Page 406 - Fourth Wing

I blink. “Shit. I can’t remember. But I guess I’ll be able to read it again

soon!” A bubble of joy rises in my chest. “You are the best.”
“I’ll give it to you at the outpost.” She leans back and gives me a

thoughtful look. “I know they’re just stories, but I never used to get why the

villains would choose to corrupt their souls and become venin, and now…”
Her brow furrows.

“Now you empathize with the villain?” I tease.

“No.” She shakes her head. “But we have the kind of power people would
kill for, Violet. Dragons and gryphons are the gatekeepers, and I’m sure that

to someone jealous enough, ambitious enough, risking a soul would be a

fair price for the ability to wield.” Her shoulders rise as she shrugs. “Just
makes me glad our dragons are so discerning and our wards keep the

gryphon riders at bay. Who the hell knows what kind of people those furry
creatures choose?”

We stay another hour, until we know we’re risking exposure if we stay a

minute longer. Then Mira and I give Rhiannon some privacy to say
goodbye to her family and head out of the house into the humid night. Tairn

has been uncharacteristically quiet the last couple of hours.
“Have you been stationed with any riders of mated pairs?” I ask Mira as I

close the door behind us.

“One,” she answers, her eyes narrowing on the darkened path in front of
the house. “Why?”

“I’m just wondering how long they can be separated.”

“Turns out, about three days is their max.” Xaden steps out of the
shadows.