Page 545 - Fourth Wing

“Everything between us is real, Violence.” The intensity with which he

says it hurts my heart even more. “The rest, I can explain with enough time.
But before we get to our assigned outpost, I need to know if you believe

me.”

I glance at the dagger and hear the words in my father’s letter as surely as
if he’d spoken them. I know you’ll make the right choice when the time

comes. He warned me the only way he could have: through books.

“Yes,” I say, handing the dagger back to Xaden. “I believe you. That
doesn’t mean I trust you anymore.”

“Keep it.” His posture softens in relief.

I sheathe it at my thigh. “You’re giving me a weapon after just telling me
that you’ve been deceiving me for months, Riorson?”

“Absolutely. I have another, and if what the fliers say is true, and venin
are headed north, then you might need it. I never lied when I said I can’t

live without you, Violence.” He backs away slowly, his lips curving in a sad

smile. “And defenseless women have never been my type, remember?”
I’m not remotely ready to joke around with him. “Let’s just get to

Athebyne.”
He nods, and a few minutes later, we’re midflight.

“We know we didn’t lie. We just didn’t tell you everything,” Andarna says,

flying in the pocket of air behind Tairn with the least wind resistance as we
make our way to the outpost.

“That’s lying by omission,” I argue. There’s a lot of that going around

today.
“She’s right, Golden One.” Tension radiates through every line of Tairn’s

body and the very beats of his wings. “You have every right to be angry.”

He banks, following the mountain range along the border. The straps on my
saddle bite into my thighs. “We made a choice to protect you—without your

consent. It was an error, and one that I won’t make again.” The guilt he
feels overwhelms my own emotions, melting the hottest of my anger, and I