Page 139 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

And then Hein lifted into the sky, carrying him away before I could reply.

I stood there for a long time, the cool air nipping at my skin—still feeling his mouth on mine, still tasting him. My emotions were a tangled mess—a knot of want and anger and confusion I couldn’t begin to unravel.

What the hell just happened?

I barely remembered walking back to my room, my thoughts still tangled in the taste of Zander’s lips and the heat of his touch. My ribs had stopped aching from the trial, but my mind wouldn’t stop spinning—the storm inside me refusing to calm.

When I stepped through the door, Riven glanced up from her bunk. “Where did you go?” she asked, tossing her braid over her shoulder.

I hesitated, still unsure how to explain the chaos boiling beneath my skin. “Zander took me to the Dragon Isle,” I said finally, hoping that would be enough.

Her brows shot up. “He took you to the Isle?” She sat up straighter, eyes wide. “Why?”

I shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “I needed some air, and I guess Hein thought a ride would help.”

“You rodeHein?” Her voice pitched higher with disbelief. “As in, Zander’s dragon? The massive silver that could crush a house if he sneezed too hard?”

“Yeah.” I dropped my dagger on my bunk, exhausted and ready for bed. “I guess he’s feeling charitable.”

“Charitable?” Cordelle set his book aside and leaned forward. “Ashe, Hein doesn’tdocharitable. He’s almost as old as Kaelith, older than most dragons in the horde.” He paused, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “Dragons don’t let anyone else ride them unless they’re in battle. Those instances have been due to necessity, strategy, and injury.”

Riven blinked. “Let me get this straight... you’re saying Hein just took you for a... what, a leisure ride?”

Cordelle nodded grimly. “That goes against everything I’ve ever read about dragons.”

“Well, there’s obviously a reason,” Naia said, swinging her legs off her bunk. “Maybe he’s just fond of her?”

“Dragons don’t get fond of anyone but their rider,” Cordelle said. “They respect power, dominance, and loyalty. I believe Kass is one of the most easygoing dragons in the horde, but he would scorch any one of you if you tried to mount him.”

“Are you sure?” Riven asked.

Cordelle nodded. “I just asked him, and he wasn’t overly polite about his answer.”

I sighed and leaned my head back against the wall. “Honestly, I don’t know why Hein did it. Zander said it was his idea. Maybe he felt sorry for me after the trial.”

“That’s still weird,” Cordelle muttered, reaching for his book again. “I’ll keep looking into it.”

Riven shifted beside me, lowering her voice. “But... why would Zander take you there?”

I hesitated, feeling heat crawl up my neck. “I don’t know. Maybe he just... thought I needed a break, too.”

Riven’s eyes narrowed like she didn’t quite believe me, but she didn’t push. Instead, she smiled softly. “Whatever happened... it’s good, isn’t it? You’ve been carrying a lot lately. Maybe someone’s finally giving you a little peace.”

Peace.

That wasn’t what this was.

Because every second I’d spent on that island—with Zander’s hand holding mine, with his lips on mine—had only made the storm inside me worse.

I stared at Riven, her words fading to background noise as my mind spiraled—not back to the trial, not to my aching ribs, but to Zander. His hand on mine, his lips claiming my breath. The heat that had rolled off him, tangled with the scent of pineand smoke. I could still feel it like an imprint on my skin, like something buried too deep to erase.

The storm inside me swelled, pressing against my ribs, clawing to be set free. I didn’t notice it until Riven’s face shifted—her smile faltering, her eyes widening in alarm.

“Ashe…” Her voice sounded far away. She backed up a step. “What are you doing?”

I blinked, but everything around me blurred—like the room had been stretched and distorted by heat waves. My veins felt molten, my skin too tight for my body.

Kaelith?I reached for her instinctively, but there was only silence—no thread of her mind to anchor me.