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“I know. I’m so wildly in love with you that I can’t imagine what my life would even look like without you in it. And I probably shouldn’t have said that, but if we’re doing this, then we’re starting from a place of complete honesty.”
“Which one are you calling out for?” he asks against my flesh. “Because it’s just you and me in this room, Vi, and I don’t share.” “You.” My fingers tangle in his hair. “I’m calling out for you.” “I appreciate the elevation to deity, but my name will do.”
“I love you.”
“Wanting you will be the death of me. Let’s go.”
“Are you wearing Riorson’s flight jacket?” Liam’s head snaps in my direction, curse his stupidly good hearing. “Why would you say that?” I do a shitty job of feigning shock and shove the sheaths into every available pocket in this thing. All three of them, which are considerably deeper than the ones in my own jacket. “Oh, I don’t know. Because it’s huge on you and there are three stars right here?” She taps where there’s only one star on her uniform. Well, shit. Just goes to show that neither of us was thinking clearly. “It could be any third-year’s.” I shrug. “With a Fourth Wing shield on the
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“Keep looking at me like that and we’ll be stopped longer than a half hour,” he warns without looking at me. “Promise?” His gaze whips my way, and I swear I see him actually smile before turning back toward Garrick.
“I’ve never once forgotten how amazing you are, Liam.”
His eyes darken. “I’m going to keep you,” he promises, just like he did last night. Or was it this morning? “You’re mine, Violet.” I lift my chin. “Only if you’re mine.” “I’ve been yours for longer than you could ever imagine.”
Shadows race menacingly from the pine trees on the edge of the meadow as Xaden raises his hands at his sides, and both gryphon riders tense when the darkness pauses only inches from their feet. “You take a step toward that Sorrengail and you’ll be dead before you can even shift your weight,” Xaden says, his voice dropping lethally. “She’s not up for discussion.”
“Did you ever once stop to think that sometimes you can start out on the right side of a war and end up on the wrong one?”
“Care to add to the discussion?” “Not yet. I’d prefer you come to your own conclusion. I chose you for your intelligence and courage, Silver One. Don’t let me down.” I barely restrain myself from flipping the middle finger at my own dragon.
Lies are comforting. Truth is painful.”
“You love me, and—” “Loved,” I correct him,
“Love!” he shouts, stopping me in my tracks and earning us a glance from every rider within hearing distance. “You love me.”
“One generation to change the text. One generation chooses to teach that text. The next grows, and the lie becomes history.”
“This isn’t your fault,” Xaden says to me, then rips his gaze from mine and turns to his friends, who are running down the ramparts to join us. “We’ve been sent here to die.”
We can live as cowards or die as riders.
“We will feast on their bones, Silver One.” Graphic, but point made.
“Did you know?” “I suspected. Why do you think I’ve been so hard on you during flight maneuvers?” “You and I are going to have to work on our communication skills.”
“If I asked you to stay behind, would you?” His eyes bore into mine. “No.” “Exactly. I try not to pick fights I know I can’t win.”
“Try not to die.” “Working on it.”
“Why did you do that?” I cry, my fingers searching for purchase on his leathers to pull him closer. I settle for the back of his collar and yank. “Why would you risk it?” Gods, if anything happens to them… His gaze collides with mine. “That thing was going to take a chunk out of Tairn. You’ve saved my life and now it’s my turn. No matter what you think of me for keeping secrets, we’re friends, Violet.”
“It’s all right, Violet,” he says, looking up at me, and I shove my goggles on top of my head so I can see him clearer. He’s struggling to breathe. “It’s not all right.” I want to scream with the injustice of it, but that won’t help. My hand trembles as I slide his riding goggles up to his forehead, then brush his blond hair back off his forehead. “None of this is all right. Please stay,” I beg, tears I can’t fight rolling unchecked down my cheeks. “Fight to stay. Please, Liam. Fight to stay.”
“Thank you, Liam. Thank you for being my shadow. Thank you for being my friend.” He blurs in my vision as the tears come faster. “It’s been. My honor.” Liam’s chest rattles as his lungs struggle.
Seconds later, his soundless, soul-rending scream fills my head with such force that my heart shatters like glass against a stone floor. I don’t need to ask. Liam is gone. Liam, who never complained about being my shadow, never hesitated to help, never bragged about being the best of our year. He died protecting me. Oh gods, and I just asked him if we’d ever really been friends an hour ago.
“There is no me without you,” he says against my skin.
now there’s nothing but pain and death. It’s only a matter of time, and mine is short.
“He basically said that he’ll cook me alive if I fail,” Xaden replies, holding me closer.
“You have to fight, Vi,” Xaden whispers against my forehead as we move. “You can hate me all you want when you wake up. You can scream, hit, throw your fucking daggers at me for all I care, but you have to live. You can’t make me fall for you and then die. None of this is worth it without you.” He sounds so sincere that I almost believe him.
We hadn’t even kissed, and I fell.
You gave me your heart, and I’m keeping it.” She already owns mine, even if she doesn’t realize it.
