Page 535 - Fourth Wing

In his last days of interrogation, Fen Riorson lost touch with reality,

railing against the kingdom of Navarre. He accused King Tauri, and
all who came before him, of a conspiracy so vast, so unspeakable,
that it does not bear repeating by this historian. The execution was

swift and merciful for a madman who cost untold lives.

—NAVARRE, AN UNEDITED HISTORY BY COLONEL LEWIS MARKHAM

CHAPTER

THIRTY-FIVE

Somehow, I manage to keep breathing, which is impressive given my heart

feels like it might shatter in a million pieces, and narrow my gaze on the
enemy.

I’ve never seen a gryphon rider before. The dragons usually burn them to

ash, along with their half-eagle, half-lion mounts.
“What happened to meeting tomorrow? We don’t have a full shipment,”

Xaden says to the gryphon rider, his voice calm and even.

“The shipment isn’t the issue,” the woman says, shaking her head. Unlike
our black, the riders’ leathers are brown, matching the darker feathers of

their beasts…who are currently staring at me like I’m dinner.
“If they try anything, they’ll be a snack,” Tairn says.

Shipment. I barely process what Tairn says through the shock of the

rider’s words. And Xaden knows them. He’s working with them, aiding our
enemy. Betrayal cuts my throat like glass as I try to swallow. This is why

he’s been sneaking off from the quadrant.
“So you were waiting nearby to chat on the off chance that we’d fly by a

full day early?” Xaden asks.

“We were patrolling from Draithus yesterday—it’s about an hour