The Legendborn Cycle, #1
Legendborn
by Tracy Deonn
Contents
Chapter 16
Overview
After the battle, Bree returns to find Nick gone and learns more about the Order’s hidden costs from Sarah. The revelation of the Abatement reframes the Legendborn as people whose inherited power can shorten their lives, making Felicity’s Calling and Sarah’s loyalty to Tor much more tragic.
Sel’s aether-drunk confrontation escalates Bree’s danger inside the Order, as his devotion to Nick turns into a direct death threat. Bree’s return to her dorm forces the supernatural aftermath back into her ordinary life when Alice sees her injured and filthy.
Summary
Bree and William return to the infirmary and discover that Nick and Tor have both left their beds. William is furious that Russ and Sarah allowed Nick to leave without being discharged, especially because Nick’s head is still healing. Bree is hurt that Nick left before seeing her, but Sarah explains that Nick called Bree repeatedly and may have assumed Bree went home after the attack.
Evan wakes, recognizes Bree, and asks her not to tell Charlotte he was hurt. William shifts back into healer mode, checks on Evan, and sends Russ away. Sarah offers to drive Bree back to campus, and Bree accepts after learning Tor is upstairs and fine.
On the walk from the parking lot to Bree’s dorm, Sarah talks openly about her family’s place in the Order. Sarah explains that her mother came from money and once Paged, while Sarah’s Venezuelan father became a sworn Vassal before marrying into the world. Their conversation also exposes the racism Sarah hears among Order families and the burden of secrecy when ordinary students pass nearby.
Bree asks about the danger Sarah’s family accepts, and Sarah reveals the Abatement: when Scions Awaken, their inherited knightly power drains their human bodies, and most Awakened Scions do not live past thirty-five. Bree realizes Felicity’s life has just been drastically shortened. Sarah also explains that once Sarah bonds to Tor, Sarah will share Tristan’s power and face Abatement too, but Sarah chooses it because she loves Tor and will not let Tor fight alone.
Sel suddenly appears, unsteady and aether-drunk after performing multiple Oaths, including Felicity and Russ’s Warrior’s Oath. Sarah physically blocks Sel from Bree, but Sel insists Bree is not what she seems and blames the night’s disaster on forces the Regents will punish him for. Sel calls Nick dormant, then threatens to kill Bree if Bree harms Nick, terrifying Bree enough that she runs across the quad.
Bree reaches her dorm shaking and struggles to unlock the door. Alice wakes and is shocked by Bree’s condition: muddy, filthy, torn, smelly, and visibly hurt. Bree cannot immediately produce a lie, leaving Alice frightened and demanding to know what happened.
Who Appears
- Bree MatthewsNick’s Page; absorbs new dangers, fears Sel, and returns to Alice visibly injured.
- SarahSquire who drives Bree home, explains Abatement, and protects Bree from Sel.
- Selwyn KaneAether-drunk Merlin who confronts Bree and threatens to kill her if she harms Nick.
- WilliamOrder healer angered by patients leaving the infirmary without medical clearance.
- Nick DavisArthur’s heir; leaves the infirmary before Bree returns, believing she may have gone home.
- EvanInjured Squire who wakes in the infirmary and asks Bree not to tell Charlotte.
- RussSquire who helped oversee the infirmary and let Nick leave after waking.
- TorSarah’s beloved Scion; leaves the infirmary hungry after recovering from the attack.
- AliceBree’s roommate who wakes and panics after seeing Bree filthy, torn, and hurt.