindness under each word. “I saved you.” She took a shaky breath. “How do I save him?” “It doesn’t work that way.” He knelt down next to her, putting a hand on her back. “You can’t fix this.”

This is painful

He had killed this woman and countless others. Aldrik took a step forward, and Vhalla took a step back. She swallowed. Why were they fighting these people at all?

you cant be serious vhalla

She was growing to detest everything about this man,

Growing to?! Babe ive been there

His boot connected with her stomach, again and again. She tried to lift her hand to blow them away with magic, but no sorcery crackled beneath her fingertips. There wasn’t even time to panic as Mole stomped upon the appendage, the bones crunching.

Bro chill wtf aldrik is gonna kill these mfs and i cant wait

“Remember this. For I will. This is how I will always see you—worthless trash.”

Oh we will remenber babes dont worry. I cant wait for your VERY satisfying death

“As if I can run.” She smiled madly at Egmun. This sudden emotional contrast almost seemed to shake his perfect poise.

Shes gonna be such a badass, perhaps of Aelin quality even

All of this was her fault. She was suddenly laughing again. Why was losing her whole life so funny?

Bby girl gonna need some therapy but also same lmao

even if it held justified anger.

Guanteed hes not mad at you my love, hes mad at what they did to you

“Some also consider your powers to be a form of heresy against the Mother,” Egmun continued. “There’s a reason why we killed them all!” a Western senator shouted. “They’re twisted, evil.

The two exchanged a look. “Last night, the crown prince found them stealing from the bond coffers. He put them to death on the spot.” Craig made a shivering motion.

DAMN MAYBE GOLDEN BOI AINT SO BAD

Aldrik had killed them.

So golden boy told him what happened and i love that

“You know about Windwalkers?” Vhalla asked timidly. “Not until recently,” Daniel confessed, turning back to her. “Not until last night you mean.” Craig rolled his eyes. “He gets assigned here and tries to become an expert on magic overnight.” “At least I have an interest.” Daniel shrugged.

Im literally daniel

“They’re dead, sir,” Daniel answered. Egmun lost his composure to his surprise for a brief second, and Vhalla wanted to cackle. “Dead?” he repeated. “Parrot,” Vhalla mumbled under her breath.

I LOVE HER

What luck was looking out for her?

No luck just the love of your life

“I think you’re supposed to cuff me.” Vhalla held out her wrists, hoping they wrote off the abuse that painted her arms as having been caused by the Northerners. “Are we?” Daniel asked uncertainly. “I-I think so?” Craig ran off to grab some shackles hanging on the wall. They were only over her wrists this time. “It seems rather pointless,” Daniel mused

Whats happening!?an escape maybe

“Egmun, if this girl wanted to kill any of us, she could have and would have by now.” This realization seemed to rattle some senators as much as it calmed others.

EXACTLY

He grabbed her upper arms fiercely, and Vhalla twisted frantically. “Don’t touch me!” she shrieked in horror. Aldrik released her, shock and pain across his face.

No Vhalla please

“And then…” His voice audibly softened. Aldrik’s shoulders slumped and his arms hung limply. “Then I realized I just wanted you around. My days were better when they involved you. I enjoyed your thoughts. It was thrilling to see you discover magic. You had a mad hopefulness about sorcery that I have not felt in almost a decade. I started finding excuses to take you away, not because you needed my teaching but because, because I wanted to see you. I looked forward to our meetings and—like that, Vhalla—your opinion mattered to the crown prince of the Empire. You mattered for who you were, not for your magic and what some dusty texts say Windwalkers may or may not be able to do.” She blinked up at him, speechless. “I wanted your forgiveness, as though that innocent acceptance would absolve me of all the blood on my hands. I wanted to see you well and happy. I wanted to see you flourish, and I wanted only a small piece. To know that, in you, I had made something good. And I truly wanted to keep you from pain.” He balled his hands into fists. “I knew the best way would have been to remove myself from your life and, by the Mother, I tried. But I was still too self-centered to tolerate that library boy. I should have encouraged you to go off and be with him. Then, despite my efforts, my brother had to meddle—only to torture me—and you wore that damn dress.” He fell down to his knees before her, his fists on the ground and head bowed. Aldrik took a deep breath, it wavered just sli...

“I spoke for you today,” he confessed. Vhalla’s heart skipped a beat. “I did not speak before not because I did not care, but because—because, I am not a good man, Vhalla. My voice is more likely to damn you than save you. There are people in this world—in that room—who will hurt you for the sake of hurting me.” He dropped his head again with a few bangs escaping from the perfect comb set his hair always had. “People who already have.” He punched the ground with such force that Vhalla jumped and knew,

“You are a dear friend. For whatever my royal ass of a friendship is worth.” Vhalla smiled weakly. She reached out and his body went rigid. “It is worth very much,” she whispered.

“You foolish girl,” he murmured. “As if anything could make me not want to touch you.”

DAMN 🥵

“To atone for your crimes, it is the will of the Senate, the people, that you will be conscripted into the military to apply your abilities to the war in the North.”

Bro i fkin knew it