Page 396 - Fourth Wing

There is no stronger bond than that between two mated dragons. It

goes beyond the depth of human love or adoration to a primal,
undeniable requirement for proximity. One cannot survive without
the other.

—COLONEL KAORI’S FIELD GUIDE TO DRAGONKIND

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SIX

Flying for short distances is something I manage.

Flight maneuvers—the dips and dives that come with combat formations
—send me spinning through the sky unless Tairn holds me on with bands of

his own power.

But flying for six hours straight for our prize, a weeklong tour of a
forward outpost, might just be the death of me.

“I’m pretty sure I’m dying.” Nadine bends over, bracing her hands on her

knees.
“I feel that.” Every vertebra in my spine screams as I stretch, and the

hands that were freezing only a few minutes ago start to sweat inside my
leather gloves.

Naturally, Dain is minimally affected, his posture only slightly stiff as he

and Professor Devera greet a tall man in rider black, who I assume is the
outpost commander.

“Welcome, cadets,” the commander says with a professional smile,
folding his arms across the chest of his lightweight leathers. His salt-and-

pepper hair makes it hard to determine his age, and he has that gaunt,

weathered look all riders get when they’ve been stationed on the border for
too long. “I’m sure you’d all like to get settled and into something a little