Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)

by Rebecca Yarros

“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.”

BAD. ASS.😎

Pulling the rope as tight as it can go, I plant one foot on the side of the shaft and give the rope a tug, then send up a prayer to Zihnal that this is going to work. “Can she do that?” someone snaps. I’m doing it now. Then I lift my other foot and begin to climb up the chimney, using only the right side, walking up stone and leveraging my weight with the rope, hand over hand.

wooo brain over brawn!

“Hell yes!” Ridoc yells, hooting from the top. “That’s our girl!” “Get up!” Rhiannon shouts. “One more!”

I just realized Ridoc is the trio member we all thought Dylan was gonna be hahahahaha

And I’m too short.

ain't it a bitch...😒

I swing my arm up and slam my dagger into the slick, soft wood of the ramp—and use it to fling myself the last foot upward. A primal scream rips from my throat as my shoulder cries in protest just as my fingers graze the lip of the edge. I throw my elbow over the top to gain more leverage and pull myself up and over, using the handle of my dagger as a final step before lurching onto the top of the cliff.

badass.😏

“Cheating!” I turn toward the voice. It’s Amber Mavis, the strawberry-blond wingleader from Third Wing who was Dain’s close friend last year, and there’s nothing but fury on her face

lol someone's all jealous cause wants ol' Dainty Dick to herself.

I notice not for the first time that other than his Fourth Wing and wingleader emblems, he doesn’t wear the patches others are so fond of displaying.

wouldn't wanna give opponents a heads up of his skills. Honestly it's kind of a no Brainerd, I would wear them either if I didn't have to.

“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.”

HA!!!!

“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.”

BOOM! you just got Scribed.

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.” He turns slightly and delivers a look that I never want directed at me.

heck yeah!!!!

“You think like a scribe,” she barks at me. It’s intended as an insult, but I just nod. “I know.”

scribes are masterful at thinking 😅 its was more of a compliment than anything!

“You’re leaking.” His gaze drops pointedly to my hands. Where blood is dripping from my fingertips. Pain erupts, pushing past my mental dam like a raging river at the sight of the mess I’ve made of my palms. I’ve shredded them. “Do something about it,” he orders.

second read: lol he's like Tairn "you're bleeding. stop it."

Rhiannon is at my back and Tynan just ahead of me, which means I’ll be treated to his commentary the whole time, no doubt. Awesome.

lol hopefully he's gained some humility after his short coming on the gauntlet, and trying to call Violet out about sleeping with Dain without all the facts.

“Talk,” the senior wingleader says, folding her arms across her chest. “Nice day for a Presentation,” Ridoc jokes. “Not to me.” The senior wingleader narrows her gaze on Ridoc, then motions to the line of cadets before her. “Talk to your nearby squadmates while you’re on the path, as it will help the dragons get a sense of who you are and how well you play with others. There’s a correlation between bonded cadets and level of chatter.”

Second Read: lol such a Ridoc response 😂

“I can’t even see their tails!” Tynan shouts from in front of me. “How are we supposed to know what breed they are?” I keep my eyes locked at the level of their massive, muscled shoulders as we walk by. “We’re not supposed to know what breed they are,” I respond. “Fuck that,” he says over his shoulder. “I need to figure out which one I’m going to approach during Threshing.” “Pretty sure this little walk is so they can decide,” I retort. “Hopefully one of them will decide you don’t get to make it to Threshing,” Rhiannon says, her voice quiet so it barely reaches me.

lol really though. the audacity.

“I think I’m just as loyal to my sister whether I’ve had a letter from her or not,” I counter. “There are bonds that can’t be broken.” “I’d be loyal to your sister, too,” Tynan says, turning around and grinning as he walks backward. “She’s one hell of a rider, and that ass. I saw her right before Parapet and damn, Violet. She’s hot.” We pass by another set of reds, then a single brown and a pair of greens. “Turn around.” I make the spinning motion with my finger. “Mira would eat you for breakfast, Tynan.”

ugh. 🙄 speaking of audacity.

“I’m just wondering how one of you got all the good traits and the other looks like she got the leftovers.” His gaze skims down my body. Full-body-shudder gross. “You’re an asshole.” I flip him the middle finger.

What a dick. I hope he gets torched.

“And if it didn’t work, I didn’t want you to be an accomplice. You have a real future here, and I refuse to bring you down with me if I didn’t make it.” “I don’t need you to protect me.” “I know. But it’s just what friends do, Rhi.”

besties 4 eva!

