Page 105 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

“Guess Dark Fire trumps illusions,” Jax muttered, slinging an arm around my shoulders.

“Yeah,” I sighed, feeling the bone-deep exhaustion in my muscles.

“That was one fucked-up trial,” Tae said.

“Come on,” Jax said. “Let’s get back to the barracks before they make us run laps or something.”

I let him steer me away, my legs heavier with each step. My mind kept circling back to the words the Blood Fae had whispered—Soon you will learn you’re on the wrong side—and Zander’s quiet certainty that I could get Kaelith to anchor me.

If I didn’t… I wasn’t sure I’d survive.

Chapter

Twenty

We stumbled back to our room, too drained to bother with conversation at first. The door creaked shut behind us, and everyone moved to their bunks with the sluggishness of exhaustion.

Jax flopped onto his bed, groaning dramatically. “I feel like that mountain sucked the marrow right out of my bones.”

“That’s because it probably did,” Tae muttered, kicking off his boots and falling backward across his mattress. “I don’t know what was worse—the burning muscles or that feeling like someone was peeling the magic right out of my skin.”

Jax snorted. “I thought I was just out of shape. Damn... maybe I’m dying.” He pressed a hand to his chest like he was checking for a pulse.

“Dying?” Tae rolled onto his side, propping his head up on one arm. “Please. If you were dying, you’d be crying loud enough for the whole castle to hear.”

“No doubt,” Jax grinned.

“Right after you stopped for a feast at the dining hall,” Naia added dryly.

“Exactly,” Jax said, pointing at her. “Gotta die with a full belly.”

We all chuckled at that, the weight of the trial easing slightly with the warmth of familiar banter. Even Ferrula, usually so quiet, smiled from her bunk.

Cordelle sat on his bed, quietly writing in his leather-bound journal, his fingers moving steadily across the pages. Whatever thoughts or poetry he was crafting seemed to keep him calm—or at least distracted.

Eilvin, on the other hand, grunted once, rolled over to face the wall, and tugged his blanket over his head. Apparently, he was done with all of us.

I leaned back against my headboard, letting my eyes close for a moment. The comfort of the room, my squadmates’ voices filling the air—it felt good. Safe, almost. Like we were a family in this mess together.

But then my gaze drifted to the end of my bed—and my stomach knotted.

The corner of my blanket was folded in a precise triangle—the way Solei had always taught me. Quiet. Subtle. Easy to miss unless you knew what to look for.

My fingers twitched, and I forced my breathing to stay even. Solei wouldn’t have done this unless she needed me to know something. But what? Had she found something in the castle? Or worse—had she been seen?

“You good?” Naia’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I blinked and nodded, forcing a smile. “Yeah. Just tired.”

“Well,” Jax groaned as he stretched his arms above his head. “You should be grateful. Whatever’s happening with Kaelith... she didn’t let you fry yourself to a crisp out there.”

“Or plummet off a cliff,” Tae added with a grin.

“Yet,” I muttered under my breath.

Jax smirked. “If she ditches you again, just aim for me. I’ll catch you.”

“Please,” Naia cut in. “You couldn’t catch a cold.”