Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) Read Online Rebecca Yarros

Categories Genre: Alpha Male, Dragons, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Magic, Paranormal Tags Authors: Series: The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros
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Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 235897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1179(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 786(@300wpm)
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Guilt twists in my stomach. “I understand.”

“Good. Anything new to report from your skirmish beyond the walls?” Felix asks.

“I split a bolt into two branches.” I lift my chin, and Tairn stands ahead of us. The wound on his thigh has scabbed and is healing at a rate I envy. “And not into a cloud. From the sky.”

His silver brows rise. “But did you hit your target?”

I nod. “Both of them.”

“Good.” A satisfied smile curves his mouth. “Now show me.”

By the time I make it back to Riorson House that evening, my arms feel like dead weight, I’ve sweat through every piece of my uniform, and my right hand is covered in blisters.

But I can wield.

And I do so the next day, and the day after that.

“You go straight from bedbound to burnout,” Brennan mutters after he finishes mending my arm muscles for the third time in three days. “Can’t you pick a nice middle ground?” His voice echoes in the empty Assembly chamber.

Almost every officer from Aretia has been stationed on the outposts, including the Assembly members. If Brennan wasn’t needed to run the place when Xaden isn’t here, he’d be gone, too.

“Apparently not.” I lift my hand from the end of the long trestle table and flex my fingers. “Thank you.”

“I should let the healers tend to you and see how quickly you run out to do it again.” He rubs the bridge of his nose and sits back in his chair.

“You could.” I tug the sleeve of my uniform down. “But I’d just be out there again tomorrow. I’ve already taken too much time off.” Theophanie isn’t going to give up just because the Aretian wards are in place.

“If I could stand to see you in pain, I’d give it some serious thought.” He drops his hand. “What are you going to do when you’re back at Basgiath? I can’t just fly eighteen hours every time you overdo it.”

“I have almost a week left to figure that out.” My forehead scrunches. “Do you think we’ll go if Tauri hasn’t confirmed he won’t burn the place down like he did six years ago?” There’s a growing part of me that wouldn’t mind staying.

I love sleeping next to Xaden at night and waking up to the feel of his mouth on my skin in the morning. I love how uncomplicated we are here, and really love that General Aetos isn’t lurking around every corner, looking for a reason to make us miserable. But mostly, I love that Xaden seems more like himself in the last few days. He’s still icy in moments, but he also carries an air of peace and purpose, and for the first time, I don’t just dream about our future here.

I can see it.

“Keeping a squad of Basgiath’s cadets would complicate—” Brennan starts to answer.

“You’re an asshole.” Bodhi strides into the room, tearing at the buttons of his flight jacket.

“That’s not new information,” Xaden retorts at his heels, ripping the flight goggles off his head and pinning his cousin with a stare I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. His hair is windblown, and his swords are strapped to his back, but I don’t see any blood—not that he’s turned fully in my direction at the opposite side of the room. “And the answer is no. Stop asking.”

Brennan lifts his brows at me, and I shrug. Fuck if I know what they’re arguing about.

“You need every rider you can get,” Bodhi argues. “I could be manning an outpost—”

“No.” Xaden’s jaw ticks.

“—or patrolling Draithus, which we both know is about to fall—” Bodhi’s hands curl into fists.

“Absolutely not.” Shadows gather around Xaden’s boots. “You can’t just take Cuir and leave school because you decide you’re fully educated. You have to graduate.”

Wait. Bodhi wants to drop out?

“Says who?” Bodhi challenges.

“Besides the Empyrean and every regulation recorded?” The shadows spread. “Me!”

Bodhi shakes his head. “If it’s that fucking important I finish, you wouldn’t be pulling me out of class every day.”

“Because I need you to know how to take over,” Xaden snaps.

“Because I’m now first in line?” There’s more than a little sarcasm in Bodhi’s response.

“Yes!” The shadows flee, racing for the walls.

“Xaden?” My stomach clenches.

He glances my way, then takes a deep breath and relaxes his shoulders. “The answer is no, Bodhi.”

“I’m not your backup plan.” Bodhi retreats two steps, then looks down the table at Brennan and me before glaring at Xaden. “You are the duke. I am the rider. That’s how it was always meant to be until our parents got themselves executed. I will stand by your side and be your right-fucking-hand for the rest of our lives, but if you want a member of our family to hold that seat”—he points to the throne—“you’d better hold your own shit together.” He walks out of the room without another word.


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