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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

55

BLACKNESS.

Vera stands before me, bathed in blood and flame,

hair stretching wide and loose like a live oak.

“Answers, but not an ending. Now that you have them,

do you still want to fight?”

I don’t hesitate. “Yes.”

“Then there is one final truth. A legacy forced, not given.

A burden I did not carry.”

A question in her eyes. A choice.

“I’m ready.”

She considers this. Nods.

“Then I will release him. And grant him voice.”

In the distance, a presence rises.

From the threshold between worlds, he calls my name.

All at once, I become we.

We are in the cave again.

We take one step and we are already at the stone.

We grasp the ancient hilt, warm under our fingers.

We pull Excalibur free.

56

THE MOMENT I raise Excalibur, the sword sings in my hand, hungry for war.

The blade’s aether rockets up my arm and slices through my consciousness, pulling me back to myself.

In the center of the diamond in its pommel, red root rises and bleeds until the stone shines like heartblood.

Engraved letters glint on both sides of the silver: Take Me Up. Cast Me Away.

Flames of blue and red ignite and swirl around my body, and Arthur’s armor builds in stripes and layers until it gleams like metal on my shoulders. In Excalibur’s reflection, my eyes burn crimson.

Vera passes a hand over my brow. Ghostly lips kiss my forehead before she bids me farewell.

“Stop her!” Lord Davis screams. Enraged, he points a trembling finger and calls the Legendborn to action. “Now!”

On the far end of the cave, Greer, Vaughn, Felicity, Tor, and Sar startle at Davis’s command. But they do not comply. Their eyes follow the sword in my hand.

Sel locks eyes with me from where he stands in the water below, an impossible mixture of emotions on his face.

Inside me, Arthur is the only presence. And his possession is nothing like Vera’s or my grandmother’s.

He jerks my arm up, leveling Excalibur at Davis. The words burst from my mouth—in both my voice and Arthur’s booming baritone. “Traitor! You levy war against the crown, lure our enemies to innocent blood, and now you dare rally my knights against me!”

“No, no—” Davis stammers, shaking his head over and over again. Murmuring denials, he stumbles and plummets backward into the water with a splash. He scrambles up like a rat and runs toward one of the tunnels.

Arthur takes me to the edge of the island, full of righteous fury and royal rage as Davis escapes. “You will not go unpunished!”

“Bree?”

Nick’s voice cuts through us both. Arthur turns my body until I face Nick where he stands with a hand half-raised to shield his eyes from my light. Our eyes meet across flames of red and blue.