“I think it’s impossible to know everything there is to know about someone.” I feel like shit but keep from lying, at least. She snorts a laugh. “If that wasn’t skirting the question. How about this? Promise me that if you need help, you’ll let me give it to you.” A smile spreads across my face despite the terrifying greens we’re walking by. “How about this,” I toss over my shoulder. “I promise that if I need help you’re capable of giving, I’ll ask, but only”—I hold up my forefinger—“if you promise the same.” “Deal.” She smiles wide.

🥰yaaaay! I love their friendship!

Standing at the end of the line is a small golden dragon. Sunlight reflects off its scales and horns as it stands to its full height, flicking a feathered tail around the side of its body. The feathertail. My jaw drops as I take in the sharp teeth and quick, darting movements of its head as it studies us. At its full height, it’s probably only a few feet taller than I am, like a perfect miniature of the brown next to it.

ooooo! wouldn't that be the perfect high for you though?! you're shorter so a smaller dragon would be ideal! it'd be a unique dragon for a unique rider. a dragon for cunning rather than brute strength maybe?!

“Who the hell would bond that thing?” My chest tightens. “They can hear you,” I remind him. “It’s fucking yellow.” Luca points right at the dragon, disgust curling her lip.

wow. it's still a dragon and y'all are just dissing it right to its face?! Do you want to get torched?

“So not only is it obviously too small to carry a rider in battle, but it’s not even powerful enough to be a real color.”

too small to carry a rider?...what about a small rider? 😆

“There’s no way the other dragons allow a baby to bond. No human alive has ever seen a baby.”

second read: get a good look folks hahahaha

“It’s a mistake all right.” Tynan looks at the golden one and scoffs. “You should totally bond it, Sorrengail. You’re both freakishly weak. It’s a match made in heaven.”

what. a. dick......but like maybe this dragon is really a total surprise badass!

“It looks powerful enough to burn you to death,” I counter, heat flushing my cheeks. He called me weak, and not just in front of our squad but in front of them.

defending a dragon I'm sure is earning you brownie points though! OH OH OH! what if this little feathertail is a scout? working for the big black one everyone was talking about in class, to see if there's anyone actually worth bonding to. like he's looking for a good heart or something!

Sawyer lunges between us, grabbing Tynan’s collar. “Don’t ever say that about a squadmate, especially not in front of unbonded dragons.” “Let him go—he’s just saying what we’re all thinking,” Luca mutters. I turn slowly to stare at her, my mouth slightly agape. Is this what happens to us the second we’re out of hearing range of any superior cadet? We turn on one another. “What?” She gestures to my hair. “Half your hair is silver and you’re…petite,” she finishes with a fake smile. “Golden and…small. You match.”

damn those two need to get scorched. their true colours are showing and they ugly as hell!

“Someone should kill it before it bonds,” Tynan sputters, and for the first time in my life, I actually want to kick someone while they’re down…and keep kicking until they stay down. “It’s just going to get its rider killed, and it’s not like we get a choice if it wants to bond us.”

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!!! THE FUCKING AUDACITY!!!!

“They’re honestly a little underwhelming after seeing that blue at Parapet.” Luca’s voice carries all the way to Rhiannon, who turns around with an incredulous look. “Like this isn’t stressful enough without you insulting them?” Rhi asks.

my thoughs thoughtsts exactly Rhi. Luca and Tynan are running their mouths WAY too much.

“And I seriously asked him one time if Mom was going to turn into a venin because she could channel.” Rhiannon chuckles as we walk by a set of glaring reds. “Did he tell you people supposedly only turn into venin if they channel directly from the source?” “He did, but it was after my mom had a really long night while we were stationed near the eastern border, and her eyes were bloodshot red, so I freaked out and started shrieking.” I can’t help but smile at the memory. “She took my book of fables away for a month because the outpost guards all came running, and I was hiding behind my brother, who couldn’t stop laughing, and, well…it was a mess.”

Lmao just what every woman wants to hear when they're tired as fuck. A child screaming that they look like a monster hahahaha

The red opens its mouth, exposing sharp, glistening fangs, and fire erupts along the sides of its tongue, streaming through the air and into the path ahead of Rhiannon. She yells in shock. Heat blasts the front of my face. Then it’s over. The scent of sulfur and burned grass…burned…something fills my lungs, and I see a charred patch of ground in front of Rhiannon that hadn’t been there before. “Are you all right, Rhi?” I call forward. She nods, but the movement is hurried and jerky. “Pryor is… He’s…” Pryor’s dead.

guess that red got annoyed with his indecisiveness...

A warm huff of steam blows against the back of my neck. My heart thunders, the beat increasing erratically as I take what might be my last breath and turn toward the line of dragons. The golden eyes of not one but two greens meet mine, consuming my field of vision. Oh. Fuck.

oh nooooo. you're bleeding right?! do they smell the blood?

