Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 235897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1179(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 786(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 235897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1179(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 786(@300wpm)
“My father led a rebellion,” Xaden says without taking his eyes off me. “I took part in a revolution. There’s a difference in the words, from what I’m told.”
I catch my mouth curving.
“Besides, arguing makes no difference.” Xaden sits up. “I’m going. Lewellen will speak for me in my absence while taking counsel from my only living blood relative—Cadet Durran. Lieutenant Tavis has been co-leading my classes and will step into the role of professor to teach them fully while we’re gone until it’s time for the next professor to rotate in.”
“If I give my permission,” Halden retorts.
Wrong move, Halden.
“I ask permission of one person on the Continent, and it sure as Amari isn’t you.” Xaden slowly turns his head to look down the table at Halden, and breathing becomes irritatingly difficult.
“I speak in my father’s stead,” Halden bites out through gritted teeth.
“Right. Because he’s the one I defer to.” Xaden’s gaze swings to me. “When would you like to go?”
“We fly for Deverelli as soon as His Highness is ready.” I look Halden straight in the eye, counting on his absolute inability to read my face or sense the fear that he’ll retaliate against Xaden with the power of the crown.
Halden stands, as does everyone at the table except Xaden. “Let’s at least keep that part of the orders intact. We depart the day after tomorrow.” He leaves through the northern door, followed by everyone who stood.
“No snide remarks,” I say to Ridoc with a quick smile. “I’m proud of you.”
“I kept the inside thoughts inside,” he replies with a flash of a grin as Xaden approaches.
“You really had to prick his temper?” I ask as he reaches us.
“No.” Xaden’s gaze flickers to my mouth. “I did that just for fun.”
“Drake Cordella?” Mira shouts, and the three of us turn as she charges across the room toward Drake. “As in the nightwing drift?”
He gives my sister a charming yet cocky smile. “You’ve heard of me?”
“You were instrumental in bringing the wards down in the Montserrat offensive last year.” Her eyes narrow.
“I was.” His grin expands.
She knees him straight in the groin.
Oh gods.
“Ooh.” Ridoc winces. “He’s going—”
Drake hits his knees, and Cat gasps.
“—down,” Ridoc finishes.
“You must be Mira Sorrengail,” Drake manages to say, pain etched in every line of his face.
“Guess you’ve heard of me, too.” She crouches down to his level. “If you ever endanger my sister’s life again, my blade will replace my knee. Got it?”
To his credit, he lifts his head and sucks a breath in through his teeth. “Heard.”
“Excellent.” She pats him on the shoulder and stands, dismissing Cat with a glare before turning my way. “You get one chance to form your own squad, and you choose your ex, your current lover, the quadrant’s resident smart-ass, two people who have tried to kill you in the past year—one over said current lover—and whatever Dain is? These are your choices for the most important mission any rider could possibly undertake?”
“I’m glad someone said it,” Tairn chimes in.
“And…you.” It’s not my finest comeback.
“Don’t forget Halden’s guard,” Ridoc adds. “I’m sure they’ll be super useful.”
She flat-out rolls her eyes at him, then heads toward the door. “I’ll need to provision here, but it looks like I’ll have time to read the next volume in that series you love,” she says to me over her shoulder.
Mom’s journals. I nod and soak up the victory for one sweet second.
We could be only days away from having everything we need: Andarna’s family, a cure for Xaden, and whatever it is my father wants me to retrieve from that merchant in Deverelli.
The day after tomorrow can’t come fast enough.
Tyrrendor was the last to cut contact with the isles. The province has a reputation for its cunning leadership, but in this case, I would add: astute.
—Subjugated: The Second Uprising of the Krovlan People by Lieutenant Colonel Asher Sorrengail
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
We stop at Athebyne the first night, testing the gryphons’ limits with speed and endurance. Then we push them to their max with twenty-four hours in the saddle, pausing only to feed and water the winged ones before reaching Cordyn as dawn breaks.
Everyone thinks the torturous day is to prepare the gryphons for the flight across the sea.
Only Xaden knows the real reason: even though he made it through the night unscathed, I’m terrified to let him touch the unwarded ground more than absolutely necessary.
We fly over swaths of scorched and desiccated land, evading venin with the help of the intel Drake brought. Part of me can’t help but feel like we’re evading the fight, even though I know we’re searching for the way to end it.
“The gryphons cannot keep up,” Tairn warns me as we descend toward Tecarus’s palace. “Especially when carrying the bulk of two humans.”
“Carrying” is a loose term for the baskets Halden and his guard dangle in, held by the gryphons’ claws.