Page 104 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

“This is awkward,” I muttered.

“For both of us,” he agreed, but his tone was almost teasing.

I turned my head slightly, enough to catch the faint curve of his mouth. “Since when are you capable of being awkward?”

“Since a stubborn white-haired rider with a death wish started invading my personal space.” His gaze flicked down to me, something unspoken lingering there.

“Invading your personal space?” I huffed. “I’m not the one holding on like I’m about to fall off a cliff.”

His eyes sharpened, humor giving way to something deeper. “You almost did.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but no words came. Because he was right—if he hadn’t caught me, I’d be bleeding out on the stone.

“Kaelith’s right,” I muttered. “I am going to die out here.”

“No,” Zander said firmly. “You’re not.”

His hand shifted, fingers grazing my arm just enough to make me shiver. “You’ll get her to anchor you,” he said quietly. “You’re stronger than you think.”

“Even Kaelith doesn’t believe that,” I whispered.

“She will,” Zander said. His voice was certain. “You just need to give her a reason to.”

I tried to ignore the warmth in his voice—the quiet faith I wasn’t sure I deserved. But I clung to it anyway, because right now, it was the only thing keeping me from falling apart.

The world shimmered, the illusion peeling away like smoke caught in the wind. I blinked as the false mountain landscape dissolved, leaving me on the solid ground of the Ascension Grounds. My squadmates were scattered around the clearing, some leaning on their dragons, others still shaking off the remnants of whatever nightmare they’d faced. I was now standing, and Zander had stepped away from me, making me wonder if our interaction was real.

They all turned when they saw me.

“Are you alright?” Riven was the first to reach me, her gaze raking me over like she expected to find a wound.

“Yeah,” I rasped. My throat was dry, and my limbs still felt like dead weight. “I just about fell at the end. Zander saved me.”

“That would have been a long way down,” she said with a breathless chuckle that didn’t quite mask her concern.

Jax rubbed his head as he joined us. “Was it real? I mean... would we have actually gotten hurt?”

Zander’s voice cut in before I could answer. “Yes,” he said roughly. “Major Ledor’s illusions are real because we believe them. If you fall from a height that you know should kill you… you die.”

“Reality weaver,” I muttered.

Zander’s sharp gaze landed on me. “Yes. How did you know that?”

“Kaelith told me,” I said simply.

“Lieutenant Rayne!” Major Ledor’s bark carried across the grounds, sharp and commanding.

Zander’s eyes lingered on me for a beat longer before he exhaled and turned toward the Major. His usual confident stridefaltered, like he expected a reprimand—and judging by the Major’s furious expression, he was about to get one.

“I’m not sure he was supposed to help you,” Naia murmured.

“I was already done with the trial when he did,” I said, though the words felt hollow. None of this had felt like success.

We watched as Major Ledor jabbed a finger at Zander’s chest, his words lost in the distance but his gestures clear. Zander’s posture stayed rigid, his face expressionless.

Then the air around him darkened.

Dark Fire curled from Zander’s palms, licking up his arms like serpents made of smoke and shadow. The flames hissed and spat, coiling dangerously as Major Ledor stumbled back a step, clearly reassessing his strategy.