The one under my arm moves its nostrils to my back and sniffs again. Realization hits and I choke out a tight, surreal laugh. “You smell Teine, don’t you?” I ask quietly.

ahahahahaha! the vest!!! They're sniffing her like my dogs sniffing me after I come home from visiting someone who also has another dog hahahahaha

“I wouldn’t have blamed them,” she continues. “You’re insufferable,” Ridoc calls back. I focus on the path and keep walking. “What? She’s obviously our weakest link after Pryor, and I don’t blame them for snuffing him out,” she argues. “He could never make a decision, and no one wants someone like that as their rider—” 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.

HA! good.

“Dain tried talking me into a brown.” “Dain lost his vote when he tried talking you into leaving,” she counters. There’s a lot of truth to that. I’ve only talked to him once in the past two days since Presentation, and he tried to get me to run within the first five minutes.

second read: #5!!!!!

I catch Jack Barlowe running a finger across his neck at me. So original. Then Oren and Tynan flank his sides. So much for squad loyalty. It’s everyone for themselves today.

let the Hunger Games begin 😅 may the odds be ever in your favor

I’ve come across two greens, a brown, four oranges, and— My heart stumbles and my feet freeze to the forest floor as a red steps into my field of vision, its head just under the canopy of enormous trees. This is not my dragon. I’m not sure how I know, but I do.

lol gtfo!

I’ve now come across every color of dragon, and none of them has spoken to me or given me the sense of connection we’re reportedly supposed to feel. My stomach sinks. What if I’m one of the cadets who’s destined to never become a rider? One who’s thrown back time and again to restart first year until eventually something puts me on the death roll? Has this all been for nothing? The thought is too heavy to carry.

every colour? what about the feather tail? or the black? 😜

Or like a golden dragon. Guess the little feathertail is still out here appeasing its curiosity. But I’m apparently not going to find my dragon up a tree, so I climb down carefully and as quietly as possible.

no pull? 🥺

My stomach twists. It’s Jack. No one else’s voice has that physical effect on me, not even Xaden’s.

second read: now that I know there's a whole theory that he's the ACTUAL end game. this is bringing feels I don't wanna have 😂😂😂

“You sure we shouldn’t be spending our time looking for our own dragons instead of hunting the freak down?”

are they hunting Violet or the feathertail?

“If we get caught, we’re fucked,” Oren comments. That’s an understatement. I can’t imagine dragons would take kindly to killing one of their own, but they seem to be focused on culling the weak from the herd in our species, so it’s not a stretch to imagine they do the same with their own.

Second read: you have noooooooo idea

“It’s unrideable, a certified freak, and you know feathertails are useless in combat. They refuse to fight.” His voice fades as they walk farther away, headed north. Toward the clearing.

so stay away from it? if someone else bonds it then what's it to you?! if the feathertails don't fight, they it wouldn't be in the battle in the first place to be a liability. who ever bonds it could be a strategist or something from the sidelines!

I hear a pop, and the ground falls out from under me, then rushes for my face. My hands fly out to brace myself a second before I slam into the forest floor. I bite into my lower lip to keep from crying out as my ankle screams. Popping isn’t good. It’s never good.

ouch especially in the ankle!

“Scorch them,” I whisper-shout, my heart pounding as they draw closer. But the dragon doesn’t, and somehow, I’m certain in the marrow of my bones that it can’t. Other than its teeth, it’s defenseless against three trained warriors.

perhaps you know because of a...bond?

“Letting something so weak, so incapable of fighting, live is against our beliefs!” Jack shouts,

do you just go around killing babies. puppies and kittens perhaps? 😬

“I would strongly recommend you rethink your actions,” a voice—his voice—demands from across the field to my right.

woooooo! back up!

My scalp prickles as each of our heads swivel in his direction.

second read: bro just can't get out of your head can he?

Xaden is leaning against the tree, his arms folded across his chest, and behind him, watching with narrowed golden eyes, her fangs exposed, is Sgaeyl, his terrifying navy-blue daggertail.

yeeeeees! bet they don't take too kindly to people messing with thier own 😏

What Xaden wants, which is always debatable, doesn’t matter here. He can only observe, not interfere. I’m going to have an audience for my death. Fantastic.

second read: I can't remember though, I know Xaden can't interfere because of ge codex, but why can't Sgaeyl? Dragons don't follow human rules. was there a dragon rule about already bonded dragons not interfering too?

“It’s not me you should worry about today,” Xaden responds and Sgaeyl tilts her head, nothing but menace in her eyes when I glance over.

makes it seem like she'll do something buuuut then...nothing....