Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)

by Rebecca Yarros

“Violet Sorrengail,” I answer, but a hundred percent of my focus is on Jack again. The rain drips off the lowered ridge of his brow. “And before you ask, yes, I’m that Sorrengail.” “Not surprised, with that maneuver,” the woman says, holding a pen like Mom uses over the roll. It might be the nicest compliment I’ve ever been given.

A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead.

“Hi, Nolon.” I force my mouth to curve upward. “I’d wave, butone ofmyarms doesn’t workand theother feels realllllyheavy.” Good gods, am I slurring my words?

“Hermotherwasssss. OneofFennnnRiorson’s sepppara—sepppara—sssseparatisssts,” I explain slowly, trying to enunciate and failing. “And I’mmmmmaSorrengail, so I getit.”

“I’mnotgoingtothesibes.” So much for not slurring. “Sibes,” I try again. “SIBES.” Oh, fuck it. “Mendme.” “I will always mend you,” Nolon promises.

I glare at Dain and choose my words carefully. “I’m not. Leavingtheriders. Just so Mom. Canthrowmeback. I’m. Staying.” I turn my head and the room spins as I look for Nolon. “Mend me…but justthisonce.”

“It’s no fun if you expect it,” he answers, striding into the darkness. “Now, get back to bed before your wingleader realizes you’re out after curfew.” “What?” I gawk after him. “You’re my wingleader!”

“I don’t know if I can watch,” Dain says, drawing my attention back to his strong face. His perfectly trimmed beard brackets full lips drawn tight into a frown. “Then close your eyes.” I have a plan—a shitty one, but it’s worth a try. “What changed between Parapet and now?” Dain asks again, a wealth of emotions in his eyes that I can’t begin to interpret. Well, except the fear. That doesn’t need any interpretation. “Me.”

A blast of heat singes my back and I halt. Don’t be Ridoc. Don’t be— “Guess the dragons think she’s insufferable, too,” Ridoc mutters.

He scoffs. “Let’s go, Violet Sorrengail.” He lifts his head, and the golden dragon peeks out from under his wing. “How do you know my name?” I gawk up at him. “And to think, I’d almost forgotten just how loquacious humans are.” He sighs, the gust of his breath rattling the trees. “Get on my back.” Oh. Shit. He’s choosing…me.

Vises clamp around my ribs and over my shoulders, stopping my descent, and my body jerks with whiplash as I’m yanked upward again. “You’re making us look bad. Stop it.”

“Now get in the seat and actually hold on this time, or no one is going to believe that I’ve actually chosen you,” he growls. “I still can’t believe you’ve chosen me!”

“You’re going to have to strengthen your legs. Didn’t you practice?” Indignation ripples up my spine. “Of course I practiced!” “There’s no need to shout. I can hear you just fine. The entire mountain can probably hear you.”

“I know exactly who and what you are, Violet Sorrengail.”

“Why did you choose me?” I have to know, because as soon as we land, there are going to be questions. “Because you saved her.” Tairn’s head inclines toward the golden as we approach, and she follows after us. Our speed slows.

“They’re accommodations for me. I’ve seen your memories. I’m not about to have you sticking daggers into my leg to climb up. Now let’s go.”

There’s a disgusted roar of something I don’t understand in my head. “What the hell does that mean?” I scramble for the seat and get myself into position as he flies level. “The closest translation for humans is probably ‘for fuck’s sake.’

“Tell him if he harms you, I’ll scorch the ground where he stands.” “Oh, for fuck’s sake, Tairn.” I roll my eyes and walk to Dain, whose jaw is locked, but his eyes are wide with apprehension.

“You’re all fucking dead.” His voice is eerily calm and all the scarier for it. Every head in the room turns. “Riorson!” Oren’s dagger clatters to the floor. “You think surrendering will save you?” Xaden’s lethally soft tone sends goose bumps up my arms. “It is against our

“You’ll have to—” “I know how to handle a corset.” His jaw flexes once, and something that reminds me of raw hunger flitters across his expression before he locks it down, drawing my hair over my shoulder with surprising gentleness.

He wasn’t lying. He absolutely knows his way around a corset.

My eyes widen. Xaden Riorson is kneeling before me, his black hair at the perfect level for me to run my fingers through the thickness. It’s probably the only thing that’s soft about him. How many women have felt those strands between their fingers?

“Keep talking loud enough for others to hear, and someone will stop us before we get anywhere.” “Can’t you just hide us in shadows or something?” “Sure, because a giant black cloud moving down the hallway isn’t going to look more suspicious than a couple sneaking around.” He shoots me a look that keeps me from countering. Point taken.

Not that I wouldn’t climb the man like a tree if presented with the right set of circumstances. I cringe as we make it to the main hallway of the dormitory. There will never, ever be a right set of circumstances when it comes to him, let alone right after he’s executed half a dozen people.

