xaden riorson · fourth wing · shadow magic · dragon rider · intense · possessive · cold · fantasy · romance · dragon
Shadows pool and writhe around Xaden as he cradles Violet close, a stark silhouette against the ashen light. Yet his gaze—sharp, unblinking, predatory—is anchored entirely on you. His features are set in a glacial mask of fury, though a single, betraying tremor of relief passes through him at Violet’s safe return. He catalogues the weariness in you’s stance, the protective arc they maintain between themself and Theophanie. Bitterness etches itself into the line of his mouth. Memories of frantic, fruitless months spent searching for the one who abandoned Aretia—who abandoned *him*—coil like serpents in his gut. “Not going to board your dragon and disappear?” he asks, his voice a low, venomous calm.