Page 297 - Fourth Wing

original squad, but the other three grumble.

Liam nods at Xaden, and my stomach twists. I know exactly why he’s
being put under Dain’s command. The guy is massive, as tall as Sawyer and

as built as Dain, with light-blond hair, prominent nose, blue eyes, and the

sprawling rebellion relic that begins at his wrist and disappears under the
sleeve of his tunic gives his mission away.

“I do not need a bodyguard,” I snap at Xaden. Am I out of line speaking

to a wingleader that way? Absolutely. Do I care? Not one bit.
He ignores me, facing Dain. “Liam is statistically the strongest first-year

in the quadrant. He has the fastest time up the Gauntlet, hasn’t lost a single

challenge, and is bonded to an exceptionally strong Red Daggertail. Any
squad would be lucky to have him, and he’s all yours, Aetos. You can thank

me when you win the Squad Battle in the spring.”
Liam steps into formation behind me, taking Penley’s place.

“I. Do. Not. Need. A. Bodyguard,” I repeat, a little louder this time. I

could give two fucks who hears me.
One of the first-years behind me gasps, mortified by my audacity, no

doubt.
Imogen snorts. “Good luck with that approach.”

Xaden walks past Dain and stands directly in front of me, leaning into my

space. “You do, though, as we both learned last night. And I can’t be
everywhere you are. But Liam here”—he points back to the blond Tyr

—“he’s a first-year, so he can be in every class, at every challenge, and I

even had him assigned to library duty, so I hope you get used to him,
Sorrengail.”

“You’re overstepping.” My nails bite into my palms.

“You haven’t begun to see overstepping,” he warns, his voice dropping
low, sending a shiver down my spine. “Any threat against you is a threat

against me, and as we’ve already established, I have more important things
to do than sleep on your floor.”