Page 57 - Fourth Wing

“She didn’t mean it.” He shakes his head. “She can’t mean that.”

“She means it. Even Mira couldn’t talk her out of it.”
He searches my eyes and tenses, as if he sees the truth of it there. “Shit.”

“Yeah. Shit.” I shrug, like it’s not my life we’re talking about here.

“All right.” I can see him mentally changing gears, adapting to the
information. “We’ll find another way. For now, let’s go.” He takes my hand

and leads me to the alcove we disappeared from. “Get out there and meet

the other first-years. I’ll go back and enter from the turret doorway. They’ll
figure out we know each other soon enough, but don’t give anyone

ammunition.” He squeezes my hand and lets go, walking away without

another word and disappearing into the tunnel.
I grip the straps of my rucksack and walk into the dappled sunlight of the

courtyard. The clouds are breaking, and the drizzle is burning off as the
gravel crunches beneath my feet on my way toward the riders and cadets.

The massive courtyard, which could easily fit a thousand riders, is just

like the map in the archives recorded. Shaped like an angular teardrop, the
rounded end is formed by a giant outer wall at least ten feet thick. Along the

sides are stone halls. I know the four-story building carved into the
mountain with the rounded end is for academics, and the one on the right,

towering over the cliff, is the dorms, where Dain took me. The imposing

rotunda linking the two buildings also serves as the entrance to the
gathering hall, commons, and library behind it. I quit gawking and turn in

the courtyard to face the outer wall. There’s a stone dais on the right side of

the parapet, occupied by two uniformed men I recognize as the
commandant and executive commandant, both in full military dress, their

medals winking in the sunlight.

It takes me a few minutes to find Rhiannon in the growing crowd, talking
to another girl whose jet-black hair is cut just as short as Dain’s.

“There you are!” Rhiannon’s smile is genuine and full of relief. “I was
worried. Is everything…” She lifts her eyebrows.