Page 541 - Fourth Wing

“Which you know because you’re in league with them.” I retreat a few

steps so I don’t act on the overwhelming urge to punch him in the face.
“You’re working with our enemy.”

“Did you ever once stop to think that sometimes you can start out on the

right side of a war and end up on the wrong one?”
“In this particular case? No.” I point toward the shore. “I was trained as a

scribe, remember? All we’ve done is defend our borders for six hundred

years. They’re the ones who won’t accept peace as a solution. What
shipments have you been giving them?”

“Weapons.”

My stomach hits the ground. “That they use to kill dragon riders?”
“No.” He shakes his head emphatically. “These weapons are only to fight

venin.”
My jaw unhinges. “Venin are the stuff of fables. Like the book my father

—” I blink. The letter. What had he written? Folklore is passed from one

generation to the next to teach us about our past.
Was he trying to say… No. That’s impossible.

“They’re real,” Xaden says softly, like he’s trying to lessen a blow.
“You’re saying people who can somehow tap into the source of magic

without a dragon or gryphon to channel, corrupting their power beyond all

salvation, actually exist.” I say the words slowly just so we’re crystal clear.
“They’re not just part of the creation fable.”

“Yes.” His forehead creases. “They drained all the magic out of the

Barrens and then spread like an infestation.”
“Well, at least that’s in keeping with folklore.” I fold my arms across my

chest. “What was the fable again? One brother bonded to gryphon, one to

dragon, and when the third grew jealous, he drew directly from the source,
losing his soul and waging war on the other two.”

“Yes.” He sighs. “This was not how I wanted to tell you.”
“Assuming you were ever going to tell me!” I glance to where Tairn