Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)

by Rebecca Yarros

“A rider may only bring to the quadrant the items they can carry—” I start. “Are you quoting the Codex to me?” Amber shouts. “—and they shall not be separated from those items no matter what they may be,” I continue. “For once carried across the parapet, they are considered part of their person. Article Three, Section Six, Addendum B.” Her blue eyes flare wide as I glance at her. “That addendum was written to make thievery an executional offense.” “Correct.” I nod, looking between her and the onyx eyes that see straight through me. “But in doing so, it gave any item carried across the parapet the status of being a part of the rider.” I unsheathe the chipped and battered blade with a sharp bite of pain in my palms. “This isn’t a challenge blade. It’s one I carried across and therefore considered part of myself.” His eyes flare, and I don’t miss the hint of a smirk on that infuriatingly decadent mouth of his. It should be against the Codex to look that good and be so ruthless. “The right way isn’t the only way.” I use his own words against him. Xaden holds my gaze. “She has you, Amber.” “On a technicality!” “She still has you.”