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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

William runs his hand down Tor’s back, evaluating her condition with a deep scowl on his face. “Impatience is an inherited personality trait in your Line,” he mutters. “Fortunately for you, so is rapidity of aether metabolism. You’ll be healed in less than an hour, you ungrateful girl.”

Tor grins. “Toldja.”

“All right, everyone, listen up.” Felicity calls us to attention, her back toward the tunnel so she can see our faces.

“Hey!” Tor calls, limping over to her. “I’m here now, and I’m third-ranked. I’ll make the pronouncements!”

Felicity fixes her with a truly damning stare. Tor, to her credit, only holds her stance for a moment before she concedes, stepping aside.

“The good news is, according to my dad’s stories, there’s a tunnel network map that will show us the most direct path to the cave. The bad news is, we don’t know where that map is.” Our groans echo into the tunnel behind her. “But since all paths eventually lead there, we’re splitting the group four ways.” She glances at Tor and Sarah. “Five ways.” William walks between us, handing out small black flashlights.

There’s an odd number of us, so I get put into a group of three with Fitz and Evan. Vaughn and Whitty agree to join forces, leaving the rest of the bonded pairs to work together.

“There won’t be reception down there, so your phones are useless. Remember that the center of the campus is to our left, and hopefully we’ll all end up at the cave together. If you get there first, please try talking to Lord Davis.” Before using a weapon, she means. “But be on your guard. He might open a Gate to truly force Nick to defend himself.”

The pairs file in one at a time. Evan, Fitz, and I will go in last. Just as we take a step forward, William catches my arm.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” he says earnestly, his gray eyes searching mine. He glances into the cave and back to me again, and I see the worry there, so genuine it pains me. “It’s not your war.”

It’s not your war. I had a similar thought the last time I was here, when I was leaving the Legendborn world for good.

“I don’t want war,” I reply. “I want the people I love to be safe.”

“I thought you might say something like that.”

“You coming, Matthews?” Fitz calls. He and Evan are standing just over the threshold, faces limned in light, bodies already in shadow.

I say, “Right behind you,” and step forward into the earth.

51

THE SCENT OF rotting things overwhelms us. It burns the insides of my nostrils so much that I tug my T-shirt up over my nose for relief. The shift of my sleeves up my forearms makes me wish I had a coat; it’s freezing down here.