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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

I see my dad sitting in the vinyl chair at the hospital, putting on a brave face while his world crumbled. I hear his voice, warm and laughing in my ear. The texts I’ve never responded to. How he tried to help me even when I didn’t want to hear it.

Lord Davis leans forward and pins me with a pleased smile. “Now tell me, Ms. Matthews. Do you consent to this offer?”

All the frustration, all the fight, leaves my body.

“I do.”

48

ALICE MOVES AS if sleepwalking, and she falls asleep as soon as I get her upstairs and lay her on her bed. Her thin eyebrows are drawn up tight, and her stringy hair is glued to her neck and forehead. She shivers with nightmares and moans without waking up, not even stirring when I pull her into a sitting position to change the damp, clammy bedsheets. I wipe the sweat from her face and neck and sob, praying for whatever Isaac’s done to leave her system.

‘This craft is a poison.’ My grandmother’s voice is loud in my mind. ‘I’m sorry, baby.’

“Where were you?” I cry. “Where did you go?”

‘I am using all of my power to call back to the old mother, like you asked,’ she murmurs. ‘I couldn’t help you back there, and I can’t help you here.’

“There must be something I can do!”

She is silent, and I worry she’s gone again.

Then my body turns hot, and a new presence stretches beneath my skin. “Who—”

A new voice answers. ‘Jessie. A healer. Three generations back.’

“Please—” My voice cuts off in a strangle as Jessie pushes my hands over Alice’s forehead.

‘My healing and your immunity… maybe.’ A pause. ‘No herbs on this side, so you’ll have to do.’

“I’ll have to do wh—”

Red mage flame erupts from my palms and flows over Alice’s face and hair. Jessie won’t let me pull away. All I can do is watch with horror as my root, my aether, cascades down my friend’s body and soaks into her skin. Then Jessie releases me, and the flames snuff out.

The threat of fainting shudders through my frame. I’m drained. Weak.

Instead of herbs, Jessie used me, my own power and energy.

Alice’s eyes flutter open. “Bree…?”

“Alice!” My hands fall to her cheeks and smooth her damp hair away from her eyes.

She pulls at my wrist. “What happened?” she gasps, and her eyes dart back and forth. “There was a man. A man with red eyes… and fangs… and he—he took me somewhere. A house off campus—” She pushes up into a half-sitting position, trembling as the memories return. “You were there. They’d tied you up. Oh God. Oh God. He took my memories.”