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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

Maybe that’s why his last text, sent at 2:32 a.m., is so alarming: You need to forfeit. I’ve been away for too long and things are worse than I realized. I’ll find out what happened to your mother. I swear it.

After all I’ve seen, I’m tempted to take him up on his offer. But then again, if his people are at war, where will my mission fall on the priority list, really? My fingers fly over the screen: I’m not quitting

I watch him type. Stop. Start again. Stop. Then:

Thought you might say that.

I grin.

He texts again. The chapter’s hosting dinner at the Lodge tonight at 6. They want all Pages there. Come by an hour early. There’s a room where we can talk in private.

That “no reason at all” heat swims through my chest.

Yeah, no problem

Sure, we need a private place in the secret society’s semisecret house to talk about our supersecret infiltration and reconnaissance partnership.

Perfectly reasonable.

Patricia Hartwood texts me as soon as I arrive at my first class.

Hi, Bree! This is Dr. Hartwood. Your father arranged for us to meet regularly starting today. What do you think about meeting somewhere on campus? It’s a beautiful day!

That sounds good. Where?

How about the Arboretum at 2pm after your Plants of the Piedmont class? Seems appropriate, the Arboretum after botany!

Adult texting humor is the worst.

Okay! is all I can muster, but inside I can’t wait to meet her. What if she’s the key to helping me unravel the mystery of my mother?

Alice was right. Plants of the Piedmont really is a slacker class. The TA sat in the corner and played around on his phone while we “watched” the fifty-five-minute-long, super-dated educational video he insisted would help prepare us for next week’s test. Then he dismissed us early for no reason in particular, so I arrive at the Arboretum before our appointment time.

The Arboretum is much bigger than I’d realized. The herb garden sign says that it’s home to more than five hundred species and cultivars. My mother would have loved it. As I walk, I imagine a younger version of her coming here for visits between classes, taking secret clippings and tucking them away in her purse. I turn a corner and stop daydreaming.

A black granite table sits in the middle of a quiet grotto, and underneath it leaks a steady stream of mage flame.

It’s thinner than the thick ribbons that had coiled around my arms in the shower and much, much lighter. Pale yellow instead of rich crimson.