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Back The Endless Skies Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. Copyright Notice
  2. Dedication
  3. Map
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. EPILOGUE
  54. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  55. Also by Shannon Price
  56. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  57. Newsletter Sign-up

I keep my mouth shut. My mind flashes to Rowan’s face as we stood in the rain when she told me of the sentinels’ lies, and the tired pain in her eyes. She said the sentinels lied to all of us, for years. What did we have to lose from ceasing the endless battles on the seas and at the Cliffs? It didn’t make sense, unless I accepted that both sides were too selfish, too proud.…

General Marchess pulls a map from a drawer and lays it on the desk. Even from my vantage point, I recognize the curve of the Cliffs and the Heliana’s diamond points, but the Vyrinterra they’ve drawn isn’t quite the right shape. Because they haven’t been there yet.

“We have spent the years learning about you from pieces the war left behind,” says Marchess. “We know that you bleed and feel pain just like we do. We know you get sick like we do. And now we have built aeroplanes that fly, so we can meet you in the skies. I have waited years to bring you down,” he says. “I have thought of all the ways to break you.”

Meet us in the skies? “No Leonodai will break,” I fire back. “A Leonodai child is born braver and stronger than any human could hope to be in a lifetime.”

“I expected you not to yield. Yet.” He sips his drink. “But I think I can fix that.” He splashes the rest of his drink onto my face. The liquid burns my nose and eyes, and I shout in rage, but the bonds keeping me to the chair hold fast.

“Be grateful, you animal,” he says. “We will give you food and water. Anything you please. Because tomorrow, I will break you, warrior strength and all. Tomorrow, we’ll show this city who the superior beings are, before I launch my aeroplanes and decimate the magical races. Magic or no magic. You are no match for progress.”

I shake off the sting of the drink. “Death fighting you would be an honor.”

He smiles. “Then death it is.”

33

ROWAN

A warm hand on my wrist jolts me awake.

I sit up with a start, but Isla’s hand tightens, and she holds up a finger to her mouth, like shh.

“Are you okay?” I whisper, unsure how much she understands.

“Come with me,” she says. Then, another word that I think was an attempt at surprise.