Page 552 - Fourth Wing

“All right,” she answers.

“The guy with the staff just—” Liam starts.
An explosion sounds, echoing up the sparsely treed valley, followed by a

plume of blue smoke. My heart jolts at the sight.

“Those were the gates,” he finishes.
“How many people live in Resson?” Bodhi asks.

“More than three hundred,” Imogen answers as another boom cracks

through the valley. “That’s the post they do the yearly trades at.”
“Then let’s get down there.” Bodhi turns and Xaden steps back, blocking

his path with an outstretched hand. “You’re kidding me, right?”

“We have no idea what we’re walking into.” Xaden’s tone reminds me of
that first day after Parapet. He’s in full command mode.

“So we should just stand here while civilians die?” Bodhi questions, and I
tense. We all do, watching Xaden.

“That’s not what I’m saying.” Xaden shakes his head. He has to choose.

That’s what the War Games missive said. He can abandon that village or his
command, who’s now waiting for him at Eltuval. “This isn’t a fucking

training exercise, Bodhi. Some—if not all—of us are going to die if we go
down there. If we’d been assigned to an active wing, there would be far

older, more experienced leadership making this decision, but there aren’t. If

we weren’t marked with rebellion relics, if we hadn’t been aiding the
enemy”—his gaze darts to mine briefly—“we wouldn’t even be here with

this choice. So, all command structure aside, what are your thoughts?”

“We have the numbers,” Soleil says, narrowing her brown eyes on the
field and tapping her bright green fingernails rhythmically on the stone

crenelations of the battlement. “And air superiority.”

“At least there aren’t any wyvern.” I scan the skies just to be sure.
“Uh. What?” Bodhi’s eyebrows rise.

“Wyvern. Fables say venin created them to compete with dragons and,
instead of channeling from them, channel power into them.” Let’s hope