Page 12 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

Before he could respond, Zander Rayne broke formation and intercepted Major Kaler, murmuring something low in his ear. The major gave a curt nod before continuing toward the tunnel. Then, to my irritation, Zander turned and motioned toward us.

“You’re with me,” he said, his voice sharp and unyielding. “Since you have no commander, I will fill in until one is assigned.”

Tae muttered a curse under his breath, but we had no choice but to fall into step behind him. As we walked, Zander had the gall to keep pace beside me.

“You must have a death wish,” I muttered, my tone laced with venom.

“You think so?” Zander’s authoritative stride made it clear he belonged in command. Everything about him, his perfectlystraight posture, his crisp black-and-gold uniform, even the effortless way he moved, screamed noble. And get the fuck away.

“Your little training exercise got one of us killed,” I snapped.

“A noble was also killed,” Zander countered, his voice unreadable. “There are always cadets too weak for the army.”

I clenched my jaw. “I bet those ones chose to be here, though.”

Something ticked in Zander’s jaw, a flicker of tension in his otherwise composed expression.

“We are at war,” he said, but the conviction in his voice faltered just slightly. “Sacrifices must be made.”

I wasn’t convinced he even believed the bullshit coming out of his own mouth.

By the time we reached the tunnel entrance, the guards had already removed the floor covering, revealing the tunnel below. Perin scurried down after Major Kaler, before the prospects of the other squads followed.

We made our way to the end of the tunnel and the rope leading down to the beach. Zander gestured toward it. “Ladies first.”

I cocked my head and gave him an exaggerated once-over. “If that’s the case, you should go.”

Beside me, Tae coughed, barely suppressing a laugh.

“Fucking perfect,” Jax muttered behind us.

Zander’s jaw twitched in irritation, but he ignored my jab. “You’re next, Cadet Rockel.”

Tae scowled. “You’re a prick, Lieutenant Rayne,” he muttered before grabbing the rope and descending with effortless precision.

Zander stared at me expectantly. I grunted, grabbed the rope, and followed. As I made my way down, Zander leaned over the edge.

“If someone can’t withstand a simple beach run, they can’t ride a dragon,” he called down.

I secured one hand and flipped him off with the other before dropping to the sand beside Tae.

The tide was down, and the beach stretched before us in golden waves, the wet sand glistening in the morning light. In the center of the beach, a table had been set up, a large ornate bowl resting on its surface. Major Kaler stood behind it, his posture rigid, while the newest Fourth Guild members gathered before the table, the nobles already wearing the leather gear that marked them as riders.

As we assembled, Major Kaler motioned to the bowl. “These pendants are made of gold-dipped dragon scale, specifically, the dragon you are compatible with. The color will only reveal itself once you bond. Run your hand over the bowl, and one will call to you. Once you put it on, I will perform the linking ceremony, and your dragon will be summoned. They cannot resist the link, but you will have to prove your worthiness for the bond to be complete. This takes time. You will know when your dragon is truly yours as its scale emerges from the pendant.”

Tae and Zander stepped back, their own pendants already resting beneath their uniforms. I hadn’t noticed the chain around Tae’s neck before, he had kept it under his shirt. The rest of us, in our dark, commoner-issued clothes, looked painfully out of place among the noble riders.

Major Kaler motioned with his hand. “Kalem. You go first.”

A young man from Stormforge stepped forward, his broad shoulders squared with determination. He hovered his hand over the ornate bowl, his fingers twitching as if he could sense something within the pile of pendants calling to him. After a brief pause, he reached inside, shifting the golden charms until one practically leaped into his grasp. When he lifted it, the pendant gleamed in the morning light, a smooth, triangularpiece of gold infused with dragon scale. He wasted no time fastening it around his neck.

“I’m ready,” Kalem declared, his voice strong despite the undercurrent of uncertainty.

The moment his words left his lips, a deafening roar shattered the relative quiet of the beach. Heads snapped toward the island to the right of the castle—the massive, rocky landmass that loomed beyond the ocean like a sleeping giant. But it was no longer at rest.

In the distance, a green dragon burst from the dense greenery of the isle, its massive wings unfurling like a windswept sail, sending a flock of birds squawking in another direction as it took to the sky. The morning sunlight gleamed off its emerald scales, which shimmered in hues of deep-jade. But it was no serene vision of beauty.

Its roars echoed over the water as it barreled toward the beach, its powerful body slicing through the air with brutal efficiency. Its tail, thick and ridged, whipped behind it like a lethal weapon, and as it neared the shore, the spiked end of its Clubtail began to expand—sharp protrusions extending outward like jagged blades, each one capable of crushing bone with a single strike.