Page 144 - Fourth Wing

Dain’s hands pause on my skin. “Because you know what his way is?”

The guilt of keeping Xaden’s secret makes my stomach drop. “He told me
he didn’t see a reason to kill me himself when the parapet would do it,” I

answer truthfully. “And let’s face it, he’s had plenty of chances to take me

out if he really wanted.”
“Hmm.” Dain hums in that thoughtful tone of his, continuing to work out

my stiff and aching muscles as he leans over from the side of his bed.

Rhiannon drilled me for another two hours after dinner, and I was barely
able to move by the end of it.

Guess I wasn’t the only one Xaden scared this afternoon.

“Do you think he could be plotting against Navarre and still have bonded
Sgaeyl?” I ask, my cheek against his blanket.

“I did at first.” His hands move down my spine, pressing into the knots
that made lifting my arms almost impossible that last half hour of training

tonight. “But then I bonded Cath, and I realized that dragons would do

anything to protect the Vale and their sacred hatching grounds. There’s no
way any dragon would have bonded Riorson or any of the separatists if they

weren’t honest about protecting Navarre.”
“But would a dragon even know if you were lying?” I turn my head so I

can see his face.

“Yeah.” He grins. “Cath would know because he’s in my head. It’s
impossible to hide something like that from your dragon.”

“Is he always in your head?” I know it’s against the rules to ask—almost

everything about bonds are off-limits for discussion, given how secretive
dragons are, but it’s Dain.

“Yeah,” he answers, his smile softening. “I can block him out if I need to,

and they’ll teach you that after Threshing—” His expression falls.
“What is it?” I sit up, sliding one of his pillows across my chest and

leaning back against the headboard.
“I talked to Colonel Markham this evening.” He walks over and pulls his