Page 198 - Fourth Wing

of us with such intensity that I know he’ll be able to re-create this moment

in a projection.
Then he leaves, marching up the hill to our right and disappearing into

the trees.

My mind whirls. It’s time. I’ll either leave this forest as a rider…or likely
never leave.

“Be careful.” Rhiannon pulls me into a hug, her braids swinging over my

shoulder as she tightens her arms around me.
“You too.” I squeeze her back and am immediately swept into another

pair of arms.

“Don’t die,” Ridoc orders.
That’s our only goal as what’s left of our squad separates, each heading in

our own direction like we’ve been flung apart by centrifugal motion, at the
mercy of a spinning wheel.

…

Guessing by the position of the sun, it’s been at least a couple of hours since

the dragons flew overhead, landing in the valley in a succession that
sounded like thunder and making the earth shake.

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.
I hold my breath, trying not to make a sound as its head sweeps right,

then left, and my gaze plummets to the ground as I bow my head.

For the last hour or so, I’ve seen dragons launch into the air with a cadet
—now a rider—on their back, but I’ve also seen more than a couple of

plumes of smoke, and I have no desire to be one of those.
The dragon huffs a breath, then continues along its path, its clubtail

flicking upward and catching one of the lower-hanging branches. The limb