Page 145 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

“They’re serving biscuits,” Jax added, a gleam in his eye. “And apricot bread.”

“I’d kill for that bread,” Naia muttered.

Cordelle’s hand brushed my arm before I could follow. “Hey,” he murmured. “I need to talk to you.”

I glanced at the others. “We’ll catch up,” I called. “We’re gonna wash up first.”

Riven shot me a questioning look but didn’t press. One by one, our squad headed for the dining hall, leaving Cordelle and me behind.

We walked in silence back to our room. The hallway was quiet—most of the castle’s residents were still outside or heading for food. The flickering torchlight seemed dimmer than usual.

“What’s going on?” I asked once we were inside.

Cordelle closed the door behind us and exhaled. “I’ve been digging deeper,” he said, voice low. “I found more about your magic.” He pulled a leather-bound book from beneath his bunk and set it on the table.

“It hasn’t existed since before the Unification Treaty,” he said, flipping to a page marked with a scrap of cloth. “There’s isn’t much on it, but what I found... it’s bad, Ashe.”

I shifted uneasily. “How bad?”

“There are warnings about its potential dangers,” Cordelle muttered. “But nothing about the exact fae bloodline it comes from. It’s... strange.”

“Strange?” I frowned. “If it was thought lost, they probably didn’t bother recording it.”

Cordelle shook his head. “No, this feels intentional. As if someone didn’t want the truth to be known.” He traced a fadedline of text with his finger. “The only thing I know for sure is that people with this power either died... or turned dark.”

My heart skipped a beat. “I’m part human, I can’t turn.”

“I know,” he admitted. “The details are vague, but the warnings are clear.” His voice softened. “I’m worried about you.”

I swallowed hard. “I’ll be fine,” I said, but the words felt hollow.

Cordelle wasn’t convinced, and neither was I.

“I’ll keep looking,” he promised. “There’s more to this. I know it.”

“Thanks,” I murmured. “I appreciate it.”

“Of course.” He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Did you get the info on the guard rotations?” I asked as Cordelle tucked his book back under his bunk.

“Yes,” he said with a sigh. “I know they switch at midnight, but I’m still trying to figure out which guards work which nights. My father didn’t know, and I don’t want to tell him what we’re up to.”

I nodded, relieved. “I agree. It’s better to take our time and gather the info than rush and make a mistake.”

Cordelle smiled faintly. “You’re good at this stuff.”

I snorted. “Misspent youth.”

His chuckle was cut short by a sharp knock at the door. We both froze. The knock wasn’t urgent—just hard.

Cordelle glanced at me, eyes wide. “Expecting anyone?”

I shook my head as I moved to the door, fingers itching toward the dagger at my waist. My hand hesitated on the handle before I opened it.

Zander stood in the doorway, his broad shoulders filling the frame. His gaze flicked past me to Cordelle, then back to me. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes—dark like a coming storm—made my pulse skip.

“Lieutenant,” I greeted, forcing my voice to stay even.Don’t think about the kiss.