Page 109 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

Could my family be involved? Could Solei?

I pushed my plate away, suddenly unable to stomach another bite. My mind raced, the weight of suspicion heavy on my chest.

I had always known Cyran played a dangerous game—one of power, deception, and shifting alliances—but this? Killing a warder meant inviting retaliation that could burn both the Order and the royals alike.

Would he risk that?

I clenched my fists beneath the table, my nails biting into my palms. If Solei had done this... if my family’s hands were covered in blood...

I wasn’t sure what I’d do.

We finished our meal and returned to our room. I sat down on my bunk, still unsettled from breakfast. Cordelle joined me, shifting nervously on the edge of my bed.

“I wanted to talk to you last night,” he said quietly. “But I never got the chance.”

“What is it?” I asked, still half-lost in my own thoughts.

“It’s... your power,” he said, his voice dropping lower.

I frowned. “What about it?”

Cordelle shifted again, clearly uncomfortable. “Everything I’ve found says you’re connected to a lost fae bloodline—one that turned dark.”

I scoffed. “That’s impossible. I’m twenty years old. I may not know my exact birthday, but it’s accurate within a few months.”

“That’s the thing,” Cordelle said, voice tight. “There werenohuman halflings born of that bloodline. You... shouldn’t exist.”

“Then you have the wrong bloodline,” I shot back. “Or maybe one slipped through the cracks, passed down through the human generations.”

Cordelle shook his head. “Ashe, you’re too powerful for that. You’re bonded to Kaelith.”

I pulled my pendant from beneath my shirt and showed him the barely visible hint of purple beneath the gold. “We’re not bonded yet, remember?”

“But she’s stillyours. And Kaelith… she predates the Unification.”

“Zander’s dragon does too,” I pointed out. “Hein’s almost as old.”

Cordelle frowned, worry etched deep in his face. “I can’t explain that either. And there’s no record of Dark Fire in the king or queen’s lineage.”

“There must be.” I shrugged. “Again, not all births are recorded in noble houses, or none of the Thrall squad would be here.” I paused. “Do you know your own lineage?”

Cordelle smiled faintly. “I do. My grandmother was a maid in the castle. She got pregnant from a visiting noble... but noone ever knew which one.” His smile faded. “I never cared much before, but now...” He trailed off.

I reached out and squeezed his leg. “I’m just thankful you’re here.”

Cordelle’s smile returned, softer this time. “Me too,” he said. Then his expression hardened again. “But you need to be careful, Ashe. If the wrong person suspects you’re fromthatbloodline... they may kill you.”

His words landed like a blow to the chest. I’d faced danger before—blades, Blood Fae, even my own unstable power. But this... this was something else.

“Then I guess we better figure out who I am.”

The knock at the door startled me, sharp and abrupt. Jax moved first, tugging it open to reveal a castle courier standing stiff-backed in the hall.

“Ashe,” Jax said, his gaze flicking to mine with concern. “You’ve been summoned to the castle.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. I grabbed my jacket, slipping it on quickly. The others watched in tense silence as I followed the courier out.

“Do you know what this is about?” I asked the young man as we walked briskly across the courtyard.