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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

Beside me, Sel tilts his head in my direction, as if his ears are antennae. His eyes flick down to my chest and back up; the corner of his mouth twitches. Oh. My heart is a beating drum in my chest—so loud he can hear it.

Nick takes the mic, and the room takes a breath. He looks down at the three remaining Pages, eyeing them one by one. I wait for him to pick Sydney. Try to be happy for him to pick Sydney. She is a better choice than Vaughn or Blake. She will serve him well.

He holds the gold ribbon of Arthur up and the coin glints in the light.

“I, Nicholas Martin Davis, Scion of King Arthur Pendragon, first-ranked…”

Oh God. I turn away. I can’t look. I don’t want to hear.

“… select Page Matthews as my Squire. With her agreement, we will be bonded. For this war and beyond.”

46

THE ROOM ERUPTS.

Sel hisses, a sharp intake of breath beside me.

I feel hundreds of eyes search the ballroom for the Onceborn girl who would be Squire to the king, but I can’t move. Can’t think.

Davis tries to calm the crowd. I hear him say something about “respecting the king’s decision.”

The mic squeals. “Page Matthews?” Nick calls, and everyone in the room turns back to him. “Do you accept?” When Nick’s eyes find me again, his new subjects follow his gaze. Everyone turns toward me. “Do you accept my offer?” Nick repeats, and I can hear the uncertainty in his voice mixed with the hope.

Suddenly, all I can think is that tonight was supposed to be an apology and a goodbye, but if I become Nick’s Squire and Arthur Calls him, I’ll never be able to leave.

Fear wraps its hand around my heart.

I came to the Order to find answers about my mother’s death, and I found them. Finding a way to leave the Order afterward was always the next step. That was our deal. But Nick’s offer would take me on a new path: accepting the Order’s mission as my own. Living with the risk of Abatement.

Sel steps close to my side; I feel the tension in his shoulders. “You must respond,” he whispers, the harsh sound in my ear jarring me back to life.

“I…”