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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

“Here.” Patricia hurries over from where we’d been sitting. “Eat this.” She shoves a pear into my hand and the glass of juice. I eat and drink, and I swear I feel my grandmother’s mouth moving long after mine has stopped. After a moment, she seems happier. More settled, like she’s found a nice rocking chair in there and has decided to sit awhile.

“Okay.” I stand upright, testing my legs. I feel full but not unbalanced. “That’s better.”

“You need a ride?” Mariah asks.

I nod as emphatically as I dare. “Yes, please.”

When Mariah pulls up to the lot by Old East, she stops me before I get out. “Remember, you need to focus. You gotta keep her from spilling out, but keep your guard up so other ancestors from your line don’t come knocking,” she warns, squeezing my hand. “The hardest part of being a Medium is closing the doors once they’re opened. The unsettled spirits, the eager ones, look for ways in and you’re much more open to your ancestors now. And listen, this is the South; there are a lot of unsettled Black folk in the ground.”

I nod. “Thank you for helping even though you barely know me. It means… everything.”

“And so it is,” Mariah says with a smile.

Before I get out of the car, Patricia’s warm fingers rest on my cheek. “Thank you for letting us in. I’m proud of you, Bree. I hope you find your answers.”

44

WHEN I WAKE up late the next morning, Alice is already gone, and a text is waiting from her on my phone: At the library!

My grandmother is still there inside me, snoozing.

For the first time all week, I let myself miss Nick. I see the hurt on his face and feel the shame of causing it. What must he think of me now? That I used him, I think. That as soon as I got what I needed, I dropped him and everything we’d found with each other. In truth, I did. I used him and accepted his kindness along with everyone else’s. Leaving was bad, but leaving things like I did was worse.

I can’t move forward with this hanging over my head. I tap Alice’s text and stamp out a quick response.

Hey, do you have Charlotte’s number? I’m gonna need both y’all’s help.