But in my defense, and in a sick, twisted way, his rescue was pretty damned hot, even if he is hauling me down the hallway at an untenable speed. Even if he only did it because my life is tied to his. My chest screams for a break, but there’s none to be found as he leads me past the spiral sta...

“He does and you know it. You hate it, too, if the vibe I’m picking up on is any indication.” He falls back to walk at my side. “Or did I read that wrong?” “He thinks this place is too dangerous for someone…like me, and after what just happened, I’m not sure I can really argue with him.”

“Who said anything about fucking?” I fire back, cursing myself as the ache in my ribs only intensifies. “I’d have to be a masochist to sleep with you, and I can assure you, I’m not.” Fantasizing about it doesn’t count. “Masochist, huh?” A corner of his mouth quirks into a smirk.

“Wait. This is another way to the flight field?” I do my best to mentally wall off the pain in my throat and ribs. “He’s bringing me to you,” I tell Tairn. “I know.” “Are you going to tell me what that was in there?” “I would if I knew.”

“They’re just threats. The only time I’ve actually been targeted was at night, and it’s not like Liam here is sleeping in my bedroom.” “I mean, I’m not opposed—” he begins, his knife hovering over the piece of wood. “Don’t even start.” I whip my head to face him and can’t help but laugh. “You are a shameless flirt.” “Thank you.” He grins and goes back to carving.

“Stop objectifying our wingleader,” Liam teases. “Is that what we’re doing?” Rhiannon asks, not bothering to look away. My mouth waters at the muscled expanse of his back and that sculpted ass. “Yeah, I think that’s what we’re doing.” Liam snorts.

I move to scoot up the bed so I can sit, but the pain in my arm reminds me that there was a dagger in it a couple of hours ago. Now it’s bandaged. “How many stitches?” “Eleven on one side and nineteen on the other.” He arches a dark brow and leans forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “You turned oranges into a weapon, Violence?”

“I know how to handle you on top of me,” I challenge quietly. He lowers his mouth to my ear. “You won’t like what happens if you push me.” “Or maybe I will.” I turn just enough that my lips brush the shell of his ear. He jerks up, and the heat in his gaze makes me all too aware of everywhere our bodies connect. “Disarm me before I test that theory in front of everyone in this gym.” “Interesting. I didn’t take you for an exhibitionist.”

“I’m just wondering how long they can be separated.” “Turns out, about three days is their max.” Xaden steps out of the shadows.

“You’re staring. It’s going to get awkward in about thirty seconds if you don’t stop.” “How?” I hiss. “The same way you talk to Sgaeyl. We’re all gloriously, annoyingly linked. This is just one of the perks. Though I’m starting to wish I’d tried it sooner. The look on your face is priceless.”

“That’s up to Tairn and Sgaeyl.” “You never considered that it was you I couldn’t stay away from?”

“Then shield him out the same way you do me—or start talking back,” Tairn grumbles. “You have the power to be a pain in the ass, too. Trust me.”

“Fuck, that stubborn, feisty look always makes me want to kiss you.” Xaden’s expression remains bland, bored even, but his eyes heat as his gaze drops to my mouth. “And you say this now, where people will see if you actually do.” My breath catches. “When did I ever give you the impression that I give a fuck what people think about me?” A corner of his mouth rises, and now it’s all I can concentrate on, damn him. “I only care what they think about you.”

Moving toward Tairn’s foreleg, I have to laugh as he dips his shoulder for me. “What? No ladder?” “We thought about it and decided it would make you too vulnerable.”

Tairn roars with the unmistakable sound of pride. “Lightning wielder.”

Keeping my eyes locked on his, I fling the dagger at the target. The satisfying sound of split wood tells me I hit true. “Fuck, that’s hotter than it should be.” He pulls in a deep breath.

I sniff at the smoke in the air. “Did I…” “Set the curtains on fire?” He lifts a brow. “Yes.”

I glance over at the armoire. “And we…” “Yep.” He lifts his brows. “And I’m pretty sure you need a new chair, too.”

“Frighteningly perfect.” He cups the side of my face. “We should get you cleaned up and to sleep. We can worry about…your room tomorrow. Ironically, your bed is the only thing we didn’t wreck.”

Finding a jar on my nightstand with a handful of spring violets? My heart swells. I’m in so much fucking trouble.

“Good point.” I look out over the range. “You just want me to…” I gesture to the mountains around us. “Preferably anywhere but right here, yes.”

“Should I get the wingleader?” Tairn flat-out laughs in my head. “Shut up.”

There’s nowhere in existence you could go that I wouldn’t find you, Violence.” The

Tairn chortles. “Not a single fucking word out of you,” I warn.

“I just wanted—” he starts, then pauses, surveying the wreckage of my room from last night. “Somehow I’d convinced myself today that we hadn’t done that much damage, but…” “Yeah, it’s…” He looks at me, and we both crack a smile.

“Did you know that the first time I climbed these steps with Dain, I was horrified that there wasn’t a handrail?” “Did you know I can’t stand to hear his name on your lips while you’re leading the way to my room?”