Page 569 - Fourth Wing

“‘Hopefully’ isn’t the best word right now…” I turn in the saddle and

watch in horror as two more riderless wyvern fly out of the valley. “The
civilians need more time to reach the mine. Let’s give it to them.”

Tairn growls in agreement, and we speed back over the post.

Xaden has one wyvern by the throat, strangling it with shadows as a
third-year hurls ice at its rider, and the other four are doing everything they

can to drive the newcomers back with a combination of dragon fire and

magic.
Power jolts through me in wave after burning wave as I wield more

lightning than I ever have in practice. I swing my arm around and aim

another bolt at a wyvern flying near the front gate—or what used to be the
front gate. I miss the wyvern but hit an empty tower, sending stone flying in

all directions, a large chunk hitting a wyvern in the tail and causing it to
spin in midair.

Tairn banks another hard turn and we come back around. I take a deep

breath, then call a lightning bolt—this one striking a wyvern directly in its
upper back with a satisfying sizzle. The giant beast shrieks, then smashes

into a nearby hillside with a thunderous boom.
Coming back around again for another pass, and heady from my recent

kill, I throw out three more bolts of lightning in quick succession.

Unfortunately, more speed doesn’t translate to more accuracy, and the
adrenaline rush isn’t helping my aim, either. I manage to cause three more

alarming explosions, though—one of which distracts a rather large wyvern

that had been on Bodhi’s tail, giving him a moment’s advantage, which his
dragon seizes by banking hard left and coming up behind the wyvern and

sinking its teeth into its leathery gray neck. There’s an ominous crack, and

then Bodhi’s dragon releases the wyvern’s lifeless body, letting it fall to the
ground fifty feet below.

“On the left!” I shout as two more wyvern come into view on our rear
flank.