BooksBarbecue
Back Legendborn Save as PDF
Chapters (68)
  1. Dedication
  2. PROLOGUE
  3. THREE MONTHS LATER
  4. PART ONE ORDER
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. PART TWO DISCORD
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. PART THREE ROOTS
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. PART FOUR SPLINTER
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  67. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  68. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

She fumbles for her bedside lamp. “Do you have any idea what time it—” Her voice cuts off abruptly when the lamp light floods the room. “What the fuck?”

Alice never curses.

I shield my eyes against the light. “Sorry I’m late.”

Alice leaps out of bed in her pajamas, snatching her glasses on the way. “What happened to you?”

I don’t even know what lie to make up right now. What the fuck, indeed.

“I—I—”

“Bree?” I stop stammering at the tremor in her voice. She’s right in front of me, her hands hovering inches from my shoulders, eyes roaming over my face, down my chest and legs. “Oh my God. You’re hurt.”

I blink. “What do you mean?”

Her voice is frantic now, panic making it soar. “You look like you’ve been dragged! Through mud!” She claps a hand over her nose. “You smell like a swamp. There are holes in your shirt. You’re filthy. Your hair is… God, Matty. What the hell happened to you?”

17

MY MOUTH OPENS and closes like a fish. I want to lie to her, but where are the words? There just aren’t any. No words to explain what happened to me tonight. What I chose tonight.

Horror dawns over Alice’s face. “Did someone do this to you?”

I shake my head. No. No one did this to me. No one human, at least.

“You can tell me if something happened.” She grabs both of my hands, tears welling up behind her glasses. “I’ll believe you.”

Alice has known me for half my life. We are sleepovers and skinned knees and first crushes and always making sure our lockers are side by side.

Her tears break me.

The sob I’ve been holding back since the woods finally bursts out.

“I can call someone. The campus cops, the—”

“No!” I shout, mind flashing to Norris, the dean. “It—it isn’t like that. I promise.”

“Okay,” she says, her eyes darting back and forth as she processes. “If you—okay.”

Once I’m satisfied she won’t call on a Vassal without realizing, my head thunks against the wood.

Alice rubs my forearms. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

As with William, I let her guide me outside our room to the communal hall bathroom, my shower caddy tucked under her arm. When we enter, a girl washing her hands at one of the sinks gives us a funny look.

Once we’re next to the row of empty showers, Alice tugs on the bottom of my shirt. “You’ll feel better after a shower. Do you need help?”

She’s speaking quietly and clearly, like you do when someone is so freaked out they can’t handle complex sentences and you’re trying to calm them down. I realize what she’s doing, but I let her do it anyway. It’s working.