Page 490 - Fourth Wing

celebrating his mother’s death. “You can go. You should go. This is…” I

shake my head.
“I go where you go.” His hand tightens over mine.

A boulder lodges in my throat, and I scan the crowd, instinctively

knowing that he’s not here. There’s no Garrick, no Bodhi, no Imogen, and
definitely no Xaden. No wonder he was in such a shit mood today.

“This isn’t fair to you.” I glare at the infantry officer who has the nerve to

look appalled at the sight of Liam’s wrist.
“I highly doubt you enjoy celebrating the anniversary of your brother’s

death, either.” Liam holds himself with a dignity I could never imagine.

“Brennan would hate all of this.” I gesture to the crowd. “He was more
about getting the work done than celebrating its completion.”

“Yeah, sounds like—” His words die, and I squeeze his arm tighter as I
note the separating crowd before us.

King Tauri walks at my mother’s side, and from the direction of his wide,

toothy smile, he’s headed this way. A purple sash crosses his doublet,
pinned to his chest by a dozen medals he’s never won from a hundred

battlefields he’s never stepped foot on.
Mom’s medals are all earned, and they adorn her black sash like jewelry

as it drapes across her high-necked, long-sleeve dress uniform.

“Go,” I hiss at Liam in a whisper, forcing a smile for my mother’s sake as
General Melgren joins them. Melgren may be brilliant, but he’s also

unnerving as fuck to be around.

“When your greatest danger approaches? I think not.” His spine
straightens.

I’m going to rip Xaden’s gorgeous head off for forcing Liam through this.

“Your Majesty,” I murmur, dropping a foot behind me like Mira taught
and bending as I bow my head, noting that Liam has bowed at the waist.

“Your mother tells me you’ve bonded with not one but two exceptional
dragons,” King Tauri says, smiling under his mustache.