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Back The Endless Skies
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 plunge my hand into my knives’ sheath, where I put the rest of the cure Callen had tried to give me. Seth understands what I’m doing and gently opens Shirene’s mouth while screaming for water.

“Please,” I beg. “Please work.”

We press the cure between my sister’s lips as someone hands me a waterskin. We try to get Shirene to drink. We try. I touch my fingers to my sister’s neck and feel her pulse beat once, twice …

But there is so much blood, and it doesn’t stop. The red stains my filthy warrior-elect uniform and Shirene’s beautiful sentinel attire. Her eyes flicker for just a moment, her gaze landing on Seth before her head falls heavy in his hands.

All around us, the bells sing, triumphant.

EPILOGUE

ROWAN

I have been in what remains of the Glass Tower many times now, but never with the entire city’s eyes on me.

For the first time in our history, warriors-elect are to be sworn in on a day that isn’t during High Summer. Then again, the city has already seen its fair share of firsts in the past six weeks. The first funeral for a golden prince, then one for a sentinel. The first time a warrior-elect—me— stood in front of Vyrinterra’s ambassadors and sentinels to challenge the decisions they’d made. The first time a deserter had been formally invited back home to speak their piece, in hopes of creating a lasting change.

The proof is all around us. The Heliana floats above the sea once more, despite what the scholars always taught us. Even after the devastation of Tabrol’s death and the battle that followed, the Leonodai people stand as one. The city has come together in so many ways that at times I feel like we are stronger than ever before. The Heliana’s people hold her magic, not just the royal line. The scholars can do with that what they wish.

Today, the Tower is packed, with many citizens lining the back walls, where stands have been erected to fit in as much of the public as possible. Late summer air carries from one window to the next, the first hints of the changing season. The area to the right of the king, the reserved place for warriors, is just as crowded. I find Ox’s face in the crowd, and he smiles that roguish smile of his. Names of friends are called, and I cheer them with everything I have. Vera, then Bel. So many of them survived the Fall of the Heliana, as the city is beginning to know it. We have lived to see her in the skies once more.

The king calls my name, and I step forward.