Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 235897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1179(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 786(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 235897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1179(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 786(@300wpm)
“She doesn’t intend to tell anyone about me,” Xaden says.
He cut through her shields?
“You taught her well.” She glares over at our brother and sheathes her blade as she walks away. “Good luck keeping her alive.” The door slams on her way out.
As our largest province, Tyrrendor provides the most conscripts for our forces. However, the strength of Navarre isn’t only found in Tyrrish soldiers, but also in the province’s most valuable resource: Talladium. Losing it would doom Navarre.
—On Tyrrish History, A Complete Accounting, third edition by Captain Fitzgibbons
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Two days pass without Mira telling anyone, and I start to believe that Xaden was right and she won’t, even if she isn’t speaking to me.
Navarre is one step away from declaring war on Tyrrendor for defying the Senarium. Halden has troops stationed along the Calldyr border, just waiting for his father to give his order, which prompted Xaden to cut off shipments of Talladium until King Tauri confirms their alliance stands without the Provincial Commitment and the Aretian riot is safe at Basgiath, all but stalling the war college’s forge. The only positive is that I find myself back with my squad during the day and in Xaden’s bed at night.
Turns out Panchek doesn’t actually care where anyone sleeps. Quinn spends every night with her girlfriend, too, since Jax happens to be stationed here.
The best part of Professor Trissa’s all-day runes class is being outdoors in the valley. The gaping hole in my chest feels a little smaller when I’m closer to Tairn. The shitty part? I’m worse than ever at runes. There are more than a dozen discarded practice disks on the ground in front of me as I sit cross-legged in the circle our squad has formed, and those are only my mistakes since lunch.
A few months ago, I’d barely gotten by using the more delicate threads of magic from Andarna’s power, but Tairn’s is unruly and hard to separate. No wonder my signet is pretty much all-or-nothing. Tairn doesn’t do anything in half measures, and neither does his power.
“Was that Teine I saw launching before the break?” Rhi asks, setting a messy yet no doubt effective unlocking rune in front of her as Professor Trissa walks the opposite side of the circle, inspecting Neve’s and Bragen’s work.
I nod and press my lopsided trapezoid with its four unequally spaced knots and overlying oval—which I’ve managed to make look like an egg—into the practice disk, tempering the rune. The wood hisses, and the shape appears, burned into the disk. “They only gave Mira seventy-two hours of leave, which, from the sound of it, is more than they could afford.” My forehead puckers as I study the rune. Every day, the line retreats closer to Draithus, and the atmosphere around here feels like the air before a thunderstorm, charged with inevitable violence.
“I’m sorry you two didn’t have more time.” Rhi offers me what I’m starting to call the careful smile. It’s half sympathy, half encouragement, and a hundred percent please-don’t-go-catatonic-again.
It’s become the trademark expression of our squad since I showed up for class the day before yesterday.
“At least you got to see your sister,” Cat says from the east end of our circle beside Maren, shaping a yet-to-be-seen rune in the air with both hands. “I haven’t been with Syrena in months.” She doesn’t bother with the careful smile, and I weirdly appreciate it.
“I’m sorry.” I genuinely mean it. Cordyn is all but blockaded. The only way in without crossing venin territory is by sea.
“I’d say it’s all right, but we both know it isn’t.” She sets a perfectly shaped unlocking rune down in front of her. “And neither is whatever you just attempted, because that isn’t going to unlock…anything.”
“Be nice.” Maren throws a sideways glance at Cat.
“Good thing I excel in other areas.” I flash a fuck-off smile.
Ridoc snorts to Rhi’s left, and before I can tell him I didn’t mean it that way, Sawyer jabs him in the ribs.
Professor Trissa moves down the line to the first-years, and I prepare myself for the inevitable sigh of disappointment she’ll give once she gets to me. She’s been in a foul mood since spending most of yesterday afternoon with Mira, going over which runes did and didn’t work on our failed quest. So far the only consensus is that certain materials can carry magic beyond the Continent and others can’t.
“It’s better than the last one.” Rhi nods at my rune and brightens the careful smile.
“It’s not.” My heart leaps as an outline of wings casts a shadow on the south side of the valley, then plummets when an Orange Clubtail lands to the west, near where Tairn lies sunning his scales. “At some point I’ll stop looking for her, right?”
“Perhaps,” Tairn answers.
So comforting.
“Here, let me help you.” Quinn scoots over at my right.